I loved this book , it had a gradual built up and plenty of suspense along the way. The characters were interesting and had plenty of depth. I didn't expect the twist at the end either. I would definitely recommend this book to my audience. Looking forward to reading the next book from this author

Wow. What a ride that was! An interesting and well written story set in the same place 21 years apart. Losing a loved one sends some people mad and some wanting revenge. It can also may a person susceptible to a con artist.

Loved it.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher I read a free advance review copy of the book. This review is voluntary, honest and my own opinion.

Can a twenty year old secret be kept safe when both Liz and Tamsin move back to the same coastal town in England? That is the question in Secrets Between Friends, by Tracy Buchanan. When mail carrier Liz, reunites with her best friend from twenty years ago, it seems like nothing has changed. Then the next day, her friend is very different. What's happened to the real Tamsin. It's hard to know ho is real and who is a fraud? Who can Liz trust as she tries to solve the mystery around her friend? Is she putting her two daughters in danger.

If you enjoy a good mystery with twists and turns, this would be a great book for you. I was able to read an ARC on #NetGalley.

This started off really good. Switching between now and 20 years ago. Her friend has been replaced by a fake person. Her husband wants sole custody of her children, her mother is a monster and the boy they fell in love with disappeared 20 years ago. I did find it hard to connect with any of the characters and the storyline went a bit unrealistic at times. I enjoyed the ending.

3.5 stars

A quick read, set between two time periods, twenty years ago and present time. Neatly wraps up what happened twenty years ago at the end with lots of twists, turns and secrets along the way.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

This book is set between now and 20 years ago. It started when Liz finally meets the new girl at Lakewell Manor her name is Tamsin. They become fast friends and then Gabe joins them for swimming and just hanging out. Liz’s mother was verbally abusive to her and she so wanted a mother like Tamsin’s mother Dorothy. Liz’s mother was such a hateful and spiteful person. Dorothy was always there for them all. She had inherited the manor previously.

Liz was a postal carrier but had dreams of becoming a journalist and Tamsin always wanted to be a poet. Instead Liz has two daughters Ruby and Mia and recently divorced and had to move back in with her mother. They are due back in court soon because Scott wants full custody. Ruby is big on Tik-Tok and it may get her in some trouble.

Douglas Gold was buying up all the property around and in general was just a egotistical pig. Then you have Lester who runs his own bakery. What secret do they all have in common? There is a murder but who done it? I was guessing right up until the end. There is lots of twists and turns in this book but you won’t want to put it down.

I received this from Netgalley for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

📖 𝕖𝔸ℝℂ ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨 📖

· · • • • ✤ • • • · ·
𝙏𝙞𝙩𝙡𝙚: 𝘚𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘴 𝘉𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘍𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴
𝘼𝙪𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙧: 𝘛𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘺 𝘉𝘶𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘯
𝙂𝙚𝙣𝙧𝙚: 𝘗𝘴𝘺𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘳
𝙋𝙖𝙜𝙚𝙨: 253
𝙊𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙡𝙡: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
𝙎𝙤𝙣𝙜: 𝘙𝘪𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘢 - 𝘋𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘥𝘰
· · • • • ✤ • • • · ·

*** Thank you to the author @tracybuchananauthor , 𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘚𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘵 and 𝘓𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘜𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘗𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 for giving me a change to read this book.***

__________💭𝚃𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚜💭___________

"𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘶𝘯𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘥𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘸, 𝘸𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘪𝘧𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘵 𝘰𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘰𝘯. 𝘐𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘥, 𝘸𝘦 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘯𝘦.

𝘖𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘵. 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴. "


I enjoyed this story a lot. It pulls you in from the first page and you just want to keep reading. It was emotional, dramatic and a very captivating reading. Also, the fact that the story is told from present and the past is just amazing. I love those kind of stories when there is a trip to the past. It makes a story that much more interesting.

The mystery side of the story just made is so much more interesting and I was very eager to find out what really happened years ago and also to our main characters friend. What first pulled me in to read this story is the beautiful cover and the amazing mansion. And I am soo happy when I was reading all the descriptions ofthe house. I am a major house designer/ intererio designer and decorator addict, and those little facts made my heart so happy.

"𝘞𝘦'𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘪𝘯 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘨𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘦𝘴, 𝘓𝘪𝘻 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘯 𝘓. 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵."

Overall, I really enjoyed this story and I think this is a perfect read for this spooky season because it does that thrillery/mystery vibe going on inside the story. So get yourself a nice warm drink, sit in your favourite reading place and enjoy.

This book is written in two different times zones. It goes back 20 years to when two girls were friends. Twenty years late and for one life seems to be a string of problems making life hard til one day she finds her friend of 20 years ago has moved back into the Manor House, she was sure it was her when they first met again but know, she’s not so sure.
I enjoyed reading this,yes, I could guess some but it didn’t take anything away from the stories.
It was really well written and I felt like I knew the people and the place.
Would recommend.

Review of eBook

After twenty years away, Liz Barrowman has returned to Easthaven, something she’s promised herself she would never do. But a nasty divorce has forced her to move into her mother’s home with her two daughters, Ruby and Mia. As she delivers mail along her postal route, she discovers that her one-time best friend, Tamsin Lakewell, is also returning to Easthaven.

Feeling drawn to the estate, Liz heads for Lakewell Manor and instantly recognizes Tamsin beside a table at the side of the manor, overlooking the sea. Liz bandages a cut on Tamsin’s hand and soon the two women are renewing their acquaintance after twenty-some years.

Tamsin introduces Liz to her fiancé, Carl; taken aback by his resemblance to Gabe, Liz leaves to continue delivering the mail along her route. The next day when Liz sees Tamsin in town, she doesn’t look the same. She doesn’t sound the same. She doesn’t remember Liz . . . she doesn’t even know her name. And she definitely is not behaving the way Tamsin would behave.

Can Liz solve the mystery of Tamsin’s abrupt change? And what about what happened that night, all those years ago?

=========

Told from Liz’s point of view, the unfolding story takes place in two timelines: the present and twenty-some years ago when Liz and Tamsin were both sixteen and were best friends. Liz still dreams of being a journalist; Tamsin, true to her dream, has become a published poet.

The characters are well-drawn and realistic, but not always likable [especially Liz’s caustic mother whose extreme bitterness makes her seem more like a caricature]; the plot, both inventive and intriguing, includes several surprising twists and keeps readers guessing as secrets are slowly revealed and mysteries resolved as the story reaches an unexpected denouement.

Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of this eBook from Amazon Publishing UK, Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley
#SecretsBetweenFriends #NetGalley

Thank you NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for the ARC.
Book starts off a little slow and I did struggle a little bit to stay interested in the plot but I am glad I stuck with it. Overall, I did enjoy the book and there were plenty of twists and turns as the story unfolded.

I had a really hard time getting into the story. I found it slow and the characters were hard to like.
With that being said....the last 1/4 of the book was the best as far as everything started coming together
You can get the gist of the book by reading the synopsis. The characters were unlikable and so fake. Liz wasn't a strong protagonist she was actually quite nosey. The story starts out 20 years before with a shocking crime. Speed up to present day Liz returned to Easthaven with her kids after her divorce. Not having a job or enough money they have to move in with Liz's mother...now that is a woman you can really hate. She was so mean to Liz that I wanted to jump into the story and slap her.
Don't go by my review...give the book a chance you may like it. Other reviewers liked it so read it and form your own opinion
I'm sorry to say that the book was just ok not one I would recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for allowing me to read an advanced digital copy of Secrets Between Friends for an honest review. These are my words and my words alone.

It took me a long time to get into this book as I found it too slow going with little to grab my attention until I hit the half way mark when it started to gather pace. Some likeable characters and a plot line set both in the present and twenty years earlier. I would rate this three stars based on the second half of the book. Thank you to NetGalley, Amazon Publishing UK and the author for the chance to review.

This was a fantastic book. It was gripping, mysterious, and action bag. Each time you thought you figured the mystery out something came around the corner and smacks you down. I definitely look forward to reading other books by this offer. She did a wonderful job

Secrets between Friends is a compelling,intriguing story.Told in the past and present two friends Liz and Tasmin meet up again after 20 years when they were teenagers in EastHaven a seaside town ,both have left for pastures new and to get away from the dreadful secret tragedy that happened then.Both have now returned and everything has changed ,Liz is divorced with 2 children and a Postie ,living with her dreadful Mother and Tasmin 's Mother has died leaving her very rich and owning the Mansion .There is plenty of drama and mystery Liz who would love to be a journalist is suspicious of Tasmin when she next meets her she doesn't recognise her so she starts investigating and unearths skull duggery !! An excellent read with a satisfying ending .Thank you to NetGalley for my ARC.

Rating rounded up bc I thought the mystery itself was wrapped up well but I had a hard time connecting to the narrator. I can’t really put my finger on it. It’s not really the bad choices that got me; I don’t mind messy narrators. I think it’s that she felt like the same person in the past and in the present, without growing up at all. She didn’t seem like an adult and it made her harder to connect to; she didn’t seem like a real person. She had that cozy mystery feel to her where everyone feels surface level and kind of naive.

But if you separate her from the story being told, the story works. It goes quick and there’s a few different layers to it. Nothing completely surprising but it comes together neatly.

After an acrimonious divorce and a blemish on her postal career, Liz is forced to move back in with the mother who hates her, so that she can try and keep custody of her two girls. Luckily, she manages to get a job as the village postie, but seeing all her old haunts after years living away brings back memories that she would sooner forget. All through the book there are hints of an incident that changed Liz’s life and that of her best friend Tamsin.

I liked this book and thought the plot well written. The hints about the mysterious past did go on a bit, but did not spoil the read. The story did become a little convoluted at times, and the denouement was a bit silly, but all in all a good read. One point I couldn’t quite get is Lester’s confession! What a loser, keeping such info to himself for years, highly unlikely and a bit strange!

Thank you NetGalley.

This unputdownable mix of murder, intrigue, friendships, toxic relatives, suspense and lots of unexpected twists kept me reading until early morning. Highly recommended! Through Netgalley, I was allowed to read an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Another great read from Tracy Buchanan.
Liz has returned home to her mother (and toxic mother daughter relationship) with her two girls after her marriage breakdown. In her job as a postie, she makes many observations of the local community.
When she hears that her old friend from her teenage days is returning home, she is not sure how to feel as they are bound by a dreadful secret. But she meets Tasmin again and the years fall away but the next day ‘ Tasmin’ doesn’t seem to remember the previous day, in fact she is just different and Liz is convinced there is an imposter.
Told in two time lines which are very easy to follow, I really flew through this book as it was a very easy read. I’m not sure I totally really liked Liz, at times she frustrated me.
I enjoyed how everything unfolded though and it was a satisfying resolution.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy to read.

Thank you so much for giving me access to this book.
I devoured it. If you like twists, turns and intrigue then this book is most definitely the book for you!

I recommend any other book by this author, as it seems impossible for her to write a dud!

This is my first book by Tracy Buchanan. The first 20% was a bit slow but I’m glad I stuck with it. It was a good read. It alternates between a mystery from the past and present. I liked the main character.
Once the book got going I couldn’t put it down.