Betrayal by Christina Dodd
A Bella Terra Deception Novel, Book 3
Signet Select
Contemporary, Mystery
ISBN: 978-0451413208
Reviewed by Miranda




Penelope Alonzo Caldwell never thought she would be back in Bella Terra after the disastrous way her last trip there ended.  On the cusp of adulthood she fell in love in the beautiful town of Bella Terra only to have her heart smashed into a million pieces before she left. Now she’s back on a personal mission yet the thing on her mind most is avoiding the guy who crushed her all those years ago.  Soon opportunity knocks on Penelope’s door. Can she handle who is on the other side?

Noah Di Luca is living a double life.  He doesn’t relish the position he is in but his life was determined before he was even born.  All Noah wants is to ensure that the people he loves makes it through the danger heading straight for them.  The last thing he needs is for the woman he’s always loved to walk back into his life.  Noah was strong enough to turn her away once but he’s not so sure he can deny the feelings between them again.

As the Di Luca’s try to unravel the clues to the family mystery they discover that Penelope is closer to the mysterious happenings in Bella Terra than she ever could have imagined.  Will she help or hinder the situation brewing?   Will love strike twice with Penelope and Noah or are their fates already sealed in blood?

Christina Dodd does it right with Betrayal!  Betrayal delivers the goods: action, drama, mystery and romance at its best.  One giant reason that this is a knockout is the fact that even though it is the third book in a series the reader can jump in and completely feel in the loop.  Yes, this is my first Bella Terra novel but it won’t be my last.  While you don’t have to read the first two books to have a hell of a good time reading Betrayal I can guarantee you will be aching to read the previous books by the last page!

There is a huge family mystery surrounding the Di Luca’s and it grabs you immediately!  It is intriguing and keeps the reader guessing.  However, the star of this novel for me is definitely the romance between Penelope and Noah.  These two characters are so strong independently that when they come together the world better watch out!  My heart breaks as Penelope recounts the past several years of her life and the horrible break up with Noah.  Ms. Dodd made me want to wrap Penelope up in a hug.  I don’t know when I’ve read a character that needed some love as much as Penelope does.  While Noah has been surrounded by love for most of his life he is also living with this terrible secret.  Until now Noah is just living to try and keep the people he loves from harm but when Penelope walks back into his life he forced to reevaluate the path he is currently taking.  When together Penelope and Noah are just plain HOT!  Phew you can feel the sexual attraction through the pages!  As I was immersed in the pages I was praying for a happy ending for these two!

To me Betrayal seems to wrap up the big mystery plot line that likely takes place in books one and two.  If this is true I must say that Ms. Dodd knows how to give her reader’s one heck of a good ending!  As I closed the book on Betrayal I had that happy shiny feeling and it’s called satisfaction!  Betrayal rocked my world and that is why I am Joyfully Recommending it!