Kate Hewitt ends The Goswell Quartet with a stunning tale that transports the reader into the worlds of the MCs. There were scenes that gutted me. The characters and their stories are full of injustices and hard truths - they show true courage in their actions. I don’t want to spoil the story so I will end this with a warning to bring kleenex!

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review. Review copy obtained via Netgalley.

I read the other three books in the series. It is also a dual timeline story. It is a gut wrenching story. Good end to a great series!
Many thanks to the author, Bookouture and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of the book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

I have really enjoyed the three previous books in the Goswell series though each one was heartbreaking in its own right. With her usual ability to get me to connect with the story Hewitt drew me in from the very first. I was prepared to be absolutely enthralled in the present day storyline as it involves a shipwreck but I never could warm up to Rachel and by the end of my reading time I just couldn't stand her. The research part was fascinating but I was almost rooting for her to fail. I did love Abigail. She's the only child of parents who have pinned all their hopes and dreams on her during a time period where women have very few choices and society has very little forgiveness for perceived mistakes. She's a nice girl who wants to make everyone happy - until she is confronted with the incredibly cruel and thoughtless reality of slavery. I admired Abigail's ability to stick with what she knew was right in the face of everyone thinking that she's wrong and stand up to people's casual cruelty to protect a little girl that is in her care. This details are heartbreaking with very little relief from the present day timeline. When I realized I was dreading picking this one up because it was so emotionally difficult for me to read I did DNF this one - this was truly a case of it's not the book, it's me. The story is well written and the characters are vivid but I couldn't force myself to read a book that I dreaded reading as all the characters seemed so unhappy.

A heartwrenching story of loss, courage and determination. Have the tissues nearby because you will definitely need them for this one.

Kate Hewitt writes in a masterful manner gifting the reader with a story that captures the heart and imagination completely.

The Widow’s Secret Bride’s is a well crafted and beautifully written dual timeline story with well written characters and vivid descriptions that seamlessly transported me to another place and time. A perfect blend of contemporary and historical fiction, the storylines run somewhat parallel, stitching together a well layered story that slips back and forth between time periods effortlessly. The final book in the Goswell Quartet, this story was a little disconnected from the others, although all four books had a strong Christian thread. While I read these books in order, they really can be read in any order.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity preview an advance digital copy of this story. This is my honest review and the opinions expressed are my own.

This novel alternates between two time periods present day and 1760. In present day, Rachel is the expert called in when the remains of a shipwreck near Goswell leads back to the 1700s. The very same timeframe that involved Abigail. Rachel is unhappy in her life, despite having an attentive husband. Ignoring her unhappiness, Rachel starts digging to the best of her ability into the lives of Abigail and her husband James. England 1766. Abigail is a young woman who has blotted her copybook, ruining her chances for any offer from a respectable, honorable man. It must be said that her only fault was her naivety and innocence and the man involved was a scoundrel. However it was a tiny town and when she was able to secure an invitation to a dance, her mother was tense with nerves that it would turn into a fiasco. Abigail secured the attention of James, a shipowner who not only seemed prosperous but was a kind and loving husband. The real ramifications of the story begins with her husband presenting her with a six year old slave girl. Adelaide as others insisted she be called brought mayhem to the house but awakened in Abigail maternal feelings which she could not show to anyone, as all expected the child to be treated as a thing not a human. This part of the book was very hard to read, but it was factual, historically accurate depicting faithfully conditions of slaves till the abolitionist movement took sway in society. This final book in the Goswell Quartet not only revealed secrets of the past, it also became a book of healing. In fact, despite the difficult subject matter, this was my favorite book of the series. Kate Hewitt has done a fabulous job with this book as well as with the previous titles. I love that they were all reissued as these books gave me many satisfying hours of reading.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for the opportunity.

This was an excellent book.

This book dealt with what is was like in the 1760’s and the slave trade how they were treated and how so many that went through going from Africa to America. Abigail marries an shipowner and we see how strong a character she is that no matter your skin colour we are all the same. Then we have Rachel who is the present time line trying to find out about a shipwreck. Rachel has not had a good childhood and has never really made friends she finds it hard to show her emotions.

This book is the best out of the series.

Would recommend it and it so well written.

I was a bit apprehensive going into this book as I liked the first two but wasn;t keen on the third. However, I was completely wrong, this is the best of the four without a doubt. It is heartwrenching and raw and yet also has some utterly tender moments. I loved it

My favourite of the series, this novel, though also distressing, tells masterfully a very human story with its losses, love and redemption. Written as dual time novel, I was much more compelled by the historical timeline. As often, the modern timeline was for me too abrupt a change from my being fully swept away in the old days. However, the modern timeline storyline was well done and as in the first three books, always with events somehow connected to the historical timeline....
I received a complimentary ARC of this novel from NetGalley and I am leaving voluntarily an honest review.

The Widow’s Secret by Kate Hewitt is the final of the Goswell Quartet and slightly different. This time a sunken ship has been discovered off the coast and before the oil company can disturb it they have to do an archeological survey to see if it has historical significance. Hence, Rachel is called in to research that for them. She starts with the research while waiting for her team members to arrive to dive with her to examine what remains. What she discovers is disconcerting. It appears to have been a slave ship. She has found an object (that with research) that indicates it. As she researches, she discovers the owner of the ship and his wife and daughter, who, for a time, loved locally. It is a heart-wrenching story of a woman abandoned with no means of support who manages to find her own way, while adopting an African child her husband had brought her earlier as a slave. Rachel has her own problems: her mother has dementia and can no longer live on her own and her marriage is dissolving, against her wishes.

Abigail, the wife of the captain, is a plain girl who managed to get manipulated by a man into ruining herself. She had no prospects of marriage until a young man appeared who owned a ship and appeared to be on his way up. Against all odds, he asked her to marry him and they were happy for a while. She loved him and he appeared to love her. Then, the appearance of the slave child and his decision to captain the next voyage. She was a strong woman who did what she had to do and bucked the norms of society: an excellent character. Rachel had grown up worshipping her father and being ignored by her cold mother. Only now did she begin to understand any of what had happened to her as a child, and possibly, how to fix it. She was a terrific character. This is not the best of the quartet but still very moving. The two plots, especially the historical one, were enchanting and kept the reader on edge as they progressed. I highly recommend the entire quartet.

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of The Widow’s Secret by Bookoutre, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #Bookoutre #KateHewitt #TheWidowsSecret

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

This was an enjoyable dual timeline story, told in the 1760s and the present. In the past. I really enjoyed both storylines, Abigail in the past, Who marries a ship’s captain, who is stronger than she thinks and Rachel, a marine archaeologist, in the present who is brought close to her hometown to study a wreck, who discovers she doesn’t really know herself. Both storylines were very well written and researched, the author did a great job keeping the story seamless and keeping it interesting.

Will definitely be checking it more books by this author.

This was a delightful series. You have to read it in order however to get the nuances
and sequence to the stories.

England 1766. Abigail is a young woman who has blotted her copybook, ruining her chances
for any offer from a respectable, honourable man.It must be said that her only fault was
her naivety and innocence and tge man involved was a scoundrel. However it was a tiny town
and when she was able to secure an invitation to a dance, her mother was tense with nerves
that it would turn into a fiasco. Abigail secured the attention of James, a shipowner who
not only seemed prosperous but was a kind and loving husband.

The real ramifications of the story begins with her husband presenting her with a six year old slave girl. Adelaide as others insisted she be called brought mayhem to the house but
awakened in Abigail maternal feelings which she could not show to anyone, as all expected
the child to be treated as a thing not a human. This part of the book was very hard to read, but it was factual, historically accurate depicting faithfully conditions of slaves till the
abolitionist movement took sway in society.

With James death and Abigail facing penury, a decision to join the Wesleyan movement and
adopt Adelaide formally were huge steps for Adelaide who had led such a protected life.
This is one story.

The parallel story is set in present times, when a mining company finds a wreck and Rachel
who is a marine archaelogist is called uponto investigate. In her search for clues, she
stumbles upon the story of Abigail and James, their life together and the discovery of
what happened to Adelaide.

Rachel gerself is in turmoil one with her mother and also with her husband. Rachel's
personality is "prickly" not warm or open to affection and everyone around her finds her
closed and unapproachable

The story of Rachel also finding a way out of her predicaments is also complicated but
shows how quickly relationships can be nurtured or irrevocably destroyed.

Everything ends well after all the tension. This final story was for me the most interesting read. Not just for the emotional impact but also for the wealth of historical information.

This is by far the best book out of the entire "Goswell" series. The historical aspect of the book, while accurate, was painful, and written as well as it could be. I love the author's depiction of Abigail coming to the realization that everyone, regardless of color, are people and deserve to be treated as such. My favorite part of the entire book was the inclusion of giving ourselves to God, and adding John Wesley in the storyline made that aspect of the book more powerful.

I want to give a huge thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this series and this one seemed to be the best of the bunch. Maybe it was because I have settled into the places and characters but, this one was brilliantly. I was sorry to finish these and hopefully there will be more to come from this author. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

The fourth and last in this series. Another enjoyable story split over 2 time lines. All of these books can be read as stand alones as they are individual stories with the only thing in common being the town in which they are based, and characters who live in that town.

Kate Hewitt saved the best for last with The Widow's Secret (The Goswell Quartet Book 4). There are marriages to be saved, relationships to be restored, lives to be changed and a child to be loved. Each book in the Goswell Quarter has had dual timelines. The historical timeline is different in each book. This time it is the 1760’s where Abigail is married to James a sea captain. All looks good to an outsider but there are cracks in their lives that quickly comes to light. Then in the present marine archaeologist Rachel has no doubt that her marriage is rocky.

There was much that drew my heart in this story. A personal up close look at a social atrocity. Abigail faces this, doing much soul searching to come to the truth. While there is heartache for her I greatly appreciated that James and she never wavered in their love for each other. Also this story has a real historical figure in it. Of course, Abigail is a fictional character but her story is what could have happened to someone who hear John Wesley preach.

Rachel ‘s story is different but also with a major issue of today. She also changes her attitude seeing the truth after so long being blind to it. I was not quite as invested in the outcome of her story but found real truth from her when she insisted that love was not always easy. “What if it means trying even when you don’t feel like it or you’re not sure you can,” she asked. Rachel found some profound wisdom. She is a memorable character for me because of that one statement.

This series has been a pleasure to read even when the subject matter was difficult. The books do not need to be read in any order. The Widow's Secret is my favorite so why not start with that one first.

An ARC of the book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley which I voluntarily chose to read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Dual timeline tearjerker

The Widow's Secret is the fourth of a four-book series, reissued after several years by a new publisher and now available in Kindle format. However, it can be read as a stand-alone book with no loss of plot. I found it the most moving in the series. It is another split timeline, about two married women with ethical and emotional challenges. The historical timeline is a real tear-jerker, about a young woman who marries a ship owner after being 'ruined'. Her husband deceives her about his business success. He finally enters the slave trade and 'gifts' her with a young African girl, with ensuing ethical dilemmas and real heartbreak. The modern timeline is about a young married woman who has problems with her relationships with her mother and husband and wonders why she feels such estrangement and cannot become close and upheavals ensue. Each story is gripping and moving in its own right, then the intersections and parallels make the reader really think. Well written and easy to read, with new historical insights for me, interesting characters and real depth of emotion, it is a great book to curl up with near your fire or in your warm kitchen.

Thank you to the publisher who lent me a time-constrained e-arc via Netgalley. This review is optional and my own opinion.

England, 1766: Abigail and James are happily married and are ready to settle down and start a family together. James was a tobacco trader turned sea captain. Their plans rapidly change after a series of unexpected events. James tells Abigail that he is going to captain a ship to Africa and then to the Americas. He will be gone for a year. Before James leaves he leaves a young slave girl with Abigail. Present day: A shipwreck is discovered off the Cumbria coast. Rachel is brought in to investigate. She welcomes the distraction from her unhappy marriage. It doesn’t take Rachel long to determine that the ship was a slave ship that sank in the Caribbean in the mid 1700’s. The mystery of the ship soon has Rachel discovering the untold story of Abigail’s life.

This is the fourth and final installment in the amazing series of Goswell Quartet. I enjoyed this story and really liked how the author tied all four books together. There were so many parallels that worked well together. This was a difficult storyline to read but was still a very emotional and an inspiring story. I found this book to be intriguing and portrayed hope in a most difficult time in history. I enjoyed this wonderful addition to this series. I definitely recommend this emotional story that can be read as part of the series or a stand-alone.

Thank you Kate Hewitt for such a wonderful conclusion to this amazing series, I loved it.

Despite having dealt with some losses, Abigail is happily married to her husband James. It is the mid 1700s and James is a successful tobacco trader. Or so Abigail thinks. She does begin to wonder and even starts to doubt her husband. When he leaves for a year long voyage on one of his ships, her doubts begin to make sense. In fact, exactly what James did for his livelihood is what made this book difficult to read.

Before James leaves, he bestows a gift on Abigail. A young black girl. Now, Abigail is certain that her husband was involved in the slave trade. Nonetheless, not only does Abigail take the child in, she begins doting on her and the two soon become very close.

In present day, Rachel is the expert called in when the remains of a shipwreck near Goswell leads back to the 1700s. The very same timeframe that involved Abigail. Rachel is unhappy in her life, despite having an attentive husband. Ignoring her unhappiness, Rachel starts digging to the best of her ability into the lives of Abigail and her husband James.

This final book in the Goswell Quartet not only revealed secrets of the past, it also became a book of healing. In fact, despite the difficult subject matter, this was my favorite book of the series. Kate Hewitt has done a fabulous job with this book as well as with the previous titles. I love that they were all reissued as these books gave me many satisfying hours of reading.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

Please enjoy my YouTube video review -

I am excited to be taking part in the #BooksOnTour #BlogTour for Kate Hewitt's delightful dual timeline tale THE WIDOW'S SECRET.

EXTRACT:

Georgiana let out a gay laugh and clapped her hands. "What can she do? Does she speak?"

"Of course she speaks," Abigail answered stiffly. "She has learned English remarkably well."

"How clever of her! In any case I am quite looking forward to having a page and dressing him in a frock coat and frills. How handsome he will look! Mr Fenton said he would find me a healthy, well turned out little lad for me. I am quite depending on him."

"I do not know know how he will find such a creature," Abigail said before she could think better of it, "when he will have endured the kind of voyage no human being ever should."

"Why, Abigail, you sound almost like one of those abolitionists," Georgiana answered with a laugh. "And with your husband in the trade."

She pressed her lips together. "Well I know it."

"Surely you are not getting such ideas? It would be most unsuitable. Besides, we cannot do without the trade. All of society rests on it." With a little laugh she gestured to the loaf of sugar that had been brought in with the tea tray. "There would be none of this without them, you know."

"Then perhaps we should go without sugar in our tea," Abigail said recklessly. "I daresay it would not be such a sacrifice."

"And what of the trade? The profit?" Georgiana replied with an irritable laugh. "Really Abigail, you are too much. I thought you would amuse me today, with your little lady's maid, but I am quite put out."

"I am so sorry to disappoint you," Abigail returned with acid in her voice.

"What does she do?" Georgiana asked petulantly. "Can you make her say something?"

"No, I cannot." Abigail found herself shaking with rage. "She is not a puppet, or a pet, or a plaything. She is a person."


MY THOUGHTS:

I really didn't think I would enjoy this final installment of the Goswell Quartet as the subject matter - shipwrecks and maritime whatnot - is not something I would normally have picked up to read. However, I have been proved pleasantly wrong. I enjoyed THE WIDOW'S SECRET far more than I ever thought I would and I am saddened to have to say goodbye to Goswell and Jane, who has been a stalwart throughout all four books.

As with each tale, this one delves even further back than the previous three as we venture into the 18th century and the world of merchant ships and the slave trade.

Whitehaven, 1762: After a a rather dubious entanglement in Harrogate, 19 year old Abigail Heywood is sure her prospects for a husband have all but disappeared within the whispers of society's gossips. And then she meets 33 year old James Fenton, a former sea captain and now maritime trader in tobacco. He has no interest in the gossips and thinks only on the lovely Abigail Heywood, despite her plain looks and yet he finds her attractive in an innocent and wholesome way. Within months he proposes and they marry, moving to the beautiful town house he has procured for them. But after more than a year, Abigail has been unable to bear him a son...or any child, for that matter.

But with every tobacco plant and every shipment bound for Glasgow, James must find another source in which to trade...and he soon finds that the slave trade is proving to be rather profitable. Procured in Africa, the ship then sails to the Caribbean where they trade the slaves for sugar, thus sailing back to Cumbria with a haul to pay off the investors as well as make a profit themselves. A profitable business, by all accounts.

One one such voyage, James returns with a surprise for Abigail. Her very own slave, her small hands manacled! Abigail is shocked. The creature before her couldn't be more than six years old, if that! She speaks not a word of English (just heathen gibberish) and her skin is as dark as anything she has ever seen. She takes the young girl home and orders her maid to fill a bath of hot water for the child as she bathes her emaciated and scarred body. Who would do this to a child? And yet, when her husband returns home, he argues that the child is to sleep on the dark warehouse floor and to remain manacled until she learns her place.

And then when James announces that he is to sail on the next voyage since his captain failed to procure enough slaves so he will see to it himself. He will be gone for more than a year by the time he has solicited enough slaves from the Africas and journeyed to the Caribbean to trade them for goods that he will bring back home.

During the time her husband has been gone, Abigail meets and listens to John Wesley and his teachings and thus begins to learn a lot more about herself and her husband...and the situation in which she now finds herself. She also comes to see Adelaide, as she now calls the child, as more than a slave...more than a servant even...but something akin to a daughter.

But society will never accept an African child...and neither would James, Abigail fears.

Present day: Maritime archaeologist Rachel Gardener is called up to look into the remains of a possible shipwreck off the Cumbrian coast. Leaving her husband behind in Bristol, she makes the five hour journey to Whitehaven and this exciting possible find. But Rachel is no stranger to the Lake District for she grew up about an hour away and where her mother still lives, though they barely talk having a somewhat prickly relationship.

During a dive to investigate the site, Rachel and her colleagues find a pocket watch with the engraving "JMF" and soon discovers an 18th century merchant trader with those initials whose ship was reportedly wrecked off the coast of Antigua in the Caribbean. So why was his pocket watch found within this wreck just a quarter of a mile out of Whitehaven? And so close to home?

Her investigations lead her to James and Abigail Fenton as she tries to unravel the mystery of who they were and what their roles were in the slave trade? She meets and befriends Jane Hatton (from the previous books) who is an ear for Rachel to offload her worries as well as her findings into the Fentons. For Jane, too, is understandably as intrigued.

Her enquiries are then paused when she receives a call about her mother who has had a fall and is in hospital. But it seems not everything is as it seems and Rachel must deal with an even further blow, wondering how she is going to handle everything from her mother to her marriage.

THE WIDOW'S SECRET is a little different from the first three in that it is not actually set in Goswell, though it does feature. I couldn't warm to Rachel who I found standoffish and aloof, and there are times I could have gladly knocked her and her mother's heads together. The heroine of this tale is most certainly Abigail. She was loyal, kind and somewhat forward thinking for the time. She knew in her heart that slavery was wrong and hated the very thought of treating Adelaide as nothing but a savage creature who behaved like a heathen, could speak nothing but gibberish and could very murder her in her sleep! She refused to see her that way and her relationship with Adelaide was a heartwarming one.

I thoroughly enjoyed this tale far more than I expected to and I am saddened to leave the residents - past and present - of Goswell behind as this beautiful series comes to an end. I have enjoyed every minute of my time with everyone, getting to know them and seeing them blossom. And I loved the mysteries each of the characters were faced with. I am so glad I met them all. And I thank Kate Hewitt for the opportunity.

Overall, though not an entirely easy read in parts, THE WIDOW'S SECRET is perfect for fans of dual timelines.

I would like to thank #KateHewitt, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheWidowsSecret in exchange for an honest review.

This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.