It took me a chapter or two to really get into this novel, but once I did, I couldn’t stop reading it. I’m not sure the title does it justice, but I found this book to be suspenseful but also spiritually (not religiously) alive, something that is often lacking in fiction today.

With gratitude to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Jen gets that phonecall that all mothers dread. Her 3 year old daughter, Gracie, has been injured in a car accident whilst out with her father's girlfriend. We follow Gracie's path back to health and then forward as Jen starts a new relationship.
There is a supernatural twist in this book. I won't go into detail but if you don't wish to read a book including some belief in the afterlife, protecting angels etc then this is not the book for you.
In most ways this really wasn't a bad book. The characters aren't as three dimensional as they could be but for a fairly standard, holiday read type book they aren't bad.
I could have handled the book and the plot better if the supernatural element hadn't beeen part of it. I found Gracie's ability to "know" things because spirits told her rather irritating. I feel it is a bit of a poor plot device to suddenly introduce things that people have been told via a supernatural spirit. I feel that it is lazy writing.
There are some plot inconsistancies - Jen didn't have a car to begin with and spends a lot of time on buses with large amounts of shopping. However, later on she is driving without any mention of buying a car. I also found it odd that there were large stretches of time when Gracie was in ICU that there were no medical staff around. It was also peculiar that she was allowed to take a child with a head bleed in her arms whilst the child was in ICU and there were no medical staff present. Perhaps a bit more research was needed?
This isn't my sort of book. I found it quite run of the mill with the only USP being the supernatural element which I didn't like.
I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley.

A truly emotional read. The story packs a punch right away with Gracie's accident. It then leads into a story that seems that Jennifer is finally finding some happiness with her daughter surviving this terrible ordeal and then a wonderful new man. However, despite the gentle writing and stories of loss, grief and betray along with love and some happiness the story definitely throws a few turns along the way. A good read.

4.25 Intriguing Stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟.25

I really have been so fortunate as of late, I have read so many wonderful books! And this book was absolutely no exception to that... I usually go into books blind, I hardly ever read the blurb... so halfway through this I was 🤔 is this a thriller or am I seeing a twist because I read so many thrillers? I’m sure all of my fellow thriller Readers do the same thing, we are always looking for that crazy twist.... not going to tell you if this book twists or not, but I am going to tell you it was an engaging and unique read....

The book starts out with Jen getting the phone call every parent fears, her young three-year-old daughter Gracie is in the hospital... she gets to the hospital to find out her daughter is in a coma and her ex-husband‘s new girlfriend Ella was driving the car at the time of this accident.... needing to place blame Jen places all the blame on Ella... The mama bear in me completely empathize with Jen... and even though I didn’t necessarily fine Jen all that relatable, I did always have her back... Ella on the other hand just rubbed me the wrong way.... even when I found out there was more to her story, I still could not find much compassion for her... The majority of the story is told from Jen‘s point of view.... although we did get some of Ella’a perspective as well, yet that still did not make her more likable...

Gracie was an adorable three-year-old, however I must admit there are times I wished she was five... We’ll just say she was a very mature three-year-old, or it has been so long since I’ve had a three-year-old I don’t remember... when Gracie recovers from her coma she begins to tell her mom about some unusual things such as a light and angels... I really found this part of the book unique and well done... whether you are a believer or not the idea of an angel is comforting... I do want to emphasize however this is not a religious book, there is just some mentions of what happens when you die.... there also is to be quite honest an Erie element to it all as well...

All in all this was a really wonderful debut novel, that I would absolutely recommend for a little change of pace...

*** many thanks too Bookouture for my copy of this wonderful book ***

London - 2000

Jen gets a call from her estranged husband, Richard, telling her to hurry to the hospital. He has taken their daughter, Gracie, age 3, for the weekend. Richard’s partner, Ella, and Gracie have been hit head-on in a car accident. Ella is badly bruised, but Gracie is in a coma. The child had had to be resuscitated. The doctor hopes the bleeding in her brain will recede.

As Jen waits in the hospital, Matthew Aster, a doctor from pediatrics, stops to talk to her. He tries to encourage her about Gracie’s recovery and also encourages Jen to eat. He is even kind enough to purchase some food and drink for her.

Ella feels so bad worrying about Gracie and remembering the face of the young woman who slammed into the car. Her name was Vanessa and she died. Ella met Richard when Jen was pregnant with Gracie. She pulled Richard right into her web when she saw that he seemed unhappy.

Soon, Gracie comes out of the coma and is able to return home. Jen is still nervous about what they have been through and she can’t help but feel like she is being watched. After Gracie was born, Jen had a type of post-traumatic shock and was given medication for it. Gracie tells Jen some of the strange things that she saw such as angels. Jen is not a religious woman and has not introduced Gracie to religion. However, Gracie describes how after the car crash, she went to Heaven and saw an angel. When the angel asked her if she wanted to stay or go home, she asked to go home.

Back at home, Jen finds herself very protective of Gracie and resents it when Richard insists that he have Gracie more often. Matthew steps in and becomes a part of Jen’s life, sharing affection with her.

But some things aren’t right and Jen knows it not just from the things that Gracie tells her but from her own feelings.

This is a good story and I think readers will really enjoy it. I have tried to "dance around” the plot so I don’t give away any spoilers. There’s a lot more to this book than you know. I gave the book only 4 stars simply because I wish the author had written Jen a little less obsessive of Gracie.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Jen receives a phone call all mothers dread. Her three year old daughter Gracie has been in a traffic accident and is in a coma. Now, you can see from the book description that Gracie recovers but she’s a bit different as she seems to be able to remember things she shouldn’t. Everything points to Ella, the woman who stole Jen’s husband and the driver of the car Gracie was in.

I must say I wasn’t entirely prepared for how this story unfolded and I think a lot of your enjoyment will depend on whether or not you believe in that big, bright light at the end of the tunnel and angels. If you put that aside though, Gracie’s Secret is centred around a mystery and a mother’s love. There’s no hardship in sympathising with Jen when her daughter starts saying all kinds of weird things. As a single mother, she has nowhere to turn to. Her ex-husband is far too busy keeping his new girlfriend happy.

The story is mostly told through Jen but sometimes we get a few glimpses from Ella’s point of view. Obviously, Jen hates the woman who took her husband from her and is quick to jump onto anything that will prove her point. I must say I didn’t really take to Ella myself and while there is a moment where I felt I should have at least sympathised with her, by that point I was a bit tired of her playing the “victim card”. I’m putting that in between quotation marks because that may just be me and she may not come across like that to other readers.

What starts out rather emotionally quickly takes a more sinister turn. There are lies and secrets to uncover and Jen will discover not all is at it seems. Personally I found a few things to be a bit on the predictable side but ultimately, Gracie’s Secret is about the things a mother will do to keep her child safe.

This is a story about deceit, manipulation, betrayal and the unbreakable bond between mother and child. Sometimes moving, sometimes suspenseful and with quite the unexpected ending that, while somehow perfect, also made me rather sad.

This book made me so frustrated. Please please if you are going to set a book in any hospital setting can you get some accurate medical advice. When a patient has an IV there is no needle in the arm just a plastic cannulae. Gracie had a frontal lobe bleed but the mother picks her up and lays her head on her shoulder. The machines should be sending all kinds of alarms off and the nurses would have told her that Gracie should not be moved. Also It is very unrealistic that a so called doctor would be supplying coffee and food for a patient's mother even if he is fake.Most doctors don't find time to feed themselves. Plus the way the nurses are portrayed as judgemental is unfair, why would a nurse think it was the mother's fault because she wasn't there? I am sorry but I won't be posting a review on social media because I really don't think it is fair when I so obviously didn't gel with the book. I am grateful for the opportunity.

I don't feel as though I am mentally prepared to write this review, but I shall give it my best shot. As weird as this is going to sound, there is a small part of me that wishes I didn't pick up this book to read. Hang on a second, hear me out - I feel like that because up until this moment, I had gone through life surrounded by glaciers, thinking of emotion as a weakness. However, upon finishing 'Gracie's Secret', I now realise that the glaciers I surrounded myself with, aren't as strong as I originally thought. I guess what I am trying to tell you, is that reading Jill Childs' novel allowed me to connect to a part of me that has been under lock and key for many, many years. The small part of me wishing that I didn't read this book, well, that's only because I wasn't prepared to be face to face with an emotion I have refused to let bubble to the surface for a long time; sheer devastation. The type of devastation that stops you from breathing. The type of devastating that makes you tremble and your teeth chatter. The type of devastation that makes the memories of your child's young years, flash before your very own eyes. The type of devastation that leaves you with the question; 'what if that was MY daughter?'.

Let me just clarify one thing - this is in no way a negative thought towards the book, it's actually a positive thing because the author has managed to make me react to her words with something I thought I had well and truly hidden. For one person to do that in the blink of an eye, I am in awe and incredibly impressed by her talents.

Jen's daughter, Gracie, was involved in a car crash where paramedics had to resuscitate her, giving her another chance to fight for her life. The most important 'thing' in Jen's life is her daughter and, thanks to one unfortunate incident involving Gracie and a woman who should have known better, Jen has to prepare herself for the worst possible outcome. An outcome she should not be thinking about nearly four years after the birth of her daughter..

I am bereft. 'Gracie's Secret' is incredibly harrowing, and it will no doubt leave you using all of the toilet roll in your house to mop up your tears. I had my heart in my mouth the entire time where Gracie concerned, especially when she was trying to get her parents to believe what was coming out of their mouth. I was frustrated for her because she was adamant that she saw what she did, yet people around her kept mentioning her mindset due to how little she is. Yes, I see their point a little bit - after all, we all know how three or four-year olds like to tell stories. But c'mon, those who know their children well enough will know when they're being serious or not. Well, that's what I think anyway.

The aftermath of the incident left Jen feeling incredibly raw, understandably. But, I did struggle to get my head around a few of her actions as I either thought she was acting rather hastily, or that she wasn't thinking logically. The author made Jen's views of her husbands' girlfriend, Ella, very clear, but I couldn't help but feel as though there was a little 'pot kettle black' going on between the two of them.

Whilst there were two large parts of the storyline in particular which left me feeling devastated, the whole novel has an emotional vibe to it and, in despite of the more heart-warming moments, the feeling of grief could not be shifted. If you are looking for a feel-good novel then personally, I would say that this isn't the one for you. However, if you're needing a good cry then you have scored with this one.

Jill Childs' has a very enchanting way of story telling, bringing every minor detail and description to life in the blink of an eye. Yes, I cried. Yes, the story turned me into a sobbing puddle. And yes, I was incredibly devastated. BUT, I loved the poignancy, the power, and the treasure trove of emotions all wrapped up in one little story parcel. 'Gracie's Secret' is a beautiful, beautiful read. A read that needs to be treasured for what it is, as well as everything it stands for.

I read the synopsis of this book and I just knew that I had to read it. It sounded just my cup of tea. I was not to be disappointed because I absolutely loved it but more about that in a bit.
The majority of the book is narrated by Jen, who is the proud mother of Gracie. She gets the sort of phone call that every parent dreads and that is to say that Gracie has been involved in an accident and that Jen needs to get to the hospital as quickly as possible. Of course all sorts of scenarios run through her head and I am surprised that she managed to get herself to the hospital in one piece. Since her husband (Gracie’s Dad) left them for another woman, Jen and Gracie have formed an even closer bond that they had before. The whole accident scenario is made even worse by the fact that Jen’s ex-husband’s new girlfriend was driving the car at the time. Gracie is in a coma, which she eventually wakes up from. Jen very rarely leaves Gracie’s bed side and if she did then she was only a phone call away. Jen begins to form a friendship with one of the paediatric doctors from the hospital and it was nice to see her having support in her corner. That said there was a little bit of me that was suspicious of the doctor and his motives. Gracie begins to talk about things that she saw or heard whilst she was in her coma or in the immediate aftermath of the accident, which unsettles Jen a bit. In a way I found it comforting to listen to descriptions of Gracie’s ‘visions’, as I believe in that sort of thing. It appears that certain things have been kept secret.
Oh my goodness this book had my heart in my mouth from the moment I started reading. I am not a mother myself but I fully appreciate how hard it must be for a woman to lose her child because that is what happened to my mother, whose son (my brother) died at 4 days old. I know how it affected and still affects her to this day and so I was easily able to see and understand Jen’s fear of losing Gracie. I felt empathy with Jen and there were several times when I wanted to jump inside the pages of the book and give her a hug. The author’s writing style is such that you can’t fail to be drawn into the story from the first word on the first page. That certainly happened to me. I became addicted to reading this book as I just had to know what Gracie’s secret was, if her father’s new girlfriend was hiding something and what the motives of the paediatric doctor were. The pages were going so fast that it was almost as if they turning themselves and before I knew what was happening I had finished the book which I had mixed feelings about. I was pleased to finish because I knew how the story ended but I was enjoying reading this book so much that I just wanted it to continue. By the time I had finished reading, I really did feel as though I had been through an emotional wringer. I didn’t cry but I wasn’t far off as I kept putting myself in Jen’s position and on more than one occasion I felt a lump in my throat.
In conclusion I have to say that I really did enjoy reading ‘Gracie’s Secret’ and I would definitely recommend it to other readers. I found it hard to believe that this was the author’s debut novel as the story, the characters and the writing were so polished and so good. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a well deserved 4* out of 5*.

Good book. You kinda guess some of it but the end throws you right off. Sad for a lot of people. Well worth reading though. Looking forward to
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I think my most favorite part, the part that literally gave me chills was when jennifer explained how she was in her daughter's presence in VENICE because Gracie was thinking of her. She did a great job making u feel like you were floating above Gracie too and felt the love only smother could feel. I was unphased by the fact that she jumped in to save Gracie because as a mother I wouldn't have hesitated either. But I also loved when matt went floating face down in the river! Lol

What an emotional read, full of suspense, lies, love and much more.

It all starts when Jen gets a phone call from her estranged husband to say that their daughter, Gracie, has been in an accident. Gracie nearly dies after being in a car accident whilst her dads new girlfriend, Ella, is driving the car. Looking for someone to blame Jen does all she can to prove that Ella wasn’t concentrating on the road whilst driving.

As Gracie recovers she starts to remember information from the accident and what happened after. Meanwhile Jen meets Dr Matt who is very much a shoulder to cry on but is everything as it seems ?

The story is packed full of emotions from a Mum who nearly lost her child and does all she can to protect her. There are also secrets and deceit buried in the past and present which are all ready to be discovered. But what is the real truth ?

This is a great book and being a parent myself you can really feel the emotion that Jen is going through. A book full of suspense that will keep you hooked.

Thank you to Bookouture and Net Galley for a digital copy of this book. All opinions in this review are my own and not biased in anyway.

Gracie's Secret was such a beautiful story! I fell in love with this book right away. As you know we read a lot of thrillers, so I was very suspicious of Matt for the first part of the book. But once I got over that (haha) I fell into the book and found the most beautiful story full of love. A mother's love is far beyond explanation but you can feel the strength of it in this book and as a mother it makes me want to hold my children tight. The heart wrenching accident that starts off the book and the way Jen's whole world stops for her daughter, waiting for her to come back, catches you from page one and and holds onto your heart through the whole book. Jill Childs deals with tough situations in Gracie's Secret from death, beliefs, divorce and loss. Gracie's Secret is a breathtaking must read!
We so grateful to Bookouture for the chance to read and review Jill Childs book Grace's Secret. We are looking forward to more from this wonderful author.

Jen gets a phone call to tell her that her daughter Gracie’s been rushed to hospital after being in a car crash. Gracie is a miracle. She died at the scene and pulled through after being resuscitated.

When Jen tries to find out what caused the accident she gets more than she bargained for.

Gracie’s Secret is a well told page turner. The love Jen feels for her daughter Gracie is portrayed well throughout the story.

I really enjoyed this emotional and suspenseful story. I’m looking forward to reading more from this author.

It's hard to believe that this is a debut book for this author. I look forward to her next novel. The story moves along at a rapid pace as the reader tries to make way of what's going on. Told in first person by Jenn most of the time, readers will feel her pain. Richard, the estranged husband, along with Ella, the new girlfriend are very hard to like. Little Gracie is a loveable character even though she tends to run off all the time. Add Matt, the understanding new friend of Jenn's and this story is makes quite the rollercoaster ride. Highly recommended!

Gracie Secret begins with Gracie’s accident. Jen receives a dreadful call about her daughter’s accident. Her heart is broken when she finds out that Gracie is in a coma. However, her devastation turns to anger when she finds out that Ella, her husband’s ex, was the driver when the accident occurred. Jen doesn’t trust Ella and she gets more frustrated when she begins to suspect that Ella may have been responsible for the accident.

This story is mainly narrated by Jen. It was easy to sympathize with her. I am not a mom but I can’t begin to imagine the nightmare of finding out that one’s child has been hurt. The first chapters detailed Jen’s heartbreak and were really hard to read. I wish there were other POVs in the narration though. Perhaps, Gracie’s or her father’s Richard. I enjoyed the few chapters narrated by Ella because they provided a break from Jen’s narration. I would definitely have liked to hear from other characters though.

This is an emotional read as mentioned in the blurb. There is a bit of mystery going on about the events surrounding the accident. I wouldn’t describe the twist as shocking because I pretty much guessed it from the start. Nevertheless, I liked Child’s writing and enjoyed the themes in this story. I especially liked the recurring theme of a mother’s love. The life after death angle was also a unique, interesting addition to the story.

How you feel about this might depend on whether you believe in an afterlife and angels. It's well written, if occasionally over dramatic, to my mind, and it's got a good twisty plot. Jen's daughter Gracie is badly injured in a accident in a car driven by Ella, the girlfriend of Jen's ex-husband. She suffers a TBI which leads her to make certain pronouncements, especially about Ella. Ella's got something to hide, as does Matt, who Jen meets in the aftermath. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. It's a good read.

Brilliant, thrilling and fiendishly addictive. The author masterfully takes us on a journey, packed with twists. A book I cannot put down and one I will be thinking about for a very log time. Hard to believe that this is a debut author. I will be waiting eagerly for more of her books.

One thing I can say for sure : this story is about the love of a mother for her child. Being a mother myself, I could certainly understand how Jen felt. You always want to protect your child and definitely after what she had been through.
But there is much more in this book. You also get suspense mixed with lies and deceit. You feel for Jen after the accident and you are relieved when Gracie recovers. Little by little Jen seems to get her life back on the rails but all that glitters is not gold and dreams can shatter easily when everything is revealed.
All is well that ends well? That's for me to know and you to read. So grab your copy and enjoy.
Thank you Jill Childs, Bookouture and Netgalley.

Well Gracie's Secret has been quite a thrilling read let me tell you. When I started reading this, I kind of already had a picture in my head as to what I might expect from this story, well I couldn't have been more wrong if I tried. I was pleasantly surprised that's for sure.

It was a highly tense read throughout, wondering what would happen, the bizarre strange occurances that Gracie was experiencing, what did it all mean, was any of it true or just her vivid imagination, she is after all only 3 years old! This meant that I couldn't turn those pages fast enough so as to find out.

There were moments that had my heart pounding and other noments when my nerves were on tenderhooks. I was truly captivated and enthralled with this book.  Whilst reading it, I kept trying to piece everything together in my head, and figure it all out, and wondering how it would all end.

Speaking of the ending, I was completely shocked as was not expecting it all to end the way it did. I was like no no, please don't end it like this. It literally bought a tear or two to my eyes. It certainly wasn't a predictable ending that's for sure. I'm still a little shocked and sad by it to be honest.

One thing I wasn't expecting with this book, was the trip to Venice and it's the significance to the story. The way in which it was described and all the different places that were visited, made you literally feel like you were there in Venice for real, experiencing it all.

Last words, I can't believe this is Jill's debut book, you certainly wouldn't think it given how very well written it was. I'll definitely be looking forward to her next book.