Cover Image: We All Have Our Secrets

We All Have Our Secrets

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

When Emily makes a mistake she runs off to hide at her dad's house. A stranger has positioned herself in their life and Emily doesn't trust her. Everyone has their secrets and the story slowly reveals their past lives and how unbelievably they are all connected. Guaranteed to keep you invested in the complex story right till the end. Prepare to be shocked.

Was this review helpful?

We All Have Our Secrets - a very apt title as it seems most of the characters in this story have something to hide. Something which when it eventually surfaces, has an impact on other people. Emily, a midwife, currently suspended while an investigation takes place, returns home to Cornwall to find her ninety-something father being looked after by a young attractive French woman, Francoise. Emily has Francoise down as a gold digger, after her father's money and immediately the two lock horns. Told at first from Emily's viewpoint, the story then switches to Francoise's and it's clear all is not what Emily thinks it is. It's an interesting tangle as we move between Emily and Francoise, with snapshots of father Harold's experiences in France during World War II, which have a strong influence on what is currently happening. And then there is the surprise when Emily discovers Nick, her first love, has returned and working in her father's old office. He's married with a small boy and currently in the process of ending his marriage. But can Emily trust him, or will he break her heart again? I thoroughly enjoyed the story with all its many twists, turns and surprises. Emily and Francoise were interesting characters and I was keen to see how things would resolve themselves. I have to say, I was not disappointed. A well deserved five stars.

My thanks to Penguin, Jane Corry and NetGalley for an ARC of We All Have Our Secrets in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

I am already a fan of Jane Corry so I was excited to see this come up on Netgalley, even better when I got accepted for a copy.
The story centres around Emily a midwife from London. When something happens at work, she makes the trip back to Cornwall where her elderly Dad lives. When she arrives she is shocked to find a French woman ‘Francoise’ caring for her Dad.
The rest of the story centres on the growing resentment between the two women and as this progresses, lots of secrets about each character come forward.
I really enjoyed the storyline of this novel, there were lots of twist and turns and a big reveal at the end that I did not see coming.
The story kept me hooked the whole way through and I ended up finishing it quickly. However, for me, there was something that stopped me wanting to give it more than a 3 out of 5. Perhaps I just expected more from it having read her other novels.

Was this review helpful?

We All Have Secrets

Thank you #NetGalley #Penguin and Jane Corry for my E-arc copy of #WeAllHaveSecrets in exchange for my honest review.

This book started out with a promising start dealing with your usual family issues such as jealousy, trust and suspicion. I really was expecting so much however I was dissatisfied.

The novel is told from three different points of view. Two females and and one male. I found it worked well however I felt that too much was going on with little explanation. Which led to a very confusing and muddled ending that completely let the whole book down.

Therefore I feel I can only rate the novel two out of five.

Was this review helpful?

When Emily, a midwife, makes a tragic mistake at work she returns to her family home in Cornwall where her elderly father lives only to discover a young French girl has moved in as his carer. Emily keeps her problem a secret little knowing that the carer Francoise, who she is highly suspicious of, has secrets of her own and so does her father. The story moves between the present and the past in all three lives, Emily's father's in WW2, Francoise's childhood with her mother in France and Emily's first love that caused her to move away. A complex story with many twists and turns and shocking secrets.

Was this review helpful?

This is a cleverly written and twisty novel that will really keep you hooked. It draws you in right from the beginning and keeps you invested and involved. If I had one criticism it’s that the middle felt like it dropped a bit of pace compared to the rest of the book

Was this review helpful?

Yet another exciting thriller from the pen of the excellent Jane Corry, and the title says it all. Two women are staying in a house in the south west and both have much to keep quiet about. We hear the story unfold from their own personal perspectives as well as glimpsing the past of the man whose house they share, in the form of a memoir. Whenever you think you have a handle on events, you are quickly disabused! Very enjoyable.

Was this review helpful?

I love psychological thrillers & I’m fascinated by WW2; this book melds the two.
The story starts very strongly from the POVs of Emily & Françoise in the present & Harold, Emily’s father, in 1945. All three are hiding a secret but, of the two women, who can be trusted?

Emily is a midwife living in London. She is suspended following an allegation of medical negligence & returns to Cornwall, her elderly father’s home, to regroup. She is shocked when she is met by Françoise, her father’s young French carer. Emily is infuriated. Who is this girl? She & her father seem very close, is she after his money?

A well written, character driven story which drew me in all directions. Recommended.

Was this review helpful?

Everyone in this book certainly had their secrets - Emily, daughter of central character Harold Gentle; Françoise, the mysterious French carer who claims Harold is also her father and Harold himself, not the gentle father of his name. We see how fighting in World War 2 as an impressionable 15 year old impacted on Harold's life. Emily returns home to Cornwall following an incident in her midwifery career in London to discover Françoise in situ. Who is she and why is she getting so close to Emily's elderly father? As the story unfolds it is difficult to know who to trust, and this is cleverly drawn out over the entire novel. Secrets are kept right to the end. A good read. #netgalley #weallhaveoursecrets

Was this review helpful?

This was a complex story full of lies and misrepresentation. It was also very sad because the past was to effect the future of a 16 year soldier who lied about his age to fight for his country. The way the story develops is fascinating with lots of surprises along the way. Very satisfying conclusion.

Was this review helpful?

Another absolute flawless thriller by the amazing Jane Corry! With unique characters and a cleverly written plot, this story of deceit and lies had me absorbed from the first few chapters.

The writing is one I am familiar with, and I was not disappointed to be transported into the tense and suspenseful atmosphere that I have become accustomed to by this author. For me, this is one of the best I have read by this author! Incredibly impressive plot twists, keeping readers engaged, and gripped until the end pages, and had me on the edge of my seat, eager for the conclusion.

If you a fan of fast-paced, psychological thrillers, then this is a must-read for you! Highly recommended reading that I just loved!

Was this review helpful?

A compelling story that packs an emotional punch!

I never need to read the blurb for a Jane Corry book as she is a go-to author for me. I love her work and respect her for the wonderful writer that she is! Some people write a book and some people tell a story. In my eyes, Jane is a master at storytelling!

After making a terrible mistake at work Emily decides to get away from London and head home to her father Harold who still resides in her childhood home on the Cornish coast. Hoping to focus on caring for her elderly father and forget what happened in London, Emily is shocked to arrive and find somebody else has moved in as her father’s carer!

Francoise is young, beautiful and alluring. Why would this French beauty want to care for Emily’s father? Pretty sure that she is a gold digger Emily is determined to find out what Francoise is up to and get her out of the house!

Emily, Francoise and Harold are all harbouring secrets that will surface as the story is told. The chapters alternate between the two women with intermittent chapters taking us back to Harold’s past in 1945. I did not know who to trust throughout this book, both women gave enough reasons for me to doubt them and I even began to wonder if we could blame the dementia for the way Harold blows so hot and cold or if he was just being clever!

In true Jane style, I was drawn into the story from the start and intrigued throughout. I have to say I did start to wonder at one point where it was going and how things would play out, but I needn’t have worried as it all comes together at the end, and what a perfect ending it is. I loved it!

What I love about Jane’s stories is how they are written with so much feeling. We still get the twists and the suspense that we love but we also get drawn in emotionally. This is yet another of her books where I’ve had a tear in my eye come the end. After not being sure about Emily and Francoise for part of the story, I felt a real connection with them both by the end.

I would describe this as a drama rather than a thriller yet it still has a psychological aspect to it. I feel Jane has created her own genre, I really enjoy reading her books and look forward to reading more.

Thank you to Jane Corry, Penguin and NetGalley for my copy of this book.

Was this review helpful?

We All Have Our Secrets
Emily returns from London to her family home in Cornwall to see her elderly father, Harold, only to find he has taken it upon himself to hire a carer - Francois, and Emily does not trust her one bit. Both Emily and Francois have their secrets - and so does Harold. I really liked how this book wasn’t ‘edge of your seat’ stuff, but it still kept me intrigued and guessing. The fact that as the reader you are aware of each character having a secret, but aren’t privy to it made it really interesting as I was guessing about so many different things (wrongly I might add). I found myself liking both Emily and Francois despite their dislike of each other. A really good read.

Was this review helpful?

Another brilliant, addictive read by the amazing Jane Corry. A well written story that pulls on your heart strings, great characters and a believable storyline.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an advanced copy

Was this review helpful?

Emily makes a mistake at work so goes home to Dad but finds a woman there, looking after him. Emily instantly dislikes her. Her father is getting worse but is there a more sinister reason for it. And Emily has her own secrets.

I'm a fan of Jane Corry but I have to say this wasn’t my favourite. The plot wascgood but many of the twists I predicted or didn't enjoy as much. Its a slow build story with a satisfying conclusion. The writing is her usual style. You're kept in the dark as to what Emily did until the end. I did enjoy the flashbacks to the war, giving a little more depth to the father. The ending tied it off well and I liked the conclusion between Emily and Françoise. A good story.

Was this review helpful?

The latest thriller from Jane Corry We All Have Our Secrets began on a very high note…thrilling scenario of a young woman playing the role of a carer for a geriatric man, and the daughter suspecting something amiss had all the hallmarks of a gripping story. Being Jane Corry, I had expected the emotional journey along with the thrill ride. Even though the premise is quite intriguing, the story failed to live up to my expectations, and truth be told, the expectation is way up there which could be the reason why I felt excited reading this but did not suffer any bungee-jumping adrenaline rush.

Told majorly thru POVs of the daughter Emily and the carer Francoise, there are also chapters that take the reader to the past of Emily’s father Harold Gentle. The family dynamics were efficiently drawn, one can see Emily’s intense need to be the sole concerned member for her father, and having a young woman who all of sudden becomes more important than Emily herself tilts her axis upside down. Emily, Francoise, and Harold are all hiding secrets and this is what drives the story forward when misgivings and doubts raise their head.

We All Have Our Secrets has the trademark entanglements between family members that make it hard for the reader to sympathize with one character or another and all of them are humans with shades of grey and everything in between. The author is exceptional in creating situations that make you feel the uneasy and disturbing atmosphere and once the unexpected death occurs, the reader waits to know how the drama would unfold and the twists keep coming even in the final epilogue chapter.

The past story which captures the horror endured by Harold during World War II strikes a chord and as the author points out thru Nick in the story, it is easy for us to be blissfully unaware of the sacrifices made by so many of them and enjoy the freedom that we are granted.

Touching in many ways and a story that proves that blood needn't be shared to form a familial bond, We All Have Our Secrets engages the reader thoroughly.

Many thanks to Net Galley, Penguin Random House UK, and the author for a chance to read and review this book. All opinions are expressed voluntarily.

This review is published on my blog https://rainnbooks.com/, Goodreads, Amazon India, Book Bub, Medium.com, Facebook, and Twitter.

Was this review helpful?

We All Have Our Secrets by Jane Corry
Publishers: Penguin Random House
Publication Date 23/6/22

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
No Spoilers

I love a book with alternating versions of events. And this is a cracker. I really couldn’t decide which story I believed and kept switching my allegiance. It all, finally came together in a very satisfying conclusion. I’ve read several of Jane Corry's books now and enjoyed them all. She has really cornered the market in tense family drama and suspense.
Satisfying and original.

Thanks to the author, publisher and netgalley for providing me with this advance digital copy in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

Was this review helpful?

Emily needs her Dad after problems at work but when she returns the door is opened by an unknown French woman. Who is she, why is she here and what is her Dad not telling her?

Fast paced novel with all the characters having secrets, past and present.

Jane has brought us another great book and I could not stop reading so hope you enjoy too.

Was this review helpful?

I really enjoyed this book, it wasn't too intense but still very engaging and page turning.
I liked the character development and I changed my opinion about Emily a few times. We also hear from other characters and it adds extra layers to the overall story about relationships, trauma and how they deal with issues differently but ultimately want the best for the family.

Was this review helpful?

Emily is distracted at work and makes a mistake. Trouble is, she's a midwife so mistakes are a little more serious than most. She is suspended, pending investigation, so she ups sticks and escapes to Devon, to her father. As she is travelling she laments that he is starting to fade, to need more help, help that she really should be involved with. But she can make up with this visit, can't she?
She is therefore surprised when, on knocking at the door, she is met by, not her father, but a young woman, Francoise. Who, on later investigation, turns out to be her father's carer.
And so begins a tale of secrets lies and duplicitous behaviour. Of relationships and friendships and of preparing for the end. For doing the right thing, even if it seems wrong at the time...
This was a book of two halves. We start very strong. The setting up, Emily making her mistake and moving to Devon, meeting Francoise. And then it gets a bit slower as we switch perspective and learn more about the strange French woman now sharing Emily's father's life. Not a bad thing, just felt a wee bit disjointed at the time. But, when we do get to the end, when the whole truth (such as it appears) becomes evident, the pace change is justified and actually very much fits with the story being told.
Emily is a bit of a funny fish at times. Quite understandably she is a bit all over the place after what happened and she is also a bit isolated so she has no one to talk to. I empathise with that totally and connected with her straight away. Francoise is complicated for all the reasons I can't divulge here, and the father, well, he's not a nice person at times, again spoilers prevent me from qualifying.
The story is well told and engaging, holding my attention nicely throughout. Pacing could be a bit better, it's a bit disjointed but mostly fits the narrative. The ending, well, it's a tad on the emotional side, and it might divide opinion, but I think it's most fitting.
All in all, another winner from one of my go to authors. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Was this review helpful?