WTH did I just read. This book seriously smacked me upside the head with the twists ad turns. This story took me to a place of intrigue and so many unanswered questions up until they weren't. The author did such an amazing job with the story. Once I started this book I could not stop reading. Thank you NetGalley.

Such a sad story. So many emotions come through when reading it. I did guess who it was, but that didn’t distract from my enjoyment of the story asnit was so well written and played out.

What a fabulous book. I was hooked from page one and could not put this book down. So many emotions in the plot. I highly recommend this book. I received an arc from Netgalley and this is my unbiased review.

Claire Brusso’s daughter Julia is found dead after committing suicide. Distraught, Claire searches through Julia belongings to see what would have made her seemingly happy daughter so desperate. She finds a shoebox full of letters from someone who Julia was in love with, but Claire has no idea who this person is. Wanting to find out who it is, she looks more closely into Julia’s life and finds that she was a hiding a terrible secret….

What a heart-breaking story! I knew from reading the blurb that this was not going to be an easy read, but it had me gripped from the first chapter. Based in Australia, two teenage girls on the way home from a Halloween party find what they initially think is a Halloween dummy on the front porch of their friend, Julia’s house. Upon a closer look, they realise that it’s Julia who has shockingly hung herself. From that discovery, the book became more heart-breaking as it takes us on what could only be described as a ‘fly on the wall’ view on Julia’s family and particularly her mother Claire’s grief.

Claire Russo is married to Adrian but her previous marriage was an abusive one and whilst her ex-husband Joel is now a changed man, she has obviously had a very difficult time married to him and has done her utmost to protect her children. I felt for Claire so much, not just for what she was going through now but what she has already been through. It was also awful to read how she blamed herself for not picking up on the signs that her daughter was so unhappy, but it was a guilt which I’m sure any mother would take on. Claire does though comes across as such a strong and brave woman and this does show as the story moves on.

The story is told mainly from the point of view of Claire. It does have the anonymous love letters in between the chapters, and I have to admit I did think at first that they were letters written by Claire in her grief, until as I read more of them I realised they were from Julia’s lover. I didn’t initially work out who it could be but, for me, it became obvious as the story moved on and I loved the reveal at the end. I thought this was going to be just an overwhelmingly sad book about a mother’s loss, but it was more than that! It felt like I was on a rollercoaster of emotions, dipping and rising. The tissues came out, then they were put back away only for them to be taken back out again further into the book! With a thriller essence into the story, this book had me on edge wondering what on earth was going on as the truth was slowly uncovered.

The subject matter may not be for everyone as suicide is never an easy subject to read about, but the book was written sensitively to deal with this. There were lots of different characters, all with some connection to Julia, which made trying to work out who the mysterious lover was all the more fun. It is a shocking read but there’s so much passion put into the writing that compels you to keep your eyes fixed firmly onto the page for fear of missing something. A heart-wrenchingly sad story of lies, deceit and secrets. Definitely a book that will make you want to hug your children and never let them go. Would definitely recommend, but make sure you have tissues to hand!

An unexpected suicide, sins and mother seeking for the truth about her daughter. In her search for the truth , she find some old letters. Although the outcome of this mystery was predictable, I really enjoyed this book. Great plot, believable characters . I was able to read it in three days. Thank you for my advance copy, I will recommend it to friends and family and continue to follow this author.

The suicide of Claire's daughter Julia had left her grief stricken and traumatized but also desperate to know why her beautiful and seemingly happy and healthy daughter had felt so anguished and despairing to commit such a terrible act.
But on finding and reading a box of letters she had discovered under Julia's bed, Claire realized her daughter had had secrets she had no idea about and the more she read the more uneasy she became !!!!

Even though I had guessed quite early on who I thought X was ( and was right) it didn't detract from the enjoyment of an emotional and enjoyable read.

The characters were a good mix , interesting and realistic, some likeable and others not so much, the storyline kept me engrossed and the ending was certainly unexpected and ended with a real cliff hanger !!!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC for my honest review.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book kept me reading but there were a few things I didn't enjoy about it. It was not believable to me that the abusive ex-husband would change his stripes quite so easily and quickly. The villain was easy to guess very early on in the book and all the red-herrings just confirmed to me that I was right. This made me want to keep reading to see how Claire figured it out but it was definitely not a big surprise at the end. I also thought the book could have been tightened up quite a bit - it was very repetitive.

The book started with a body hanging on a porch. The rest was trying to find answers as to why Julia would suddenly kill herself. What followed was trying to figure out who her married lover was. I thought I knew, but toward the end it was apparent I was looking in all the wrong places. This is a book about familial ties and breaking the traditions, actually tarnishing, what the notion of family should be. I enjoyed the book and the ending was satisfying.

A heartbreaking story of a daughters suicide, and mysterious circumstances involving a much older man. A hard book to read because of the suicide but a well put together story.

My Daughter's Secret by Nicole Trope is a gripping story about a family in crisis. This is a powerful novel that is both suspenseful and emotional, and a very timely take on contemporary domestic life.

It is Halloween night and Julia Barker is found hanged on her mother and stepfather's porch, an apparent suicide. Obviously in shock, Julia's mother Claire cannot comprehend how her seemingly happy daughter could have reached a point where she would commit such an act. Told from her own perspective, Claire seeks to find answers from those who knew her daughter best, and heads to Melbourne where Julia was attending college. Once in her daughter's room, Claire discovers a series of letters to Julia from a secret lover, simply signed 'x'. Claire is determined to unveil the identity of this mystery man, and expose him for his role in Julia's death.

This is a twisty and compelling read, and the subject matter left me emotionally fraught and guessing for most of the narrative. I am anxious to seek out more from this author.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this compelling ARC.

In my Daughter's Secret, Nicole Trope tackles a difficult subject in what appears to be the suicide of Claire's student daughter Julia. Claire and her husband Adrian (Julia's step father) are especially shocked when Julia is found dead outside their house, when they thought she was away from home in Melbourne studying journalism at University. She seemed to be happy and healthy so why had she suddenly decided to drive home and hang herself on their front porch? Claire is certain there must have been something Julia wasn't telling them, so when she finds a box of letters from an older man in Julia's room, she tries to find out the identity of Julia's secret lover.

This was a heartbreaking story. Claire was in so much pain, blaming herself for Julia's unwillingness to confide in her and her whole family starts to fall apart as she becomes obsessed with finding Julia's lover. Julia's father was also devastated, regretting that he was never able to form a bond with Julia after his marriage to Claire ended. As we only see glimpses of Julia and her lover through his letters, we don't get to see how such an affair could have started and why Julia allowed it to then continue. The truth when it is revealed is unexpected and hard to understand without seeing more from Julia's perspective. However, it all made for a compelling, gripping story and a heartbreaking read as Claire slowly uncovers the truth.

I loved the blurb, I loved the beginning of the story. The book started with a shocker – a suicide. Julia was found hanging from the porch, and her mother Claire was devastated. What caused a happy 20 year old, studying journalism, to take such a drastic step?

The author Nicole Trope started the story with a bang which went on to describe a mother’s pain. There can really be no words on this earth to describe that grief. The story continued with Claire’s investigation into her daughter’s life where she made startling discovery of Julia being in a secret relationship.

The whole premise of the story was thrilling, but there were so many facts that niggled me.

Claire was unlikable. I could understand her pain but not her attitude. Her reactions felt odd at some moments.
The flashback showed scenes but didn’t show love between mother and daughter.
I could guess the reason of Julia’s death from the very beginning, it was obvious and icky. But I could let go of it for the story
The ex-husband was an abuser one who physically hit Claire throughout her marriage but was shown as a reformed man. It all felt a little unbelievable.
The new husband was a bit whiny at times
I liked that the book read fast, the ending was left for us to assume. The letters written to Julia brought out each layer of her relationship and the way it progressed. Claire’s grief and helplessness and glimpses of her determination was well written. The plotline had a kick, and I read the book to see if I was right in my guess.

I was!!

I was curious to read this from the blurb and it didn't disappoint. It's a compelling read filled with loss and the main character's quest to find out the painful truth. Although I had guessed who x was half way through the book, it was not the ending I thought it would be. I was given this to read in exchange for my honest opinion and I would like to thank the publishers and netgalley for letting me have the book to review.

This book was awesome!!!
I was given this book from NetGalley for an honest review
Caroline and her husband own a beautiful beach home. Her husband so busy with work is hardly ever there or so it seems - and when she meets a beautiful stranger on the beach the sparks fly!
An affair, an obsession, stalking, a husband murdered
With the twist and turns that move so fast your head is spinning you will reel at the ending!

My Daughter's Secret explores the grief and confusion of Claire after the unexpected suicide of her daughter Julia.

The novel is beautifully written and the author has dealt with the difficult topic of suicide very well.

I enjoyed the story but I guessed who 'x' was early on . I found that the story ended very abruptly. I felt there could have a few extra chapters added to the end of the story, to bring it to a more satisfying finish.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC.

--I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are purely my own and not influenced in any way.--

Let me start by saying I understand that grief is an extremely difficult emotion: you get angry much quicker, it's all consuming, and no one reacts the same way. I also realize that suicide is a difficult topic and very REAL topic and afterwards you want answers and sometimes don't get them. I say all of that, because even knowing that, I hated pretty much everyone in this book.

The mother, Claire, is in the throes of grief after her daughter's suicide and after a bad relationship (but her abuser turned good, y'all! She won't stop making that point). Her grief takes on the form of anger and being a sanctimonious "but I am her MOTHER" type of character. Even in flashbacks she was intolerable and I kind of understood why her daughter might not have wanted to go to her, which is kind of the opposite of what we were supposed to believe. Her new husband was barely a character beyond the everyman and the reformed abuser had no real emotion beyond also anger, but more controlled anger. I have no real thoughts on Julia, the daughter, beyond wondering how complicit she really was and if so, why?

I saw the twist coming. Maybe just read these kinds before, but it didn't really shock me. All of the swerves I guessed before they happened and I only stuck with it to see if I was right. The story was compelling enough, but damn, I hated everyone in this book and was glad to end it.

If you or someone you know is suicidal or has suicidal thoughts, please call the suicide hotline at 1-800-273-8255. It's available 24 hours everyday and has a texting option as well.

An amazingly heartbreaking story that could not be more timely. Written exceptionally well and with heart.

This book was quite interesting. It starts out with our main character Claire realizing that her daughter is dead.
With such a terrible thing thrown at her she sets off trying to figure out why her daughter, Julia, would take her own life when to Claire's knowledge she was a happy healthy young woman with the whole world at her feet. Then when Claire finds a box of letters under Julia's bed she is suddenly thrown into a world that she never knew her daughter experienced. The best part was every time I was convinced I knew who wrote the letters I got another piece of information that changed my thoughts completely. It really kept me on my toes trying to figure out who X was. I really liked how the author wrote the characters all of them were very interesting with their own flaws and successes. They were very realistic and easily relatable. However the plot was the best part of this book it was so thrilling and exciting something that held my attention till the very last page and beyond. Very good book I would strongly recommend this one. Its very hard to say much more without giving anything away but this is one that I think everyone should read. The ending was such a shock that I never saw coming. Just another twist right when my guard was down. Great job. This book needs to be enjoyed by everyone and read at least two times to really see what was unfolding.

Nicole is a new author to me and I really enjoyed reading this book, it is a good paced story with well developed characters and it kept me on the edge of my seat throughout, and I didn't guess who was behind the letters.

I can recommend this book and thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for giving me the opportunity.

I strongly disliked this book. It left me feeling all disgusted and dirty, which is not something I want from a book.

It started out okay. I didn't love the characters, but they were okay.

About 30% of the way into the book I had figured out what happened the night that Julia died. I figured out who 'x' was and couldn't bear reading Claire suspecting the wrong person(s), so I skipped to 70% and read through the end.

I absolutely hate who 'x' turned out to be. I really just feel like Julia wouldn't have done that. From everything else we learned about her throughout the story she seemed like a very nice young woman. I just can't imagine what she did. That makes me feel like maybe there was some conditioning or something going on.

I have more thoughts about the ending, but I can't go into any detail because of spoilers.