Customer Reviews

The Great Betrayal

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have read both Millenia Black books and loved them. This one was very much written in a fashion similar to the styles of Jackie Collins and Sidney Sheldon.

You don't like the characters; however your compelled to read on. I think the time changes were approriate and I had figured out one scenario in the book; but never thought of how it would end.

I'm also enjoyed the reading guide and interview in the back of the book. I'm looking forward to her next book.

"...looking Crockett-and-Tubbs cool..."

I love Millenia's style and this one was a roller coaster of emotions throughout the book. I loved the desperation of the characters. In this book, as opposed to The Great Pretender, the characters were likable. I wanted to help them. I wanted them to help themselves. They became so real to me. Twists and turns, I never knew what to expect next. Although I did have the betrayal figured out in the beginning, there were enough twists to have me doubting myself. Upon the realization I was correct though, it was still a horrible shock to the system. I liked The Great Pretender, but I REALLY liked The Great Betrayal.

This writer is so good at writing love scenes! I blushed while reading.

This is the story of Leslie Cavanaugh and how she ran away from her past and it caught up with her still. I was up until the wee hours with this one. A rousingly good read! Get it now.

I read this book in two sittings. I got sucked in from the beginning with what happened to Jeffrey Cavanaugh and Leslie runs away leaving her baby behind. How could a mother do that? I struggled with Leslie's actions at points because as a mother I can't imagine doing some of the things she did, but somehow I still sympathized with her. This is a great story, that will keep you up.

This is unlike any other story I've ever read. Leslie Cavanaugh loses her husband and is so distraught she can't raise their baby when it's born. She abandons the child with her husband's family and starts her life over. Years later, she's living a life with a new husband and new daughter, when her first child comes back into the picture.

I thought I had figured out the mystery of the two people having the affair early on, but I was still quite shocked when it actually unfolded! This is a very well-written book and I can't recommend it enough!!

Lanamere

This is Millenia's second book - and is a really good read. Leslie Cavanaugh is a successful business woman, married to a gorgeous man called Luke, and they have a daughter Kathryn. They have a wonderful life - but Leslie has a secret - and she has been deceiving her family, as well as herself. When the secret is discovered, the Cavanaugh's world comes apart. As the family learns to deal with the past - Luke and Kathryn start to cover up their own secrets. But only one will commit the ultimate great betrayal.

This book is very well written. It successfully evokes intense emotional pain and conveys to the reader how differently people all react to trauma. Each of the characters are very real and the four main characters each have their own misfortune to face - and some of the events that happen are quite shocking. Millenia has been able to bring all the threads together, travelling between the past and the present skilfully - to produce a can't put down until you're finished novel.

With a one year old, I very rarely get much time to sit down and read. So, when I tell you that I read this book in ONE DAY, you know it was amazing! It was not only an interesting read, but fun.

Since I read The Great Pretender and devoured it with enjoyment, I'd been waiting for Millenia Black's second novel. I was thrilled when one was published!

As was her first book, this book was about family secrets, dynamics, relationships, struggles, drama, over-coming obstacles, growing. It's about love, loss, pain, loyalty, and betrayal. I won't give anything away about the story, other than to say that I think you'll be hooked after the first page, just as I was.

It's not often you find a great author, often I find myself reading authors just because I am used to picking up their latest book, or just because I want to try something new. Many times the read is satisfactory. Sometimes I hope that the writing or plots will get better. However, I have been learning that trying new genre's, authors, can really pay off. I hope that people will give Millenia Black a chance, and I hope to see her books get the attention in the media and such that I think they deserve!

Leslie Cavanaugh seems to have grabbed the brass ring of life. She has a handsome husband who loves her, a lovely daughter and enough money to splurge. Her life in beautiful Palm Beach ,Florida seems to be a dream come true.

Unfortunately, dreams can become nightmares and Leslie's past is about to come back to haunt her. We all have secrets and "skeletons in our closets". Leslie has kept her past under wraps, but now it looks like it all is coming to light and her present may be destroyed. As Leslie deals with her past, she also deals with today's traumas. Her husband, Luke, may be having an affair and her beloved daughter, Kathryn, seems to be involved in a very scary situation. Kathryn is in her early teens and has to deal with insecurities and finding love in a family that appears to be coming apart at the seams.

In this second stunning novel Ms. Black shows it is possible to make flawed characters fascinating. Leslie is less than likable, but she comes to life along with the other character through intense, emotional dialog and vibrant narrative. It is easy to judge these characters as having to live with choices made, but we never know how we would react to extreme situations. The book contains a reader's guide with discussion questions. The Great Betrayal would be an excellent choice for a book club with many juicy, thought provoking topics to discuss.

If you have not already read it, I highly recommend Ms. Black's debut novel, The Great Pretender. I look forward to a third book that this wonderful writer has in the works.

Review courtesy of A Romance Reviews

This is a great story of love, family, and betrayal.
I couldn't put this book down.

Life was perfect for Leslie Phillips until the day a freak accident killed her husband. She lived in a state of shock until after giving birth to his child, then ran away to begin a new life in Florida. She never returned for her baby, Grace; nor did she tell her new husband, Luke Cavanaugh about her past. Years pass, and suddenly, all she left behind catches up with Leslie. Grace learns the truth about who her mother is and wants to start a relationship. Leslie has to tell her new family the truth and face up to her mistakes. A storm of angst and other, less definable emotions rises up to envelop everyone around her. When grief, love, revenge, need, and hate are so tightly bound together, the consequences are guaranteed to be ugly. Leslie just has no idea how much so.

**** This is a very well written book, but very difficult to read. Many may see Leslie as unsympathetic, but if you have gone through a dark night of the soul, she's someone you can relate to. However, the fall out from her actions is something readers should be aware is very grim, to put it mildly. There are scenes of child molestation, which are not graphic, but convey the feeling without being too explicit. Nonetheless, it's a powerful, cautionary tale. ****

Amanda Killgore