A Secret Gift by Amanda James, another NetGalley read. Apparently this is book 1 of Cornish Escapes. The main character is Joy Pentire who lost her husband 3 years ago. Joy at the start works in a care home which is where she meets Hope. Hope has a secret gift which just before she dies she passes the gift on to Joy and as a result of this secret gift Joy is changed forever. Throughout this book I was wondering where this story was going, almost anticipating more from it that it was able to give. I chose this book because I loved the cover and it was set in cornwall. The reviews all seem positive and good, I’d not read anything by this author before and to be honest probably won’t again. I’m very open minded regarding the spiritual side of people beliefs, so I wasn’t put off when the Secret Gift was revealed (don’t want to say what that gift was as no spoilers here), however for me it lacked the believability behind it to make it feel real, if that makes sense. It also felt that there was so much going on in the plot that the secret gift side of things kind of got lost. As the story progressed it seem to concentrate more on the love story part of the book, now finding out that this was just book one, I wonder if that was the authors intention, holding back on the secret gift, making the reader hopefully intrigued and wanting more. Sadly this wasn’t the case for me, in many respects I think there should have been more about the secret gift, I think it would have brought more strength to the story, made it stand out from other authors who write about romance and cornwall. I kind of understand the way it ended now knowing there is a series of books to come, however the ending just felt like it ended far to abruptly. The ending like the rest of the book really sealed the disappointment in this book, it felt rushed and somewhat lacklustre, it didn’t feel like it felt like it had come to its natural end, almost like the author thought she knows she had more books to come, so which was the best way to end this, like a conversation ended mid sentence. To be honest I do think the book had potential, some things were different than I had read before, however again it just didn’t hit the mark and felt like it was trying to be to much all at once. It does tackle some tough subjects grief, loneliness, sexuality, acceptance, depression and homelessness, however by dealing with these subjects they felt rushed and they got lost amongst the weak and struggling story line, had the author perhaps concentrating more on these subjects I feel it would have been a better and more powerful book. I wound be recommending this book to friends and family. Probably the worse book I have read this year.

I received this book for free for an honest review from netgalley #netgalley
Sweet and romantic but with also a very good plot line I really enjoyed this one.

Lovely feel good story that I read in one sitting. Books like this have certainly helped us all throught this pandemic!

This was a brilliant read and is being featured on my blog for my quick star reviews feature, which I have created on my blog so I can catch up with all the books I have read and therefore review.
See www.chellsandbooks.wordpress.com.

A beautiful story of hope, believing in yourself and kindness of others. I’m glad I read this book, but a bit too gushing than the books I generally read.

Thanks to netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Joy Pentire lost her husband 3 years ago at the age of 26, she is very unsettled and felt unable to return to the job she lives as a teaching assistant. She currently works at a nursing home caring for the patients as her family and friends. Hope one of the residents is nearing the end of her life and gives joy a jar of pebbles and the reveals a secret that Joy initially doesn’t believe. Through the pebbles and Hope’s secret Joy’s life changes in ways she never thought it could.

An uplifting read.

A real" feel good "read, showing happiness is available to us all despite the bad times. I really enjoyed reading it.

This book came at just the right time for me. I think almost two years of worries about family health and remembering restrictions imposed by the pandemic had begun to wear away at my faith and positivity. This book reminded me that often there seem to be other forces at work in the world providing co-incidences and meant to be meetings that allow new things to happen.

The heroine Joy is easy to relate to and Amanda James' writing is effortless to read as you are drawn along with the magical story of giving hope to others by trying to help them find a boost of the emotion they need to move them forward. Yes, you have to slightly allow yourself to believe something a bit out of the ordinary, but you won't be disappointed if you let yourself relax into the story and enjoy the ride. And who is to say there isn't more magic in the world than we know?

I love Amanda James' books and this one didn't disappoint.

If you're looking for a book to raise your spirits and give you a warm, glowy feeling - look no further. This book made me smile throughout and was so uplifting.

Joy is not living up to her name. She is melancholy and grieving the loss of her husband Sean, a fireman killed at work. It's been three years but she misses him every minute of every day.

Working as a carer in a residential home, she is gifted some pebbles and a letter by resident Hope. The letter contains instructions that seem too incredible to be true. Joy has been gifted the ability to see auras, and to borrow some of their power. This power is then transferred to a pebble which is then passed on to someone in need.

To Joy's utter disbelief, it works.

And as she spreads joy and happiness, she finds her heart becoming lighter.

And even open to the possibility of loving again.

Wonderful friendships, new beginnings and gorgeous Cornwall make this a book to curl up with on a dark and dreary night and feel its magic weave its spell on you.

I enjoyed this book, although at times I felt it was a bit slow and boring in places.
Joy's life is tinged with sadness after the loss of her husband until she receives the gift of being a 'collector'. She is tasked with collecting and redistributing different emotions and energies.
Gradually through the different people she meets her life starts to slowly turn around until she looks like she is heading for her happy ever after, if she can overcome her guilt.
The story was inspiring in places but dull & dragged-out in others, which meant that I didn't feel the urge to finish it in one go.

A heartwarming story of helping others and because of it, helping yourself to a new life of love and happiness when you could not find your way. Main characters are appropriately named Joy and Hope!

What an uplifting read this was. From the beautiful cover that entices you inside to the lovely persona that is Hope. Apart from a first name, Hope is also the mood of the book. Hope that things will improve for all people in all ways. Hope that each day will get better and hope that love will find you.

I have to confess this book just wasn't for me. The story started off quite nicely, introducing the reader to Joy and Hope...and then we get to the pebbles. That pretty much did it for me - along with all the "feeling" names! Like the character Joy says, "I'm not into that stuff".

I really wanted to enjoy this book but as the time went on I found it left me more frustrated than anything!

I absolutely loved it at the start when Joy was working in the care home and we were introduced to Hope but from then on I was a little peeved!

The gift givers names drove me insane - Hope, Joy, Charity and Grace all a bit twee - questions weren’t answered like why did they get the gift?

The story of Joy and Jowen was lovely on its own but it was a shame that the rest of it was so completely farfetched.

I apologise to the author for this downer of a review - I appreciate the hard work, the blood, sweat and tears that went into writing this story, which I am sure many people will love, but it wasn’t for me.

A lovely magical book that has a real feelgood factor and is totally different to the type of books that I normally read but I really enjoyed it. The concept is different and well written, a nice gentle book that leaves you with a warm feeling

The cover of this book along with the synopsis together grabbed my attention so I took the invitation up to join the tour for 'A Secret Gift'.

I loved Joy! Such a warm character, she is still grieving her husband and has sort of fallen into the job of being a carer in a local care home, although she never planned to be a carer, she is a natural. She is very popular with the residents but Joy has a leaning towards Hope, a woman who doesn't have much time left. Hope knows this and passes on to Joy a gift. One that can change Joy's life and possibly others around her. Joy just needs the courage to use it. As the story unfolds we see Joy learning how to use her gift to help others. She finds she loves helping others who then can pay it forward to help even more people.
A wonderful, heartwarming and such an uplifting read, set in Cornwall which is one of my favourite places. I just loved being able to feel like I was back there, with such a lovely woman as Joy is for company. This is a story packed with love, kindness and hope that will make you want it to be based on a true story.
There is also a dash of romance running through the book. It creates a lovely will they, won't they situation that gives the reader something to keep wondering about right until the end.
I thoroughly loved the tiny bit of magic that seemed to be part and parcel of the story. In fact between the gorgeous Cornish coast, the characters who seemed almost real, the romance and finally a sprinkle of fairy dust. This is such a great read to forget about everything and immerse yourself in. I recommend this for anyone who wants to escape for a while.

What a little gem, really enjoyed this story. Joy, the main character is dealing with her own sadness, but through her job she comes to terms with her sadness by helping one of the residents in the home where she works to fulfil her end of life wishes.

This is an uplifting story about friendship, loss and second chances. Joy works in a care home and is grieving for her husband. When she receives an unexpected gift, her life begins to change. This heartwarming story explores themes of friendship, hope, healing and helping others. The characters are relatable, and there is a touch of magic running through it. The reader is immersed in Joy's world as she realises that her life has a purpose despite her loss.

A lovely story.

I received a copy of this book from One More Chapter via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

A Secret Gift, by Amanda James, is a lovely, mystical story of Hope and Joy. Joy works as a caregiver in a senior living facility in Cornwall. One of her dear patients, a lady named Hope, is nearing the end. Before she does, Hope passes along a special gift to Joy, who she had identified as the perfect person to continue the mission of identifying those in need of positive energy and those with much to share. The jar full of pebbles Hope bequeathed to Joy was simply the vehicle used to transfer this energy from one to another.

Although Joy doesn’t immediately buy in to this “gift”,once she meets and helps a young man down and out she begins to be a believer. As she proceeds, Joy begins by thinking it was just a coincidence when the first transfer works, but eventually understands the gift she has received and the power it has to transform lives.

This is such a delightful story. One part mysticism, one part humanity, and all a wonderfully delightful story of hope and joy! I very much enjoyed this book and I definitely recommend it!

I must admit when I started reading this book I didn't think I would enjoy it as not my usual sort of thing. I persevered though and couldn't put it down after a few chapters. Well done Amanda for a brilliant read, hope to read more of your books in the future.
Joy is a carer at a local residential home in Newquay. One of the residents is Hope, 94, who hasn't been well over the last couple of weeks. As Hope nears the end, she tells Joy a secret so that Joy can continue helping the people who need it most. A lovely heartwarming read for a cold autumn or winter day.