This was a lovely book with a dual time-line, I seem to reading a lot of those lately and I do love them!!! This particular story was set in Scotland in WW two and present day. It was a sad book in some ways, loss of lives in the war and lost loves but, it also was happy. The descriptions of Scotland brought everything to life and I could picture the loch, the mountains and even the rain!!
I do love Fiona Valpy’s books and this was no exception.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

Lexie left home as soon as she could - thanks to a performing arts school scholarship. She enjoyed several years of success as an actress and signer - until she became pregnant and lost her voice. The father simply didn't want to be burdened with a child - or a long term relationship. After surgery and failed lessons to rebuild her voice, Lexie returns to her small Highland hometown, months after the death of her mother. With struggling strength, Lexie begins to rebuild her community connections - her mother's closest friend, her long time friend who stayed in the small village, married and also with a young child.
The story of her parents is told from her mother's perspective. World War II has started - and comes to Flora's small village. Her father is the gamekeeper for the estate, a long time family position. Flora and her friends volunteer for the WRNS, doing their part to contribute as their loch becomes a secret stash for merchants and the English navy. As the war continues, Flora shares the impact on the close knit community - taking in young children from the larger Scottish cities, the impact of young men's deaths on families and a community doing their part to support the war effort.
Flora and Alec have been childhood friends - the laird's son and the keeper's children have grown up together. Alec and Flora realize their connection is more than friends, exploring their love. As the war continues, the impact on Alec's mental health becomes quite obvious to Flora, causing a serious rift in their relationship.
I greatly enjoyed this family story. Lexie discovers who she really is - without her voice. She builds an amazing life for herself and daughter, learning to enjoy the close connections of her small community.
Flora sheds light on a small community's war experience - as well as the mental health impacts of war; even in the 1940's, not just today.

I loved The Skylarks Secret! I’m a sucker for historical fiction and this story tells me more about the Scottish Highlands during WWII. It is amazing how much every day people helped out! All of the characters were well developed- they seemed like old friends. The story could have gone on forever and I would keep reading.

This is the story of Lexie Gordon's discovery of who she is and where she came from. It is told through two timelines - one is her mother's during WW2 in the early 1940s and the other is her own in the late 1970s.

Valpy's prose paints a vivid picture of Loch Ewe in the Scotland Highlands, although sometimes her language felt a bit forced. The book alternates between the two timelines disrupting the flow for me. I never really got into either story, never connected to the characters, and therefore didn't really care what happened to them. Additionally, sometimes the storyline felt a little predictable, and the characters one-dimensional and stereotypical.

Overall, I give this book two stars, which is a "Fair" rating. I want to thank NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for this ARC.

I have enjoyed the other Fiona Valpy books that I have read and this one did not disappoint. The switching between time periods is always a winner for me and Fiona does it so well. She really makes me feel invested with the people involved in both timeframes.. I loved that this book was set in Scotland.

This is a beautiful book. Beautifully written in a way that evokes the very feeling of the West coast of Scotland, tranquil, wild and unchanged. The way in which the story develops from 2 different aspects set apart by 40 years is unusual and interesting and lends a real character to the book. The story is set during the Second World War and details the Arctic Crossings, something I had never heard of so it was lovely to learn more about these highly dangerous trips to help protect our shores and nation during the war.
A lovely book which I would very happily recommend.

The Skylark’s Secret is a story set in Loch Ewe, Scotland. It follows Lexie Gordon and her mother, Flora, in dual timelines as Lexie returns home to learn more about her parents and family history. It's a beautiful story and I would highly recommend it.

Loch Ewe, a remote highland village, served as a base for the Royal Navy’s Arctic convoys in WW2. The gamekeeper’s daughter Flora and members of her close-knit community each played a role in supporting the convoys and the war effort. But Flora was also in love with Alec, a sailor from a higher social class.
Decades later, Flora’s daughter, singer Lexie Gordon, returns to the village with her infant daughter. Emotionally wounded and alone, Lexie begins to piece together the fragments of her parents’ story. As she uncovers secrets, Lexie discovers the courageous, devastating sacrifices made in her name and finds her place in the world.
I love this book! It flows well, is clean, and tells a story that features strong feminine characters. It's also light on romance and high on patriotism and courage. I also appreciate the look into a new-to-me aspect of the war, the Arctic convoys. While reading, I fell in love with Lexie, Flora, Davy, and Bridie.
I'm definitely adding author Fiona Valpy to my "favorite authors" list!

Placed at the beginning of WWII in northern Scotland, this refreshing read tells of merchant ships going between Russia and the US. A heart filled story of Flora, the game keeper's daughter who falls in love with the boy next door who happens to be the land lord's son.
A rift of classes in 1940's which will change due to the war does not help Flora in this time period.
Alternatively told by her daughter Lexie in present day as she returns to this small village to learn about her mother and father. While today's woman wants to be independent, she needs friends and neighbors to make a new family.

I enjoyed this book for lots of reasons and thank NetGalley for the opportunity to read it and be introduced to an author I was unfamiliar with. I’m not typically a fan of split-screen writing, but didn’t mind it in this case, as I felt both story time-lines were engrossing. Lexie’s plight as a struggling single mother with life-changing issues intersected smoothly with the backstory of her Mother’s life, making the best of difficult situations during WWII. As a student of Scottish Gaelic music, I was especially taken with the additions of song snippets and lyrics, and also loved the setting off Scotland’s west coast, having actually visited that very area some years back. The research the author put into regarding the Arctic Conveys was impressive and I definitely learned something new. If you enjoy realistic stories about engaging characters who navigated the difficult years of WWII, you should enjoy this atmospheric, well-written book.

The Skylark's Secret by Fiona Valpy is a book with two storylines and two generations that takes place during wartime starting in 1940 in the Highlands of Scotland.

Loch Ewe, is a very remote highland village that becomes the base for the Royal Navy’s Arctic convoys.

This is as much a love story as it is a Historic Fiction

I am a fan of historic fiction, and did like how the book started off, however I found it very slow moving for me and unfortunately lost a little interest quite quickly

I have not read any of Fiona Valpy’s book before, and did like how she painted a picture of the area, and times

Thank you to NetGalley, the Author, and Amazon Publishing UK. For my advanced copy to read and review

#TheSkylarksSecret #NetGalley

Such a beautiful slow paced story. I absolutely loved it.

Dual time narrated, The Skylark’s Secret is addictive. Fiona Valpy made an incredible job describing the Scottish countryside so well that made me feel I have actually visited the places in person.
This book was a proper palette cleanser after all thrillers and murders I have read about lately. Such a joy to have the opportunity to read this incredible story of loss, friendships, love but also hope in what is there to come. A story about community, war and romance; pain and social differences. The story of Flora during WW2 told in parallel with the story of her daughter Lexie decades later is absolutely mesmerizing.

THE SKYLARK’S SECRET was my first Fiona Valpy book but I can asure you it won’t be the last. I fell in love with the way she managed to pull me in and make me picture it all like I actually lived both women’s lives. I understood all Flora did in the name of love and I also stood by Lexie every step of the way.

I struggled a bit with the song’s lyrics and had to look up for some words but that actually made the story more charming and unique. I would love to visit the Scottish countryside and get even closer to this story. I highly recommend it to all historical fiction lovers.

What’s it About?
It's about the Scottish Highlands and about Flora in 1940 when her little village becomes a Naval base and about her daughter Lexi, in the late 1970's who returns with her own daughter to try and find out about her Mother's past.

What I liked:
Always and forever here for historical fiction, especially that set in WWII, this was lovely. This is the second WWII book I've read this year actually, set in Scotland, and I really enjoyed it. I loved Flora's story, her work as a WREN, how despite the war going on the Navy being stationed on their doorstep, in many ways highland village life carried on as normal. I loved Davy and Stuart, the two evacuees that Flora takes under her wing, I loved her romance with Alec and the friendship she has with her two best girlfriends. I was so so here for all of that.

What I liked Less:
I wasn't so taken with having to jump forward to 1978 and Lexie's story. I really loved The Dressmaker's Gift which followed a similar formula; there, I felt the jump forward added to the story but here I just felt like it took away. I wanted less Lexie; more Flora. It was bit sentimental for me too, at times,

Lexie is returning to the small Scottish village she left years before to pursue a singing career. Her mother has passed away, Lexie’s voice is gone and she is a single mother to Daisy. Lexie realizes just how good her mother was at keeping secrets and yearns to find out more about her mother and the father she never met. Told from the point of view of Lexie in the 1970’s and her mother during World War II, Lexie learns that small town life has benefits she’d never imagined.

A brilliant story based on the Arctic Convoys based on Loch Ewe. Fine characters who epitomised the strong spirits of the crafters. Beautiful descriptions of the area. More please?

This is a wonderful, sweeping saga that tells the story of Lexie Gordon and her quest to find out more about her mother and father who were caught up in the prejudices of the class system and the brutality of World War 11. We learn their fate through chapters that alternate between Lexie and her mother, Flora’s, stories. It’s a beautiful yet tragic story that made me yearn to live in a small, tight-knit, remote community that looks after its own; one that revolves around give and take, and protects its secrets.
I loved the stark contrast between the beauty of Loch Ewe and the harsh reality of war for those aboard the merchant ships of the Home Fleet that set off on their arctic convoys in the late 1930s.
Flora and her friends, as heroic as their sailor sweethearts, are wonderfully strong characters and I was filled with admiration for their courage. The story also touches on evacuee children, and preserving traditional Scottish music.
Author Fiona Valpy says she tried to reflect historical facts as accurately as possible, and the result is a fascinating insight into a very specific aspect of the war woven into a compelling story.

I learned soooo much reading this book. I was never a big history buff. Maybe if some of the lessons included this story, I would have at least paid attention! The landscaping descriptions, the language and way of life was so interesting. About 2/3 of the way into the book I wondered where this title came from, but Eventually it is revealed. Even the Arctic made its way into this book. It is amazing what has gone before us.

Another marvelous historical novel by Fiona Valpy. Set in Scotland during
WWII and alternate timeline 1942, it follows Flora, and later her daughter Lexie in 1975. This is a story of mothers and daughters and what they take on to survive and make the best possible lives for their children.
It’s about the tragedy of war, the sacrifices that were made and the struggles endured, during a bleak time in history. The author gives us wonderful characters in both time frames and introduces the reader into the wonderful camaraderie of the Scottish people, that come together as a community, to support their military and share the little that they had with their neighbors !
We also see the difference in class and the sacrifices that occur because of it.
I loved everything about this book and thank #NetGalley and #Lake
Union Publishing for the ARC!

I love historical fiction books based on WWII. And the fact that this is a dual timeline book, it was automatically going to be a favorite read. This was a different take on WWII because it was based in Scotland. And while you were exposed to negative aspects of the war, you don’t endure the atrocities experienced in the concentration camps.

What a lovely story of redemption of a mother and daughter. They each share their story and you travel through their lives and how they experience growth, maturity, and self-discovery. And what a wonderful sense of community and caring and support by those who lived in the village. The folk songs, traditions, delicious food, secrets, and sacrifices shared made this such a delight to read. I highly recommend you put this on your to-read list.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

An enjoyable read that combines love stories with the reality of war. All the characters are well drawn. Memories of my childhood were brought back by the inclusion of lines from traditional Scottish songs.