She is married now to her sweet husband. His name is Jimmy and he supports her as she supports them both on the hat shop she finally opened– her dream for so long, ever since she was young. But they can’t see what’s coming as the first world war gathers on the horizon and it is certain that a storm is coming. Belle’s life is so crazy but it’s about to change more than she ever knew possible– is she ready for it? What does he hope to gain telling her this now, thirty years on? How can her adored dad Ralph not be her true father? And why did her mother betray her so badly?

Once again, Lesley Pearse delivers a captivating blend of personal drama and mystery in "Deception." Her writing style is a breath of fresh air, effortlessly guiding readers through a story that is both engaging and easily digestible. 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. Lesley Pearse (born 24 February 1945) [1] is a British novelist, with global sales of over 10 million copies. [2] [3] She started writing at the age of 35, but was not published until she was 48. [4]

Her first novel was published in 1993 and is called Georgia. It was followed by the novels Tara, Charity, Ellie, and several more. She has also been published in the Great Escapes Collection. Alice's journey into her mother's past is one of incredulity as she discovers a woman shaped by a truly traumatic childhood... A gifted storyteller who continues to give fans, old and new, quality entertainment and another addictive, engrossing saga.

She had accepted Sally's many faults, and her reluctance to ever speak of the past. But faced with this staggering deception, Alice knows she must uncover the whole truth about her mother.Thank you to @michaeljbooks and Lesley Pearse for this advanced copy of Deception in return for an honest review. Raunchier than I’m used to from Lesley Pearse, Deception conveys the eras, particularly of Fleur’s experience, to perfection. Touches of realism such as the musical Hair add a sense of authenticity and the sexist, male dominated world feels so convincing. Does Belle have the courage within herself to try and escape? Will she have any allies out there in her quest for freedom? Read this exciting book from wonderful author Lesley Pearse to find out!

Deception has a seemingly simple plot as Alice tries to find out about her mother’s past, but told through Alice’s modern 2015 perspective interspersed by her mother’s decades of life, there’s a gradual uncovering that draws in the reader and makes them experience the truth in the same way as Alice uncovers it in a very satisfying narrative. The book maintains a very good balance, offering just the right amount of intensity without overwhelming the reader. As the story reaches its conclusion, it does so in a satisfying yet somewhat anticipated manner. Nonetheless, the journey to that point is fulfilling and rich in emotional resonance. Fleur was probably my favourite character to read about in the story. What a complicated, troubled and yet incredibly strong woman she was. Despite a bad start in life and many obstacles, she seemed to keep going. Some of her decisions were questionable but I found it difficult to judge her for them. She hadn’t had an easy life and even when she did find her peace, I’m sure her past troubled her right until the end. I found her Alice aggravating and unlikeable, and her mother (though gains some sympathy due to her abusive childhood) is also not a nice character with literally no redeemable features. I personally love a dual timeline but so did not find that this flowed too week, it was quite disjointed.This is a dual-timeline story which opens with Alice on her way to her mother's funeral. When a man approaches her and says he's her real father, Alice is horrified but as she starts to uncover Sally's secrets she realises that there was so much that she didn't know. Interspersed with Alice's story in 2015 is that of her mother from childhood onwards. Both threads are absolutely engrossing. I particularly enjoyed how Alice discovered details from her mother's life that she would never have known had she not met that stranger at the funeral. Pearse weaves the two stories together seamlessly and to brilliant effect. The Promise is set in 1914 in London and reunites the reader with Belle Reilly in this sequel to Belle. Belle has finally found happiness and a life she has always wanted thanks to her husband Jimmy. Now she has achieved another dream that she has always wanted to follow; owning and running a hat shop. But when the first world war starts to slowly arrive like a ship on the horizon, Belle’s crazy life is about to change in ways that she never even saw coming. What I liked most about this authors writing was her ability to create characters that were complicated and messy but very relatable and likeable. It wasn’t the kind of story where I was wish wishing for a happy ending for everyone, I felt like I was wishing for contentment and closure. Which I suppose is arguably a happy ending. Before starting this book, I didn’t know if I was going to be getting sad vibes, happy vibes or something in between and to be honest, I feel a mix up of all of the emotions after having finished. Following Alice’s journey into her mother’s past felt like I was experiencing all of the surprises along with her. It was certainly a reminder to me that we’re all just humans. We tend to hold our parents to such a high standard when in reality they make mistakes and bad decisions the same as anyone else.