Another fantastic book from Sarah Morgan. She really has a good way of writing - great characters that you believe in and a storyline that has you hooked from the off!

I loved this book, I loved the Martha’s Vineyard description, I could smell the sea, feel the warmth on my face.
I loved the story over 3 generations and through 4 perspectives.
I could read this equally on the beach or snuggled up embracing hygge in the winter with a blanket.
I loved how the ending wasn’t too twee and feel that I would love another book so I could hear more of the sisters life and struggles.

A slightly different book from the usual romance based stories but equally enthralling with this story detailing three generations of the Stewart’s women and a strong relationship of sisters.

When tragedy strikes in London UK, Lauren and her teenage daughter Mackenzie’s life takes a dramatic turn with them up sticks and moving to Lauren’s home seaside island, Martha’s Vineyard in America. Here relationships are tested and re-formed with the coming together of family and past acquaintances.

This story is about second chances as secrets are divulged and betrayals are dealt with. It was refreshing to read how Lauren and her sister Jenna bond again after time apart. I particularly enjoyed them reminiscing about their childhood antics. It was also interesting to see them both re build a new more loving relationship with their mother Nancy. Family protection is paramount in this book as the subjects of infertility and infidelity are revealed and the Stewarts show kindness and forgiveness to each other.

How To Keep A Secret was a joy to read with both interesting characters and a refreshing storyline.

Thanks to Net Galley and HQ for the ARC digital copy. This is my own thoughts of this book.

I love Sarah Morgan books, and this one did not disappoint. They are always beautifully written - and are certainly un-put-down-able - as the huge bags under my eyes today will testify! This book has a larger scope than others I have read, and is all the better for it. The story focuses on 4 women from the same family, and on how a life that looks perfect from the outside can conceal many problems. This book is certainly a tear jerker, but ultimately leaves you feeling uplifted and positive. I was especially moved by Nancy's story, although all 4 women were well drawn and fleshed out. Although this is a 'beach read' book, it is definitely far superior to most books in this category.

Sarah Morgan is one of my go-to authors and hearing this described as a departure from her usual style, I couldn’t wait to see what lay in store.

“Welcome to adulthood. It’s messy, complicated, the pieces don’t fit, and the picture rarely looks the way you want it to. It’s called real life.”

How To Keep a Secret doesn’t fall into the easygoing, lighter, sexy romantic style Sarah Morgan is renowned for. Centralising on three generations of women—Nancy, her daughters, Lauren and Jenna and granddaughter, Mack—Morgan weaves a family-centric story through their eyes enabling readers to piece together an overall picture, yet at the same time bringing individual journeys as each woman fights their own battle from desperation to start a family, to sudden and unexpected loss and discovering your life was not as it seemed.

“ ...love is like building your house on quicksand. You never know when the whole thing is going to collapse.”

There’s definitely a message to be had in this story and there were moments which reminded me why I love her writing, but with a more somber, serious feel and little joy to behold until the final stretch, along with self-centredness being a trait passed from generation to generation, the Stewart women weren’t particularly easy to warm to.

“None of us are the same person at thirty-five that we were at eighteen.”

However the men of this story were the opposite end of the spectrum and true to form they’re strong, patient men with imperfections and huge hearts and I adored them for it. That’s not to say the women weren’t strong, despite their vulnerabilities and personal heartaches they absolutely were, and I did find myself softening to them the more I read, rooting for them to find their HEA’s.

“Sixteen years and he was still the sexiest man she’d ever laid eyes on.”

Whilst the story felt a little unfinished in not having an epilogue, particularly with it being a standalone, there’s no taking away the fact that How To Keep a Secret is a story with depth, heart, some romance and is one I‘d recommend checking it out for yourself. 3.5 stars.

Loved it! I could not wait to finish it; but was then disappointed after turning the final page that the story had ended. I fell in love with the characters, the location and the storyline.
Sarah, if this is a departure for you......please carry on in the same direction.
I have read other books by this author but this story has more depth and visualisation..I would like to know what happens to the three generations but I can always make up my own HEA.
This is about a family with secrets and not enough trust in each other.. Eventually they learn to communicate and learn to work together.
A perfect choice to take on holiday.

This book had a really strong start, good characters, descriptions of a birthday party, and I could empathise with the anxieties and issues. Unfortunately by the time I was half way through I felt that the characters were no longer realistic and the story was being dragged out. Some descriptions (such as island life) were being repeated. It seemed as though the book had become predictable and tedious so I stopped reading. It may suit some readers as a beach read on their holidays.

I loved this book. It was just what I needed; heartwarming and uplifting. This is a romantic novel with a twist. The plot line contains enough intrigue and mystery to tempt you to read just one more chapter, so it isn’t surprising that I finished it within 24 hours. At the same time, it wasn’t one of those annoying stories full of excessive suspense, twists and turns. The next piece of the puzzle is revealed at exactly the right moment. I thoroughly enjoyed the complexity of the relationships between the mothers and daughters. Above all it is a forgiving book about human but ultimately good people. Sometimes I need to leave behind blacker novels of suspense and wallow in positivity. Salted caramel ice cream for the soul.

I have read quite a few books by Sarah Morgan, devouring each one in no time flat. When I read Sarah's note at the beginning of this new novel that this story was something of a departure for her, dealing with broader relationships and not being part of a series as other books have been, I have to admit I was intrigued. Having plunged in and finished the book in no time at all, I can confidently state that I very much enjoyed the new format and look forward to more like it.



As the title suggests, this book deals with secrets; in fact, more and more just keep on emerging as you turn the pages. It is all done very skilfully. The main characters in the story are females from 3 generations of the same family, all of whom are in crisis in their own ways and looking to find strength from one and other. Jenna and Lauren are sisters, while Nancy is their mother and Mack is the teenage daughter of Lauren. The family is brought together by a tragic event, but a character from the past may prove an unexpected saviour. The action takes place primarily in Martha's Vineyard, so there are lovely beaches, mansions and yachts sprinkled throughout the story.



I can heartily recommend this book. It is full to the brim with strong characters and, of course, a succession of secrets. I couldn't work out how it would end right to the last chapter; always a good feature in a novel. The descriptions of the setting transported me to the seaside so that I could imagine the sun shining down on a calm ocean. Although you could obviously read it anywhere, I think this would make a great book to pack in your luggage for a summer holiday.

I do love Sarah Morgan's books, and this was a slight detour from her usual fare, in that it is more womens fiction I suppose, as opposed to the just one couple romance books she usually writes.

This book is mainly about two sisters (Lauren & Jenna) and their Mother (Nancy). They all lived on Martha's Vineyard growing up, but both sisters are now married with Jenna and Nancy still living in the same place, but Lauren has moved to England with her husband and has been living there many years, with their teenage daughter Mack.

There are lots of secrets floating around, starting with one the two sisters have hidden since their illicit outing to a beach one night when they were young, which reveals itself as the book goes on. Their Mother has been a very hands-off Mother, an artist who was more involved in her work than her children, and so they are not very close. But then various disasters happen with both sisters and their Mother and the women from the three generations are thrown together on Martha's Vineyard, where they slowly start to work through problems and get to know each other as a family again, instead of just acquaintances who happen to be related to each other.

I did find it slightly slow in the beginning, but I understand that the groundwork was being laid for the rest of the story, and it most definitely got better as it went along. Mack, the 16 year old daughter/niece/granddaughter, was really hard work to begin with. I know she's 16 and at 'that age' but she was a right brat and really irritating at times. She may have had her issues, but they all did. But luckily enough she started to work through her issues and settle into her new life becoming a much nicer and more thoughtful, confident person.

Quite an emotionally charged book and a change from the lighter, more humorous fare usually associated with Sarah Morgan. This book was much more about family relationships, with a touch of romance in it. A really good book that I got totally immersed in and didn't want to finish by the end. I hope there is another book set here as I want to know how they are all getting on - more please Sarah Morgan!

Lauren and Jenna spend their childhood in the idyllic Martha’s Vineyard getting into scrapes, in and out of trouble. They have each other through thick and thin, which helps them to deal with their distant mother who just seems to care about her painting. Many years later Lauren and her teenage daughter are having to come to terms with unexpected change which throws her family together again and forces them to re-examine their past. Sarah Morgan doesn’t disappoint with this story weaving together many strands of the families’ stories set against an atmospheric island surrounding.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

Sarah Morgan has done it again! There’s something very appealing about her writing which just draws you in... a multi layered story of love and loss with believable characters.

5*, tugged at the heartstrings and made me want to move to Martha’s Vineyard...

Full of secrets and learning to share them a real feel good fun read with romance age drama just brilliant. I laughed and cried and just wanted to read on to see what was next. Such a warm read and worth far more than the five stars.
There are a number of different characters who are all excellent but they all have secrets and it's learning to unlock them and share them together.
Nancy knows she hasn't been a good mother but she's kept a secret from her daughters and wants to tell them why. Then Lauren and Jenna her daughters also made a pact years ago to keep a secret from their mother can they tell her. Lauren lives in London with her husband and daughter but her daughter isn't easy and she's keeping a secret and doesn't know how to share it. Lauren's husband passes away suddenly and changes their lives forever as he's been keeping a massive secret as he hasn't got any money so she has to move back to her mother said she doesn't want to dye to her secret. Her sister Jenna is desperate for a baby and she is turning her husband away from her. When Lauren's husband passes away and they are thrown together and can they learn to be a family again and be happy and can Lauren find love again or not and can Jenna be happy along with Nancy.
A great book well worth reading.

I absolutely loved this book. The characters were great, the story line was great and even though the story was told through the eyes of different people it flowed perfectly. I recommend this book as it is a fabulous read.

4 - Take that step... Stars!

Sarah Morgan takes a step away from her normal one couple romance that her readers in general have become used to. Although over recent years those books have usually formed part of an ongoing series, each book has generally dealt with two specific people.

"Have you ever made a decision you regretted..?"

How to Keep a Secret focuses on three generations of women from the same family; the Stewart's - grandmothers, mothers, daughters and sisters, each and every one of them has their story told in this book from grieving teen Mack to Secret-Keeping matriarch and her grandmother Nancy Stewart. Her daughters Lauren and Jenna are also dealing with their own sets of issues as well, and although I found the whole thing a little slow going in the first half, once everyone got over their initial grievances with each other and started communicating in general things took a more positive spin.

"I wasn’t there for my girls… so how can I ask them to be there for me..?"

It’s difficult to say too much about this family’s story without giving something away, because Jenna is dealing with her own issues with her husband, while Lauren and Mack are dealing with the loss of hers, and the House of Cards that has literally fallen down around them in the aftermath of his untimely and unexpected death.

"We can’t turn back the clock… We can’t undo what was done."

Nancy; who up to this point hasn’t really been much of a mother to either of them for one reason or another, is the one I felt myself rooting for in the beginning because the author does a bang on job of giving you the POV’s of four pretty self-absorbed women, that isn’t a statement made in judgement, because the more you read, the more you can understand why they behave and react as they do, but I will say this definitely isn’t the authors usual light and airy, romantic style of story.

"Not all relationships are easy…"

But it is worth sticking with, and there are a few dashes of romance thrown into the mix just to keep things interesting.

Sixteen years… and he was still the sexiest man she had laid eyes on…

I still found the whole thing pretty engrossing, I will be honest and say I really struggled to like any of the women at the beginning, and it was in the latter stages that I actually warmed to them to any real degree. Sarah does an extremely good job of giving four women their own individual voice, and internal monologue, there were no blurred lines in understanding whose head you were in and I found the few little twists and turns that were added along the way kept everything fresh.

"Not every imperfection needs fixing… Sometimes you have to accept the flaw and live with it."

I think the one thing How to Keep a Secret highlights is the importance of family and close friendships, and how when we are at our lowest, these are the people who are still standing with us, who we look to, to help shore up our defenses in times of need, to be the wall that keeps away the darkness you are struggling to fight against, or the strong supporting beam you need to help hold you up against the desperation and sadness of a dream that you are unable to fulfill through no fault of your own.

"We’re all about honesty now… remember."

Definitely go into this book with an open mind, the author met my expectations in regards to the quality of writing, I kept my pre-conceived expectations as to what I would be reading firmly locked down though because I knew this story wouldn’t be like anything I have read from her previously, and that was 100% the case in my opinion. There are a lot of different issues being dealt with because of the breadth of the characters the author uses to deliver the story. It’s engaging, involving and runs you through a whole spectrum of emotions in its telling.

"I’m glad you came…"

Although the author says this is a one book story, I would have liked an epilogue that offered a snapshot of the family a couple of years down the line, because of everything that happened, I don’t feel I had full closure on any of the characters stories, that-said it was still a really great read.

I was given a free copy of this book from NetGalley in return for my review.

This is the first Sarah Morgan book I've read, but I'll look out for others based on this one.

The book focuses on the Stewart family - mum Nancy, her two grown-up daughters, Jenna and Lauren, and Lauren's daughter Mack- and their friends and family. While the family have drifted apart - emotionally and geographically- circumstances change and they are thrown together again. Relationships have to be revisited and the strengths that people didn't know they had are needed.

I instantly liked all of the Stewart family and cared about what happened to them. I found the book really hard to put down, and as a result I finished it really quickly! Would definitely recommend!

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36743941-how-to-keep-a-secret

What a lovely story! It is a slight change of direction for Sarah Morgan, as this is a stand alone book, and it is really powerful storytelling.

The story begins with Lauren arranging a fortieth birthday party for her beloved husband Ed. The morning of his birthday begins with their teenage daughter Mack being really bad-tempered and rude, and Ed leaving the house with a very cryptic remark. Then Lauren goes for coffee it's friends, and her credit card is refused. Then later on, the party is in full swing but Ed has not yet returned from work. There is a knock at the door, and two policeman are standing there ... with very bad news! Ed has been found dead in his office. And there is even more bad news to come.

Her sister Jenna comes over to London from Martha's Vineyard as quickly as she can, Lauren hasn't asked her mother to come as the sisters have never really been close to her. The reason for that is they all have secrets they have kept from each other, and the sisters have what they believe is a huge secret that they have been keeping from their mother since Jenna was eight and Lauren was eleven.

After the ghastly funeral, during which one of the secrets is revealed (in a surprising manner) Lauren has little choice but to take Mack and herself off to Martha's Vineyard to stay with her mother until her husband's affairs are settled. When she and her sullen, moody daughter get off the ferry her mother is waiting for them with a friend, Scott. Lauren sees him, and faints. He picks her up as though she weighs nothing, and puts her in the truck, and they all go to her mother's huge house.

Once they have settled in there is no choice but for the secrets to start coming out. The sisters begin to understand their mother, and why their relationship with her had been as difficult as it was when they were growing up, and they all work together to try and create a better future for their mother, Lauren and Mack. Jenna's secret is not revealed until a lot later in the story, at least, not to the people that it affects.

All the characters and the situations they find themselves in feel very real, and the problems are solved by hard work and determination. Sixteen year old Mack finds a group of real friends at her new school, and learns a huge amount about a subject that really interests her, which gives her the knowledge and satisfaction of being able to be part of the solution to their problems. The Happy Ever After when it comes is even more satisfying than usual because you just know that all of them are going to get their wishes fulfilled. There is so much emotion in the story, you laugh and cry and despair with all of them along the way. All of it feels absolutely in keeping with the tone of the story,

I really hope that Sarah writes more stand-alone books like this, she is clearly very, very good at this type of book, as well as her series books. Very well worth reading.