There’s drama, secrets, love and lots of spicy moments in this funny and uplifting novel set in a small Cotsowold village.

Fiona Walker is a prolific writer with eighteen books to her name but this was my first time reading one of her books. Don’t ask how I’ve missed them because I’ve no idea. But when I was asked to read this book and interview the author I jumped at the chance to do so. This is the third book in a trilogy but don’t worry if you’ve not read the other books because I hadn’t and read this as a standalone. I never felt confused because Walker does such a brilliant job of catching the reader up with what’s happened in the previous books. And that is no mean feat because this is a story filled with a large cast of characters, multiple narrators and complex, tangled histories.

Country life and horse-racing are at the centre of the story, two things that I know nothing about, but I was soon immersed in this vivid world of colourful characters and small-town dynamics. And being clueless about the world of horses, horse-riding, and horse-racing didn’t prevent me from enjoying the book. Admittedly there were times I felt a bit lost in that regard, but Walker would soon make it easy to follow again with her vast knowledge of the subject. And it was impossible not to be charmed by her life-long love of horses which shines through on every page.

This is definitely a book for those who like their romances with lots of spice. And I mean A LOT of spice. There are lovers, ex-lovers, extramarital affairs, first loves, and friends-with-benefits all heating up the pages of this book and I was glad to be reading it indoors. But alongside the sexy and funny storylines, Walker also explores serious issues such as toxic relationships, coercive control and alcoholism. It is expertly written, perfectly woven into the story and told with a sensitivity that makes it feel authentic and relatable.

Chaotic, witty, sexy, and entertaining, Country Secrets is an action-packed romance that fans of Jilly Cooper will love.

I read Fiona Walker's first 10 or so novels many, many years ago and loved them so much. I still have Lucy Talk and Kiss Chase on my bookshelf although I'm too scared to re-read them in case I don't love them today as much as I did then. So Country Secrets is the first Fiona Walker novel in at least 15 years that I have read and it feels a little like coming home after a long day.

This is just plain fun, full of heart, and a great escape. It's a reminder not to take life too seriously, live your life, and take chances.

I had read a few Fiona Walker books before and was thrilled to find this- Country Secrets, a book that intersperses the horsey world with village life. Their horsey world, despite the fact I’ve worked with horses, was absolutely alien to me, a more competitive area, where the stakes are so high (I worked in a riding school!)

There are many characters, more from about the village than the yard, and many stories, and I enjoyed them all. Thanks to the publisher for an arc of this book. All opinions are my own.

Overall a great chunk of horse based romance and country life! It’s slightly slow moving and took me a while to get into the flow and become familiar with the characters and their relationships but I found it enjoyable. This is true light hearted escapism and fun from start to finish. Part of a series can be read as standalone with little issue.

Thank you Netgalley

The main reason was that there are like a million characters that all have their own story, and it gets too chaotic for me. I like when theres 2 or 3 people whose stories eventually match up, but the amount of characters was just too much for me and i still dont know where half of them came from. And of course, this could totally be my own issue, but i cant help feel this way.

Did not finish.

First of let me start by saying that my opinion is probably not your opinion, and that this book can totally be it for you.

However, it wasn't for me. There are two reasons why.

The first and main reason was that there are like a million characters that all have their own story, and it gets too chaotic for me. I like when theres 2 or 3 people whose stories eventually match up, but the amount of characters was just too much for me and i still dont know where half of them came from. And of course, this could totally be my own issue, but i cant help feel this way.

The second reason, which definitely is my own issue, is that i dislike horses lol. And i planned to just read around it, as i so often do in books with one minor dislike, but it just wasnt working for me this time, especially in combination with the other thing.

This does not mean that you should not read this book. These are my personal preferences. I sincerely hope it fits you guys more! Have fun reading (:

Thank you to netgalley and the author for sending me the book in exchange for an honest review. It probably wasnt what you were looking for and i wish it was different.

Book three in Compton Manor.

When I pick up any of Fiona's books, I always know I'm in for a good read.
Her characters are fun, warm, and entertaining. Her description of village life is well-written you can see it clearly in your mind's eye. Set in and around the horse world, it opens your eyes to what goes on.
A gripping Romp.

er)

#CountrySecrets #NetGalley

Fiona Walker knows how to write the kinds of books that her readers enjoy and that is surely the case in this long (over 500 page) title. Her readers will like getting to know the many characters and will become involved in the plot lines.

This book is chockablock with characters’ romantic relationships. How will things work out for Ronnie, Blair (and his sick wife), Ronnie’s daughter and her husband, and the other characters who live in these pages?

Note that this title is part of a series. Those who have not read the other titles could, perhaps, feel that they want to start at the beginning. Other readers may not feel that there is any impediment to diving right in.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Aria for this title. All opinions are my own.

Sadly, I just couldn't get into this book. I was at least 1/4 way through before calling it a day. I wanted to enjoy it. Maybe it's because I don't know about the 'horsey' world or really have any interest in it. Maybe it's a good choice if this is your thing.
Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for the ARC to review. Opinions are my own.

Having read most of Fiona Walker’s books, I thought that this would be along the same lines and quite an easy read. Unfortunately, this wasn’t quite the case.

It had its usual element of light heartedness but I found that the story was a little all over the place and there were too many characters to follow so I couldn’t relate to any of them which was disappointing to me.

However, the writing style as always is good and you do kind of find yourself immersed in what is being described but unfortunately for me, this was just too much effort to read and I struggled.

I received an advanced copy of this book from #NetGalley

Fiona Walker has created another story set in a small village based in the horse world. There are multiple characters that have their story interwoven into the main plot of the book.

At first, as the story was building I found it difficult to follow or to understand what the purpose of the story was however this sons become joined up with the story picking up more pace at 60% through.

I think there were a few too many characters in the side plots that were not needed however I did enjoy the main characters and their plots.

Country Secrets by Fiona Walker is a perfect country romance setting for a book. I found this book hard to get into as the first half of the book is all world building. The characters were good but I didn't find myself relating to them which also made the book drag. While the premise of the overall story was good it felt like watching a dramatic show on tv. Some readers may love this but it missed the mark for me.

This feels like a Hallmark movie with all the relationship and the characters, it was a light read, perfect for a weekend

I love a good romance book, a country setting always makes me feel at home
The storyline for me, didn’t connect, there seemed to be a lot of drawn out descriptions, this in turn was not as precise a connection for the characters.
The characters and their personalities were great but then it felt confusing to read. Later in the story I related more with the characters and their lives, so you need to stick with it!
I wanted this storyline to flow smoothly, I became a little lost so it didn’t for me.

Thanks to the publisher, NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to read this book.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

If you love stories about village and countryside life then this is the book for you. Very enjoyable with good characters and storyline. Giving this 5 stars.

Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for this ARC

This book reads like a soap opera. If the reader likes this type of TV show I am certain that this book will be a big hit for them. Unfortunately I am not a huge soap opera fan, hence I had my difficulties with this type of plot. While the book started off very promising, especially if you like horses, the plot around Beck the stallion dies down very quickly and the reader gets introduced to the village shenanigans. I would have wished for a more straightforward plot development and more connectedness in the storyline.

The characters were interesting, but I would have wished for a bit more depth, also in connection with the above slightly disjointed plots. They all are interconnected somehow, but it takes a very long time for that to come through.

As this book seems to be book no. 3 in a loose series, some of the plot was referencing the plot of the earlier two books and I felt that if I had read these two books I might have liked Country Secrets a bit more. Hence I encourage readers to start at the beginning instead of jumping right to this book like I did.

(This review will be posted on my Goodreads account as well as my instagram @anns.book.chronicles)

I’ve been a huge fan of Fiona Walker since she published her first book so was delighted to be given the opportunity to read her new book.

Unfortunately it just wasn’t for me, too many characters to keep track of, too much background and not enough getting down to the point of this story. I found it very difficult to get into however I persevered and enjoyed the usual humour and wit and the suitable ending with a twist.

Thank you to Netgalley the author and publishers for an arc in exchange for an honest review

Not as good as some of her others, too horsey for me and not much of a story. I didn't like the characters at all. My thanks to netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

I gave up reading this one. I just couldn't get into it at all. Think there was a lot going on and i wasn't in the right frame of mind. I just wanted an easy read. Im not really a horse person either so don't think that helped. I have read other books by Fiona Walker and really enjoyed them. However this one just wasn't for me. Sorry

There’s a lot going on in this book but it’s definitely your small town romance. Sometimes it was a lot to recall from the beginning of the book however the ending ends as it should and it gets you to remember the rest of what’s happened in the book. When I say small town romance, think hookups, decent, politics. But remember the love that’s hidden there! I throughly enjoyed the book but felt it didn’t need to be as long.

Ps pax might be my favorite character!