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Before The Lies by Elaine May

becsa's review

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4.0

Rosa Smith's parents have one goal in mind and that is to marry her off to a rich man who can save their business. It doesn't matter that she is only 15 years old as they rarely want her around. They think they have found a potential candidate in American John Bryant. His good looks instantly attract Rosa and soon she realizes she is in over her head.

Yet as good as John is to Rosa he has secrets that he is keeping from her. When the chance comes for Rosa to leave England and head to the US with John she agrees not knowing what she surprises await her.

Yet when she realizes everything is not as she expected it to be will she have to courage to put her own happiness first?

This is the third book in the series but is actually a prequel to the first two. This book explains so much but I think I enjoyed reading it after the first two as it made everything fall into place.

Rosa was someone that was after love after being treated so badly be her parents. With John she felt such an attraction and initially he was so good to her. Then as you see that other side develop you learn how trapped and controlled she is and how she has no say over anything. I knew what was coming due to the previous two books but I liked the way you never really knew how far John would go with things.

John is just such a mixed bag capable of such evil things yet he also had a side that was so loving and caring. You never knew what you were going to get and I was super disappointed to know the kind of man he turned into and how he raised his son, Jack, to be.

It's super frustrating that the Bryant family has no idea what John is capable of and I am definitely interested to see if Marcus shows up in anymore books!

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