Cover Image: The Secrets Between Us

The Secrets Between Us

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Member Reviews

This is a dual timeline novel set in 1943 and 1993. I found that I was getting into the story in 1943 and then pulled to 1993, where not so much seemed to be happening. The character Annie in the 90s was a little boring to me. There was so much more action and vigour in the 1943 characters.

The second world war timeline was different than anything I have read about this period before. It certainly opened my eyes to a world in a small village in France I was not aware of. Although not totally historic the author did base the writing on a real village.

I thought that the first half of this book dragged a little. But once the two timelines met I found it much more intriguing and couldn't put it down. This resulted in a satisfying ending which has had me replaying parts of the book to make sense of it all.

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Skimmed the second half of this as it just lagged. The main, modern character was such a wet blanket that she really put me off and, although the storyline of the Italian occupation of the South of France was very interesTing, I think it would have been more gripping without the time hop aspect - there was no need for the modern sections at all.

I feel like having read a couple of this author’s books, they are a bit samey, so I probably would not read another now. Where the Wild Cherries Grow was probably the best of the lot for me.

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Absolutely love Laura's writing and this book was no exception. Evocative and beautiful and highly recommended

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A really beautifully written book set in sad and tragic times. I think the shifts between the two periods of time were handled well and it remained an interesting and engaging read throughout.

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WOW.

Now this is the type of book I've been looking for, for so long and it was right under my nose in my Netgalley list. Lately I've been terribly uninspired by the books I've read and haven't found one that grabbed me from the get go and wouldn't let go. This is that book. I could not put it down and it was a very unexpected read for me! I daresay I have not read this kind of romance before and not due to ignorance, I just haven't seem to come across one as yet (you will know what I mean when you read it - I won't spoil!).

This novel is set in two different timelines - one in the past, Ceci's story in 1943 and now, Annie's story. The chapter's change between Ceci and Annie's stories and you really get invested in each of these characters. Ceci, a young eighteen year old in a small town in the South of France is a bakers daughter and works in the bakery herself. Ceci is a very young 18 and does not know much about the world and is on the cusp of a great discovery about herself and a great love she's never known. This is all very dangerous when the world is at war and whilst the small town hasn't been touched yet by violence, it is only a matter of time and rationing is at it's peak. When the town's 'visitor's' arrive - everything changes and Ceci's world is turned upside down.

Annie is a library, cataloguing assistant, not happy in her job and not happy with the way her life has turned out, meek and mild in nature, she longs to lash out at her horrible boss and explore a new life. When the task turns to her to find her long lost grandmother, she jumps in with a lot of hesitation and then goes on the ride of her life, one which changes everything and alters everything she has ever known about her life and her grandmother's life.

The Secrets Between Us is wonderfully written and Laura's descriptions of the small town is so rich and vibrant, you can almost taste the salty bread and smell the flowers in the meadow. Laura has created a world you get lost in and characters you really invest in and the ONLY reason for giving this book 4 stars - (i'd give 4.5 if half stars were a thing) and not 5 stars is due to the ending. I felt like after investing so much into this book and it's characters, the ending was wrapped up in not even a chapter and I felt absolutely robbed.

I would have loved to <spoiler>witness more of a reunion between mother and daughter especially after the bombshell that she was still alive!! I also would have loved to see something develop between Matteo and Annie (even though it was insinuated) given how strong Annie became throughout her journey. </spoiler>

Either way, this book is magic and although a different sort of romance, a stunning one all the same.

4 (.5) stars

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The Secrets Between Us is the third book from Laura Madeleine and my god what a read this turned out to be. I read Where the Wild Cherries Grow last year and still have The Confectioner's Tale on my TBR but with this new read Laura has certainly confirmed what a brilliant author she is. Initially while reading this book I had similar feelings as to when I was reading Where the Wild Cherries grow. Those being that this was an OK read with nothing much to set it apart from most of the historical fiction I love to read. Then bang there was that pivotal moment, that point where all my opinions changed and this book turned from a nice enough read to a completely, unputdownable book that I tore through the pages to discover the ending.

I think that's what this author does, well in my experience of reading her books this is what I think happens. She lures you in with lots and lots of descriptions of the characters and scenery, the setting is explored and to me not much really happens. The story appears to be ambling along and you are waiting and waiting for something explosive, that twist that makes you sit up and take notice to occur. You are wondering is this it? Will anything ever happen? Then all of a sudden with a few simple words or one crucial chapter everything is turned on its head and you think wow this is excellent and really all the chapters that had gone before it were so worth it. They were essential to the plot. The Secrets Between Us was my first read of 2018 and I flew through it in a couple of hours so compulsive did the tell unfolding before my eyes become.

The story moves back and forth between Ceci Corvin living high up in the French mountains near to the Italian border in 1943. The war is at its height and the little village of Saint Antoine may seem like a refuge for some but outside forces make their mark ever known. In April of 1993 Annie Picot works in a library. She lives in London but is now in Cheshire working on a job cataloguing government documents so that they are all online. This is top secret work and Annie is at the lowest levels of the operation. Will her personal story and that of the distance between her mother and grandmother make her do something which could threaten her job? I loved how the story effortlessly moved back and forth over the 50 year time period. The chapters from Annie's viewpoint were short and to the point the further we moved into the story as if the author knew the reader wanted to get back to 1943 to learn more about an incredible love story at a time of such cruelty, hardship and horror. Not that I didn't enjoy the sections from 1993, I did but the story of Ceci held my interest ever so slightly more. But Annie's story was brilliant too as it brought connections and secrets to the fore and the more she uncovered and learned about a time many wanted forgotten the more I was keen to see how all the strands of the story may eventually come together.

Laura Madeleine's talents lie in her descriptive abilities. She has such a way with words that I could clearly picture the narrow cobbled streets of Saint Antoine with its array of houses and some small shops. It seemed like another worldly place where the residents try to put the ravages of war to the back of their mind believing that they could be safe and cocooned. The village surrounded by mountains appeared as if cut off from the rest of the world bar the ratting bus that came every so often if one had business to deal with in Nice. What is also clear is that food and in this case the bakery plays an important role in all of the authors books. Despite the rationing and food shortages Ceci and her family run the local bakery as best they can. The descriptions of the process of bread making, rising early in the morning to bake everything to supply the town even though they had such limited resources were wonderful and throughout the book food continued to play a vital role. Bread, salt, life and love are all elements very important to Ceci. I sensed Ceci had led a good life before the outbreak of war but now everything has changed. A state of constant alert is one in which she and her family have become very accustomed to. It has become the norm but this shouldn't be the case. Ceci's brother Leon has vanished and the family wonder has he become involved with the milice? But the arrival of Jewish refugees is the turning point at which Ceci's life begins to change once again.

With the influx of new refugees all the feelings Ceci experiences of fear, uncertainty, secrets and danger only grow more prominent. I had never heard of Jews being accommodated in small towns like this during the war but it became apparent this was during the Italian occupation of France and before the fall of Mussolini and then the Germans took over. I am glad such detail has been brought to light in a historical fiction book. The whole topic of men, women and children being forced to leave everything they had ever known was dealt with such sensitivity and tact. Up until this point and for quite some more of the book I felt there wasn't much happening, in fact there seemed to be repetition of days but it is only as the I neared the last quarter I understood things had been bubbling away beneath the surface unbeknownst to the reader.

Ceci's family take in a husband and wife – Daniel and Myriam Reiss. They are given the apartment at the top of the bakery. I understood the pair must have seen such trauma and endured horrors beyond imagination but they came across as being very odd and even more secretive than they necessarily needed to be. The were always very watchful and although Ceci tried to crack the shell they had built around them her intentions were hard to achieve. A tentative friendship is formed with Myriam but it all seemed very strange to me. Myriam was very much an enigma throughout the book. She was mysterious and elusive and almost cast a spell over Ceci, so much so that she forgot what her role was in the family and did things that would threaten her life even more. When certain things became apparent to the reader I thought bravo for including such a storyline as undoubtedly such things didn't just starting happen in the last 25/30 years and it added an even further realistic, human element to the overall storyline. Ceci turned out to be an incredible young woman, way beyond her time, but the question that remains in the present -why did she leave Saint Antoine so abruptly never to return even when it was safe to do so?

Ceci's story in 1943 as far stronger than that of Annie in 1993. Annie was anti social and didn't know how to talk to and engage with people. So what she does in order to discover what made her mother and grandmother not talk or even contact each other for so many years, seems to go against the initial character of Annie that we are presented with. Then Annie seemed to buck up and want to take matters into her own hands, she wants and needs answers before it is too late. For someone at first portrayed as meek and sub-servant, one who would obey any given order, Annie certainly turned things round once she had made the decision to search for her grandmother. I enjoyed reading of Annie trying to find her grandmother and it really did help connect the two storylines. We saw characters transform and bit by bit the truth began to emerge, little details began to make sense and my opinions rapidly changed. As we drew closer to the end the tension levels rose and rose and that moment came that made me realise, yes this was an outstanding book, so cleverly done. I couldn't believe the secrets and connections that were emerging. I was trying to piece and connect everything together. I thought the ending was just perfect and so apt considering all that had gone before. I finished this book with a sigh of contentment and knew it would be a difficult story to get out of head.

The Secrets Between Us definitely leaves you with a book hangover as you contemplate what to read next and wonder can anything leave up to such a stunning read. It was an incredible story and certainly one for the keeper shelf.

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I’ve been a big fan of Laura Madeleine since I read her first book The Confectioner’s Daughter. So you can therefore imagine my excitement when I was offered a copy of her latest book and invited onto the blog tour, as I think this is her best book yet.

The story alternates between 1993 and Annie’s journey to try and find her grandmere, and Ceci’s story in 1943 describing her life in a small mountain village near the Italian border. Unusually for a dual time line story I enjoyed both sides of the story, finding both Annie’s and Ceci’s story fascinating.

I’m a big fan of WW2 fiction and love reading books about that period, particularly if they are regarding a different side of the war then I had read before. I hadn’t read much about the Italian Occupation of parts of France or about the Jew that were sent to border towns to be kept an eye on. The story of their plight was very poignant to read about . We all know the story of what happened in the Holocaust but I still always hope for a happy of different outcome and then the truth of what happened always shocks me anew.

Laura’s fantastic descriptions of life in the small french town makes you feel that you are really there watching all the action unfold. I felt that I knew all of the characters personally which made me much more invested in what happens to them. As with her other books the author particularly has a fantastic way of describing food, sot that the reader feels that they can almost smell and taste the food mentioned. I again found myself looking up recipes for the food that she mentions as I wanted to make it myself.

One of the best things about this book was that there were no amazing coincidences . Annie doesn’t discover her grand mere or her story by chance, instead she unfolds the secrets in real time at a normal pace which I felt made this story more realistic and enjoyable.

The build up to the ending was absolutely brilliant. The reader is aware about halfway through the book that something big happens at a certain date, and with every chapter headed with a date the reader is very aware of a count down as such towards this date. Toward the end of the book I literally couldn’t put the book down and read late into the night, when with a small baby I should have been getting sleep while I could. The tension and uncertainty felt by the characters, in particular Celeste, was almost palpable and felt so real that i was totally swept away with the story. I simultaneously wanted to read on to discover what happened and wanted the story to never end as I had so enjoyed it! Always a sign of a good book.

This is Laura Madeleine’s third book and the third that I have been lucky enough to read. She is one of my favourite authors and one that I always recommend when asked. A comparison to Kate Morton is quite common at the moment but in this case it is definitely deserved and if you are a fan of Kate Morton or Kate Mosse you will enjoy this book.

Huge thanks to Hannah Bright and Transworld publishers for my copy of this book and for inviting me on the blog tour.

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I haven't read many historical fiction novels in the last few months and I had kind of forgotten why I enjoyed this genre so much. But The Secrets Between Us made me fall in love with it all over again. I love the kind of books that transport you to another place, to another time (one you probably don't know much about) and make you part of it. And this is one of these reads.

One of the storylines is set in the South of France during WWII and although I have read many books set during this time, I didn't know much about the situation in this area, controlled by the Italians. Laura Madeleine painted it as a gorgeous place, a place destined for happy endings, which contrasted with the difficult circumstances and what really happened during those horrific times.

I really enjoyed discovering these mountains and its people, especially the main character Ceci, who was an interesting and complex girl. As the story progressed, we saw her flourish and transform into a brave young woman that surprised me more than once.

The other storyline took place 50 years later and focused on Ceci's granddaughter, Annie. I was really curious to see how both stories would intertwine and I was not disappointed at all. I loved how well-crafted the whole story was. I was surprised to see how much I ended up caring for these characters.

The story unwrapped at the right pace, giving me enough time to take all the little details in and kept me wondering what was going to happen next. All in all, a very complex and mesmerising read.

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I really enjoyed this book. Set during a sad and horrible time in history, we are gifted with a beautiful love story and a happy ending. The story is set in two different time frames, jumping seamlessly between the two, as both women follow their own paths and grow.

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First off, it must be said that this book cover is absolutely glorious and captures the setting of the novel to perfection.

In 1943, eighteen year old Ceci Corvin and her family struggle to survive in occupied France where, even, high up in the hills, in their small village of Saint-Antone, they are not immune to struggle and hardship. Working in the village bakery gives them a unique place to view what's going on but also places them in danger.

Fifty years later, Annie is unsatisfied with both her work and personal life and seems be searching for something which will give her life more meaning. When Annie's mother, on holiday in Australia, contacts Annie and expresses a wish to reunite with her estranged mother, Annie's grandmother, the search is on to find her. For Annie this is something of a journey of self-discovery, as not only does she make contact with her gran-mére, but also discovers a deeply buried family secret, which changes everything she once thought to be true.

What then follows is a beautifully written dual time story which looks at the turbulent latter years of the Second World War and of the discovery, many years later, of a family mystery which has been buried for far too long. The author writes really well and brings time, place and people to life with fine attention to detail. Of the two halves of the dual time narrative, I was perhaps more emotionally involved in the war time story and thought that the description of life in Saint Antoine was particularly well defined. I especially enjoyed reading of the bakery in Saint Antoine, and such were the delicious descriptions of the breads being produced that I could taste the pain aux noix and sip the Acorn roasted café.

The Secrets Between Us is inspired by true events and is a fascinating story of forgotten friendship, lost family, forbidden love and, ultimately, of the healing power of reconciliation.

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Thanks Random House UK, Transworld Publishers and netgalley for this ARC.

The past and present come together beautifully. This book is not all good though, there are brutal moments from the war but love overcomes hate.

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The Secrets Between Us is a beautifully told tale of two different women - one part of the story is told by Celeste, an 18-year-old woman living in a mountainside French village under Italian control in 1943 that sees an influx of Jewish refugees. Celeste becomes friends with a young woman called Myrian and it changes her life. Fifty years later, Celeste’s granddaughter Annie is trying to uncover her grandmother’s past which means unearthing secrets that have stayed buried for a very long time.

This book definitely surprised me with how beautifully told it was and how easily it sucked me into the tale. I had been expecting a completely different kind of love story truth be told so the direction this book went threw me off guard at first but then just made me love the book and story so much more. It tells a tale of a wonderful female friendship as well as a love that burned for over half a century.

I was definitely a lot more connected to Celeste’s story than Annie’s. Annie seemed very dull and boring compared to Celeste because she wasn’t really doing much and her story was really just a tool so we could see what had become of our Celeste. There were some points made to try and flesh out Annie a bit more - like the potential of a relationship with the village doctor, and a job in the library in Nice but it all fell a bit flat for me because I just always wanted to get back to Celeste in 1943.

I have to say I felt for poor Paul. He wasn’t a bad character overall and some of Celeste’s actions were a little bit selfish at times.

I would have liked a bit more at the end if I’m honest. I didn’t like that all we found out about the Reiss’s was told in just one little line, and I felt like there was still a whole story waiting to be told there. I did really like the last line, but I do wonder how it took so long in the end when the book was out there for over 40 years.

But this was a beautiful story and I’m so glad I picked it up.

P.S This book made me want to eat all the bread. ALL the bread!

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Saint-Antoine, occupied by the Italian army in 1943 is suffering the hardships of war. Ceci's parents own the bakery and manage to keep going with alternative ingredients. Comparisons between 5 years ago and now make it clear just how much the bakery has changed. An influx of refugees change so much in this community, not least for Ceci on the edge of becoming a woman.

1993. Annie's mum is away in Australia. Having lost touch with her mother after an argument, a change in life circumstances has her expressing a desire to find her mum to Annie. Acting out of character, Annie makes an impromptu trip to Paris, little knowing what she will find and how it will impact on three generations of women.

Two very different female leads. Ceci, breaking rules and keeping secrets but trying to portray the dutiful daughter whilst Annie lacks confidence (which isn't helped by her bullying colleagues) and doesn't believe in the value of who she is. I enjoyed seeing Annie breaking out of her self imposed boundaries to experience how life can be. Ceci is the character who stole my heart though. Wild and earthy, she unfurls along with the seasons. She pulled me in and made me feel so deeply. I cried when the story ended. And then cried some more ...

I enjoy how Laura Madeleine's writing makes me feel:

I walk back across the tiled floor, feeling as if I've swallowed something far more than champagne, something fitful and shadowy, too big to fit inside my skin.

Pause a moment. Do you feel the sensations too?

The setting and community of Saint-Antoine was very vivid. As you would expect from a Laura Madeleine novel, baking and the fruits of nature are prominent in the story, tantalising the senses. Once 'inside' this story, the outside world just didn't exist for me. Exactly what I look for!

The Secrets Between us is heartbreaking - a love that was never allowed to flourish. And also the plight of refugees whilst there and what happens once the Italians move out. Civilization at its most repressed fighting for survival ... this story shines a light on the darkness and shadows and gives hope. A must read.

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The story is set between two different times, Annie in England in 1993 and Ceci Corvin in 1943 high in the mountains in the South of France.

The chapters flow between Annie and CiCi, each living different lives. Most of CiCi’s story is set in the past when she was a young woman living in Saint-Antoine working in the family bakery. But with the arrival of hundreds of jews and other foreigners being brought to Saint-Antoine her life changes forever.

1994 Annie hasn’t seen or heard off her grandmother for years, an argument between Annie’s mum and her grandmother caused a rift in the family and they have never seen CiCi since that day. Annie’s mum has been unwell and made her realise life can be fragile and short, so she made the decision that she would like to try to find her mother and heal the past. It’s not long until Annie finds her and it is from there the story really picks up.

Annie wants answers about her own past, who her grandfather was, why her Grandmother left such a beautiful place for Paris and London. She knows there are reasons but they have always been a secret only her grandmother knows.

Now that CiCi is an old woman and is not in the best of health herself she is over the moon at being reunited with her granddaughter but she also knows she needs to open old scars and finally share her secrets. She wants to go back to where it all started for her – Saint-Antoine, but not alone. So both women leave Paris and begin a journey that will stay with them forever!

It is so beautifully written that your imagination comes to life, the setting of Saint-Antoine is easy to envisage and you can almost smell the freshly baked bread alongside CiCi.

It is a story about a forbidden love, family, trust, unlikely friendships, heartbreak, the uncertainty of war and of hope!

The closing chapter felt like a sucker punch in the chest from Conor McGregor hahaha, it made my chest constrict and my heart swell, in a good way of course! Beautiful and packed with emotion. The women are crafted flawlessly, so real and easy to like that their emotions flow off the pages and into mine! Even my Ice maiden heart felt its heartstrings being pulled!

I could not have found a more perfect book to end 2017 on!

If you are a fan of Kate Morton then this is a MUST read, you will fall in love with The Secrets between us.

This is the first book you should read in 2018!

Would I recommend this book? Hell Yeah! A million %!

The Secrets between us was published today 1st January 2018 and can be purchased right now from
Amazon UK for the bargain price of 99p ebook! So go grab your copy quick whilst this amazing offer lasts!

Happy reading and Happy New Year
Welcome to 2018

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I think I may have read my top read for 2017 and the book is not released until 1st Jan 2018!

Laura Madeline's writing style is stunningly beautiful in this novel, it almost felt poetic. The words swept me away to two different time frames to the South of France 1943 when a small village, surrounded by mountains, was in the hands of the Italian army. With the uncertainty of war, the new Italian control and now an influx of refugees temporary seeking shelter in the village, life was so different for the locals. Lack of food and now sharing with the army and refugees brought people taking risks with the black market and poaching. People feared the newcomers but young Ceci Corvin was captivated by one particular refugee and a friendship soon blossomed between Ceci and Madame Reiss. 18 year old Ceci and the young Jewish woman would sneak off together and share elicit moment foraging for food, escaping the humdrum of reality and breathing in the crisp mountainous air like cleansing their soul.

After a while the locals and newcomers with the Italian Army were living in a unique harmony but this was not to last. Fear of life took hold and life for many in Saint Antoine, including Ceci, would never be the same again.

Fifty years later Annie was working in England and happened by chance to find a closed file on her Grandmere Ceci. Annie's mother and Ceci had had a falling out years ago and had lost touch. Will this closed file hold a thread of information for Annie to find her long lost Grandmother?

We follow Annie and Ceci on two very different journeys. Journeys of self-discovery, a forbidden love, of growing up in a war torn country. Facing heartbreak, loss, betrayal, conflict. A truly stunning story that will captivate you.

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