"The past is a vanished shadow."

After a very promising start The Betrayals fizzled out in the second half. However, it's an interesting exploration of memory and how different people recall traumatic experiences and the consequences.

The first half of The Betrayals had me hooked, it was well written with interesting characters and a dramatic hook at the beginning without being too thrill-seeking. However, the second half really didn't live up to the first. The characters seemed to level out and, even though there were revelations, you didn't feel like you were getting any deeper into their psyches. Also, the revelations felt a bit weak to me and, with the subject of the book, a little too predictable. It was disappointing because at first I was really invested, but I found myself getting bored.

I did, however, find the whole subject of unreliable memory interesting. The story focuses around four members of the same family remembering a holiday a few months before the parents break up. Each remembers differently and has their own feelings about it.

The Betayals explores OCD in the character of Daisy and not just how it affects her but also those around her. I don't know much about the illness, but the book delves deeper into it, showing it's more than just washing your hands a lot or flicking light switches on an off.

"I should know from experience that OCD is a hungry master who imposes more rules whenever he suspects his influence is under threat."

I do enjoy a family drama, especially one based around a catastrophic event, which then looks at how the dynamics are changed and mutated. On this theme I felt like Neill does a good job, but there were a few aspects of the story that felt a little contrived and unbelievable. Plus, the momentum really runs out by the end.

However, there are some excellent character studies and the resonance of the 'betrayals' playing down the years is felt strongly in this book.

My Rating: 3 Stars

I received a copy of The Betrayals, via NetGalley, in return for an honest review. My thanks to the author and publisher.

I like the style of writing and it is the type of prose that pulls you in and then seeps inside you to pull you along. Yes, some of the characters are annoying, but that's family for you! I would be happy to pass this book on to friends and family and will enjoy re-reading myself I'm sure.

A story of love and loss told from the perspective of Rosie, Nick, Max and Daisy. The title sums up the book in it's entirety. Rosie is betrayed by her husband, who is betrayed by his lover, who is betrayed by her husband. The children, Max and Daisy are betrayed by parents, friends and lovers. It is a well written story that leaves you guessing at every turn. And because it is told from different perspectives, who see both sides of the story. The ending however left me wanting more in the way of resolutions, but then maybe there will be a second book in the series???

3.5 stars

The Betrayals, told by four characters, Rosie and Nick a divorced couple and Daisy and Max their children is the story of a broken marriage, dishonesty and the betrayal of good friends. The book flowed well and was well written, tackling a number of difficult topics and is up to date in its outlook and context. None of the characters are particularly likeable, they all have their issues which date back to a seemingly better past.

I will look out for more books by Fiona Neill.

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an hones review.

This was a very entertaining read. It kept me interested throughout and was get well written. The characters were believable and the reader is left wanting to know the outcome.

Written from four points of view, the story of 2 families pulled apart and reshuffled after an affair. But alongside this we have a character with OCD, sympathetically portrayed, and the struggle for the family living with this. .
An interesting read.

I did not finish the book. It started so well and I felt engaged with the characters and their problems, especially with all the different viewpoints and their take on the same plot developments: such an interesting thematic device. However, eventually this technique wore me down and I decided I just didn't care enough about the dysfunctional families and their concerns. So I decided to part ways with their company. More to do with my lack of patience than any fault in the writing. It just wasn't for me.

I think this was sent to me my mistake - thank you, but i don't think I requested it.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this, however, I am sorry, it is just not for me. I found this a very slow, and stumbling story, which although I hate to admit it, I just could not get into. This is the only book I have left unfinished in 2 years!

It was interesting having events viewed from four different perspectives, though the changes in narrator and timeline got a bit confusing, but the story itself was a bit predictable.

One of those rare books that made me ache to belong to a book group! There was just so much potential for discussion. The characters were vividly drawn and the multiple viewpoints device was extremely effective. I've given it 4 rather than 5 stars because I didn't wholly believe in the relationship between Nick and Connie but other than that I loved it. I'll be searching out more stuff from Fiona Neill from now on...

Complex. Emotive. Real.

It's hard to put into words the emotions this book evoked from me. The issues covered are real, of a sensitive nature and at times made for difficult reading because my personal life resonated so much with the characters issues. My mum is currently fighting breast cancer and from that I have anxiety issues. It's quite hard to admit that but at the same time reading this book has somehow had a positive effect on me.

Fiona Neill has wrote an outstanding, knowledgeable, complex story that meanders though the trials and tribulations of a modern day family that experiences breakdown and betrayals that leaves marks on everyone through the years, and it's these issues that are dealt with throughout the story. The author has done her research and it shows. Her take on Daisy's issue of OCD made for compelling reading. The insight she portrayed really pulled you in and for a time I completely forgot that that this was a work of fiction it felt so real, so raw. I was impressed.

Told through multiple narrative from each character, their thoughts, perspectives each so distinctive really pulled it all together. The insight and development of these characters was just something else. I don't think I've ever read anything so authentic. The flow of the story mixed with the characters was executed to perfection in my opinion. I felt every tumultuous life event they endured and could easily relate.

I would highly recommend to readers who enjoy contemporary fiction with quite the authentic bite.

**Arc received courtesy of Penguin Michael Joseph via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**

I am sorry but I was confused at the start, and nothing really became clearer with different family members having a chapter here and there. The anatomy bits were excellent, as was the style of writing but all in all disappointed considering the hype.

I found this hard to read but as a reviewer ploughed through. Not for me. However, I know my friends would love it. I’ve bought 2 copies as Christmas presents. If you like family dramas this is for you.
The characters are real and you will feel empathy for them.

3.5 stars. I was surprised when I was reading reviews of this book after finishing, that it had been described as a thriller. It’s definitely not. There’s aspects to the book that keep you page turning, but thriller isn’t the correct description.

I enjoyed this book. It was my first by this author & I went into it knowing little about the story. The book is told from four characters point of view, which was fine, although initially the voices weren’t distinct enough for me. Max & Daisy’s personas get stronger as the book progresses, but Rosie’s never felt that real.

The author tackles the subject of OCD perfectly. It was heartbreaking to read what Daisy went through. It’s a sympathetic look at OCD and insightful as to the causes & symptoms.

The author didn’t convince me with regards to the story’s location. I never felt like I was in London or Norwich. For the first few chapters I assumed this was an American author!

Where the book fell down for me. POSSIBLE SPOILERS FROM THIS POINT.

We never heard from Lisa. This was the missing piece for me. I never quite believed she could do that to her best friend (and children...) and only be wracked by guilt 8 years later. I never really believed in the relationship Nick & Lisa struck up seemingly out of nowhere that was strong enough for them to destroy so many lives.

Also, Gregorio. Nick describing his antics gave the book some light relief, but again, I didn’t believe Lisa would have been so into such nonsense.

I’d happily recommend this book. I notice some reviewers have said the characters aren’t likeable- there are some that are dreadful, certainly, but I really warmed to the ‘children’. Even Ava, slightly... She was just a child when her life fell apart too.

As for the ending, I didn’t think it was ambiguous or vague or unfinished. The book has to have an ending & naturally not all threads of the story will end at the same point. We are told enough to be able to make conclusions.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Betrayals.

I thought the characters were great, so well written they were like real people, made of flesh and blood and almost stepped off the page. Daisy was my favourite character. Her fragility, compounded by her OCD, triggered a second time when the past threatens the fragile present was raw and painful to read at times. I don’t know anyone who has OCD and have never experience it myself but I think the writer did a good job of exploring this through Daisy’s eyes.

I liked the way the novel is structured, blending the present and the events in the past that led to so many lives being ripped apart, gradually revealing everyone’s darkest secrets and the truth about what really happened during a fateful holiday in Norfolk.

The Betrayals deals with memory and how what we remember about the past is rarely the exact version of events. Memory is twisted, confused and disoriented by what we want to remember about events and how we want to perceive ourselves and be perceived. The author does a great job at conveying this theme.

Uncomfortable, a bit depressing, but also interesting. I received a review copy, but don't think I would have bought this book, as I like books to take me away from life, not to depress me further. Quite well written though, but I'm not sure why it became a R&J book club pick - perhaps there are a lot of people who like depressing stories? However, for those who like books that could be true, this is for you.

This is a very well written family drama about an affair and how it (and other issues) effect the families involved. I did enjoy this book but for me there wasn't really anything original and I feel like I have read the story before, several times. Anyone who is a particular fan of womens fiction and family drama will undoubtedly love this book and I am therefore recommending it to those people and giving it a higher star rating that perhaps I should in view of my personal feelings. This is almost certainly a case of 'It's not you, it's me'.

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This a a really odd book and I was compelled to keep reading it, but I'm not sure if my review will totally do it justice. Firstly though this is definitely an adult book and contains sexual scenes, scenes of violence, and quite a bit of bad language, so be warned for those. There's also a lot of talk of death, self harm, and suicide.

The novel is about two families. Eight years ago they were separate families - Rosie and Nick were married, and had children Daisy and Max. Rosie's childhood friend Lisa was married to Barney, and they had children Rex and Ava. Lisa and Barney were having marital problems because of Barney's drinking, and the whole eight of them were on holiday in Norfolk, in Rosie's childhood home, an event that clearly happens every year. Soon after, Nick leaves Rosie for Lisa, an event that triggers the illness OCD in Daisy - or, at least, makes her much worse. We are told all this in flashback, because right at the beginning of the book it is the present time. Nick and Lisa are still together, Rosie is still working as an oncology doctor specialising in breast cancer, Daisy is "cured" of OCD and is at university, and Max is at university studying to be a doctor.

Then Rosie receives a letter from Lisa, where Lisa says that she is dying of cancer and wants to tell Rosie something. Daisy intercepts the letter and at first hides it from her mother. She is pretty sure she knows what Lisa wants to tell Rosie - what happened on the beach in Norfolk on the last day of their holiday.

Except, Daisy's recollections are, it becomes clear, flawed. The novel is told from her point of view as well as those of her parents and her brother. All four of them have different memories of the day, from the trivial to the significant. Nick is a memory research doctor and the book is kind of a concept novel around that. There's a lot about memory and its unreliability and about how trauma can stop us from making new memories or accurate ones. That's one reason why I found it such a compelling read. I kept picking up on inconsistencies, like Lisa's fringe, for example, and wasn't sure who to trust. In one way, they are all unreliable narrators. Daisy because of her illness, Max because of his guilt... and so on. I think Rosie actually comes across as the most reliable, and that's partly because of her profession - she's very cool, calm, and calming. This book is almost a concept novel but I don't think it quite worked.

There are, for example, parts of the novel which are supposedly set in the past but which contain anachronistic detail, like for instance eight years in the past 13 year old Daisy has a Facebook account, which I just don't believe was true in 2008/2009. Even further in the past has the two women drinking prosecco when their children were tiny, which I also don't believe actually happened. It just seemed like a little bit more editing would have caught errors like this. (And I guess, since this is a proof copy, that may have happened). There are questions that are left unanswered when they shouldn't have been, and I felt like the last twenty percent of the book was a bit rushed and not entirely satisfying. I also wouldn't really categorise this book as a thriller - it doesn't have that same adrenaline rush for me.

However, I'm giving it a solid three out of five because it is interesting, the characters are interesting, and it did keep me wanting to read. I felt like the portrayal of Daisy's OCD was extremely true to life and showed the way the illness devastated her life and those of the people who love her. Thank you very much to Penguin Michael Joseph for the proof copy - I liked it!