‘It’s your father.’

Felicity Lewis’s fiftieth birthday party has been meticulously planned to the last detail and seems to be going well. It is an opportunity, as well, to show off the home that she and her husband Ian have recently renovated. And then Felicity receives a call from her mother, Hazel. Her father, Franklyn, has died. His death sets of a series of events, taking Hazel back into the past, and changing the lives of her daughters June and Felicity and granddaughter Greta.

Hazel may have hoped to be free from Franklyn’s controlling, misogynistic behaviour, but his will ensures that his control is exerted beyond the grave. Franklyn has set conditions which threaten to tear the family apart as long-held secrets are exposed. Hazel’s long estranged sister Alice attends Franklyn’s funeral, but Hazel wants nothing to do with her. Why?

Felicity’s life becomes further complicated, and Greta must make some choices of her own. June wants to control Hazel’s life, but Hazel takes tentative steps to find her own way.

Once I picked this novel up, I found it extremely hard to put down. I needed to know how it would end, whether Felicity would find what she needed, whether Hazel would accept Alice, and what choice would Greta make? I also wanted to understand why Hazel had accepted the control exerted by Franklyn, and whether she could resist June’s attempts to control her future.

I enjoyed this novel, with its well-defined characters and challenging family relationship issues.

Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Australia HQ for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith