To Dare by Jemma Wayne

☆☆☆☆1/2
ebook, 301 pages
Expected publication: June 1st 2020 by Legend Press
About the Book:
Veronica and her wealthy husband George are unpacking boxes, hoping a fresh start in their newly refurbished Victorian terrace will help them heal from a recent trauma. Next door, Simone returns to her neglected council flat. Miserable and trapped, she struggles to take care of her children under the watch of her controlling husband Terry. When childhood friend Sarah re-enters Veronica’s life, things are thrown even further off balance. As tensions in their own lives rise, the painful memory that binds them threatens to spill into their present. Three lives collide in this story of family, inequality and revenge.

He turns to her with a slow look of disgust, as though observing a ballerina taking off her costume to reveal that beneath the glittered skirts, there is only humanity: bloodied toes, bruised bones. And she watches his face as every last illusion of beauty is shattered.

I have rarely discovered a new writer whose talent is so evident from the very first words of her book. It is both gritty and delicate; sad and joyful; filled with life’s dark truths yet brimming over with the luminosity of love. The characters are now real to me, and I won’t forget them. This was a hard book to get through; it’s subject matter often so grim and shattering that I had to step away for awhile because of how effectively it was portrayed. Well done, Jemma Wayne.

Heartbreaking in its authenticity, purely developed characters whose every emotion is compassionately depicted. A masterpiece of heartache and resilience and love. This is an incredible novel full of vivid, unforgettable characters. The story is heartbreaking and bleak, the writing lyrical and rich. Simone and Terry are the most compelling characters I've come across. Simone especially, her story (and her children's) is utterly devastating. The relationship between Simone and her son Dominic is nuanced and beautifully told as is the history of Veronica and Sarah. The stories rang true. I had no idea what would become of the characters and they kept me engaged the entire time. Such a great read, indeed.

Thank you NetGalley, Legend Press and Jemma Wayne for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an impartial review; all opinions are my own.

#ToDare #NetGalley