Intense, Emotional, Mind Blowing, Brilliant!

So this is my first book by this author and I’m amazed by how well written the book was!
The connection between the MCs, the love they had, the angst and the fireworks between them is just crazy! The writing is sooooo good that it moves you from inside! Rarely do I get emotional with books, in general I’m either happy, entertained, frustrated or just simply with a big smile on my face.
This book is different, the emotions are so real! It’s the kind of book that will make you think, and it will last in your head for a while! The struggle they go through, is so well written that you feel it in your gut!

The idea of nuns and convents wasn’t very appealing to me at the beginning, but storyline is so much more than that!
I highly recommend this book! You will not be entertained, but rather you will be deeply moved!

“I received an ARC for an honest review.”

This was so much slow burn and Tilly is so conservative I started wondering if this book was going to have a happy end or not. Luckily it worked out but not without hitches.

Tilly is a very unique character, almost Victorian. Take all mention of cars, Netflix and wifi away and we are back in the Victorian age. She kept reminding me of Ann from Gentleman Jack. Only that this story is set now in the modern present time. Kate wasn't really complicated or so. For me, the book was more about Tilly's character development and the side plot of the Catholic boarding school.

Kate and Tilly attended the same Catholic school as kids where they shared a dorm room and also a few kisses. But that was twelve years back. At that time Tilly was determined to become a nun. Twelve years thence, both of them are back in the same school as teachers now, sharing their living quarters once again. Their respective terms overlap for only three terms after which Kate plans to move out. Tilly is also now engaged to a Vicar with two little kids. During the twelve years, Kate has also embraced her sexuality and finds that she is as attracted to Tilly as she was when they were sixteen.

The book is written entirely from Kate’s PoV. So we are with her every faltering step in navigating her relationship with Tilly, every tortured thought of tamping down her want and her love, every inconsolable feeling regarding Tilly. It is easy to understand, empathise with and ache for Kate. The book is written for that.

However, in their current reality, Tilly is the only one who is taking all the risks, who is laying herself out and bare for the relationship. She has to reconcile her feeling for Kate with her faith, discover her sexuality – in fact, she has never been touched by anyone till now, struggle with changing her beliefs and realities. And she has to do this all entirely by herself, because Kate has a sense of victimhood as she carries her own feelings for Tilly like a chip on her shoulder. It is like Kate feels that because out and willing, carrying a flame for Tilly forever her commitment is obvious. But it really isn’t.

Tilly is tentative and timid but she is the one who initiates conversations and contact. She carries a whole world of greater emotion and depth of emotion for Kate. Kate doesn’t particularly answer any of Tilly’s words or emotions. In fact, the only thing Kate responds to and with is lust. When Tilly needs Kate to fight for her, Kate says Tilly needs to figure out things for herself – a constant refrain from Kate. We can’t imagine how scary and lonesome this whole relationship must’ve been for Tilly and the courage and bravery it must’ve taken to make the leap of faith and commit herself to Kate who has not done overtly done anything to make Tilly feel wanted or secure (as a reader we see where she is, but she doesn’t let Tilly know any of it).

This is a long book but makes you actually live the story. The slow burn creates constant eroticism in every touch and look that the MCs exchange. The bubbling sexual tension has you longing for the first kiss to happen already. It is a great read and highly recommended.

Wow wow wow. I had to make myself stop halfway to get some sleep before going back to The Secret Chord as soon as I woke up this morning. This novel is a rollercoaster of feelings, emotions and angst and I’d happily go for more.

Tilly and Kate were schoolmates at St. Joan’s Catholic school, they were roommates and then a bit more but didn’t go very far, as Tilly was planning on becoming a nun. When they meet again twelve years after graduation as temporary teachers at their old school, Tilly is engaged to a much older man, a vicar who seems mostly interested in her as a nanny for his two young children. Kate, on the other hand, is still as in love with Tilly as she was at sixteen.

I don’t know what it is with books involving Catholic characters but I often postpone reading them (I’m not a Catholic, which might be partly why) only to find that they’re often the most intense. Reconciling religious feelings and being attracted to women makes for a great romance when it’s well done. Tilly is so naive and at the same time so willing to understand, so strong and sweet and complicated, Kate doesn’t stand a chance. My heart was breaking along with Kate’s and mended with hers as well. It could be very annoying, this back and forth Tilly is doing, but it’s so cleverly written that it’s inherently poignant.

This book is going to stay in my mind for a while, no doubt.

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.

Kate and Tilly met at catholic boarding school when Tilly was sent there to live with her aunt who is a nun after losing her parents.

They became bestfriends as they grow older their feelings for each other begin to change from friends to romantic. Kate wanted a life with Tilly while Tilly always dream of becoming a nun and Kate knows she won't be able to change her mind.

When Kate left for college she decide not to contact Tilly anymore in attempt to get over her feelings and move on. Tilly stayed and became a teacher and is engage to Vicar and going to be a stepmother to his children.

When Kate accept a temporary job as teacher at the school she is sursprise to see that Tilly didn't took the vow to become a nun and that she is engaged to be married.

I like how the author focus on Kate pov and how she struggle to connect with Tilly while trying to keep her feelings at bay and I like that through Kate eyes how she dealt with things and the role she played in Tilly's journey.

I like that the nuns who were the secondary characters didn't preach but quietly listen and appectance and been there when needed.

Romance at its finest.

<i>"Tilly had longed for a simple life and devoting herself to God. Kate had longed for a simple life and devoting herself to Tilly."</i>

Rarely do I feel like a book so emphatically resonates with me. All of the pieces have to come together just right. And they did.

Kate and Tilly were best friends at their catholic boarding school. After graduation, they lost touch. Kate has tried to get over Tilly for 12 years. Kate ends up taking a temporary teaching position at the school. And Tilly ends up walking right back into her life. To Kate's surprise, Tilly never took her vows to become a nun. To even more surprise, Tilly is engaged to be married to a handsome Vicar and stepmother to his children.

This was so very complicated. There was longing that I felt in my bones. Deep feelings so heavy they were destined to be revealed. Interactions charged with want. Emotions ran the gamut.

Virginia Hale is such a talented writer. She showed us this beautiful relationship between two women. No telling. Showing us with looks, words, and touches. I read a ridiculous amount of books and so few of them can make me feel what the characters are feeling. I loved. I ached. I desired. I hoped.

And who hasn't ever felt this way but never had the words as eloquent to describe?:

<i>"It was hard to throw Tilly a buoy when she was in desperate need of a lifeline too."</i>

I didn't even have to finish this book to know it was going to be one of my all time favorites. Not a single complaint. I loved all of the author's decisions and direction. I'm feeling like this review is inadequate because I can't find the right words to say how much I loved this.

I recommend this to everyone. Romance, second chances, feelings of unrequited love, religious guilt, emotional affair, infidelity, slow burn, will they/won't they, and ferries.

<i>I received an ARC from the publisher for an honest review.</i>

I've been watching out for Virginia Hale's work since her award-winning "Echo Point" which first drew me to her writing style and story narrative. I loved her debut novel. "Where There's A Will" took up a notch in the storytelling category which impressed me. And now she has elevated the quality of her writing and story construction/creation to yet another level in her latest romance outing, "The Secret Chord," which is now my favourite book of hers, thusfar! I have so much respect for new authors who consistently hone in and improve their craft, pushing their skills to challenge themselves creatively. I marvel at those who have that mindset. Hale has that quality.

Which brings me back to "The Secret Chord." First off, it was the subject matter mentioned on the blurb that first piqued my interest. Catholic nuns/sisters and teachers. Convent school. Boarding school. Yup. I've always been drawn to and fascinated with stories about nuns and convents! Most prolly because I had such fond memories of the nuns and sisters in my convent school since Nursery. Hence, I always have a soft spot for them whenever I see them strolling on the streets or in public transport. Having said that, unfortunately most (if not all!) of the lesfic romance featuring MCs who're sisters/nuns, always seem to have sad, tragic endings. At least that's been my reading experience. But this time, after reading the blurb, I decided to bite the bullet and take the proverbial plunge. Why? Prolly because it's Hale? And also I just had a strong feeling that, this time around, maybe...just maybe...that there could be an HEA for a couple of Catholic school teachers after all and my heart wouldn't be ripped out after slogging through the entire book filled with angst, eh? Well...  Needless to say, I found myself heaving a huge sigh of relief and smiling inside-out after reading the last sentence of the final page! Hope. Faith. Love. In the end...?

First off, I was immediately drawn to the foundation that setup the story - a Catholic convent+boarding school, a group of adolescent school girls from various backgrounds, nuns and sisters, young and old, who were either teachers or residents, including non-religious teachers, all congregated in a small island appropriately named, "Lords"!!! It was Hale's vivid description of the entire setting that really anchored the authenticity of how she was going to weave the story. I thought it was important for the reader to have a clear, mental image of the setting, isolated from the world's influence outside. Thanks to Hale's visual details, I felt like I was also amongst the inhabitants within the walls of the convent school, which made the Tilly and Kate's story even more reverberating for me.

Another thing I wanna mention is my surprise when I realised that Hale opted to focus on Kate's POV. Usually, when one of the MCs goes through a life-changing event, she'd be the POV-focus. In this case, Tilly was the character undergoing that course but Hale turned the tables and explored Tilly's growth from Kate's POV, instead. So it was an interesting shift for me as a reader because this time, I was exploring and discovering Tilly's character through Kate's eyes, her assumptions and inner psyche. Interesting M.O., innit? But with this approach, I also had a chance to explore Kate's role in Tilly's journey, her own struggle, dilemma and insecurities pertaining to how she felt for Tilly at various stages of their connection.

Ok, let's talk about the love story, shall we? Not an original trope, this unrequited love between Kate and Tilly that began when they were both teen students in the same convent school that they were currently teaching in. But Hale crafted it a bit differently. Well, when I use the word, "unrequited," there's a little twist to it, which I thought Hale had deftly rooted it ever-so subversively in some enigmatic circumstances which I soon discovered as I explored deeper into Kate and Tilly's journey. Perhaps that's why Hale chose to focus solely on Kate's POV so the reader would also be in the same boat as Kate as she tried to manoeuvre her lifelong deep yearning for Tilly under a seemingly hopeless situation and figure out what really lied beneath Tilly's constant push-pull? Well, that's just my own conjecture. Ignore me if you think this is just bonkers!

In any case, I found myself getting more intrigued to be only in Kate's psyche as each stage of their development progressed further and deeper, especially when Tilly slowly began to show some signs of uncertainty, her emotional shift when it came to her relationship with Kate - as besties or something else, her own crippling conditioning about her role as a religious devotee, a woman and all the traditional expectations that she thought she had to meet, to name a few. The intriguing part? All these discoveries that I experienced stemmed from Kate's perspective! Gave me a different but still effective level of resonance. All these factors are best discovered directly by the reader so I won't elaborate here because the way Hale weaved the series of obstacles (real or perceived) that wedged between Kate and Tilly's efforts (or lack thereof in Tilly's case, at least in the early stages!) to delve into their growing relationship was utterly affecting.

Back to Kate's view about her unrequited love for Tilly. Why she felt that way was not without good reason. In her mind, there was always this question plaguing her as her lifelong yearning and longing for Tilly proved in vain - how could one compete with someone's commitment and devotion to God and the Church? This was precisely the issue that fascinated me, further fuelled by Hale's utterly compelling depiction of human love vs. love of God/Church. Mutually exclusive or infinitely compatible? Prolly my favourite moment was how Tilly reconciled with this conundrum with Kate standing at the sidelines....waiting....hoping...wishing.

Speaking of Kate and Tilly, can I just say, their chemistry was undeniable from the start! Hale described that innate magnetic pull these two childhood besties still had with each other even after 12 years' absence so utterly fervently their deep-seated connection was palpable. The organic feel of their mutual but covert attraction, desire (and perhaps love) effectively conveyed just how powerful and strong those hidden feelings and raw emotions were 12 years later! Utterly intense - every single time these two shared the same space, I could feel the yearning, the longing, the fear that these two constantly warred with themselves internally. Whilst Kate was constantly pining for Tilly's reciprocity of her desire and love, with heartbreaking longing which Hale brilliantly depicted, Tilly on the other hand, through Kate's eyes, was seen fighting off Kate at first, but the irresistible urge to also be close to Kate - this whole tug-of-war, push-pull, back-and-forth dance - was portrayed with such conviction, I could feel Tilly's confusion, conundrum, her struggle to snap out of this seemingly endless dream/fantasy/nightmare that was her deep-seated but totally unfamiliar feelings for Kate, her bestie, that went beyond a platonic relationship. Oh, to witness Kate's aching agony, her pain, all displayed with soul-crushing effect!

As they unwittingly immersed in a heartrending emotional affair that went deeper as they grew closer, something changed. It was intoxicating to explore the slow shift especially in Tilly's case as she discovered more about herself, her true self. Not to mention, the persistent angst that Hale injected into their drama. Normally, I'm not a big fan of stories that are riddled with angst, but in this case, it was very crucial to the characters and their changing perspectives that would alter their entire lives. Furthermore, it was to be expected. I mean, two teachers in a Catholic school, the same school Kate first felt something for Tilly that she'd carry for the next 12 years (and beyond), no less, exploring their relationship under the roof of nuns and curious students? What could be more angst-ridden? Also, the impact of their emotional journey wouldn't have been as intense, riveting and reverberating had Hale not turned up the dial on the angst and tension factor. In fact, I'd consider the angst as its own character altogether! It was frustrating at times but I assure you it's worth it in the end! For me, who usually avoids heavily angst-ridden romances, to admit that, is saying something, if I may say so myself (not to mention this book turning out to be my favourite Hale book, so far! Blimey! Pigs are flying! It's a mad world out there, I tell ya! But I'm totally fine with my surprising pick, so that's that!). PLUS, the angst also created some of the most erotic, sensual moments that truly defined the level of sheer desperation, desire, and ferocious longing between these two characters, portrayed with deep resonance! I believe this was Hale's most erotic writing yet amongst her previous two books, imho! Needless to say, it was totally effective! Well done, Ms. Hale! Read it and judge for yourself!

Nonetheless, the road to life has many twists and turns. You just never know, do you? Tilly was sure she knew what she wanted. Kate was sure her love wouldn't be returned however much she wished and hoped. All I can say is things never go as planned, do they? And whilst we're at it, we know that the road to love is never smooth. Perseverance. Hale nailed the realism of Kate's character and psyche of a person who would literally wait until the end of time if there was the slightest chance in love and life with her lifelong one true love with utter earnestness. So Shakespearean, I thought. True love really can't be denied. When destiny strikes, when two people are meant to be together, no time, no religion, no bigotry or prejudice could withstand its power, which brings me to the book's title, "The Secret Chord." I thought it was aptly titled and very symbolic as I explored Kate and Tilly's complex journey. Well, at least for me as how I interpreted it. Kate was the secret chord that was quietly stroking Tilly's heart all along, which screamed louder until it was impossible to ignore. Tilly finally opened her heart wide to let out her secret chord so she could embrace it in the form of Kate with truth, confidence and love. And that's how I saw Kate and Tilly's journey toward true everlasting love. *Disclaimer: This is only my own interpretation. 

Because of the magnitude of Tilly's changing perspective of her life, she had a mammoth of a learning curve, self-discovery, truth and reconciliation to tread in this story, i.e. falling in love, sexual awakening, devotion, commitment, religion vs faith. For this reason, I'd hoped that Hale would switched gears to Tilly's POV, even for just those critical moments. Having said that, don't get me wrong. I still got that emotional effect through Kate's observation of Tilly's transformation. I just thought that it'd have reverberated even more affectingly if depicted straight from the horse's mouth, so to speak! But then again, perhaps it was Hale's deliberate approach of seeing Tilly's metamorphosis from the outside looking in, instead of inside looking out, if you know what I mean.

For some reason, when my mind was exploring Tilly's life-changing journey with Kate dutifully waiting at the seams, observing the ultimate romance turned from tragic to a ray of hope to a certainty of true love, it subtly started playing Ramin Djawadi's utterly soul-stirring rendition of Kanye West's "Runaway." I was dumbstruck at first but then I felt chills at just how perfectly befitting it was when I played it back to listen to the instrumental piece on my iphone...  a quiet stroke of the single key piano notes, the assured piano melody that tenses up, joined by the increasingly thunderous sound of the orchestra before reaching fever pitch, then disintegrating into an echo that merges with the quietly awaiting single key piano notes into one united sound of peaceful splendour...

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHnqvZBwk0Y&w=560&h=315]

Kate and Tilly's journey was so closely knitted with Tilly's faith that I couldn't help but retrieve from my memory this verse that I thought was well-suited to their long and winding, heartrending, soul-searching journey toward each other and their steadfastly unyielding affinity and an unbreakable deep-seated love, devotion and passion for each other..

"And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." - 1 Corinthians 13:13

On the other hand, what precedes the aforementioned verse couldn't be MORE apt to Tilly's entire self-discovery, sexual, spiritual, soul awakening journey, ultimately living her truth with eyes wide open...

"When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known." - 1 Corinthians 13:11-12

I simply loved how Hale ended Kate and Tilly's story. It was a promise of a future filled with true love, passion, desire as well as spirituality. Religion and spirituality are mutually exclusive. Spirituality lives within us. It is our soul. Faith resides inside of us and god is all around us. Not in a structure or congregation or a specified religion. I loved that Hale presented that concept through Tilly's personal journey of truth and reconciliation before reaching a life-affirming epiphany.

All in all, "The Secret Chord" was a thought-provoking, heartwrenching, emotionally riveting and challenging, introspective reading experience. Brilliantly written and crafted story of deep yearning, timeless, boundless, enduring love that never retreated, never surrendered but prevailed with unceasing vigour in the end. I definitely recommend this to all fans of romance! Get ready for the angst-filled but totally satisfying ending!

**I was given, with much thanks and appreciation, an ARC copy by Bella via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Overall I liked this romance. Kate and Tilly attended the same all girls Catholic boarding school 12 years early and they are reunited when they both are teaching at the same Catholic school at the age of 30. Kate is a Lesbian and Tilly is VERY Catholic and engaged to an Anglican Minister. There is a lot going on in this one in terms of characters. You have the girls who are at the boarding school, the Nuns who live in the convent who run the school and some other supporting characters like the finance and his children.

The first positive thing I want to say is that the Author does a good job incorporating all of the Characters into the romance without it being overwhelming. I have read some books where it's just too much going on to follow in terms of characters. The Secret Chord is told in only one point of view - that of Kate's. I normally prefer to see the side of both MC's, but this one worked for me. Again the author does a really good job giving glimpses of what Tilly is thinking with her interaction with Kate. I did feel that this one started a bit slow, but I was able to push through and it picked up quicker than I had anticipated. By the time I got to the last page, it did leave me wanting just a little more. In terms of the romance. it for sure is a slow burn. I an not a big fan of slow burns, but considering the story line it was necessary. For sure we get that Kate has always loved Tilly and we know that she is attracted to Tilly, but what is not 100% obvious is that Tilly is into Kate unless you really pay attention. I was able to gather that Tilly loved Kate but because of her religious convictions she struggled. Let me just put it out there that the slow burn was for sure worth it in the end.

So i will rate this a 3.75 but will round it to a 4.

The Secret Chord had a very interesting set of characters. Kate and Tilly, who was raised by nuns after her parents died, were best friends and roommates at a Catholic boarding school. They also happened to sneak up to the convent belltower at night to kiss. Even though this risky venture happened only three times, it had lasting memories for these teenagers. However,Tilly had her heart set on becoming a nun. Upon graduation, each went their separate ways until 12 years later when coincidentally both accepted temporary teaching positions at their same boarding school. Things were different but the same. Kate still had deep feelings for Tilly who did not become a nun. Instead, Tilly was engaged to a vicar, a recently widowed man in his fifties with two young children. While Kate experienced loving relationships, Tilly, still very religious, was extremely innocent and naïve in terms of relationships and sexuality. As Kate and Tilly navigated the halls of St. Joan of Arc with a professional demeanor, their downtime consisted of a renewed friendship and overt emotional feelings, especially by Kate. These feelings did not go unnoticed by Tilly’s fiancé or some of the older students.

This was one of those stories that you can actually sense the emotional and sexual tension slowly building throughout the story. The author did a great job describing Kate’s constant struggle not to cross any relationship boundaries and at the same time sizzling with an overwhelming desire to connect with Tilly on all levels. The need was great, the want was constant, but both women had to be in the same mindset to be free of any guilt or regret. This anticipatory element made this story an exceptional read.

It was also nice to see that even though nuns were secondary characters, the author allowed them to offer quiet acceptance when most needed. They didn’t regurgitate the church’s stance on homosexuality, but made their own conscience decision based purely on love.
The Secret Chord was not your typical romance, it was much more.
Highly recommend!
An ARC was given was an honest review.