This was an easy read that was very gripping and I struggled to put it down. I loved seeing Virginia's journey and growth. I loved the small community of Fortune Springs and how welcoming and loyal the people are. I also loved the character of Owen and thought his complex background brought an extra layer of intrigue to the story.

The ending in particular was dramatic and powerful, with me audibly shouting and rooting for Virginia's happiness.

Another excellent book by a wonderful author, Alys Murray.

This was a short cute book that enjoyed but didn't love. I thank the author, publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review.

Sadly I did not enjoy this book as much as I wanted to. It was a good storyline but it just didn't have enough depth for me. Too predictable at times as well. It is a good read though but I'm not a huge fan of too much predictable romance and I didn't realise this would be!

Give it a go though as its definitely well written and there are lots of excellent reviews.

Thank you Netgalley

This was a sweet read with predictable story line which comforted me on a tough day. A second chance at life that Virginia took to escape her old one and hopped on a bus and started her new life. Owen was her life interest. The writing was great, helped me get immersed in the soft tale. overall an escapist read.

I always enjoyed Alys Murray's books as they are fun to read and heartwarming.
This one is no exception and I loved it.
It's a sweet story and the characters are likable and well developed.
Great setting, good storytelling.
It's highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Small Town Secrets by Alys Murray is a new contemporary romance that seems that it may be the beginning to a new series set in Fortune Springs, Colorado. In this book Virginia was looking to escape her life when she hopped on a bus to Colorado after seeing an ad. The line in the ad, “accommodation and employment provided to women willing to relocate to a historic town with a shortage of women” was exactly the push to find her courage and leave that Virginia needed.

After arriving in Fortune Springs Virginia meets Owen, the town fire chief, who doesn’t hide it in the least that he is opposed to the program that brought Virginia to his small town. However, as much as Virginia would have liked to avoid Owen it seemed that their paths were meant to cross at every turn she made as she adjusted to her new small town life.

I have actually read a few books now by Alys Murray and I keep coming back because I have enjoyed several quite a bit. This time around however I did find a few issues that I personally had while reading this one. First, Virginia never felt the right age for me, I kept thinking of her as younger than she is meant to be. It took a while to get to her backstory and there wasn’t much depth given so perhaps that was what I needed to understand her more.

My other thing that held me back from really enjoying this one though was the realistic nature of the event that brought Owen and Virginia closer together. I honestly could not wrap my head around a firefighter reacting the way he did when Virginia found his dog and jumped into helping. To me Owen’s reaction wasn’t realistic in the slightest given his career so it was off putting to me so in the end that all being said this one really just ended up a so-so read but the setting holds promise so I’ll probably return if there is a book two.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Virginia is running from her abusive boyfriend. She finds an ad that seems perfect. Fortune Springs, Colorado is looking for women to move there for one year. They will be given room and board in The Bride House. Virginia realizes the town is hoping the brides fall in love, marry, and stay in town. She plans to hide for a year and then take off for California. But the best laid plans seem to go awry. Calla, the owner of The Bride House, soon makes herself an integral part of Virginia’s life. When Calla’s granddaughter needs a place to escape a bad home situation, Virginia sees herself in the young girl. Virginia learns what it means to be a role model. She also finds a home in Fortune Springs. But when her past comes to haunt her, Virginia’s new life is in peril. This review may sound like the book is predictable but it was very enjoyable. A good quick read for summer.

Small Town Secrets by Alys Murray
Publisher: Bookouture
Genre: Women's Fiction
Publication Date: March 24, 2021

Small Town Secrets by Alys Murray is heartwarming tale about fresh starts and hope.

This was a quick read with a great storyline. I enjoyed getting to know the characters. Overall, this has a feel good theme to it and reading it brightened my day.

I'm so grateful to Alys Murray, Bookouture, and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this ARC ebook in exchange for my honest review.

Who hasn't thought about running away and starting a brand new life - with zero ties to the past?? Well, Virginia takes advantage of an amazing offer finds herself across the country. As she learns about herself and how to rebuild her faith in herself, she has a run in or two with a handsome firefighter - Owen. I loved to see the metamorphosis to not only Virginia and Owen - but of Willa as well - ALL under the watchful eye of the book's sweetheart, Calla. I loved this sweet book - but seriously wanted to punch out Porter's lights!!! Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for tthis ARC in exchange for my honest opinion and review <3

Thank you NetGalley. I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The cover of the book is simple but makes sense to the genre / storyline. I love the bright blue color.
The writing is easy to follow and truly keeps your interest.
The storyline is fairly unique and had some fabulous twists.
I was honestly impressed with this book and would gladly read others by this author.

A small town is short of women so there is an ad encouraging women to come there with promises of a job & money. Virginia is desperate to escape & this ad seems an answer to her prayers. This interested me & I loved the cover. I have never read anything else by this author. Perhaps if I had I would have realised that this was not really my genre. The Mills & Boone 'I hate him, but he's gorgeous' I found off putting & it felt like so many I'd read a long while ago. For those who enjoy a romance I'm sure this will be a hit, however it was a miss for me. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book- it might teach me not to judge a book by its cover!!

A heartfelt, emotional and uplifting tale about survival, hope, resilience and second chances, Alys Murray has written her best book yet with Small Town Secrets.

Fortune Springs, Colorado was the fresh start Virginia had been desperate for. Life has left her bruised, battered and down-hearted and when she had seen an ad about a historic town with a shortage of women looking for new residents in exchange for accommodation and employment, Virginia had had no hesitation in leaving her life in Savannah behind and catching the Greyhound to her new home. Virginia had hoped to reinvent herself in Fortune Springs and to lay old ghosts to rest, but all her plans to lie low and not talk about the past are no match for inquisitive Calla, the brusque older woman giving her a place to stay, who is not backwards in coming forwards when it comes to asking impertinent questions! Virginia is not sure she can stand being constantly interrogated by Calla, but when the older woman’s lost, lonely and vulnerable twelve year old granddaughter comes to stay, she finds a kindred spirit in her. And a reason to stay. Not to mention handsome, aloof and brooding firefighter Owen whom Virginia simply cannot stop thinking about…

For the first time in a very long while, Virginia thinks that she has finally found a place where she belongs. But her idyll looks set to be brutally shattered when she is tracked down by a face from her past she had hoped and prayed never to see again. Virginia has not been completely honest with her friends and neighbours about her past and now she might have put them all in terrible danger. Will she find the strength and courage to face up to her secrets, vanquish old demons and keep the people of Fortune Springs on side? Or is she about to lose everything all over again?

If you are addicted to Virgin River and are anxiously awaiting the next season, then Alys Murray’s Small Town Secrets is the perfect book to lose yourself into. Alys Murray is as superb as ever and has written such a lovely book that made me laugh and cry and had me fall head over heels in love with this book. A dramatic, feel-good and captivating read sprinkled with humor, pathos and warmth, Small Town Secrets is a heart-warming tale about fighting back, starting over and beginning a new chapter in your life when the odds are stacked against you that I struggled to put down.

Virginia is such an inspirational heroine. Life has treated her badly in the last few years, but she is an intelligent, courageous and kind-hearted character you will just fall in love with and as for Fortune Springs, I hope this isn’t the last time we get to visit this charming little town.

A stellar and satisfying read, Alys Murray’s Small Town Secrets is another winner by this talented writer.

Virginia travels for days to answer a small town's call for female inhabitants. She is escaping her past but can she face the future? And will the town of Fortune Springs be part of it?
Small Town Secrets is a stand alone novel from Alys Murray. The book begins with a news report about a town advertising for more women to move there. We then meet a physically and emotionally exhausted Virginia travelling to Fortune Springs. She hasn't filled in the application and sent in advance, instead it is still clutched in her hand. She is hoping she can just turn up at the Bride House and find a home for a year.
The book is written from Virginia's first person perspective. She has obviously escaped a traumatic relationship but the details are only revealed gradually as she softens towards the town's residents. In particular, her heart is nervous of the fire chief Owen who is against the Bride House scheme.
The plot device of the town needing women was an interesting one and Virginia finds friendship and support. The romance with Owen develops gently to allow Virginia's sense of self to heal after the upset of her past relationship. Bride House owner Calla offers a safe place for Virginia to explore her feelings and plan for the future.
The emotional and physical abuse is handled sensitively as we are informed about it gradually. Virginia's behaviour exhibits the aftermath of the abuse: the doubts, fear and a complete breaking down of any sense of self worth.
Small Town Secrets is an emotional romantic novel about self belief and self discovery but also the healing power of love.

Fortune Springs is a town of new beginnings and secrets. Secrets have a way of catching up, but are you strong enough to fight for your new life?
Virginia is feeling better since she met Calla the one person who wants to revitalize this old town. However, it seems there are more people in line for that project such as Owen the hunky firefighter with a heart of gold.
But, will Virginia have a life of puppy dogs or is something going to come a snarling to uproot all this goodness?

The author does a great job in developing the characters and having a flow throughout the book.

I received a free advanced copy from NetGalley and these are my willingly given thoughts and opinions.

What a lovely, contemporary romance this proved to be – I do hope it is the start of a new series set in the fabulous Fortune Springs, Colorado community! This small town is taking steps to attract women to move there as there’s a distinct lack of them. Folks are supposed to apply to go there, but this story of someone who just gets on the bus and goes there with all her worldly goods in her haversack. You need to read it for yourself to discover how she settles in, who she meets and how dreams can come true – with the support of a community and help from new friends.

This is a heartwarming story, an emotional rollercoaster read with some great characters. There’s 27-year-old Virginia Bessel, who has escaped an abusive relationship in the hope of making a fresh start . . . .Calla, an eccentric but caring grandmother who has a habit of giving advice, even when it isn’t wanted . . . . a reticent, handsome firefighter, with secrets of his own . . . a grand daughter who is escaping her home situation . . . . and there are some fabulous puppies, too! It is a story of learning to stand up for yourself, being brave and not letting bullies win. It is a delightful story to escape into, a moving, easy read and I really hope we get to visit here again in future to catch up on how things develop in future.

Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for my copy of this book which I have voluntarily read, thoroughly enjoyed and honestly reviewed.

This book was basically a Hallmark movie. Girl in a bad place moves to a small town to start over. I liked it, but I didn’t love it.

It was a quick, easy read. This is definitely a good book for those looking for a lighter read. There’s a handsome firefighter, an eccentric grandmother handing out unsolicited advice, and there’s puppies.

Overall, it was perfectly average. The climax is too short. The characters are not super well-developed. But, it was cute and sweet.

The book will be released March 24th, 2021. Pre-order this book today!

Shout out to NetGalley, Alys Murray, & Bookouture for the ARC Kindle version of this book.

This was a super cute story. Very light hearted. I read in one sitting and would recommend to friends looking for a cute, quick read.

As soon as I saw a new book by Alys Murray, I knew I needed to read it. Small Town Secrets is a new direction from her other books so I opened the book and went straight in.
Set in Fortune Springs, a town that is attempting to increase the ratio of women to men just as Virginia Bessel needs to start again. She moves there for a job opportunity which has free bed and board as a return. Her plan is to move on after the year is up onto California. After she arrives in the town she meets the residents already living in Fortune Springs, along with Calla, the woman who runs the Bride House. As Virginia settles in her new town she soon comes to realise she is not the only person with secrets, everyone in the town has something they don't want to remember and they want everyone else to forget as well.
As the story unfolds we learn more about just why Virginia has ended up in Fortune Springs and how Calla does support and help her through this. As the truth emerges and it always does will this make Virginia a stronger woman, or will everything fall at her feet?
A story that is not always a light read with Virginia's reasons for moving and her fears being very real and true. I found Alys Murrays' writing was so well plotted and she had the tension so well done. Virginia's emotions were almost palpable as she attempted to carry on keeping her secrets. Calla was a great character ran the Bride House with her women being almost like her children and she treated them as such.
A emotional family drama with such highs and lows that it hooked me till the end, but Alys Murray always manages to do that to me.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the copy of the book.

Small Town Secrets by Alys Murray

I am smiling contemplating the story I just finished reading. This is a feel-good story that warmed my heart, made me happy, and just made my day a little bit better for having read it. Nothing earth shaking new or different but a pleasure to read.

What I liked:
* The positive vibe
* The writing, plot and location
* The way it made me smile from time to time
* That I cared about the town, the characters, and the outcome
* The growth seen in more than one character
* The slow growing romance between Virginia and Owen
* The backstories of the main characters, how they overcame adversity, and made the effort to move forward to something better
* Calla, as an anchor and positive force like a fairy godmother
* Willa as the youth in the story and the additional generational depth she provided (three women in three generations)
* The Bride House – sounds gorgeous
* Polka and her puppies
* The feel-good moments
* That though somewhat predictable it was perfectly wonderful
* That there was a happy ending
* The small town community
* The possibility that there could be others that will show up at The Bride House and this might be a series.

What I didn’t like:
* Porter – a scumbag of major proportions and worthy of disliking intensely
* Having to say goodbye to characters I grew fond of

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more by this author? Yes

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars

EXCERPT: On the outskirts of Fortune Springs, the houses lined the streets with modern, rustic elegance, but the closer I got to the heart of town, the older those buildings grew. Sure, it had two whole traffic lights and wired electricity and everything else you'd expect from a modern town, but the buildings were constructed in that classic, Western settlement style. Some dark, timber structures soaked up all the light of the street, while some of the brightly coloured shops and hotspots reflected it, nearly blinding in the afternoon sunshine.

It was all so beautiful. So simple. So painfully quaint and so obvious that the entire town had been built by love and determination. It was part real-life fairytale and part Hollywood Old West backlot. The muscle buried in the left side of my cheek tweaked painfully as I tried to school my enthusiasm back into cool indifference.

This place was a means to an end. It couldn't be anything more. I couldn't let it be.

ABOUT 'SMALL TOWN SECRETS': “Young women needed for the Fortune Springs Town Improvement Initiative. One year’s room and board provided.”

I should have known it was too good to be true when I first saw the ad. It turns out that Fortune Springs, Colorado isn’t just a one-horse town, it’s a two-woman one, and this is their attempt to keep the community alive. I want to say the scheme is ridiculous, totally outdated, but I’m carrying everything I own in my canvas backpack and the greyhound I stepped off this morning is long gone. If this is my chance at a fresh start, I’d better grab it with both hands.

I know I should feel guilty about pretending to be a lonely heart willing to help repopulate this rural logging town, but all I feel is relief at having escaped the apartment in Savannah. And after all, what’s one more secret to add to the pile? I only hope I’ve hidden my tracks well enough, and that the kind Fortune Springs locals who’ve opened their doors to me will never find out what made me run away in the first place…

MY THOUGHTS: Although it was obvious from the outset where Alys Murray was taking us in Small Town Secrets, it was an enjoyable journey that left me with a big smile on my face.

I picked up this book for two reasons. I adored the cover. It is simple, eye catching and enigmatic. And I thought of Middlemarch, a small town in the South Island of New Zealand that, pre-Covid, biennially hosted a singles ball which, inspired by the matchmaking dances of the 1950s, has been bringing together thousands of young, mostly unattached, people every two years since 2001. There is a well known man drought in New Zealand, so 'the event has become especially appealing to single women. That in turn has attracted rural men – shepherds, stock agents and farmers in the high country of the underpopulated South Island. Isolated and time-poor, they are often ignored on dating apps such as Tinder because the GPS pinpoints their location as hundreds of kilometres from the nearest cocktail bar. So for many the singles ball at Middlemarch (normal population 186) is a significant calendar event, a genuine opportunity to meet a partner, a companion, a husband or wife.' (The Guardian)

I guess I was expecting Small Town Secrets to be a little like this. It was, and it wasn't.

While Virginia is looking for sanctuary, she definitely is not looking for love. She just needs somewhere to hide out for a while, to get her life back together, and then she plans to high tail it out of this one horse town the moment her year is up and head for sunny California.

Only she hadn't reckoned on Calla, Willa, Owen and a bunch of Dalmatian puppies.

There are very few characters in this book. Virginia, her ex Porter, and those mentioned above is just about it.....there are, of course, a few on the periphery, but really, that is it.

I loved Calla from the outset, and I would love to know what her story is. She has obviously been through some tough times, but she is warm and generous and big-hearted. Calla's granddaughter Willa, Virginia, and Owen have also been through some bad times. They have all suffered trauma, physical and emotional, and find it difficult to open up and trust people. Although there are very few characters, they are well developed, and their stories captured my heart.

Small Town Secrets is a lovely, if predictable, read. I will be reading more from this author.

⭐⭐⭐.9

#SmallTownSecrets #NetGalley #writeralys #bookouture

@writeralys @bookouture

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THE AUTHOR: Alys Murray is an author who writes for the romantic in all of us. Though she graduated with a degree in Drama from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and a Master’s in Film Studies from King’s College London, her irrepressible love of romance led her to a career as an author, and she couldn’t be happier to write these stories!

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Bookouture via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of Small Town Secrets by Alys Murray for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/2021/03/29/small-town-secrets-by-alys-murray/