A Secret Gift

What a delightful book... thoroughly enjoyed although wasn't sure I would initially. Joy works in a nursing home and one of her charges..Hope is nearing the end of her life. She lets Joy in to a secret before she does and Joy carries on her legacy spreading love, courage, faith among people who need it most.
A gentle read. I loved Joy and her quest to improve things for others.
Would recommend

I received this book via NetGalley and give it my honest opinion.

If you do one thing this year, read this book! It is a heartwarming story full of hope. Sometimes a second chance is all that is needed.
I really enjoyed this read and recommend it wholeheartedly.
Well written and full of love and hope.

What a fabulous unusual and unique story which I absolutely loved reading. We meet Joy who due to circumstances, finds herself working in a care home. Its at the home where she meets and forms a bond with an elderly resient Hope. Sadly Hope passes away but not before gifting Joy a jar of pebbles. The pebbles hold a special secret and it's Joys task to work this out. We meet lots of wonderful characters along Joys journey. This is such a lovely heartwarming story, love, loss, friendship and a touch of mystery & magic.

A gentle quick read with a good heart warming feel and a touch of magic from an unusual gift. An interesting and original storyline set in Cornwall and dealing with a few emotive issues. A delightful set of characters to engage with plus a couple of baddies for a more balanced mix. Definitely a light feelgood book to lift the spirits without being too complicated.

A really quirky, original read. Great characters and well written. I loved saying how Joy embraced the gift she was given and came out of her shell. Great book.

A lovely book, about Joy, who is party to a secret of a dying patient. Her life is changed forever. A read to make you feel good with lots of hidden messages.

I could not put this book down. Even though there were parts tinged with sadness it was such an uplifting book. I loved it!

Joy works in an nursing home and has got friendly with one of the residents Hope. One day Hope gives Joy a jar of pebbles along with a secret, a gift to help others and herself and Joy's life is changed forever.

I loved the concept of this book it's unusual, magical and set in an idyllic setting.

Definitely one to read!

Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins for the ARC

When I finished this book I felt like I had been given one of the pebbles, I loved how Joy was able to help people and how they then continued the cycle of kindness. I loved the characters, I loved the setting and know I will read this book again, something I rarely do. I enjoyed every page and would recommend the book, which deserves more than five stars

This story is sappy and corny AND I LOVED EVERY MINUTE OF IT! A really sweet premise that I haven’t seen before. Everyone who reads this will be like me - wishing that this could really happen. The first person Joy helps broke my heart and hit close to home. The follow through is magical. I totally recommend this charming book to EVERYONE!

This was a very unusual but lovely story. Set in Cornwall near Mawgan Porth, a place I know very well. It dealt with relationships and emotions and turns out to be a very gentle read. The main character was sweet and very likeable. I was so glad that she found happiness and fulfilment in the end after a testing time. I do hope that this author writes more books as I would be eager to read more. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

A lovely story about grief, recovery, and paying it forward. Joy's husband died and it sent her into a tailspin, Now living in Cornwall, she's not got much happiness in her life but then Hope, an elderly woman at the care home where she works, gives her a jar of pebbles and the direction to hand them out to people who need something in their lives. This takes Joy on a journey of self discovery and toward a possible new life. I liked this for the positive outlook and the slightly fizzy attitude. The characters are good and the storytelling pulled me in. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A very good read.

Loved this quirky book! The characters really come alive and the reader is drawn into the book from the start
I really enjoyed the various friendships which were portrayed within this book , in particular Hope and Joy and later Joy and Grace .
This book was one which you just had to keep reading putting real life on hold !
A great cast of characters, and a fantastic story , this book was a delight to read
I would highly recommend this book
Thank you to Netgalley, Harper Collins Uk/ One more Chapter and Amanda for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review

Firstly, now that I have finished reading this book I can appreciate how the gorgeous cover fits in with the story. I have been a fan of this authors stories for quite a while now and have read most of her books. She is an author who crosses genres and doe sit very well indeed.

This story is about Joy, a widow who is getting by. Not ready to move on after the death of her husband. She works at a local care home. while it is a job it is not what she originally hoped to do. Talking of hope, Hope is the name of one of the residents and if I am honest one of Joy's favourites. Hope doesn't have long left, she knows it as does Joy, so Hope bequeaths on Joy a secret and a jar of pebbles! Sounds a bit random I know, but the story that follows is one that I found captivating. So captivating that I read this book from start to finish in one sitting!

This is such a gorgeous read, a story of a young woman trying to deal with life. Working, helping others and not quite fulfilling her life, she isn't miserable, but she isn't happy. Melancholic I think would sum her up.

The secret, well if I told you what that was it wouldn't be a secret, but believe me when I say it is something quite special. It is a secret that not only helps others but will in time help Joy herself. And yes, the pebbles are part of it.

This is another wonderful and captivating story. It has some wonderful sentiment and emotions to it. I found the main character of Joy, to be a really lovely one. Friendly, warm and one of life's plodders. She plods along doing her best. The author does inject a touch of romance, but for me, the story was about friendship and helping others. About being a friend, a shoulder and supportive when needed, also about trying to move forward after heartache, about trusting people and your instincts.

This really was a lovely story and one I adored and would definitely recommend.

This is the first of this authors books I have read and won’t be my last so pleased to have been introduced to such a wonderful author. A secret gift was a beautiful charming and uplifting novel that really gets to the core of your heart strings while reading and is determined to lift the readers spirits while reading. I loved the unusual and quirky story line that made this stand out as it wasn’t like an ordinary romance. It was a feel good read with lots of hidden messages about how everyone deserves and second chance at happiness.

I absolutely loved this story! As someone interested in pebbles and crystals I found it heartwarming and beautiful. I love to help people and could feel this through all the characters. As a background the feeling of grief was present and was very well written. It resonated with me and this book was just brilliant.

A Secret Gift by Amanda James

A gem of a book.
The story of Joy who is dealing with the grief of losing her husband .
She works in a nursing home and meets Hope who is nearing the end of her life.
They form a friendship where they both share things about their lives an Hope passes on something that has the ability to change lives.
A beautiful ,beautiful story with gentle, wonderful characters.

My word this is the first book I’ve read by this author and will not be the last for sure it was simply outstanding and didn’t want to put it down at all. It’s a heartwarming read full of promises hope happiness starting again and friendships with romance in and to and the characters are simply brilliant along with the plot. It’s worth far more than five stars and you will want to keep reading it’s a delightful read.
Joy lost her husband and has for three years trying to get through life she’s worked in a care home and got close to patients there. She’s living in Cornwall by the sea with her cat but life isn’t what it use to be. But when one of the old ladies gives her a jar of pebbles and tells her to continue giving them out to others to spread joy and happiness things start to change. She starts making new friends while giving them out and spreads so much joy to others and their lives change around but can she change hers. She decides to go back to old profession and applies to be a TA in a school. She gets the job and again makes new friends and spreads her joy with many in the school. Problem is she also sees herself falling for the deputy but can she find love when she still loves her husband who died. She tries to fight her feelings but can she beat them and be happy herself after spreading joy to so many others.
A magical perfect read to curl up and enjoy.

What a beautiful book. The story is unique, superb and very well told. I loved Hope, Joy and Grace and their quests. What a beautiful gift to have. I literally could not put this book down- I kept picking it right back up for ‘one more chapter’. I have never read any previous books by this author and will seek more out. Gorgeous feel good book. Loved it

I really enjoyed this book. The concept of the Secret gift is really interested.

It's a lovely connection between, Hope and Joy and Joy and Grace. The friendships are so lovely to read about.

I loved the reactions from people when Joy did her job. She was such a lovely character who had lost a loved one and wasn't quite herself, Hope got her back on her feet with the gift that she passed on to her.

Finding Grace was an extra bonus along the way and someone she could talk to about it all.

I love the building relationship between Joy and Jowan and all that comes with that.

This book is really lovely, full of Hope and centred around feelings both positive and negative and how Joy can improve those feelings.

Fantastic unique plot, wonderful memorable characters and a beautiful setting in Cornwall. What more can you ask for, maybe a touch of an unexplainable mystic gift? There is that too!

I cannot find the words to write how much I enjoyed being the world of this book. I wish that this were “real life”. If only there were truly people that had the gift within this book.

This is the first book that I have read by this author. I like to read “new-to-me” authors and sometimes find a gem, as I did this time. I was immediately drawn into the story since I adore older people and think the world of them. It is not common to have a nursing facility in a book portrayed in a positive light. I applaud the author for including older characters and showing them as worthy and cherished beings.

The main character, Joy, is such a lovable person, and I found myself quickly wanting to be her friend and wishing her happiness. The cast of other characters in the book soon wove their way into my heart as well. From the beautiful cat, Sebastian to the older woman that becomes a close friend to Joy, Grace. I miss them now that I have finished the book.

This definitely was a book I did not want to put down, but also I did not want to continue to read, since that would mean it would end. Since I have finished it, I still am thinking about all the lovely people I was lucky enough to have met through this book. I recommend reading The Secret Gift very highly.

I want to thank HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter and NetGalley for giving me the immense pleasure of reading the advance reader copy, with no obligation to write a review. My review is written freely as a hobby, and is totally my own opinion, not influenced by receiving the ARC.

I would like to thank the author, the publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC of this book. I thoroughly enjoyed it. It had great characters and a very different story. I would definitely recommend this book.

This is an absolutely warm and delightful book to read. Joy, the main character, is great. She is immediately likeable and I felt for her from the beginning. The other characters are believable and each of them make an wonderful addition to the story.

The author has created a unique and moving story that left me feeling warm and cosy with a smile on my face. Wouldn’t it be nice if this could really happen ?

The setting sounds beautiful and I would love to live there. This is simply an awesome book that is the perfect pick me up! I thank One More Chapter and Harper Collins UK for inviting me to read this delightful book via NetGalley.