Cover Image: We All Have Our Secrets

We All Have Our Secrets

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Member Reviews

This is the first book I read from this author and I’ve enjoyed it. Although it’s more a suspense family drama than a crime thriller. It’s a well crafted story and very compelling . The fact that the characters had secrets that came tumbling out as the story unfolds, made them very interesting. The only problem for me was that I expected it to be a fast paced thriller, and it turned out to be a slow burn and not a page turner.

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An engaging read told from Francoise and Emily POV, two half sisters living together taking care of their elderly father. Emily has just learned about Francoise and the pair do not see eye to eye. As their father nears the end of his life and the pair take it in turn to sit with him , can either of them trust the other to take care of him All the main characters are hiding something . The twists in this book will leave you wanting to finish it in one or two sessions. I found myself switching sides numerous times a good solid read.

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This book really pulls you in from the beginning. I switched so many times between being on Emily’s side or Francoise’s.
The secrets and lies unravel at just the right pace to keep you engaged but keep the suspense running.
I felt like the epilogues at the end went on a little too long, but other than that this was a great read and I’d highly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley for my review copy

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A really easy to read, light hearted mystery.

Jane Corey has such a talent for character development. Each of her characters she has created for this book feel utterly real and totally relatable. And the way in which she has chosen to write this novel really lends itself to the power play between these two strong females.

Told from Emily and Francoise’s point of view you are given a real insight to their individual thoughts, feelings and history. Allowing the reader to both empathise and judge their character. All the characters are liars and all have secrets that they are struggling to hide from everyone, even themselves.

The parts I enjoyed most in this book were the moments between Emily and Francoise. Their struggles to out-bid one another and gain Harold’s affections were, for me the most engaging part of the book. Trying to figure out what Emily has done and just what it is Francoise wants or thinks she is going to achieve is about as twisty as this book gets.

Whilst I enjoyed the first two thirds of the book. I was disappointed that there wasn’t any huge reveal or shocking truth. The latter part of the book fell totally flat and just drifted. To make matters worse the ‘ending’ seemed to never end… and THEN there’s an epilogue! Why? I thought I’d just read that bit and then I’m presented with more waffle.

It felt like Jane Corey lost her way with this book. The writing style is undoubtedly brilliant and very engaging. But the story lacked fluctuations and twists. Added to that it didn’t really have any ending. Even the ending was trying to add new things. I like the sentiment at the end about beginnings and endings, and infact there’s lots of lovely little anecdotes throughout - but sadly this book didn’t stand up to the others she had written.

Thank you to NetGalley for my advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

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I read this over two days as was so intrigued, I just had to get to the bottom of the story, I was completely confused over which character to trust right to the end. I loved the Cornwall setting. I will definitely be reading more Jane Corry books.

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I'm a big fan of Jane Corry so was thrilled to see this in my NetGalley inbox.
We All Have Our Secrets has likeable characters and an easy plot - a book you can read in one sitting.
4 stars.

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I've loved all of Jane Corry's novels and this one doesn't disappoint! It's set in Cornwall which I loved as it is fully evoked by the writer, and also has part of the story taking place in France. There are two main female characters, Emily and Françoise and throughout the novel my opinions about them changed as I couldn't work out who to trust - the sign of a great thriller! Highly recommended.

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I have read all this authors previous books and loved them. This book was not the fast paced thriller that I had expected. It was slow and at times I found that it did not hold my attention.

Many thanks to netgalley and Jane Corey for the advanced copy of this book. I agreed to give my unbiased opinion voluntarily.

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I enjoyed this suspense-filled family drama. You might start off thinking it's going to be a crime-laden thriller, but it's more subtle than that (which may not be for everyone).

Emily is a midwife who, after a terrible mistake a work, runs back home to her 93-year-old father's house in Devon. She's shocked to find he's being cared for by a young French woman, Francoise, who is obviously not pleased at Emily's sudden arrival. Everyone has secrets to hide, including her father. But who will kill for them?

It's a story about family and secrets, misunderstandings, and even forgiveness. While we start off with Emily's POV, the story changes later to allow us to see Francoise and even her father's point of view too. It could get confusing here, but I enjoyed the different perspectives and they allowed the story to change in a way I hadn't expected (not a twist, as such, but showing me new insights).

I do think there's a chance you could pick it up thinking there's going to be a lot of focus on the midwife drama or a possible suspense angle there - but in this book it's the family in Devon that's very much at the centre of the tale, and it's better for it.

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A very enjoyable read that is well written. I would say it was more of a domestic drama than a thriller but a great story nonetheless. Good characters and well paced throughout.

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Really twisty and full of suspense I enjoyed this. A young midwife is fleeing from a mistake she potentially made but runs home into a much more complex situation when she finds her elderly father has employed a career who is not quite what she seems. This book explores an absolute tangle of secrets and lies with the added complexities of family ties and war bourne trauma and the psychological repercussions. The story develops slowly and skilfully, not spilling all of the secrets at once, rather leaking them stealthily a little at a time. It definitely held my interest really well and cleverly kept changing my viewpoint and loyalties. A definite recommend from me.

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I really love this thriller. It’s fucking immediately dreaming in with the plot and kept me there with the pacing. It’s a twist the story with a strong main character. I highly recommend this book!

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A family drama rather than a psychological thriller.and in my opinion not up to the standard of the authors previous novels. Both female characters irritated me as did the elderly father. There was also some use of dramatic licence which is okay in a televised drama but not a novel.. I found it a weak rrad.

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I enjoyed this book. Emily makes a bad mistake in her job as a midwife and escapes back to her family home in Cornwall. When she gets there she finds that her elderly father has employed a beautiful young French woman, Francoise, to be his carer. Emily doesn't trust her and is convinced she has an ulterior motive. This is a fast paced story with twists and turns right to the end. Thanks to NetGalley for a preview copy.
Copied to Goodreads.

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We all have our secrets by Jane Corry

Synopsis
Two women are staying in Willowmead House.

One of them is running.
One of them is hiding.
Both of them are lying.

Emily made one bad decision, and now her career could be over. Her family home on the Cornish coast is the only place where she feels safe. But when she arrives, there's a stranger living with her father. Emily doesn't trust the beautiful young woman, convinced that she's telling one lie after another. Soon, Emily becomes obsessed with finding out the truth...

Review
Overall I enjoyed this book, it started well and I engaged with the characters.
During the middle I misinterpreted a twist maybe and got all impressed, hopes were dashed then when I realised there was no dead body in the suitcase but a painting 🤷🏻‍♀️ I think the body would have spiced the middle section up for me. Ending was fine, I love this author and her style of writing but she has written better. It was enjoyable and I read it very quickly.

Thanks to netgalley for an advanced copy in return for an honest review.

Rated 4/5

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We All Have Our Secrets by Jane Corry
Published date 23 June 2022


On starting this book, I had lots of emotions. The story has twists & turns and, only in my opinion, was too long. Around 60% I was losing interested, then 78% I wanted to know the ending. The writing style was not to my liking, too much dialogue & I soon forgot which character was saying what!

The plot and characters are believable. The protagonists, Emily (Emilee) and Francoise annoyed me from page one, This a story about rivalry, jealousy, secrets, lies and bereavement.

Fans of Jane Corry's books will love this novel.

I give a 3 star rating, only because the genre was not to my liking.

I WANT TO THANK NETGALLEY FOR THE OPPORTUNITY OF READING AN ADVANCED COPY OF THIS BOOK FOR AN HONEST REVIEW.

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Jane Corry has this ability that no matter where you are in the book you have absolutely no idea what is happening or what is about to happen. The writing as always was superb leaving me wanting more after each chapter and for that I would always recommend. I’m still unsure on the storyline, it didn’t go where I expected it to and I’m still left thinking about it which I do believe is a good thing.
Overall would recommend this and her other books

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I expected this to be a fast paced thriller. It was neither. It was slow moving and at times I struggled with the pace. There was absolutely no feeling of a thriller. It was just a story of two women with a lot of vagueness. Both had secrets but I expected so much more than they were. It was more a family drama than a thriller and anyone who enjoys a family drama will love this. Sadly it wasn’t for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in return for an honest and unbiased opinion.

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Gentle psychological thriller. It's never quite clear who was going to be the good guy and who the bad until it becomes clear that no-one is as clear cut as that and that we're all so much more than the worst thing we've done. What was clear is that most of the "bad" things came from a good place and this recognition reveals what is truly important to our characters.

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There are two main female characters in this fast paced mystery thriller. Both are keeping secrets and they are not averse to telling the odd lie either. At the beginning of this powerful and intriguing story they do not know each other, but that will soon change. But will it be a change for the better or the worse?
Emily is a midwife. She absolutely loves her job. What could be more exciting than bringing a new life into our world? She loves to see the joyful parents and the squirming or bawling babies, each a bundle of joy. She is not a mother herself, but surely being a midwife is breath-taking, exciting and a magical way to earn a living. She is well respected and conscientious, earning praise and gaining a great reputation. When Emily makes an error one day she is devastated. She is suspended from her duties and decides to go to see her elderly father in the family home, Willowmead House, an impressive house near the sea in Cornwall.
When Emily arrives home she finds out that a stranger is living with her father. He tells her he has a Carer and introduces Emily to Francoise, whose home is in France. She has worked in Care Homes in France and is said to be a wonderful carer of the elderly, especially as they become more feeble and confused. She is elegant, beautiful and poised. Emily mistrusts her from the minute she first sees her. If the truth be told she is jealous of the way her Dad treats Francoise and of how close they have become in such a short time. She is also surprised at how quickly her father has deteriorated since she last saw him months ago, and also ashamed that she has neglected him. Her father has also given Francoise her mother’s favourite and very expensive earrings that had been left for her. Emily is furious with her Dad.
It is safe to say both women are suspicious of each other and uneasy with the current situation. Emily is determined to investigate Francoise. She is sure that she is hiding something. This is a story full of thrills and spills, twists and turns that has a fantastic ending.
I thoroughly enjoyed this engaging novel. The story telling was brilliant and the characters carefully developed so that you really cared for them or despised them. I was hooked on the story from the very beginning and it got better and better. I greatly admired the way the author handled her storyboard and maintained an even and exciting pace. I loved the themes within the story: relationships, jealousy, revenge, grief, loyalty and love. I loved the suspense and the historical backstory told by Harold, detailing his life and experiences in World War two. It brought the two main story threads together beautifully.
I received a complimentary copy of this novel from publisher Penguin through my membership of NetGalley. Thank you for my copy sent in return for an honest and unbiased review. This novel is a real page-turner, filled with suspicion, mystery and tension. I was so surprised at the ending. It was so dynamic and fitting for this story. This is a 5* review from me and a recommendation that this book is unmissable.

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