Lainey has lost everything. Luckily one little fib (OK, quite a big fib) helps nail her dream job. Soon she's living in a stunning house by the sea, fending off obsessed fans for a retired - if far-from-retiring - actor and organising his charming but chaotic family. It's definitely worth the challenge of keeping her secret.
At least Lainey isn't looking for love. It's time for a break from all that. And yet . . . Seth, the actor's grandson, really is rather attractive. There's growing chemistry and a definite connection between them. But how would he react if he knew she hadn't been honest with him?
Lainey's not the only one with a secret, though. Seth has one of his own. And everything's about to start unravelling . . .
I'd like to thank Anne Cater from Random Things Tours for inviting me to be a part of this blog tour and Headline for my copy of It Started with a Secret eBook to review.
It's been a couple of years since I last read and reviewed a Jill Mansell book on the blog and reading her latest book It Started with a Secret had everything I've come to expect in one of her stories, perfectly crafted characters that you will take into your heart, a picture perfect setting that will make you yearn to escape to Cornwall yourself, and of course maybe a little romance on the side for good measure.
As the title suggests Lainey got what looks to be her dream job on false pretences, she and her friend Kit might have told a little white lie to land themselves their perfect jobs as housekeeper and handyman for a busy family. But as we soon discover Lainey and Kit aren't the only one with a secret or two in the closet, it seems like almost every member of the family has their own secret or story to tell...
I loved the whole family, well almost everyone, from the fabulous patriach of the family Richard, a retired Hollywood actor who seems to have his fair share of obsessive fans wanting to meet him, to his heartthrob of a grandson Seth who seemed almost too good to be true. Then there is Majella, daughter-in-law to Richard and stepmother to Seth, who is is tentatively dipping her toe back into the dating pool following the death of her beloved husband, and her three children, teenage twins India and Violet and young Harry. Each of the cast had their role to play in what was a gorgeous read from start to finish.
It would seem that the family have welcomed Lainey with open arms and she seems to become complicit in most of the compromising, and sometimes bizarre, situations that subsequently arise. I did feel like sometimes she needed to step back from some of the family drama that was going on, or maybe even voice her thoughts, but it did seem that she had the best interest of everyone at heart. She was a real people pleaser and she wanted everyone to be happy, and she too deserves her own share of happiness too.
The story flowed so effortlessly as I was drawn into the family drama and before I knew it I had reached the end and was a little sad to leave Lainey and the family behind. It Started with a Secret was the perfect antidote to the gloomy weather outside, a warm hug of a read that I'm sure will become a firm favourite with readers old and new.
Thanks for the blog tour support Sharon x
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