Title: Secrets from a Happy Marriage by Maisey Yates
Publisher: HQN Books
Genre: Contemporary, Women’s Fiction
Length: 384 pages
Book Rating: B
Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley
Summary:
New York Times bestselling author Maisey Yates’s new novel introduces the women of the Lighthouse Inn B&B. They might not have it all together, but this summer, they’ll discover that together, they might still have it all…
Rachel Henderson’s family is falling apart. Becoming a widow—especially at this age—is heartbreaking. With her teenage daughter, Emma, leaving soon for college, Rachel needs a friend—but local diner owner Adam is the last person she ever thought she’d lean on.
From the outside, her little sister, Anna, has a picture-perfect marriage. But the weight of it is suffocating her. The only way for her to breathe again comes at a high price, one she’s not so sure she can pay.
After raising two daughters on her own, their mother, Wendy, knows just how hard life can be. She’s done things she’s not proud of, things she desperately wants to keep from her girls—until keeping quiet is no longer an option.
As long-held secrets bubble up and their old lives unravel, this family will need all their strength to start again and open their hearts up to the possibility of more. But most of all, they’ll need each other…
Review:
Secrets from a Happy Marriage by Maisey Yates is a multi-generational novel of new beginnings and healing.
Rachel Henderson gladly dedicated her life to caring for her beloved husband, Jacob. But after he sadly passes away, she finds herself wondering who she is without someone to take care of. Their teenage daughter Emma is about to graduate from high school and at summer’s end, she will be leaving the nest for college. Rachel struggles to accept these inevitable changes while deciding what she wants for her future.
Meanwhile Rachel’s younger sister Anna’s marriage to pastor Thomas Martin has just imploded in a very public way. She has been unhappy with Thomas for quite some time and he has ignored her attempts to salvage their floundering marriage. In the aftermath, Anna’s relationship with Rachel hits a rough spot but she is gratified by her niece Emma’s support. Facing down gossip and outrage from their some people in their small town, Anna forges an unexpected path for herself after coming to terms with the end of her marriage.
Emma is torn between following her dream and being there for her mother. She is also stretching her wings much to her mom’s consternation. Emma is also experiencing young love for the first time and this new relationship might complicate her plans for the future. Despite a few volatile moments between mother and daughter, Emma is finally making peace with the decisions she is making for herself.
Rachel and Anna’s mother Wendy started over after she was selected to run the Lighthouse B&B when her daughters were very young. She is well-liked and respected by her fellow business owners, so she is shocked and angered by some of their vitriolic comments about Anna. She is protective of her daughters but following an unpleasant confrontation, Wendy realizes she needs to be honest with them about her own secrets. Wendy has not had time for relationships so she is a little surprised by the realization her interest in a guest runs deeper than professional. But after years on her own, Wendy is uncertain whether she should act on their mutual attraction.
Secrets from a Happy Marriage is an engaging novel with a wonderful cast of characters and an interesting storyline. Each of the women is quite contemplative as they work their way through their respective issues. Their various relationships with one another are realistically depicted and they have relatable problems to overcome. Maisey Yates brings this heartwarming novel to an uplifting conclusion. I enjoyed and recommend this charming novel to readers of contemporary fiction.
