The Husbands Secret by Liane Moriarty

There review for The Husbands Secret is by guest reviewer, Katrina

Mother of three and wife of John-Paul, Cecilia discovers an old envelope in the attic. Written in her husband's hand, it says: to be opened only in the event of my death.

Curious, she opens it - and time stops.

John-Paul's letter confesses to a terrible mistake which, if revealed, would wreck their family as well as the lives of  others.

Cecilia wants to do the right thing, but right for who? If she protects her family by staying silent, the truth will worm through her heart. But if she reveals her husband's secret, she will hurt those she loves most...

I stumbled across 'The Husband's Secret' amongst a pile of books that had been donated to the charity shop where I work. I don't normally go for this type of book but the blurb intrigued me, however it has been sat in my TBR pile for a few months now.

Then last week I read Laura's review of 'Big Little Lies' also by Liane Moriarty, which prompted me to download the ebook immediately. I was so impressed by the suspense created and how fantastically written it was, that I made 'The Husband's Secret' my next read.

Unfortunately, I was left quite disappointed by this book. The book opens with Cecilia and her family. Whilst looking for a bit of the Berlin Wall for her daughter Esther, she discovers an envelope addressed to her, only to be opened in the event of her husband John-Paul's death. Cecilia's head explodes with all possibilities of what the letter could contain.

The next two chapters introduce us to two other families - firstly Tess, her husband Will and cousin Felicity who have "fallen in love" with each other, and secondly Rachel, her son Rob and his wife and child Lauren and Jacob. I found the sheer number of characters very overwhelming, especially as they were all introduced immediately. A little while later in the book, we discover that they are all connected but at first I found it very confusing to keep up with who was who, especially as the chapters jumped from family to family.

I won't spoil the 'husband's secret', however as more of the character background stories are told, it is very easy to guess what John-Paul's secret is a long time before it's actually revealed. I found the book to be very predictable but that didn't stop me from carrying on reading, in the hope that something unexpected would happen.

The main twist for me came in the epilogue, where I genuinely gasped at some of the conclusions drawn. However it also left me wanting to know more, as not all of the aspects were realistic. It did emphasise how the course of life can veer yet we will not always be aware of the path we should/could have taken.

This wasn't a bad book by all means - I think I had such high expectations after reading Big Little Lies, that this book just didn't cut it for me (however Big Little Lies is Liane's most recent book, so it goes to show how much her writing has improved since this novel in my opinion!).

Nonetheless, I was eager to see what would happen next throughout and I will most definitely try another of Liane's books in the future!

My Sisters Secret by Tracy Buchanan

Everything you’ve built your life on is a lie.

Willow’s memories of her parents are sun-drenched and full of smiles, love and laughter. But a mysterious invitation to a photographic exhibition exposes a secret that’s been buried since a tragic accident years ago.

Willow is forced to question everything she knew about Charity, her late mother, and Hope, the aunt she’s lived with since she was a child.

How was the enigmatic photographer connected to Willow’s parents? Why will Hope not break her silence?

Willow cannot move forward in her life without answers. But who can she really trust? Because no one has been telling the truth for a very long time.

My Sisters Secret was no doubt an absolute joy of a read! 

Right from the prologue I was gripped and fascinated with the story, and although the book only took my two days of reading it felt much longer due to finding myself googling images of Submerged Forests every time a new one was referred to within the story.... 

Just look at this one of Green Lake in Austria, captivating right?

                                                                         Photograph curtesy of Google Images.

Submerged Forests play a huge part in the storyline of My Sister Secret and I adored the amount of detail Tracy Buchanan went in to to describe each of the ones mentioned on Faith's Map, it made me feel as though I was there, putting on my own wetsuit, snorkel and flippers and diving right between the trees. That in its own right is the sign of a great author.

So the book then. 

Well, I can't say a great deal, not because I don't want to - trust me I could go on for a while about the different elements, but because I want to "Keep The Secret" and I think if I give too much away then the secret will slip out. 

That said, it's obvious we know there is a secret from the clear title, but there were lots of twists and turns within the book that kept my mind guessing, and I'm pleased to say I didn't think *THAT* would be revealed!!

The story is based around three sisters, Faith, Hope and Charity, and Charity's daughter Willow and is told from the view of both Charity and Willow.

The chapters told from Willow are in the present day, we know her mother passed away in a cruise ship accident and she was brought up by her aunt, but when clearing out her parents' old house, Willow discovers an invite from Niall Lane, a well known photographer specialising in submerged forests. Willows Aunt gives her a frosty reception about this, forcing Willow to ask more and more questions adding doubt to the life she thought she knew.

Whilst the chapters told from Charity's POV are from the past giving us insight to what happened and when, who Niall Lane is and of course revealing the a secret or two!

My Sisters Secret was a very well plotted story, it allowed us to follow Willow's journey on finding out about her mothers past life, throwing questions and giving answers along the way.

I particularly liked how the past and present was linked by the common submerged forest interest and how it tied most of the characters together. 

Without question I would recomend this book to anyone that enjoys women's fiction that has an element of mystery to it.

I would like to thank Tracy and the teams at HarperCollins / Avon for the copy of My Sister Secret via NetGalley. This is my honest opinion. 

The Shock Of The Fall by Nathan Filer

The review for The Shock Of The Fall is brought to you by guest reviewer Samantha.

I'll tell you what happened because it will be a good way to introduce my brother. 

His name’s Simon. 

I think you’re going to like him. I really do. 

But in a couple of pages he’ll be dead. And he was never the same after that.

This book by Nathan Filer is a clever read. 

You are placed in the mind of Matthew who has mental health issues and you learn about how his life has changed since the tragic accident of his brother’s death. You immediately become gripped in this easy but clever read. 

Throughout the book you are left guessing what will happen next and as more and more is revealed about his brother’s death, Matt presents the troubles that he faces with his mental illness. 

This book shows really what it is like to live with this condition but at the same time how it can be dealt with and how people are still able to live an ordinary life.

I would really recommend this book if you are into stories which are similar to things that people face daily. It is a real eye opener to what life can be like for a lot of people. 

A great read and a quick but gripping book. 

Pleasure Island by Anna-Lou Weatherley

Secrets. Scandal. Betrayal. In Paradise, pleasure comes at a dangerously high price.

Three couples each receive an exclusive invitation to the fantasy holiday destination of a lifetime.

The Host: Martin McKenzie, a global billionaire and media mogul. Charismatic, powerful and always gets what he wants.

The Location: A breathtakingly beautiful undiscovered island, nestled in the Aegean Sea. Private, secluded and not quite as it seems.

The Details: seven days of pure hedonism, five star luxury tailored to every desire, also included secrets, lies and infidelity.

As the guest begin to enjoy everything the luxury island has to offer, cracks begin to surface between the three couples. But that is not all. Someone is watching them.

When they discover the truth - it will be explosive in more way than they can ever imagine.

*May Contain Spoilers*

Pleasure Island is no doubt the perfect beach read!

I was drawn to this book firstly by its gorgeously inviting cover, but the blurb had me intrigued.

Pleasure Island is based on three couples; Journalist Angelika and her lawyer husband Rupert, Singing Sensation Mia and her toy boy and rock star fling Joshua, and retired footballer Nate and his attention seeking, money grabbing wife Billie-Jo.

Each of the three couples are invited to Pleasure Island by billionaire tycoon Martin, a man known widely in the public eye.

I don't want to give too much away about the book, but each of the six guests are in for a rocky ride, having been invited they are wondering why and want answers when their luxurious holiday doesn't get off to the best start.

With communications down, the couples have no choice but to get on with it, and fairly early on we see cracks and faults in them all.... 

Pleasure Island doesn't seem quite as idyllic as it's made out to be and suspicions...

Anna-Lou Weatherly has written the book brilliantly. There are chapters from the island based on the couples and then there are chapters from Martin and the super eight.... I think the best way to describe   this book is to think Big Brother. Martin and the eight members of his elite club are watching the couples every moves and it was fascinating to read on and find out why they are doing this... Some are for psychology reason, some are purely their to get a kick out of watching people unaware.

Martin however, has his own reasons and as the story unfolds we discover why he picked the couples chosen for Pleasure Island and the consequences it has.

Pleasure Island had everything from lies, drama queen tantrums, scandal, secrets, drug use, to the odd racy scene.

A thoroughly gripping page turner of a read! 

I would like to thank Anna-Lou and the team at Bookouture for the NetGalley copy of Pleasure Island. This is my honest review. 

Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty

It was always going to end in tears, but how did it end in murder?

Single mum Jane has just moved to town. She's got her little boy in tow - plus the secret she's been carrying for five years.

On the first day of the school run she meets Madeline - a force to be reckoned with, who remembers everything and forgives no one - and Celeste, the kind of beautiful woman who makes the world stop and stare, but is inexplicably I'll at ease. They both take Jane under their wing - while careful to keep their own secrets under wraps.

But a minor incident involving the children of all three women rapidly escalates; playground whispers become spiteful rumours until no one can tell the truth from the lies.

Which is when the secrets come out - and now someone is going to pay with their life...

"A brilliantly plotted story with characters to care for who kept me reading, utterly gripped" ~ Women & Home.

"Brilliant, stand - out, superbly clever" ~ Sunday Express.

I'm not really sure what drew me to purchasing this book as it's not from my usual genre... That said I don't think I would categorise this into crime and thriller either as its in no way bloody or had me hiding behind a pillow!

Ultimately for me, Big Little Lies is a story of secrets and friendships which focuses on three main characters, Madeline, Jane and Celeste.

Each of the three ladies become friends yet each is hiding a secret and the story starts with the schools trivia night. The details for this are quite vague but from the outset of the book we know there is a murder. We don't know who, why or how exactly.

Once this has been outlined, the books takes us back to 5 months before trivia night and we get to see how the characters met and what the initial incident was, which has caused nothing but grief between the 3 girls, their children and their friends In the playground!

As the book takes us closer to trivia night we can see friendships blooming and others falling out, there are playground arguments between parents and at the end of each chapter there are short bullet point statements from other Parents and teachers which leads us to believe they are statements given to the police after the murder.

Liane Moriarty has written Big Little Lies simply brilliantly. I don't want to give too much away as they book is written with a mystery of element due to us not knowing anything about the murder right up until the end, and I think that is partly what makes the book.

With storylines of bullying and abuse, ex husbands walking out, teenage daughters auctioning their virginity and parents thinking their children are better than the next, the murder suspect and victim could be literally any one of the characters the book mentions.... Who they were though, even caught be my surprise!

This book was such a gripping read, it covered sensitive subjects with care and consideration yet at times had elements of humour, and the descriptions were spot on... I felt like I was part of the book and the journey Jane, Celeste and Madeline shared.

If you've not read Big Little Lies I suggest you go grab a copy now! 

Scandalous Lies by Nigel May

Lovers and liars, divas and sinners, welcome to the world of scandal, where one woman will pay the ultimate price.

SUSPENCE: Georgia's best friend, ballroom dancing sensation Mitzi, has vanished with boyfriend Forster while on holiday in California. Can Georgia get to the thruth of their disappearance before it's too late?

SECRETS: Reality TV star Nova could give the Kardashians a run for their money. But while she allows millions of viewers into her fabulous home, she's unaware what her husband, celebrity mogul Jacob, is up to behind closed doors...

SEX: Tanya is filthy rich, married to a man who adores her but she is restless. And her sexual appetite is about to get her in a whole lot of trouble.

SCANDAL: Victoria once a trophy wife, has lost her mojo. Determined to get her life back on track, she's desperate to inject some excitement in to her life - but at what cost?

From the glitz of Hollywood to the glamour of Milan and the exotic luxury of India, Scandalous Lies is a deliciously unputdownable read.

*May Contain Spoilers*

Wowzers!! Scandalous Lies had more twist and turns than a rollercoaster at Blackpool Pleasure Beach!

Ive not read any of Nigel May books previously, but I have read other 'BonkBusters' since the 50 Shades hype, and can honestly say this, was by far, the most gripping... 

I was hooked right from the prologue in which tells a brief story of the life of Mitzi Bidgood. A former Zumba teacher that got her break as a backing dancer for a popular Saturday night TV dance show, who successfully made her way to become one of the lead female dancers, and her surfing, garden maintenance turned turned reality star boyfriend Forster Hampton - both equally successful in their own rights, both blissfully in love and on holiday, unaware of their fate. After discovering something horrific, they run for their lives only this doesn't quite work out as planned and both are reported missing.

Now, Scandalous Lies, has a lot of characters in, and I'm going to try and do my upmost to not give out too many spoilers, but what I adored about the book is how the characters are linked... Some obvious links, some not so... Which, along with the twist and turns of the plot, made this one heck of a page turner....

Georgia is a weather girl for breakfast TV, dating the dashing Charlie Cooper. Her best friend is missing Mitzi and she is distraught with worry, taking time off work she set off to Hollywood in search of clues on the disappearance.

Nova, has her own reality TV show and is quite literally the biggest, in more ways than one, Showbiz queen. She also just so happens to be the mother of Charlie boy! Dispite her diva ways, one thing is clear, Nova would move heaven and earth for her son, she's very protective of both him and his girlfriend, and although she didn't know Mitzi, she has known grief and a sense of loss which brings her closer to Georgia.

See where the links are going?

Tanya is, as the blurb states... Rich beyond rich! Married to Devon Bellamy, Georgia's father, she has an incredibly high, and explicit, sex drive. Particularly when it comes to their gardener Aaron Rose - another  surfing gardener who was set to be the next parter of Mitzi on the dance show.

And then there's Victoria, who was happily married to Scott Palmer -Robers, but since birth of their twins six years ago, Victoria's life is spiralling out of control. She's lost all confidence in her self and is taking anti depressants in secret. The final blow comes when she discovers her hubby has been having a fling with the kids nanny, Chloe.

Victoria confides in her friend Evie - a successful film actress, the pair of them where part of Mitzi's Zumba gamg along with Georgia.

There are other characters too... Ones that took me a while longer to work out the clues and links with, but generally the theme of the book is based around their ties to each other and of course to Mitzi, and all the characters come together at a very eventful charity event.

At this point, I thought I had the story nailed.... How wrong was I? 

There were, as I've said, twist and turns but I was NOT expecting that one!!! 

I can't praise Nigel May enough for how brilliantly this was written. 

Yes there was the occasional smuty scene but above that there was lies, deceit, family secrets, heart break, scandals,  passion, addiction, sparkle, glamour and fizz.... Not forgetting one serious plot game changer!

Despite having so much crammed in to one book, it flowed perfectly without losing the reader or getting confusing.

I don't usually give out ratings or stars on my blog, but if I were too, without a shadow of a doubt this would easily get 5/5! 

A thoroughly enjoyable, gripping and exciting summer read. 

I would like to thank both Nigel May and Bookouture for a preview copy of Scandalous Lies from NetGalley. This is my honest opinion.