Even happy families have their secrets…
Since the sudden death of her husband, Naomi has steadily rebuilt the life they shared in the village of Tilsham by the sea.
Her eldest daughter, Martha, is sensible and determined – just like her father was – and very much in control of where her life is going. If she could just get pregnant with her husband, life would be perfect.
Willow, the youngest, was always more sunny and easy-going, yet drifted through life, much to her father’s frustration. But now, with charming new boyfriend, Rick, she has a very good reason to settle down.
The three women are as close as can be. But there are things Naomi has kept from her daughters. Like the arrival of Ellis, a long-lost friend from way back, now bringing the fun and spark back into her life. And she’s certainly never told them that her marriage to their father wasn’t quite what it seemed…
The Sunday Times bestselling author Erica James returns with this gloriously compelling tale of mothers and daughters, secrets and love.
My thoughts: having attended an online event with the author (thanks HQ!) I was looking forward to reading this. A compelling and powerful story about family, love, and the willingness to do anything for the people who mean the most to you.
The bond between Naomi and her daughters is strong and even when they fall out, they find their way back to each other quickly and without ongoing bitterness. When it becomes apparent Willow’s relationship with Rick is more than just volatile, it’s her family that stand up for her and encourage her to leave him for her safety and that of her unborn daughter.
Naomi opens up to them about her marriage to their father, shedding new light on the past and they learn to accept that things change and it’s unfair to expect their mum to be alone forever, in fact Ellis becomes something of a support to them all, a kind man with a good heart.
It’s Martha though, who goes through the biggest change – learning that her father wasn’t the hero she thought he was is hard on her but she accepts that children don’t know everything about their parents and it casts her mother in a new light for her. As she prepares to have a daughter of her own, she softens and realises she can’t control everything.
Families are complicated and secrets make things harder sometimes, this book is full of ones that need to be told in order for the characters to move forward with their lives and stay close to one another. An enjoyable and thought provoking read.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.
ramblingmads 