A literary book that explores female friendship, the mother/daughter relationship, love, loyalty, and forgiveness.

This was well written with a melancholy tone, but the plot felt unremarkable to me. This is one of those books where you can’t say much without spoiling a major plot point, so I’ll leave it at I liked the book, but it very much felt like something I’ve already read in other similar books.

My thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for a complimentary copy of this eBook, out now.

The premise that we really do not know a person very well, however deep the friendship or relationship is, is epitomised in this story.

Jo thought she knew the Willoughby family very well. Rachel was her soul mate from childhood, sharing intimacies of family, loves and hates and everything in between. Turning up at Clachan to hear what Rachel specifically wanted to tell her was something Jo was looking forward to, with curiosity and trepidation. She never thought she will find Rachel dead, and her secret that she wanted to share in a series of letters to and from Jo’s mother going back years. More would be spoilers.

Dealing with the frailties of human nature is hard, but where do you start when the person is dead. The story will resonate with many. We discover information hard to digest, both good and bad after a person is gone and it is not an easy task to move on. This was the story of Jo who had to do it all alone, for the first time in her life. And she found the going tough.

Getting her act together, moving forward, coming to terms with what couldn’t be unsaid or undone, forgiven or forgotten is hard.

An excellent read. Tense and emotional.

The House of Lost Secrets was eloquently written, taking readers on an emotional journey of introspection. I loved Harris’s style and generally loved the book. It did move a bit slow at times, but it was done well. The slowness felt methodical and purposeful to the telling of the story. I would definitely recommend this book to my audience.

The novel begins "in medias res". I think that means you are thrown into someone's mind as she plans for writing the eulogy for her beloved dearest friend. If you keep at it, you will be immersed in a beautifully written tale of how friendship can both enrich and otherwise negatively affect a life.

This is also a mystery where Anstey Harris doles out clues, flashbacks and memories that explain relationships, and family secrets that would, if mentioned, be spoilers. The setting, an old house on the water in a remote corner of Scotland, The descriptions of forests, birds, flowers, food and the fairy tales of Selkies (seals who assume human form) are fascinating.

Ultimately, the revelations are not unexpected, do not truly illuminate Jo's love of her dearest friend, Rachel, and for Rachel's family So i rated the book 3 1/2 stars. Thank you to Lake Union Press and Net Galley for an early copy.

Readers follow the friendship of Rachel and Jo in a small village in Scotland, and I found myself getting attached to both characters. Years later, a tragedy brings Jo back home where she meets Meg, an interior designer who also had a link with Rachel. I definitely like the beginning of this book more than the end. Rachel and Jo were such lovely, well defined characters, and Meg came across as shallow.

An interesting book full of secrets bound up in the friendship between Rachel and Jo. Good characters and I loved the descriptions of the cottage in Scotland, definitely making me want to go there. A bit slow in places but a good storyline keeping your interest

Thank you to Netgally for the ARC.

I was not a fan of the writing. The journal esque way of telling the story continuously dragged me out of the story and I had to fight to regain interest in what was happening. The writing was overly filled with descriptions to an unnecessary degree and it felt extremely unengaging to read through. Calling it a "thriller" is a stretch and it was simply a boring read. I was not interested in the initial mystery at all unfortunately, so the book was difficult to push through.

The characters were not engaging to read about, and neither was the story. This is unfortunately a one star review.

A beautifully written story set in a family cottage (Clachan) in Scotland. That alone got me interested in this book of hidden family/friends secrets.
The reader follows the friendships of Rachel and Jo along with their families. When Jo returns to Clachan after Rachel's sudden death, she is met by Meg (an interior designer who has connections to Rachel) and a suprised discovery of letters from Rachel to Jo's mother. Weaving from past to present, the reader will be drawn into this intriguing mystery. Highly recommended!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

I am giving this 4 stars, but it's definitely 3.5 rounded up. A tenative 3.5, because I have some quibbles. Spoilers coming up - I think the book is better if you go in without any, so look away now...

Anyway...

Rachel's death hit me like a freight train. I had to read the page over a few times because I was so shocked. That was what the author was going for, I assume, and it was done really well. As someone with lifelong friends, I felt this loss so keenly. I can only imagine what it will be like when I reach that point in my life, losing people who have been there for me through it all.

I loved the mystery, grief, and atmosphere of the first part of the book. The examination of a decades-long friendship, how entwined you can become, and how you can still somehow keep secrets from each other, really carried the book for me.

However, when Meg became a viewpoint character, the book started to lose steam. She didn't add much to the book, in my opinion, and seemed more like a caricature of a young person than anything else. Her friendship with Jo seemed stilted and forced, and I wasn't sure why she was even given so much prominence. I would have liked her better if she bad been relegated to the background, and Jo's personal journey through grief and trauma given more time to shine.

I think because of the time used for Meg, we didn't get enough time with Jo, and it was to the book's detriment. Finding out about Rachel's addiction, working through trauma from her mother, and dealing with what happened with Tristan should have taken center stage. I was not super satisfied with the ending because it didn't feel earned.

Overall, it was a good read. Some tweaks and it would have been a solid 4 stars.

"Enchanting and atmospheric, "The House of Lost Secrets" by Anstey Harris is a captivating tale of family mysteries, love, and secrets. With vivid prose, Harris weaves a spellbinding narrative that spans generations. A perfect blend of historical fiction, romance, and mystery, this book will transport you to the English countryside and linger in your thoughts long after finishing." 5/5 stars!

Secrets, betrayal and forgivenes are the theme for this totally beautiful beautiful read.

The setting is just amazing and very atmospheric and the charcaters were a delight to get to know.

I loved how the story unfolded and the friendships of the main characters with their ups and downs gave this book a feel of reality.

The writing and the storytelling is just superb and I speak highly of the author, having read this book I am now a big fan and will be searching for more..

What a beautiful immersive book. I got so lost in the setting of this book. I felt transported to a remote seaside Scottish cottage. This book touches on subjects like grief, forgiveness, and the lifelong friendships and the secrets that come with them. It was really hard to put this one down. I got so tangled up in Jo and Rachel's friendship. This is novel that will touch you and stay with you for a long time. I highly recommend it.


Thank you Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for the digital arc in exchange for my honest review.

It was an enjoyable read, though at times while reading it, I felt it was a little long winded. Now that I have finished it and can look back at it as a finished work, I feel like a lot of what I thought was over descriptions and droning on was actually glimpses into Jo's mind and how burdened she was.
I like the dual narrative switching back and forth between Meg and Jo. It worked really well to bring the different pieces of the sorry together. I would definitely recommend to others.

Great book!!!! Interesting characters. I was Hooked from the description to the last page. Highly recommend.

I remember telling a friend about how I loved the novel Burial Rites for its depiction of place, how alongside the novel’s human characters, Hannah Kent had created a such a vivid portrayal of Iceland, I felt it was an equal protagonist in the story. The friend suggested I was being a little wanky! He may well have been right, BUT how else to describe it when a writer does such an impeccable job of crafting setting that you can feel its worn stairs, hear its wild creatures and taste its salty air. That’s how it was to read about Clachan in The House of Lost Secrets by Anstey Harris. I was, in every sense, there.

The story is as immersive as the location. Invited to stay at her best friend Rachel’s family cottage in Scotland, Jo is forced to confront secrets, her own and those of the woman she loves

I adored the messy and complicated intensity of the women’s friendship and don’t want to say much more for fear of spoilers, but the nuance and empathy with which Harris tells this tale of family and friendship is impeccable.

Compelling, evocative and beautiful: my heart aches!

Anemoia - the feeling of nostalgia for a place or time you’ve never known - is the only word that can describe my mood as I finish The House of Lost Secrets by Anstey Harris. Clachan Cottage, the trees, the water: Harris’s evocative emotive prose transported me and left me with a yearning to leave for Scotland immediately.

Rootless after the failure of her marriage and the loss of her dearest friend, Joanna retreats to the remote cottage where their childhood memories still echo around the walls. Here she embarks on a journey of discovery and acceptance that is both compelling and poignant. Through Joanna’s memories, Harris paints a picture of a friendship which, though flawed, is everything a deep and long-standing relationship should be.

As Joanna peels back the layers of memories held in the fabric of Clachan, long-held secrets are revealed and she is forced to confront truths about her friend - and her own life - which could destroy her or set her free.

A beautiful and compelling read which squeezed my heart, but left it full.