1942, WWII, New York City. Lily Rose is a sous-chef at a popular and elite restaurant, Valentino's. With the men off to war, women have taken over their roles in many businesses. Up until the war, women were not encouraged to go to work, but rather stay home, taken care of their husbands and children. For Lily's mother, that was what she was quite adamant about...not wanting Lily to work and especially working in a restaurant. Threatening to cut her off financially she was forcing the issue to get her married to a wealthy man. Even though Lily comes from a rich family along with a snobbish mother Lily felt the opposite, especially since she now had an opportunity to become the head chef at Valentino's. It is quite interesting to read how WWII affected those at home, while the work force was suffering when men were being called up daily to go to war. This book was interesting to read, to see how WWII affected those who stayed behind, how the standards for women were changing because of the war. This novel with its different view of WWII, with a different perspective from so many I have read lately is one that I would absolutely recommend. I have read other novels by Ella Carey, she is an outstanding author. My thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Though this considered a Historical Novel and set in WWII, it is a romance novel at its heart. The WWII angle just sheds light on the fact so many relationships were made or broken based on a young man's draft.....or staying home.
We start off in New York City's Little Italy. where Tom and Lily's romance starts. But the draft takes him away and this challenges all of Lily's other relationships including the would-be-arranged Marriage that will make and keep her a well looked after stay-at-home-mother. But even with Tom missing in action, Lily is walking around the streets of New York as a clique, "the heart wants, what the heart wants".
Well done with great pacing and character development.

I never miss an Ella Carey book and this one is a beauty of a story taking in New York during World War 2, we get to meet Lily Rose who is working as a chef in one of the top restaurants and she is working her way up to head chef, it is a struggle for woman in this time but the men are away and the woman are doing a fabulous job working. I do hope that you will pick this one up I savoured every word, so beautifully written with emotion, it is a page turner.

Lily is doing what she loves cooking, it has been what she loves since her beautiful grandmother Josie taught her as a young girl, Lily struggles with her mother who wants to run her life, pick her husband and ensure that she does well but that is not what Lily wants, she wants to become head chef and is getting closer to another chef Tom Morelli but the war is taking the men away and it is not long before Tom is drafted, Lily throws herself into work and with the help of Gia, Tom’s mother they start a victory garden to keep the restaurant in vegies.

Lily is beautiful and strong and her and her female staff work wonders with rationing they create meals that are thoroughly enjoyed by the customer’s famous ones as well, her boss is thrilled with her but the worry about Tom, her secret and the growing gap between her family is always a constant in her life. Lily continues to move forward and show her resilience in the face of what comes her way.

The war finally ends and the men return and they are changed men with what they have seen and done, but this means big changes for the woman who have worked so hard, what will they do now? Lily is determined to keep going nothing is going to stop her, will she see her true dream come true of owing her own restaurant? What about Tom the love of her life?

I took in every word in this story, it is beautifully written from the heart, the struggle to keep businesses going during war time and the strength that was shown especially by the woman, and Ella Carey pulled me in I felt like I was there in New York with Lily, this is a story that I highly recommend it is moving emotional and a must read, I am looking forward to book two in this series. Thank you Ella Carey for another keeper, I loved it.

My thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and author for my copy to read and review.

Thank you to Bookouture, the author, and NetGalley for the gifted copy of A New York Secret. All opinions in this review are my own.

While most novels set during World War II take the reader to the front lines, A New York Secret by Ella Carey tells the stories of the people left behind.

Lily is a society girl with dreams of becoming the head chef at Valentino's. Victoria, Lily's mother, wants her daughter to marry a man from a wealthy family. However, Lily has her own career aspirations. The war has the power to give Lily the opportunities she wants, but it also has the power to take them away.

The title, A New York Secret, is a little misleading. There are many secrets being kept in this novel! I like that it focuses on the people, mainly women, who stay behind in New York while the war rages on in Europe and across the Pacific. Although Lily is the main character, the novel also offers glimpses into her grandmother's and mother's stories. By having three characters to focus on, the author is able to reveal their secrets but hide them from the other characters.

A New York Secret is the first book in the Daughters of New York series. I can't wait to see what happens to Lily in the second novel!

Oh, did I ever enjoy this book! This story is based in New York during WWII. It doesn't focus on the fighting overseas, but rather, follows the story of Lily and how the war affects her life. Women stepped up and worked, filling vacancies from the men who left to fight in the war.

Lily is a strong willed, smart and loving woman, wanting to follow her own path and in doing so, butts heads with her over demanding mom.

This is a story that made cry and laugh. I was so proud of Lily for being a strong woman in an era that discouraged equality. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction or stories about courageous women.

As a long standing fan of Ella Careys, I was of course extremely excited for this latest book of hers, and I can whole heartedly say it did not disappoint.

A New York Secret is the first book in the Daughter’s of New York series, and what a star it is. Set in 1942 in NYC as WW2 is really beginning to take a hold on the country, we first meet Lily. She is still living at home with her parents, along with her perfect job as Chef in the beautiful restaurant Valentino’s, her life seems pretty perfect. However, Lily has always had quite an interest in Italian cuisine, and is fascinated by the community too, and of course there is Tom Morelli, a fellow chef who has also captured her interest too.

When Tom is called up to fight, Lily feels as though her world is crashing down around her. Her parents have never really approved of her relationship with Tom, and would much prefer her to marry someone of their choosing, something in which Lily pushes back against. When Tom is declared missing in action, Lily is left with the heart breaking decision – will her job alone be enough to get her by?.

This was a captivating, emotional read that really took you on a journey. The book is so wonderfully written, with each of the characters having their own unique qualities and traits to add to the depth of this fascinating tale. The storyline was marvellous and had so much context and drive, it was impossible to not find yourself invested in the characters and their lives as the story begins to unfold.

I loved this story and truly can’t wait for future books within this series!.

From time to time I love to read stories about war. This is one of those stories that kept me until I finished reading it. The story is about people, women that stayed back home and doing jobs that were previously held by men. During that time, they are proving that they can do it perfectly. All of that is sprinkled with dash of love, friendship and sense of pride and validity.
I loved to read about Lily’s strength and her life story during this period in history. All the characters in it, have a special role that gives this story depth and purpose and it is more reach with them. It was so fun to read about the restaurant kitchen life and its culture.
I will definitely read other books by Ella Carey because I like her way of telling her stories.

Lily Rose and her mother, Victoria, have very different views on the direction Lily's life should take. Victoria demands that Lily marry for wealth and prestige, even going so far as to select the future bridegroom. Lily, encouraged by her grandmother, Josie, is determined to make her own decisions and pursue her dreams of becoming the head chef of Valentino's, one of the best restaurants in New York.

With many young men awaiting the draft, it is only a matter of time before Valentino's current head chef, Tom Morelli, is called up. Lily and Tom's shared passion for cooking leads to romance, but their new-found love is cut short when the inevitable does happen and Tom is posted overseas. When he is declared missing in action, Lily finds the long hours as a chef a welcome distraction, devising recipes and sourcing supplies to keep the restaurant viable during wartime, but never gives up hope that Tom will return.

A New York Secret is the first of a promising new series from Ella Carey. Romance, food and history make a delightful combination in this World War II story as we follow Ellie's rebellion against her mother's selfishness and snobbery. This rebellion takes Ellie into the kitchen of a busy restaurant, an environment traditionally the preserve of men, where personalities clash amid the challenges of keeping a restaurant running during wartime. Ellie's grit and determination is further tested when peace is declared and servicemen return to take up their former jobs.

A New York Secret is a great portrayal of life on the home front and the roles of women during World War II. I enjoyed every aspect of it: the characters, the setting and especially the descriptions of those mouth-watering recipes that our chefs lovingly prepare.

Ella Carey has written another novel that will delight her fans and gain her many new ones. Her new series is off to a great start.

DNF'ed @ 32%.
I really wanted to like this one, but I couldn't connect with any of the characters at all! Things also felt a little repetitive and it was more telling than showing.

New York City, just prior to WWII, 2 young lovers working together in a restaurant both with hopes and dreams of running their own restaurant some day. He is the son of Italian immigrants. He is called to join the fight in Italy. Her parents do not want her to be with him, they have other plans for her future, a different more acceptable husband. She will have to make big decisions if she wants to stay with her love. Captivating story! Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy.

This is a new author to me and this book is the first in her brand new series.

It took me a little while to get into the story but once I was in I was hooked. The characters certainly came alive on the page and I became invested in the relationships that were being described.

Although I studied history to A level I know very little about the US and WW2 so this book was something of a history lesson too. I really felt for Lilly all through the book - she really doesn't have an easy time of it. Expectations from her haughty mother, the love of her life being sent to war and stepping up to the plate to run the kitchens at a renowned restaurant.

I don't want to spoilt the story for anyone else but I am glad that this is the first book in a series as I now have to find out what happens to Lilly and Tom and their new ventures.

Will definitely be reading more by this author.

I loved this book!!!!! How to you choose between family and love during time of war? How do you stay strong enough for the man you love who is fighting for his county of heritage when others who are supposed to love you are pushing you to be a meek little housewife to someone else? This story really draws you in and gets you involved in her hopes and dreams. You cannot help but root for bravery and true love.

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by NetGalley.

A New York Secret by Ella Carey is a historical fiction story set in World War Two. If I have an author that I feel can perfectly encapsulate the period which she writes, it has to be Ella Carey.
Lily Rose is living her perfect life in New York, 1942. Wealthy parents and a dream job , she couldn't ask for more. She finds herself drawn to the Sicilian community in Greenwich Village, partly due to the atmosphere there and mainly because of Tom Morelli, grandson of Sicilian immigrants and a chef where she works. They fall in love and spend their time dreaming together of delicious meals to get people through the tough times. The day arrives that Tom is called back to Italy and heartbroken, Lily turns to her parents but her mother is furious whrn she discovers about their relationship and gives her an ultimatum, give up her job and end the relationship or lose them and her inheritance for good. How will Lily deal with this harsh decision? Will she acquiese or not? Only time will tell.
A New York Secret is slightly different to the books I have previously read by Ella Carey. This one shows us the high society of America in the 1940s. One which, as the war unfolds, finds it's status, connections and wealth can't protect them or anyone they love from the death and destruction of the war. Lily is a woman with her own mind and is the exact opposite of the flighty society women. She seems to have everything she could want with her perfect job and Tom. I really felt she deserved it all. Then everything falls apart and by the end of the war there are more changes. Off course the men return from the war and this is where the women aren't needed anymore. I can understand the anger some felt at this. I wasn't very happy either as I was reading the book!
If you, like me, love getting cosy with a book that transports you out of your life today and has the capability of making you feel you are with the characters in that said book, Ella Carey is an exceptional choice and this book is perfect! The first book in a great new series, will need to the read the next one soon.
Thanks to Sarah at Bookouture and NetGalley for the copy of the book for todays review.

This is my first Ella Carey book and I wasn't disappointed.

It was set during World War II and what it was like for women in the workplace.

It gripped me from the first word to the last.

Looking forward to read the next two books in this series.

I have read a number of Ella Carey books over the last year or so, and I have liked them all, but this one is, in my opinion, her best yet, at least of the ones that I have read.

Lily Rose has grown up in a privileged world. Her mother has her life all planned out for her. She will marry the perfect man who happens to be well connected and wealthy, and most importantly from the right family. There is only one problem. Lily's passion is for cooking and she loves her job as a sous chef at Valentinos, a prestigious New York restaurant, and she really doesn't want the life that her mother has planned for her which causes conflict between them.

It's 1942 and one by one the men who work in the kitchen get called up, leaving the owner no choice but to look for other options to keep the restaurant running. With the death of the head chef, Valentino's owner, Giorgio gives his three best prospects the opportunity to lead the restaurant. This puts Lily up against Tom Morelli, and Martine, a woman who is talented in the kitchen but who Lily has struggled to connect with on a personal level. The fact Lily is attracted to Tom only complicates matters as their is no way her snobbish mother will ever accept someone like Tom for her daughter.

For whoever is successful there are challenging time ahead of them. The war is starting to have an impact. Petrol shortages, not to mention how challenging it is to get coffee, and good quality ingredients. And then there is the fact that the men who are left behind won't want to work for a woman. And then there is the big question of whether the people of New York will continue to come to the restaurant if they know that a woman is the head chef.

Lily's relationship with Tom is central to the sotry, especially once he too is drafted and their relationship has to continue to develop through letters, until they too stop. As Lily bonds with his mother, and in turn his mother bonds with Lily's grandmother (who is a wonderful character) she builds a life that she could only have imagined before the war. Now all she needs is for Tom to come home.


As the war continues yet more women join the team who I imagine will become the characters in the next books in the series, and I am looking forward to reading more.Whereas some of Carey's other books have been about art, this one is jam packed with food references. From truly decadent meals, to cakes and pastries, to delicious Italian food. Where this book steps away is that the author isn't afraid to explore the shortages that the war inevitably brings with it. Lily is fundamental to coming up with new ideas for the restaurant, ranging from how to use a Victory Garden to provide vegetables to how you can use the ingredients that wouldn't normally see light of day in a fancy restaurant.

Shared as part of my regular weekly feature Weekend Cooking

You can’t ever go wrong with an Ella Carey novel. I always find her stories to be very intriguing. This book was captivating from the very first page. This is the first book in the new trilogy, The Daughters of New York. Which means there is so much more to look forward to finding out in this true story.

It’s 1942 and the war rages on across Europe. The beautiful and talented chef Lily Rose, wants to work in a kitchen, in a renowned restaurant in New York City, but in those days the men ran the restaurants. Lily takes a chef job in a famous New York Italian Restaurant, Valentino’s. She pursues her passion for cooking and feels she has to prove herself. She falls in love with her Italian co-worker Tom. They love to cook new recipes and old ones too, together in the kitchen. The relationship between Lily and Tom develops but is quickly put on hold when Tom is drafted to go fight in the war in Italy. Lily turns to her family for support, but her mother is furious when she finds out about the relationship. Lily will wait for Tom to return but her mother won’t hear of it, and has other plans for who Lily is to marry. Her mother wants her to marry Nathaniel who is a wealthy high society socialite. But Lily wants to be independent and happy like her Grandmother, Josie. Her Grandmother is her biggest supporter and encourages Lily to pursue her dreams of being a chef. As Lily waits for Tom to return to New York, she gets word that Tom is missing. There is so much going on across the pages that it makes this book unputdownable. The characters are so relatable and the fact that it is a true story, gives it so much depth. The twists and turns of this story will have you flying through the pages.

This was such an interesting angle to write about. Most often novels are written about being in the war zone, but this one tells you the story of the loved ones left behind. I loved this book and I highly recommend it, I promise you won’t be disappointed. Well done Ella Carey, I look forward to reading the rest of this series.

A New York Secret by Ella Carey is a charming and, more importantly real book about a female chef with a female during World War II when women took over many jobs so men could fight in the war. Lily Rose was the daughter of a woman who had society aspirations and had been working for a while to get her daughter to agree to the engagement between herself and an icon of society, as well as leave that ridiculous job at Valentino's. What if her society friends ran into her there? Meanwhile, Lily is perfectly happy in a kitchen where she is the sous chef and she is falling in love with the chef de cuisine, Tom. She has her job and she has her grandmother. She could ignore her mother, most of the time. It was war. Everyone had to be serious and do their part.

This kind of discrimination is fairly unknown in the modern world, but it was huge at this time. It was the beginning for women in the workforce and all over the country, in all kinds of jobs; women were succeeding for the first time. It was exhilarating. Bad relationships between mothers and daughters are historic. Sometimes, there are good reasons, sometimes not. This bad relationship was epic. Thankfully, Lily had her dad, and her grandmother, and Gia, Tom's mom. This was a story that could make a person angry. Carey picks her topics well and develops the perfect heroine for the scenario. She made Lily the perfect heroine in more ways than one. She was strong when Tom was lost in Italy; She was stoic when her grandmother died; and when it was time to accomplish something for herself, she forged ahead. She is my idol. Terrific book.

I was invited to read a free ARC of A New York Secret by Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. #netgalley #anewyorksecret

Wow! This book has been an amazing read. It has taken me on quite a rollercoaster of emotions. During the high points, I have felt filled with joy and hope for a bright and positive future for these characters, especially the brilliant Lily. During the low points, I have felt dread, fear, anger and despair at the tragedies and devastation that occurs to this community in war-time New York.

I have absolutely loved the variety of characters. The leading lady, Lily, was of course my favourite. She is determined, fierce, loving, talented and clever. She is trailblazing for her time, in her determination to prove that women should, and can, be so much more than beautiful and devoted wives and mothers. There were times where my dislike for her mother Victoria, and my frustration and hurt for her words, were so intense, I forgot I was reading a fictional story, haha. However, I think the journey Victoria goes on is an important one, and reminds us that wars are always a time of great change – both good and bad.

The book provides quite a lot of commentary on the position of women, equality and women’s rights. In some ways, this discussion is at the heart of this book. Lily refuses to feel shame for wanting a career, and even enjoying her job. Carey also displays quite accurately the way women’s roles were forced to change after the war started, and how this began a revolution in terms of women’s fight for equality.

Carey’s use of letters in the book are very important. They provide us with key details that inform and develop the plot, they bring an emotional intensity to the story which is sometimes lacking in third person narratives, and they add tension to the book where necessary.

Food is another theme that brings a lot of themes in the book, and adds to the tension. The way Lily painstakingly works to make sure the food she produces is perfect, and up to standard, reminds us of the pressures of the society as a whole at the time, especially women. We have all heard the phrase – “If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen!” Lily’s connection with food and cooking proves that women can indeed stand the heat, and can thrive under pressure, when opportunities are given to them.

Finally, I loved learning about America, and New York specifically, in war time. I have been to New York a couple of times myself, and it is a beautiful city. I have read many stories based around experiences of World War 2, but this is the first one I’ve read The descriptions of the city bring a sense of grandeur to the book, reminding us of the class division, and also quite a claustrophobic, intensified atmosphere. This again, cleverly reflects many of the themes in the book.

Overall, this has been an absolute joy to read. I have smiled, cried and gasped. It is beautifully written, to my (limited) knowledge historically accurate, and emotionally charged. I would highly recommend this book and author to all historical fiction fans. As soon as I finished reading, I immediately purchased another of Ella’s books – Beyond The Horizon. I don’t think you can get much higher praise than that!

Wow, what a powerful novel! During WWII, women stepped up to take the place of men all around the world, and America was no different! This Ella Carey love story has some twists in that I didn't expect yet loved. Lily is a wonderful young woman who asks her grandmother and despair of hey mother. A brilliant book which shows women empowering women even in 1945-6!

I loved this story from the moment that I picked it up. I'm not sure if it was the setting; wartime New York, or the storyline itself that first grabbed me. Either way, it was the characters, particularly Lily Rose, our heroine, which had me turning the pages. Like many women during the war, she finds herself doing the jobs that have always been for men and follows her dream of being a chef. Along the way, she also falls in love and questions what she really wants out of life, something very different to what her parents dreamed of.

I read this book quite quickly, desperate to know what was going to happen to Lily, Tom and their friends and family. I got drawn deeply into their story and was desperate to know what was going to happen to them all.

I also enjoyed the fact that the story was about wartime America. It's something I know nothing about and despite having learnt a lot about the war at school, being British it was always from a British, Commonwealth or European point of view. This was an interesting alternative.

I loved this story and right up to the end I was on the edge of my seat, wondering how it was all going to play out. Highly recommended.