This book is perfect for a beach read with the Cornish coast as its backdrop. It was easy to read and very heartwarming for anyone looking for a second chance in life. Crystals and auras may not be your thing but it was certainly a different topic to read about and sometimes it’s nice to escape into another world, in this case people helping complete strangers and sharing some kindness with a simple pebble. I have friends who are into auras so I could relate, even though I cannot see them myself. The book’s cover would be enough to draw me in if I saw it in a bookshop; beautiful bright colours. Thank you to NetGalley and One More Chapter/Harper Collins UK for letting me read and review this book.

This is a very sweet book.

Joy is working in a care home, trying to move on with her life after the death of her husband some years ago. When Hope, one of the residents, passes her a letter and a jar of pebbles shortly before she dies, Joy finds new purpose. Soon she is changing lives; her own amongst them.

It’s an interesting idea, that emotions can be lifted and shared. I wish they could! I was very perplexed by teachers and support staff being late for work, Willy nilly. It just doesn’t happen in real life. And if you’ve read the book and know the plot you’ll understand how much that irritated me when I say that it was the least believable bit for me. Apart from that, I thought the author did a good job with the characters, keeping them likeable and interesting. The whole book is nicely written and well paced and I’d definitely read more by this author. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my copy of this book.

Three years ago Joy Pentire lost her husband, but no matter how much time passes, her grief doesn’t seem to subdue as much as she hoped. She puts all her heart into helping the residents at the nursing home she works at. One of the residents she is particularly attached to, Hope, is at the end of her life. But before she passes, she gives Joy a jar full of pebbles with a short explanation. The pebbles change her life. As the story unfolds we see the power they wield and how much that changes Joy and her feelings towards life.

The beginning was a bit heavier and triggering than I was expecting. But after that it was overall a warm read, full of hope, faith, joy and life. It’s such a beautiful story, with such an interesting idea!

I REALLY liked the idea for his book and I wish it was real. It would be so comforting! I loved how much it impacted Joy’s life and how much it changed each character too. Sometimes people just need a little push or in this case a little pebble. I loved seeing every character get helped buy Joy in dealing with their problems. It made me smile like crazy reading it!

This book is full of love, hopefulness and good feelings. It’s such a comforting and warm read! It literally made me not want to stop reading.

I wouldn’t say I believe in the type of things this book deals with, like auras and so on. But I also can’t say I don’t believe, especially because my mother-in-law has a keen eye to see under the surface and feel things others often don’t. She is also very sensitive to for example full moons, so I guess I really can’t say I don’t believe in anything?

Overall the book revolves around the pebbles, so some moments are easy to foresee, but that didn’t cut my enjoyment at all. I loved Cornwall and Joy and her life. And I especially loved her gift and how much she tried to help others. Definitely a surprising read for me and I’m incredibly glad I got the chance to read it.

TG: attempted suicide, domestic abuse, grief, lost of a loved one.

This was a very unusual but lovely story. Set in Cornwall near Mawgan Porth, a place I know very well. It dealt with relationships and emotions and turns out to be a very gentle read. The main character was sweet and very likeable. I was so glad that she found happiness and fulfilment in the end after a testing time. I do hope that this author writes more books as I would be eager to read more. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

Such a lovely, fun and fascinating story! Definitely unique… I’ve not read anything like this before. The story is well told and the characters are quite enjoyable.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

A lovely story about grief, recovery, and paying it forward. Joy's husband died and it sent her into a tailspin, Now living in Cornwall, she's not got much happiness in her life but then Hope, an elderly woman at the care home where she works, gives her a jar of pebbles and the direction to hand them out to people who need something in their lives. This takes Joy on a journey of self discovery and toward a possible new life. I liked this for the positive outlook and the slightly fizzy attitude. The characters are good and the storytelling pulled me in. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A very good read.

Loved this quirky book! The characters really come alive and the reader is drawn into the book from the start
I really enjoyed the various friendships which were portrayed within this book , in particular Hope and Joy and later Joy and Grace .
This book was one which you just had to keep reading putting real life on hold !
A great cast of characters, and a fantastic story , this book was a delight to read
I would highly recommend this book
Thank you to Netgalley, Harper Collins Uk/ One more Chapter and Amanda for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review

This beautiful story is set in Cornwall, and as I read it I was transported to the sea and sand .

Joy Pentire is struggling with grief, her husband died three years ago and she now puts her energy into looking after the residents of the care home she works at and although she is happy in her work she feels like something is missing.

One of the residents Hope connects with Joy and their friendship brings them both happiness . With Hope nearing the end of her life she gives Joy a present, a jar full of pebbles and a letter.

The pebbles hold a secret. As the story unfolds we find out about this secret, one that allows Joy to help other people and ultimately herself as well.

With Joy returning to her job as classroom assistant in a local school all the mismatched pieces of her life slowly come together. Her unselfish personality shines throughout the book, offering friendship and support to others which had me rooting for her to have a well deserved happy ending.

I’m not a believer in auras and crystals myself so I didn’t really connect to this aspect of the storyline but I found the book gentle and easy to read, maybe a little predictable but sometimes I quite enjoy that.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for my chance to read this easy read.

Once a Teaching Assistant, Joy Pentire gives up the job she loves when her husband died three years ago. His death rocks her confidence and she quietly recovers from her grief in her own time. When she feels ready she applied for the position of a Care Assistant and is duly welcomed into the Care Home. She has always loved helping people and this job suits her personality to the letter T. Joy lives near the sea in lovely Cornwall. She has a beautiful cat called Sebastian and she loves his company and little ways so much.
In the Care Home she soon makes friends with the other Caregivers and the Residents. She treats everyone professionally, but secretly her favourite is a lady called Hope. She and Hope connect instantly and Joy makes sure Hope is comfortable and spends time with her. Hope is cheerful and enthusiastic but is worn down and confides in Joy that she is nearing her death. She tells Joy that she wants to see her to talk about something the next day. Joy is puzzled when Hope gives her a jar of pebbles and a letter to read later on. That day Hope dies.
Puzzled about her unusual gift she reads Hope’s letter carefully. It explains that Hope has a special secret and she tells Joy that she knows Joy is a Collector just the same as Hope used to be. She can help other people who have troubles by noticing the colours of their auras and giving them a lucky pebble. She tells her that it is very rewarding and Hope knows she will love her new gift because she is so caring. Joy is flabbergasted but she feels obliged to carry on with Hope’s lifework. She is amazed to find out that Hope is right and that she has the same special abilities as Hope. She starts her Collecting and with this her life changes forever.
I liked this story and it didn’t matter to me that I didn’t believe in ‘auras’ and ‘collecting’ at all. The storyboard was rich with ideas and beautifully envisaged characters. I thought the story telling was tender and gentle and touched upon sensitive issues like death and grief with both sincerity and empathy. In fact I thought that the magical nature of the story was charming and spellbinding. I liked the friendships and love interests, the new opportunities and the new beginnings Joy’s special gift bestowed upon her and especially the way becoming a collector influences Joy’s life in such a positive and happy way.
I received this book through my membership of NetGalley and from publisher One More Chapter in return for an honest review. Thank you for my copy. This novel is a good read and I recommend it for those of you who love an original story with plenty of surprises.

Joy has been suffering the grief of losing her husband for three years now. She is feeling that she may never recover when she is given a secret gift from one of the elderly people she is a caregiver for. Joy now has the ability to help people in an unusual way.
What I liked: uplifting, helpful and loving book
What I didn't like: It seemed a little too easy that Joy could find people who needed help everywhere she went. A bit contrived.
A great story for people who believe in or can see aura's and for people who use pebbles and crystals.

Thanks to netgalley and Sara at One More Chapter for the widget.

There’s definitely a touch of magic mingling with the salty sea air if you care to venture into Joy Pentire’s part of the world. The beautiful coastline of Cornwall is the place to be if you fancy sampling the power of alternative healing. Imagine having the rare ability to help others change certain aspects of their lives, realising ambitions, falling in love, dealing with troublesome relationships simply by changing the colour of their aura, swapping a negative emotion for a more positive one. And wouldn’t it be grand if all this could be achieved by the mere touch or pocketing of an ordinary looking pebble, a pebble that is infused with the right kind of emotion guaranteed to reverse any recipients fortune from bad to good? Well it’s the gift of collecting that has been passed onto Joy by Hope, an elderly resident of the nursing home in which Joy currently works and it’s fair to say inheriting this secret special gift comes as something of a surprise. Will it prove to be a wonderful opportunity for spreading love, joy, kindness and hope, as well as a chance to form new friendships and enhance Joy’s life for the better or will shouldering this responsibility overwhelm this lovely young woman who has lost her sparkle along with the death of her husband?

A Secret Gift is such a sweet charming gentle and inoffensive read with an unusual original premise. This is a paying it forward storyline whose message is simple and straightforward. Treat people with kindness,love and respect and in time you’ll reap the rewards. As Joy completes one good turn after another, it’s amazing how gradually her own life begins to improve in all manner of ways, lighting her up from the inside out so that she sparkles once more. I loved the references to the characters rainbow coloured auras which made me think if this book had an aura of its own it would be glowing golden as it’s bursting with good positive energy, full of compassion and generosity of spirit. I did wonder if I kept it close by at all times somehow all the goodness would seep into my pores and leave me feeling cleansed, refreshed, rejuvenated and a new woman. But sadly it didn’t!

If you’re a natural skeptic like me you may find Joy’s newly acquired skill a bit too ‘out there’ to take seriously. I’ll be honest, if someone approached me with the gift of a pebble that would magically transform my life I’d give them a withering look and decide they were utterly bonkers!! Lovely as the sentiment of this novel is however hard I tried I couldn’t surrender myself to its obvious charm, my cynicism sending my eyes heavenwards at every over simplified resolution to each character’s personal dilemmas. I desperately wanted to be ‘more Joy’ but an aura of disbelief which hovered over me whilst I read from cover to cover, refused to budge. It feels almost cruel to have negative thoughts about the storyline and the characters but for me the characters lack any real depth. With the exception of perhaps one, they are all TOO nice which just isn’t realistic. Joy with her feline friend Seb doesn’t possess a bad bone in her body. Thanks to her secret gift she’s attracting new friends like iron filings to a magnet and she’s a character worthy of a second chance at happiness so why was I not more enamoured with her? My problem was despite her extraordinary power I found her and the rest of the cast bland. I am always drawn towards feel good uplifting fiction but I still expect there to be an element of realism and in my opinion this storyline doesn’t exhibit that. Instead there’s a naïveté to the writing that prevented me from truly connecting with Joy and other characters in this Cornish community, turning it into something akin to a Disney fairytale. I don’t think the author does the setting justice either; I didn’t feel as if I was being treated to the full flavour of Cornwall which was disappointing. As a rule a novel with a Cornish vibe is right up my street!

Overall, this is a pleasant, heartwarming, rather far fetched read but nothing more than that. Although the premise is original the characters aren’t memorable enough to ensure they and the storyline stand out. There really isn’t much in the way of a plot line and what there is is incredibly predictable. I think it’s safe to say this novel wasn’t for me.

My thanks as always to the publisher OMC and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read in exchange for an honest review.

This is a heartwarming story with a pinch of magic. You'll enjoy it even if you are like me and don't believe in the supernatural. The "mystic" element only makes it more interesting. The characters are loveable and it is uplifting to see how friendship, family and the beautiful Cornish landscape can help Joy start again.

Firstly, now that I have finished reading this book I can appreciate how the gorgeous cover fits in with the story. I have been a fan of this authors stories for quite a while now and have read most of her books. She is an author who crosses genres and doe sit very well indeed.

This story is about Joy, a widow who is getting by. Not ready to move on after the death of her husband. She works at a local care home. while it is a job it is not what she originally hoped to do. Talking of hope, Hope is the name of one of the residents and if I am honest one of Joy's favourites. Hope doesn't have long left, she knows it as does Joy, so Hope bequeaths on Joy a secret and a jar of pebbles! Sounds a bit random I know, but the story that follows is one that I found captivating. So captivating that I read this book from start to finish in one sitting!

This is such a gorgeous read, a story of a young woman trying to deal with life. Working, helping others and not quite fulfilling her life, she isn't miserable, but she isn't happy. Melancholic I think would sum her up.

The secret, well if I told you what that was it wouldn't be a secret, but believe me when I say it is something quite special. It is a secret that not only helps others but will in time help Joy herself. And yes, the pebbles are part of it.

This is another wonderful and captivating story. It has some wonderful sentiment and emotions to it. I found the main character of Joy, to be a really lovely one. Friendly, warm and one of life's plodders. She plods along doing her best. The author does inject a touch of romance, but for me, the story was about friendship and helping others. About being a friend, a shoulder and supportive when needed, also about trying to move forward after heartache, about trusting people and your instincts.

This really was a lovely story and one I adored and would definitely recommend.

I enjoyed this book it was an easy read for me, if at times a bit too easy especially the parts where Joy sees an aura, charges a pebble and gives the pebble to the person who needs the boost (personally I would have liked those parts of the book to be a bit longer and more complex)

I would recommend this book, it’s a nice story!

Thanks to netgalley and OMC for an ARC of this book by Amanda James

A Secret Gift is a delightful story of family, friendship, and romance and gets you wondering how it would feel if you could magically help someone with life's issues. Thanks to author Amanda James, publisher HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter, and NetGalley for providing a copy of this book for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this one, it was a quick and easy read that was heartfelt and uplifting. I loved the story and the characters. It was a really lovely read

I really enjoyed this story and the idea of collecting. It is a wonderful read full of hope and potential and I can only hope to be gifted a pebble.

A Secret Gift by Amanda James is a charming story about the feelings we hold onto and the feelings we share. The story centres around Joy a young widow who learns she has the magical ability to collect positive emotions in pebbles and gift those positive feelings to those in need. This book is more visionary fiction rather than magical realism because there were more spiritual and new agey themes than the typical whimsy found in magical women's fiction. The story is full of important life lessons and will definitely appeal to the empathic sensitive types. It made me think about the power of my own feelings and the impact that my emotions may have on unsuspecting people.

I think the author could have further developed the idea so that it had bigger stakes or a more interesting plot because it was a tad boring at times and predictable. It needed more magic, whimsy, and drama because the pebbles concept wasn't enough...maybe introducing a darker element would have helped in order to balance out the warmth and sweetness of the story?

Overall A Secret Gift is a nice story for fans of feel good fiction and for those interested in healing stones. I encourage the author to bring in more standard magical realism characteristics into her writing for entertainment value and impact.

3/5 Stars for the original ideas and messages conveyed.

I love the character of Joy and her story following the death of her husband. She is given a jar of pebbles and by handing them out she brings happiness into her own life and the lives of others. It is a heartwarming story.

This is the first of this authors books I have read and won’t be my last so pleased to have been introduced to such a wonderful author. A secret gift was a beautiful charming and uplifting novel that really gets to the core of your heart strings while reading and is determined to lift the readers spirits while reading. I loved the unusual and quirky story line that made this stand out as it wasn’t like an ordinary romance. It was a feel good read with lots of hidden messages about how everyone deserves and second chance at happiness.