My review
Secrets, secrets, don’t tell anyone
Live the life, pretend the fun
Keep them covered, keep them hidden
They can be one, they can be ten
Pretend they don’t bother
They will come out, one way or the other
Secrets, secrets don’t tell anyone
Live the life, pretend the fun…
And this was exactly what happened with Rebecca and Tessa. Summer vacation for three months, cottage rented by the lake, friendship blossomed, some true, some false, some as a crutch, some pretense.
This book by Kate Hewitt showed the human psyche where a movement could trigger memories and sometimes an event could erase memories. A beautiful heartwarming story where the secrets hidden led to drastic results.
I felt bad for both Rebecca who drank to forget and Tessa who wanted to make memories yet forgot important ones. Both the women had their own stories and both were linked as the summer progressed.
They were neighbors who had come to spend the summer by the lake, became friends, started over depending, soon leading to consequences. I liked how Kate showed me this by slowly developing the women’s characters with their ever puzzled, enigmatic husbands.
The only thing that niggled me was that I wanted the women to be proactive, but that was just transference. (transferring my personality on to them)
The book worked well as it presented the emotional side of the secrets we hold so dear, it dealt with certain tough topics. And the story taught me to make as many memories as I can in the present time.
A quote from the book when secrets brought life threatening effects
“We are all going to move past this. By staring this on the face, by looking into our weaknesses and failures and finding the strength to admit when we were wrong, and then to change.”
I received an ARC from NetGalley and publisher Bookouture, and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.
My rating : 5 stars
About the Author
Book blurb
When Tessa arrives at the little house by the lake with her two children, it is an escape. The rental house may be a bit small – but it’s theirs for the summer. A place to hide…
However, their isolation is disrupted by the family from the big house next door. Three children and their glamorous mother Rebecca – who seems determined to invite Tessa into their lives.
Rebecca, however, is harbouring a dark secret. And when it becomes too much for her to bear, Tessa seems to be the only person she can turn to.
But as powerful bonds form between the two families, choices will be made that can never be undone. And as the summer comes to an end, nothing can keep everyone safe. And one family will pay the ultimate price…
Product Details
Publication date : 6th September, 2018
Publisher : Bookouture
48 Responses
Wonderful review as always Shalini. Memories are probably one of the most precious things we have. Some are bad, but there are also good ones that we should always cherish and keep with us😊
Aaah… Ya maybe… I suppose so… I hope so… I tend to live in the today and forget the yesterday 😂😂 yesterday I had headache and was sad… Today I am not… Sweet words – I thank you
i love books about secrets
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Fantastic review Shalini! I enjoyed this one too! 💜💕🌸
I think I saw yours and started reading this ❤️💜
Great review, Shalini! Happy to see 5-stars. I firmly believe in your memory thought as well. My kids remind me every day. 💜
This was sad and beautiful as a story with thriller bits… Yet so many secrets which destroyed them. The poem came automatically after reading this. No idea how!!
Oh! Did you write that? I was thinking it was quoted from the book. I like it! 💜
🙈🙈I wrote it🙈🙈 sometimes I can write 🙃🙃
You do it well! 😉🧡
I love it when you add poetry to your posts. It shows your creativity and your individuality. 🙂 This was a nice review. It makes me want to read the book to see if I will like it as much as you did. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Hey Leslie… Happy Saturday… Ahhh you realized the poem is mine!! 😂😘😘
Thank you so much for your support and your loving words💜❤️
Great review! Another to add to my list. 🧡😍😘
This was fabulous and very sad too ❤️❤️😘😘
This is one of those authors I keep meaning to read but haven’t. Thanx for the excellent review
You have to read this. This was sad and secretive
I love that—-making as many memories as we can in the present. Great review Shalini!!!
Thank you so much Mackie… 💜❤️
Wonderful review Shalini. Secrets and memories, two things that can be positive but also cause issues. I want to find out more about these women. Hopefully, I will be able to read this one between my Christmas stories.
Yayyy go Carla!! This is a bit sad too…
Lovely review! I can understand wanting the characters to be more proactive though. 😉
Yayyyy….. Glad to see you here. I missed you
I know. Sick kids. Think I have it now just as they are better. Work to catch up on…the usual. Lol
Omg omg then take care of them. Why are you here? We can speak later😘😘
Lol. They’re better. All went to school yesterday. Now I’m home with it. Yuck.
Omg omg now you are with it?!! Tell me how can I help other than flying off to Florence nightingale you.. Rest is all possible!!
😊😊😊
Plenty rest but thanks for wanting to go all Florence 😄
Great review! It keep seeing this, and it’s been on my TBR since the very first review I read for it lol, I think I should really bump it up! Oh, and why did you change your image symbol that pops up in the notifications BTW, you don’t want us to see your pretty, YOUNG, face no more?
Hahaha… I changed it to the name on all social media… Didi on twitter, men send me dirty messages. With my head pounding I just want to use expletives on them. Hence decided to be neutral… Besides to you I am always 24 and you are 18 to me… Yayy…
Psst I really thought you are a very very young adult..
I have a question – I am not an author, I spent years being a doc, but I want to know if I could be an author, just to see what I am… So when I am free, could I participate in your scene writing? Just to see if I have a creative side… It is for authors as per your post… Just would like to do one… With your permission
Yes,yes,yes! Please by all means do. Based on your blog, I’ll bet you’d be an AMAZING author! Besides that, you’ve already built such an impressive platform for potential readership. Your work would unboutably skyrocket! I’m really quite excited to see what you come up with😍🤩
I get nasty messages on Instagram, from dirty humans too. Isn’t it frustrating? I mean, really people, can we not be decent respectable people? 😒🤤😖🤮
My problem is when I sit to write, I look at the comp, it looks at me, it sleeps after 10 minutes as per setting, then I sleep off… So writing is not when I want. But I want to check if my creative side of brain gets triggered by the pic you have, along with theme… I am discovering me… And I like having a conversation with you. So it might just trigger my creative gene… Shh I am channelling creativity 😘😘😉😂
HAHA I like conversation with you too… I must be cause we’re young AND inteligent lol
Yp always!!
I hate the nasty ‘insta-love’ messages from gross men.. Why are they always in the army divorced with a kid on twitter.. I have four of them following me… Eeeks.
On insta, I had 18 year old talking sex stuff eeeekkkkkkkksssssss…. Why o why??!!
I hate IG for this very reason! Drives me insane. I have to decline and delete message requests every day. I think I figured out all of those things tho.. hear me out!
They say army = They’re actually out of shape, but are deserate to sound hot to strangers.
They say kid = They’re trying to sound ‘normal’ and ‘compassionate’ to strangers.
They say devorced = They’re really married, obviously lol
I know… Once you say hello (out of sheer politeness) = you love them?!! Uggghhhh!!!
HAHAHA nailed it!
Thanks and this was a good read I had fun, a bit sad too. Cried at the ending.
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Beautiful review for a beautiful, heartwarming story. Glad you also enjoyed this one, Shalini.
Thank you so much Diana 💕
Wonderful review Shalini! I loved this one too. 🙂
I remember. Your reviews push me to keep reading the book most times
Hehe it’s those twisted endings that end up winning me over on a lot so if I gave up when they got slow we’d both miss them.
Very true.. So I wait till you review hehehe you have more patience than me
That’s pretty scary considering how quick I am to get bored. LOL