I really liked this book, but I felt that there were lulls in the story that needed some help.. However I found this to be really enjoyable and entertaining and would recommend.

so much more than simply a love story!.
Beautiful characters, a captivating plot what's not to love? I really enjoyed delving into the world Lizzie created so perfectly.

*Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in return for my honest review.

This is a very, very cute story that I did not expect to read. It was out of my genre but….. the blurb pulled me in. A story about using music to overcome your fears and finding love. It kept me interested and rooting for the protagonist., Violet who’s life is a mess. There is a terrible boss AND live in boyfriend who owns the coffee shop she works at. In walks Kai who will change everything for her. I love the authors ability to ensure the characters are adequately flawed and we the reader get to watch them grow.

5 out of 5 stars


Thank you to NetGalley as well as the author/publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my unbiased and honest review.

Light read with a cute romance. Kai and Violets relationship seemed really quick and he swooped in to “save her” and it didn’t seem natural.

I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This book is well written and the characters are described well. I absolutely adored Violet and Kai's characters. This book is set in Kent, UnitedKingdom. This book is in stores for $25.95 (USD). I enjoyed this authors writing style and plan to read more books by this author in the near future. I would recommend reading this book to anyone and everyone.

Shh...It's Our Secret is a book that I am surprised is not getting more attention. I was not familiar with Lizzie Chantree and was not sure what to expect. To be honest, I started this book several times and just didn't give it enough time. I am glad that I didn't give up on this story.

Violet is the manager of the local coffee shop/bar. Her boyfriend who is the owner of the establishment is a no good loser. Liam treats Violet despicably but Violet feels trapped in the situation.

What happens next is a sweet story that shows once again that we are better together. This is an eclectic group of people that grow on you. This book starts out slow but then picks up so don't give up like I did originally.

The only reason that I did not give this story 5 stars is because I would have loved the secondary characters to have more of a role, to have their stories deepened and the overall story longer.

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I really resonated with this as I a musician myself and that’s why i always get excited to read a book related to music.

I loved the storyline and how the characters are built.
I also loved how it focused on Violet finding who she was by finding her voice.

This is a great fluffy and sweet book that you can devour.

Music plays a huge role in my life, so I will pick up basically any book that includes music in the plot in any way. This story follows a singer and a producer, and it was great to not only watch their relationship grow throughout the story, but also watch Violet (the singer) come out of her shell a lot more and navigate the many ups and downs of the music industry as she begins to achieve success as a musician. I felt that the pacing was pretty slow at first, but that aside, I really enjoyed this book and I think that fellow music enthusiasts will enjoy it, too.

Unpopular Opinion

A DNF for me. It was too much telling instead of showing and I just couldn't connect to the writing style and hence to the characters.

This a story all about finding your voice, both figuratively and literally. Violet is a woman who gives too much, sacrificing her needs for those around her. She struggles to speak up for herself and also lacks the confidence to use her wonderful singing voice—due to the trauma of losing her parents. That is, until her real friends help her to overcome her fears, along with a new, handsome and sexy friend—Kai, who just happens to be a hot shot music producer...

A lovely, lighthearted story that was easy to read, infused with humour and peppered with bittersweet sentiment.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. I unfortunately did not finish at 40%. I felt like the writing was very redundant and that I didn't really see the plot moving fast enough for me to truly be invested in the characters and the romance. In addition, All of the characters were truly unlikable for me. This may work for some people but just not me. Because of these points, I have to give it a 2 out of 5 stars.

I finished this book in one sitting. It was such a cute book. The writing, characters, setting, everything was perfect.
From the very first chapter I could tell that I was going to like this book. This was my first Lizzie Chantree book and I loved her writing sooo much. Can't wait to read more.

I had been waiting for this book for ages and was absolutely thrilled when I saw it on my Kindle! This is the story of Violet, who we meet as a very broken, very bullied shell who is nervous about life and not trusting of her own abilities. From the start I was a little mesmerised from the narrative voice, the fact that the story is told a certain way made it more wistful and beautiful for me and really made me savour it. This is very much a rock star romance and I loved the tale of violet trying to figure out where her heart was in so many ways. The musical aspect so the whole performance and money aspect is done really well and added to all the tension and drama. All in all one that those who love their romances will devour. Thanks so much to the publishers for the book in return for an honest review.

Downtrodden waitress Violet runs her boyfriend's failing cafe and loves her regulars like family. When Kai wanders into the cafe, searching for some peace and quiet, he discovers that Violet has a secret that could change her life - and he's the perfect person to help her. As Kai begins to fall for Violet, he finds that his help could make Violet's dreams come true - or ruin her life.

Violet is an absolute sweetheart who deserves far more than her no-good boyfriend and recently-dumped sister give her credit. I liked how Kai gave her confidence to stand up to her boyfriend and can totally sympathise with her desire for the quiet life. I also like that she managed to befriend (or at least see a more sympathetic side) most of the women who she initially sees as rivals or enemies, though this is partially undone by her insistence on describing her ex-brother-in-law's new partner as 'horse-face' and blaming her for the breakdown of her sister's marriage.

I'm less keen on Kai, who seems like a generally good guy who can't keen his hands off Violet but won't actually talk to her or define their relationship because he recognises that she's recently out of a bad relationship, leaving her with mixed signals. There's a whole thing about his 'friends' constantly turning up at his house, which leads me to think that he's very bad at boundaries. He's lucky his poor communication didn't backfire worse than it did.

While there is no sex on the page - it fades to black - the language used makes it clear what is going on so it sometimes feels like scenes end abruptly on the way to intimacy. The plot also got overly complicated, with at least one love triangle, profit sharing with a confidentiality clause and growing sisterly tension. Overall I didn't mind this book but I think a good edit could've done it a world of good.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from NetGalley; all opinions are my own

I finished this book in one sitting. It was such a cute book. The writing, characters, setting, everything was perfect.
From the very first chapter I could tell that I was going to like this book. This was my first Lizzie Chantree book and I loved her writing sooo much. Can't wait to read more.

2.5 ⭐️

This story was not for me. I didn't connect at any point with the characters.
Violet was too weak character for me, with very low self-esteem, while her ex-boyfriend Liam has a lot to do with this, she is still a puppet for everyone, even Kai is controlling of her life and when she tries to make her own decisions they are not too smart.
I never felt the connection between Violet and Kai, or the other couples in this story.
In conclusion this read was not for me, but this is my opinion and I always say everyone should read what they like and form their own opinion.

I was really looking forward to reading this book after absolutely loving the description. But the result was not what I was expecting, and I was disappointed. As much as I loved the characters, and the overall story, I wasn't able to relate or connect at all. There was a lot of telling, and not a lot of dialogue throughout the book. I wanted to be able to imagine everything happening but couldn't when the next sentence had already moved on to the next thing.

Overall, this story has a lot of potential and I think it could be really great. The characters and story caught my eye and I just wanted so much more than what there was. But it needs to show instead of tell, and let the characters do more interacting.

A great unexpected read. Friendships are at the heart of this book, the storyline is refreshing and I do love it when the main character can stand up for herself. A must read.

Another author I love having on my reading list as I know I'm going to enjoy her writing!

Violet's life isn't wrapped in luxury; in fact, it's about as far removed as it is possible to be. Working in a run-down cafe bar, the regulars are like family to her and they watch out for each other. But Violet has a secret, soon discovered by Kai who takes to visiting the coffee shop early each morning - when he stumbles upon the secret she hides so well. With a stressful job, Kai has moved to a nearby home to find some rest and relaxation but, as a music producer, the songwriters and musicians have followed him there - hence his down time with Violet's coffee each morning. With Violet's self-confidence at an all time low, can Kai help restore that and support her to be all he thinks he knows she can be?

This is a truly tempting story, and a very different one. With a lot of details about the music business, I imagine the author did a fair bit of research into this one which has paid off as it is delightfully entertaining. Filled with an array of characters from all walks of life, Lizzie Chantree knows how to sweep her readers off their feet and keep them focused until the very last. Circumstances have allowed Violet to get downtrodden and circumstances again lift her up. I thought it was pretty obvious where the story was going, but there are lots of twists and turns before the end, making it all very interesting and keeping the reader on their toes. A nice, bright read full of optimism made this one I'm happy to recommend and give 4.5*.

My thanks to the publisher for my copy via NetGalley; this is - as always - my honest, original and unbiased review.

I never like to retell the story when I write a review, because the author always does it so much better – I always try not to stray beyond the “blurb”, but you’ll notice that this one is particularly enigmatic and doesn’t give many clues about the story that’s about to unfold. I guess that’s the thing about secrets – and the importance of keeping them is rather central to this lovely, very different and well-told story.

The story develops from that pivotal moment when Kai, a big name in the music industry, walks into the neglected and run down café bar that Violet runs, desperate for a coffee and an escape from the demands of his busy life. Violet’s life has hit a bit of a low too – the bar is owned by her feckless boyfriend, who fails to appreciate that she’s the only one keeping the business going. I really liked Violet from first encounter – although the book does start with an intriguing glimpse of the present day, and how things have changed – with her edge of sadness after the loss of her parents, her strong friendships, her closeness to her sister and her young family. And the bar itself is a daytime refuge for the lonely – a lovely group of real characters who Violet has taken to her heart.

And now I have the dilemma of whether to share Violet’s secret – and I won’t, but I will say that Kai’s involvement in the music industry is fairly central to the story. But this is a story full of secrets, and the importance of keeping them – always a challenge, and beautifully handled, with quite a few surprises along the way. But it’s also a story about belief and courage, about taking chances in life and trusting others, about following your dreams, all wrapped up in a really original story that kept me entirely hooked as it unfolded.

The settings are excellent – the café bar itself as it undergoes some major changes, and then there’s Kai’s palatial home with some great insights into the lifestyles of the rich and famous. There’s a satisfying romance too, and a strong focus on families and friendship. It’s a story that hinges on the strength of its characters: it’s told mainly from the viewpoints of both Violet and Kai, and that takes you nicely inside their thoughts and feelings, but the supporting cast is strong too. I particularly liked the collection of misfits who frequent the café, and who support Violet as much as she’s always supported them – with a special mention for Esme and Doris, sharing their slice of cake and acting as a bit of a Greek chorus, with loudly voiced opinions on Violet’s life and just about everything else. And that supporting cast is very much part of the story – their lives change along with the fortunes of Violet and the café, and in a way that’s particularly heartwarming and uplifting.

Other than the opening chapter, the way the story is told is linear – and if I have a small criticism, I think I might have liked to see a little more variation, maybe to experience some scenes from Violet’s early life that so shaped her, rather than the “telling” that sometimes engages a little less.

But I did really enjoy the author’s writing – she’s a good storyteller, and this was a book that engaged me throughout, an easy read but with real originality and plenty of emotional depth. Something a bit different, and I enjoyed it – I’ll look forward to reading more from Lizzie Chantree.