Find more about Elyse Douglas here!
Erika Steele has always been rather impulsive. She left her hometown to try her hand at an acting career in NYC, married a man after 3 months, and followed him to the Caribbean without question. Richard March is rich, charismatic, and fun. Though he is not “the best lover in the world,” Erika is happy with her new life until Richard disappears.
In a desperate attempt to find her husband, Erika takes
it upon herself to investigate, but what she finds will turn her whole world
upside-down. Richard is not at all who he said he was. Who had she married? Where had he gone? And would he come back for her?
Elyse Douglas jumps into the story right away. You read the first chapter to discover that Richard March is already missing, leaving his wife alone in their honeymoon suite. Although the title hints at some manner of betrayal, Douglas takes you on an anxiety-inducing ride alongside Erika as she desperately clings to the hope that Richard is safe and will return to her. Douglas maintains wonderfully consistent pacing throughout most of the work and pulls you further into the mystery with every page. Although I sensed what was going to happen next, I couldn’t put in down, which is why I awarded Betrayed 5 out of 5 stars.
The characters are consistent, the dialogue is engaging, and the elements of romance serve to elevate the plot and not carry it. The climax was a bit rushed for my taste, but that urgency registers well with the coinciding scenes. I would recommend this work to anyone who enjoys works of romance and suspense, as well as anyone who is looking for a quick, new read.
Betrayed is a refreshing, exhilarating, one-sitting, quarantine read.
Purchase Betrayed here.