Member Reviews

I really love this thriller. It’s fucking immediately dreaming in with the plot and kept me there with the pacing. It’s a twist the story with a strong main character. I highly recommend this book!

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A family drama rather than a psychological thriller.and in my opinion not up to the standard of the authors previous novels. Both female characters irritated me as did the elderly father. There was also some use of dramatic licence which is okay in a televised drama but not a novel.. I found it a weak rrad.

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I enjoyed this book. Emily makes a bad mistake in her job as a midwife and escapes back to her family home in Cornwall. When she gets there she finds that her elderly father has employed a beautiful young French woman, Francoise, to be his carer. Emily doesn't trust her and is convinced she has an ulterior motive. This is a fast paced story with twists and turns right to the end. Thanks to NetGalley for a preview copy.
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We all have our secrets by Jane Corry

Synopsis
Two women are staying in Willowmead House.

One of them is running.
One of them is hiding.
Both of them are lying.

Emily made one bad decision, and now her career could be over. Her family home on the Cornish coast is the only place where she feels safe. But when she arrives, there's a stranger living with her father. Emily doesn't trust the beautiful young woman, convinced that she's telling one lie after another. Soon, Emily becomes obsessed with finding out the truth...

Review
Overall I enjoyed this book, it started well and I engaged with the characters.
During the middle I misinterpreted a twist maybe and got all impressed, hopes were dashed then when I realised there was no dead body in the suitcase but a painting 🤷🏻‍♀️ I think the body would have spiced the middle section up for me. Ending was fine, I love this author and her style of writing but she has written better. It was enjoyable and I read it very quickly.

Thanks to netgalley for an advanced copy in return for an honest review.

Rated 4/5

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We All Have Our Secrets by Jane Corry
Published date 23 June 2022


On starting this book, I had lots of emotions. The story has twists & turns and, only in my opinion, was too long. Around 60% I was losing interested, then 78% I wanted to know the ending. The writing style was not to my liking, too much dialogue & I soon forgot which character was saying what!

The plot and characters are believable. The protagonists, Emily (Emilee) and Francoise annoyed me from page one, This a story about rivalry, jealousy, secrets, lies and bereavement.

Fans of Jane Corry's books will love this novel.

I give a 3 star rating, only because the genre was not to my liking.

I WANT TO THANK NETGALLEY FOR THE OPPORTUNITY OF READING AN ADVANCED COPY OF THIS BOOK FOR AN HONEST REVIEW.

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Jane Corry has this ability that no matter where you are in the book you have absolutely no idea what is happening or what is about to happen. The writing as always was superb leaving me wanting more after each chapter and for that I would always recommend. I’m still unsure on the storyline, it didn’t go where I expected it to and I’m still left thinking about it which I do believe is a good thing.
Overall would recommend this and her other books

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I expected this to be a fast paced thriller. It was neither. It was slow moving and at times I struggled with the pace. There was absolutely no feeling of a thriller. It was just a story of two women with a lot of vagueness. Both had secrets but I expected so much more than they were. It was more a family drama than a thriller and anyone who enjoys a family drama will love this. Sadly it wasn’t for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in return for an honest and unbiased opinion.

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Gentle psychological thriller. It's never quite clear who was going to be the good guy and who the bad until it becomes clear that no-one is as clear cut as that and that we're all so much more than the worst thing we've done. What was clear is that most of the "bad" things came from a good place and this recognition reveals what is truly important to our characters.

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There are two main female characters in this fast paced mystery thriller. Both are keeping secrets and they are not averse to telling the odd lie either. At the beginning of this powerful and intriguing story they do not know each other, but that will soon change. But will it be a change for the better or the worse?
Emily is a midwife. She absolutely loves her job. What could be more exciting than bringing a new life into our world? She loves to see the joyful parents and the squirming or bawling babies, each a bundle of joy. She is not a mother herself, but surely being a midwife is breath-taking, exciting and a magical way to earn a living. She is well respected and conscientious, earning praise and gaining a great reputation. When Emily makes an error one day she is devastated. She is suspended from her duties and decides to go to see her elderly father in the family home, Willowmead House, an impressive house near the sea in Cornwall.
When Emily arrives home she finds out that a stranger is living with her father. He tells her he has a Carer and introduces Emily to Francoise, whose home is in France. She has worked in Care Homes in France and is said to be a wonderful carer of the elderly, especially as they become more feeble and confused. She is elegant, beautiful and poised. Emily mistrusts her from the minute she first sees her. If the truth be told she is jealous of the way her Dad treats Francoise and of how close they have become in such a short time. She is also surprised at how quickly her father has deteriorated since she last saw him months ago, and also ashamed that she has neglected him. Her father has also given Francoise her mother’s favourite and very expensive earrings that had been left for her. Emily is furious with her Dad.
It is safe to say both women are suspicious of each other and uneasy with the current situation. Emily is determined to investigate Francoise. She is sure that she is hiding something. This is a story full of thrills and spills, twists and turns that has a fantastic ending.
I thoroughly enjoyed this engaging novel. The story telling was brilliant and the characters carefully developed so that you really cared for them or despised them. I was hooked on the story from the very beginning and it got better and better. I greatly admired the way the author handled her storyboard and maintained an even and exciting pace. I loved the themes within the story: relationships, jealousy, revenge, grief, loyalty and love. I loved the suspense and the historical backstory told by Harold, detailing his life and experiences in World War two. It brought the two main story threads together beautifully.
I received a complimentary copy of this novel from publisher Penguin through my membership of NetGalley. Thank you for my copy sent in return for an honest and unbiased review. This novel is a real page-turner, filled with suspicion, mystery and tension. I was so surprised at the ending. It was so dynamic and fitting for this story. This is a 5* review from me and a recommendation that this book is unmissable.

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The latest book from Jane Corry, We All Have Our Secrets is due for release in June 2022. Once again, readers will be delighted and intrigued by the liberal sprinkling of unexpected twists, and surprising reveals. It addresses many human dilemmas in a realistic yet entertaining way. The conflict between the two female lead characters, Emily and Françoise, is skilfully teased out. The gripping plot progresses with Emily determined to care for her ailing elderly father despite the constant interference and undermining by Françoise, the beautiful housekeeper who is equally determined to look after her employer. Told from both women's points of view, and set against a modern Cornish backdrop, it is definitely a must-read novel. Highly recommended with a well-deserved 5 stars for this excellent page-turner. Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for supplying me with an advance copy.

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This is a domestic thriller which will keep you guessing right up until the end - and even then, there are still a few more secrets to be revealed! It just goes to show that when we keep secrets, people make assumptions and jump to conclusions about what's going on when simply talking could clean up so many misunderstandings.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC without obligation.

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Emily is a midwife working in London, who returns to her childhood home in Cornwall when disciplinary action is taken against her at work following a mistake she makes during a delivery.

Here she finds that her father, Harold’s health has been rapidly deteriorating. She also finds an unexpected house guest – Harold has employed a live-in carer named Francoise – and Emily takes an instant dislike to her.

Whilst at home, Emily ignores her calls and letters from the hospital and focuses her energy on working out Francoise’s motives for moving in with her father – and her suspiciously close relationship with him. She also finds herself involved once again with her first love, and struggles with emotions and vulnerability from her past.

We switch between Emily and Francoise’s point of view – with occasional accounts from Harold of his experiences as a 15-year-old during the war.

Everyone seems to be hiding a secret. Who can be trusted? And what are their motives? Who is Francoise?

Whilst elements of We All Have Our Secrets were intriguing, and I wanted to know how the story unfolded, I’m afraid I did find it a bit plodding and hard work at times. I didn’t particularly like any of the characters and was hoping for a big OOMPH moment of excitement which never really came.

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What a wonderful story about life, love and loss!
I was hooked from the start and loved being able to explore the different characters and their lives/perspectives.

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The tale of two sisters and the unravelling of their lives an engaging emotive read from start to finish.

Great character development I found myself invested in the outcome of both sisters and their plights.

Harold was a interesting character and I found his flashbacks added depth and strength to the story.

Jane Corry is a very talented author whose work never fails to draw you in.

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This was exactly what I expected from a Jane Corry book , really well written , great characters and an excellent tale . when Emily goes home to visit her elderly father she is more than a little surprised to see a young woman living there , Francoise is his carer and Emily does not trust her right away and wonders what her motives are , we are told the story from both the point of view of Emily and Francoise , we soon discover the reason Francoise has come to England . Another very enjoyable read

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It took me a long time to write a review for this book, every time I started I had to pause and come back to it. The story revolves around an old man, his absent daughter and a French carer suddenly appearing. There are many dimensions to this story, in time, location and perspective which gives it an interesting structure.I cannot say I loved or hated it but it did linger with me since I have turned the last page. Worth a read as at least it made me feel!

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3.5 rounded up.

We all have our secrets it’s true but 93 year old Harold Gentle, his midwife daughter Emily and his new carer Françoise have more than most. The story is told by Françoise and Emily in the present and by Henry from 1945.

The novel starts really strongly and once Emily returns to Cornwall from her job in London (for reasons which soon become apparent) you could cut the atmosphere with a knife as the presence of Françoise is somewhat of a surprise. Emily‘s feelings of lack of trust, suspicion and certainly jealousy are very well done and her hostility to Françoise comes across loud and clear. She feels like a cuckoo in her own nest. There are some tantalising secrets hanging over them all which are unsettling and there are some chilling frissons as if there’s icy cold breath on the back of your neck. Some characterisation is very good, I like the complexity of Harold and to a certain extent Emily and the uncertainty surrounding Françoise. There are some interesting confrontations as lives begin to intertwine and guilt becomes part of the mix and a she said/she said scenario unfolds.

So far so good, it’s shaping up well and then we get the Françoise perspective and that’s when it starts to drift away from the very strong first half. The plot begins to get a bit overloaded, I enjoy the power-play between Emily and Françoise but so many things then get chucked into the mix it gets rather dizzying. The alternating points of view of Emily and Françoise also lead to repetition which is unnecessary. I’m not keen on the ending as there’s a lot of 180° twists and turns and it just feels too nice after all the angst.

Overall, it’s a more than a decent read but in my opinion not as strong as the authors previous work however, there are sufficiently strong elements to push it into a four star rating.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Penguin General for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

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Thanks net galley and Jane Corey for this wonderful story.
Love it, could see the house in my mind and especially Francoise.
She was a terrific character.
Francoise was hired to look after Harold Gentle, in his beautiful house, as his daughter Emily never came home that often as she was a midwife in London.
But after an incident at work she came home to look after her father, and was horrified to discover someone else doing that job.
Loved the story between the two woman it was terrific.
I

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This is another fantastic read by Jane Corry. I was quickly taken in by the story and characters and really enjoyed this book.
It’s one I’d definitely recommend.

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thankyou to Netgalley, Penguin and Jane Corry for the loan of this book
I am already a fan of this author's books, having read most of them, and this book just made me into an even bigger fan that I already was.
The book is set in Cornwall, but jumps to the past in France. Emily is a midwife in London, but makes an error of judgement and is suspended so has no alternative but to hibernate at her childhood home. When she arrives in Cornwall, she's surprised when confronted with the gorgeous Francois who is her elderly father's carer. Having recently arrived from France, Francois is charm personified and cannot do enough for Emily's father. Emily is suspicious and keeps a keen eye on the carer when it becomes apparent that her father appears to prefer Francois to Emily. Why is Francois to close to her father? What does she want? And what secret is she hiding?
Throw Emily's love of her life into the mix, illicit affairs and illegitimate children and you have a mix of intrigue and mystery. All of which make up a brilliant thriller with a fabulous emotive twist at the end!! Go buy it!!

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