If you love tv shows like Gossip Girl and Desperate Housewives, then the novel The Truth and other hidden things is right up your alley. It’s a fast-paced and fun read with a satisfying ending.

A must-read for a light, scandalous-prone fiction that also includes nods to rather recent events about college scams.

Meh. I kinda forgot I read this book. It was fine and parts of it were fun, but I didn’t really like the main character, Bells.

Thanks to @NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for my ARC!

This is such a great book! I absolutely love Bells Walker and this story. It pulled on my heart strings and I related to her in more ways than I care to admit. As a stay at home mom of four kids, oldest is almost 18 and youngest is 6, it really made me take a closer look at myself as a mom. While it's raw and true and somewhat horrifying, it's all written in a way that keeps you entertained while you read. Think "Sex and the City" meets "Lady Whistledown" from Bridgerton.

Bells Walker, 40 something stay at home mom of 2 teen kids, just had the worst day ever. Not only did she find out that her IUD failed, but her husband didn't get tenure and now he's out of a job and they're out of faculty housing. So they leave their life in the city and move to a smaller town in New York. Her husband gets a job at a not so fancy school and Bells got a house with enough room for everyone and their stuff. What Bells didn't get was a life of her own. So she winged it.

She ended up starting an anonymous blog and talking about the crazy trends and even crazier parents in this little town of Pigkill. She became an internet sensation. Gossip about using handyman apps to have sex with Millennials, parents hiring people to take their kids SATs, and kombucha 🤢 She finally had her own little slice of life that no one else knew about... right up until they figured it out.

The afternoon Bells Walker is preparing to celebrate a moment her family has been waiting for -the announcement of her professor husband's tenure - she is instead on the receiving end of one life-altering moment after another. Not only is her husband's bid for tenure denied, but he is quietly asked to look for other employment options. This news dashes Bells' dreams of moving to a bigger apartment and replaces them the realization that they will get to move, just to an entirely new city. As her husband job searches, Bells begins doing the math and realizes the morning nausea and other signs are an announcement of an unexpected pregnancy - and the news she is labeled as "advanced maternal age." The family moves to a hipster village in upstate New York and Bells deals with her teenagers' unhappiness, her AMA pregnancy, and the disappointment of her own job search rejection by blogging her views of her new living situations. The blog (written under pseudonym) turns into a snippy, gossipy column that dishes on the village's queen bees, yet garners her lots of internet attention and traffic.

I found this to be a light, entertaining read; let's face it everyone gets a secret thrill over salacious gossip about the popular people. Bells had a lot thrown at her, and while her husband was embracing the lifestyle change, she was struggling without a support system. Of course, secrets are hard to keep, and truth eventually comes to light. As Bells' anonymity is stripped away, she has to decide whether to take responsibility and change her attitude about her current life situation or continue to be miserable and alone. I do wish there had been more of the County Duchess' columns throughout this story!

I loved this book. I was laughing so hard in places thT my husband wondered what I was reading. Bells and her family move to a small town in upstate New York and Bells soon finds herself mid-forties, pregnant, and the writer of a secret column about her town. A wonderful laugh out loud novel.

I love reading books about hot mess moms and if the mom in question is an even bigger mess than I am, it’s a win. Bells is 43, she just found out her IUD failed and she’s pregnant and her husband lost his job. Time to move out of the city and into the burbs and she’s soon bored so she starts a snarky blog about the moms in town. One of her posts goes viral and then everyone is desperate to know who the County Duchess really is.

I loved the satire here, it was seriously funny but it was also surprisingly poignant as well. Bells learns a lot about herself, her marriage and her family as a whole throughout the course of the book and her growth was pretty great. Recommended as a light and fun read, parents especially will relate to this one

This book is total hoot! Funny, irreverent and filled with unspoken anger, rage and frustration. Basically a woman on the edge and holding on by the skin of her teeth and no one in her world seems to notice anything other than her perceived failures. The very day that Bells learns her husband, who she has loved and supported in every way has not received tenure she discovers at that she is pregnant. She is sooooo not happy and then to add insult to injury, her husband, potentially in the running for selfish egomaniac clueless dolt of the century takes a job far away from any and everything that is familiar to Bells. Upstate NY, which for her may as well be a foreign country as it is not her beloved urban setting she loves, works and has her entire life and that of her children running as best as she can because for all intents and purposes she is a single parent who just happens to be married. And so when she gets to the dreaded ‘burbs she is confronted by picture perfect toned well dressed upstate barbie moms who do nothing to make her feel welcome for she is not one of them. The look down at her at every given chance. Their new home is a hovel with the worlds worst handy man. Her husband a jerk who cannot fathom her frustration and can’t understand why she isn’t helping him and his career more after having moved her away from hers. She creates an anonymous blog in which she eviscerates everyone in her path and all they believe in and represent. Then she uncovers a scandal, reveals it and is discovered to be the author. Its a riot and then it all hits the fan! Its a wonderfully crafted read that gives us a lot to think about. Friendship, love, honesty, family and what truly matters.

Entertaining read, lots of fun to get stuck into. Bells Walker and her family move from cosmopolitan Manhattan out to a more rural Pigkill, also full of hipsters and entertaining characters. She starts a blog, and quickly uncovers scandal that could ruin a lot of lives including her own family.

I highly recommend this book. I had difficulty putting this down. She's a journalist who's supportive of her husbands They moved out of the city (NY) du to husband not getting tenure and receiving an offer at a different college. Feeling alone and pregnant despite having family around her she decide to publish under a pseudonym about the wrongdoings of millennials and it goes viral.


*******************I received an ARC for my honest opinion. from Netgalley*******************************

I have not yet had time to read this novel before the archive date. I am looking forward to reading it and once I do, I will come back and leave a proper review!

#whoistheCountyDutchess?

Bells was a total trip! On the day Bells’ husband learns he didn’t get tenure is the day she finds out her IUD failed and she’s pregnant at 42.

The family moves to Dutchess County and Bells is thrown into the world of PTA moms behaving badly (like using task apps to commit adultery). So Bells does what any self respecting writer does, she writes anonymously as the County Dutchess, spilling all dirt of this little haven.

I’m such a huge fan of adults behaving badly!

The Walker Family has mastered the science of living in a small "university subsidized" apartment in NYC, because, #tenure for Harry (English professor, father) was never in doubt, and with tenure, the Walkers would finally get a bigger apartment, and the security tenure ensures. The day of reckoning for Harry's tenure review has arrived, and Bells (mom to 2 kids and, wife to Harry) is preparing herself for an evening on the town celebrating Harry's promotion. As it turns out, not only was Harry passed over for tenure, but, at her obstetrician's appointment, Bells finds out that, at 43 yo, she is pregnant (#geriatricpregnancy) ...

Fortunately for the Walkers, Harry snags a position at Duchess College in #upstate New York, ... (in the trendy area of the #HudsonValley) as well, Harry snags a "#mansion" for his family in the town of #Pigkill (which he neglects to mention to Bells et al ...). For Harry, life is wonderful - he falls in love with "country" life. Bells, on the other hand is miserable. Moving from the city forced her to give up her (beloved and hard earned) #column, the one thing that she worked so hard to create. In addition, she was not the best at making friends. That was difficult enough for her, now she would have to start all over again, and do that PREGNANT (looking like a beach ball). When the local paper turns Bells away, the editor suggests to Bells that she should start a blog. And so she does. She decides to pen the blog under an alias - #thecountyduchess. Instead of being helpful or friendly, Bells' blog becomes a gossip rag ... funny but when it gets too personal, Bells (and her column) get attention, but not the right kind of attention.....

The Truth and Other Consequences is a story about #motherhood, and it is a coming of age (into middle age) story. It is fun and funny, but I believe there is a more serious side to the book, some messages for its readers. One message is how moms show up for other moms (including Bells' mom and Bells' mother in law, and ultimately the moms of Pigkill). Another message is that maybe sometimes, its wise to have no "pre-conceived notions" about people you know anything about, (like Bells had about the #yogapantwearingmoms of Pigkill). And, finally, believe in yourself, your time will come!

Great book and also (conveniently) this would make a great #mothersday gift for a book loving mom (or daughter in law or daughter ....). Thank you #netgalley and #lakeunionpublishing for my complimentary copy of #thetruthandotherhiddenthings by #leageller, in return for my honest revieew. #5stars.

It is a rare, lovely book that keeps me so engrossed that I can read it mostly in one day. Less than eight hours, to be exact.

Bells Walker is an utterly relatable protagonist, especially if you are a middle-aged wife and mother, and feel invisible and unappreciated and without a strong self-esteem. I totally got why Bells made her choices, the author did an amazing job of telling her tale.

Great book. Highly recommend.

Oh, my y’all. The Truth and Other Hidden Things takes small town gossip to another level! Instead of gossip going around like a game of telephone, one woman posts the town’s gossip in her blog for the whole town to see. I can’t imagine...

There are lots of laugh-out-loud moments that make this a fun read but there is also quite an emotional story to be read. Especially if you see a little bit of yourself in Bells, the main character in this novel. As a mom dealing with different parenting styles, others judgment, and her own self-perception, she’s extremely relatable.

The Truth and Other Hidden Things is out now and I recommend you add this to your TBR if haven’t already.

What a fun fun book! #WhoIsTheCountyDuchess On The same day that 43-year-old Bell finds out her husband did not get tenure she finds out that her IUD failed and she is pregnant. Bell is not certain what her teenage children are more upset about, mom having a baby or moving out of Manhattan? The Family now find themselves in Duchess County. Home of yuppies, millennials, coffee bars, all things organic, and houses with detached kitchens. Bell is convinced she will never fit in here so she decides to go on defense and creates her alter ego the County Duchess. The Duchess airs all the town’s dirty laundry on her blog. In the beginning it’s a way for Bell to vent, then things go viral and things get messy.

This book will be so relatable to so many people. Bell is one of those characters you are rooting for but the girl makes some terrible decisions. As a mother I found all the parenting portions of the story so authentic. Bell’s Husband Harry was an interesting character, it felt as though Bell almost had three children. I also really found the dynamics of Bell’s relationship with her mother and mother-in-law incredibly interesting. All in all this was a fun relatable feel-good story with loads of laughs and charm!

*** Big thank you to Lake Union for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***

This was a fun read and one that was quick, kept my attention and I can see being well received and well loved by many.

THANK YOU SO MUCH Netgalley and Lake Union for my copy of The Truth and Other Hidden Things!

Oh my gosh can you imagine going through a ton of life changes all at once? Just when you’re about to make it big in your career, or your kids are finally at an age where you can start planning trips without them- BOOM new baby. No luck on tenure. New town. New people.

No wonder Bells Walker totally lost her mind for a minute.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
I love the format!
I can’t wait to read more from Lea!

I am a fan of Lea Geller’s since I read her first book, Trophy Life. I was so excited for the release of her second novel, The Truth and Other Hidden Things and if I’m honest, I think it is even better than her first book! Clever, funny, heart-warming, and full of depth—this is the sort of book that simultaneously makes me want to grab my popcorn and also leaves me with that great feeling of seeing a group of great characters grow and evolve across the pages.

I want to talk a bit about Bells, our leading lady. Bells is the sort of character who has that perfect paradox of someone I want to shake at times and who also I cheer for so hard. Bells is 43 and dealing with all of the gray hairs and body changes that come with that. So the last thing she expects is to find out she is pregnant. Isn’t she too old to be pregnant?

Apparently not… but she is (as her doctors point out) at an “advanced maternal age”. As though they needed to tell Bells that, who is already a mother to two teenagers and a few years older than her very attractive and academic husband Harry, taking to dying her hair at home so she can get a few extra chores done while she is chasing a losing battle to cover her gray hairs.

Bells felt so relatable from page one. I instantly cheered her on as she not only dealt with the shocking news of her pregnancy, but also worked to support her husband Harry after he receives the devastating news that he won’t make tenure at his current University post. Bells is the sort of woman who seems to at once know she can do more than she is, but also is so humble about her own strengths and talents.

When Harry gets a job at Duchess College in the town of (and I’m not joking here), Pigkill in upstate New York, Bells is cautiously optimistic about getting to actually live in a place large enough for a family of four (about to be five). But Hudson Valley is not quite the utopia it seems. Instead, it is full of hipsters fleeing the city but bringing their same obsessions with porkpie hats, kombucha, vegan desserts, and strange vegetables to a town that is quickly becoming to expensive for the actual locals to survive in.

Not to mention Bells is dealing with a cadre of younger, yoga-pants moms who judge her for being pregnant at her age and gossip about her behind her back. In an effort to get back to her writing and find an outlet for the ridiculous world she has found herself living in, Bells begins writing an unpaid column for an NYC news outlet and blog. But as her salacious posts begin to get some broader attention, Bells may be in over her head as the truth about her role in the blog may be discovered with consequences for not just her, but Harry and her kids as well.

I absolutely loved reading the blog posts. They are so witty and outrageous, I could picture all of the characters she wrote about. But as with any great book, what starts as harmless fun turns a bit too close to home and Bells herself begins to make some questionable decisions as things go along. But despite her flaws, Bells was still so rootable for me! I truly felt for this woman, who had basically derailed her own life for her husband’s career and her family, only to now find herself judged for that choice from every side.

Full of laugh-out-loud moments, interesting characters, and a story that truly had me on the edge of my seat waiting to see how it all unfolds—The Truth and Other Hidden Things is a fantastic book that I recommend to anyone who likes to see the salacious side of the elite, while also appreciating that no person is truly a caricature and all characters have a story to tell.

Thank you to Suzy Approved Book Tours for my copy! Opinions are my own.

Harlequin Junkie Recommends!

An effective satire is always one that exposes the truth and full credit goes to Geller who manipulated a variety of comic devices to reveal the horrifically lonely and judgemental job that has become 21st Century motherhood – particularly if pregnancy occurs at a mature age and particularly when your family treat you like a food providing door mat.

In a very kind of ‘when it rains it pours’ type fashion, Bells Walker receives some life changing information; a seriously unplanned pregnancy and the likelihood that she will have to move to upstate New York as a result of her husband Harry’s failed tenure application at the university. Bells literally stares down the barrel of a bizarre mid-life crisis gun of sorts, wherein her identity is completely consumed by the various roles she plays; wife, mother, daughter and thus, when she arrives in Pigskil, she pulls the trigger on her quite rational desire to be her own person. Having had to give up her newspaper column in New York City, Bells does her best to apply to the local paper in Pigskill and literally gets slapped in the face with the cold fish of rejection.

In an ironic twist, Bells is encouraged to leave the new house and get involved in the community by Harry (who is clearly ignorant to her morning sickness and the fact that unpacking a whole house by yourself when vomiting every other minute must be a super treat,) and for no good reason, she lands at a PTA meeting horrified to find that she is surrounded by women in their 40s who are the leaving breathing embodiment of the mean girls from the 90s. Having little else to do other than prop up her self-absorbed an incredibly ungrateful family, Bells begins a blog in secret with some pretty acerbic, yet hilarious observations about the people in the town she has moved to.

From the minute we meet Bells, we are hit with the reality that this woman really doesn’t complain despite the fact that she has a billion reasons to. Her children treated her appallingly and the nicest thing Harry did for her was massage her feet that one time. Harry was the most self-absorbed man-child character I have met in a long time and he somehow managed to diminish even further in my esteem when he requested Bells host a work party when she was literally 38 weeks pregnant, at 43 - Seriously!

To make matters worse, he had the audacity to actually chip her about the clothes she was wearing and question why she was in the kitchen the whole night. Hence, Bells motivation to seek attention and gain self-worth via her often nasty neighbourhood blog was completely understandable – it was little wonder her self-confidence was utterly rubbish and she didn’t believe anyone was interested in her, because the reality was, no one she loved or cared about actually was, even her own mother was atrocious.

Whilst incredibly funny at times, there were also some powerful themes that were evident throughout, including the notion that the internet has destroyed the literal village that used to raise children and certainly support mothers – whatever stage of life. There was a very clear undertone of missing identities and the reality that despite every best intention, mothers are always going to feel guilty irrespective of the fantastic job they are doing – including just surviving.

Overall, this was a well written novel that was jam-packed with laughter and critical observations of our modern capitalist world. And whilst there were moments that were like a slow moving car crash, the moral purpose was loud and clear - check in on the women around you, because even the smallest kindness is a means of making any woman feel less invisible.

The Truth and Other Hidden Things by @leagellerauthor is the perfect book for lurkers like me. It is the story of Bells, a middle aged mother of 2 teens who finds out her IUD failed the same day her husband hasn’t been given tenure. They have to leave NYC and move to Dutchess County for her husband’s new job and to ameliorate her loneliness and boredom in her new town, she creates an anonymous blog where she dishes about everyone around her. Oh, this book is pure fun. It is written with the perfect amount of snarkiness and humor with such fun jabs. The gossip is hilarious and Bells’ every day interactions around town are the perfect amount of exaggeration with a little truth mixed in to keep it still seemingly realistic. Look, the down and dirty is that Bells is a mom who couldn’t get her act together, can’t seem to get dressed, has lost track of her kids, whines about money but still has endless free time to sit at a diner slurping egg creams, gabbing with the waitress. Normally this working mom would have been so annoyed at her lack of motivation but instead she is like that friend who is a hot mess but makes you laugh so much that you ignore the rest. That is Bells. She is a total mess and you just can’t help but root for her. I love this writing style so much and am convinced that @leagellerauthor and I would be besties if we met in real life.