My Mother’s Secret is a totally emotional story so come prepared with tissues! The author delves into some deep topics – dementia, cancer, a stillbirth – but does so with a deep respect for the situation and anybody who might have found themselves in the same position. However, don’t expect insight into the medical side of these topics. This story is completely about how a mother and daughter battle through these events while trying to salvage a relationship that’s always been broken.

It was very interesting to follow Diana and Danni’s relationship. It’s a bit different from similar relationships I’ve encountered in the past as Danni is a very forgiving and caring figure. It doesn’t have the big bust-ups that I would have expected a story like this to have. I still haven’t made up my mind if I missed the drama in My Mother’s Secret or not. There certainly are some juicy bits within the pages of this book and there is a great plot development, it’s just that things move a tad too slow and no “action” really occurs until the end. One other gripe I had was that I found the writing to be quite passive. There were many times when the narrative told us what happened rather than leave the plot to unfold in front of our eyes. A change in tact could possibly have added the more dramatic scenes some of us readers yearn for.

But, as I said, this story is really about a mother-daughter relationship, specifically a strained relationship, and how to aim to co-exist in the face of diversity. When it comes to laying out the emotion of this journey to us, the author gets top marks.

What an emotional read. I don't think I have cried so much reading a book before. A great storyline dealing with loss of children at birth and the affect this can have on a mother's emotions through her life and the consequences for others in the wider family. It deals very sensitively with the topic of dementia of which I have a lot of experience as both my parents suffered with this disease.

My Mother’s Secret really tugged at my heartstrings, a real emotional tear-jerker!

My heart aches for poor Danni! Her mom’s words and behavior towards her throughout her life made me physically wince and gasp, especially when she was younger. The long-lasting psychological harm and damage was apparent throughout Danni’s life and yet she was still there for her mother. Finding out about her mom’s diagnosis later was also a hard time for Danni. Despite knowing the symptoms of the disease, hurtful words still hurt, Alzheimer’s is way too frequent of a visitor to many of my family members and I am too familiar with the unexpected anger and turbulent mood swings.

I am so impressed with the author for creating a character that I could feel such empathy and compassion for, and one that I felt such strong emotion towards as each twist, turn, and secret in her life was revealed.

I highly recommend this book, as emotional as it is.

There’s no doubt in my mind that parents differentiate between children. But why does Danni’s mother, Diana, almost seem to detest her daughter, while lavishing all her love and attention on her son, Adam. Now that Adam is in New Zealand and her mother has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and cancer, Danni has to step in and take care of her. How her mother unwittingly reveals something in her past, she starts to unravel the thread that leads to the answer to her question.

The author has done a fabulous job of telling a story of the tenuous relationship with a mother and daughter and how the daughter is able to continue to show love and concern to her mother.

By telling how family secrets can cause so much pain and heartache, the author reinforces how truth and open communication can make for better familial relationships.

What I found particularly interesting was the fact that family needn’t be the one we’re born into – as Danni experiences with her husband, Ben and her friend, Maxine.

Danni’s character is truly beautiful – a large hearted and compassionate woman who is determined to be an example of kindness and love to her daughters. Her husband, Ben too is a rock of a partner and father – supportive and kind.

How Danni makes sure that her daughters are constantly assured of her love is also a reminder that we needn’t get stuck into family behaviour patterns.

Altogether, a book that brought me to tears and reminded me that we must always look beyond a person’s behaviour, to find what is the hurt that makes them behave so.

I will certainly be on the look out for more books from Julia Roberts and recommend this one highly.

Bookouture have described this book as compelling and I absolutely have to agree. I picked this book up at 3pm, and less than 8 hours later, despite having to navigate tea and bed time for the kids and logging back on to work, I had finished it. I found myself completely engrossed and eager to know the outcome of Danni and Diana’s story.

The opening of the book is engaging and shocking, as we are quickly told of Diana’s self-destructive behaviour and her diagnosis as a result of this being flagged to her family, and the authorities. I was completely hooked from this moment on, wanting to know where this domestic drama would lead.

Danni is a likeable character, and at times, appears too good to be true. She is kind, considerate, hard-working, caring and devoted. She stands in start contrast to her mother who is blunt, fiercely independent (or tries to be!), and at times very cruel and unkind. Their relationship is a complex one, and I really felt for Danni not being able to have that loving connection with her mother, and not understanding why. Danni’s desire to be a good daughter and get her mother’s positive attention is almost child-like at times, highlighting the emotional absence she felt as a child.

Though I found this to be an easy read in terms of length and language, it is quite a complex and clever story that brings to the fore many themes and issues around familial relationships, motherhood and sibling rivalry. I have loved viewing being an outsider looking into how the family descends into disharmony and chaos, at times. I have found the twists to be both shocking and unpredictable. This is quite a dark book at times, but the ending serves as an uplifting reminder to not take what you have for granted.

This has been an addictive, gripping and emotional read that I would recommend to domestic drama fans, including fans of Jodi Picoult, Amanda Prowse and Sam Vickery.

My goodness what a sad story this was! There was so much heartbreak and so many difficult situations for so many of the characters. It was quite hard to like Diana at first when you read about the way she has shunned her daughter Danni and blatantly favoured her brother Adam over the years. I felt a natural sympathy for Danni who never understood why she was treated this way. She has her own lovely family and is determined her girls will know nothing but love. And yet, it is Danni who steps up when Diana needs her.

Anyone who has cared for a relative with dementia will recognise the difficulties this brings and Julia Roberts does not shy away from showing this clearly, but she also shows the happier more lucid moments in Diana's relationship with Danni and her granddaughters. The author also gently and sensitively explores the effect losing a child can have throughout the parent's life. The author really put her characters through the mill with so many traumas heaped upon them and yet in a way that seemed completely plausible.

Having said that there is a lot of sadness, this isn't a book which upset me, more me made just feel such sympathy for its characters. I found it a very compelling book with its short chapters and first person narrative making it very much a 'just one more chapter' type read. If you enjoy a book with lots of emotion and family secrets, then this is a book for you.

My heart has a massive hole in it, a massive hold weeping blood. This is my first read of 2021 to reduce me to tears. I need a hug and some hot chocolate and marshmallows, maybe even one of those hot water bottles shaped like a cut animal to snuggle up to. I loved this book. My nan had dementia and the author is spot on in the way she portrays how the illness affects Danni’s mother. She reminded me so much of my nan I found it painful to read at times. My Mother’s Secret is the definition of a page-turner and a tear-jerker. I didn’t want to stop reading once I’d fallen into the lives of Danni and her family as they cope with one shock after another. I loved every word of this.

This story and it's characters have been so well written, you could believe you are part of it. Powerful yet emotional. The relationship between Danni and her mum is so similar to mine with my life and Ben's live for Danni, is so like my husband's for me! It is so uncanny. I love getting so drawn into a book, I can't put it down until I've finished it.

I received an ARC from Bookouture through NetGalley for an honest review. I enjoyed reading this book because when I read what the book was about I wondered why Diane was cold while Danni was growing up. One night Danni received a phone call from the police her mother had an episode and they discovered she had dementia. Danni decided that she would let go of past hurts and just make her as happy as she could in the time they have left.
Diane told Danni that when she was 15 she got pregnant and they told her the baby was stillborn but her mother never believed it. Danni decided that she would find her brother's resting place to bring some peace to her mother and that sounded so nice but it led to some major discoveries, that took me on a journey that was full of surprises and heartbreak.
Diane didn't seem to have a happy life but her daughter Danni had a wonderful husband that was supportive and understanding. There was also Diane's neighbor that was always there when needed and he kept an eye on Diane. There was sadness but there were also the people who just made things better. The author did a wonderful job writing this story. It was Diane's life, her journey, and how she became the person she was.

My Mother’s Secret by Julia Roberts is narrated through the eyes of Danielle Harper. It follows her journey as she navigates the ups and downs of life after her mother becomes ill.


There are some very well written characters in this book which includes Maxine, Dani, her husband Ben and their two daughters. I absolutely love the connection between Dani and her husband Ben because he always has her back no matter what happens. The relationship between Dani and her daughters was very sweet because I think they all respected each other which helped to create a great relationship. The relationship between Dani and her mother is awful because Diana has always treated her daughter like she wasn’t important. I couldn’t stand Diana even after I found out what she went through when she was younger because that wasn’t a good enough reason to treat Dani the way that she did.

This story is filled with heartbreak, forgiveness, secrets and the love a mother has for her children. This was the first book that I have read by this author and I would be interested in reading more.

As a child, Danni would li awake at night wondering what she had done to make her mother so cold. Now, she is determined to put the past behind them and make her mother, Diana, as happy as happy as they can be in the time she has left.

Danni has never had a good relationship with her mother. Diana had always favoured Danni's younger brother Adam. Diana has been diagnosed with Dementia and Danni is spending more time looking after her mother with help from Diana's neighbour Martin.
danni has her own family and she's determined to be a better mother to her two girls than her mother had been to her. In caring for her mother, Danni finds out some of her mother's family secrets. This heartbreaking story tells how bad choices in parenting can have an effect on a child and why we all need good friends like Maxine in our life. This beautiful written story will make you weep.

I would like to thank #NetGalley, #Bookouture and the author #JuliaRoberts for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

My Mother’s Secret by Julia Roberts is an emotional story about family.

Diana has Alzheimer’s and her daughter, Danni is trying to be as helpful and supportive as necessary. Diana and Danni have always had a difficult relationship. Diana has episodes where she is confused and very angry. During one of these episodes she starts talking about her baby dying. Danni tries to figure out if the baby was part of confusion or a secret her mother has been keeping for years. How will Danni find out the truth without ruining her relationship with her mother?

I really enjoyed My Mother’s Secret and was pulled into the story from the beginning. There are many different family dynamics involved. The story is about a complicated mother daughter relationship and a daughter that is trying to do anything she can to be there for her mother. Diana is dealing with multiple health problems. Diana and Danni are both complex characters. Roberts does a great job explaining why the characters make the choices they do. Danni has daughters that she treats very different than her mother treated her growing up. There are many emotional parts of this book, and some I was prepared for while others shocked me.

I recommend My Mother’s Secret for anyone that likes emotional stories focusing on family.

Thank you Bookouture and NetGalley for My Mother’s Secret.

My Mother’s Secret is the latest family drama from the talented Ms Roberts and revolves around the bond between mother and daughter; a bond that should endure for a lifetime but that sometimes ends up seriously strained by one or both individuals behaviour and explores how the secrets of the past nearly always come back to haunt you. Danielle ”Danni” Harper is a married mother of two beautiful daughters Jade and Amber; her husband Ben is a supportive and empathetic rock which is exactly what Danni needs given the lifelong issues and abuse from her mother Diana. Danni has her own life and a family to care for and even though they live close by Danni rarely sees her mother. It's 2nd April 2018, and the family of four decide to go to the Lincolnshire coast to spend a relaxing Easter Monday. Later that evening, the couple have just dropped off to sleep when they get a rude awakening; the house phone rings in the dead of night. It's the police. They ask her to come over to Diana's and when she pulls up outside she is greeted by PC Hammond who tells her Diana had been found walking down the middle of the dual carriageway wearing nothing but her nightdress and slippers, after they received a call from a passing motorist. The following day Danni manages to get an urgent appointment with senior practice doctor, (Dr) Morton who runs some standard tests and agrees Diana needs to be referred to a specialist. Three weeks later, she sees Dr Ranjid who orders a psychiatric evaluation and a CT scan of her brain to rule out any other possible cause of the symptoms she was exhibiting.

Although he strongly suspected she had Alzheimer’s disease. A diagnosis of Alzheimer's follows. Alzheimer’s is a nightmare for any family, even a close knit one, but having to look after and bear pretty much the sole burden for a parental figure who always treated her in quite frankly a vile and disgusting manner and with the utmost contempt, who favoured her son, Adam. Diana has always treated Danni with a real coldness throughout her life. Danni is miserable but despite this she continues to be there for her mum and amazingly swallows any upset or hard feelings and decides to put the past aside and try to make her mother’s last days on earth as happy and comfortable as they can possibly be. But during her episodes, Diana starts to spill secrets about her past that are earth shattering if true. Trouble is Danni doesn't know if it's a part of the confused and chaotic state of mind emanating from the illness or real memories and sets out to investigate. But will discovering the truth hurt or heal? This is a compelling, captivating and profoundly heartbreaking read and a story most people will be able to relate to on some level. The unravelling of Diana's secrets after so many years creates a feeling of pain and loss and I felt extremely sorry for the position Danni found herself in - effectively having to care for someone who has been emotionally abusive to her all of her life, and I, sadly, can relate. This is a tearjerker that'll move you, provide food for thought and keep you intrigued by the mystery until you've turned the final page. Highly recommended.

I am excited to be taking part in the #BooksOnTour #BlogTour for Julia Robert's emotional tear-jerker MY MOTHER'S SECRET.

Wow! This has got to be one of the most saddest and most heartbreaking reads I've encountered in a long time. Be warned, you will need plenty of tissues for this one!

The relationship between a mother and daughter should be one of the simplest a woman should ever have in her lifetime and yet there is nothing more complicated than those you will have with your family. The love should be unconditional and limitless and most of us are blessed with that. But for Danni that is not so. Her relationship with her mother Diana has always been turbulent and strained, who has never hidden the fact that she has favoured Danni's brother Adam over her from the moment he was born. What could be more hurtful than the words Diana spat at her daughter:

"I don't need you Danni. I've never needed you."

Danni has never understood why her mother has not as much hated her as been so indifferent to her. From the moment Danni's baby brother Adam was brought home from hospital when she was 12 years old, Diana has made no secret of the fact that it's Adam she loves and she only has enough love for him. Diana wouldn't let anyone, much less Danni, near her brother and would certainly never let Danni feed him or hold him. As a result, Danni has grown up with a resentment towards Adam for being the one in their mother's favour. But now they are adults and Adam was now living in New Zealand while Danni lived just ten minutes away from their mother. And yet, her visits were sporadic to monthly at best. Even her two daughters, Amber and Jade, had seen little of their nana in the years since they were born, and Diana had shown little interest in her granddaughters.

So when Danni receives a phone call in the middle of the night from the police to say that her mother has been found wandering down the middle of the dual carriageway in her nightdress, she doesn't think twice about rushing to her mother's aid. But Diana is anything but happy to see her daughter - "why did you call HER?" - and though she was used to her mother's rejection it still hurt.

But what came next could not prepare Danni or her family for the journey they were about to embark on. After her mother's nocturnal venture, Danni made an immediate appointment with her mother's doctor for an assessment who, after several cognitive function tests, referred them to a specialist for further testing. But there was no escaping it - Diana had Alzheimer's. The consultant explained to them the seven stages of dementia and that, given by the results of Diana's assessments, that she was in stage four of the disease. If she had just entered stage 4 then she may have years in that stage, but if she were towards the end of it, then the decline would be rapid. Despite her strained relationship with her mother, Danni is devastated. And yet, she steps up to help her mother through this difficult time after receiving her diagnosis.

The next several months are spent ferrying her mother between appointments and her three day a week job at the library, as well as being there for her two girls, who know nothing of the history between their mother and grandmother. Her husband Ben has been a rock, always there offering love and support during her darkest days at the receiving end of Diana's vitriol. Soon after the diagnosis, Danni skypes her brother in New Zealand who is shocked by the news before revealing his relationship with their mother was not the bed of roses she thought it had been. All these years Danni had been jealous of the love Diana lavished on her brother, she never realised that Adam found their mother's love to be suffocating. And yet, despite their mother's devastating diagnosis, Adam never offered to come home. It riled Danni because she needed his help and it was clear that it was him Diana wanted...until he revealed just before Christmas that he had no job and couldn't afford the flight home.

Then during a routine appointment to assess any changes and how the disease was progressing, Diana revealed something to her consultant that resulted in even more devastating consequences. And Danni was in no way prepared for the revelation nor the resulting outcome. Either way, her mother did not have long and Danni knew that Adam needed to come home now.

In the months since her original diagnosis, Danni and her mother had been forced together whether the other liked it or not. Despite everything, Diana was still Danni's mother and she still loved her...and no one deserves the life sentence that dementia brings. As the months wore on, there were times when Diana was lucid and it would seem like there was nothing amiss. And then in a blink of an eye, she could suddenly find herself locked in a past memory, recalling it in clear detail as it if it were unfolding right at that minute. And it is during one of these moments, beginning with the rambling whispers Danni mistakes for a dream on Boxing Day, that she discovers a shocking secret that her mother had never spoken about...until the dementia did it for her.

After many an argument with her mother about the excerpts of this secret and in a moment of lucidity, Diana finally told Danni the secret she had kept for over 40 years. A brother she had never known about, born long before she was, when Diana was just 16. Stillborn, they said, but she never believed them...she'd have known. A mother would know know if her child died...wouldn't she? Besides...she heard him whimper; she was sure she did. Danni is saddened for her mother to have gone through such an experience alone and with no support. So she makes it her quest to discover the truth - did her mother have a stillborn child, or was it a figment of her dementia-addled brain? And if it is true, Danni resolves that the one last thing she can do for her mother is to find her brother's final resting place and bring her mother some peace and closure...before she dies.

But good intentions have unexpected consequences and Danni opens up a can of worms she knew nothing about which changes her life forever. And before the story's end, there will be even more heartbreak that will have you bawling that so much tragedy could befall one family. But in the end, comes a gift so beautiful, so precious that it will make you cry all over again.

My gosh! This book should really come with a box of tissues because believe me, you are going to need them! There is so much tension, emotion and heartbreak as Danni struggles first with the feeling of inadequacy with regards to her mother and then the truth behind the secret she uncovers. It was nothing she had done, nothing she could have done and nothing she could do now...and uncovering that truth doesn't make it any easier. It just makes it so much more heartbreaking.

Anyone who has care for or has lived with a loved one with dementia will recognise the challenges Danni faces in MY MOTHER'S SECRET. The author doesn't hesitate in showing this to readers as well as giving us the more happier and lucid moments as Diana and Danni repair their relationship before it's too late. And then there is the effect that losing a child can have on a parent, particularly in a time when ideas surrounding grief were so far removed from what we have since learnt is actually beneficial to the grieving process. And yet, Julia Roberts still puts her characters through the mill with so much tragedy and heartbreak that the reader cannot help but sympathise with them all. MY MOTHER'S SECRET is both an easy and a hard read.

Despite there being so much sadness, MY MOTHER'S SECRET is a compelling tale with it's wonderfully short chapters that I found myself turning the pages with such a speed of "just one more chapter" until the very end. I cannot tell you how much I loved this book and everyone in it...including the irascible Diana.

Recommended for anyone who loves a good tear-jerker with heartbreaks aplenty but with a happy ending.

I would like to thank #JuliaRoberts, #NetGalley, #Bookouture for an ARC of #MyMothersSecret in exchange for an honest review.

'My Mother's Secret' by Julia Roberts is a contemporary fiction about Mothers and their love for their children,alive or dead. Its also a story of two people's struggles with the past and how they deal with it. The story brings out the impact of parenting both good bad. It talks about families, secrets and complexities of various relationships.

My Mother's secret is primarily a story revolving around Danni and her mother Diana. Danni has always felt the neglect of her mother very heartbreaking but she steps in when her mother requires her help. As Diana is going through Alzheimer's some of the closely held family secrets spill out giving Danni a vague picture of the past. Will Danni uncover the entire past? Read this beautifully written emotional rollercoaster story.

The various themes in the story of relationships, healthy and unhealthy, the impact of friendships and devastating effects of bad parenting all are brought alive through the various characters in the story. Although I started out judging Diana and her behaviour, the author through her story forced me to change my perspective. The secondary characters in the story of Danni's husband, her friend and Diana's neighbour all of them are equally important and enrich the story through their personalities and presence. The only issue I had was that I could not be convinced of the reason for Diana's behaviour towards her daughter. Apart from this minor challenge that I faced, I completely enjoyed the story. The story line is intricate weaving between past events and the present. The characterization is good with each character lending its presence to the story.

If you love to read contemporary women's fiction and do not mind an emotional gripping story then this book is for you.

I thank the author, the publisher Bookouture and Netgalley for accepting my request to review the story and the opinions expressed are mine alone.

Believe me when I tell you Women's Fiction is not one of my go to genres. That said it's always nice to have a diversion from the world of horror. This is a well written, though very sad, story. I was so drawn in, I finished it in one day.

Oh Boy! This is going to be one of the hardest reviews I will ever write.........

My Mother's Secret by Julia Roberts was just beautiful for what I read. I felt like I was reading my story. as I had a complicated mother daughter relationship, since I was a teenager when I found out I could not have children. I tried everything to be a perfect daughter, until a year ago we had a good mum and daughter relationship.

However, whilst reading this latest book by Julia, my Mum caught Covid and sadly passed away with 24 hours!!!
I can not finish this Book. (But, I will later "when the pain of losing my mum passes" )I am so sorry Julia and Bookouture. But, what I read was excellent and I have loved reading all your books Julia.

Best wishes for you new book.

Thank you Bookouture and NetGalley for The Mother’s Secret.

This is a very emotional, domestic drama. So much love, loss and secrets to uncover, but also a story of forgiveness. I really enjoyed it.
This is my first book by this author and it will not be my last.

A really good read about family, love. loss and secrets. I feel like I have been on an emotional rollercoaster. There is so much packed into this book. Danni has a heart of gold and really wants acceptance and love from her mum. I got totally into Danni and Diana’s story. It is so well written and felt so real in places.

Thank you to NetGalley for my copy.

I enjoyed this book! The main character, Danielle, must be the most kind hearted and compassionate character. I can't say I would have been as understanding as her - and I don't know if I would have helped a mother that treated me so badly growing up either. At times I wished Danielle would stand up for herself! As a mother, I'd assume if I lost a baby, my next baby would be most precious to me, same gender or not.

I know Danielle was supposed to be around age 35, but with all the things happening around her, she seemed older, and more mature somehow.

The prologue seems unnecessary? By the end I was wondering what the point of the prologue even was.

So, a few things bothered me about the book, but overall it was a great read, and a good story.