This book was totally amazing and I loved it from the first page to the last with many twists and turns along the way.

It is also very heartbreaking and emotional when Susie has to make the decision to give up her newborn baby.

Her husband Danny is away on a tour of duty and while he is away she has an affair. Susie hates losing her son but what can she do?

Susie then falls pregnant again with another little girl but always feels guilty about her son.

It's a very heartfelt emotional book which makes you think what would you do in that situation a brilliant book which stayed with me long after.

Gripping and well-written, this book takes you on an emotional journey that spans over many years... as babies grow into adults, and new parents become grandparents. It's beautiful, but heartbreaking at times and occasionally difficult to read.

In 1968, Susie gives up her baby for adoption. She already has one child, and wishes to keep this one. Her husband would be thrilled with another baby... if it were his. Susie gets pregnant and gives birth while husband Danny is away in the Navy. Even if she wanted to lie, she could not. There is no way the timing would add up. Encouraged by her mother who reminds her that she cannot afford to take on her and the children when her husband inevitably kicks her out, she spends her pregnancy out of town before going to the Mother and Baby Home in London to give birth. She cares for her perfect little son for weeks before he is taken away and given to a new family. She counts those weeks she had him as one of the most memorable times in her life, even many years later.

She's managed to get away with giving birth while her husband is gone, and no one knows a thing. Her mother is the only one around who knows her secret. But Susie can't let him go. She felt she had no other good option, but she longs to be with her son again. All of her life experiences including her marriage, her first daughter, and the second daughter that comes along eventually, are tainted by this huge secret. It has changed her very being, and it affects everyone around her... but they don't know the cause.

It's easy to feel for each and every one of the characters, and the author does a fantastic job getting the reader attached to the story. She packs an amazing amount of love, sorrow, and regret into about 350 pages. Though many parts of it made me sad, now I'm sad that it's over! 4.5 out of 5, rounded up!

I received a copy of this book from Net Galley and Bookouture, thank you! My review is honest and unbiased.

I really enjoyed this book. It was beautifully written and such an emotional read. Would highly recommend

"Oh- What a tangled web we weave" is the mantra of this amazing, heartbreaking story.
Lies and deception the last 47 years have caused pain to an entire family who have not a clue as to why Susie often acts in strange ways during certain occasions. This is just Susie?
Years later, the truth comes out in an almost too late drama for Susie aka Rita and the mystery is solved by her youngest daughter -Amazing Grace. Will there be forgiveness?
I loved this book for so many reasons.
The plot thickened as the chapters moved forward. The love that ultimately was there for the family was able to be resurrected and resumed.
This beautiful novel is a must read!

I have another confession to make. Although I have several of her books on my ever increasing ‘TBR’ (To be read) pile, I have never actually read any of them. Well on the strength of this novel, I have given myself a talking to and reading the others will be top of my list of priorities. My first thoughts on finishing this book were ‘Wowzers’ and ‘Oh my giddy aunt, what a heartbreaking read this is’. This is certainly going to be a hard review to write for reasons which will become clear.

I have to say that I really did feel for Susie. She’s a married mother, who makes the mistake of falling pregnant to another man, whilst her husband is away serving in the Royal Navy. I really felt for her when she decides to give her baby up for adoption. She doesn’t want to but if she keeps the child it would lead to too many questions and to the break up of her marriage. There were times that I so wanted to jump into the pages to give her a hug to reassure her and to let her know that she has a friend. I can’t say that her mother is that supportive either. Susie goes through a stage of mourning for her lost child. She looks at other children, who are the same age as her lost child and wonders what her child would be doing now. As I alluded to above, this is certainly a difficult review to type because I share some of Susie’s emotions. No I haven’t had a baby but I should have been one of six siblings and for one reason and another that didn’t happen. I suspect that they would have been boys and I wonder what they would be doing now, would I have nieces or nephews, what would life have been like with 5 protective brothers, would I have bossed them around, would they have had ginger hair and well you get the picture. I am envious of those with siblings and I sort of resent the fact that I haven’t got siblings and they have. Anyway enough of the personal stuff. I just wanted to show that I knew some of what Susie would be going through. Susie keeps the secret to herself for a long time but she becomes obsessional about her daughter’s behaviour and education. After a while there are signs that Susie’s life is beginning to unravel and her secret could soon be exposed.

I have to say that this is the most emotional book I have read this year. I am not normally affected by books but this book certainly got to me. There were many times when I felt as though I had to stop reading- not because I wasn’t enjoying the book, because I was but because it was affecting me so much. I had to have tissues close by as tears threatened to spill on more than one occasion. To say that I felt as though I had gone through the emotional wringer and on an emotional rollercoaster ride after reading this is a vast understatement. Even the most hard hearted of people will be affected by this book.

‘The Secret Child’ is superbly and beautifully written. The book is written in two parts. The first part involves Susie talking about what happened back in the day when she had her lost child and the second part follows her daughter in her attempts to find out her mother’s secret. I couldn’t help but become addicted to reading this fantastic book from the very first word on the very first page and I wasn’t released from the book’s grip until the last word on the last page. It was almost as if I had been hypnotised. As I was so ‘into’ the story, I just had to keep reading. The pages were turning that quickly that it was almost as if they were turning themselves and before I knew it I had finished the book, which I had mixed feelings about. I was pleased to finish the book because I knew how the story ended but I was disappointed because I was enjoying the writing style and story so much that I just wanted it to continue. I was so ‘into’ the book that I began living the story and I wanted to jump into the pages to help Susie and be a support to her. I also wanted to give certain characters what for.

In short I adored this beautiful and emotional book and I would definitely recommend it to anybody. I must make reading the rest of Kerry Fisher’s books a top priority but I will need to have a stash of tissues and chocolate ready for when I read them. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a well deserved 5* out of 5*.

This is a heart wrenching story of a women who gives up her second child, who was the product of an affair, up for adoption. This follows the story through all phases including the child's adulthood. Well written, relatable characters, fast storyline.

This is my second book by Fisher, but I am sure it won't be my last. She has a style of writing that makes me instantly feel absorbed by the story and the characters' lives. The Secret Child is a mystery, but it's also about family and the effect secrets can have. This is a real page turner by an author I will keep my eye on!

Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. What a beautiful, beautiful story written with such sensitivity!! I devoured this book!! Loved, Loved, loved it!! I am adopted myself and felt that Kerry Fisher delivered it just right!! Please read it!!!!

An immersive read from the start. I love Kerry's writing style. A really good quality read

A mother's love is all encompassing, it is always present, and it comes from her soul...
I looked down at their fingers entwined, struck by the sheer power of maternal love. Within that clasp was so much love and longing, such strength of feeling that time had done nothing to diminish.
A quote from the book that speaks of a mother's love. The author, Kerry Fisher, goes into the depth of this love for the entire story. Her words leap off the page, touch the heart, and cause tears to flow down.
The main character, Susie, is married to Danny, with a daughter Louise. A singing passion and an unfortunate forcible act, a child is conceived, when Danny is away at sea. To maintain her family and their happiness, she gives up the child for adoption, and that guilt eats her up throughout her life.... Till a fatal episode forces the entire family to face the shock of the secret...
Kerry Fisher has done a fantastic job to describe the guilt of a mother who has given her child away. The longing which a mother feels to hold all her children, especially the one who is away from her. Every occasion forces the mother to remember her child, there is never a moment of complete joy for that mother. Such is the main character, Susie described by the author. Her pain seeps through the pages into the reader's heart.
The story is told in dual voices first half by the mother, Susie and the latter by the second daughter, Grace. It is amazing to see how the daughter who rebelled the most, ultimately understood her mother more deeply than the others. The book follows their lives through the years Susie, Danny, and their two daughters. Their choices, their decisions, their anger, their differences, their joy, their happiness. But the background of Susie's pain coats every page...
I read this book as an observer as someone outside the family. Even though there is pathos, I didn't find myself swayed by those emotions always. At times, I felt that Susie should have confessed to her family, especially when the kids grew up or when the adopted child tried to contact her... But that does not, a story make.
The book goes from Susie's youth to her old age and makes it an entertaining read.
I end the review with another quote by Kerry Fisher —
The most generous words, one human being says to another, (the adopted mother to the birth mother)
Thank you so much for for my son. Your son...

THE SECRET CHILD by Kerry Fisher is a powerful and emotional story of heartache, motherly love, and family, and I guarantee you will need tissues close by as you devour every word of this tale.

Susie has loved her son, her second child, from the moment she laid eyes on him and even though she was only allowed to keep him for six weeks, he has lived in her mind and heart every day. Conceived at the end of the sixties when her beloved husband was away in the Navy, her mother and the Church soon forced Susie to give away her boy, and with that single decision, Susie's life is altered forever. Anxious, desperate, and heartbroken over a loss that she must hide for years, in the first part of this story we see how Susie's despair impacts her two daughters and her caring husband who cannot understand why she is the way she is.
The second part of the story is years later and Gracie has discovered her mother's secret and embarks on a journey that will change the dynamics of their family forever.

With beautiful, in-depth characters we get to know every part of their personalities and my heart broke for Susie while at times I desperately wanted her to be more present for her daughters, especially Louise. This book made me sad and angry because sadly we all now know what happened to so many women back then, and I really wanted Susie to find some peace in her life and be happy.

THE SECRET CHILD by Kerry Fisher is a stunning story that you will not want to put down once you begin. It is compelling, it is raw, and it is beautifully written, and I highly recommend it to fiction fans that enjoy a dramatic family tale.

Wow just finished The Secret Child by Kerry Fisher ! Where do I start 🙈...as someone who is adopted and knows she has two siblings out there that don’t know I exist this book really got me ! I have traced and met my birth mother and it wasn’t the happiest of reunions but this book made me look at my mother in a more sympathetic light .. I could go on and on but it’s suffice to say this book is heart wrenching but a must read . I totally loved it 💞

Back in the 60’s, Susie gave up her son for adoption. A decision she will regret for the rest of her life. But with a husband away on a 15 month stint in the navy, the child is clearly not his and Susie wants to protect her family. The novel follows the Duarte family throughout the years and the effect of hiding this gigantic secret has on Susie and her family.

Susie can’t stop thinking about the son she gave away, which has consequences for everyone. Her husband always feels he can’t do anything right or make Susie happy but doesn’t know why. Her eldest daughter Louise has an incredibly strict upbringing and isn’t allowed to make certain decisions based on Susie’s own experiences. Youngest daughter Grace, on the other hand, is raised very differently and turns into a wild child. While Susie only ever wanted to protect her family, it seems she’s only making things worse.

I’m always fascinated by stories involving adoptions. What would make a mother give up her child? How harsh is the experience of the Mother and Baby homes? We’ve all heard the stories throughout the years. Those nuns have a lot to answer for. But just imagine, having six weeks with your child. Six weeks to bond, love and cherish, to soak up every little bit about this child that afterwards will not be a part of your life any longer. It’s cruel and it’s easy to imagine the gaping hole you’d be left to deal with and I feel the author did a brilliant job in getting across that no, you don’t just slot back into your life and carry on.

What I like about The Secret Child is that the author doesn’t just explore the feelings Susie has to deal with but also her family. Why does Susie treat her daughters so differently? And as the years go on, why does she treat one grandchild differently from another, for example? As the second part of the story is told through Grace, the pieces start to come together and the family dynamics change, which made me wonder which side of the fence I’d end up.

This novel pulls at the heartstrings like you wouldn’t believe and left me with a massive lump in my throat. It’s the kind of story that has me reaching for the tissues, just in case, and has me doing that weird waving-hand-in-front-of-face thing to keep the tears at bay. Kerry Fisher obviously knows how to draw relatable and realistic characters that worm their way into your heart and I desperately wanted things to work out for all of them. This is a beautifully written story, sad and heartbreaking, moving and thought-provoking, ultimately incredibly emotional. I loved every minute of it!

Another deeply emotional well written story from Kerry Fisher.
This was described as a gripping novel of family secrets and it certainly lived up to its billing. The novel opens in 1968 when we meet new mother, Susie, who is giving her baby up for adoption. She already has a small daughter and her husband, who is away at sea, cannot be the father of her second child.
So begins a lifetime of secrets which affect Susie and her emotional relationship with her daughter and husband. As she struggled with her demons, I found myself more and more drawn to her, and was really wanting her to resolve these issues. The story unfolded well, with the surprise involvement of her daughter in helping her mother. The characters of her daughter and husband were also beautifully drawn and we also saw in to their emotions and reactions to the situation in which they found themselves.
Another excellent novel from one of my new favourite authors.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a review copy.

The Secret Child By Kerry Fisher was Set in my Home town Portsmouth, in the 1960's. This harrowing book is about a young girl called Susie who is married to Danny. He is away at sea for 15 months. They have a young child together called Louise, Susie is raped one evening whilst Danny is away. Susie is now pregnant and has to go away until the baby is born. Susie changed her name to Rita when staying at the Mother and Baby home run by Nuns. Rita has a healthy boy and calls him Edward, and has to give him up for adoption but the pain of giving him up breaks her heart, Danny comes home and none the wisher of what has happened as Susie's mum looks after their baby girl.
Years go by and Susie celebrates Edward's birthdays in secret and thinks of him every day etc. Someone called Jeanie recognise's Susie (Rita) from the Mother and Baby Home and they become friends. But is the secret going to come out? Is Danny and their daughter going to find out that she has a half brother?
Susie falls pregnant again after many years and gives birth to another bonny girl called Grace. Danny is over the moon but deep down wished she was a boy so he could take him fishing and do Father and son activities. Danny becomes very friendly with Susie's friend Jeanie from the Mother and baby home's Son and becomes a role model for him.
The story also tells about the relationship with Susie and her mother and has some heart felt outcome. So you will need some tissues. This book was very easy to read and a sweet but sad story. I am so glad times have changed in many ways.
My only gripe with this book is Yes I know its fiction - Theres No Sand on Portsmouth Beaches only on Hayling Beach. The Portsmouth Palais which is talked about in the book is not in Portsmouth. There was one called The Embassy Ballroom/Southsea Electric Theatre which Closed in 1953 and Demolished the Site now Embassy Court flats. I just wish if authors are going to write about a Town etc they get places correct. As I said I know its fiction.

Well I’m an idiot, The Secret Child by Kerry Fisher Blog Tour 1st December, I had forgotten to read the book. I’ve stayed up most of the night to read, it was impossible to go to sleep even if I tried, the tears flowing from my eyes blurred the pages and my body trembled with emotion, Kerry tore my heart in two with the ultimate heart wrenching story of a life changing event. Now on with writing my review while I still can see.

The Secret Child by Kerry Fisher, a story of how a moment of infidelity by Susie in the 60s, presents a life changing decision, the adoption of her son, which in the future would affect every family member.

A secret concealed over the years, shaping and determining the direction of Susie’s life and that of her family, her daughters seems to be forever in the shadows of their mothers turmoil, unsure why their relationship is tumultuous and complex. Although Susie loves her family, there is a gapping hole in her heart which she can’t fill, a feeling of isolation, hiding her emotions over her Secret Child. The guilt and shame eats at Susie, as the secret spills out, will her family stand by her.

Kerry has written an emotionally charged book which literally has torn my heart and soul to pieces, the words are imprinted in my memory, the feeling of hurt burned bright before my eyes, all the while preventing my need for sleep.

Thanks to Bookouture, Kim Nash and Kerry Fisher for an amazing book that I couldn’t tear myself away from. I’m overjoyed to have been honoured with an advanced readers copy of The Secret Child, to read and review for the Blog Tour, I’m still trying to prevent my mind having a melt down from lack of sleep, but Kerry Fisher you can take me down an emotional roller coaster anytime.

The Secret Child is one hell of a roller-coaster emotionally wise. The book opens in 2013 with Susie talking about what happened to her in 1968, from her time staying with her aunt after she was sent away so people wouldn’t know she was pregnant, to the birth of her child. Don’t be so quick to judge though until you have read her full story.

The book then goes back in time to July 1968 whilst Susie still had her son, just a day away from giving him up for adoption. Each chapter is a different period in time, as the book moves from one month to the next and sometimes jumping years. You get to feel how much pain Susie felt and how it impacted on her life and those close to her, especially her daughters who she was desperate to save from repeating her mistakes.

It was heartbreaking at times to read, but I needed to know Susie’s story. I felt like I was sitting with an elderly relative whilst they were telling me about their life, a life that they never fully lived.

The book is split into two parts, the second from her youngest daughter Grace’s point of view and how as a young woman she resents her mother’s strictness. I love how Ms. Fisher told us Susie’s story and how much her decision in 1968 affected her for the rest of her life, then in the second part how we get to see how the way she brought up her children, whilst living with that guilt affected their lives too.

This is a poignant story that I’m positive truly represents how a lot of women who back in the day were forced to give up their babies for adoption feel every day. I can’t imagine being without my three boys, so it’s hard to comprehend how it must feel to live every day knowing that you have a child somewhere out in the world, wondering what their first word was, what school they went to, what qualifications they got.

Ms. Fisher has a beautiful way with words that resonated deep inside me. I can see Susie’s story staying with me for a long time to come.

Thanks to Netgalley for my copy. 4.5 stars.

This is the harrowing tale of a young girl Susie who has to give her son up for adoption. He is not the child of her husband who is away at sea. This story tells us of the emotional impact this trauma has on Susie, her husband Danny and their two daughters over the ensuing years. Susie punishes herself and without realizing her family as well because of the guilt she feels. Danny feels she withholds part of herself but doesn't understand why.

This is a poignant emotional story which reduced me to tears in part. I empathized with every character and and was completely engrossed.

Nothing could have prepared me for what I found when I began reading 'The Secret Child'. It didn't really matter that I was already a huge fan of Kerry Fisher's work before this book, as 'The Secret Child' was in a completely different league of its own and couldn't be compared to any of the authors previous novels. Well, in my eyes anyway.

The storyline is split into two parts, both narrated by two different characters as they go about their lives throughout various years. I can say that the first part of the book is told from Susie's viewpoint as she has to make the most heart-breaking decision of her life. One that she would regret for many, many years. The other part of the book is told by another character who will become clear as the story progresses. 'The Secret Child' has such an intense and complex storyline where dropping spoilers would be exceptionally easy. But you won't be getting any spoilers from me!

In all honesty, it took me a little while to get into the throws of the storyline as we were drip fed information, which meant that it took a little while for things to make sense. Even though I was eager to know the ins and outs of Susie's life and what happened during those life-changing months all those years ago, I couldn't help but be swept up in the raw emotion that seemed to make itself known on every single page. 

My opinions of characters changed multiple times throughout the novel as going through different circumstances meant that I was able to see a completely different side of a character who had previously irked me, therefore changing my opinion incredibly. The characters in this novel aren't the sort where you either like them or you don't and that's the end of it. Every single one is multi-dimensional with layers that shed when the opportunities arise, all written absolutely beautifully by the author. Kerry Fisher has crafted each character with incredible precision. To be able to do that for each and every character in her storyline is not only outstanding, it is also jaw-dropping. I can't say that I have read many books where the characters are so well crafted like little wooden dolls for a doll's house. Amazing.

'The Secret Child' took my breath away. I have always known that Kerry Fisher is an exceptional author but, to be honest, I never expected such a strong storyline like this. In my eyes, Kerry Fisher has gone from being a brilliant author, to then being a jaw-droppingly amazing author in the space of one novel. 

'The Secret Child' is a magnificent, emotional, heart-warming, and stunning novel which has now put author, Kerry Fisher, in a whole new league. It's beautiful, it's written with absolute perfection and my goodness, it really is going to have a place in my heart for a long while to come.

Kerry Fisher, you have outdone yourself with this novel. I always knew you were a fantastic author, but with this book, you have shown strength and poignancy in ways I never could imagine.

And for that reason, this is why 'The Secret Child' is one of my most favourite books of all time.

Just....amazing. Truly.

Thanks Bookouture.

I’ve read two previous books by this author and this is definitely my favourite to date. I absolutely loved it. From start to finish I was gripped. Apart from having to make (a quick) dinner I read this in one sitting.

While reading this I felt the author took out my heart and squeezed it until I cried. I’ll now be adding this to the rare collection of books that made me cried.

The author wrote this in such a great way I felt as if I was there with the characters. I felt their pain, I went through the different emotions with them.

A truly brilliant read. Can’t wait to read more from this author.