4.5 stars

Thank you so much @picadorbooks for my free copy of Jessie Burton’s The Confession! Once again I was spellbound by Burton’s masterful storytelling, this time focusing on books, what it means to be a mother and plenty of secrets.
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Burton makes great use of the dual narrative in this one, jumping back and forth through time between the 80s and 2017/18. Usually I tend to prefer one narrative and find myself speeding through the other to get back to my favourite, but that wasn’t the case here as both were equally engaging. The glamorous yet seedy scenes of 1980s Hollywood and NYC blend perfectly with modern day London!
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The characters had a lot to do with that, as the dark and urgent Connie features in both timelines, probably my favourite character - unapologetic, sometimes cruel, but with a kind heart underneath it all. Our main character in the present is Rose, a 30-something who is EXTREMELY relatable - that tri-life crisis article I shared in my stories the other day sums up Rose’s vibe, and she’s almost comforting to read about as she muddles her way through life. I loved her ending SO much, if anyone’s read it, DM me if you wanna chat!
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If I had one tiny criticism it would be one section where Rose is reading one of Connie’s books and it’s like we’re in a GCSE English class being spoon-fed... it was an awkward way of telling us what Connie’s books are about, but it was over quickly! I’ve also noticed a trend in books set in today’s world of the ~social media influencer~ side character and I can’t decide whether they’re funny or too heavy-handed...
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But overall an immersive read that had me hooked every time I picked it up!