Julia Simmonds did not know her father.

Her mother the well known model Philadelphia Simmonds has always refused to say who he was. She maintained they didn't need him.

But when Julia has just turned thirty, she is sent a summons to a lawyer's officers to be informed that her father has died.

A father it turns out the whole world knew as he was renown artist Bruce Baldwin.

Her father the man is turns out she may well have met at some point in her childhood.

A father who has left her a fortune and a legacy. 

Her father also left her letters - that he wrote to Julia on her birthday every year up until she was eighteen - this is the first time she has even seen them. 

Julia's life is turned upside down, who was this man, what did he have to say to her and more importantly what does all this information mean to Julia. 

A wonderfully created story which also includes the letters that were written by Julia's father interspersed as she finds out more about him, the relationship with her mother and how the future could possibly be not as disastrous as she first thought.

The emotions rock from happiness to sadness and you are taken as a reader along the journey of discovery and you feel every emotion as well - I certainly did. Clearly written so well for that to happen. 

This was a read which you need to take time with, to appreciate everything about it but also know that you will devour it in a few sittings.

I seek out the books she has published since this debut, which I have been late coming to.

It’s taken me a little while to get to this book on my TBR pile, and how I wish I’d managed to get to it sooner. What a gorgeous creation Rachel Burton has made!

The storyline is interesting, the characters appealing and the setting of London, one of my favourites. It’s a gentle story, with a romance at the heart of it that burns slowly and tantalisingly and the whole thing is so incredibly atmospheric. I could feel the heat of the summer and the heavy air of the storm, and I didn’t want to put it down. When I had to, I was itching to get back to it.

The book is an easy read, but do not mistake that for a criticism. It’s easy because it’s so well written – the language and flow beautiful – with an enveloping story that sweeps you along and makes you want to just carry on reading until you get to the end.

Highly recommended.

Julia goes to a lawyer office and uncovers some shocking truths about her life: she is the daughter of someone famous and gets a big inheritance. But probably the most shocking thing is to find out her father has been sending her letters all her life... and now she finally can uncover them along the truth of her parentage.

I am not gonna lie because it would feel bad and irrespetuos of the author: I got an electronic ARC of the book to review but it seems to have ghosted into thin air and can't get it back or ask for it again as it is not available anymore. So I am not going to punctuate it or pass on any kind of evaluation. It's a pity as it seemed a peculiar read about uncovering an unknown past thru lies or half truths about Julia's origins...

Rachel's debut novel is a warm and accomplished novel with a cast of interesting and varied characters and quite a lot to say about family ties. From the start, Julia finds that all her preconceived ideas about who she is get turned on their head with the news of who her father actually was. As she tries to come to terms with this news, she finds that her other relationships and friendships are reevaluated.

In Julia, we have a sympathetic and likeable central character. We discover that beneath the surface, she has insecurities and self-doubt. At the centre, there is a romance but there is more to the story than that, Aspects of family relationships are an important part. How far should family duty and obligation override everything else? What exactly constitutes family? There are many secrets to uncover.

With well drawn characters and an engaging plot, this is an enjoyable read. Well paced, I read it over two days - the perfect start to my holiday reading.

In short: family secrets and warm, engaging characters.

Thanks to the publishers, HQ Digital and Jenny at Neverland Tours for a copy of the book and a place on the Tour.

What do I think....what do I think....

1. Julia's mother needs a stern talking to and a ruddy good shake.
2. Julia's father should have been made to see sense when he was alive.
3. Julia needs a bloody big hug, with someone trustworthy to lead her in the right and TRUTHFUL direction.

Review done. kthx.

Fine, I'll do a proper one! Although if I was asked to say three things about this storyline, the above is what I would come out with! Now, seeing as I haven't been asked for three things in particular, I can now squeal and ramble!

Sometimes when I sit down to read a novel, I ensure I am on Twitter at the same time as I quite like tweeting the author whilst I read their book; Rachel Burton was one of those authors!

I have to say one thing first though as it really shocked me, to be honest I still can't get my head round it....



HOW THE PICASSO IS THIS RACHEL BURTON'S DEBUT NOVEL?! DEBUT?!? DEBUT!?! I didn't realise it was her debut until afterwards! The entire novel read as though it was written by an author who had perfected her craft! Can you tell that I was gobsmacked? If this is what Rachel Burton manages to deliver with a debut novel, I cannot WAIT for book two.

Julia Simmonds has grown up knowing one parent, her mother. Every time Julia tried to bring up the subject about her father, her mother culled the conversation, using the excuse of lack of memory for lack of information. As far as Julia was concerned this was her life, she trusted her mother and the information she had been given over the years. Her mother hadn't exactly given her cause for concern regarding her father....

How could you not be hooked with a storyline like this? I thought my family had a lot of skeletons in our closets but EEEESH! It didn't take me long at all to sink my teeth into the gritty and intense storyline, as soon as I was hooked I couldn't put the book down, hence why it only took me a matter of hours to read. Unfortunately, I was able to relate to several of the situations that unfolded in this book, especially where Julia's father was concerned.

Seeing as I read this book like an outsider looking in, I attempted to see the situation from each of the characters points of view to begin with, but I couldn't help getting angry at Julia's mother. Well, and her father! Their 'logic' was extremely selfish in my opinion. But like I said, I can relate to certain aspects of the book which is why my views are more emotionally based, and a lot harder than others.
Just to clarify, but views up to this point are solely on the storyline and not the way the author has written it, btw.

'The Many Colours of Us' blew me away on more than one occasion. It wasn't all light-hearted and lovey dovey, the storyline was incredibly black and white at times (in a good way), powerful and unbelievably soulful. I don't think I have ever read a debut novel that carried itself with such grace, intensity, and emotion, like Rachel Burton's. I'm not going to lie, I couldn't stand a couple of the characters in the book yet they brought another dimension to the novel, so they were put in the book for the right reasons (even if they did irk me).

Again, this is yet another review that I have to be rather vague about as every event and emotion in the book is linked to another. I don't wish to get into trouble for causing a domino effect of spoilers!
I thoroughly enjoyed reading 'The Many Colours of Us'; Rachel Burton really has done herself proud by writing such a beautiful, but raw storyline. A lot of people are going to read this book and feel as though their own lives are being written about; yes, it really is that relatable.

Such a poignant and impressive debut novel. I loved it! Absolutely flawless.

Thank you HQ.

I love a book involving family secrets. There is just something about knowing that the secret is going to change someone’s life and seeing how they deal with it that really appeals to me. Add art and creativity into the mix and I was all for diving into this story.

What makes this book stand out is that even though Julia learns of her father after his death and at many occasions during the story is angry at those around her and the situation, it doesn’t bog down the book. It continues to have this light tone, which I found remarkable as sometimes I can find myself feeling a bit angsty after reading a book where such secrets are revealed, which is what I was expecting, but even through lots of other emotions I still felt hopeful.

I found I was drawn into Julia’s story very easily and you can’t help but feel for her as she goes through so much upheaval in her personal life. She is such a likeable and relatable character, despite her unusual upbringing and everything being thrown at her she is resilient and has such a brilliant outlook on the direction her life is taking. I thought perhaps she went a bit too easy on her mother at times but then maybe that’s what made me admire her even more.

Julia’s mother Philadelphia is also a character that really stood out to me, she’s particular in a way that I found funny and infuriating and I enjoyed getting to see so much growth in her as well.
The letters interspersed throughout the book were a wonderful addition to this story. It was a lovely way to get to know more about the past without it being dumped on me all at once and it was nice to see things from Bruce’s perspective as well.

The only thing that maybe just didn’t quite make it for me was the chemistry between Julia and Edwin. I thought they were both lovely and of course, I was always hoping that they would admit they liked each other as more than friends but I didn’t really feel the chemistry between them at the beginning. Towards the end of the book I could begin to see it better but at the start, it felt as if people were pushing the idea of them together rather than something that occurred naturally. Maybe it was just me, but this didn’t detract from my enjoyment at all.

This is a wonderful, uplifting and very emotional book, the writing flows well and easily captures your attention. I would highly recommend it and I can’t wait to see what comes next for this author.

An accomplished debut written with plenty of flair, sensitivity and heart, The Many Colours of Us is a gripping, enjoyable and engrossing first novel guaranteed to make readers laugh and cry.

Julia Simmonds has never much cared about finding out who her father was. Growing up in a hedonistic world with her headstrong supermodel mother and an assorted array of temperamental artists and mercurial fashionistas, Julia never really felt that she was missing out on not having a father. However, when she finds out that she is the secret love-child of celebrated artist, Bruce Baldwin, Julia’s entire life is turned upside down…

Discovering the identity of a long-lost father is traumatic enough, but finding out that he is a much admired artist opens a Pandora’s box of epic proportions as Julia begins to find out when she starts to uncover Bruce Baldwin’s hidden secrets. As Julia begins to dig deeper into her father’s past, she finds out that he had written her a letter every year until her eighteenth birthday. In his letters Bruce had urged her not to repeat his mistakes and to learn from his lack of judgement and foresight.

As Julia continues to delve further into her parent’s enigmatic past, she begins to discover shocking and scandalous secrets that leave her questioning whether she should let bygones be bygones and forgive and forget. But are some actions simply too hurtful and devastating to move on from? Or will Julia find the courage to let go of past wounds and old mistakes?

Wonderfully moving, immensely captivating and difficult to put down, The Many Colours of Us is an uplifting, engrossing and cleverly written contemporary tale that draws readers in from the very beginning and keeps them riveted to the page until the final full stop. A must-read for fans of Julie Cohen, Adele Parks and Rowan Coleman, The Many Colours of Us features realistic characters, intense emotional drama and a tender love story that will pluck at readers’ heartstrings and have them wiping away a tear or two.

Readers who enjoy well-written and intelligent women’s fiction will love The Many Colours of Us and add Rachel Burton’s name to their auto-buy list!

I was hooked from the very first page.The twists and turns, the elegant and compelling writing, and the story as it unfolded. Oh my.
A book to keep savour and revisit. Just in case you know, theres something I missed, as I wanted to read it fast and find out what happened

5☆ A beautiful poignant read

The many colours of us is a beautiful yet emotional book about, courage, truths and discoveries, with a hint of romance.

The story is centred around Julia.
Unbeknown to her she is the secret love child of the artist Bruce Baldwin.
Her mother a famous model from the 70s.


Julia's life is about to change when she walks into the Lawyers office and makes the life changing discovery. Her biological father Bruce Baldwin had passed away and she is now the sole air and is about to claim her inheritance.

Julia was stuck in a job she didn't love so this couldn't of come at a better time.

For me the best bit of the book was seeing Julia uncover her past, learning all about her father through letters her wrote to her. The were poignant, and written from the heart.
Her father wrote her a letter every single birthday. However her Mum was not about to let Julia have the letters as she wanted to keep he's identity a secret.
 It was so heartwarming to see her reactions and discover her truth.

I loved Julia she was warm, strong and hugely likeable.
The Author really took you on a journey alongside Julia, you felt her pain, her happiness, her sadness it was thoroughly enchanting. I became fully immersed into the story and really didn't want it to end.

I loved seeing her relationship blossom between her and the Lawyer Edwin.
It was so nice to see her happy.

This was a beautiful read with some heartfelt tender moments.
Rachel took me on a journey of self discovery alongside Julia which for me made this book extra special. But as I said before the letters for me is when I became fully immersed within the story.
I loved all the characters and each one played their part within the story so very well.

Would I recommend this book.... 100% yes

A thoroughly enjoyable read by this author, whom I haven't come across before, but will certainly be looking out for her novels in future. A heartwarming story, which follows Julia Simmonds, the illegitimate daughter of a once-famous model, and some life changing events which happen to her in a short space of time. The character is relatable, albeit having lived a fairly privileged life. We find Julia at a particular crossroads in her life, facing many difficulties, having just found out that she had an even more famous father, who had in fact longed to know her her whole life. Instead of feeling abandoned, she suddenly has a new world open to her, and in that new world is her new love interest, in the shape of the family lawyer. Things don't go to plan though, and there are a few twists and turns along the way. Guided in some way by the letters left to her after her fathers death, we learn the complex relationship between her parents (her Mum definately seemed to be quite a party animal and possibly an "it girl" of the 70's), the others in her extended family, and how it all ties together. This truly is a warm, heartfelt novel, with some sad undertones, some funny and romantic parts, all of which make this a book I would recommend to everyone looking for a nice easy read, guaranteed to leave a smile on your face.

3 1/2 Stars
This is a nicely written debut novel by Rachel Burton. With characters you would like to know and a strong plot, this novel is quite charming. The story does bounce around in places and without clean breaks, is a tad disjointed, but all in all it is a sweet story of second chances. Looking forward to reading more from Rachel Burton.

A lovely, light-touch yet touching story with a strong protagonist, intriguing hero and great supporting cast. Despite the fact our heroine meets the hunky lawyer and becomes a multi-millionaire right at the beginning of the story, the story's pacing keeps unfolding wonderfully. A perfect summer read - and the nod towards Richard Curtis films is so true!


Posted on Goodreads and will put on Amazon UK and US when book is live.

This is such a diamond of a book!
Utterly spellbinding, full of emotion and a gripping read.
As Julia learns, at last, who her father is she also learns that he is lost to her, however, new people are about to enter her life to change it forever.
The characters in this novel are some of the best I have read in a long while, you instantly warm to them in ways that make them feel like family and you experience their emotions vividly.
What a gripping and thoroughly entertaining read.

I make no secret of the fact that I'm an emotional reader, drawn to books that are likely to result in a lump in my throat and a quiet sniffle into a tissue (while my 12 year old exclaims "are you crying again?") and that's what attracted me to The Many Colours Of Us in the first place. It sounded like an emotional read, with letters from the past revealing a life changing secret. Just my cup of tea.

The story centers on main character, Julie. A woman in her early thirties and somewhat adrift having dated the same guy for a decade, without taking the next step of living together, working an office job she hates and renting the spare bedroom in her friends dilapidated house. But Julia's life is about to change - she's just discovered her father was a successful and respected artist and she's the sole heir of his entire estate.

So girl stuck in a rut, finds riches and all is well - right? Well, yes but not exactly, because The Many Colours Of Us has more depth than that, and the added touch of letters, wrote annually on Julia's birthday draw a more complex and human story of mistakes, regret and an innate fear of rejection. Her father's absence in her childhood is a case of leaving something so long, it's becomes almost impossible to know how to dare to change things. Bruce's letters provoked mixed feelings in me - anger, frustration and yet, some sympathy too. Similarly, Julia's mum has acted in a credibly human way by being both selfish and selfless. There's blame on both sides and I couldn't help feel that someone at some point in the past just needed to bang the two of their heads together. Both being celebrities and famous though, I felt the people around them had probably pandered to them rather than been honest with them.

I really liked the character of Julia though, she's far nicer than I ever would've been - a genuinely warm, understanding and thoughtful person and it was easy to root for her. There's a real feeling of self discovery from this character, as she not only finds out about her father, but gains confidence in herself having been overshadowed by her glamorous mother. I also enjoyed the slowly simmering romance between herself and solicitor Edwin, which was tender rather than passionate.

With some more lighthearted moments - usually from Julia's mother, Philadelphia (who quite frankly wouldn't have looked out of place on the set of Ab Fab) and exuberant Italian cafe owner, Marco, The Many Colours Of Us was a delight to read. I read it on a lazy Sunday morning and it would be perfect for those times when all you want is a relaxing book to while away some hours peacefully. It had emotion, entertainment and romance with an interesting cast of characters and a plot that allowed the right amount of intrigue to keep me reading. I really enjoyed the time spent in Julia's world and left it feeling satisfied and hopeful for her future, and with a big smile on my face.

This was quite an interesting book with lots of secrets and lies told over the years slowly being revealed.​

Julia is the daughter of a well-known couple, her Mother is famous 70s model and, as it turns out, her Father was a famous painter. Julia didn't know who her Father was throughout her whole life as her Mother wouldn't reveal it, and she only found out on her Father's death just after she turned 30. Her Father left his fortune to her, money and a couple of properties, including the house she grew up in and lived in with her Mother. Her Mother was terrible with money and so when her Father made his fortune he bought the house so Julia and her Mother would have a stable base to live in.

Julia is also left a bundle of letters, one sent to her every year on her birthday, but her Mother returned them. So her Father kept them and they were passed on to her by her solicitor after her Father's death. I did think the letters would hold more secrets but they were fairly straightforward about his life and addiction with alcohol and not very long. The solicitor is Edwin, who is also her Mother's solicitor along with her Father's until his death, and there is an attraction between Julia and Edwin. I must admit I didn't really feel the chemistry between these two, but they were pleasant enough.

Julia was at a crossroads once she received the money and didn't really know what to do with her life, until one of the letters revealed that her Father had wanted to set up an Art Foundation but had never got around to it. So Julia decides to turn one of the properties she inherited, a big warehouse in London, into an Art Studio to help struggling artists. Then her Mother drops a bombshell that she's getting married to her P.A., Johnny (Julia has only recently found out they are a couple). So this is all happening at once so it gets very busy for Julia.

Of course the Artist Studio finally opens and Julia, who is also a talented dress designer, decides to start her own small business from there too, finally finding her niche in the world and honoring her Father's legacy with the Artist Studio. An enjoyable read.