Eve should never have married Don Hathaway. Yes, he gave her two beautiful children - Olly and Tabitha - but he is a bully. Worse than that, he hurts her. Like me, you probably know those nice and well intentioned people who seem to attract the bad and the worst and whose lives seem to transition from one disaster to another?. I do, bless them, but are some things avoidable with the right choices? – Yep sometimes they are. So, let me introduce you to our central female character Amelia. From statistics we all know and are aware that some children grow to be just like their parents, but, there are choices and Amelia was aware of what was good and what was bad. What was right and what was wrong.

She could not do it for herself, even when they arrive at the women's refuge that a specialist solicitor has gotten them into, Eve's sense of denial is such that she finds it hard to relate her circumstances to the other women there. I've loved Lesley Pearse's books from the beginning. It's hard to believe Betrayal is book 31! It's just as good a read as all of the others. The betrayal of the title is how Don treats Eve, however, she is so immersed in her one and only long term relationship she believes leaving him would be an act of betrayal of their wedding vows. It is a clear and stark insight into the other side of the equation when those who have -thankfully-never been in a relationship like this, ask 'Why didn't you leave?' People rarely ask 'What stopped you feeling that you could?' It's another subtle layer to the abusive relationship and as Eve sees the reactions of her children, as well as the threat of violence towards her son, that gives her the push she needs to seek help. In this exciting and historical city, Belle gradually begins to come into her own. Now of age, she gradually learns how to operate skill fully within her life as a courtesan and even adapts to enjoy it. However, she is always thinking of the home she left behind. Even though she is the golden girl for right now of the prostitution world in this bustling southern city, she knows that she only has so long to dominate this cage before it turns into a prison once more that holds her forever. The main character, Eve, is well played and her teenage children are very involved in all that happens to her but then towards the end her daughter does something that for me was totally out of character and changed the whole direction of the book, I just couldn’t buy into her reaction and stance at allBefore I jump into this review, I must stress that Ms Pearse doesn't shy away from the distressing themes in Betrayal. Not only does domestic and physical abuse recur heavily, there are also graphic descriptions of peodophelia/grooming and suicide. So please be aware before choosing to read. Belle is the first novel in the Belle series. It is 1910 in London, and a young girl has grown up in a brothel all her life without ever knowing it. Now that she is 15 years old, she has suddenly discovered that all is not as it seems in the Seven Dials. Even though she grew up there, Belle’s life is forever changed and her innocence gone forever when she sees one of the girls that lives there brutally murdered. So, Amelia persuades her newspaper editor to allow her to take on the story so she can uncover what sits behind the smear campaign that seems to dominate the story rather than the loss of life. As her investigation begins and Amelia is drawn further into the case, more bodies are discovered, yet people aren’t talking; everyone one seems to know something, but everyone seems to have a problem telling the truth. Why the conspiracy of lies? Amelia sets off for work one day very much aware of the stench from the rubbish piling up in corners, due to the delayed bin collections. Her eye is brought to a pair of very stylish white boots amidst a pile, but on closer inspection, Amelia makes a horrid discovery. There is a body attached to the boots, a young woman who was very obviously murdered. A neighbour comes to Amelia’s aid, a young man who Amelia had never paid much attention to up to now. A spark is ignited during that distressing day, giving Amelia a glimpse into a different future. But Amelia is cautious and treads lightly in the relationship that follows. This new book from popular author Lesley Pearse has all the right ingredients. Eve’s husband Don drinks, and he's violent to her. She says to herself she never should have married him. But they have a girl Tabitha (Tabby), and a boy called Oliver, the children are a joy. Don says he’ll turn over a new leaf, but he'll never change. At one point things become better…. then go bad again so that she starts to think, could she get away?

The story is based in 1970’s London. Amelia White had a tough upbringing. Her mother is an alcoholic and very cold towards her and her siblings and her father was always using his fists to get out of anything including towards her. As soon as he could she left home. She manages to get a job at the local newspaper selling advertising space. But her dream is become a reporter a novelist. Faced with this staggering deception, Alice decides she must learn the whole, terrible truth about her mother. Pearse enjoys introducing her readers to characters that they will connect with and care about. While other books in the genre she writes in rely on formulas to get from the beginning to the end, she doesn’t use any formula to write her novels. The genres that they are set in also vary from genres that aren’t totally defined, from crime to historical adventure or engaging books like Trust Me, which was based on the real events of child migrants from England that were being sent over to Australia after the war. In this book, we see just how strong and resilient women can be even when things literally "beat" us down! We see that sometimes the people closest to us can hurt us the most and how total strangers can become the best of friends!

I put all my faith in Amelia and although she put her life in jeopardy, the danger she places herself in eventually works in her favour. The culprit didn’t come as too much of a surprise and some aspects of the case were predictable, but I still enjoyed being swept up in this murder investigation. Now Lesley Pearse’s novels are loved across the globe due to her ability to captivate her readers and completely immerse them in the minds of her characters. I just love how the author takes a female and Makes her real for us readers. An ordinary woman who could be anyone. Showing their vulnerability as well depicting a strength from their inner side.