“A Secret at Tansy Falls” by Cate Woods is the second book in a trilogy of books taking place in Tansy Falls, Vermont. Although this book is a sequel, it is a standalone book; I believe there are references to characters in the first book, but there isn’t a storyline dependent upon the first book.

In this book, the main character is Connie (Conifer) Austen, who is the manager at an inn and wife to Nate, who was laid off from his travel writing job. Additionally, she has a child, currently at college. In order to make ends meet, Connie and Nate agree to take in a lodger, James. We meet a number of town residents - Connie’s best friend Lana, some of Connie’s inn co-workers, and Connie’s amusing neighbor, Frank.

Good points - this book held my interest and it was a fast read. The town, Tansy Falls, reads like a wonderful small New England town and Ms. Woods captures the small-town feeling along with capturing outdoor life. I greatly enjoyed Frank and his animal collection. I found the town to be a bit eclectic - a quaint inn, a quirky general store, an art gallery, and the coming soon upscale lodge. I also liked that the majority of the characters were adults.

However, sadly, I just couldn’t find any connection to Connie. Some of her choices and emotional angst annoyed me. The situation with her son seemed tossed in for yet another thing for Connie to deal with opposed to expanding Connie’s character. There was also a lot of non-communication in this book and it wasn’t until near the end that *finally* communication begins.

Overall, the series is probably a good one - in fact I would like to read the first book to read more about this lovely sounding town. But this book - following Connie - didn’t work for me. Depending upon the summary of the third book, I may decide to read that book. I cannot fault the writing - it was pretty solid.

The characters are skillfully drawn and remain quite memorable long after the unexpected conclusion.
Brilliantly written, that kept me hooked from the first page.

In this the second book in the Tansy Falls series we find ourselves back in this warm and welcoming town. This book unlike the first book in the series, The Inn at Tansy Falls which focuses on many of the friendly towns folks there we are mainly focusing on one couple in particular here Connie and Nate. They are so fortunate to live in scenic Vermont in Tansy Falls, the mountainous views are majestic but even that can't keep Connie's spirits up. The couple has been married for twenty years and they used to laugh and do everything together. After Nate is let go at his job they barely have anything to say to each other and their time together is spent in strained silence.
When her husband forgets her birthday and she sees signs of things going down hill in her marriage she wonders, has the sunshine left her life or is there a lot more here than meets the eye?
Heartbreaking and realistic, makes you stop and think.
Recommended!

Publication date 20 Jan 2022.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.