I read one of Fiona’s books fairly recently, The dressmakers gift’s. It seems Fiona’s style is to start slow and gently ease you into her fictional world. A little too slow for me in my present mood.

There is no denying that Fiona is a very talented writer, and normally I would love reading her books, but at present due to how tired I am most of the time because of my Crohn's if the book isn't fast paced with lots going on, my thoughts tend to start drifting.

As with the dressmakers gift this is a book I would want to go back and reread when I am a little more with it.

This book tells the story of Lexi, in the 1970's and her mother back in the 1940's. Lexi is trying to learn more about her father, a subject her mother was always somewhat reluctant to discuss. When her mother passes away, she returns to her childhood home, with her child and finding herself in a similar situation to her mother, sets out to find out the truth about her fathers side of the family, But it's no easy task, as she finds it difficult to get her mothers two best friends to open up.

So the story jumps between Lexi's life and her mothers, and in her mothers we slowly began to hear Flora's story, while poor Lexi still remains oblivious.

It's an interesting read, with a lot of great historical information. The second world war is clearly a subject Fiona is very knowledgeable about.

I think she is definitely an author that it is worth giving a try, and I apologise for not being able to give the book the attention it deserves at present but I will go back and reread once, my head is in a better place. Sadly, I'm not sure when that will be at the moment, due to the Chemo, and as always apologies for any error I might have made I sometimes get names and words muddled these days.

Thank you to Netgalley, FIona Valpy and her publishers for allowing me the change to read and advance copy. And I promise I will reread at some point and rereview, when my head is in a better place.

That said I did find the story very relaxing, and interesting. So it is indeed worth a read.

The Skylark’s Secret (Fiona Valpy)
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I couldn’t put it down! I love historical fiction, and this time from a small town in Scotland that became a base for the Navy during WWII.

Tales of Flora’s life through the war seamlessly weaves together with her daughter, Lexi’s life many years later. Flora tells of love and great loss, while Lexi herself experiences her own love and loss and finds herself back in her home town with her daughter, Daisy. Lexi sees her mom in a new light after learning more about her and her father’s love story.

Thanks to @netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for a review!
#bookreview #fiction #historicalfiction #theskylarkssecret #fionavalpy

The story takes place during WW2 and in the 70s. It alternates from mother to daughter and weaves a beautiful story of secrets and love. I really wasn't sure about it at first but I really fell in love with the characters and would love to go to Scotland and see this charming town they hail from. A gem of a story! I love stories that stay with you. This is definitely one of them.

Lexie returns home after a glittering career as a singer in the west end, bringing with her a damaged voice, a baby a certain amount of resentment. Being by the peaceful water of Loch Ewe surrounded by those who knew her as a child and knew her mother's story she gradually gets answers to all her question s and finds her own love. Even in wartime the community of the inhabitants of the Loch were totally committed to each other and welcomed others who joined them however briefly before going off on dangerous missions. As the final truth is revealed it is great to hear all the old folk songs play a part in the future.

The Skylark’s Secret is a beautifully written tale set in Ireland going between World War II and 1978. The main character, a single mother with a toddler, returns home when her Mom dies and sets about trying to learn about the relationship of her mother and father, the latter who died before she was born. You fall in love with this beautiful Irish village and the characters who share her mother’s life and who take her under their wing. The secret they have kept for 35 years is about to unravel. Fiona Valpy has crafted a wonderful read.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my digital copy in exchange for an honest review. If I am being honest, I will tell you that I did not immediately fall in love with this book. For whatever reason, I just could not get into it and I did not engage with the characters at first. But once it all clicked into place, I fell in love with the characters, the surroundings they lived in, and the story itself. It is told by two different points of view...you have Flora living during WW2 and loving a man she could never really have, if she were being honest with herself...and then you have Lexie, her daughter, telling her story decades later. Flora lives in the Scottish Highlands and during the 40s, it becomes the base for the Royal Navy's Arctic Convoy...it is at this point that life loses any simplicity it has and she steps up to try to do her part while the men she loves are off doing theirs. Her Daughter,Lexi, reluctantly returns home after the death of her mother. The stories weave together as Lexie learns more about the story of her mother and father and the many secrets that her mother seemed to have. I fell in love about 1/4 of the way through the book and when the ending finally came, I wasn't quite ready for it. I immediately was looking on Instagram for any pictures I could find of Loch Ewe and I am kind of ready to go visit now :)

A great story set in the Highlands about a mother who returns home after her mother dies with her young child. It was great to learn the history about Loch Ewe and its role during the war. Lexi decides to investigate who her father was and appears to be lacking in understanding who she is. The characters were well defined and it was a heart warning story flipping between the two periods.

1978. Lexie and her baby daughter return home to Loch Ewe, following the death of her mother, Flora, and an abrupt end to her musical career in London. Alongside, we learn Flora’s story during the war years and leading up to Lexie’s birth, a time when the remote Scottish community was central to the Arctic convoys delivering supplies to Russia.

This was a episode of WWII history I knew nothing about, and I have come away from the book wanting to visit Aultbea and North West Scotland. There was a good story in here – but sadly I think I just wanted more from it. Despite the highly descriptive language, from the first few pages I felt I was being told how very Scottish everything was, rather than being allowed to absorb the sense of place myself. The relationships between the characters didn’t always ring true for me – I guess I just didn’t connect with them. And I quite simply did not believe that ending.

There have been some wonderful reviews of this book, so I’m aware I’m probably just not the target reader. I am, however, glad to have learnt of a little more home front history, and I may well try another book from Fiona Valpy in the future.

Thank you to Netgalley and Amazon Publishing for a free Advance Reader’s Copy of this book.

A beautiful story set in the Scottish Highlands full of heartbreak, love, sadness and humor. Lexi returns back home with her young daughter after her mom’s death. Her career as a singer has ended and her relationship has failed. She decides to learn more about her father through her mom’s close friends. The story goes back and forth between Lexi in 1980 and her mom, Flo, starting in 1939 and during WWII. Many different story lines! This is a wonderful book!

This is a beautiful story about good and horrible people, taking place during WWII in the peaceful Highland village of Loch Ewe, Scotland. I had to research the area after falling in love with it through this book and was surprised to learn that this is historically accurate fiction. Fiona Valpy describes the land and its people in such a poetic and beautiful manner. It’s not possible that such a setting existed during the evils of World War II. But it did, and her characters take the stage and breathe life into the memory of the souls lost there.
This could be considered a romance story, but not the drippy, hard to believe type. It’s about resilience, perseverance, ugly souls, and good souls and the prices they pay. It’s about loss, patience, and undying faith. It’s a gorgeous, loving story that you’re sad to finish. Those are the best kind.
Thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing / UK for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Imagine losing everything you've worked so hard for and having to return home with nothing but a baby on your hip. As if finding out you're pregnant, losing your voice, your boyfriend leaving you wasn't enough, now Lexie has lost her mom. With no other choices. Lexie moves home and starts asking questions about a father she never knew and learns a great deal about her mother that she didn't know. A very moving tale that I enjoyed quite a bit.

This was a beautiful book telling the stories of two ladies at once in a beautiful setting. A story of heartache in wartime and today's hardships in a non sentimental way. The author made you feel that you knew the characters well and felt every twist and turn with them.

This book is historical fiction that goes back and forth from present day to the 1930’s-40’s.. Although fiction, the author used historical information about the town, the war, and the lasting effects the war had on people’s lives. While the storyline was predictable, there were a few surprises which I won’t spoil for you. I loved the way relationships were woven into the story- the love of family, friends, community- as well as the impact of thwarted love.
#theskylarkssecret #historicalfiction #amazon #lakeunionpublishing

Thanks to Amazon UK & Lake Union Publishing for an advanced copy of The Skylark's Secret by Fiona Valpy.

I was surprised how much I loved this book. The description sounded like something I would love with a Scottish setting, WWII and dual timelines but it exceeded my expectations to make this a 5* book.

Set in the northwest Scotland highlands along Loch Ewe we are introduced to Flora and her rural village that finds itself the center of the Royal Navy's artic convoy during World War II. The second character is Lexie, Flora's daughter in the late 1970s as she returns home with her baby daughter to the cottage she grew up in after her music career ends. Told through dual timelines we learn more about Lexie as she struggles to feel at home in the village and as she learns more about her parent's secrets.

The writing and characters are incredible. I was sucked into this story and while it did take me a few days to read I didn't want to put the book down. I love learning about different aspects of WWII and while I knew about some of Scotland's naval importance in the war I didn't really know about the Artic convoys and loved how she tied real events into the book.

I highly recommend reading this!

I really enjoyed reading this WWII historical fiction that alternates between the perspective of a mother during the war and her daughter during the 1970s. Through the storytelling, the reader learns what happened to Lexie's father and the secret the town has been keeping. I found the smooth transitions between the time periods intriguing and I couldn't put the book down because I had to know what happened next. The love stories woven throughout the story were beautifully written. The characters were charming and felt like they were some of your closest, dearest friends. The small community working together to help each other out also added to the charming, endearing feel. This is a heart wrenching, but hopeful story.
It was nice to read about what was happening in Scotland during WWII and about their involvement in the Arctic Convoys taking supplies to Russia. The historical information was well researched. I looked up one of the events and the author had written it just like it happened, but included two of the fictional characters to make it come to life for the reader. I just can't say enough about this extraordinary book! It would make a great choice for book clubs!
If you are a WWII or historical fiction fan, you will love this book!
Thank you to Netgalley and Amazon Publishing UK for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion!

I surprisingly enjoyed this book as I do not normally read romantic storylines.
I found the characters likeable albeit a tad predictable. I am glad that I read this novel and learnt about the lives of the characters during 2 different time zones; at Loch Ewe in the Scottish Highlands. Fiona is an ambulance driver for the Wrens during WWII and Lexie is disillusioned singer with a young child and no partner. As Lexie returns to her home from London, she starts to explore her mother’s history and the past of the father who died before she was born. I couldn’t put this book down…so that says it all!
With grateful thanks to netgalley for an early copy in return for an honest review

I absolutely loved this book. The characters are written so well that you can feel how they feel, the scenery is breathtakingly gorgeous, the wartime scenes are haunting, and the book is page turning. I couldn’t put the book down once I started and gulped it down in one day. Thank you so much for offering a fictional glimpse into their life showcasing love, mothers, and family.

The Skylarks Secret is a duo storyline that begins with Lexi Gordon returning to the Scottish Highlands following the death of her mother, Flora. After returning home to try and start a new life with her daughter, Daisy, Lexi learns that she gets her strength and resiliency from her mother and finds out more about her mother in her death, than she knew in her life.

The story goes to Flora as a younger woman and her endurance and survival of WWII.

With breathtaking descriptions of the Scottish countryside and story of hope and love, The Skylarks Secret was a beautiful story that had me captivated instantly. The only reason for my 4 star review, and not 5 stars is I feel to some degree, that most Historical Fiction books have found this trend of having the dual storylines, where they flip flop back and forth only to find out they intertwine with one another at the end. While I don't mind it, it's becoming a bit repetitive and a little lackluster for me. But that's my personal opinion.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my review and honest opinion.

AMAZING! Very well written, a genuine can't put down book! You follow the emotional and twisting lives of the characters past & present! Just one more page and I will get back to work, hahah didn't happen

Wow, this book took me by surprise. Just loved it. I think being familiar with the area helped. Also loved the fact that the MacLeod family name was mentioned as it is quite predominant in the area, also it is part of our family and they still live up there. Fiona obviously has a good working knowledge of the area.
The historical side of it was quite enlightening. Now I really must go and check out any other books by this author as this was my first. Thank you for the opportunity to read it and introducing me to a new aythor.