Back in May, Imposter a cover reveal for The Secret Notebook by Julia Wild. I also had the opportunity to read it thanks to Rachel’s Random Resources. And what a splendid, heart-warming storyline it is!

Izzie Dean’s loving grandmother, Molly, passes away leaving Izzie to sort out her bungalow that holds so many of Izzie’s childhood memories. While cleaning out the bungalow, Izzie comes across a notebook full of memories during WWII, a journal of sorts in Molly’s hand.

With the assistance of Izzie’s first love, Justin, who grew up next door to the bungalow, the bungalow is cleaned out of outdated wallpapers and slowly transformed into the current decade. Izzie and Justin read this secret notebook a bit each time they get together. It holds Molly’s secrets about the RAF who were billeted to stay at the boarding house her step-mother owned and ran. Little did her step-mother know, but there was much more than dancing and walks on the prom going on!

I enjoy the back and forth between Izzie and Molly and back again throughout this book. The context is shared in just enough information to create discussion between Izzie and Justin and for Izzie to realize how much she still loves Justin, even after all these years. It’s so touching that they can just pick up where they left off, sort of, and get along quite well.

I admire their playful relationship and how they’re so at ease when interacting. Even with whatever happened in the past, they seem to get over that hump and still be comfortable. Yes, the past is still on their minds, but they try to ignore it until they separate when Justin goes out of country to work for a few months.

The Secret Notebook by Julia Wild is an excellent love story mixed with a WWII memoir with a ton of meals. I give this book 5 out if 5 tiaras because of how easy it is to read and the underlying love that is slowly revealed even though it’s always been there.

It’s a story within a story that gives us a peek at Izzie’s familial past as well as a glimpse at her own personal history in a whole new light. I rather liked Izzie’s character despite her tendency to not come out with it already. Outspoken girls were not of the past, but the current times, no one holds our tongues except by our own choices and so much could have been cleared up if only the conversation was started! Alas, that wouldn’t have provided for nearly enough story, and dare I say that it may not have cleared EVERYTHING up anyway as a lot of trust would be needed without proof and with everything that was already broken, it may have been hard to come by. But I digress...as I said, Izzie was a doll and I wished her nothing but happy times no matter how slowly they returned to her, but I also have to say that my heart was truly captured by Molly’s story from the past!

When Izzie finds the secret notebook, and starts delving into the life and times of her grandmother that she never knew, it was pure magic. There was heartbreak and hope, love and loss, scandal and redemption, and though simplier times they may have been, it didn’t make the choices they were up against any less daunting. I loved reliving her youth and the innocence she lost at the hands of one, while it was rebuilt and then some with another. There were moments to loathe, but equally as many to love and following along in her footsteps not only provided us with a story to captivate our hearts, but gave Izzue the strength to give hers another try.

A great read for Women’s Fiction and Historical Fiction fans, and a grand addition to anyone’s reading list this summer.

What an amazing book. The reader is drawn in from the start and real life is put on hold!
I really enjoyed Julia’s writing style and the dual timeline was seamless . The story covered Mollys story in WW2 and present day and her granddaughter Izzies story in the present day ,
No spoilers from me for this beautifully written book but it’s a 5 star read that I would highly recommend.
Thank you to Netgalley, Julia Wild, and Harper Collins- One more Chapter for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review

What a heartwarming historical duel timeline romance.
The relationship between Izzie and her ex-boyfriend, Justin, is so sweet. It was so much fun watching their relationship heal and mature.
The reading of Izzie’s grandmothers (Molly) diary from wartime Blackpool was just so heartwarming as well as heartbreaking. So interesting to hear about Molly’s life and what she went through to survive.
Overall, a very good read.
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest opinion. All opinions expressed are my own.

This is a novel of second chances, or is it. A return to her childhood home to close up Her Nan's home but then finds out things from WW11 and the present day. First loves meet again, can things work out ? This is very well written and a very good read. Well worth 5 stars

Thanks to netgalley and publisher forthis ARC.

This was my first book by this author, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. For me the story felt flat. I couldn’t connect with the characters and I wasn’t invested in the story. The story
line in the WWII didn’t go into the hard times of the war and it was basically about a young woman first crush. Nothing more. The other storyline didn’t match that much with the WWII one.

Lies, deceit and sibling rivalry all play a part in this fascinating and emotionally charged dual-timeline novel.

When Izzie Dean finds an old diary belonging to her late grandmother, Molly Blackshaw, it shines a light on how her grandparents met and married during WWII. However, the notes expose an unexpected family secret. Meanwhile, everything Izzie thought she knew about her own past life and marriage to her late husband is shockingly exposed as lies, as the past comes back to haunt her.

Ms Wild has written an exceptionally well thought out novel highlighting the daily struggles people experienced during wartime; how social attitudes of the day impacted those who found themselves in unfortunate circumstances. Reading about Molly's life gave food for thought and highlighted the precariously balanced lives people had during difficult times.

Izzie's life, although sad in parts very much reflects current attitudes on how we handle and go about our everyday life whilst dealing with painful situations. Some sections of the contemporary narrative didn't hold my attention as well as the historical one however the final twist more than made up for it. Everyone loves a happy ending and this was more than satisfying.

Overall, fans who enjoy novels set during WWII and those who enjoy dual timeline romances will enjoy the hidden surprises within The Secret Notebook.

***arc generously received courtesy of the publisher One More Chapter via NetGalley***

Izzie has returned home to Blackpool after the death of her beloved Nan, Molly. Here she reconnects with her first love Justin, the one who broke her heart. In her Nan’s house she finds a secret diary Molly kept during WW2 outlining her heartbreaking love story. While Izzy and Justin share these memories can they bring them together again for a second chance?

This was a beautiful story, I loved every word!

I couldn’t put this book down from the first page. The writing style brought the characters to life and I needed to know what happened to them. The story easily flowed from the era of World War 2 to 2017-18 intertwining the lives of grandmother and granddaughter. A great read that should be at the top of your summer book list.

This was an interesting book told in a duel timeline. In the present we have Izzie, a young widow, who just lost her precious nan (Molly) and dealing with her feelings of her first love Justin, and why did they go wrong. In the past, we have Molly (nan) as a young lady dealing with love in the midst of WWII. I really loved the characters and the duel stories were very interesting, but I spent most of the time trying to figure out what went wrong with Izzie and Justin, because they obviously still cared for each other, and it was a little out there when you finally figure it out.

The book made me feel very nostalgic for the place I grew up in and Julia Wild captures the very essence of Blackpool. To the casual visitor it can look a bit jaded and run-down but to those of us who really know the place, there is something inherently magical about it. I've done a lot of research about Blackpool during the war for the purposes of my own writing, so I know that every single thing mentioned in the book is accurate. However, the beauty of good writing is to make that research almost invisible and Wild does that. The mentions of the Freckleton and Wharton disasters are made to feel absolutely natural because of the inclusion of the American character and all the parts about what Blackpool was like at the time arise as a result of the plot rather than 'I've done my research, now let me tell you all about it.' I know this is not an easy thing to do, particularly if you've really enjoyed what you've learned!

This is a love story on two levels - one set in World War Two and the other in the modern day. I was more heavily invested in the modern story because it was obvious from the beginning that the cause of their separation was not as clear cut as the protagonist believed it to be and I wanted to know what had actually happened. In the historical story, we knew how it worked out in the end because of the modern story, however, even there I wondered if there might be a twist somewhere and I like the fact that even knowing the ending, I was still kept guessing to an extent. Again, I know this isn't the easiest thing to achieve.

In The Secret Notebook , Izzie Dean is 29-years-old and is still grieving from the recent loss of her husband Rufus, a famous crime novel author, in West Hampstead. Seemingly, she unexpectedly receives a call from Justin Swift, whom she has a complicated history with as they used to be together. Justin and Izzie were together as friends turned couple when they were younger as their relatives were friends and neighbors. Izzie was a frequent visitor of her grandparents in her childhood and permanently moved in when she was 15. After Justin seemingly ghosted her on a promise to meet on her birthday one year, the two of them lost contact with each other, but Izzie has lingering feelings for Justin. Justin called Izzie as her grandmother is in the hospital in Blackpool. At 96-years-old and ten years after the loss of her husband (Izzie’s grandfather), Molly, Izzie’s grandmother is ready to pass away in peace. Before passing, Molly informed Izzie of a secret notebook that she requests Izzie to find. The story follows duel timelines with Izzie’s story in 2017 and Molly’s story, through entries in the notebook, in 1943 during World War II.

As Justin assists Izzie cleaning out Molly’s house, Izzie begins to reevaluate her life and begins to enjoy her time with Justin. Even though he hurt her many years ago, she cannot help that the feelings she thought were gone were merely suppressed. As she goes through Molly’s diary, she starts to get new insight into her grandmother and the hardships and heartache she experienced all during the turmoil of wartime.

Back in the 1940s, the reader meets a younger Molly. She is 21 years old and works at her stepmother’s inn that is frequented by soldiers. Her life there is not the best as her stepmother and others constantly belittle her, but she does have her best friend, Dora (related to Justin) who helps her out. One day she meets twin brothers Joe and Jack Blackshaw, who are both 23-year-old soldiers, and her life is forever changed. Molly finds herself in an interesting situation regarding both Joe and Jack, which on the surface would be a storyline I would not enjoy; however, it was incredibly well done in this story. Not only did it make sense with the characters, but also it made sense with the time period and circumstances of events in the story.

While I enjoyed Izzie’s story, Molly’s had a greater pull and I found myself anxious to reach the next part of her story more than Izzie’s. Duel timeline stories are hit and miss with me as sometimes they are connected in a well done manner and other times the two stories seem too disconnected and forced. This story seamlessly weaved the two timelines together as Izzie reads each entry and the emotions from the past relate to the ones Izzie is going through in the present. While the circumstances may differ in their lives, the emotions and decisions each character has to go through are related to the other.

Overall, this was a lovely and unexpected read. Typically, with duel timelines, I favor the historical one and while this was the case with this story, I still enjoyed the present-day story. Izzie was an interesting character and I loved her self-reflection after going through the notebook. Letter-writing plays a huge role in both stories and it was interesting to see how the same form of communication was used during each timeline. I definitely connected with the historical one more in this regard, but the reasoning behind its use in the present-day was interesting. There were a few questions that were left unanswered, like the fate of the other brother that Izzie had never met, but it did not take away from the general enjoyment of the story. This was an excellent and heart-warming read filled with love, secrets, betrayals, and growth.

**I give a special thank you to Rachel @rararesources and the publisher, One More Chapter, for the opportunity to participate with this enjoyable novel via Netgalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.**

A truly lovely, sweet and romantic story with dual timelines – that of Molly finding true, lasting love and Izzie her granddaughter, discovering secrets and healing her own personal wounds.

Upon her beloved grandmothers death, Izzie returns to her bungalow with the intention to clear it out, redecorate and sell up. Discovering an old diary reveals a heart-breaking story that had long been buried; all whilst Izzie is coming to terms with her own loss she must also face up to the future. She runs into long lost love, Justin and is still hurt by what did or did not happen in the past.

As much as I enjoyed Izzie’s story and her reconnecting with Justin, and finding herself again; I was completely swept up in Molly’s story. I could have just read a whole book on her and the Blackshaw twins.. I was hooked.

This book is very well written, so engaging, I liked the characters and didn’t feel anything was overly complicated or distracting. It’s a heartwarming story full of love, loss and truth.

A gorgeous, relaxing read. Highly recommended.

What a wonderful “feel good” historical fiction read! So many of the WWII-era books are intense simply due to their subject matter…this was a refreshing change. It was not without suspense, but it was a different “more day-to-day” low key type. You will love the way the author has used the dual-timeline format to tell Izzie and Justin’s tale, as well as the story of Izzie’s grandparents Molly and Jack. It was a most enjoyable read!

Thank you to author Julia Wild, HarperCollins Publishers, and to Net Galley for allowing me to read an ARC of “The Secret Notebook”.

When Izzie’s grandmother Molly dies in 2017, she inherits her cottage in Blackpool. She decides to leave her life in London for a while to renovate it and whilst there she finds her secret notebook in the attic. She is also reconciled with her childhood sweetheart Justin, who broke her heart.

Told between a dual timeline, we learn about Molly’s life during WW2 as she confides in her notebook.

Meanwhile, in the present, Izzie is trying to get over the death of her husband Rufus as well as dealing with the feelings she’s suppressed for Justin over the years.

I was really looking forward to reading this book as it had so many good reviews. Unfortunately, I must be in the minority here as I wasn’t enamoured with it and found it lacked depth and was full of clichès.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

The Secret Notebook by Julia Wild is an historical romance novel set in duel time lines, following Molly, the Grandmother and Granddaughter Izzie.
In short, the story begins when Molly dies Izzie discovers a worn, green covered notebook hidden in a wall in Molly’s house…it’s Molly’s diary and so the story unfolds, alongside Izzie’s own relationship issues, both journey’s loaded with misunderstandings!
Overall, it’s an emotional WW2 novel with the expected betrayals, secrets, heartbreak and discovery but personally it was too predictable and ‘old school’, more ‘Mills & Boon’ than ‘Lucinda Riley’ as suggested. However, it was well written and loved by many reviewers.
Big thanks to Julia Wild, HarperCollins UK, One Chapter and NetGalley for this eARC which I chose to read in return for my honest review.

When Izzie Dean's beloved nan, Molly Blackshaw, passes away, Izzie returns to the Blackpool bungalow where she grew up, to say her goodbyes. When Izzie's homecoming reunites her with her first love, Justin Swift, every emotion that Izzie has repressed since the day he broke her heart comes rushing to the surface. But then an unexpected discovery changes everything. Between the pages of the battered secret diary Molly kept during WWII, Izzie discovers a story of love, heartbreak and the incomparable hardship of life in a world at war.

Set in 2017 and 1943: The notebook sends Izzie on a long journey of love and disappointment during WWII. The story is told in a dual timeline and I did prefer Molly's story as it was more interesting. It was also interesting the way the two women's lives ran parallel to each other. Izzie discovers a world of love, loss and hidden secrets inside Molly's diary. This is a well written and engaging read.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #HarperCollinsUK #OneMoreChapter and the author #JuilaWild for my ARC of #TheSecretNotebook in exchange for an honest review.

Very emotional story with WWII as a background. The plot is not about the war itself. It is about the people at home while men are off fighting. Everything at home is changed due to the war, and this novel brings to light what life was like for a small section of the world, in town of Blackpool, England. Also, a woman in 2017, finds her grandmother's scrapbook/diary and discovers secrets of her family's past.

I think the story was somewhat slow moving at times, but overall, well written. The characters were created expertly and I definitely have strong feelings, good or bad for all of them. I love that the book is written in duel time times and the older parts (1943-1945) are written mainly in letters or diary entries. The art of written letters is a recurring theme throughout this book.

I want to thank HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for giving me the pleasure of reading the advance reader copy, with no obligation to write a review. My review is written freely as a hobby, and is totally my own opinion, not influenced by receiving the ARC.

Ever since I found the subgenre of dual timelines, I have been in love. And this book had that.

As we follow Izzie's journey after her nan Molly passed away. Not only do we follow Izzie's life, we also follow Molly's thanks to a secret diary that nan kept during WWII. That dual timeline had the perfect balance.

To those that know me, you guys know that have a soft spot for historical related stories, even when it's a dual timeline, and when it comes to WWI and WWII it's quite a special part of the world's history that I like reading about. When I was in school it wasn't my favorite subject, but the novels that talk about the people instead of just the political and war elements, made me interested.

In this case, the book give us Molly's story during WWII and I get to connect with her. The hardships, the interactions, love and family relationships during that time period, the life the people dealing with those circumstance had. It was all so powerful and emotional.

I have always been very close to my grandmothers, and after losing my grandma Stela I realized I didn't know a lot about her still. So I kind of connected with Izzie in that way. In the revelations we end up getting about our loved ones, even after they had passed away.

Overall, it was an emotional journey, but also one that made me thankful to have taken with the characters. It almost made me want to start writing my grandma Julia's story right now, so that I don't loose the chance.

[I want to thank Rachel, at Rachel’s Random Resources, and Julia Wild for the eCopy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.]

I throughly enjoyed this one, it was such a great read. I read it very quickly and enjoyed right to the final page. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.