Great read. Well-researched historical fiction. I enjoyed reading this book and will be keeping my eyes open for future titles from this author!

The alphabet does not consist of enough words about how much I enjoyed this book! Absolutely beautifully written, stunning prose and had me invested since page one. Its one of those books that completely makes you forget about time. I will be rereading this story multiple times in the years to come, it was absolutely heart bending, drama filled and spell bindingly addictive. Highly recommended!

The Widow’s Last Secret
By Lora Davies
Bookouture, 18 January 2022

There was no one to protect her now. And if her secret ever became known, she risked losing everything. With one final look around the bare little room, she lifted her bundle, squared her shoulders and walked out of her old life forever.


From our modern perspective, the widow’s secret wasn’t that life altering. It was something that could currently be dealt with without ruining lives. Her world was considerably harsher. However, I’ll admit to feeling a bit let down when the secret was revealed.

In 1846 England, Bella Farrow is a recent widow and is on her own. Her secret appears safe; no one knows anything about her former life and she is not suspected of anything. But is her secret really safe, or has love put her in danger?

This was a decent book despite my slight disappointment in the secret. Bella turns out to be an admirable character, determined to live a good life on her own. The book turned out to not really be my style, but the writing is good and I do recommend this as an interesting historical novel.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved this book! It was a fun and quick read, but it had some real depth to it. I wish that there was a bit more detail about Bella's "betrayal", but otherwise I savored every word!

I was privileged to have read her debut, #DaughteroftheShipwreck with a previous #Bookouturetour. I loved this one just as much. It’s so well-written, heartbreaking and emotional. I was drawn in at the first page, into Bella’s world and all that happened to her. Truly recommend this one.

*4.5 Stars*

Copy kindly received via NetGalley for an honest review.

This book really makes you think about how different and difficult things would have been back in the 1840's. So very different to todays lifestyle. I enjoyed this read and would recommend.

1840, Annie and her husband Jake go on the run after she make a rash decision. They find work but tragedy ensues. 1846, James Earlham, a railway engineer, meets widow Bella Farrow as he tries to persuade her to sell some of her land for the railways. Both are harbouring secrets: can their romance survive?
The Widow's Last Secret is an historical novel set in England during the 1840s. It centres around the building of the first railways.
Annie and Jake are a love match, happy but poor. A foolish and split second choice leads them both to abandon their peaceful life. They endure even more hardship but still have each other. Moving forward 6 years and Annie has reinvented herself as Bella, a respectable widow but mistrusted by the local community. Railway engineer James needs to save his career by getting his company a great deal on land purchases for the railway, but his heart is captured by Widow Farrow.
I was utterly absorbed by this book. The characters are written in such a way that they are portrayed sympathetically even if we don't agree with their choices and actions. Annie/Bella and James are both easy to like even though they behave impulsively with devastating consequences. The unfairness of external actions by others, societal norms such as class, and social rejection all serve to make us readers want them to succeed and find happiness despite the odds.
I think the events are described in a personal way which allows us to be swept up in the story. There is plenty of emotion as the plot unfolds. The final few chapters were wonderfully dramatic and I had no idea how the plot strands would resolve (but they did and I was completely satisfied by the ending!)
The Widow's Last Secret was an absolutely captivating novel and I loved it!

Bella has a secret from her past, She falls in love with James, and James is in love with her. They both have pasts, she shares her deepest secret with James. James withholds his past mistakes. When the past begins to catch up with both, will love hold them together, or will the past tear them apart?

I loved this story. Kudos to the author for doing such a fine job! I look forward to reading more from this author and would not mind if there was a sequence to this story.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publishing house and the author for the opportunity to read a complimentary copy of this book in return for review based on my honest opinion.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author and I really enjoyed it. It’s a romance set in the 1840s, during the building at the railway in England. The main character, Annie and her husband Jack are living hand to mouth; Annie makes a poor decision that ends up setting her and Jack on the run to start a new life. Jack finds work on the building of the railway and an accident leaves Annie a young widow. Annie cannot stay at the railway camp and runs off again; she ends up settling in a small community and recreates herself as Bella. Bella marries a kind, older man and ends up a widow again but this time owns property and has an income.

When young James Earlham comes to town to purchase lands for the railway he is instantly smitten with Bella who refuses to sell her land but finds James intriguing. As Bella and James fall for one another, there are more secrets than the railway between them. Could Bella be happy with James or is he who she thinks he is.

I really enjoyed this story and how it was told. There were many twists and turns in this book and Bella remained a great character, true to the time period and storyline. The ending of the book was sad yet hopeful.

I will definitely read more books by this author.

Loved loved loved this one. Beautifully written. Stunning prose. Great story. Heart rending. Thought provoking. Just wow.

The Widow’s Last Secret is a compelling historical fiction story. In the 1840’s England, Bella Farrow steals some gloves and she and her husband have to run away. I didn’t realize that you can be severely punished for theft at this time. The couple wind up in a town that is building a railroad. Her husband is killed building the railroad and Bella has to move again. She makes a new life for herself and we think she will have her happy ending. But that doesn’t happen. I kept waiting for her to find true happiness. The story does come full circle at the end, but I didn’t like how her relationship with James Earlham played out. I felt like she was too cruel and she didn’t really give him a chance to explain his side of the story.
Overall a good and riveting read about a time period that I knew little of. I want to thank Bookouture and Netgalley for a complimentary copy of the book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Set in 1840s England, when railways were gathering steam across the national landscape. The author explores the pros & cons of the rail issue as well as telling about the men who laid the tracks and those in engineering positions.

The story's heroine, Bella, has a secret. A secret that in the 1840s could have you arrested and shipped off with other criminals to Australia. Her loving first husband is killed while laying track for the new railroad. Her gentle second husband leaves Bella with land and a somewhat peaceful, comfortable life. Enter, third husband-to-be, a railway engineer, with secrets of his own. Once, the secrets come to light, complications ensue.

I enjoyed this book even though it was slow at times. I did not like the ending. Bella deserved so much more after leading such a hard life. A little happiness perhaps! Good characters. I recommend.

I was gifted this advance copy by NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

Reviewed as a partof the blog tour.
The Widow’s Last Secret is a thought-provoking and compelling story full of secrets and heartbreak, there is the barest hint of romance and a fair few twists along the way which will keep you turning the pages.

Despite this story being told through both Bell’a and James’s perspectives, Bella does (and did) what she must to survive if that means stealing to put food on the table and a roof over her head then so-be-it. I really felt for Bella she is a genuine and realistic character. After she fled her past, she met a decent man who in a relatively short time she was happy, she had grievances with the village as an outsider she was never accepted and most thought she had only married her husband for his money. Bella has had it tough, she has faced some real drama but thoughts that with her husband by her side she would finally find happiness and be able to put her past behind her

I have to be honest and say I didn’t take to James, yes he was charming and likeable in a way but there was something quite worrying and I would even go as far as saying he carried a menacing air about him. I’m probably alone in saying it but I just could find myself liking him, and this is despite his character holding a large part of the book, I just couldn’t lower the bridge and like him. As my gran used to say; his eye is too close together to trust, and that is what I felt about James, I had hoped he would change my mind but alas he didn’t.

When her husband dies and leaves her (his only heir) his land, ma

king her a rarity a female landowner which during the 1800’s it was very rarely heard of, she thinks she is safe until a railroad engineer sets eyes on her land for the railroad, he wants her land and will do anything to get what he wants, no matter how much she opposes him.

Again I am struck by how amazing Bella is, she has a strength you rarely see, she is living in constant fear that she will be found out and that her past will come back to destroy the life she has and now she is living in fear that he land will be taken. She is a determined, resilient and relatable woman she will do anything thing in her power to protect herself and what is hers and you can’t help but back her all the way.

I am really pleased with the ending, without giving anything away it’s satisfying it suits Bell and her story perfect and has a feeling of repairing and hope, it’s not what I expected but it was satisfying, I was hoping that Bella would have her just deserved happy ending and despite it being not exactly the stereotypical happy ending it was relevant and suited the characters perfectly. I also believe with how we said goodbye to Bella there is potential for a sequel, I would love to revisit these characters.

Lora Davies is new to me author so I wasn’t sure what to expect when I came into this book, I loved her attention to detail and her knowledge of the time and the subject, it’s obvious Davies has done a huge amount of research and it clearly shows in her writing. I love that it doesn’t sugar-coat matters it tells it how life was during the 1800s, it’s gritty and incredibly real and that makes it a real winner for me.

This is a must-read, in essence, it’s a simple story of those with money wanting to take from those who haven’t, of a woman trying to live without fear and doing as she can to hide her traumatic and secretive past, but it is delivered in a compelling and engaging way which will keep you reading.

I love a good historical drama book, and this one certainly gives that!

Anna/Bella is a strong character, but cannot forgive herself for stealing. She is frightened of the repercussions of what may occur so both she and her husband Jake run off. They live a life on the run, working on the road. Jake gets a job as a navvie on the railroad construction, but one day a tragic accident occurs and he is killed. Once again Anna runs, lonely and starving she is found by a farmer, James who is a widower, and then reinvents herself as Bella.

James and Bella’s relationship blossoms and they get married. In the hope, Bella will have a son who can inherit James’ land and money. This isn’t to be. James passes away and Bella inherits everything much to the suspicious villagers. But as the building of the railroad comes towards Bella’s land, her past comes back to haunt her.

You really are in for a treat with The Widow’s Last Secret, I highly recommend!

Bella Farrow lost everything due to a decision, a horrible mistake that she made. The mistake forced her to leave behind her home, her family and her livelihood. And when she lost her beloved, dedicated and faithful husband in a horrific accident, Bella finds herself completely alone. She must succeed in life and has to do it all on her own. She has to keep everything about her past a secret or risk imprisonment. But Bella is settling into her new found life, and a new identity, and then she meets a man, James Earlham. Just then everything changes for Bella, they have an immediate attraction to each other but she feels she has to be completely honest with him about the past she has tried to bury. This story was so heartbreaking, gripping and so exciting. I absolutely loved this story. I was so torn with Bella, should she reveal her past, or should she continue to keep it a secret? I couldn’t decide. I was pulled into the story from the very first page. This phenomenal story is one you will definitely remember for a very long time. I loved this story, it is truly a must read.

Thank you Lora Davies for such a wonderful historical fiction read. I absolutely loved that this story kept me guessing all the way to the end. I really enjoyed this amazing and wonderful story, and I highly recommend it.

After reading Lora’s previous book, I wrote that: Lora Davies writes historical fiction exactly how I think it should be written and this is a stunning debut novel. Did this book live up to that? I can confirm that it absolutely did.

This book is as good, if not better, than Lora’s first release. I’m at risk of repeating myself a little because Lora’s style and approach is very unique and is extremely appealing to me. Therefore, this book also provides well-developed and empathetic characters. You are taken on Bella’s journey in her search for identity, love and a home. Her journey is sometimes joyful and at others, it is heart-breaking. You feel all of it with her, every step of the way.

Once again, there is strong and relevant cultural, historical and social commentary about the time and society in which this book is set. Quotes such as “If people were allowed to go around marrying anyone who took their fancy, then God only knows where we would be” provide a stark reminder of how much the world has changed in the last 175 years. In this society, women are undermined, marginalised and even when they speak, are not listened to.

Bella is a unique and sympathetic character, who demonstrates that at times, men can be intimidated by women, but also the timelessness of love and devotion. In her quest, she explores many important themes and takes the reader on quite an unexpected geographical and emotional journey.

The ending may well take you by complete surprise, but will definitely leave you satisfied. This is another gorgeous read by this author, that has made me think, made me cry and reminded me of the importance of human connection and empathy. I love that a strong female character is once again at the forefront of this book, and I would recommend this author to fans of Heather Morris, Meghan Masterson and Ellie Midwood.

The Widow’s Last Secret is a tale of desperation and running from one's past.

The locals never really accepted Bella when she first got to town and began working for Mr. Farrow. When she accepted his marriage proposal, locals accused her of marrying him for his money. Mr. Farrow had no children from his first wife, who died, and he and Bella had no children. That left Bella as his sole heir - and a female landowner in the 1800s.

No one knows anything about Bella's life before Mr. Farrow found her near death. When she meets an ambitious railroad engineer, Bella has no idea their paths have crossed once before. Now he wants part of her land for the new railroad, which she vehemently opposes. Falling in love was never meant to be part of the deal.

The Widow’s Last Secret reminds us all that desperation can cause the most unlikely people to make bad decisions in the spur of the moment. We are also reminded that no matter how far we may try to run from our past, it catches up to us eventually.

Bella shows the kind of strength and perseverance that should have been admired, but instead she was left as the target of rumors and an outcast. She did what she had to do in order to survive, and she fought back when she stood to lose everything, getting help from a very surprising source.

Davies paints an accurate portrait of women in the 1800s. It is obvious she did her research, showing both sides of the controversial new form of transportation – railroads. Anyone who enjoys historical fiction, or a story with a strong female protagonist, would likely enjoy The Widow’s Last Secret.

A compelling read, filled to the brim with atmosphere & rich characters. Escapism at its best.
I found the book disjointed in places but the overall storyline & characters kept the pages turning and stayed with me long after the book had finished.
Solid 4 stars.

The Widow's Last Secret is set in Victorian England and tells the story of the beginnings of the railway. Bella Farrow previously knows as Annie lost everything that was dear to her. She made a terrible mistake that forced her and her husband to abandon their home. They left in the middle of the night to find work somewhere else. Jake is told there is work in the next town so they head towards a better life. Working on the railways, there was an explosion and Jake is missing and presumed dead. With nothing left Annie leaves their temporary home. As she wanders she collapses in a field. Found by Mr. Farrow he nurses her back to health and she helps out on the farm. Now known as Bella, Mr. Farrow asks her to be his wife. After several years he also dies and leaves the farm to Bella.

Now Bella is living a quiet life when a young, handsome man named James Earlham comes to town, and everything changes.

A well told story of love lost, hard times, and the possibility of better days ahead.

This is a heartbreaker. Annie falls in love with Jake, runs off to marry him, and then things start to fall apart. They're starving and she impulsively steals, an act which, in the 1840s. could lead to serious consequences. They move but then tragedy strikes and Jake is killed. Once again, Annie is in dire straits so she changes her name to Bella, marries a farmer, and then he dies! So much happens before she meets James- an engineer. And he's got a secret too. No spoilers. Thanks to netgalley for the arc. This isn't really a romance but a story of a woman trying to keep her head above water and finding her heart.