Her Family Secret by Melissa Wiesner is a women’s fiction novel with a little romance, a little mystery and a whole lot of heart. The story in Her Family Secret is one that is told by changing the point of view between the characters to give both perspectives in the story.

June Westwood and her two sisters grew up with their mother never having known who their father was or why he wasn’t in their lives. One day out of the blue June gets a phone call informing her that her father was a famous artist and he has now passed away naming her and her sisters in his will.

After some problems in her life June packs up her daughters and heads to Wishing Cove where her father had lived along with her sisters. The women all wonder what it was that kept the man out of their lives and hope that his artistic protege, Caleb, will have the answers that they seek.

Her Family Secret by Melissa Wiesner was an engaging read that easily pulled me into the story. There were plenty of secrets to uncover from the past and the present and I certainly enjoyed the ride to figure it all out. The characters all had their struggles and grew within the pages which was great to see. Would definitely read this author again in the future.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

A lovely story of fresh starts, family secrets and building a new life. June needs to rebuild her life in a house that belonged to the father that abandoned her but with so many buried family secrets will she really be able to move on and find happiness? A compelling story that stays with you

A sweet read which dealt with the decisions taken by people at the cross roads of their lives. I liked that the family for the focus, with sacrifice and forgiveness as its pillars. The story felt real and romance was kept to a tinge. had fun reading it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC! What an emotional story of forgiveness and healing. What an entrancing story! This story will stay with me for quite some time! Enjoy visiting the PNW.

June gets a phone call she never expected. The father she has never met has died and she and her two sisters have a big decision about their inheritance. In the midst of a problem marriage, June takes her two daughters to her new house on the west coast and meets with her sisters. There she meets Caleb, her father's prodigy. Now the sisters have arrived and they soon discover there were unknown secrets in their past. A good story of love, and family. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

A stirring and emotional tale of forgiveness, belonging and healing, Melissa Wiesner’s Her Family Secret is a poignant and captivating drama that is so beautifully layered it will linger in readers’ hearts long after the last page is turned.

The news that June Goodman’s father has died hits her for six. June might never have met Jasper, but she feels his loss keenly as she will never have the chance to discover the reason why he had abandoned her and why throughout his life he had never had any interest in meeting her and in forging a relationship with her. Escaping to the beach house she has inherited, June hopes to use this time away to escape from the myriad challenges of her career and her failing marriage, while spending some much-needed time with her two daughters.

June is immediately blown away by her father’s beautiful hideaway on the shores of the Pacific Northwest. As she walks through the threshold, June is bowled over by her father’s spectacular paintings. How could a man capture the essence of other people so splendidly and yet reject the people closest to him? June is intrigued by the mysteries of her father’s psyche and even though she hopes that Jasper’s apprentice Caleb will help piece together the fragmented puzzle pieces of her father’s life, Caleb categorically refuses to discuss the past – or to reveal the reason why every single drawer in her father’s workshop is locked…

June thinks that she will never unearth her father’s many secrets, until she discovers a box of newspaper clippings that not only sheds light on Caleb’s devastating secret, but reveals the real reason behind her father’s abandonment. As June begins to find the answers she seeks, her old life comes calling leaving her to wonder whether she should trust Caleb and embrace this new life or forego her last chance at happiness for the sake of her family?

A heart-wrenching yet ultimately uplifting tale about the bonds that unite us, the secrets that destroy us and the strength that sees us through the most difficult of times, Her Family Secret is an engrossing tale about courage, sacrifice and loyalty that will move even the most cynical of readers. Melissa Wiesner explores the complexities of family life and nuances of the ties that bind people together so sensitively and adroitly that readers will find themselves galloping through this engrossing page-turner.

Melissa Wiesner is a powerful storyteller who in Her Family Secret has written a terrific tale that is as hard to put down as it is to forget.

Trigger warning: this book contains mental health and suicide
June Westwood has a seemingly perfect life. Two gorgeous daughters, a successful husband and business. She is heading off on a trip to meet old friends when her mother lets her down. AGAIN. She turns the car around and get a second call that informs her of the death of her estranged father. She crashes the car and, as she begins her recovery, she needs to reassess her life...
Her Family Secret is a moving and emotional story of a woman who has been let down by both parents and as a result has always put others first. Now her husband betrays her as well and she feels lost and alone. But there is a spark of hope in the form of her father's protégé Caleb who sees her talent and encourages her to fulfil her potential as an artist.
June and Caleb don't get off to a great start. Both of them are hiding secrets that threaten to derail their burgeoning friendship. Mental health issues and suicide are included within the plot and character background but these are handled sensitively.
I always say it is a sign of a good book when it makes you feel emotions and this book had me mad, sad and happy. I was so angry at June's family circumstances and the unfairness which has blighted her life. Her selfish husband made me want to shout at June to stay away from him. I felt so upset at all of the sacrifices and wasted years that June has face. But the potential for the future is uplifting and made me smile.
Her Family Secret is a compelling emotional book about fresh starts and hope. I really enjoyed it and look forward to reading more from this author.

Upon hearing the devastating news that the father she never knew has died and left her and her sisters an estate and his life’s work of paintings, June Westwood leaves her husband and takes her two daughters to Wishing Cove in the Pacific Northwest.
There, June and her sisters discover more family secrets and discover why their father was out of their lives for so long. Will they learn to accept why their tortured artist of a father abandoned them when they were young children?

June also begins a friendship with her father’s protégé, Caleb, which begins to blossom into a romance as Caleb nurtures the dormant artist within June that she has kept buried deep within herself since college. The story gives us lots of emotions, a focus on mental illness and abandonment issues.

TW: There are depictions of suicide and mental illness, so if you are sensitive to this, then this book may not be for you.

I really loved this story. It was well written with very likable characters. I especially liked the relationship between June and Caleb. I kept pulling for them to be together and for June to stay in Wishing Cove!

A lovely women’s fiction/romance! Suitable for anyone! 4.5 ⭐️

Thank you Netgalley, Bookouture and Melissa Weisner for sending me an ARC in exchange for my honest review ❤️

une has a rather perfect life – with her loving husband, two beautiful daughters and a job she loves, it seems as though she has it all. That is until news of her fathers passing, and despite her never knowing him, this hits her much harder than she had expected it to.

After growing up with just her mother and siblings, very much under the illusion that her father had wanted nothing at all to do with her, and it is only after his death that she discovers who he really was. June is shocked to discover that the father she longed to have known was in fact a wonderful artist, and from this point June’s perfect life begins to crumble around her.

June soon learns that her husband has also been hiding things from her, and has some deep buried secrets of his own. Not knowing how to deal with this sudden overload of deceit, June flees to her late fathers home, hoping to get some answers and learn more about the father she never got the chance to know.

This is a story full of mystery, heart break and self discovery which really captures your heart from the beginning. June is one of those characters you can’t help but feel connected to, she has a big heart and cares deeply about those closest to her, so the hurt she feels when she is betrayed by those she loves most is palpable and your heart really goes out to her.

The storyline is perfectly structured, lacing the drama and mystery together beautifully and making the story flow effortlessly from start to finish. The author has a truly refreshing writing style that makes you feel as though you are living the tale alongside the characters within the book, which in turn allows them to become more realistic and relatable to the reader.

A wonderfully written, emotional read that had me well and truly hooked from beginning to end. I adored this story and look forward to future releases by Melissa Wiesner.

This is a new author me for me. I really enjoyed Her Family Secret. I wasn’t all that fussed about the love story between June and Caleb but thankfully this isn’t the main storyline which revolves around June and her sisters discovering the truth about their parentage, long hidden by their reckless, party loving and often irresponsible mother and the bond between them. Most of the story is told through June’s eyes as the truth about her father forces her to face some hard truths about her own life, marriage and the choices she’s made. I found this an engrossing read.

Beautiful. Heartwarming. The writing is just wow. A wonderful story, one to savour. Do read this one.

This is a debut novel.

Juniper moves to wishing cove with her inheritance that her father left her. Its a new start with her two kids.

The characters are well thought out and all have their own personalities.

The story is well written and flows nicely throughout the book.

I will definitely read from this author again.

Her Family Secret is a fantastic modern-day women’s fiction novel. It approaches the topic of mental health in a delicate yet strong kind of way which is very empowering. The topic of mental health in men is very important especially as they are less likely to seek help than women. The author works the topic amazingly well into the story, we need more of this in fiction novels!

As I mentioned at the start, Her Secret Family is a book I got lost in and finished it really quickly. I was absorbed in the storyline. The characters and setting was perfect (I dream to live at a place similar to Wishing Cove!). It moved at a fabulous pace and I just loved the beginning, middle and end!

What I liked about Her Family Secret was that the drama of the story carried some serious messages within it. It is difficult to touch on these messages without giving the entire plot away but the author wonderfully explores mental health, the importance of family, and the negative impact giving up your own dream for the sake of others can have.

The enjoyment of “drama” itself I think will be down to the preference of the reader. For myself, I was expecting something a bit more. A bit more wild, I guess. I’ve spent too long reading psychological thrillers! Also, I wasn’t expecting there to be so much of a love story element, and that contributed toward my lukewarm feeling toward Her Family Secret.

At the same time, I loved the relationships between June and her sisters, and well as Caleb and his brother. I think exploring these relationships a bit more and putting them front and centre would have made for a better read for me. However, that is just my personal opinion. There are many different elements for many different types of readers to pick up and run with in this book. Its enjoyment really will come down to the individual.

I devoured this unputdownable story. I loved the pacing. I loved that it discussed mental health. It was heart-wrenching at times and heartwarming at others. It was such an easy story to get lost in. I can't wait to read more from Melissa Wiesner!

Her Family Secret
Melissa Weisner
Publication date 5/17/21
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
4.5 stars!

June has it all- a great job, loving husband and 2 beautiful little girls... life spins out of control when she finds out her father has passed away. June is shocked- she has grown up with her sisters and her mother believing her father didn’t want anything to do with them.. as the pages turn so does the story of their famous father an amazing artist. June’s perfect life starts to crumble as she finds out her own husband has buried secrets. June flees to her father’s home to uncover the truth behind the father she longed to have known. This story is mysterious but deals with heavy topics that we face today. Told in such a beautiful voice this is a story that will truly stay with me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for an advanced copy of Her Family Secret for my honest review. This review will be posted on on Instagram, Goodreads and Amazon.

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After hearing the devastating news that the father she has never known has died and has left her, and her sisters, an amazing legacy, June Westwood leaves behind her husband, and taking her two daughters heads for her deceased father's property in Wishing Cove in the Pacific North West. There she, and her two sisters, discover more about the family secret which has been hidden for so long, and as they learn to accept the reasons why their artist father abandoned them when they were children, so their own personal stories start to evolve.

Whilst Her Family Secret follows what is happening with June, and her tentative relationship with, Caleb Valencia, her father's protégé, we are also entrusted with an emotional roller coaster of a read as the story looks at the complicated bonds which bind people together. The story captures the indecision which June faces, especially as she has to make some momentous changes in her life, which the author writes about with empathy, and a natural awareness of picking up on the subtle nuances of people's complex behaviour.

Beautifully written from start to finish, Her Family Secret is an emotional and thought provoking story about how secrets long buried can have a devastating effect on those who have to pick up the pieces. It also covers a wide range of topics from marital infidelity, mental health issues around bi-polar disorder and the complicated ties of family but does so with a light touch and a fine eye for detail which makes reading Her Family Secret so enjoyable.

June is about to leave on a mini vacation when she gets a phone call from her mother. Her mother was supposed to be picking up her girls and watching them while she was away. Her mother called all excited that she was heading out with her latest boyfriend. June was angry her mother flaked on her once again. She decides she can't let her girls feel abandoned when no one is there to pick them up at school, so she tries calling her husband, but he doesn't answer his phone. She decides she has to give up her plans and heads back home.
June receives a phone call from a lawyer telling her that her father has died and left everything to her and her two sisters. She ends up in an accident and while she is at the hospital she sees something that she later learns her instinct was right. She and the girls pack up their things and heads to Wishing Cove, Washington. Once there, she connects with her sisters and convinces them to come there too. Once they learn who their father was, they have a lot of questions. The only one who can answer them is Caleb, the man that has been with their father for the past twenty years. The son he never had.
It is an emotional but enlightening journey as they learn about their father, the decisions he made, and why he left them, and never tried to contact them. The sisters are seeing that their father's death has put them on the path they need to be on. It isn't smooth as June decides when her husband shows up and convinces her after what he did that they belonged together and her and the girls go back home. Once there, she sees the difference in not only herself but the girls, so she tells her husband she wants a divorce and heads back to Wishing Cove.
Sometimes something bad happening is what it takes to bring you to where you need to be and see who you truly are. There are a few things like abandonment, mental illness, and suicide that they have to deal with and come to understand them. From Caleb, I learned that his family just couldn't understand him, but he also couldn't understand himself. Jasper, the famous artist, could understand him because he could see a lot of himself in Caleb. In this book, I found emotions, hope, understanding, peeling away the layers of whom you became because of someone else, to become the person you are supposed to be. It's a journey of becoming.
I received an ARC from Bookouture through NetGalley.

Her Family Secret is a very well written novel. Great plot and character development. I highly recommend this book.

This was such a fast-paced and enjoyable read, I couldn’t put it down. I liked the storyline and the characters, both the main characters and the secondary characters were very well developed. The author quickly transports you to Wishing Cove.

When June Westwood finds out that her father, whom she never met, had died, she thinks that she will never know the truth about why he left all those years ago. So, June and her sisters meet at their father’s beach house in the Pacific Northwest to take care of his affairs. They didn’t that their father is a famous artist and they inherit his house and his fortune. June is the first to arrive and she investigates to see if she can find any information about her father. When she meets Caleb, she is in for more than she bargained for, as their first meeting does not go well at all. Caleb was her father’s neighbor and protege. When June’s sisters arrive at the beach house, they join in the journey of finding answers to some questions they have had all their life. As they go through his belongings looking in to who their father was, they learn more about themselves then they ever realized.

I enjoyed this emotional story very much, and the underlying message of how important it is to always make time for family. I was so engrossed with the story and the multi-faceted characters. Thank you Melissa Wiesner for this fantastic read.