OMG, what a wonderful book. At first it was disconcerting to go from the 1930;s to the 1970s every other chapter but the story is amazing with a lot of history of the war years. To make it better a couple years ago I went to Scotland and to the Orkney Isles so learned a lot of the history then. Add a wonderful life story both sad and happy that brought tears to my eyes and this is a book everyone can love.

`When I'm lonely , Cridhe gaolach
Black the Nights,or wild the sea
By love's light my foot finds
The old pathway to thee
From `The Eriskey Love Lilt' a traditional Scottish Song .
This beautiful verse is deep within the Heart of this story which winds it's way between the present day & the days of the second World War when Loch Ewe was used by the Royal Navy, & Merchant Navy as a haven between their missions to support the various Arctic Convoys .When Lexie leaves London & her Singing Career behind & travels North to the Home she grew up in Keeper's Cottage along with her baby daughter Daisy, to find herself again & learn the secrets of her past surrounding her parents Flora & Alec .
It is a beautifully constructed Love story& also teaches you about some of our countries forgotten History ..This is a wonderful Book to read. <img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/11bc11d0026952991f96874534f30a6fb6dbed74" width="80" height="80" alt="25 Book Reviews" title="25 Book Reviews"/>, <img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/ef856e6ce35e6d2d729539aa1808a5fb4326a415" width="80" height="80" alt="Reviews Published" title="Reviews Published"/>, <img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/aa60c7e77cc330186f26ea1f647542df8af8326a" width="80" height="80" alt="Professional Reader" title="Professional Reader"/> , #NetGalley #GoodReads#Instagram#FB#BetweentheCovers#Amazon.co.uk

The Skylark’s Secret is set in the Scottish Highlands. I struggled with terms and words used by the people of Scotland at the beginning of the book, but looked up words I didn’t understand, and became accustomed to the language they used as I kept reading. The switch between two storylines, one in the 1940’s and the other in the 1970’s, made me have to stop and switch gears in my mind as to what had previously taken place in that particular storyline. Another aspect I didn’t care for was that there was too much detail about the war in the 1940’s part of the story. I realize the war was an important part of the story, but I would have enjoyed the book more if less war detail was given.
The sense of a caring community in both time periods was very well done. I thoroughly enjoyed the character development. Both stories highlighted the sacrifices mothers make for their children and how important a good support community is in raising children. The author wove the two stories, of mothers and their daughters, together in a unique way with a couple of twists that were pleasantly surprising.
Thank you to NetGalley for giving me a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A very pleasant story of love during the war years and it’s legacy. Told over 2 eras - war years Flora and 1960-70 her daughter Lexie. I found descriptions of the war in Scotland fascinating and that I was unaware of. Well written and absorbing.

Thanks to Amazon Publishing UK & NetGalley for a digital advance reader's copy of this book. All comments and opinions are my own.

I enjoyed this compassionate dual timeline novel of mothers and daughters, friends and family, based in a charming Scottish village. Flora's story takes place as a young woman during WWII and alternates with her daughter Lexie's tale in the late 1970s when she returns to the village where she grew up. Throughout the novel Lexie, who is also a single mom like Flora, slowly learns details of her mother's experiences during the war and how that had shaped her life. At the same time, Lexie begins to appreciate the friends who care about her and her little daughter as she starts to establish herself by focusing on the traditional Scottish music that is part of her heritage.

This is a well-researched WWII story that portrayed a country's lesser known war experiences. I appreciated how the author vividly described the strength and capability of Flora and the village's young women during the war years. And how that strength and independence continued in Lexie's life. I enjoyed this exceptional historical novel from the engaging beginning to satisfying conclusion.

Thanks to Netgalley for the early review copy.

Great descriptions of the Scottish countryside, lovely characters and a good flowing story, one of those books you won't forget for a long time.
Really enjoyed reading it and would recommend you do too.

Enjoyable book that brings the Scottish countryside and people alive. It is made all the more poignant that this area was actually used as a naval base in World War 2 and must have really shook up the sleepy villages of Loch Ewe. This is the story of Lexie and how it intertwines with her mother Fiona's story to show how life in the area was the same but different for the two women. It brings to life the emotions of the families and people caught up in the War and was a very engaging read.

I really enjoyed this book. The story, set in Scotland, is told in alternating chapters between mother and daughter. It's an interesting story telling the Scots naval participation in WWII and the lives of some of the people living in this small town. The author has woven it all together so at the end it is tied up in a neat little package of how everyone is connected. Well written and easy to follow.

Wow, this novel was amazing. I was so taken aback by how beautifully it was written and how the characters really came alive on the page. Top notch read and I will recommend this to all of my friends!

I loved this book. It is a WW2 story but with a difference. It tells the story of Flora, who lives in Keepers Cottage on a large estate on Loch Ewe in Scotland. She becomes a WREN, along with her best friend Bridie, as the Loch is utilised as a base for the Atlantic Convoys. She meets her love Alec, who is an officer with the Royal Navy. Their love story is told against the backdrop of the uncertainty, fear, loss and confusion of war time. My heart ached for them.
The dual timeline with Flora’s daughter Lexie, and her toddler Daisy, is set in the 1970s, when Lexie returns to her childhood home from London, after the recent death of her mother.
There is some stunning imagery and beautiful descriptions of the land surrounding Loch Ewe.
The dual timelines dovetail perfectly, and are equally interesting - not always the case with this style of writing. The narrative is very evocative of both the 40s and the 70s, with convincing descriptions of behaviours that were the way life was in both timelines.
The characterisation is so strong, of both the main players and more minor characters, I felt I knew them all, just superb writing.
The description of the Arctic convoys, whose purpose was to protect and keep open the supply lines to Russia, and merchant shipping, was fascinating and heartbreaking in equal measure. This is a lesser-known part of the history of WW2, The hardship and privations of seamen, both merchant and Naval, was an insight into what these men suffered. So very many lives were lost on these convoys.
This is a completely immersive story, and I could not put the book down.
The gradual absorption of Lexie and Daisy into the very close knit community is beautifully told. What Lexie initially takes to be nosiness and interference in her life by some of her mother’s erstwhile friends, she gradually comes to realise that it is simply caring, friendship and basic humanity.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my advance copy of this title. I will look for more of this author’s work. I highly recommend this.

I received a free ebook of <i>The Skylark's Secret</i> from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

Mother Flora and daughter Lexie share their lives and loves separated by 35÷ years. Each must make their way through difficult circumstances with the future very uncertain..

For Flora, the horrors of WWII in her seaside Scottish village alter every aspect of life. She may be poor but her family is lovely and loyal to each other. Flora loves the local lord's son and he loves her but will the war break the barriers that separate them?

Lexie, a rising musical theater star in London, returns to her Scottish home when her career takes a downward turn. A single mother, Lexie must come to terms with her mother's death while struggling with self-doubt and questioning her past.

The best parts of this novel are the excerpts of Scottish ballads that have been passed down through generations. It's easy to imagine their plaintive sounds echoing through the hills.
#NetGalley #TheSkylarksSecret

I absolutely loved this book. It was a compelling read, as I wanted to know about the family history and the links between the characters . I had no problem with following the storyline as alternate chapters covered different times as they were so well interwoven.
I hadbeen unfamiliar with the Scottish links with the Artic convoys during WW2. Although fiction I'm confident that it is a fairly accurate reflection of the local community at this difficult time.
I can't wait for Fiona Valpy's next book.

Another story of family and secrets, and I loved it. It is beautifully written and rich with historical detail.
Many thanks to Amazon Publishing UK and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

It was a very sweet story, but too predictable for me to thoroughly enjoy it. While there were a few twists/ turns all of the characters were nice but lacked depth.

There are some books that you can't say a ton about in a review, because it all involves spoilers. This is one of those books. It isn't to say that the details are worth skipping, because they are not. This is quite a good book about homecoming and relationships and how family members interact with one another and the world around them.

We have a protagonistic duo in this book - both daughter (to open the book) and mother (as we travel between time periods) are involved in making the story that is shaped by their experiences both in the small Scottish town in which they live but also by the larger world outside that town.

If you enjoy literary fiction with familial conflict and the secrets small towns can hold, you'll very probably like this book, even if you have never set a toe on Scottish soil.

Four out of five stars.

Thanks to Amazon UK and NetGalley for the review copy.

"This a place where lives begin and lives ended. A place where the only witnesses were the skylarks and the deer".

My heart needs to rest. The emotional roller coaster it has been on while reading The Skylark's Secret by Fiona Valpy has exhausted it for sure.

This book is exactly what I want from historical fiction. I learned facts I never knew. For example the people of Scotland helped protect ships bringing supplies to the allies fighting Germany. Many lost their lives to protect the ones fighting to save lives.

I was brought to another time when a lowly employee like Flora was ridiculed for falling in love with the Laird's son (her boss's son). I was emotionally drained when war tore Flora and Alec apart over and over again.

I had an intense cathartic reaction when Flora's daughter Lexie returns to the Scottish cottage where she was born to learn the truth about her parents, their contentious relationship and their remarkable sacrifices for her future.

This author flawlessly took me through two time lines and each time I did not want to leave the present for the past or the past for the present. The writing reminded of the flowing prose in classics like Pride and Prejudice and Little Women. I was in another time and place but it often felt like home.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

The Skylark's Secret by Fiona Valpy is a captivating historical fiction novel. It's dual time line is set in Loch Ewe Scotland during WWII 1940s and in the late 1970s. This is a story about secrets and family, alternating between the mother Flora and her daughter Lexie. This book pulls you in making it hard to put down. If you enjoy historical and WWII books I recommend this one. Thank you NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A lovely, remote setting, an historical theme and likeable characters make for a great book. I really enjoyed the stories of Lexie and her mother, Flora, and their lives in the Highland village of Aultbea flitting between the 1940's and 1970's. Lots of themes are cleverly wrapped up in this story, particularly the importance of a community, but also friendship, single parenting and hope. I also learned much about the Royals Navy's arctic convoys - a part of history I was unaware of. Thank you to Fiona Valpy, Net Galley and Lake Union Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book and can’t wait to read more of Fiona Valpy. I devoured this book because I loved the characters and the setting, and just wanted to spend time inside of this world. It felt cozy and comfortable and I just wanted to be friends with the folks in this book. I would highly recommend The Skylarks Secret

I liked this book. I loved the way the present and past collided. Lexie must make her way back to the Loch that her mother called home. As she tries to make a future for her and her daughter, she uncovers her mother's past. Coming to terms with her past brings Lexie the future that she always wanted. A good very well written book.