The Betrayals

by Fiona Neill

Cara Rosie, la ragione per cui ti scrivo è semplice: vorrei vederti un'ultima volta.
Vorrei chiederti perdono e dirti una cosa che devi sapere. Prima che sia troppo tardi. Lisa

Rosie e Lisa. Inseparabili fin da bambine, sono rimaste l'una accanto all'altra nei momenti più importanti della loro vita adulta. Fino a quella fatale settimana di vacanza insieme sulla selvaggia costa del Norfolk, battuta dal vento anche d'estate. Una settimana che cambiò per sempre i loro destini, e distrusse come un castello di carte le loro famiglie.
Da allora Rosie ha tentato di dimenticare, cercando di rifarsi una vita senza il marito Nick; dal canto loro Daisy e Max, i suoi figli allora bambini, hanno portato dolorosamente su di sé le cicatrici della prima grande delusione delle loro vite. Nick, colpevole di aver spezzato il proprio matrimonio, ha passato a sua volta questi anni a spiegare a se stesso il suo comportamento. A trovarvi un senso che forse non c'è. Tutti e quattro, ciascuno a suo modo, hanno seppellito nel silenzio il ricordo di quello che è stato. Ma il ricordo, anche così, non ha mai smesso di fare male.
E adesso Lisa, ormai malata, si rifà viva con una lettera. Per chiedere perdono. Per raccontare anche lei la sua versione. E per svelare un ultimo, terribile segreto rimasto sepolto in quei giorni di tanti anni fa.

Un romanzo che ha incantato le lettrici e i lettori inglesi, per la sua capacità di intrecciare le storie dei suoi personaggi in un inestricabile nodo di affetti, rancori e desideri, e di esplorare la natura stessa del rimpianto e del perdono. Rosie, Daisy, Max, Nick: quattro punti di vista, quattro storie, quattro versioni di un unico evento. A quale crederai?

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, Thriller, Family, Book Club, Adult, Adult Fiction

400 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2017

About the author

Fiona Neill is a novelist and journalist. She was born in 1966. Her first novel The Secret Life of a Slummy Mummy, based on her column in The Times Magazine every Saturday, was published in 2007. It was widely acclaimed and went on to become a Sunday Times bestseller that sold in twenty-five countries.

Brought up in Norfolk, she now lives in London with her husband and three children.

Fiona is presenting a five-part series on BBC Radio 4 called Famous Footsteps, starting on January 12th. Find out more about the series by visiting the BBC Radio 4 website.

Reviews

[Paromjit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fiona Neill casts a knowledgeable and expert eye on the modern contemporary family as it experiences breakdown and betrayal, with the consequent devastating ripple effects on everyone concerned through the years. This psychological family drama almost feels less like fiction and more like reality, that is how good Fiona Neill's writing is. Rosie Rankin and her best friend, Lisa, are close friends from schooldays. Rosie marries Nick, an academic with an interest in the nature of human memory, and has children, and Lisa marries music journalist, Barney. Their daughters, Daisy and Ava, are best friends. Lisa's marriage begins to fray at the edges and Rosie is there for her. On the families annual holiday in Norfolk, Lisa and Nick begin to have an affair that results in both of them leaving their families to set up home together. There are immense repercussions and no-one is left unscarred. The narrative is delivered from the perspectives of Rosie, Nick, and their children, Daisy and Max, each with their own distinctive voices and characters.

Daisy's life becomes unbearably crushing as she develops a debilitating strain of OCD where the effects spill over onto her family as Rosie desperately searches for appropriate medical help. Additionally, Daisy is being bullied by Ava and her friends, which leads to an incident that has Daisy excluded from school. The sensitive Max is close to Daisy and carries unbearable levels of guilt that he is responsible for the affair happening. The betrayal that Rosie experiences from Nick, and her long term best friend, Lisa, makes the past a painful no go territory for her. Unsurprisingly, Rosie finds her ability to trust in tatters, and she struggles with relationships. She comes to rely on Tinder for sexual encounters. Naively Nick is surprised by the hostility he faces from his children trying to justify his actions. Several years down the line, Daisy intercepts a letter from Lisa to Rosie stating she wants to see Rosie. This threatens the return of her OCD. Lisa is now experiencing serious medical issues that threaten her life. Is there a possibility of forgiveness and reconciliation? In a story told through flashbacks, we find differing recollections of the same events, unreliable memories, twists, and a myriad of small and large betrayals.

Neill is an expert when it comes to delineating the darker side of the complications of being human and being part of a family. What makes this book stand out are the true to life characters that are well drawn and developed, caught in situations that so many people find themselves in today. The detailed research that has gone into the book is impressive, for example, you get an uncomfortably good idea of exactly what OCD is like through its effects on Daisy. The stresses and strains of the interactions and relationships feels remarkably authentic. Some might feel the book ends with too much ambiguity and not enough resolution, but for me, it simply reflects what life is like. I found this an insightful psychological read about the murky waters that comprise marriage and family today. Many thanks to Penguin Michael Joseph for an ARC.

[Maxine (Booklover Catlady) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy smokes Batman. That book just consumed me totally. I'm baffled I'm the fifth reviewer and the only one yet to give it five stars. This is a powerful, emotional and cleverly plotted novel.

You love dysfunctional characters in novels? Take your pick. So many here to choose from and it made for riveting reading. The writing in this is very clever, there are strong messages everywhere and it hooked and utterly entertained me. Sublime authorship.

The plot? Wow. Betrayals indeed. Many of them, so many of them and with a deal of complexity. I found the plot sucked me in and under. I read the last 75% of the book in one sitting. Totally lost. I love a book that can do that.

Every character popped off the page for me. Each and every single one playing a strong role in this novel that is essentially about how human beings can betray others and themselves and the fallout this then has. I don't want to go into spoiler details but I do highly recommend this novel if you are looking for some depth blended with reading escapism. This is not light and fluffy yet at times some dark humour just shone through.

I just really totally loved this novel. It really impressed me. The writing especially. The way Fiona Neill gets right into each character and exposes them to the reader is brilliant. I've struggled to be "held" by a lot of books lately and this won me over. Life stoped as I read this book.

5 generous stars for The Betrayals. The reveals then final scene just stunned me into silence and a degree of shock. Highly recommended and I expect to see more strong reviews for this wonderful book that gives us the darker, complex nature of people and relationships. Bloody brilliant!

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[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am thrilled to say that this book was a wonderful surprise!

I LOVED THIS!!!

Okay, I'll admit that I am a sucker for stories of dysfunctional families. The Betrayals is that and more. Fiona Neill kept me riveted to the pages. I. COULD. NOT. PUT. THIS. DOWN.

Rosie and Lisa have been best friends since they were little girls and as they grew up over the years and went on to begin their own families they continued that friendship.

Rosie is married to Nick and they have two children Daisy and Max. Lisa is married to Barney and they have two children Rex and Ava. Both families are put to the ultimate test during one summer vacation in Norfolk and none of their lives will ever be the same again.

"People don't always remember things accurately. The question isn't whether our memories are false, it's how false are our memories."

What would you do if your husband left you for your very best friend?

"I would love to say that I was one of those women who intuited what was going on under her nose and cleverly pieced together the evidence before unmasking her feckless husband in a witty, dramatic sting. However, I very much wasn't. There was no list of festering grievances between Nick and me. I trusted him. I trusted Lisa. I loved them both, which made the sense of loss and betrayal more exquisitely painful."

How would or could young children even process the crumbling of two marriages right before their eyes?

"Parents make a big thing about children being honest but actually spend a lot of time pretending and telling untruths themselves."

"When Dad said we and the Drapers were like family, what he really meant was that we would be trapped in a relationship with them for the rest of our lives."

The thing with this story is, and I can't even believe I'm saying this myself, is that I actually cared about each and every one of these people. Max especially, oh, how I adored you. This was so realistic. The actions of everyone, while sometimes disturbing, I was able to make sense of them. Sure, they wouldn't be the same choices I would make but I was still able to understand their motivations.

I should mention this book isn't all sad and depressing because Fiona Neill has quick wit and humor and I often found myself chuckling along with the characters and their observations.

An absolute pleasure to read. 5 stars!

Thank you to Claiborne Hancock @ Pegasus Books for kindly sending me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Labijose · Rating 3 out of 5]

Aunque, en general, me ha gustado su lectura, “The betrayals” no contará entre mis mejores novelas de este año. Está bien escrita y es interesante, pero A) Los personajes me han resultado bastante “antipáticos”, a excepción de Rosie, la única con la que he podido más o menos empatizar. Y B) ¿Ese final? No sé, había muchas maneras de poder terminar la obra, pero me parece que la autora ha elegido una vía de en medio que no me convence. Como tampoco termina de explicarme los motivos del trastorno obsesivo-compulsivo de Daisy. Bueno, quizás sí los motivos, pero no el desarrollo de su enfermedad de una forma convincente. Y la recaída, por causa de una carta que Lisa le dirige a Rosie, no me ha parecido ni mínimamente justificada. Y el personaje de Max tampoco está suficientemente desarrollado. Cojea por todas partes. No me creo su evolución a partir de lo que sucedió en “aquella fatídica semana”.
“The betrayals” puede considerarse un drama familiar decente, pero como thriller deja mucho que desear. Y como lo piense por más tiempo, aún le quitaré otra estrella.

[Dannii Elle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Two present day families seem fractured beyond repair. Lisa is now married to her former best friend, Rosie's, husband and has been diagnosed with breast cancer. Rosie, herself, is overwhelmed with work and attempting to piece her family back together again after her husband, Nick's, betrayal. Nick feels distanced from his children's life and wonder if his previous mistakes will ever be forgiven. Their daughter, Daisy, has severe OCD and their son, Max, blames himself for his fissured domestic life. The only way to return these individuals to their once happy state is to return to the summer that ruined everything. No matter how painful it may be.

With four sides to the truth of this story, this was a read sure to contain a few unreliable narrators. I adore the concept of figuring out the truth, when the protagonists can't be relied on to provide it for you, and was eager to venture into the past in order to do so.

About a third of the way through, the reader was provided the opportunity to do just that. The four narrators remained and they relived the events that occurred to bring them back to their present unhappiness. There are stark dissimilarities between the tales, which allowed this not to feel stale and repetitive.

Whilst I did find this a thrilling concept, I found this to, overall, not engage me as I had been hoping. I believe this is more to do with the slew of thrillers I have been reading, recently, and perhaps I have burned myself out on this genre. A totally unfair assessment on this book, as it did nothing wrong that I can discover. I did like the narrative style, the characters (unreliable or otherwise), and the multitude of subject matters it handled, but it failed to deliver a little on the edge-of-your-seat suspense I was craving.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, Fiona Neill, and the publisher, Penguin, for this opportunity.

[Pauline · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a story about family relationships and deception. It tackles some very sensitive topics including adultery, divorce, cancer and OCD. The characters were not particularly likeable but I thought that the writing was very good. I would like to thank NetGalley, Penguin UK - Michael Joseph for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Louise Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rosie Rankin's best friend had an affair with her husband. Relationships are torn apart and friendships are shattered. Rosie's daughter Daisy has OCD and when a letter arrives it opens up old wounds. Rosie's son Max blames himself for everything that's happened. Her ex-husband has his own version of events. There are four sides to every story. Who do you believe?

The story is told by four members of the same family. The story also covers some sensitive topics. Some included are cancer, OCD, depression, anxiety and alcoholism. The author has definitely spent a lot of time researching these topics. I liked the authors style of writing and the way she quickly got you caught up in the storyline.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Penguin UK - Michael Joseph and the author Fiona Neill for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Bex (Beckie Bookworm) · Rating 1 out of 5]

So this one was a bust for me: I really didn't enjoy it at all.
I felt like I was waiting for some big reveal to happen and It never actually did.
It was all so anti-climatic in nature and that ending for me was just so sudden and abrupt.
It's a shame really as the writing style here I did enjoy: this was great and was ever so easy to follow along with: but the story itself I found that to be a let down it never quite managed to capture my undivided attention.
Really my main issue here was I was bored and it was only the fact that this was an Arc that I persevered until the very end though I did find myself somewhat skimming in places.
So the idea here was very clever and in some way applied a three degrees of separation concept to the characters involved.
every action has a polar reaction and every unrelated incident is somehow connected on an alternate level eventually coming full circle: see really ingenious.
I may not have fully appreciated this but I can still applaud the author's creativity in this matter.
This was told from various POV: it was almost the same story from different perspectives portraying how each person can see the same incident but with a totally different interpretation and overall clarity concerning the exact same event.
The writing itself here had such an easy style I just failed to connect on any deeper level.
So this also explores a variety of diverse subjects from infidelity, betrayal, mental health: there really is a whole lot going on.
I think this will be more down to the style of fiction you ultimately like rather than the merits of is it well written: As I said earlier I cannot fault it in that regard.
On reflection, I would say this is more of a family drama type novel and it's just a shame that It wasn't really my cup of tea.
I voluntary reviewed an Arc of The Betrayals.
All opinions expressed here are entirely my own.



Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
www.beckiebookworm.com

[Liz Barnsley · Rating 3 out of 5]

**3.5 stars**

An engaging and thought provoking modern family drama from Fiona Neill here, with multiple viewpoints about how a family broke down and rearranged itself – a little like no two persons ever read the same book, no two memories are entirely the same.

It was a clever way of digging into very emotional subjects, that of divorce and its ripple effects – showing how 4 members of the same family view that time and how it impacted on them both then and now. Fiona Neill writes beautifully and tackles some heavy issues here such as OCD and cancer – it is extremely compelling and highly intriguing especially when you hear so many different versions of the same event.

This is one of those novels that leaves you pondering your own life after you’ve finished it – the characters are not all likable and all have their good and bad sides, you can never really know what is going on beneath the surface – The Betrayals acts as a spotlight on very current and likely life stuff we might face every day and in the end the solutions are not always clear cut.

Recommended for fans of riveting family drama.

[Clare · Rating 5 out of 5]

With thanks to Netgalley and Penguin for this ARC in exchange for an open and honest review.

I enjoyed Fiona's last book The Good Girl, I have to admit when I saw The Betrayals I requested it before reading the synopsis. I glad to say Fiona did not betray the trust I had in her writing, I loved it.

First of all I liked the front cover of this book. If I saw this in a bookshop it would compel me to pick up the book and read.
Rosie and Lisa have been best friends since school. Years later Rosie married Nick a scientist and Lisa married music journalist Barney. Rosie's daughter Daisy and Lisa's daughter Ava also became best friends. Both families remained friends and Rosie was a shoulder to cry on when Lisa's marriage was failing.
When the families go on their annual holiday to Norfolk, Lisa and Nick start an affair. When Rosie finds out she throws Nick out of their house and the two families become estranged. After her father left Daisy was diagnosed with crippling OCD.

Seven years later Daisy intercepts a letter from Lisa wanting to see Rosie. The letter prompts Daisy's OCD to return. People often make jokes about OCD but the description of Daisy's rituals just to function sounded exhausting. In this book we find out what happened on the Norfolk holiday through the eyes of Daisy, younger brother Max, Rosie and Nick, but how reliable are their memories?

This was a fascinating book, If this family were real they would be guests on Jeremy Kyle. I look forward to Fiona's next book.

[Bookread2day · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love reading about relationships. The Betrayals captured my attention from the first page right up to the very last word. A husband and wife relationship torn apart. The marriage had been over for years. Rosie's husband Nick hadn't mentioned Lisa not once and she couldn't bring herself to discuss her husband's betrayal with him. What had wrecked Rosie so much is that she had known Lisa for thirty years before Nick and even before her children were born. How could Lisa do this to her best friend having an affair with her best friends husband? To make matters worse Rosie's daughter Daisy was excluded from school after an awful incident involving Lisa's daughter Ava. The less said about that incident the better. Daisy is suffering from OCD. There clearly is a starting point at when Daisy started to suffer from OCD and I was shocked to find out what had started it off. I highly recommend ordering your copy of The Betrayals as the story gets a little more moving when Rosie receives a letter from Lisa to say that she has been diagnosed with breast cancer. But now Rosie knows that Lisa is dying will she still hate Lisa for taking her husband away from her and the children's father ? Can there be some hope of a reconciliation between Rosie and Lisa before it's too late?

[Lu Bielefeld · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 ⭐⭐⭐ - OK decent reads.
=======================
Nick ==> ex-husband, cheater, selfish, vain, asshole.
He did not think about the others or the consequences of his actions when he decided to leave his wife and two children to move in with his mistress, his wife's former best friend. Douchebag until the end. I hate him! Once a cheater, always a cheater!

Lisa==> Bitch, envious, selfish, narcissistic, homewrecker.
Married with two children, she does not think twice about dropping everything and starting an affair with Nick, her best friend's husband. She simply did not think of the destruction she caused on the way, she saw Nick and coveted him and took him. She took her ex-best friend's husband and her childhood home. Selfish whore! She only thought of herself until the bitter end.

Daisy ==> Fragile, vulnerable and traumatized.
The abandonment, betrayal, and divorce of her parents caused serious psychological disorders in her. Suffering from debilitating OCD, she was very traumatized by the events of that summer and by the betrayal of the father. Plus Ava, Lisa's daughter, was her best friend but she is tormenting and ridiculing her in school. From then on her life became a struggle.

Max ==> Intelligent, sensitive and with a great sense of guilt.
He also carries traumas caused by the events of that summer and he is used as an emotional crutch during his sister's OCD crises. He is looking to get rid of Daisy's dependence on him, is tired of living with this emotional tension. He is always protecting his mother and sister.

Rosie ==> strong, sensible and a warrior.
She was caught off guard by the betrayal of her husband and her best friend. They destroyed her world and she was left alone trying to gather the pieces and put the family on the rails again. Nick left the family and went to live a new life leaving her with two traumatized children and a career that demands a lot of her, everything for her to handle alone. She really was exhausted for a long time, both physically and mentally. But she got over it and got her head in a good place now.

He didn’t mention Lisa once and I couldn’t bring myself to discuss her betrayal with him. She had been a part of my life even longer

‘Twenty per cent of men leave their wives when they are sick, whereas only two per cent of women leave their husbands. It’s a big problem.’

I have made many mistakes but falling in love with Lisa most definitely isn’t one of them. She is the love of my life.

She is thinking only about everything she is about to lose, not everything that I lost.

Bloody Gregorio keeps emphasizing the need to make peace with anyone Lisa has wronged. And I’m terrified what she might tell her.

But now I wish I could transpose Rosie’s brain on to Lisa’s body.

‘Rosie won’t want to see me. Not after what I did to her.’

‘This is karma, Nick. Look and learn. The truth catches up with everyone eventually.’ She doesn’t mean it to sound like a threat but somehow it does.

‘You are a liar, Dad. Just admit that you are a liar. Tell Max what you did,’ commands Daisy.

Ava shot me a gloating smile that said she had made it to the other side of puberty to a place where her body worked in her favour and she had the power to bend the will of even men like my father. She had left me behind. This was her first act of betrayal.

‘You took Molly to France?’ I asked Ava incredulously. I couldn’t believe it.

The urge to kiss her perfectly shaped lips was overwhelming. I wanted to explore her mouth with my tongue and then run it down the rest of her body. Once the idea entered my head I couldn’t see any other possible ending to the day. But just as my lips were so close to hers that I could feel her breath on my face, Lisa unexpectedly sat up and her chin smashed into my nose.

Lisa and I had been gone for the best part of a day and the shops must have shut hours ago. Even worse, I had forgotten to get the main ingredient for dinner. There were no crabs.

‘Do you want to see my tits, Nick?’ ‘Don’t do that, Ava,’ I commanded, glancing back to the house to check no one else was watching. ‘Or would you rather see Mum’s? Don’t think I haven’t noticed the way you look at her.’

It was so easy for Nick to fall out of love with me. That was the hardest part. There had been no fights fought, no hateful words exchanged, no emotional grandstanding. Nick later said this reflected the lack of passion in our relationship.

Nick didn’t want to put up a struggle because he didn’t think our relationship was worth fighting for.

‘How could he? How could she? How could they?’ she said, over and over again, as if she was conjugating verbs.

‘Only prime numbers are infinite,’ said Max. ‘I’m amazed you haven’t learnt that. I thought you knew everything and now I realize you know nothing. You are full of shit.’

‘He loves Mum but not as much as he wants to fuck Lisa!’ I heard myself blurt out.
‘Well, it’s true, isn’t it?’ I shouted angrily at them both.

Max was wild-eyed. ‘Every day I am going to pray that Lisa dies a horrible slow lingering death,’ he said venomously.

I heard her once tell a friend that Dad and Lisa had robbed her of her past and future and that all she had left was the present.

The bad part of me – the part that wants an easy life, and wishes I didn’t have a sister like this – was hoping she’d cancel.

‘Relationships are like plants, they need good soil to grow, especially at the beginning, and from everything that Lisa has told me, the roots of your partnership were nourished in deception, lies and other people’s misery,’ says Gregorio. There is a nip of triumph in his tone that I hope Lisa notices.

She always said the same thing. I used to find it boring but now it seems comforting. A sensible woman, my ex-wife. Sometimes I wish I had married Lisa first and Rosie second.

‘Where am I?’ I ask Max. ‘What are you talking about, Dad?’ Max asks curtly. ‘It’s as if I don’t exist. There’s no reference to me anywhere,’ I say. ‘What do you expect? You haven’t lived here for years.’ He is uncharacteristically brutal. ‘Don’t be so needy.’

‘Daisy saw you and Lisa having sex in the dunes when we were on holiday in Norfolk that summer. She was in the pillbox, watching through the window.’

‘Can you imagine what that did to her, seeing her dad screwing her mum’s best friend? She was only thirteen. And then she had to keep your sordid little affair secret for six months until Mum found out. No wonder she got so ill. That’s why she tried to hurt Ava. She wanted Lisa to suffer like you’d made her suffer.’

‘They fell in love. Or rather they fell in love with the idea of each other. We didn’t stand a chance. And I was a mess, which didn’t help.’

The fug of lust had clouded his judgement and he hadn’t realized how Daisy and Max would view his departure as a double betrayal.

Mum always warned me to watch out for her ruthless streak. ‘What Lisa wants, Lisa gets, no matter who she tramples along the way,’ she always used to say. ‘She’s a survivor.’ But I never dreamt I would be the one who ended up being trampled.

There are pictures of Lisa and Nick on holiday, sometimes together, sometimes with friends, including a couple I see regularly who have never mentioned they still see them.

‘It wasn’t just your responsibility. It was Nick’s too,’ I remind her.

She scrolls through more pages and there are pictures of the girl with one arm around Nick’s neck and the other inside his shirt. I feel like a dirty voyeur.

==>OW<==
Why on earth would he bring a Tinder date to Dad’s wedding?

I saw her a couple of seconds before she noticed me. Even before she looked up from her phone I knew it was Connie. There was something about the tilt of her head and the curve of her neck. So I had the agony of panicking not just about my own response but also her reaction.

==>OW<==
She was wearing a short dress with long sleeves and the brooch that I had bought as a gift for Lisa but had impulsively given to her after she happened to mention that she was interested in Indian art.

==OW<==
I tried not to look at the way her hips swung in front of me and her dress clung to her buttocks. I remembered that first time her finger drew a line down my forearm when I was buying papayas. It had felt like a religious experience, as if I had been brought back from the dead. We had gone out dancing and had drunk so much, the only way we could stay upright was to cling on to each other.

==>OW<==
But discovering that I am sleeping with the same girl as my son pretty much negates anything positive I have ever done. People have rotted in hell for less.

I kiss the bride chastely, eyes closed, trying not to think about Connie. She’s standing so close to me that, if I wanted to, I could reach her with my hand. I wonder how I will sleep through the night knowing she’s in the room next door.

When I pull away from her to gently brush it from the sleeve of her wedding dress I realize that it’s not confetti at all. It’s dead ladybirds. I frantically try to get rid of them, but their dried feet hook on to us like burrs,

my relationship with Rosie: it was too anaemic. If I had stayed married to her I would have turned into the pillbox on the beach, slowly being entombed in sand. Boredom is a slow form of death, isn’t it? Everything with Lisa has taken place in glorious unpredictable Technicolor.

[Justkeepreading · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley, publishers and Fiona Neill for the opportunity to read this book for an honest review.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance reader copy of this book.

You can find my review on both Goodreads and Amazon. On goodreads.com/karenwhittard and on Amazon under k.e.whittard from publication date.

I hate it when I don't know what to make of a book. The problem that I have is that I absolutely love Fiona's writing style. I find it absorbing. It seems to always suck me in from the first sentence and doesn't let me out of its vice like grip until the end. Which in itself is a great thing.

There was a lot of sensitive topics covered in this book. An affair and the effects that it had on the two families and their children, obsessive compulsive disorder to the degree of being ritualistic, depression, anxiety, growing up, striking the right family work life balance, alcoholism and cancer. So it dealt with a huge amount of topics within one book and was done sensitively and was extremely well researched.

I think the criticism that I had was that it kept preluding to a big climatic event that triggered everything to go wrong and the children kept talking about something that they had done to make it all happen. When really there was no big reveal. I just thought it was a little anticlimactic. Especially when there was a whole big deal made about the patch up of the friendship and feeling guilty because of what had happened. I really can't put my finger on it exactly but something just didn't add up for me and I was left feeling a little flat I guess is the best word.

This is probably one of the reviews that I will come back to in a few days/weeks/or months time to review it slightly.

I will say that I really do love Fiona's writing style. I love how dedicated she appears to be to her craft and I do love reading her books. Just something felt a little off to me with this book that I can't put my finger on.

It was in no means bad especially that amount of detail and that amount of research but it was ok.

Let me know what you think and happy reading.

[Janel · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF @ 63%

I really tried with this book and continued reading even when I felt my interested waning. However, I decided to DNF at 63% because I felt a total disconnection to this plot.

This story is narrated by mum, dad, son and daughter, so we get each of their truths. However, I felt there were too many strong themes taking place to explore any of them in detail (adultery, divorce, mental health, alcoholism, friendships, betrayal, cancer), and this keep me at a distance from the events taking place. I began to feel like I was reading for the sake of reading, rather than because I cared about what was happening.

I did like the idea of ‘realisations’, the coming-of-age elements but overall I just could not connect with any of the characters or the plot, and failed to maintain interest in the plot.

The Betrayals is a look at a family’s truth, as each of them see it but but sadly, not every book can be for everyone, and this was not the book for me.

*My thanks to the publisher for granting me access to a digital copy of this book via Netgalley*

[Trish at Between My Lines]

Did Not Finish - Reading it started to feel like a slog. I was losing interest in the characters, and while there were lots of underlying themes - cancer, ocd, divorce, adultery - I felt like nothing was happening.

I'm disappointed as I started off loving the writing and the 4 points of view. But I lost my excitement, and came to the conclusion that this just wasn't a book for me.

Thanks to Penguin UK - Michael Joseph for giving me a copy of this book for review consideration. As always, no matter what the source of the book, you get my honest, unbiased opinion.

[Kate Henderson · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book started well but then just completely trailed off.
I wasn't sure what the point of the book was?!? It had far too many themes that it didn't really work for me. Was it about mental health, lies, memory, betrayal, infidelity??!!??! What was it trying to say. Im unsure.
Halfway through this book I would have given it 3 or 4 stars but then it just got slower and slower and went nowhere.
Really disappointed considering this book is relatively hyped.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

First and foremost, I have such mixed feelings about this book. I loved the idea behind it (the story of an affair and the way it directly - and indirectly - impacts on four different family members, told through the eyes of each of the four individuals), but wasn't sure whether it really worked in its execution.

The writing in Neill's book was absolutely flawless and done in such a clever way, allowing you to really get to know each of the characters and their idiosyncrasies. It was fascinating to see how each of the four separate lives intertwined to reveal more and more secrets and stories as the tale unfolded, giving you little snippets of clues and insights as it went on. Unfortunately however, I felt that the plot itself did not really amount to much. The main selling point of The Betrayals for me, is how cleverly the story has been woven and the writing style which draws the reader in. But I felt that in terms of a climax the book fell flat, and a story that could be told in much less pages dragged on far longer than it needed to in order to reach its conclusion. The lead-up to the book's ending would have you think that there was a huge cataclysmic event that would be revealed, but in reality it left a lot to be desired, and I was left thinking: "Is that it?"

I will definitely be looking out for more of Neill's books as this has been a great introduction into her brilliant writing style, but I hope for a completely different plot next time.

(Thanks NetGalley for this copy).

[Michelle RA · Rating 2 out of 5]

I only manage to read 50% before I decided to abandon it!

This book is sooooooo slow! Good gosh, there was so many times I nearly put it down, but told myself to persevere - I'm wishing I hadn't now! While it is an awesome idea - how can an affair damage the children and their parents - but good gosh it was soooo slow! I don't know if it was the characters ( Good Gosh Max you can see your sister is suffering again, tell someone!! Plus, don't get me started on Nick - you cheated with your wife's best friend, of course your kids will be pissed!!!) or if it was the jumping between the present and the past, but it just didn't click for me

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this novel intriguing in parts, but it didn't thrill me. After the first third, I nearly gave up.

It has family angst.
It has an interesting exploration of traditional and alternative medicine.
It explores OCD.

I think that the characters are revealed in a clever way.
I didn't give up and I'm glad, because it has some twists towards the end.

I give thanks to Netgalley and Penguin UK (Michael Joseph) for a copy in exchange for this review.

[Carla · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the story of two families, and the impact on each member when the husband of one couple has an affair with the wife of the other couple. As the two move in together, there is something they did not expect. Faced with a diagnosis of cancer and the decision to try alternative medicine adds to the dysfunction of this couple. It sheds light on a modern contemporary family as it experiences breakdown and betrayal, with the consequent devastating ripple effects on everyone concerned through the years. This is a psychological family drama that the reader will either enjoy of not. I found it kind of meh. There were parts that were sad, parts humorous and parts that I found boring. The author did a great job writing these characters and they were believable, but I just found I didn't really care about most of them. I so not think this was the fault of the author, this was just a subject that I wasn't able to connect with. The story is told from the multiple POVs of Rosie, Nick, and their children, Daisy and Max, each with their own distinctive voices and characters. The narrator, Kate Lock, did a great job giving each of these characters a voice that shared the story and their feelings well. The ending of the book was abrupt and open ended. This was another thing that I was a bit unhappy about as well. I am not giving this book a rating as I find it will be unfair to this book and the author.

[Deb · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC from Netgalley.

This is a complex, layered look at two families who have become inextricably linked not just by long-standing friendships and children growing up together, but by an extra-marital affair. The story is told from the perspectives of several of the family members, and each one is unusually well-written. I was particularly drawn to the examination of the young woman who suffers from OCD; I felt that the author dealt with this sensitively and with an impressive amount of insight.

The intricacies of each character's situation are cleverly explored, and the whole novel is beautifully-written. My only disappointment was with the ending, which I found unsatisfying. The story just slipped away, rather than coming to any kind of conclusion. Despite that, this was an enjoyable and very worthwhile read.

[Danielle-Gemma&#x1f49c; · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although this book heavily features a ‘dysfunctional’ family dynamic; it isn’t written in a way that feels fake or theatrical. Many sensitive issues are touched upon and focused on within the novel but they don’t appear forced or exaggerated and I think this is the sign of a brilliant author: someone who can weave real life into the plot and make you believe in the characters.
Really recommend; very different to anything I have read before! X

[Sherri Thacker · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was drawn to the cover of this book and thought for sure i would love it. I had a really tough time following this story. I was not connecting to any of the characters. Just wasn’t for me I guess. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this complimentary book. All opinions expressed are my own.

[Renita D'Silva · Rating 4 out of 5]

A searing and sensitive portrayal of a family in crisis. Loved Daisy and Max, but I especially loved Rosie.

[Lita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eight years after the betrayal, two families are still haunted by the past. With new challenges right in front of them, the long-repressed memories, traumas, and secrets are beginning to resurface. Are they ready to come clean about everything that happened on that last holiday together? And are they better prepared to deal with the consequences of revealing the truth? It's a slow-burning story that draws you in bit by bit. Told from the perspective of four different family members (not an easy thing to do), we travel back and forth in time to unravel what really happened during that faithful joint family holiday and what was the impact on both families. The author cleverly plays with the idea that our individual perceptions of events can differ greatly which, in turn, determines our reactions. The book also talks about OCD and its disruptive power of normal existence in severe cases. It kinda put a greater emphasis on Daisy's experiences of the family drama, but also showed how dysfunctional family dynamics typically are. Despite the seemingly dark and disruptive events, I found it an interesting and insightful read.

[Claire Allan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't know much about this book when I sat down to read it - but I was intrigued by the cover and the title. Within the first few pages I was deeply engaged in the characters, the story and most of all in Fiona Neill's wonderful writing.
The premise is wonderful - and very well executed. Four different members of one family - which disintegrated seven years before - are forced to look back on the events of the summer when the break up happened. Each of them has their own take on the events which lead to the family breaking up, and the fall out afterwards.
Nick, the father in the piece, works in researching memory and how it works and this makes for a fascinating addition to the book. Each of us will remember key events differently and over the years will rewrite memories in our head so that what we may think happened can become distorted with the passage of time - although our belief in our memories being accurate will be as strong as ever.
It is fascinating to see how four different people recall the memories of one summer - and how events, perhaps misinterpreted, have had irreparable knock on effects for all of them. At times this book is just incredibly sad - this is a family, even now, still in crisis.
Fiona Neill's writing is evocative, intelligent and gripping. The characters are fully formed and it is impossible not to feel for them - in particular for the two, now adult, children Daisy and Max who are bearing the scars of their past in very different ways.
If I have any criticism is that I would have liked to see where the story goes for Daisy.

This is a strong read that offers much to think about.

[Vikki Betty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really loved the style of writing and was such a good story. Didn't expect the ending at all 😱😱

[Renita D'Silva · Rating 4 out of 5]

A searing and wonderful look into a family in crisis. Loved it.

[Sandie Bishop · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first thought that strikes me as I consider my thoughts about this book is the understanding the author has of psychological disorders. She has clearly spent a lot of time reading up on OCD and the effects the condition has on sufferers and those close to them. This is not a light read but in saying that I did not feel overwhelmed by its content. Each character gets to have their say in turn and I felt it was very well written. My feelings towards each character evolved as each person related events from their point of view. This book shows how there is always more than one version of 'The Truth' depending on how you look at the situation. Overall, a very well researched and excellently written novel, but for me personally a bit too intense which is why I only give it a 4 out of 5 rating.

[Sara Oxton · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Betrayals by Fiona Neill a four-sided four-star read. This is the first book by this author, and I am sure it won’t be the last, she has written a compelling and thrilling read. Each of the four main characters in this story have their own story to tell and this author has done a great story at making each voice heard. This story has it all love, betrayal intrigue, and wonder. There is so much going on that you could get lost and get a little overwhelmed as there is so much drama but the author does a great job at keeping it together and making sure we can keep up. What I enjoyed most about this read was the fact that even the children got to be heard, sometimes they are just small secondary characters but in this we get to see how they were affected and how that affects everyone. It highlighted matters that are important to many and dealt with them in a somehow darkly funny and honest manner. Betrayal is a part of the story, but it’s not the main thing you will take away after reading this story. Well done Fiona Neill on a very well planned and written read.