I've read a couple of books with a plot similar to this last year, and this one didn't disappoint : it was fast, fun, and very enjoyable. I had a great time, and would definitely recommend it as a funny holiday read!

Thank you to the author, publisher and netgalley for this arc!

I really enjoyed this it was lighthearted and fun even when touching on serious topics! Everything about the book, story and characters was loveable!

I would like to extend my gratitude to the author, publisher and NetGalley for sending me this advanced reader’s copy in return for a fair, frank, and honest review.

This book made me laugh out loud when reading it. It has been such a long time since that happened. It was not a book about self-pity, rather on the opposite, it shows strength of character and how Bells made that transition. I was not a fan of the Duchess, however. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a nice, funny, clean story that can take you away from your own life into the blog of Bells.

I received a complimentary copy of this book "The Truth and Other Hidden Things" and all opinions expressed are my own. This was a fun book and a quick read. The Duchess was fun. Cute story line, although I didn't care for Bells but she was funny as the Duchess.

This book was such a fun and heartfelt read! It was a great mash up of Gossip Girl meets a bored housewife who aspires to become a writer.

This isn’t normally a book I would go for, but I really enjoyed it. This book made me laugh on several occasions, and also frustrate me in others. This was such a great and easy read!

I was constantly torn throughout this book: I kept switching from I sympathise with Bells to she has gone too far. I love that Lea Geller highlighted just how tough motherhood and being a housewife can be as well as having your own aspirations.

The Gossip Girl vibe to this book just made me love it even more. I mean we all gossip don’t we do why not put it in a blog and share with the rest of the world.

I thoroughly recommend this book as it’s a great read and one that cheered me up through the never-ending lockdown.

Thank you @letstalkbookspromos for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I do love a snarky read, andThe Truth and Other Hidden Things delivered. Bells Walker is hit with a surprise pregnancy and an unexpected move from NYC to the Hudson River Valley. Disdainful of the helicopter parents she finds at her childrens' schools, she begins a blog about these mothers and their secrets. Bells is not a perfect protagonist. She is deeply flawed, and eventually has to face those flaws and the helicopter mothers. Being a geriatric millennial, I do take exception with her characterization of millennials as many of us are in our mid to late 30s, and not wearing organic hemp shirts.

Thanks to Netgalley for the chance to read and review this entertaining work.

Bells Walker and I could so be friends… like BEST friends! She is my kind of Hot Mess Mama! I read this book slowly JUST because I wanted to stay friends with her longer! Because life gets messy and sometimes we handle it well and other times not so much. Sometimes, as moms, we are so overwhelmed trying to be the keeper of all things, the “invisible support staff of a demanding family” that despite our best efforts, it all goes to hell anyway. Bells is the fictional proof of Augusten Burroughs quote “I,myself, am made entirely of flaws, stitched together with good intentions.”
In The Truth and Other Hidden Things by Lea Geller, Bells is trying to embrace her new home in the Hudson Valley. A recent transplant from the city, mother of two average “gasp” yes- average teenagers, pregnant with one “oh sh*t my IUD failed” baby at 40+ and surrounded by Pinterest worthy mothers, CBD infused millennials and enough Kumbucha to unclog all of upstate New York, Bells finds herself a bit lost in Dutchess County. She’s not feeling very welcome and after years of putting her husband’s academic career ahead of her writing, the town’s secrets become too juicy NOT to share and Bells Walker jumps headfirst into the world of blogging, jump-starting her writing career... anonymously as the County Dutchess... right down a rabbit hole. Hilariously relatable for “average” moms everywhere! Lea Geller’s The Truth and Other Hidden Things will have you laughing out loud and nodding in understanding. I adored Lea’s first novel, Trophy Life and I absolutely LOVED The Truth and Other Hidden Things, because the best books are the ones we can find such a connection with and Lea Geller you have nailed it! Thank you for keepin’ it real

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the ARC of this book!

I liked this book. It was fun reading about how a blogger, married with kids, goes a little overboard. It was a fast read and fun for me. But social media can chew people up and spit them out. In this book, the blogging affects the whole family, and not in a great way, because in social media, blogging about people you know, even people in your own family, can definitely backfire. Like I said a fun read for me! I recommend this book!

This was a light and funny read. Nothing too serious, yet it touched on serious topics. I’m a teacher so I like when there are school-related issues woven into books. I loved Bells as a narrator. The Duchess was fun, too!

⚘A freshly funny and heartfelt novel about one woman’s secret life, the stories she tells, and the thrill and notoriety of being noticed.
👂 𝙨𝙝𝙚'𝙨 𝙖 𝙬𝙞𝙛𝙚, 𝙢𝙤𝙢, 𝙙𝙖𝙪𝙜. & 𝙖 𝙗𝙡𝙤𝙜𝙜𝙚𝙧! 𝙎𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 & 𝙢𝙚!
(BLuRb in next slide).

🤎 THE TRUTH AND OTHER HIDDEN THINGS: A NOVEL.
🔥 𝙝𝙤𝙩 𝙣𝙚𝙬 𝙧𝙚𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙚!
309 pages, 33 chapters
+
Detailed #bookclub ques.ns

⚘𝘼𝙙𝙟𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙨:
Engrossing
Witty
Insightful
Humorous
A perfect escape!

" 𝘼 𝙗𝙧𝙖𝙫𝙚, 𝙗𝙤𝙡𝙙, 𝙡𝙖𝙪𝙜𝙝-𝙤𝙪𝙩-𝙡𝙤𝙪𝙙, 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙣𝙖𝙞𝙡-𝙗𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮 𝙤𝙛 𝙛𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙮 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙨𝙚 𝙪𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙧𝙩𝙖𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙨. 𝘽𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙨 𝙒𝙖𝙡𝙠𝙚𝙧 𝙞𝙨 𝙨𝙤 𝙧𝙚𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚, 𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙮𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙖𝙙𝙫𝙞𝙘𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙨 𝙄 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙. 𝘼 𝙥𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙙𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩." -Shelley Noble

🦜🅲🅷🅾🅾🆂🅴
#qotd
Have you ever had to move or make a big change to your life because of your spouse or partner’s career?
Is there such a thing as an equal partner, especially in parenting?
For moms, are you constantly trying to be a better mom?
Have you ever undertaken something you knew was misguided or wrong and told yourself that you kept it a secret to protect the people around you?
Can you still be a good spouse if you’re not interested in all the details of your spouse’s day?
Many women take family pictures without themselves in them. Why do you think that is?

⚘Genre: Contemporary Fiction.

🤎 About the Author:
Lea Geller is the author of Trophy Life. A recipient of the 2019 Kathryn Gurfein Writing Fellowship at Sarah Lawrence College, she began her writing career by blogging about her adventures in the trenches of parenting.
She is a graduate of Columbia University and Stanford Law School.

"𝙄𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙝𝙪𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙨, 𝙨𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡, 𝙂𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙧 𝙗𝙧𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙡𝙮 𝙩𝙖𝙘𝙠𝙡𝙚𝙨 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙣'𝙨 𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙙 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙫𝙖𝙡 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙜𝙩𝙝𝙨 𝙨𝙝𝙚'𝙡𝙡 𝙜𝙤 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙤 𝙜𝙚𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚. 𝘽𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙨 𝙒𝙖𝙡𝙠𝙚𝙧 𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙛𝙚𝙘𝙩 𝙢𝙤𝙢 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙛𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙧𝙚𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙪𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙧𝙤𝙤𝙩 for"--.

It’s hard to read an author’s subsequent novel without comparing it to the first. With that said, I didn’t like this one as much as Trophy Wife. The writing was just as good—witty, humorous, full of emotion—but I just couldn’t get behind a grown woman writing a gossipy blog about other women she hardly knew. I know women can be mean-spirited and judgy when it comes to other women, but it was painful to read—especially from a character that was otherwise sympathetic and likable. It took me a while to finish because I kept dreading the fallout that was sure to come and I can’t say the ending (although it was a feel-good ending) was entirely believable.

Imagine being in your 40s (not much of a stretch for me). Having your life pretty much set with two kids and a husband who is going for tenure.

The the shoe drops.

This is Bells. She seems to have her life on track until the shoe or rather the IUD drops. Bells is pregant with her 3rd child. So that is the first bomb. The day she gets those two pink lines is the day her husband finds out that he didn't get tenure and winds up taking a new job that is going to move the whole family.

I know this sounds depressing but believe me when I say this book is anything but depressing. Bells is a fantastic main character who finds a very unexpected way of making her presence in the world known. This book is filled with humor, light hearted moments and love.
Thank you so much to #NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the ARC.

Bells Walker. One of my top favorite female characters to date! She’s hilarious, sarcastic, and basically superwoman-although she has no idea because her family seems to take her for granted. The struggles of teenagers, a new town, supporting her husband, and an unplanned pregnancy was not an easy course to navigate. I loved that she found blogging for herself, even though it took a wrong turn. But personally, I don’t think she had a whole lot to apologize for. She spoke the truth, but no one could handle it 🤷🏼‍♀️ As strong as her character was I’m surprised she took as much grief from her husband and kids that she did without a word. But maybe that’s what makes her a better person than me 🤣. This story was simply delightful and had me laughing on every page.

Thank you for my gifted copy in exchange for an honest review

Both laugh out loud funny at times and heartbreaking at others, The Truth and Other Hidden Things is the perfect book to read this spring while you wait for the seasons to turn. NYC native Bells gave up her career to support her husband Harry's academic career and their children. When Harry finds out he hasn't made tenure (a big disappointment to his over-achieving family) Bells also finds out she's pregnant with their third child; adding to their tween daughter and teenage son. Forced to move to the Hudson Valley where Harry has taken a job at another college hoping to secure tenure. Bells is used to city-life and finds life in Duchess County challenging. A writer, she starts a blog from the perspective of the county gossip. Soon, the Hudson Valley is desperate to find out who is outing their secrets-including a huge scandal. As the blog grows in popularity, Bells finds herself growing further apart from everyone. Told with wit, heart and great detail The Truth and Other Hidden Things was a delight to read!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

Such a fun read!! This is a book I was reading while stirring my curry on stove, doing laundry, folding clothes or doing hundred other mundane things that I do when I have a page turner in hand. I even remember waking up a little early on a weekend morning to read in peace and keep all the chuckles to myself. An absolute page turner. Lea Geller has done a fabulous job in bringing forth the fabulous life of a forty something pregnant woman who moved from to a suburban neighborhood from city. Grab this book and have some time!

Loved this book! The Dutchess has spoken and boy did everyone not like what they have heard! A great quick read that kept me engrossed.

Really fun and engaging writing style. I loved this book and will surely be going back and reading her previous works. I am glad to have discovered a new fun author with a fresh voice. I don't know much about motherhood but this book was still very relatable and engaging.
Binge read this in a matter of two days. I actually bought a copy because I forgot i had it via Netgalley. I don't regret it one bit. Fantastic read. You'll enjoy this book even more as a mother.
Thanks netgalley for the e-arc.

While I’m not a mom and couldn’t relate to the book I still found it absolutely hilarious and could not put the book down. Light hearted easy read

I chose to read this book because the book cover caught my eye and the description made me want to find out about the things the characters might be hiding!

This story did not disappoint! I really enjoyed it. Lea Geller has an engaging writing style. Bells' snarky sense of humor was awesome and funny! As a reader I enjoyed having insight into what Bells was thinking as she was also living whatever action, experience, or event that was happening.

There is so much to unpack from this story. But, I connected most with the theme around relationships, especially the relationship with ourselves. We train people how to love and support us by the way we love and support ourselves. Everything that happened, good and bad, in Bells' relationships with her family, friends, and the people in Pigkill said more about Bells - what she believed and felt about herself - than it did about how everyone else saw her. 

What made this story real for me was the snarky, sometimes funny conversation Bells has going in her head about who she is and what she thinks about situations and people. We all have it - that inner voice trying to protect us by hyping the doom and gloom instead of the possibility. Bells' inner monologue used words like "invisible", "old and pregnant", "disappointment". What she tells herself about herself is what I believe drives her to create the alter ego "The County Dutchess", keep it hidden from her family and friends, and then get so invested in its popularity that she hurts everyone around her. For Bells, The County Dutchess is her way to be seen and acknowledged as more than a mother and wife. To have something of her own that is not tied to those roles, but instead is an identity all her own.

It's not until things blow up in Bells' face that she learns the truth about herself and the people around her. This story was funny and engaging, but when I got to last page I also realized it's a powerful and relatable story, too.

I absolutely loved The Truth and Other Hidden Things. Admittedly, I did not catch Trophy Wife, the debut by Lea Geller, but you can bet your arse I will now!

As a mom, as that mom, I laughed at this book a lot. I often shared passages with my kids and husband, who would reply - "yea, that's you". Bells reminded me a bit of Katie from American Housewife, so I was picturing her doing all this antics and chuckling even more. I think almost anyone would relate to at least some part of this fantastic read.

This book was hilarious, relatable, cringeworthy, and bingeworthy. 5 stars.

I received an advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.