In a tiny little town in Oregon is the Lighthouse Inn. Single-parent Wendy won a contest to fix the place up and turn it into an inn when her daughters were just young. Decades later, they are all still there with their various roles running the inn. Rachel is in her late thirties and preparing to say goodbye to her husband Jacob, who has been sick for years after getting meningitis and then cancer. They’ve been married and in love since Rachel was 18 and they have a daughter Emma, who is getting ready to graduate high school and go away to college.

Emma dreams of attending college across the country at her dream school to major in Marine Biology. But between her father dying and finally meeting her crush, Luke, she’s torn between leaving for Boston or attending a school closer to home.

Rachel’s younger sister, Anna, is also in her thirties and is married to a pastor named Thomas. What seems to be an idyllic marriage from an outsider’s perspective, is actually a sad and impersonal relationship that pushes Anna to a shocking and life-changing decision that affects everyone around her.

There is so much to unpack in this novel, but every single page, every single word – is absolutely incredible. So yes, early on, Rachel’s husband dies and she is learning to navigate life as a widow while trying to maintain a sense of control over her soon-to-be eighteen-year-old daughter. But not only is Emma starting to push every button imaginable Rachel is also wrestling with the decisions Anna has made and is slowly and stubbornly trying to understand the reasons behind her decisions. On top of that, there is her growing friendship with Adam, the owner of the diner in town. Their friendship has always been casual yet comfortable. But when she starts wondering about Adam differently, she faces the dilemma of what is the appropriate time to wait to start dating after losing a spouse?

The plot of the novel not only centers around mistakes and hardships but is about the reassembling of a family. Yates slowly but effectively breaks down the issues that each of the four women are dealing with and beautifully weaves them together demonstrating that no matter your age, we all fight the same battles at some point in our lives. Each of their issues was relatable, relevant, and will strike a chord with the readers. It’s beautiful watching this originally disjointed family come together in the face of their losses, their lies, their mistakes, and finally, their truths.

My only criticism at all about this book is the description of the characters. The entire novel is beautifully written and everything flows like a well-oiled machine. However, I realized at some point in the novel, that except for some red hair in the family, I had absolutely no idea what any of the characters looked like except for Adam. This didn’t change how much I loved the book, but it did occur to me that I couldn’t really “see” the characters.

Having said that, this is still one of my top reads this year. I can easily see this being adapted for the screen because of the variety of characters, the beautiful setting, and the myriad of personal stories that all came together in the end. This book isn’t about marriage, but about love as a whole whether it’s the love for a family member, brand-new, young love, or the love of a place and a dream. Bravo to Maisey Yates for this unique and moving novel. I laughed, I cried, and I was so sad when I realized I had reached the end of the road with these characters.

*Thanks to HQN and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Secrets from a Happy Marriage is a charming great. Four women grapple with tangled emotions amd complicated relationships with each other and with men. Rachel Justin lost her husband but has feeling ps for Adam. Anna is in a dead end marriage and does something drastic. Emma dreams of college in Boston, but has a developing relationship,with Luke. Wendy is attracted to a man who makes her feel alive, but her past has secrets. It's an enveloping read about characters who emote reality. I couldn't put this one down.

Thank you to Maisey Yates, Harlequin Romance and NetGalley for this ARC.

This is my first time reading a book by Maisey Yates, and I was not disappointed. The family dynamic between Wendy, Rachel, Anna and Emma was great. I absolutely love the lighthouses in Oregon (Yaquina Bay in Newport, OR being my favorite), so I was excited to read about the Lighthouse Inn B&B. Maisey Yates weaves a wonderfully written family story and intersects it with the beauty that is Oregon fantastically. I loved how she had snippets of letters written by previous occupants of the lighthouse at the beginning of every chapter.

The ending was really nice, and sets up a possible sequel. I will definitely be reading more by this author!

Secrets from a Happy Marriage is an emotional rollercoaster of a romance where betrayals, truths, and openness is only the start of what is important. Maisey Yates knows how to tug on every heartstring a reader has and I cannot wait to read more from her.

I think this is the second book I read by this author and I enjoyed it. I love the family aspects of this book and the fact they were pull through after the secrets. I got this as an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review. I look forward to reading more by the author.

Secrets From a Happy Marriage, has a lot of secrets, betrayal and dishonesty. Also a lot of love and growth.
I enjoyed reading, Secrets From a Happy Marriage, very much.