A Winning Betrayal by Louise Guy

SYNOPSIS

When an unexpected windfall brings together strangers Shauna and Frankie, one woman is popping champagne corks - but the other just wants to cry.

For her part, Shauna is pouring celebratory drinks. Since her heart was broken and her dreams shattered, she's been ready for a fresh start. Surely she deserves some good luck at last?

But Frankie knows what can happen to families when money moves in and is allowed to take over. Fearing she'll lose the contented - if cash-strapped- life she has built with her husband and their two daughters, she wants to be in control this time.

But as money rewrites their life stories and truths emerge among the treasure, both are forced to wonder if their good fortunes is just bad luck in disguise...

REVIEW

The Lottery is a fantastic idea for so many, and there are so many out there who have daydreams about winning it and what they would spend it on. But what is the reality behind all of it? Is it really a blessing or a curse? For both characters, Shauna and Frankie their big wins are life-changing, but this doesn't negate the fact that some things don't always appear as it seems. Even though they no longer have the stress of worrying about day-to-day expenses, not everything is stress-free. Rather, it has added more stresses of various quantities to the pot.

Compared to other books that I have read in the past, this is simply one which is able to delve a little bit into a fantasy that most of us would never get, in the most easy and light-weighted writing possible. However, I have found that in some ways, this comes at a price. From the beginning of the story, the foreshadowing was very strong, too strong. In fact, if I was able to pinpoint what might happen before I read it, I think that it would have been eerily similar to what actually did happen. But in my opinion, it seems like nothing can really trump the ending. How quickly it seemed on a timescale from going from point A to point B. Plus, why choose an ending like that? I don't know, it kind of felt a little forced and maybe overdone.

However, this does not mean that everything was completely alike to what I thought would happen. There was one particular twist that I did not see coming at all and I was very glad of it, because I do believe that it gave one of the characters a lot more heart. It was nice to see an expansion of what good winning money could do to your overall happiness, rather than just the security of not worrying about bills anymore.

Even though I thought that there were some disadvantages to this book, or certain topics that I feel were glossed over, which should have been more of a conversation, I did enjoy it. I actually put all my other TBR reads to the side just to finish it. If that is not a testament to Guy's writing, then I don't know what is.

RATING: ***1/2 (THREE AND A HALF STARS)

BUY LINKS

Amazon: A Winning Betrayal eBook: Guy, Louise: Amazon.co.uk: Kindle Store

Bookshop.org: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/3917/9781542016018

Disclosure: If you buy books linked to this site, we may earn a commission from Bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookshops.

Comments

When She Smiled by Ritoban Chakrabarti

Publisher: Ritoban Chakrabarti Year it was Published: 30th November 2014 Pages: 234 Format: Ebook/Kindle The Plot It shows there to be a teenager called Roy who attends Physics classes, which is where he sees the most beautiful girl he has ever seen for the first time. This is the basis for the story and how he copes with how she is admired bu other boys as well as himself. Throughout the story, Roy begins to get closer towards the beautiful girl called Akanksha becoming very good friends. But Roy wants more than that and purposely goes out of his way to make it much more than it already is. Eventually something then jepordises their relationship and the relationship that they do have, everything that they have done crumbles. While Roy tries his best to pick up the pieces. My Criticisms When reading this piece of fiction, in some places i found it quite difficult to read. Not because of the plot itself. Maybe it is more likely that it is t...

The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown

For something new this year I have decided that it would be different to try out something new on the blog. Every week from now on I am going to find a word that I find to be interesting. So for this week the word is: denouement - the resolution of a mystery. Publisher: Corgi Books Pages: 593 Year it was Published: 2004 Places: Paris, London, England, Roslin Original Language: American English So do you remember when I showed you my TBR pile of Dan Brown books? I am sure that you are thinking where they have all got to! Well the reason because of this is I wanted a change for a little while and I have loads of other books to get through - as well as the obvious blog tour and interview! Unfortunately there won't be a relentless amount of Dan Brown reviews for the time being, after this one. I have only just started The Lost Symbol and there are plenty other reviews that are for other books. Plot Summary For the Robert Langdon series second instalm...

Why?

Hey guys. I bet you are probably wondering what is happening, especially as there was such a big week last time. Well to start I am becoming more busy than ever. I have a huge amount of revision that needs to be going on. This is why I have now decided that from next week, the new post day will happen on a Saturday. I am only doing it so it is more convenient for myself and maybe I will be able to provide much more content. Obviously the only reason why I may not strictly keep to this day for posting though, is if there is a specific blog tour or an interview which I feel is too important to miss. So for the time being I wish you a nice week, and I will be seeing all of you on the new posting day next Saturday. Where we will start with the posts with a bang. Including a review for a Dan Brown book and more content to see! So if you don't hear from me in a while, it doesn't mean that I'm dead... I just means that I am renovating the experience for you on my blog! C...

The Art of Being Normal by Lisa Williamson

Publisher: David Fickling Books Date of Publish: January 1st 2015 Suitable for which gender: Unisex The book consists of two protagonists who are both suffering from two big secrets. There is David Piper; who wants to be a girl and Leo Denton; someone who just wants to be invisible. Somehow both of these two individuals come together and become very good friends in the process. It is really interesting as there is not much regarding the subject of the transgender community in modern YA fiction, in a way Ms Williamson has got some guts to base story around this topic. Not because it is wrong, but rather misunderstood. It has heartache and pain, as well as joy and happiness, which not only they experience, but you as well. I think that the time that it has come out is perfect, as it is an ever changing world, which has shown to become more aware of people around us and accepting everyone for who they are. We must always think about these issues like, imagine if you felt...

The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender by Leslye Walton

Publisher: Walker Books Ltd./ originally Candlewick Press Date/Year that it was Published: October 2nd 2014/ orginally March 13th 2014 Pages: 320 Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Magical Realism Best for Boys/Girls: Girls Format: Paperback/ Hardback This has to be one of the greatest books that i have read over 2014 - which has now been and gone sadly. It was a truly different and entricate way of writing that i have never seen before in a book. I think now, since i have read this i want to seek out more of this type of style that Ms Walton has. It has literally changed my life - along with making me think about the most important things in life. The plot itself is very different to what i have read in the past, as it literally deals with what has happened in the past for certain characters and how it will affect their future. It identifies three women within the same family ...