A sweet story of a woman awakening to life again after experiencing the deep grief of losing her husband. I enjoyed the characters, especially the protagonist, although I did guess the immediate next steps in the plot.

I found the idea of collecting "magical" stones to give to people to imbue them with the character trait they carried interesting and thought-provoking, if not part of what I believe (which the author was inspired to through receiving a bag of crystals).

I enjoyed the read overall.

Loved this heartwarming book and I will be looking for more from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a gentle narrative that is all about the healing process… and some magical pebbles too. It was slow and sweet but I did struggle with the fakery of the magic pebbles and the temporary influence they had on all those that Joy encounters.

I was surprised by this magical twist and it definitely made for a more interesting story. As a grieving widow, Joy had changed jobs from the classroom to an elderly care home and it is here that she inherits this skill as being a collector. Joy has the power to see people’s auras: to physically see the emotions that other people are feeling and can collect some of this to pass on to others in need. During the course of the story, Joy encounters strangers from all walks of life with a range of personal problems. She uses her super-powers to improve their lives for the better.

Most of the characters were willing to open up to Joy. I found this unexpected and a bit predictable, the more it happened. Very little encouragement is needed and Joy became more of a counsellor than a friend. As a result, I think it slowed the plot down a fair amount as the detail for each character’s emotions became quite prolonged. Yet, Joy does have their best interests at heart and frequently she puts other people’s happiness before her own. This reaches a climax in the novel where her own heart and love is at risk and I enjoyed seeing how she overcame this dilemma.

Upon receiving the magic pebble full of good emotions, the recipient suddenly feels the impact and Joy watches them become more positive and confident. However, I found this a bit unsettling because it didn’t feel natural to the characters: let’s face it, they are all being influenced by something that is not a reflection of their true personality. The brief confidence, happiness or desire to do better felt artificial and it made me wonder whether Joy would interfere again, the next time the character was feeling a bit low. Surely there needed to be the opportunity for the characters to learn individually, without the influence of magic?

Maybe I have read into this too much, but I couldn’t escape that feeling and it unsettled me a bit. I think because so many of the characters responded positively to Joy’s influence that it didn’t feel realistic (although I did accept you can collect emotions and transfer them to pebbles!). Without this feature, it was still a pleasant story to read and I enjoyed escaping to the Cornish coast, watching the protagonist move on from the loss of her husband and making friends along the way as she returns to the classroom once more.

With thanks to One More Chapter, Harper Collins and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Joy's grief is a personal pain and she has been unable to allow any positive feelings into her heart since her husband died three years ago. So many people have tried to show her the way through but she's stuck in the "what might have been". When one of the residents of an assisted living home shares her secret as well as her won struggles, Joy will decide that now is the time for her to start living again.

This is a totally different genre to what I normally read and I have to say I enjoyed every minute of this book, it wad such a lovely read.

A unusual story about hope and looking for the best in people and making their lives better with 'magic' pebbles.
Also this magic helps with the grief process as a young widow finds her place back in society, building up her confidence and bringing love back into her life. With this confidence she helps people around her to rebuild their lives or find their perfect place, but there are bumps along the road..........

This is a sweet cute book. It’s a different than what I’ve read lately, but I still enjoyed myself. It was low stakes, but I found the characters and plot to be interesting.

I absolutely love a book thats set in Cornwall and this book was sooo good. It’s such a beautiful read. I adores every page.

First time reading from this author, and a beautiful read. Setting picturesque Cornwall, the story centres around Joy, who has been widowed at a young age. Joy is struggling to find her life again when she meets Hope, a resident at the care home where she works. When Hope leaves a secret gift for Joy, it changes her life, bringing new friends and new opportunities but most importantly a bit of herself she thought had gone. It's hard to write a review without spoiling the plot of this book but I found the story captivating. This is the first book in a series of 3 and I look forward to reading the others.

Really enjoyed this book and raced through it! Joy is a wonderful character and certainly lives up to her name! Love the concept for the story, which is around her receiving a "gift" from a dying resident at the care home Joy worked at. Such a wonderful "gift" to have and how lovely it would be if there were actually people going around doing this in real life. A supporting cast of lovely neighbours, friends and family, including a fantastic sounding romantic interest. Does this come to anything - you'll have to read this yourself to find out!

I would really recommend this book as a lovely, easy to read, feel good story. I'm sure you won't be disappointed. I'm off to try and find some other novels by the same author.....!

Thank you to Net Galley and the publishers for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review, which is what I have given.

A Secret Gift is an uplifting, beautiful novel from author Amanda James that takes the reader on an inspiring journey through Joy's experience of heartbreak, grief and loss, and the unexpected discovery of Hope's secret gift. The characters and their relationships are depicted with great warmth and humour, and the beautiful Cornish setting helps to bring the story alive. The unexpected twist towards the end of the novel is especially touching, and makes for a beautiful and powerful read. This is a highly recommended book for readers of all ages who appreciate heartfelt stories of hope and friendship.

Hope gives Joy a jar of pebbles before she dies. Not just ordinary pebbles, no these have something extra! A lovely setting and a beautiful cover but the story was too whimsical and sickly sweet for my liking so didn’t read every word or paragraph. Sorry not for me so won’t be reading anymore from the series.

A Secret Gift is the perfect book to read at the beach, by a winter fire, and anytime in between.

Joy is devastated by the death of her firefighter husband. In the three years since he passed, she has withdrawn into a shell. Hope, a resident in the care home Joy works at, gives her a unique gift before she dies. Joy is uncertain if she believes it or not.

Life blossoms again for Joy when she learns to accept her newfound gift.

It isn’t easy to write much about the book without giving away the magic. But, I can tell you, this tale will touch your soul. It reaches deep in your heart and gives hope and joy. There are those two lovely words that play such an essential role in the book.

While the cover is beautiful, after reading the book, the symbolism is striking. The writing is smooth and well-paced, and the descriptions of Cornwall made me feel I was across the pond enjoying the area myself.

I highly recommend A Secret Gift to anyone that wants to perk up their week, loves a second chance romance, and sees the power of believing in a greater good.

This is a gentle, healing book, as you might guess from one with the key characters named Joy and Hope. Joy is struggling to rebuild her life after losing her husband, and thanks to Hope and her jar of pebbles she begins to achieve this, and helps others along the way.
It is, in my opinion, somewhat quaint and far-fetched, but does that really matter? At a time with so many major problems bubbling away globally, it's nice to have some blinkered escapism. and be able to lose yourself in the company of some truly good, kind people, even if they are a teeny bit unconvincing just because they are so lovely!
The Cornwall setting is beautifully created.
It's an unusual book that makes for an enjoyable read.

A Secret Gift
Delightful! Quick, easy read that has you unable to put it down. Full of wonderful characters and so much emotion you can’t wait to see what happens next.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you NetGalley, Amanda James and HarperCollinsPublishers for hearing my honest review. Looking forward to reading more with you
#partner

A Secret Gift was a nice, inspiring read.
The storyline and the writing was brilliant.

Joy is a young widow who works at a nursing home. A day one of her elderly residents gives het a jar of "magic" pebbles that'll change her life.

Joy was a great characters, her grief feels relatable and I wished the best for her since the beginning. I've enjoyed her adventures with the pebbles and their recipients.
She understood that helping others helped herself to find the right path for her life, to find happiness and to believe she could be happy again and to start to live her life to the fullest.

I'd recommend it, plus it set on the Cornwall coast and I love there.

This is a lovely story about life, love, wisdom, and paying it forward. It's a bit corny as others have said but it's also sweet and touching and a charming read.

What a lovely book. Wish I had a pebble. Feel good book, which brought a smile to my face. Would definitely recommend

The first book in the Cornish Escapes series, this is a story that once I started reading I was not putting down until I was finished. This story is well written and was well worth reading. I enjoyed seeing Joy Pentire gift of Cornish magic bring so much happiness to her and those who come into her life. I want to read the rest of this series. This is a new Author to me. I received a copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Loved reading this book! I can read these types of books all year.
I love the way it was Full of love, friendship and a little heartache. Always come together beautifully in the end!
Thanks to netgalley and the publishers and the author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest opinion