I adore Sarah Morgan and have read so many of her romance novels. I was interested to see how her women's fiction books would be, so I eagerly dove into this one. Her writing is still just as lovely and her characters are great. However, I apparently wanted this to be romance. I'm learning that romance is essential for me to really love a book. The romance is still here, but the focus is more on the familial relationships. And that's the entire point, so I can't fault the book for that! The relationships are complicated and detailed. There's a lot of information and it's all very interesting. Lots of secrets. Sarah Morgan did a great job separating all the characters and their roles in this book. I was a little worried I'd be confused by all the characters, but they were all developed and unique enough that I kept everyone straight. The setting was amazing! I loved all the details and the descriptions. This really is a great story if you can separate the Sarah Morgan who writes romance from the Sarah Morgan who focuses more on family bonds. I'm not sure I'm in a women's fiction place in life, but I did really enjoy this story for what it was and will wholeheartedly recommend it to people looking for a story like this.

HOW TO KEEP A SECRET takes us from London to Martha’s Vineyard in the United States, where Lauren grew up, and her family and first love still live. There are many secrets in the book and several bombshells revealed as a result. I liked the way applicable words and their definitions from Jenna, Lauren’s sister, were added throughout the story or at the beginning of a chapter.

When Lauren and her daughter Mack have their lives upended due to the death of Lauren’s husband (Mack’s father) things just keep getting worse. Sullen teen Mack reveals a secret during Ed’s funeral, and things take off from there.

When Lauren and Mack travel to Martha’s Vineyard to regroup and start their lives over, Lauren doesn’t have much hope since she and her mother have never really gotten along. They never discuss anything personal or of substance. Lauren and Mack’s relationship has deteriorated as well, which adds another layer of angst. When Lauren finds Scott still lives there after they split sixteen years before, she doesn’t know what to think.

There are many plots within the story that tie nicely together. The descriptions of the land and the homes were breathtaking and made me feel like I was there. As the story flows, we get to know the characters and watch their relationships grow. They heal as they each start to find the support they need and even learn more about each other. I was caught up in the book from the beginning to the end. Though the story resolves well enough, there are still some loose ends. There’s the possibility of many happily-ever-afters to come!

Ms. Morgan is a new-to-me author, and I look forward to reading more of her books since I loved her development of the characters. Next up for me will be THE CHRISTMAS SISTERS, which I look forward to reading.

received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. This was a great book to take to the beach for some light summer reading. We did purchase a copy for the branch.

5 Stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

***mini review ***

This was my very first Sarah Morgan book and since reading this I have read three others and she is now a auto read for me!(yes I am a little behind on some of my reviews, but trying to rectify this.) as I was going over my notes on this book I really wanted to drop everything and re-read it and I am not a re-reader. I love books about family dynamics especially about the mother daughter relationship. In this book we had three generations of strong compassionate women. I love how we got each characters perspective, really gave you a complete picture of these ladies lives. Each of these characters were so well developed I felt as though I really knew them.

The book deals with some emotional subject matter parenting, marriage, infertility, and more. Everything in the story is handled with compassion and heart. There is also a generous dose of romance in this book as well as a liberal sprinkling of humor. I truly wish I had written this review immediately after I read this book because I know this is not doing the story justice at all. Just know that after reading this I will read everything that Miss Morgan writes!

*** thank you harlequin for my copy of this book ***

Excellent women's fiction! It's about so much more than family dynamics though. It deals with marriage, parenting, infertility, grief, secrets, forgiveness, starting over, and second chances. I enjoyed this book, but I prefer contemporary romance more.

I found myself smiling at the end of this story, but my feeling were all over the place while reading it.

Three women -- Nancy, the mother; Lauren, the oldest daugheter; Jenna, the youngest. Lauren is living in London with her husband Ed and daughter Mack. Their seemingly normal life goes into a tailspin when Ed dies suddenly and leaves Lauren to deal with the bombshell that they are penniless. Jenna and her husband Greg are seemingly happily married and living on Martha's Vineyard, their only problem is that they can't seem to get pregnant. Nancy has been widowed for a few years and has been berating herself for not being a good mother.

Secrets come out -- who Mack's father really is; how Ed had squandered their savings; how Nancy's husband had affairs; how the daughters knew but never told. The family dynamics are very interesting, the angst is real, and the ending and resolutions are just perfect.

I always enjoy the Martha's Vineyard setting for a good romantic beach read. Lauren, Mack and Jenna find themselves together after a series of misfortunes and navigating how to be a family once again. Morgan writes really good characters that are easy to care about.

This is my favorite genre. Multi-generational family women getting together to work out differences. Nancy did her best to raise her two daughters, Lauren and Jenna while her husband spent their money and had numerous affairs in their Martha's Vineyard community. Jenna married her high school sweetheart and is a teacher still on the island. Lauren married and moved to England and has a 16 year old daughter, Mack. When Lauren's husband dies, deep in debt, she and Mack move home to live with mom. Jenna is happy her sister is coming home but her marriage is shaky . All 4 of these ladies have secrets and as each work on helping the others they must deal with their own problems. Loved this book although at times I wanted to smack Mack over the head but she is just a typical 16 year old. Wonderful family story, ended way too soon. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

What a pleasant book! I'm a fan of Sarah Morgan's Manhattan books and this was even better! I could relate to all three women in various ways, and there's certainly room for a sequel - I'd love to hear more about their lives as they move forward.

I enjoyed How To Keep A Secret by Sarah Morgan. The story still has the author’s trademark sense of humor even though this is a women’s fiction novel, which was fun to have to balance the serious nature of the struggles the characters were facing. The relationship between sisters Lauren and Jenna was genuine, and events that occurred were unexpected and I was happy with how they worked to resolve their issues.
This story sends a message on the importance of being honest and open with our loved ones.
I received an advance reader copy for my honest opinion from the publisher through NetGalley.

Three generations of women are going through such different life experiences going on now and have their own secrets that they are keeping. Lauren is known for keeping things in order but there are things going on that shes keeping herself on top of that her daughter seems to be changing and not sure how to deal with it. Jenna Lauren's sister greatest wish is to be a mother but it just doesn't seem to be in the cards where its putting a strain on her relationship. Then Nancy the mother to both Jenny and Lauren has her own set of secrets and now that her daughters are in Martha's Vineyard secrets will slowly get exposed leaving the ladies to face what they've been hiding and learn to open up.

Not sure why it took so long for me to check out this book. I knew it sounded perfect for me but while checking my tbr list I did a coin flip and this book was next so I decided to finally pick it up. I loved getting to know this family past and present. I liked that there was a few point of views between all the women and the daughter and thought that would cause problems for me because I do find it hard to separate between characters. What really helped me was that there was the description in the back with the main thing about each of them. I loved getting to know more about each character seeing their struggles and seeing how they were facing and dealing with secrets as they were exposed. I loved seeing the family coming together to support one another it was just such a nice book I really enjoyed it.

“How to Keep a Secret” by Sarah Morgan

A heartwarming story about the Stewart family sisters, their bond as youngsters and as adults. It follows them through their life journeys and their ups and downs.

From London to Nantucket, the sisters continue their sisterly support and bond; except there are a few things they have been keeping from the other. Things they will both come to learn about the other and have them questioning why they never confided these things with their most trusted person, their sister. Goodness knows they have so many secrets between them there is so very little that should surprise the other.

Along the way, more secrets/situations are revealed, relationships tested, others rebuilt, and stronger bonds are created.

A delightful story filled with trials and tribulations; the love of family; growth from crisis and truth; the scars some secrets create; and the bonds we create with family, friends, and significant others.

Rating: 4.45
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

** I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this novel. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Fantastic read! This titled seemed a little different than her previous titles but in a good way! I loved the focus on more women's fiction than romance but still with a little romance thrown in. The story focuses on two sisters, their mother, and one of the sisters' children. They all seem to have kept secrets from their loved ones and everything kind of explodes at once. Really wonderful story, I couldn't stop reading it! More please!

Sisters Lauren and Jenna have been thick as thieves since their childhood when their mother was always painting and traveling — and their dad was more pal than caregiver.

Decades later, Jenna and Lauren still have each other’s backs as they (and next generation Mack) spend a summer together on Martha’s Vineyard — while mom Nancy tries to sell the childhood home.

I loved the secrets in this book! They weren’t too angsty or twisty… they were barely predictable – just enough to make the book easy and believable. And when they unraveled, I saw exactly why they were such long-held secrets. And I could understand why Mack wanted the truth from everyone from there on out!

Though I enjoyed all the characters – and Morgan developed them all well – I think Mack was a brilliant addition to the cast. As a teenager in a cast largely of adults, she often was by herself or feeling on the periphery of the action. But that was actually a stroke of genius – Mack was the observer of all that was happening, and clued me (the reader) into the truth.

Besides Mack, I adored Lauren’s boat-builder ex boyfriend. He handled teenager drama like a champ, was the perfect gentleman helping Nancy in her time of need, and was honest as they come.

Way to go, Sarah Morgan. How to Keep a Secret is one of my 2018 favorites!

https://randombookmuses.com/2018/08/03/review-how-to-keep-a-secret-by-sarah-morgan/

Family dynamics steal the show in the latest from Sarah Morgan! I was drawn in immediately into the life of Lauren, then when things happen for her, it leads her back home to the US and we meet her sister and mother and start to unravel what makes each character tick and what secrets from the past will mean for the future of this family. They're faced with challenges of keeping secrets, of accepting people's mistakes and most of all of learning to forgive and still love each other. Really great story!

When Lauren Hudson's world crumbles around her, it sends her and her daughter Mack back home to Martha's Vineyards for the summer. She will have to pick up the pieces from the fallout of the secrets she's kept for all of these years, and try to move forward with a new life.

Her sister Jenna Sullivan is there to support her every step of the way, but she has her own issues distracting her as well. She wants a baby more than anything, but it's not happening, and her husband Greg just doesn't seem all that upset about it. It weighs on her mind each and every day, so how can he be so casual about it?

Her mother Nancy is just as standoffish and judgemental as always, but as they sort through a lifetime of memories over the summer, secrets come to light that explain just why she has always been the way she's been. Truths are uncovered, new lives are started and above all, love is showered all around!

“Emotional, riveting and uplifting. If you’ve got a sister, you’ve got to read this book!”—Susan Mallery, #1 New York Times bestselling author. I am a fan of Ms. Morgan's brand of sweet, charming, emotional romance plus the endorsement from another go to author and the fact that I have two sisters of my own made this story irresistible. Then for some reason I got stuck on Chapter 1. I just couldn't move beyond it...…………

Families are messy full of emotion and drama and this story is definitely all that. Three generation of women winter together on Martha's Vineyard as they figure out how to connect again. Once I got past the chapter 1 roadblock I finally managed to get the rest of the story read in no time at all.
Lauren is the perfect sister with a wealthy husband and a teenage daughter living the perfect fairy tale romance in London until the day her bubble burst. With the sudden death of her husband she's left penniless with her young daughter Mackenzie. Her relationship with her mother has never been ideal but she has no choice but to come back to her childhood home with her daughter.
Mackenzie is going through her own angst from finding out that she was never Ed's daughter and instead of delivering a eulogy to the person who's been her father in all but blood she blurts out that she has no relationship to him. Embarrassed, she can't figure out how to reconnect with her mother, plus being a teenager in a new school is not easy at all.
Jenna is married to her childhood sweetheart and they love each other today with the same fervor as they did when they were eight years old. Yet for all the love and perfection she's desperate to have a child and it's just not happening. Can love and marriage survive the punishment and despair of finding out month after month that she's not pregnant.
Then there's Nancy. She's never connected with her daughters and when all the secrets come pouring out its like each one wanted to spare the other pain and yet in all the sparing they lost sight of their connection as a family. I like how all the characters have their own journey and their own stories but yet they interweave together to keep things interesting.

Great contemporary summer read! While light and fun, the characters were still complex and Sarah Morgan developed them so well.

Sarah weaves a great story involving three generations of people and tells of love and laughter and tears. Thank you NetGalley

Secrets have a way to come out. Sooner or later. Secret also have this quality to get in the way of really knowing somebody. But a shared secret can also make a bond stronger. You can find secrets in each of those capacities in Sarah Morgan's new story.

We meet three generations of women:

Nancy - mother of Lauren and Jenna
Lauren and Jenna - the sisters
Mack - Lauren's daughter
I wish I could have given this story five stars. The one thing that just kept me from doing it is the way it was written. We get four different point of views and time gaps in between each chapter and that is one hell of a trick to pull off. I wish the author would have stuck with one or two characters for this story and told the others' stories through their eyes. It felt a little too fragmented and took away from the depth it could have had.

It was never too late to move forward.

The characters we meet are:

Lauren, who fell into a hole when her husband died and left her with a mountain of debt. I liked her well enough and felt sorry for the things that were happening to her. While there was a lot of yearning and pining for the hero described, I didn't feel she really wanted to be with him. There were weeks without interaction.
Jenna, who wanted to get pregnant so badly, it bordered on obsession. She invested a ridiculous amount of time to observe her cycle, take pregnancy tests and be miserable when she found out that it hadn't taken.
Nancy, who never really built a relationship with her daughters. Out of the women I loved her the most because there was some real growth there.
Mack, who I thought was the least likable because of the teenage angst and passive aggressive and melodramatic attitude. Somebody should have taped her mouth shut. Verbal diarrhea isn't pretty. Also, her point of view was the most unnecessary.
Add a broody, quiet ex-lover to the mix, who so obviously still loved Lauren and who didn't get nearly enough page time and this could have easily been a new favorite. Scott was everything.
Greg, Jenna's husband, who deserved so much more than Jenna's obsession to become pregnant. He was a sweet, level-headed man whose feelings were treated so negligently.
“You think I sailed into the sunset and forgot about you? It didn’t matter where I was, you were still there with me along with the knowledge that I screwed up the most important decision of my life.”

While I found most of them likable some of them seemed ridiculously focused on their misery.

I would classify this story more women's fiction than romance because that was handled more like a subplot. The main theme is how each of those people handle secrets, how they separate and unite, how they hurt but also heal when you get them out in the open.

I loved Ms. Morgan's description of the island life. I felt right at home and could picture the coastal scenery vividly.  I adored the bond between the sisters, their mother Nancy was refreshing with her no-nonsense attitude and the truths she spoke.

The story itself is, while a little predictable, still heartwarming and lovely with its small town charm, the message poignant and meaningful, so it kills me to not be able to give this a 5-star rating. As a first time reader of Sarah Morgan I'm still impressed with her beautiful words though,. I'm looking forward to discovering more books by this author!

Sweet, moving, and undeniably affecting!

How to Keep a Secret is a beautifully written, absorbing story that delves into the emotional ties and complex bonds between mothers, daughters and sisters and immerses you in a tale about accepting the things you can't change, letting go of the past, taking chances, and moving on.

The prose is eloquent and well turned. The characters are genuine, sophisticated, and scarred. And the story is an exceptionally touching tale about life, loss, love, grief, adultery, forgiveness, familial drama, friendship, infertility, teenage angst, community, courage, happiness, and second-chance romance.

How to Keep a Secret is the perfect mix of heart, hope, grit, and humour. It's heart wrenching, funny, encouraging, and without a doubt Morgan at her best.