A feel good book filled with hope, love, and struggles.

Virginia’s story is one often seen in romance novels, the broken woman who is trying to pick up the pieces. The concept of the Bride House is unique and an interesting concept to base the story on. However, I felt Like I wanted more from it - the house yearned to be filled with women and stories. Although the story showed 3 powerful females, the depiction of Virginia felt inconsistent and unreal. She was broken, yet often spoke and acted like she wasn’t. Her growth was amazing and her story was beautiful, but the journey didn’t quite make sense in a realistic way. While there was some left to be desired, the book left an overall feel good vibe and was an amazing palette cleanser between some heavier books.

Virginia is leaving Savannah in hopes for a new start in Colorado than can be a jumping off point for her new life. She goes to a small town that is in "need" of young ladies and they have a house and a stipend and hopefully she can get some inspiration.

Of course this is a romance, so you know that this will end happily, but it will be a journey to get there. What I love about Alys Murray as an author and what she did in this book was putting in the sexy times when it feels right and focusing on the evolution of a relationship.

For me one of the plotlines that disappeared in the book was about a set of puppies and a possible career path for Virginia. I wanted so much more from that storyline than the little it drove the storyline - I wish it had been in the story and think it would have made Virginia feel more well rounded and a full character.

I have read a few by this author and loved the others more than this and wouldn't stop reading her books because of my feelings about this one. I look forward to her next books.

4 stars
Small Town Secrets
by Alys Murray
TW: Book deals with domestic violence
A sweet book that delves into healing and learning to deal with a painful past. Murray wrote a very predictable book but it offers a lot of truths within its pages. I absolutely love the premise of the book, I would think if a real place offered this sort of deal they would be flooded with applicants!
I believe this would be a very good book club book as many people from a variety of backgrounds will be able to read, absorb and love Small Town Secrets.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and Netgalley.

I love Alys Murray's books and this was no exception,. Virginia is escaping from abusive partner Porter. Headed for Colorado she is hoping to join a settlement initiative in Fortune Springs. It's a town with a dwindling population of women which the Initiative hopes to change. Virginia hopes to join the programme, stay for the required year and then move on to California, with dreams of living a dream life on the coast.

This is yet another wonderful read. A small town sitting on the edge of breath-taking scenery. An array of colourful characters. - Calla, the mother figure who runs the settlement initiative, Willa, her young granddaughter and love interest Fire Chief Owen Harris with his Dalmatian Polka and her puppies.. Meeting Owen, Virginia begins to learn to trust men again. Written from her viewpoint, it digs deep into the damage an abusive partner can create, but also the freedom being with the right man can bring.

My thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for an ARC of Small Town Secrets in exchange for an honest review.

I was fortunate to be involved in the ARC review process for Alys Murray’s Magnolia Sisters series, and thoroughly enjoyed her style or writing. Small Town Secrets is a new direction and a welcome change of pace. Fortune Springs is a very special setting, for me, as I used to live in South West Colorado and found the speed of life to be immediately familiar.
This story revolves around the town Fortune Springs needing to increase the ratio of women to men, and Virginia Bessel’s need to find a safe place to hide from a fear filled past. Of course, it’s always a bonus when the Fire Chief happens to match the description of Owen Harris.
Calla Holtzman runs Harbin House which is known locally as ‘The Bride House’. At the expense of the Fire Department’s renovation fund, Calla has found approval for a scheme to welcome women from out of town, with a promise of board, lodgings and work for a year. A perfect solution for Virginia’s predicament.
As the story unfolds, we learn more about what Virginia is escaping from and how she needs the support that Calla is providing. Small Town Secrets is, at times, a tough read. It came as no real surprise to learn the nature of Virginia’s fears and the reason for her arrival in Fortune Springs. I shall avoid spoilers, but it’s not hard to imagine a reason for a woman to be fleeing her home.
I read this book in one sitting, as I found it impossible to put down. Virginia’s nervousness was palpable, and I found myself willing her to open up to someone about the extent of her fears. Of course, if that had come out in the first chapters, the tension would have been removed and I would possibly have become bored.
Owen and Calla are impossible to choose between as favourite characters, I loved them both. Owen is flawed as a man and has difficulty trusting himself. Calla has lost her husband and is now an empty nester, her default setting is to love and nurture, so her role at Harbin House is perfect.
I enjoyed escaping to Colorado, it was a welcome trip.

This is a really lovely book. Really easy reading.

Virginia is a very interesting character and I love Calla and Willa too.

It was very predictable though and I hate the title as it made me expect more like the town had a secret. There are zero secrets in this book and I think it would have been 5 stars if I hadn't been expecting them due to the title and tagline.

I also would have liked to have met other women taking up the offer and their backgrounds and how they fit into the story.

As it was, it was a fairly paint by numbers romance where all back story was easy to figure out immediately and we knew where it was going to end up from the first chapter.

Thats not to say I didn't enjoy it...I really did. Its a lovely enjoyable and very sweet read.

Thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks NetGalley, Bookouture and Alys Murray for an ARC to review.
A cosy modern day fairytale set in a charming small town.
The writing style is engaging and easily flowing, you could finish it in one sitting.
Uplifting and motivating, narrating clearly the message that it's never too late.
I liked it though I would have loved it better if more profound detailing went through the characters secrets and backgrounds including Willa, her mother and Calla who obviously had a missing storyline here. Maybe a book 2 :)

Thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture and Alys Murray for this advance review copy of Small Town Secrets.

In Small Town Secrets we meet Virginia - a 27 year old who is quite literally running away to start a new life with everything she owns in a small back pack. When she hears about Fortune Springs Improvement Initiative it sounds like just the break she needs - the town has too many men - so they are offering women a place to live to come and work there for 12 months, in the hope of rebuilding their female population. Virginia has no intention of staying past 12 months, she just needs a clean break from her abusive ex and a chance to start a fresh.

I enjoyed this book and its an 'easy' read (I read it from cover to cover in one evening), although its a little bit Hallmark even for me - I found it quite predictable and it was fairly clear from early on what was going to happen (she meets Owen right at the beginning and they take an instant dislike to one another - you can probably guess where this is going!). The 'secrets' that both Virginia, Owen and even Cara's granddaughter have were only touched upon without any real depth, and I felt that digging a bit of deeper would have given me a bit more satisfaction with the book overall.

3/5 from me.

I

I have read this author’s previous works (the Full Bloom Farm Series) and really enjoyed them as enjoyable, fast, feel-good reads. Unfortunately this stand-alone novel, “Small Town Secrets,” did not match my previous experience. I was never able to really engage with the storyline or the characters. The slow pace did not hold my interest – so much so I kept putting the book down after a chapter or two.

Despite their “secrets,” the two main characters, Virginia and Owen, felt rather flat and one dimensional. Additionally, the storyline itself was rather predictable and clichéd. A few details were unique, but overall the most interesting aspects, namely their “secrets,” were never developed or explored in any meaningful way. Given the nature of the most telling issues – domestic abuse and violent tempers – I didn’t think the publisher’s cover description of “heartwarming and uplifting” was the best choice of modifiers.

My thanks to the author, Bookouture, and NetGalley for the privilege of reviewing a digital ARC in exchange for an independent, honest review.

This review is being posted immediately to my GoodReads account and will be posted on Amazon upon publication.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. What an uplifting read which is funny smart and emotional. I loved it

Small Town Secrtes by Alys Murray, published by Bookouture, is a stand-alone, small town romance, packed with twists and turns.
The blurb imntrigued me and I'm glad I gave this new to me author and the book a try. I was well entertained by the storyline and the writing, I connected easily with the characters.
Virginia is a 27 year old woman. She's skittish, kind of on the run and that leads her to rural America.
Owen is the chief of the firedepartement and their first meet cute isn't cute at all. Even he's a good guy, he comes over as Mr. Grump. He's more of an gruff hero, a good guy, someone you want to be on your side.
They say be careful what you wish for and that fits Virginia pretty nicely.
A great read, I recommend the book - 4,5 stars.

Alys Murray has written to the romantic in all of us with her newest novel, “Small Town Secrets.”

Fortune Springs, Colorado has too many men.

Fortune Springs, Colorado needs more women.

Luckily, 27-year-old Virginia Bessel is just desperate enough to help them with that problem. She’s run from a life worth escaping and is looking for a chance to start over. When she saw the ad, she dropped everything and left.

“Young women needed for the Fortune Springs Town Improvement Initiative. One year’s room and board provided.”

Ridiculous, outdated scheme, isn’t it?! She thought so too, but she had run out of options. Her plan was to leave on day 366 and head for California with a fist full of cash. Fortunately, the town she didn’t like, with a scheme she had no plan on upholding, had different plans for her. Fortune Springs was like an oyster; hard to crack but filled with treasure once she managed it. The town had never lost its frontier spirit – the belief that they could make it on their own and they wanted to instill that in Virginia.

The setting and plot are unique, but it’s the characters who stole the show in this novel. There’s a lonely, eccentric widow who orchestrates everything that happens in the town, a shy grand-daughter in need of some love and someone to stick up for her, a hunky fire chief with a past he’d like to forget, and a cute fire station dog. You’ll read about how difficult it is, regardless of age, to start afresh. New roots. Old problems. You’ll come to a conclusion, that the past has to be dealt with in order for one to move forward.

This heartwarming and uplifting story, a quick read, is to be published March 24, 2021.

“Turns out, you can’t escape the truth. No matter how much you might try. The truth doesn’t fit in a box under your bed. It can’t be politely ignored as you pass it down the street. The truth will always find a way to you in the same way the wind seems to do."

Thank you Alys Murray, Bookouture, and NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Virginia has put all her eggs in one basket. She has left her life to travel across the USA to Fortune Springs. Fortune Springs wants to attract new women to its town & Virginia needs a new life.

This book had a lot of potential & started well. Virginia has left her old life behind & taken a big risk in coming to Fortune Springs. She doesn't even know if she'll be accepted on the scheme. There is obviously a back story of trauma which I expected to be examined as the book progressed.
Unfortunately I never felt that the book lived up to its early potential. It was a palatable enough book but very shallow. Virginia does have a back story of trauma and an emotionally abusive relationship. However this was not studied in depth. I applaud the author for creating Virginia but I felt that the author really let her down by not developing the true extent of the difficulties faced by women in an abusive relationship. Yes, Virginia did find relationships a bit difficult but there was little depth to her character & little real examination of how this abusive relationship damaged her. Virginia is actually quite a shallow character - as indeed are all the characters in this book.
Another character is Willa - a young girl with a troubled background. Again this was not dealt with in any depth and a quick chat with Virginia seems to solve the worst of it.
The plot itself is quite basic and predictable. Virginia arrives in town, meets a guy she instantly dislikes so is obviously going to be in a relationship with the. The past catches up but the hero saves the day & all is hunkydory.
The book is basically okay in a shallow sort of way. However there is no real depth to the characters or the plot. Everything is very superficial. So much undeveloped potential.
I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley.

BLOG TOUR REVIEW

Review for 'Small Town Secrets' by Alys Murray.

Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous

Publication date 24th March 2021.

This is the third book I have read by this author. I have previously read 'The Perfect Hideaway' and 'Home At Summer's End' which I would also highly recommend.

I was originally drawn to this book by its gorgeous eye catching cover and its intriguing synopsis. I have also previously read 'The Perfect Hideaway' and 'Home At Summer's End' written by Alys Murray and LOVED them so I'm hoping this will be just as good. The synopsis stated that fans of Debbie Macomber and others will be hooked. I am a fan of Debbie's books so am interested to see if it will live up to this statement. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Bookouture. I have yet to read a book published by Bookouture that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).

This novel consists of a prologue, 27 chapters and an epilogue. The chapters are short to medium to long in length so possible to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!

This book is based in Colorado, USA 🇺🇸.

This book is written in first person perspective with the main protagonist being Virginia Bessel. The benefits of books written in first person perspective are as long as they are well written it makes you feel that you are being spoken to by the protagonist and it can create more of a bond between yourselves and them. If there are several protagonists you also get to see more of what is going on.

This novel is very smoothly written and flowed lovely. The way it was written made me feel like I was right next to Virginia and going through all the emotional turmoil with her. It had me hooked from the first page to the very last. It's a very light hearted and a heartwarming story of finding hope and strength in the most unlikely of places. There was drama, tears, laughter, love, secrets and lies all around, everything that makes the perfect romance.

The characters were all strong and well defined. I loved all their personalities, flaws and quirks and I feel that they all worked together perfectly in this book. It did take me a while to take to Virginia as she blew hot and cold but with her past that is to be expected. I'm very glad her story ended the way it did. I loved Owen and thought he was really sweet, being a dog lover definitely helped his cause!!! Calla is also a fantastic character and reminds me of a somewhat eccentric grandmother type!!! I would love to read more about them all!!!

The descriptions were excellent and the locations beautiful. They made me feel that I was really in the storyline. The ending was perfect and I would love to read more of their story and lives. I am also looking forward to reading more books by Alys Murray.

This book is full of lovely characters, witty dialogue and beautiful surroundings , the kind of place where you’d love to live this story will stay with you long after you've turned the last page and will hopefully give hope to any readers living with abuse and encourage them to get the help and support they need.

Although the story overall is beautiful it definitely highlights the effects of domestic abuse and all the forms that it comes in. I love that Alys encourages readers to donate to a domestic abuse charity at the end.

Overall a perfect light hearted, beautiful summer romance read which highlights that light can come from darkness.

Genres covered in this novel include Fiction, Romance Novel and Contemporary Romance amongst others.

I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of Alys Murray's previous books as well as fans of Debbie Macomber.

254 pages.

This book is just 99p to purchase on kindle via Amazon which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!

Rated 5/5 (I LOVED it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.

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Book Review for Small Town Secrets by Alys Murray
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