The Nurse's Secret

I loved this book. Plain and simple. I enjoyed reading every page, and I'm disappointed it's over.

The murder mystery was interesting and provided a great deal of suspense. I didn't figure out who the killer was until he/she was revealed.

One of Skenandore's strengths as a writer is how she creates her characters. She always creates characters you just can't help but root for, and her characters are always "people" I'd like to know in real life. I really enjoyed Una from the very beginning. She was handed a difficult set of circumstances in life, and she found a way to triumph in the end. I adored Dru. I was pulling for her and Una the entire story and so much wanted things to end well for both of them.

The period details were fascinating and well-researched. As someone who works in healthcare today (not a nurse, though), it was so interesting to see how things were done long ago, what has changed and what hasn't. And, truly, Skenandore's being a nurse adds to the story as it's clear it was written by someone who "gets it" - all the emotions of caring for patients, the successes, the failures, the drive to keep going in spite of what's going on around you. One of the characters said nursing requires "an iron constitution and a gentle soul," and I couldn't agree more.

And, though I was disappointed my time with Una and Dru (I was a fan of Edwin, too) was over, I love how the story ended.

In The Nurse’s Secret we are treated to a multi-layered, fascinating historical fiction novel. The main character is Una—a grifter, a pickpocket, who ekes out a hardscrabble life for herself on the mean streets on New York City. Desperate, wanted for murder, she lies her way through an interview and enters a nurse training program at Bellevue Hospital. Una is street smart, resilient and savvy, and incorporates the skills she used to survive on the streets to get through the rigorous program. There is also a murder mystery woven into this mesmerizing story, adding danger and intrigue in unexpected ways.

From start to finish, "The Nurse's Secret" is an engrossing read. It's not one you should inhale in one day, as you won't truly appreciate it. Read over the course of a few days, you get a deeper connection to the story and it's main character Una Kelly.
Not only does the book provide you a window into the less glamorous side of the Gilded Age, it also provides a history on the creation of the nurse training program at Bellevue Hospital, as well as an interesting mystery to unravel. No spoilers from me. I'll just say that this was a great book. I look forward to the author's next work.
Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for this ARC, which I voluntarily read and reviewed.