Summer Shorts: The Summer of Secrets by Alison Lucy & The First Wife by Emily Barr.

Product details:
Publisher: Canvas
Release date: May 17th 2012
Paperback, 416 pages.
Rating: 3½ out of 5.
Ages: Adult
Source: Received from publisher for review.

One heady summer. Three big secrets. 1989: Newlyweds Danny and Harriet arrive at their honeymoon paradise in the Caribbean. Days later Harriet returns home. Danny is left distraught but finds comfort in the arms of two women. Nine months later, three baby girls are born... 2010: Megan leaves her childhood sweetheart behind in the UK to go in search of her long-lost father. Miles from home and temptation is at every corner - not least in the arms of the gorgeous Ray... Esmé, a Mexican beauty, married Miguel at fifteen. In unlocking the secrets of her past, can she shed the shackles of her enforced marriage? Claudia has led a life of privilege but she's never really known what it feels like to be loved. Could David be the answer? Or will he disappoint her, just like her mother always did? Three women set off on an adventure to uncover the secrets surrounding their missing father. It may be the only way to lay their demons to rest but seeking out the truth could tear their lives apart.

A true summer sizzler, The Summer of Secrets by debut author Alison Lucy takes readers on an intoxicating journey to Mexico as three very different young women seek to discover their true selves by uncovering the long-held secrets of their past.

1989 sees Danny abandoned by his wife Heather on their honeymoon in Mexico.  Heartbroken and alone, Danny finds comfort in some very strong alcohol, and in the arms of two beautiful women.  Nine months later, three baby girls are born and Danny is nowhere to be found.

Fast-forward twenty something years and these three young women are all searching for answers, all searching for the truth about their father, who it seems disappeared twenty years earlier.

As we follow Megan, Esme and Claudia on their search, we find out all about their hopes and fears, their dreams and their rather active love lives in a book that is predictable at times, but which is also a whole lot of fun, making it a perfect beach read and definitely one to add to your summer reading list!

Product details:
Publisher: Headline Review
Release date: March 1st 2011
Paperback, 320 pages.
Rating: 3 out of 5.
Ages: Adult.
Source: Purchased.

His first wife was everything you're not. But was she everything she seemed?

Lily, a young woman left alone in the world on the death of her grandparents, finds purpose when she befriends Harry Summers, a grieving widower, whose wife Sarah recently took her own life in Barcelona. The pair fall in love and Lily finally finds the security she has never had. But Lily's life takes a darker turn when she realises there may be more to Sarah's death than meets the eye. Anxious to find the truth before she marries her beloved Harry, Lily sets off to Barcelona in search of answers. What she discovers is more shocking than she could ever have imagined...

Although lacking the suspense and intrigue of some of her earlier works, The First Wife by Emily Barr, which sees twenty-something Lily Button journey to Barcelona in order to find out more about the past life of man she’s about to marry, will find it’s readership in longtime fans of the author who can’t get enough of her special blend of mystery, romance, travel and adventure.

Life has never been easy for Lily. Abandoned by her parents as a child, she found a home with her eccentric Grandparents, but now they’re gone too, leaving Lily alone in the world with no place to live, no money and little formal education.

Enter widower Harry Summer.  As handsome as he is worldly and charming, this former actor appears to be the answer to all of Lily’s hopes and dreams, and she falls head over heels in love with him in no time at all.

Despite the brevity of their romance, Lily doesn’t hesitate to say yes when Harry proposes.  Something is niggling at her though, telling her to slow down, telling her that something isn’t right.  It’s only when Lily finally decides to trust her instincts and delve deeper into the world of the man she loves, that she finds out the shocking secrets about Harry and his first wife.

Book Review: The Perfect Lie by Emily Barr.

Product details:
Publisher: Headline
Paperback, 320 pages.
Release date: May 13th 2010.
Rating: 4 out of 5.
Ages: Adult Fiction.
Source: Received from publisher for review.

For Lucy Riddick, Venice has always been the dream destination. A dream inspired by the pretty picture pinned to her mother’s kitchen wall. To Lucy, Venice seems the ideal place to lose herself. And now she needs to do just that. The secret she’s been keeping from her boyfriend and her friends has finally caught up with her and Lucy needs to disappear – and fast. There’s no better time to pack her bags and head for Italy. But what if, when she sets foot in Venice, Lucy finds that the one thing she has been running from, the one thing she has been trying to escape, is already there, lying in wait for her? Time to run away again? Or time to end the chase, once and for all?

As a long time reader of Emily Barr’s novels I’m always intrigued to see what she will release next, and I’m also eager to find out if she can keep my interest engaged with each new novel. As far as some authors go, this doesn’t happen, but with each new book from Barr, I find myself being more and more impressed. The last book of Barr’s I read was 2008’s, The Sisterhood, a book I totally loved, and I was hoping this latest offering would live up to the high expectations I had after reading that. I’m glad to say it did. The Perfect Lie is a little darker in it’s themes than some of Barr’s previous books, but no less compelling. This one is a definite page turner that will keep you reading late into the night.

As the book opens we are introduced to Lucy Riddick who shares a seemingly perfect and idyllic life in Cornwall with the ruggedly handsome Seth. They are on a day out with Seth’s sister Eliza and her two daughters, when the days events take a dramatic turn and Lucy finds herself featured on the local evening news. Hailed as a heroine, surely this should be a cause for celebration, but not for Lucy who is hiding a deep dark secret. It’s a secret buried deep in the past and which she knew one day would come back to haunt her. Now with the media focus on her, Lucy once again finds herself on the run. But will she be able to escape her past a second time, and is she prepared to leave behind everything she knows and loves again?

The story moves between past and present with the horror of Lucy’s past slowly unfolding before us. This book has a definite dark element to it and as we meet Lucy as a teenager called Marianne we have no clue of the horrors that are about to enter her life. What starts off as a underprivileged but ultimately happy existence with her mother and brother Finn turns into something truly disturbing. While Lucy has undoubtedly been through tough times, she is written in such a way that makes her a difficult character to totally sympathise with. This is a technique that Barr employs quite a bit in her books, and for me, it makes for great, believable characters. Lucy is neither truly good or truly bad. She has messed up, done some terrible things and been a victim of circumstance. While I rooted for her most of the time, she is far from perfect, and will definitely leave the reader with food for thought.

One of my favourite aspects of Barr’s novels is the travel writing that she weaves into each of her books. It’s what first brought her to my attention, and I feel it’s something unique to her. Having worked as a travel writer as well as a novelist, this is something that Barr excels at, and it makes her stand out from the pack. In the past Barr's books have taken me on journeys to America, Australia, France and Cuba. Here the action moves first to Paris and then Venice, where Lucy has gone to try and escape her past. Even in this beautiful setting, there is a real sense of impending doom surrounding Lucy, and I really feared for  her with each day she spent in her new Italian hideaway.

Overall, this one is a really good read and perfect for holiday reading if you happen to have a getaway on the cards. Barr never disappoints with her offerings and her books will appeal to fans of chick-lit along with those who want something with a little more edge. This book has some great mystery and intrigue, it’s action packed and filled with suspense, tension and more than a few surprises. If you haven’t yet read anything by Emily Barr, I strongly suggest that you check out her books. I can’t wait to see what she has in store next!