BLOG TOUR REVIEW


Review for 'Her Secret Life' by Anna E. Collins.

Read and reviewed for NetGalley, Anna E Collins, Bookouture, Bookouture Book Club and Hachette UK.

This is the first book I have read by Anna but it most definitely wont be my last!

This novel consists of 58 chapters. The chapters are short to medium in length so easy to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!

WOW!!!! What can I say?!?! One thing I have got to say before getting into my review is clear your schedules and grab the tissues as you will need them!!!

This book is beautifully written with vivid descriptions setting the picture perfectly in the readers mind. The title, description and cover works perfectly with the storyline.

This book is devastatingly gorgeous, emotive and beautiful. I absolutely love the unique storyline and the fact that it is set over multiple protagonists makes you feel that you are living several lives in one book. It tells the stories of three sisters Leah, Jillian and Alison who are very different people living very different lives. they are not close but when their mothers body is found in a lake and they inherit a cottage that none of them anything about they are all brought together. We discover more about the three sisters as we discover what their childhood and parental relationships were like. There is mystery about their mothers death as well as the cottage they inherited. Will they be able to work together to discover the truth or will their secrets tear them apart again? This book is filled with every emotion you can think of including love, secrets, family, heartbreak, loss, forgiveness, tension, worry, shock, suspense, mystery and so, so much more!!! It is one of the most unforgettable books I have ever read!! Anna's evocative writing skills sucks the reader straight into the storyline with the characters and surroundings coming to life around them. This is just one of those rare books that words just cannot express how powerful and emotional it is. It will make you cry both tears of happiness and sadness. The multiple narrative brings the story to life along with the descriptions and ensures the reader can see everything that is going on and what the characters are thinking and feeling. When I was reading this book I could feel my heartbeat speeding up as I was getting a dark sense of foreboding the deeper into the book I got and I ended up with tears streaming down my face so make sure you get those tissues ready!! It is one of those books that I just simply could not put down and I walked around everywhere with my kindle and the book. Every chapter ended in a way that I had to know what was going to happen next and then it would move on to the next chapter and do the same so I blew through this in one sitting. Reading this book really does make you feel that you are standing with each of the characters and going through their happiness, pain, sadness, curiosity and much more. While you are reading this you are going through a journey of love and loss, heartbreak, secrets, love, and regrets and so, so much more. It really is a rollercoaster ride of emotions. I was utterly glued to the pages and I could not bring myself to put it down. I was carrying the book around to read it every chance that I got. You need to clear your schedules and get the tissues at the ready because you will not be able to put this book down. This is one of those books that will stay with me for a long time and although it could be a difficult read at times with emotions running high I would seriously recommend it to anyone and everyone!!
This may be the first book I have read by Anna but I cannot wait to get hold of more books by this extremely talented author. It is one of the most stunning and unforgettable book that I have ever read and one that will stay with me for years if not forever! AN ABSOLUTE MUST READ!!
This is one of the few books that I have listened 100% on Audiobook. If I listen to a book on audiobook I usually also read the physical book between but I listened to the whole book and I was impressed! I must say a HUGE congratulations to the narrator Laurel Lefkow who did a great job bringing this story to life. I would listen to it in the car and while walking at any opportunity and Laurel did a fantastic job on each of the characters voices!!! I'm not only looking forward to reading more books by Anna but also to listening to more books narrated by Laurel! I haven't listened to any books narrated by Laurel prior to this one but I will definitely be looking for more books narrated by her as she did such a fantastic job bringing the characters and their emotions to life with her brilliant and passionate narrative skills.
The characters were all very strong and realistic and Anna's writing ensured they jumped off the pages at me. My heart went out to each of the main protagonists for different reasons during different chapters. In this emotive page turner we meet three sisters Alison, Leah and Jillian. We meet Leah first who works as a school librarian and become a widow a year ago after her husband who was the principal of the same school passed away. however, while everyone else is sympathetic to her loss we discover very quickly that she isn't as he was abusive. Leah also has a daughter called Hannah who has gone travelling with her boyfriend Chase. We then meet Alison who is the eldest sister who is married but doesn't have children. The final sister is Jillian who lives in New York, works as a pilot and is single and bisexual. The sisters aren't close and Alison hasn't been home to Seattle in more than 20 years but when their mums body is discovered in a lake they are all pulled back together. I loved getting to know them all as individuals as well as seeing their interactions and relationships between each other. They all have their own unique personalities and I enjoyed discovering their histories as the story unravelled. Anna's fantastic evocative writing skills and Laurel's excellent narration bring each of them to life. Pick up your copy of this book today and meet these memorable characters yourself.

Congratulations Anna on an absolutely stunning, unforgettable, emotional and gripping book!!! I am looking forward to reading more of your future books. I would absolutely love to see this book turned into a movie!!! Welcome to my favourite author list and here's to your next success 🥂

Overall an absolutely unputdownable, stunning, addictive and compelling devastatingly beautiful MUST READ!!

350 pages / 10 hours and 45 minutes

This book is just 99p to purchase on kindle, free with kindle unlimited, £9.99 in paperback and £7.99 on Audible via Amazon at time of review which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!

Rated 5 /5 (I LOVED it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.

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I really loved this book! First of all, I love a good mystery. When 3 adult women discover their mother is dead, they all are determined to figure out how she died. Throughout the story, we get to know each of the 3 daughters and how they all had a strained relationship with their mother, and how none of them actually knew her. The daughters soon discover that their mother had a second house. One they knew nothing about. As the mystery unfolds we learn that each of the sisters, and their mother have all been keeping secrets from each other. By the end of the story the author will have you rooting for every single character in the book. The character development is so amazing, and the things that these women went through will break your heart.

Trigger Warnings- This book does discuss domestic abuse and battered women.

Each chapter told from the perspective of one of the three sisters, struggling with her own battles, as they work together to discover the mystery behind their mom’s life that they never knew. Each woman is flawed, yet so realistic, I felt for each of them & especially identified with Leah, ironically the sister first introduced. This is one of my favorite novels of 2024 so far. A definite five ⭐️ read for me.

Laurel Lefkow does a brilliant narrating this beautiful page turner.

Thank you, Anna E Collins, Bookouture, Bookouture audio & netgalley for my ecopy & audiobook! All opinions are my own.

"Her Secret Life" by Anna E. Collins is a family drama billed as a domestic thriller, which is more like a soap opera. It is mostly character driven. The mysteries are just what secrets the 3 sisters and their mom have kept hidden from each other.
The story is told from three POVs, that of each of the 3 sisters. Lia is a school librarian whose husband passed away a year ago. She has a young adult daughter, Hannah, about 20 years old. Allison is the oldest sister, about 43, and she's a workaholic real estate broker with her own business and marital trouble. Jillian is an airline pilot. She is still single and longing for a baby. Their Mom is found dead and her house appears to have been unlived in for a long time. The sisters are estranged, but come together when their mother passes and they have to work together on the estate.
Recommended for readers who enjoy family dramas with in-depth character development.
Setting is about 2016, primarily in Seattle area, but also Chicago, New York City, and Paris.
Laurel Lefkow is the narrator of this audiobook. She has a very soothing voice, and uses regular staccato pauses every couple seconds. I think this may be better in book form.
Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture Audio for providing this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

Sisters brought together to learn their mother’s secret after she’s passed away. While they are discovering the truth they are also building new lives, A good book that flowed easily and was enjoyable.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Every family is complicated and bubbling under the surface are secrets and lies that bind together. This is a story about 3 sisters and their search for the truth and rediscovering what makes them family. This begins after their mother is found dead and they come back together..
The characters are well written and rheir arcs are well define so you do care about them all individually and together. Although this is a novel the characters within are so true to life it feels more like a general novel than a mystery. Its the relationships that make the characters
It took a while for the secrets to be revealed but the pacing is good and the development of characters makes this a solid 4 atar read.. i would recommended this to anyone who likes strong well written characters pov stories.
Thanks to netgallery and publisher and author

Not what I was expecting, family drama with three sisters who have grown up and have taken their own paths in life and come together at the death of their mother. Going through buried feelings of resentment and relationships the story is very typical of most families I imagine. Some sensitive subjects treated very kindly and carefully. So caught up in their own judgements and opinions when they finally try to discover who their mother was and another secret is revealed. Finally maybe they will all have peace in their lives. Very moving, well written and good narration. Thank you #NetGalley for the audiobook to review.

Who doesn't love a story about a dysfunctional family?
I liked this book, narrator kept me interested.
Would recommend

Soooo.... I just finished "Dear Sister" yesterday....which dealt with sexual abuse and it's aftermath…
And I pick this one up, as it's next due on my NetGalley list...and it's also dealing with sexual abuse...in a different way though. Who would've thought???

#HerSecretLife by #AnnaECollins

I think this is the first I've read by this author, and it was amazing!
We open up with a women, who has been hiding away from her sisters and her mother, for years. Her husband died just one year ago...and she's ready to face her past.

She decides to go to see her mother and surprise her.
BUT, when she arrives, she is the one who is surprised....there's caution tape all around the house that she grew up in. And Police Cars...
WHAT IS GOING ON???

As the pieces all start to come together, the three sisters, who have been estranged for years, all show up to try to get things right...and they find that they share much more than they realized.
And they also realize that their Mother had kept many secrets that they knew nothing about!

Will this tear them further apart? Or, will this be what finally brings them all together?

This one delves into so many pieces of life...and so many that I can identify with, as the sisters are very diverse. And it makes you realize that time is precious...and we need to all do better! With our lives. With our families. With ourselves!!

4 1/2 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 for me...rounded up to 5.

Thanks so much to #NetGalley and #BookoutureAudio for an ARC of the audiobook which was released yesterday, 1/31/24.

My Secret Life by Anna E. Collins. Beautifully narrated by #LaurelLefkow.

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As always, happy reading!! 📚📖

An excellent book about love, loss, and family dynamics, and I would highly recommend it. Great to listen to. This book was wonderfully intriguing; but it was the emotion in the story and the quality of the writing that sang out to me.

Her Secret Life
Anna E Collins
This tale centers on three sisters. They had not seen each other or had any contact in twenty years. Each sister is different and has her own fears and secrets. One is a realtor, one is a pilot, and one is a librarian.
The librarian’s husband died a year ago. It was his fault she had not seen her family in twenty years. She didn’t mourn him although she was forced to pretend. She returns to her childhood home in hopes of sharing her secret, its too late to tell her mother the truth. When she arrives, the house is a crime scene. Her mother’s dead body was pulled from the lake behind the house.
The three sisters don’t know each other anymore but the death of their mother brought down the barriers. They each remember their childhood and growing up together, the good times and the bad.
Their mother’s death puzzles them; something doesn’t seem right. The siblings go through the house looking for clues that will lead them to why their mother is dead. There is no evidence their mother has been living there for several months. The sisters inherit a house, not the house but a house. They now know their mother had a secret. Everyone has secrets, so do parents.
I enjoyed this tale. The best part was getting to know each sister through flashbacks showing us their childhood and alternating viewpoints. We learned their strengths and their weaknesses. The plot is character driven; it is filled with emotions.
Thank you NetGalley for the copy of this book for review.

This was a great read and kept me interested the whole way through. I really expected foul play for their mother's death so was surprised when that wasn't the case. I love that Leah is getting her life back on track and healing after the death of her abusive husband. Here's to hoping she's going to live her best life now! This was my 1st book by Anna E. Collins but will not be my last!

#HerSecretLife
#NetGalley

Thank you, Bookouture Audio for this advance copy in exchange for my review.

When I saw that the writer of one of my all-time favourite rom-coms wrote a General (Women's) Fiction book I was very excited, needless to say I was not disappointed.

Her Secret Life was a beautiful story of three sisters following their mother's sudden death.
I loved getting to know Leah, Alison and Jill. Of of their lives were complex and devastating while also having humour sprinkled throughout. Hannah's (Leah's daughter) side story was heartbreaking.
I really enjoyed hearing about the mother's backstory and the secrets she kept so close to her, all while figuring out the mystery surrounding her sudden death.
I really liked how the story ended as well. I won't give any spoilers away but everything was tied up and there may have been a happily ever after.

🎧📖 note: while I enjoyed the narration, there was a lot of background noise going on with the narrator. There was what sounded like thumping on the microphone stand and echos. I find those types of things extremely distracting and it made listening to sections where that was persistent a little less enjoyable.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed how these sisters lead such secret lives independently of each other and finally came together in the end to grow and get to know each other. I was so glad that they all seemed to get a content and happy ending and learned to lean on each other. Separately their lives were isolated and sad and I really felt for each of them.

Anna E. Collins' HER SECRET LIFE is a gripping, character-driven family drama/psychological fiction of three estranged sisters coming together as the past and present collide, unraveling dark, hidden family secrets after the mysterious death of their mother.

Leah, Alison, and Jillian are the Brady sisters (a realtor, a librarian, and a pilot) who have not been in touch for years.

After the death of Leah's husband, she returns to her hometown in the Pacific Northwest to try and make amends with her mother. Leah's abusive husband is why she has not spoken to her mother or sisters in years; now, she can reveal the truth.

However, Leah is shocked upon arrival at her childhood home. There is police tape, and she is told her mother's body has been recovered from the lake behind the house. She was too late. Leah wants answers and calls her sisters. They search the house for clues. It does not appear her mom has been living here with all the dust, and her clothes are missing.

Then, when the will is read, they find they have inherited a cottage they never knew existed. What has their mother been hiding? It appears their mysterious mom had more than one secret.

Did their mom end her own life, and why? She was a good swimmer. Could she have drowned? When they unravel the clues and answers, will the siblings come closer, or will it drive them further apart again?

Told from the three sisters' POVs From past to present, we learn about each of the sisters and the mysterious secrets of their mother. There was so much more to their mom than they knew.

Do their pasts define them?

The novel explores complex dysfunctional family relationships while grappling with grief —a journey to discover the hidden stories of their family. Self-doubt, despair, tragedies, secrets, sacrifice, pride, dreams, hope, love, triumphs and self-discovery.

HER SECRET LIFE is a character-driven complex family drama. I did not find the characters particularly likable; however, I found the mom's character more fascinating and wished we had more from her—I also enjoyed the mom's friend, the beautiful poetry, and the infusions of art.

It is a heartrending redemptive story about the power and complexities of women, friendship, and a family in crisis. The power of love, the meaning of family, and second chances, even when it seems impossible.

Highly charged topics of suicide and abuse (mental and physical). My first book by the author, and I look forward to reading more. It is not a suspense thriller but more women's fiction—motherhood, sisterhood, love, grief, connections, loss, forgiveness, hope, and new beginnings.

I listened to the audiobook narrated by Laurel Lefkow, and while she delivered an engaging performance, I think it would have been better with different distinct voices or multiple narrators for the characters.

While I do not read a lot of women's fiction (preferring thrillers and literary fiction), HER SECRET LIFE would make a good book club pick.

For fans of authors Suzanne Redfearn, Mary Ellen Taylor, Mary Alice Monroe, Pamela Kelley, and Emilie Richards—I would not compare to Diane Chamberlain (favorite), Lianne Moriarty, or Laura Dave, as referenced in the summary.

Thanks to Bookouture Audio, Bookouture, and NetGalley for a gifted ARC and ALC review copy for an honest opinion.

Blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: Jan 31, 2024
My Rating: 3.5 Stars rounded to 4
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This feeling when you read something out of your comfort zone and don't expact too much and suddenly you find yourself drawn into the story and all the characters!

We get to know three sisters who, as adults, find back into each other's lives. They have to cope with the fact that their mother just took her own life besides all the issues they already have.

The women feel so real and authentic! And I think this is what got me!!!
Combined with the voice of Laurel Lefkow a very pleasant audio-story!!
I guess I will have to look into the other books written by Anna E. Collins!

Thanks #NetGalley #Bookouture Audio for this audiobook

Many thanks to Netgally and Bookouture for an arc of this audiobook in return for an honest review.

Leah, Alison and Jillian are three sisters who have fallen out of touch over the years. A year following the death of Leah's husband, she heads back to her hometown to start to make amends with her mother. Unfortunately her mother has been found dead and the result of this is the three sisters being thrown back together and trying to reform a relationship. It's told in three POV - each of the three sisters and alternates between them.

I found this really compelling and real - it highlighted how everyone has their own stressors and drama going on and that you often don't know what is going on with them, even if you are very close. It's very much contemporary fiction not a thriller and I think perhaps the marketing is slightly wrong as from first glance it looks like it'll be a thriller, so I don't think you'd enjoy this going in thinking it's a thriller - The twists aren't shocking, or even that twisty!

I do think this is an excellent book about love, loss, and family dynamics, and I would highly recommend it. I also loved that the ending felt resolved but it didn't try and tie things in a perfect bow, there were still questions and loose ends that weren't tied up by the end.

There is a lot of character growth throughout and I enjoyed how the sisters started leaning on one another by the end.

The audiobook narrator was fine, but it would have been better and easier to follow had there been distinct voice differences between the three POV or even different readers. If you had to pause and restart during a chapter it could take a few minutes to work out who was the narrator.

Her secret life follows 3 sisters Leah, Alison and Gillian following the death of their mother.

We 1st meet Leah, who has made the decision to travel back to her hometown to see her estranged mother. Leah, who has been widowed for a year hasn’t had much to do with her family since marrying Neil. Despite appearances to others Neil was a very controlling husband and Leah became distanced from her family. She has now made the decision to come clean about the abusive marriage. However when she arrives at her mother’s house, it’s to find it surrounded by police tape. Her Mother’s body was found the previous day.

Alison is Leah’s older sister and the daughter, who was closest to their Mother, they still live in the same town, however Alison is extremely absorbed in her business and had t seen her mother for a while.

Gillan, the youngest daughter, had the worst relationship with their mother, she never felt loved and was closer to their father, who died when she was 7. Gillian is a successful pilot.

The 3 sisters are thrown back together following the discovery of their Mothers body. They then discover, several secrets their mother had never told them. The sisters are not only on a journey to discover their Mother’s story, but also their own. They all have issues they need to resolve and by working together they not only solve the riddle of their mum, but also of themselves. They are all on a journey of self discovery.

I really enjoyed listening to this story and felt empathy for all 3 sisters

I am now keen to discover more from this author. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook

I listened to the audiobook and the narrator had a very sweet quality to her voice, pleasant and soothing tone. While it had some mystery elements, I would classify it as more of a women’s/domestic fiction. I loved reading about the lives of each of the sisters and seeing how they interact with each other. I thoroughly enjoyed this one, beautiful story.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Her Secret Life by Anna E. Collins, an audiobook narrated by Laurel Lefkow is an utterly gripping and heart-wrenching family drama that will let you in the family where everyone has struggled but it's not visible from outside. It's a book of masking and hiding and keeping secrets... it's a book about losing and finding yourself.
I was worried that it would be complicated to follow so many characters with just one narrator but I was wrong! Laurel Lefkow has done fantastic work! She managed to make each sister recognizable.

I loved how this book turns negatives into positives! I loved how this book showed the progress of thinking, making better choices, and learning from other's mistakes!

Alison, Leah, and Jillian are 3 sisters with completely different life stories! When Leah decides to finally make peace with her mum, she arrives at her childhood home too late, her mum has been found dead. She was so close to finally opening up, but it was too late. Now she must contact her sisters but unfortunitelly they are not close. Unfortunitelly this situation is not the one where they hold on to past mistakes so they must come together to sort mum's funeral, discover a lot of hidden secrets, and learn a lot of valuable lessons.

So yes, I would recommend this book without hesitation!

Thank you Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for this copy I enjoyed it a lot!