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Betrayed
She trusted the man she loved. It was the most dangerous things she had ever done …
A gripping story of gangs, drugs, girls and unbreakable bonds. Perfect for fans of Martina Cole and Mandasue Heller.
No one can touch Del Williams – the hardest gangster in Soho. He’s got the monopoly on the drugs, the clubs and the girls – it’d be a mistake to underestimate him. The one person he’d take a bullet for is tough, beautiful Bunny Barker, mother of their daughter Star.
Bunny is determined to shield Star from ‘life’ but Del has a lot of enemies. When a familiar face appears from their past, their family is put into terrible danger. Can Bunny protect Star from the demons of her own past, and her very worst nightmare?
A gripping story of gangs, drugs, girls and unbreakable bonds. Perfect for fans of Martina Cole and Mandasue Heller.
No one can touch Del Williams – the hardest gangster in Soho. He’s got the monopoly on the drugs, the clubs and the girls – it’d be a mistake to underestimate him. The one person he’d take a bullet for is tough, beautiful Bunny Barker, mother of their daughter Star.
Bunny is determined to shield Star from ‘life’ but Del has a lot of enemies. When a familiar face appears from their past, their family is put into terrible danger. Can Bunny protect Star from the demons of her own past, and her very worst nightmare?
351 pages, Paperback
First published March 13, 2014
87 people are currently reading
342 people want to read
About the author
Jacqui Rose
35 books176 followersJacqui Rose is a novelist who hails from Manchester and South Yorkshire, though she now lives in the South East in the countryside, surrounded by her horses and lots of animals. Jacqui first came to appreciate the power of the written word when as a child she charged her classmates a packet of sherbet dips to write their essays for them. Adopted at a young age and always a daydreamer, she felt isolated growing up in a small mining village in South Yorkshire and it was her writing which kept her company.
Jacqui has written a variety of things including
stand-up comedy, radio drams and screenplays.
She is published by HarperCollins and Pan Macmillan and has written over 16 bestselling novels. She is also collaborating with Martina Cole on Martina's new novel, Loyalty.
Jacqui Rose also writes under the name of
J P Rose (not to be confused with the American author!) and has written, The Haunting of Tyrese Walker her first teen/YA novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
March 29, 2014
Once again I finish a book wishing I was better at writing reviews as there's so much I want to say about this one! I first discovered Jacqui Rose when I read her debut novel TAKEN. I was searching for similar authors to Kimberley Chambers and Martina Cole. I definitely found someone worthy of comparison to the Queen of the Underworld. Jacqui is an incredibly talented author and I cannot recommend her work highly enough!
I finished TAKEN and again was lost for words. I knew that when her second book was released, I had to get it instantly. It was even better than the first. Now, normally it would be a case of waiting at least 12 months for an author's next book, not so with Jacqui. She spoils us with two books a year! The fact she can write two books of such high quality in a year just shows how talented she is.
Back to BETRAYED however and it was definitely near the top of my most anticipated books of 2014. So much so that I downloaded it just after midnight from Amazon. I started to read it but didn't want to rush it so rationed it over a couple of days! Books like this are so good you could read them in a few hours but I didn't want to rush it. One thing about Jacqui is she creates amazing characters. She creates ones who are extremely likeable but it's the villains, think bad, multiply it by 100 and you might be near to how bad her villains are! Particularly in this book. Parts of it made me feel sick, my heart was beating so fast I could actually hear it trying to jump out of my chest! I was literally on the edge of my seat not blinking for the last few chapters. I'm going to put my finger through my Kindle one of these days!
Jacqui's books tend to be set in the same 'world'. By that I mean they feature mentions of the same characters in Soho. To me that makes the book feel a little bit more authentic and it's almost like you are just picking up where you left off even though all her books can be read standalone and DISHONOUR wasn't set in London. It's hard to talk about the story too much as it'd give too much away. I can say though that the story here is one of the strongest yet from Jacqui. Very fast paced, full of villains and wannabe villains looking for revenge against Del Williams. One chapter ends and you just cannot not read the next one!
Fans of Jessie Keane, Martina Cole and the amazing Kimberley Chambers who are yet to read a Jacqui Rose book need to do so right now! And for those of you who have read one of Jacqui's books, well you will love this too. Luckily for us we don't have too long to wait for the next book! AVENGED is out in August and I am already ridiculously excited for it. Years back one author owned this genre, now fans are spoilt for choice and Jacqui is right at the top with Kimberley Chambers (I'm going to hijack this review and say if you haven't read any of Kim's books, READ THEM!!!). In fact if Jacqui and Kimberley wrote a book together I don't think I could cope with it's amazingness. Don't miss this one, buy it now!
I finished TAKEN and again was lost for words. I knew that when her second book was released, I had to get it instantly. It was even better than the first. Now, normally it would be a case of waiting at least 12 months for an author's next book, not so with Jacqui. She spoils us with two books a year! The fact she can write two books of such high quality in a year just shows how talented she is.
Back to BETRAYED however and it was definitely near the top of my most anticipated books of 2014. So much so that I downloaded it just after midnight from Amazon. I started to read it but didn't want to rush it so rationed it over a couple of days! Books like this are so good you could read them in a few hours but I didn't want to rush it. One thing about Jacqui is she creates amazing characters. She creates ones who are extremely likeable but it's the villains, think bad, multiply it by 100 and you might be near to how bad her villains are! Particularly in this book. Parts of it made me feel sick, my heart was beating so fast I could actually hear it trying to jump out of my chest! I was literally on the edge of my seat not blinking for the last few chapters. I'm going to put my finger through my Kindle one of these days!
Jacqui's books tend to be set in the same 'world'. By that I mean they feature mentions of the same characters in Soho. To me that makes the book feel a little bit more authentic and it's almost like you are just picking up where you left off even though all her books can be read standalone and DISHONOUR wasn't set in London. It's hard to talk about the story too much as it'd give too much away. I can say though that the story here is one of the strongest yet from Jacqui. Very fast paced, full of villains and wannabe villains looking for revenge against Del Williams. One chapter ends and you just cannot not read the next one!
Fans of Jessie Keane, Martina Cole and the amazing Kimberley Chambers who are yet to read a Jacqui Rose book need to do so right now! And for those of you who have read one of Jacqui's books, well you will love this too. Luckily for us we don't have too long to wait for the next book! AVENGED is out in August and I am already ridiculously excited for it. Years back one author owned this genre, now fans are spoilt for choice and Jacqui is right at the top with Kimberley Chambers (I'm going to hijack this review and say if you haven't read any of Kim's books, READ THEM!!!). In fact if Jacqui and Kimberley wrote a book together I don't think I could cope with it's amazingness. Don't miss this one, buy it now!
March 28, 2014
Betrayed is the fourth standalone novel by Jacqui Rose, who gained noticed as a self published author and then was picked up by Harper Colin's Avon imprint.
Del Williams owns the streets of Soho, running drugs, prostitutes and protection rackets alongside his legitimate businesses. Rich, powerful and ruthless, few are willing to make an enemy of him but even hard men have their weaknesses. Del's is his mistress, Bunny Barker, and their precious seven year old daughter, Star and when Del is betrayed by his allies it is they who will pay the price.
I found Betrayed interesting because I haven't ever read anything quite like it before. It is set within London's criminal underworld where everyone operates outside the normal rules of society. Betrayed is a gritty novel without the patina of glamour usually ascribed to the gangland lifestyle. Rose portrays a brutal underworld aided by corrupt cops, greedy lawyers, violent intimidation and well greased wheels.
Bunny didn't quite play the leading role I expected and I thought Del was the stronger and better developed character of the two. There are no real hero's, nor innocents in this novel. It is a little strange when you realise you are hoping the violent, drug dealing gangster will prevail, but in Betrayed the alternative is unimaginably worse.
The pace of the story is good, as is the writing. It is quite visual in style and could be described as Eastenders meets The Soprano's. Some readers may struggle with the fairly graphic elements related to the victimisation of children, as well as the coarse language.
The gangland crime fiction sub genre doesn't hold a lot of appeal for me in general but I liked Betrayal well enough. It was a fast read, and the plot and characters kept me interested for the length of the story,
March 10, 2014
I have previously read gangster Martine Cole style books but, I would not put it down as my favourite genre. However, this book has changed my perspective completely. This is an exceptionally well written story.
The author has created strong dynamic characters who engage you. Through the book I really invested in these characters and wanted to know what happened to them. The skill of this author at creating characters is huge and she can create characters of all ages. As well as the adults she has created an excellent likeable child in Star who helps the story progress on. Star made me smile on several occasions. An author that can write both genders and all ages equally well is rare. The characters are not all exceptional human beings and Jacqui Rose shows the dark side of human personality as well as the good.
The story is gripping and fast paced and the shorter chapters make you find yourself progressing through the book at a rapid speed eager to find out what happens next. The story itself has an excellent gripping start, good middle portion of story telling and a fantastic end. There is a twist through the book which some may guess but I certainly didn't. Morally the story deals with some quite disturbing aspects of life such as child abuse and abduction. You find yourself recognising these as the true villains of the story. It is only when you finish that you realise that you have turned drug dealers into the good guys when compared against the child abductors.
This is a brilliant read which I thoroughly enjoyed I will certainly be looking for more from this author.
The author has created strong dynamic characters who engage you. Through the book I really invested in these characters and wanted to know what happened to them. The skill of this author at creating characters is huge and she can create characters of all ages. As well as the adults she has created an excellent likeable child in Star who helps the story progress on. Star made me smile on several occasions. An author that can write both genders and all ages equally well is rare. The characters are not all exceptional human beings and Jacqui Rose shows the dark side of human personality as well as the good.
The story is gripping and fast paced and the shorter chapters make you find yourself progressing through the book at a rapid speed eager to find out what happens next. The story itself has an excellent gripping start, good middle portion of story telling and a fantastic end. There is a twist through the book which some may guess but I certainly didn't. Morally the story deals with some quite disturbing aspects of life such as child abuse and abduction. You find yourself recognising these as the true villains of the story. It is only when you finish that you realise that you have turned drug dealers into the good guys when compared against the child abductors.
This is a brilliant read which I thoroughly enjoyed I will certainly be looking for more from this author.
April 7, 2014
Betrayed.
Couldn't wait to start this the newest book by Jacqui Rose. And it didn't dissapoint.
Perfect for fans of Martina Cole and Mandasue Heller, Kimberley Chambers.
Enjoyed it from start to finish. I just loved the main characters in this book, and wanted to read more and more about them. Would love to read a follow up to this.
We start off in 1990 where a young girl is killed, we then jump forwart to the present day, where it is all put together so well.
Bunny the high class hooker.
Del the London Face.
then we have Eidith his not so wifey wife. A bent copper. Guns, drugs, Russian mafia.... what more can you get into a book.........
A must read... really did enjoy this...
Couldn't wait to start this the newest book by Jacqui Rose. And it didn't dissapoint.
Perfect for fans of Martina Cole and Mandasue Heller, Kimberley Chambers.
Enjoyed it from start to finish. I just loved the main characters in this book, and wanted to read more and more about them. Would love to read a follow up to this.
We start off in 1990 where a young girl is killed, we then jump forwart to the present day, where it is all put together so well.
Bunny the high class hooker.
Del the London Face.
then we have Eidith his not so wifey wife. A bent copper. Guns, drugs, Russian mafia.... what more can you get into a book.........
A must read... really did enjoy this...
April 4, 2014
Brilliant Betrayed
Jacqui Rose’s Betrayed brings to life the dark and gritty world of Soho, the Soho the developers and Westminster Council prefer you to forget about. This is an old style world where men are men and do men things drink, pimp do drugs parties and ladies of the night are the queens. This is the world where men are real men and it is their ‘birds’ who really have them by the nuts the power behind those men, definitely “she who must be obeyed.... well if you fancy a quiet life.”
Del Williams is the biggest of the faces in Soho the man that controls all the dark and dirty dealing of the area, he has men at his beck and call a wife in Spain a girlfriend and daughter in Soho and a copper in his pocket. It is his girlfriend Bunny and his daughter Star who would he would take a bullet for but there is something that Bunny is hiding he needs to know what and it is killing him.
The book opens when Bunny is still a child and she is the witness to her sister’s murder the one for which she is taken into care for. Unfortunately her time in care is anything but easy as the people who con her mother in to signing the papers only want her for one reason so they could use and abuse her to their hearts content. Managing to escape and now with a daughter who she will protect to the ends of the earth she does not trust anyone other than herself and Claudia. To protect her daughter she would eventually have to trust Del and tell him about that very dark past.
This really is a book that displays Soho at its grimiest with a gripping and breath taking tale of gangs, drugs, girls those unspeakable bonds between them all. To muddy the scene are the Russian Mafia and DS Teddy Davies. A thriller of the highest order when you put all the variables in to the mix and will Bunny and Star be able to live through Del’s dark world and survive?
This is a fantastic crime thriller that grabs you from the beginning and like Soho in all its dirty glory grabs your throat and will not let you go till your pockets are empty. This crime thriller really is a fast paced multi level thriller to use the cliché is a real page turner that just reading that one last chapter means you are half way through without realising how much you have actually read. This book is everything you want from a crime thriller believable strong and dark, a world where only the tough really do survive. Great book great thriller great writer.
Jacqui Rose’s Betrayed brings to life the dark and gritty world of Soho, the Soho the developers and Westminster Council prefer you to forget about. This is an old style world where men are men and do men things drink, pimp do drugs parties and ladies of the night are the queens. This is the world where men are real men and it is their ‘birds’ who really have them by the nuts the power behind those men, definitely “she who must be obeyed.... well if you fancy a quiet life.”
Del Williams is the biggest of the faces in Soho the man that controls all the dark and dirty dealing of the area, he has men at his beck and call a wife in Spain a girlfriend and daughter in Soho and a copper in his pocket. It is his girlfriend Bunny and his daughter Star who would he would take a bullet for but there is something that Bunny is hiding he needs to know what and it is killing him.
The book opens when Bunny is still a child and she is the witness to her sister’s murder the one for which she is taken into care for. Unfortunately her time in care is anything but easy as the people who con her mother in to signing the papers only want her for one reason so they could use and abuse her to their hearts content. Managing to escape and now with a daughter who she will protect to the ends of the earth she does not trust anyone other than herself and Claudia. To protect her daughter she would eventually have to trust Del and tell him about that very dark past.
This really is a book that displays Soho at its grimiest with a gripping and breath taking tale of gangs, drugs, girls those unspeakable bonds between them all. To muddy the scene are the Russian Mafia and DS Teddy Davies. A thriller of the highest order when you put all the variables in to the mix and will Bunny and Star be able to live through Del’s dark world and survive?
This is a fantastic crime thriller that grabs you from the beginning and like Soho in all its dirty glory grabs your throat and will not let you go till your pockets are empty. This crime thriller really is a fast paced multi level thriller to use the cliché is a real page turner that just reading that one last chapter means you are half way through without realising how much you have actually read. This book is everything you want from a crime thriller believable strong and dark, a world where only the tough really do survive. Great book great thriller great writer.
May 12, 2018
Loved this book
January 22, 2025
Excellent book as always . Jacquie never disappoints
October 29, 2016
Thankfully this wasn't too graphic as some of the content was stomach churning. Overall though, it's a terrific story, full of characters that completely came to life and thank God for the HEA, it needed that, all things considered!!
Cant wait to listen to more books by this author.
Big shout out to the awesome narrator (my absolute favorite narrator hands down) Annie Aldington - you are amazing!!
Cant wait to listen to more books by this author.
Big shout out to the awesome narrator (my absolute favorite narrator hands down) Annie Aldington - you are amazing!!
September 8, 2016
This started off to be very promising, fast paced and gritty - unfortunately, it lost it's flow halfway through for me. Too many unnecessary leads, too many not needed characters. Sometimes less is more.
May 18, 2015
I really enjoyed this and can't wait to get my hands on another of her books.
May 30, 2017
Not bad
A typical gangster type fiction. Very predictable but still enjoyable and easy and quick to read. The short chapters help 👍
A typical gangster type fiction. Very predictable but still enjoyable and easy and quick to read. The short chapters help 👍
February 7, 2022
One of the better reads of this year!
At first I thought there were too many strands that could be feasibly pulled together, and trust me some of the conclusions are a little too rainbow happy for me, but overall this was a pretty good read and I'm interested to see what else Jacqui Rose has to offer.
At first I thought there were too many strands that could be feasibly pulled together, and trust me some of the conclusions are a little too rainbow happy for me, but overall this was a pretty good read and I'm interested to see what else Jacqui Rose has to offer.
November 9, 2020
I am sorry to have to put this rating on this novel, but unfortunately (for me) I listened to it and the voice of the narrator, Annie ALDINGTON, was appalling.
As well the story took ages to get there, and it was boring getting there.
Sorry.
As well the story took ages to get there, and it was boring getting there.
Sorry.
November 15, 2020
Good red
Brilliant read, couldn't put it down once I started it, great characters and story line, ive read a few Jacqui Rose books and this is by far the best in my opinion and would definitely recommend
Brilliant read, couldn't put it down once I started it, great characters and story line, ive read a few Jacqui Rose books and this is by far the best in my opinion and would definitely recommend
July 27, 2017
Great
An excellent read - couldn't put it down read in 3 days ! Looking forward to my next download by Jacqui Rose
An excellent read - couldn't put it down read in 3 days ! Looking forward to my next download by Jacqui Rose
February 6, 2018
Fabulous read
Absolutely fantastic read, gripped me from the first page. Fans of early Martina Cole books will love this. I'm off to look for more by Jacqui rose
Absolutely fantastic read, gripped me from the first page. Fans of early Martina Cole books will love this. I'm off to look for more by Jacqui rose
April 13, 2018
What can I say another great book, suspense, thrilling, and action packed love it.
December 7, 2018
Really good story and plot that is written in a similar manner to the likes of Martina Cole, it flows well, there is never a dull moment and has good twists and turns. An enjoyable read.
December 13, 2018
Wow what an ending that was! A brilliant gripping read! Will be reading more from Jacqui.
July 17, 2020
If you like Roberta Kray or Jacqui Rose, you will enjoy reading this, it has sex drugs and loads of action
April 9, 2021
I loved the end of Book. It is full of never ending surprises and I can’t wait to start the next book continuing the family circus.
May 13, 2021
First book in a long while that has kept me hooked.
Didn't want it to finish.
Absolutely good read.
Didn't want it to finish.
Absolutely good read.
February 14, 2023
I don enjoy a good old fashioned gangster book and this one didn’t disappoint.
May 3, 2023
Easy to read. Subject matter disturbing.
March 21, 2025
Betrayed
Another really interesting and exciting read - never disappointed in reading any of JR books. Highly recommend to anyone who is a Martina Cole fan.
Another really interesting and exciting read - never disappointed in reading any of JR books. Highly recommend to anyone who is a Martina Cole fan.
March 12, 2014
Time taken to read - 1 day
Puslisher - AVON
Pages - 339 (this is an ARC copy and may change to the published version)
Blurb from Goodreads
A gripping story of gangs, drugs, girls and unbreakable bonds. Perfect for fans of Martina Cole and Mandasue Heller.
She trusted the man she loved. It was the most dangerous things she had ever done …
No one can touch Del Williams – the hardest gangster in Soho. He’s got the monopoly on the drugs, the clubs and the girls – it’d be a mistake to underestimate him. The one person he’d take a bullet for is tough, beautiful Bunny Barker, mother of their daughter Star.
Bunny is determined to shield Star from ‘life’ but Del has a lot of enemies. When a familiar face appears from their past, their family is put into terrible danger. Can Bunny protect Star from the demons of her own past, and her very worst nightmare?
My Review
The book opens in 1990 London, a young girl is looking for her sister in the woods. A horrific event takes place and we see a glimpse of the events that follow. We skip forward to present day, still London and the story picks up from there, seemingly unrelated to the previous chapter however it is all related and linked which becomes clear as the story unfolds. Bunny Barker is our main character, she is a prostitute with her own rules. Her daughter is her number one concern and nothing, not even the man she loves, Del Williams will tell her what she can do. Del is a big face in London, involved in drugs and is a dangerous man. When a young girl goes missing and a body turns up Bunny is forced to look to her past and remember things she would rather have forgotten forever.
This book is a hard read, not because it is badly written in actual fact it is the opposite, it is really well done and pulls you in even though the content is hard to read. Young girls being abused and murdered is always hard to read and when there are pedophiles chucked in to the mix it can make for a tough subject. There of course is the usual mix of violence, deception, sex, drugs, prostitution, secrets, adultery and lies to name just some of the themes within the book.
After the first few chapters, I couldn't put it down. I wanted to know what happened to the little girl at the beginning of the book. Then as more characters are introduced and brought in, you want to see where their storyline goes and the character development. It reminded me of, I believe it was, Martina Cole's the graft that covered pedophilia themes and this one does too although the whole story isn't about that although it is central to the plot.
The writer creates a very murky dark world, people doing what they have to do to survive and thrive within it. If you like a good crime story and can cope with some of the horrific issues, child murder, prostitution and pedophilia, then you will really like this author. She has her own style but I would certainly group her with the likes of Kimberley Chambers, Martina Cole and Mandasue Heller. I don't think I had read this author before, if I had it was a long time ago however I would read her again and may seek out her other works, 4/5 for me this time. Thanks to Avon publishers and Alexandra Crisp for sending me an ARC copy of this book. Betrayed will be available from all good retailers from the 27th of March, 2014.
Puslisher - AVON
Pages - 339 (this is an ARC copy and may change to the published version)
Blurb from Goodreads
A gripping story of gangs, drugs, girls and unbreakable bonds. Perfect for fans of Martina Cole and Mandasue Heller.
She trusted the man she loved. It was the most dangerous things she had ever done …
No one can touch Del Williams – the hardest gangster in Soho. He’s got the monopoly on the drugs, the clubs and the girls – it’d be a mistake to underestimate him. The one person he’d take a bullet for is tough, beautiful Bunny Barker, mother of their daughter Star.
Bunny is determined to shield Star from ‘life’ but Del has a lot of enemies. When a familiar face appears from their past, their family is put into terrible danger. Can Bunny protect Star from the demons of her own past, and her very worst nightmare?
My Review
The book opens in 1990 London, a young girl is looking for her sister in the woods. A horrific event takes place and we see a glimpse of the events that follow. We skip forward to present day, still London and the story picks up from there, seemingly unrelated to the previous chapter however it is all related and linked which becomes clear as the story unfolds. Bunny Barker is our main character, she is a prostitute with her own rules. Her daughter is her number one concern and nothing, not even the man she loves, Del Williams will tell her what she can do. Del is a big face in London, involved in drugs and is a dangerous man. When a young girl goes missing and a body turns up Bunny is forced to look to her past and remember things she would rather have forgotten forever.
This book is a hard read, not because it is badly written in actual fact it is the opposite, it is really well done and pulls you in even though the content is hard to read. Young girls being abused and murdered is always hard to read and when there are pedophiles chucked in to the mix it can make for a tough subject. There of course is the usual mix of violence, deception, sex, drugs, prostitution, secrets, adultery and lies to name just some of the themes within the book.
After the first few chapters, I couldn't put it down. I wanted to know what happened to the little girl at the beginning of the book. Then as more characters are introduced and brought in, you want to see where their storyline goes and the character development. It reminded me of, I believe it was, Martina Cole's the graft that covered pedophilia themes and this one does too although the whole story isn't about that although it is central to the plot.
The writer creates a very murky dark world, people doing what they have to do to survive and thrive within it. If you like a good crime story and can cope with some of the horrific issues, child murder, prostitution and pedophilia, then you will really like this author. She has her own style but I would certainly group her with the likes of Kimberley Chambers, Martina Cole and Mandasue Heller. I don't think I had read this author before, if I had it was a long time ago however I would read her again and may seek out her other works, 4/5 for me this time. Thanks to Avon publishers and Alexandra Crisp for sending me an ARC copy of this book. Betrayed will be available from all good retailers from the 27th of March, 2014.
April 11, 2014
I have read all of Jacqui Rose books and as a relative newcomer to the crime genre she seems to be climbing in both the charts and popularity very quickly. This latest book proves why she has managed to do that in a short space of time. This latest offering gives us a prostitute Bunny Barker living her life along with her daughter Star by her own rules. She is a pretty likeable character but there is a dark and twisted underlying problem within Bunny’s past which is evident pretty quickly.
Star’s father happens to be a gangster who pretty much runs Soho and although he is besotted with Bunny and Star, his lifestyle is not one Bunny is prepared to take on full time. Del was a great character and I liked him from the off. In addition to this Bunny and Del’s daughter Star was fabulous. Although she is only a young girl she plays a pivotal part in the story and is written so that you can just imagine this bright and bubbly girl being at the centre of everybody’s world.
Sadly, past figures emerge and between that and Del’s current business dealings with the Russians everybody seems to suddenly be in danger. I started this yesterday morning and absolutely refused to put it down until I had finished. There were a couple of things that didn’t quite flow as well as they could have, but it was still a brilliant book and one that will be loved by fans of Kimberley Chambers and Mandasue Heller. I for one will be eagerly waiting for her next book which is due out in August 2014…yay!
Star’s father happens to be a gangster who pretty much runs Soho and although he is besotted with Bunny and Star, his lifestyle is not one Bunny is prepared to take on full time. Del was a great character and I liked him from the off. In addition to this Bunny and Del’s daughter Star was fabulous. Although she is only a young girl she plays a pivotal part in the story and is written so that you can just imagine this bright and bubbly girl being at the centre of everybody’s world.
Sadly, past figures emerge and between that and Del’s current business dealings with the Russians everybody seems to suddenly be in danger. I started this yesterday morning and absolutely refused to put it down until I had finished. There were a couple of things that didn’t quite flow as well as they could have, but it was still a brilliant book and one that will be loved by fans of Kimberley Chambers and Mandasue Heller. I for one will be eagerly waiting for her next book which is due out in August 2014…yay!
May 2, 2014
(I received this book for free as part of Goodreads First Reads giveaways).
(This review may contain spoilers).
I was quite surprised by how much I liked this book and how easy it was to read. When I started it, I didn't really like any of the characters, but they did grow on me by the end.
There were a lot of POV characters in the book, but although it got a bit confusing with the switching between the different storylines at first, I was quickly able to settle into the storyline. I liked the relationships between the characters and there were some things that surprised me when they were revealed.
There were some really disturbing, horrible scenes in this book. It definitely wasn't a light read, although it was really well-written.
Del was one of the characters who grew on me throughout the story. Although he was technically a bbad guy, I still liked him and his relationship with Bunny and Star. There were a couple of things that did amuse me, although they probably shouldn't have. (I guess it's a good argument for why drugs can make people act stupid, though...)
Although this isn't the sort of book I would normally pick to read, I did like reading it and found it to be really well-written. I don't know if I'd read other books by this author, though. I think it would depend on the book.
(This review may contain spoilers).
I was quite surprised by how much I liked this book and how easy it was to read. When I started it, I didn't really like any of the characters, but they did grow on me by the end.
There were a lot of POV characters in the book, but although it got a bit confusing with the switching between the different storylines at first, I was quickly able to settle into the storyline. I liked the relationships between the characters and there were some things that surprised me when they were revealed.
There were some really disturbing, horrible scenes in this book. It definitely wasn't a light read, although it was really well-written.
Del was one of the characters who grew on me throughout the story. Although he was technically a bbad guy, I still liked him and his relationship with Bunny and Star. There were a couple of things that did amuse me, although they probably shouldn't have. (I guess it's a good argument for why drugs can make people act stupid, though...)
Although this isn't the sort of book I would normally pick to read, I did like reading it and found it to be really well-written. I don't know if I'd read other books by this author, though. I think it would depend on the book.
May 18, 2014
Well this was a story that had to be told. It was so believable and really made me think of the lives that some people are forced to live. It started off quite shocking and very sad but then I was caught up in the love affair of Bunny and how eventually she achieved some peace in her life. Most of the characters in the book were really unlike-able just for who they portrayed not the way it was written. Jacqui Rose writes exactly how it is in real life. There are no corners cut and no prettying up the world that these people live in. Most of them have no morals, scruples or honour but in the end justice did prevail. I did like the ending with Teddy even though I thought he was a real low life. It was a fast moving book and no holds barred. Although I found the swearing in the book a bit much as it was dotted over every single page, once I looked past that, the story was good and the action never ceased for one minute.
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