The Skylark’s Secret tells the asynchronous stories of a mother and daughter, Fiona and Lexie, and their lives at Loch Ewe in the Scottish Highlands. Fiona is an ambulance driver for the Wrens during WWII and Lexie is a washed up musical theater star with a young child. As Lexie returns to her home from London, she starts to explore her mother’s history and the past of the father who died before she was born. This story talks about life in the highlands during World War II and Fiona’s love affair with the laird’s son, Alex, despite the disapproval of his father. Lexie starts to unravel her mother’s secrets as we follow Fiona’s story as the war worsens.

The good:
This book was incredibly well researched and immersive. I felt very much a part of the story and the unique life in the highlands on the loch. I enjoyed Fiona’s story and definitely learned some things about history that I didn't know. I found Fiona’s story compelling and really loved Davie’s character.

The bad:
I’m not a fan of stories that tell split stories in two different times because I never feel like I get to know the characters as deeply. I felt like the storylines weren’t as well developed because only a portion of the book was dedicated to each one. I also had to look up quite a few words that were specific to the highlands and had very little context to help me unravel them, which I found a little annoying.

Overall, I enjoyed this book—I just wanted to hear more about Fiona!

Fiona Valpy’s, The Skylark’s Secret was a beautiful book about the depth of mother’s love as well as friendship and love during wartime. I loved reading this book and especially loved the dual-storyline describing 1940s Flora and Alec and their very different familial bonds and mother and daughter, Lexie and Daisy in the present day.

The book is set in Loch Eowe, described as a quaint and close-knit crofting village in the Highlands. I found this setting to totally draw me into the story.

In each timeline, friendship, love, overcoming personal hardships and family are strong themes and are very compelling.

I am rating this book 5 stars, I enjoyed it very much!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

With grateful thanks to netgalley and fiona valpy for an early copy in return for an honest review.
I have read all the other books by this Author so I knew it was going to be a good one.i didn't realise how good,this is one of the most OUTSTANDING authors it felt so real as if I was actually there even down to the colour of the sky and the sound of the skylarks singing, this dual time line worked absolutely perfect between flora in ww2 and her daughter lexie in the late 70's it flowed seamlessly it really is quite a tragic tale of love and loss
I really can't praise this book enough and can highly recommend this OUTSTANDING book.

I loved this book. I think Fiona Valpy is a great writer anyway as I have loved anything I've ever read that was written by her so I was very excited when I began to read 'The Skylark's Secret'. I was a great read. It was deep and emotional showing love of family, of past relationships and of survival. WE saw Fiona's and Lexie's stories her as they were told together. I really enjoyed it and I highly recommend it.

Set in Scotland, with a dual timeline, the story follows the lives of Flora during World War II and her daughter, Lexie, in the late 70s. Lexie, disillusioned with life in London and no longer able to sing, returns to her late mother's cottage in the Scottish village where she grew up. But she finds it hard to adjust to her new life.

I loved reading both the characters' stories, and the background setting of the loch and the simple way of life added a touch of magic to the narrative. The two stories seamlessly interweave, and come together at the end with a lifelong secret being revealed.

I've already read a couple of books by this author and loved them, so I knew this would be a wonderful read. Her writing transports you to another time and place, with characters who will remain in your heart for a long time after you've finished reading. 

A beautifully written story I highly recommend.

The world is at war in 1940 when the Royal Navy decides to build a base for it’s Arctic convoys in Loch Ewe. Flora is the daughter of the gamekeeper, and against society’s conventions and his own father’s warnings, the son of the laird falls in love with Flora. Many years later, Flora’s daughter Lexie returns to the small cottage on Loch Ewe where she grew up with her mum, bringing her own daughter. Lexie is determined to uncover the truth about her birth, even though those who know what really happened seem determined that she never find out

Set in the remote north west corner of Scotland, The Skylark's Secret, Fiona Valpy's latest pageturner does not disappoint.

Moving seamlessly from 1940's wartime to the 1970's the story of mother and daughter hold strong parallels and the rich storytelling evoke both the challenges of class and daily life under the shadow of war, together with the perceived prejudices of 1970's Scotland.

I eagerly wait for Valpy's latest offering, and this certainly did not disappoint.

Highly recommended.

Flora’s story is interesting enough though I seldom enjoy WWII stories. The pacing for Lexie’s is rather slow and I found myself skipping her chapters.

I like Fiona Valpy’s writing style. It reminds me somewhat of Maeve Binchy’s. But The Skylark’s Secret failed to grip me unfortunately.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. this is my honest opinion.

Thank you #Net Galley for this ARC. It is a story of a mother and a daughter, each if their lives are expired. And it is beautiful. I've read this author before and she did not disappoint then either. This story is woven beautifully.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

Thoroughly enjoyed reading this fabulous book.

Reading this book, made you feel that you was actually there seeing what you was reading and being surrounded by the colours of the sky.

I recommend this book, you’ll not be disappointed.

Thank You NetGalley/Publisher & Author for this gifted E-ARC!

Loch Ewe, 1940. When gamekeeper’s daughter Flora’s remote highland village finds itself the base for the Royal Navy’s Arctic convoys, life in her close-knit community changes forever. In defiance of his disapproving father, the laird’s son falls in love with Flora, and as tensions build in their disrupted home, any chance of their happiness seems doomed.

Decades later, Flora’s daughter, singer Lexie Gordon, is forced to return to the village and to the tiny cottage where she grew up. Having long ago escaped to the bright lights of the West End, London still never truly felt like home. Now back, with a daughter of her own, Lexie learns that her mother—and the hostile-seeming village itself—have long been hiding secrets that make her question everything she thought she knew.

This was a beautifully written book.
The characters were very well enjoyable.

Rating 4/5 Stars

I enjoy Fiona Valpy very much and this book was no exception. It was a really lovely story which had me totally engrossed. The setting was gorgeous, I loved the interwoven stories and enjoyed the way the novel played out.

I love books that offer more than one thing. This book offered a great story (actually two when I think of it), historical information and descriptions of Scottland I loved. Let's start with the story. I really liked the both main characters, Lexie and her Mum Flora. They have no easy lives, but their beliefs and strengths are obvious. I love their connection to music that is well shown through out the book and that connects not only them, but also each of them and their homeland. What I liked most about the story was that it was not an obvious and normal love story even though love plays a big role here. I'll continue with the historical background. This book brought so much new information about the WWII, I didn't expect to recieve and it inspired me to some internet research which broadened my view of this period. And that is a great achievement for a novel, I think. In addition to that I don't feel that this information was artificially included in the book. Just the opposite, you get so much information by just reading a great story and you don't even notice that it is included. Thanks to the author for that! And the last point: This book allowed me to travel to places I would like to visit and I am very happy that it was possible.
I recommend this book strongly.

I really enjoyed this book. It is set in Scotland at Loch Ewe. It tells the story of Flora, who served in the WRENS during the war and of her daughter Lexie in the 1970s. There is a lot of historical fact woven into the story. I previously knew very little about the Arctic Convoys, so I learnt about that era, almost without realising I was learning. We also learn about life during the War at Loch Ewe; about the children sent there for safety, leaving behind all they knew, about fishing, hunting, Gaelic music, friendships and the emotional toll on everyone, especially those on board the Arctic Convoys.. however the story is by no means gloomy. There is love and romance, as well as descriptions of beautiful scenery. There was also a surprising twist near the end, which I didn’t see coming.
I had never read any of Fiona Valpy’s books, I would strongly recommend this book. I will now look forward to reading her other books.
Many thanks to Netgalley, Fiona Valpy and Amazon Publishing UK for an ARC of this enjoyable book.

The Skylark's Secret, set in Scotland, is book with a duel timeline. The first follows Flora's life during WW2 and the second is her daughter Lexie in the 70's. Lexie returns from London after she is unable to sing on the west end after falling pregnant and straining her voice. Lexie moves into her late mothers Cottage and finds it hard to adjust to the village life.

I really loved the way this book was written, I loved reading about both characters lives and how different they were. I'm not usually a huge fan of split stories but i felt this one was written so well, the two stories intertwined seamlessly and came together at the end to reveal a lifelong secret.

This book is quite a tragic tale of love and loss, yet it is also such a beautiful story about family, friends and community.
I would definitely recommend this book.

A story of love, sacrifice, secrets, WW II, self discovery set in beautiful Scotland. I particularly enjoyed reading about Loch Ewe, the Scottish countryside, the local food, and I had no idea during WW II Scottish children from the cities were evacuated to the countryside. I have read all of Fiona Valpy’s books and The Skylark’s Secret is now added to that list. My thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of this book (thanks to NetGalley, Amazon Publishing UK and Fiona Valpy) and have just finished reading it. I was absolutely gripped by the story from start to finish. It had me looking up Loch Ewe to see if it was a real place; I had no idea of the role it played during WW2. I am a sucker for a dual timeline story but usually those have no
character crossover, and I loved that aspect of characters appearing in both periods in this story, it really added to the connection. I have previously read the beekeepers promise by the same author, which I enjoyed but it did not have me as gripped as this story. I now want to head off for the Scottish Highlands (and read more of Fiona's work)! #NetGalley #TheSkylarksSecret

This story had me entranced from the first to very last page. A story of joy and laughter , sorrow and loss. A story of courage written with such empathy, I was often reduced to tears. The storyline is excellent, the writing descriptively superb and the attention to detail and extensive research add up to making this book a bestseller. Thanks to the author, Netgalley and TBC for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

This is the second book by Fiona Valpy that I have read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It flips between the war years and the late 1970s, telling the story of young Flora and Lexie, her daughter. It does this very skilfully, on the way explaining how both Flora and Lexie became single mums. I love how Fiona Valpy gives such beautiful descriptions of the setting in Highland Scotland and the attention to detail throughout is excellent. This story not only tackles how it feels to be a single mother, it also looks at social class differences, friendship, family, how women were integral to the war effort and looks closely at life in a small community. It is an engaging read and I am grateful to Netgalley for being able to read and review this lovely book.

Beautifully written across several timeframes. I didn't want the book to end but at the same time I wanted to unwrap each new secret as quickly as possible. Great character development as well: it made me feel like I really got to know each of the characters as secrets were shared. Highly recommended.

Another great piece of writing by Fiona. I love how she mixes historical facts with fiction.
This story flits from 1942 to 1973. Lexie moves back to her childhood home in Scotland with her daughter Daisy. Her mum Flora has recently died and Lexie needs to know her own history.
With the help of her mum's childhood friends they help to piece together her story.
A story of wartime sadness, social casting and life in rural Scotland. Love and death paved the way for their small community.
A great easy read.

Thank you to Netgalley, Amazon Publishing and Fiona Valpy for this advanced reader's copy in return for my honest review. I'm a massive historical fiction fan and having loved Fiona's The Dressmaker's Gift, I was delighted to have the opportunity to read this book. The book drew me in from the start and I loved how the different strands of the book were interwoven into one story of love and sacrifice. Simply stunning writing, well researched, would definitely recommend.

I liked this story, but I wasn't gripped by it. I think I have been more immersed in other Valpy novels than I was with this one. It's a good read though. I think possibly that the problem (at least for me) was the dual timeline. I particularly enjoyed reading about Fiona's life during World War Two, and I enjoyed Lexie's story too in the late 70s, except I didn't feel I got to know Lexie all that well. I think a little more time should have been spent on her part of the story. But otherwise, the historical detail, the sense of place (which Valpy does so well), was superb. The characters were all well-written too. With thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was an amazing story! Told in 2 storylines that was just so good! I fell in love with these warm characters! Historical fiction at its best! Highly recommend

Tragic, traumatic and heart-warming by turns, a story of courage and fulfilment in difficult times. The dual timeline of this engaging novel features Flora in the 1940s and her daughter Lexie in the 1970s, both in the Scottish Highlands. Professional singer Lexie has returned to her ancestral home with her toddler Daisy, having been deserted by her director boyfriend when she became pregnant with their child. On her mother's recent death, she has inherited the cottage where she grew up. Her mother had also been a single parent, but highland communities take care of their own. A moving tale of love, loss, bravery and happiness against the odds.

I am a fan of historical fiction, especially when it is woven into a story of family history.. Since I read and enjoyed Fiona Valpy’s Sea of Memories, I looked forward to reading her latest book, The Skylark’s Secret. After modern-day Lexie’s mother died and her own career in London’s musical theater came to a screeching halt due to an unfortunate event with her vocal cords, she decides to return (with her small daughter) to the little seaside town of Loch Ewe in the Scottish highlands to stay in the cottage where she grew up and where her mother lived before her. She has questions about her father, whom she never knew and about whom her mother would not talk. The story goes back and forth from present to around 1940 where we encounter Lexie’s mother, Flora, along with her father, brother, and friends in the village that is involved with the harboring of the Royal Navy’s Arctic convoys during World War II. As would be expected, the close-knit community reels with the angst of sending their young men off to war and failing to see many of them return. We learn that Flora is the daughter of a games keeper and is in love with the laird’s son. The relationship is frowned upon by the laird and, in fact, is expressly forbidden. All of this is a fine premise of a story, but unfortunately, for me, everything gets bogged down in the narrative as it slowly takes place. We expect families to worry, young men to die, and Flora and her young man to struggle facing his father’s judgment. I found most of the book a slog to get through and really never felt engaged in the story, It was, frankly, very boring and tedious for me. Of course at the end of the book secrets were revealed, as one would expect from the title, and I found this part of the book more interesting and engaging. It just took too long to get there. I did enjoy reading of the transformation of Lexie herself and felt satisfied with the way things turned out for her. All and all. I was rather glad when the book ended, and I probably would not recommend it to my friends.

This story left me in awe. So many different pieces were woven together to make this emotional story of love, sacrifice, and strength. The writing was so detailed it made you feel as if you were right there alongside the characters. I loved every minute of this story. I think I was more sad when it ended then I was throughout the story because I loved the characters so much.

This is a wonderfully written tale set in Loch Ewe, with a dual timeframe centred around the lives of Flora during WW2 and her daughter, Lexie during the late 1970s. Following the death of her mother and an illness that sees an end to her singing carrer, Lexie returns home from London to Aultbea – a remote village in Wester Ross. Here she begins to slowly learn more of her mothers life and the role she played when the area becomes a naval base for the Home Fleet. Like many during the war, Flora and the villagers suffered hardships and heart break and here we see a glimpse of how this shaped and changed many people, and how the impacts of war also impacted the generations to come. We also see new relationships develop as hundreds naval servicemen, as well as evacuees, arrive in the village. There are also new relationships, and old ones reconnected, for Flora and it is through these connections that she learns more about her parents, their relationship and secrets long buried begin to unfurl.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, the descriptions of the countryside were so accurate and intense that I could almost feel myself standing in the heather with the sea air blowing in my face. The inclusion of extracts from traditional Scottish folk songs was a lovely reminder to me, as a Scot who grew up with these songs, of the importance of these in telling the story of our homeland and its people. Overall, a very well written book, interesting storyline and enough intrigue to keep the reader gripped throughout. Many thanks to Amazon Publishing UK and NetGalley UK for the free review copy in return for an honest review.

This was a beautiful story and the author’s writing captured me from the first page. The story is told from two points of view. Lexie and her mother Flora. The story moves back and forth through time as we uncover the story behind Lexie’s birth and the relationship between her mother Flora and the man she loved Alex.

If you’re a fan of historical fiction that takes place during World War II you’ll love this and the settings from Scotland are superbly done bringing this fictional town and all its inhabitants to life.

I could not put this book down!
The Skylark’s Secret is a duel timeline novel. Told from the view of a mother during WWII and then her daughter in the 1970’s. Sometimes duel timelines can be hard to follow, but I thoroughly enjoyed the way the author intertwined both stories.
A beautifully written story about the sacrifices mothers will make for their children. A heartwarming tale of love, loss, courage and bravery.
The setting is set in a crofting village called Loch Eowe in Scotland. During the war, it was the base for the Royal Navy’s Arctic convoys.
If you’re a fan of historical fiction that takes place during World War II, you will love The Skylark’s Secret. Fiona Valpy immerses you into the story, you feel like you are right there with them.
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author, Fiona Valpy, for the arc of The Skylark’s Secret in return for my honest review. I truly enjoyed this book very much!

Heartbreaking story of Flora during World War 2 and so many others during this time.

I absolutely adored this book. This author has a real talent for writing historical fiction. I always learn so much as well as get absorbed fully by the story.

Lovable characters and some unexpected revelations, what else do you need from the good book!

I am a huge historical fiction fan.so i thought i would love this book. But the book did not pull om my heart strings , like i want HF books to do. But i enjoyed where the book took place the scenery was top notch. I liked the romance . Thank you to netgalley for letting me read this e arc in exchange for an honest review

The Skylark’s Secret tells the stories of Lexie Gordon, returning to her childhood home in the Highlands with her infant daughter, Daisy, and Flora, Lexie’s mother, who has recently died. The chapters alternate between Lexie’s experiences in the late 1970s as she settles back into her mother’s old cottage, and Flora’s life as the gamekeeper’s daughter and later a wren during the Second World War. The small community where Flora lived and where she raised Lexie lies on the shore of Loch Ewe, which during the war became an important base for the mustering of ships in readiness to make the perilous arctic runs around occupied Norway to provide supplies to the Russian allies, described by Churchill as ‘the worst journey in the world’.

I thoroughly enjoyed this dual timeline tale. Flora’s story is the larger part of the book and rightly so as part of Lexie’s journey in returning to her roots is to learn more about her mother’s wartime life and in particular her mother’s great love - Lexie’s father, Alec, whom Lexie never knew.

This is an unusual Homefront story, based around an aspect of the war that I knew little about. It is rooted in fact: the Home Fleet arrived in Loch Ewe in September 1939. Three thousand men lost their lives on the Arctic Convoys. They were fraught with danger and conducted in extreme weather conditions. Fiona Valpy conveys this in Flora’s story alongside the courage of the servicemen and women and the community spirit fostered by the local people whose lives were changed forever by a naval base of 3,000 military personnel and the constant coming and going of naval and merchant ships.

Within both stories there are descriptions of the beautiful landscape and the constantly changing seasons and weather patterns. Fiona Valpy has skilfully interwoven the natural world into the stories of Lexie and Flora and those of the other characters we meet, each of whom has their lives touched by the impact of war. The characters are warm, likeable and genuine and the sense of a Scottish community is vividly portrayed. There are some nice twists at the end which lift the story out of being too predictable.

I strongly recommend this book. It has been my first Fiona Valpy read and I’m already looking forward to the next. I have a strong back catalogue to choose from! My thanks to the author and to Net Galley for providing me with an advance review copy in exchange for an honest review.

#TheSkylarksSecret #NetGalley

Special thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for providing me with ARC.
This novel is heartwarming, i loved since page one and can't put it down, i am a mom and know very well what you feel when you raised a child, who is taking all your time , energy and in the end of the day you will feel sham about many things you forget to do.


I loved Lexie character so much, she is adorable and lovely, i loved also her mom cottage because i am a person who adore quite and natural places.


This is the first book to me by Fiona Valpy but will not be the last and i will try more books by her.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. It begins in a small town of Loch Ewe where we meet Flora who is interested in the Lairds son much to his families dismay. I just couldn't get into this book.

This novel is set in Loch Ewe, in the Scottish Highlands. Chapters alternate between two women a generation apart. Flora's story tells of her life in the village as the gamekeeper's daughter during World War II, volunteering as a Wren, and her love of the laird's son, which infuriates his snobbish father. Her daughter Lexie, who left the village to attend a prestigious theater program in London and became a West End star, returns to the village in the late 1970's with a baby, after she is rejected by her egocentric boyfriend and can no longer sing professionally. The village has many secrets, and Lexie is discovering more about the father she never knew. We learn about Flora, her friends, their joys and tragedies, and their men serving in the locally based Arctic Convoys, I was not familiar with the author, but will definitely look for more of her books. I really enjoyed getting to know these characters, and if you like historical fiction with an evocative setting, this novel would be a good choice. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to review this advance copy.

Set in beautiful Scotland, Lexie returns to the Lock Ewe where her mother, Flora, lived. Lexie discovers many secrets, tales, and experiences that he didn't imagine, including those of her father. She learns of the sacrifices of her mother and things she never knew about her own past. It was a beautifully, written historical fiction novel that tugs at the heart strings and takes you back in time.

Just my second book by this author, the other also featuring WWII, but I enjoyed this book far more.
The simplicity and sincerity fit the poignant story of a family from Scotland's Highlands and their lives as lived in the area near Loch Ewe. This was a location important during the war as a muster point for convoys of warships.
The narrative alternates between the modern day (1970's) and the war period (1940's) with one thread featuring mother and the other her daughter. I don't usually enjoy sentimental love stories, but this one was well thought out and well constructed to strum the heart strings in a good way making for a strong female-centered tale.

Gorgeous prose and beautiful descriptions. This story is both heartbreaking but uplifting.
I just adored the periods of time this was set in. Present day, the seventies, eighties and war torn Britain. The descriptions were so vivid that you felt immersed in the emotions.
This is a story of love and sacrifice. Joy and hope. It is also a story to remember.
I really enjoyed this gentle tale

Good historical fiction wrapped around several nicely told mysteries, THE SKYLARK’S SECRET, is a dual timeline tale set in Scotland in WWII and 1978. The two tales take place in a small town where everyone knows everything, for better or worse. There’s a tendency for the author to dwell too often on the psychic benefits of love, friendship and familial bonds; it feels a tad preachy at times. But overall the characters and the setting are engaging, the story moves quickly and the sense of place is completely realistic. This is a community readers will want to visit. The book is good and a pleasure worth indulging. I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

🌅Beautiful story of love and loss with a moving history lesson⚓

Fiona Valpy's page-turner novel focuses on strong women who deal with love, loss and single parenthood in a tight community. The story is told alternating between mother and daughter and two time periods: World War II and the late 1970's. During the earlier time period, the young women of Loch Ewe, a remote sea loch in Northwest Scotland, find love and suffer as their men risk life and limb at sea. Lexie, the daughter of a dead naval officer and the faithful woman who loved him, finds her way back to Loch Ewe when her life in London falls to pieces. This is a drama with so many memorable characters that it's best read for yourself rather than summarized. But it's so emotional, tragic at times, and a really good story of romance in trying circumstances and the tragic human cost of war. The more modern heroine's young daughter Daisy is a sunny treat.

The World War II part of the story was an eye opener for me. I had no knowledge of the dangerous missions staged out of Loch Ewe through the North Atlantic and Arctic oceans to supply Russia's armies in their defense against Germany's Russia campaign. I love a good historical novel that has a strong grounding in research and fact and Valpy's novel delivered a fine history lesson about Loch Ewe's role in the War. I wish I had known when I visited the area several years back on a tour of the Scottish Highlands.

Thanks to Lake Union published and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.

An interesting novel about the North Atlantic crossings bringing supplies from Scotland to Russia during World War 2. This is the story of a mother, Flora and her daughterLexie, during the war years and during the 80’s Both women are single mothers raising their daughters under taxing circumstances. Flora, the gamekeeper’s daughter and Alec the autocratic son are star crossed lovers. Who are torn apart by Alec’s father and the war. Lexie has left her Scottish home and has a flourishing career as an opera singer in London. When she becomes pregnant and is deserted by her lover she must return home to raise her daughter. She tries to find out about her real father, Alec who her mother had only told her had died during the war. The story is told from Flora’s point of view and then likewise from Lexie’s life story. The story is finely researched and although the characters are fictional the times and history are accurate. The characters are well developed and interesting, especially Flora’s friends. This is the second novel by this author I have read and I look forward to reading more.

Love love love Fiona Valpy! Every book she writes is amazing, and The Skylark's Secret is no exception. It is a beautiful story about love, sacrifice, and forgiveness set in the Scottish countryside. This book is based on a dual timeline and told from the view of a mother during WWII, and her daughter in the 1970’s. It's truly a gripping story from start to finish, and I read it all in one day as I could not put it down. Highly recommended!

Lexi Gordon reluctantly returns home to Loch Ewe in the Scottish Highlands following the death of her mother Flora. Her career as a rising West End musical star is over following the loss of her voice and a failed relationship. However, she has the compensation of a beautiful baby daughter in Daisy. The story is told in alternating timelines by Lexie in 1980 and by Flora from 1939 with the outbreak of World War 2, tells the story of her love affair with lairds son Alec MacKenzie-Grant. It weaves in the historic importance of a Loch Ewe as a naval base for the Home Fleet and for the Atlantic and Arctic Convoys.

I absolutely loved this book from start to finish. I’m always drawn to books set in Scotland but had a personal reason for wanting to read it as my father was in the navy and spent a brief time in Loch Ewe before heading to Scapa Flow and elsewhere. As well as being totally transfixed and transported by the storytelling I learned so much too! It’s beautifully written, the mother daughter alternating stories works really well and it flows effortlessly. There are some stunning descriptions of the landscape of this lovely area which made my heart soar like the skylarks in the story and make such a contrast to the horror of the wartime convoys. The characters are fantastic and most are so likeable, the exception being Alec’s father, Sir Charles who is arrogant and cold. I love how the two women’s stories change, Alec and Flora’s initially shines brightly and then changes, becoming darker and tentative whilst Lexi starts uncertainly but finds her anchor in the warm embrace of the lovely community and a very special man. Flora’s story emerges slowly with all its well hidden secrets and at times in very intense and there’s some tension where you almost hold your breath. The war sections are especially vivid especially as the impact of war is reflected in the loss of loved ones with all the grief and devastation. This is so blindingly obvious in a small community dashed by one blow after another and is heartbreaking.

Overall, this book was just what I needed it’s heartwarming, it’s sad, it’s joyous, there are little touches of humour, there’s a wonderful community but most of all the songs and singing. I love the interspersing of traditional folk songs which express so much. Thank you Fiona Valpy for this fantastic and emotional read.

With thanks to NetGalley and Amazon for the ARC for an honest review.

Flora's Waltz

This book is a tearjerker. The book brings home the loss of loved ones during a period of war. It also is a story of secrets. It has been said that "The Truth is a Powerful Force" and I believe it is true. It is certainly true in this story.

The story is about the love between Flora and Alec, and a love story between Davy and Lexy. It's a story of war and the losses felt in the small Scottish village of Loch Ewe. The people in the town and how they gathered together in times of need to help each other. It's about love and friendship and courage. It's about a secret the town kept to keep one of their own safe.

Although the story is written in two time periods, the stories of a mother and in later years her grown daughter, it is very easy to follow . Many of the characters are the same in both stories.

I loved the story and the scenic background of the seaside village. The descriptions of the place, the flowers, and other details were descriptive enough I could picture them in my mind. I also loved the characters.

The story was very well written and I would recommend it.

Thanks to Fiona Valpy, Amazon Publishing UK, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a copy if the book in exchange for an honest review.

This book is set with dual time lines. I thought each one was interesting. I thought the characters were good and felt a connection to them. I think historical fiction fans will enjoy this book. I definitely recommend!
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the early copy

A novel about mothers,daughters,lovers,friends, set in a beautiful Scottish setting. It begins with the story of Flora and then evolves into Lexie Gordon s story. Good story

I went back and forth on how to rate this book. In the end, I'm just giving it two stars because it pretty much spiraled downward for me so I just didn't care though I was interested and liked it in the beginning--less and less so and the book progressed.

I enjoy historical fiction--but here, I use the term's applicability lightly. I also like dual timelines which this has, but...

The settings: "Loch Ewe, 1940. When gamekeeper’s daughter Flora’s remote highland village finds itself the base for the Royal Navy’s Arctic convoys, life in her close-knit community changes forever. In defiance of his disapproving father, the laird’s son falls in love with Flora, and as tensions build in their disrupted home, any chance of their happiness seems doomed."

1978: "Flora’s daughter, singer Lexie Gordon, is forced to return to the village and to the tiny cottage where she grew up. Having long ago escaped to the bright lights of the West End, London still never truly felt like home. Now back, with a daughter of her own, Lexie learns that her mother—and the hostile-seeming village itself—have long been hiding secrets that make her question everything she thought she knew. As she pieces together the fragments of her parents’ story..."

And so it goes,

From the start, I wondered about the predictability of this book. And yes, it was--totally. This is a real disconnect for me. I like surprises but more, not knowing the trajectory from almost the start! Way too neat and tidy,

One HUGE criticism--there are many, many Scottish phrases and descriptions! This book would have benefitted from a glossary, [one advantage of reading in Kindle format]

The writing was acceptable. BUT, I regret spending the time when I could have read a much better book! I could have walked away at any time.

I feel as if I've read this book and seen this movie before--many, many times.

Note: I'm in the distinct minority of opinions.

A real feel-good read, I couldn't put this book down. Set in rural Scotland the story alternates between Lexie who has returned to the place she grew up along with her baby daughter, and her mother during Ww2. One us a love story and the other is about finding a slower pace of life and finding what is important in life.

Loch Ewe, 1940. When gamekeeper’s daughter Flora’s remote highland village finds itself the base for the Royal Navy’s Arctic convoys, life in her close-knit community changes forever. In defiance of his disapproving father, the laird’s son falls in love with Flora, and as tensions build in their disrupted home, any chance of their happiness seems doomed.

Decades later, Flora’s daughter, singer Lexie Gordon, is forced to return to the village and to the tiny cottage where she grew up. Having long ago escaped to the bright lights of the West End, London still never truly felt like home. Now back, with a daughter of her own, Lexie learns that her mother—and the hostile-seeming village itself—have long been hiding secrets that make her question everything she thought she knew.

Valpy's book was perfect escapism for me to the heart of the Scottish Highlands. The tale of mother and daughter both defiant in times of loss, sacrifice and heartache. The dual narration of the novel was incredibly effective in building up both characters and their individual stories which intertwined flawlessly. Although the story is ultimately quite tragic, Valpy crafts little nuggets of pure happiness into the narrative with themes surrounding family, friends and community. I would absolutely recommend.

(This review will be shared on my Book Blog - Instagram.com/whatson.mybookshelf)