Romy and Michael have been married for over 30 years. Michael is always putting Romy last. His work, himself any anything in between come before her. Romy is loyal and has sacrificed her own needs for the sake of her family.

Her solid foundations are rocked one day when she receives an anonymous letter from a woman claiming that her husband had sexually assaulted her fifteen years earlier when she was just sixteen years old and on placement in Chambers; which makes her view her husband in a completely different light. The more she thinks about it, the more she realises that he may not be the man she thought he was.

Michael point blank refuses to discuss this so Romy finally leaves him and retreats to their summer house to start a new life. Just as she starts to rediscover her passions, something happens that drags her back to Michael. She is forced to confront the real reason she walked away from Michael and she is determined to get him to tell her everything.

A thoroughly enjoyable read and one I definitely recommend.

Thank you to Hilary Boyd, Penguin UK - Michael Joseph and Netgalley UK for this ARC in return for an honest and fair review.

I’d never heard of the author before so had no idea what to expect from this book. I’ve read a lot of books recently with the word lie in the title so I expected pretty much the same. I was pleasantly surprised. I was hooked on this book from page one which threw me for a loop. Romy gets a letter that states her husband almost raped a young woman who was an intern for the lawyer company he works for many years ago. Romy, increasingly unhappy in her marriage is thrown. The letter writer makes it clear they don’t plan to go to the police so why write the letter? Is it the truth? Is it, as Michael claims, a pack of lies? Someone is clearly lying but who? Boyd feeds you the story little drop by little drop and I just had to keep reading to see where all the story threads led. I thoroughly enjoyed this.

Broken marriages, moral dilemmas, what or who do you believe. A drama based around these concepts which didn't really grab me. Some good character descriptions but I didn't enjoy the story line.

A beautifully written novel even though it's somewhat of a clique.

A storyline that shows the struggles of the main character Romy having to care for her (ex) husband after he suffers a stroke. Secrets come to the surface and you'll follow her story as she works through her own trauma in dealing with them.

A real heart tugger of a book, you feel the emotional outpouring from each page which you wont be able to stop turning!.

The storyline was plausible and will be relatable to an awful lot of people in some way or another.

I really liked the fact that from the first page you are literally thrown into the story face first, no slow build up at all which accelerates your need to carry on reading from the very beginning.

The characters are well developed, relatable, likeable and brought to life so easily with the raw emotions shown throughout.

All in all a really good easy read.

3.5*

Thanks to netgalley and Penguin UK for the ARC.

Secrets and lies are guaranteed to ruin a relationship and this beautifully written novel explores how devastating the consequences of both can tear a family apart.

Romy and Micheal have been married for 30 years and have two grown up sons . Micheal has a successful career and they enjoy a comfortable lifestyle.

When a letter arrives addressed to Romy it turns her world upside down. Does she really know the man she is married too? Or can this be someone wanting to cast doubts in her mind?

Romy is faced with a difficult decision. Should she walk away from everything she knows or stay especially since Micheal becomes ill and needs her more than ever!

Without the truth Romy finds it hard to make a decision. She is determined to get Micheal to tell her everything. Will she be able to handle the truth or will she be better to remain unaware.

Everyone deals with issues in different ways and to be put in Romy’s situation is heartbreaking. The characters in this book were fantastic and the authors understanding of human nature and relationships were evident throughout.

I really enjoyed this book which made me question if you can really ever know another person , even one who you’ve been married to for a long time . Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for my chance to read this fantastic book.

A complicated family drama with interesting relationships. I did enjoy this book and felt for Romy as just as she was getting her new life it all changes.

This book was a slow start and not as good as previous work by this author. An OK read but I expected more from Hilary

Hilary Boyd has produced another first-class novel; Thursdays in the Park was a fantastic read but I suspect that this one surpasses it!

Romy and Michael have 30 years of successful marriage behind them; with two grown-up sons and a very comfortable lifestyle they have everything they could possibly want or need in life. Then Romy received an anonymous letter which made her view her husband in a completely different light. The more she thinks about it, the more she realises that he may not be the man she's always thought he was . . .

This is a multi-layered story strongly demonstrating that life - and love - is never easy. As it unfolded, I found myself immersed in Romy's life and wondered what I would have done in her place - but I have to say she handled it well and the story is cleverly planned and really well written. I consider the characters and situations to be realistic, and the outcome completely believable. This author has an understanding of human nature and possesses the skill to write an excellent tale which kept my focus from beginning to end. A wonderful book, most definitely worth a full house of stars.

My thanks to the publisher for my copy via NetGalley; this is my honest, original and unbiased review.

The closer the couple, the bigger the lie . . .

Romy and Michael have it all. Over 30 years of marriage, two grown-up sons, a beautiful London home as well as a weekend bolthole by the sea. If Romy's had to sacrifice some of her dreams along the way to support Michael's high-flying legal career, then it's been a price worth paying.

Until the arrival of a letter changes everything.

At first Romy can't believe what it is saying. That Michael - an upholder of the law, with an unwavering sense of right and wrong - could do something so terrible.

But then other lies start to emerge and she starts to wonder who the man she's shared her heart, her bed, the best years of her life with, really is.

Walking away should be the start of a new chapter for Romy.

But an urgent telephone call brings her back into Michael's life - and propels her into the past and the allegations which ended their marriage.

Innocent or guilty? Truth or lie? How well can you ever know those closest to you?

This latest book by Hilary Boyd tells a story of how one situation can tear someone's world apart, the years that Romy spent believing that everything in the garden was rosy, only to find out, via an anonymous letter, that the man she had loved and trusted for over 30 years was hiding a huge secret from her. What and who should she believe?

I've loved all of this author's books, each one beautifully and very sympathetically written and this one is no different, Hilary Boyd has chosen a subject here that is very common, but the victim finds it difficult to talk about, especially when it involves a person in a position of high power, so they remain silent for fear of a she said/he said scenario. But these situations have a tendency to explode when you least expect them and in the end there is always more than one victim. My heart went out to both Romy and Grace and I hoped they would each find closure by the end of the story. It's a great read and I would definitely recommend it.

I'd like to thank Penguin UK - Michael Joseph and Netgalley for the approval , I will post my review on Goodreads now and Amazon on publication day.

This book was okay. It took me a while to get into it and I kept reading it to find out what happens in the end. The story is readable but I expected more from this author.

Being honest, it took me a while to warm to this book, I persevered and although I wouldn't use the word enjoyed, I was engaged enough to finish the book.

Romy has left Michael over a lie he's told. Is it the end of their thirty year old marriage or will old obligations bring her back? Overly romantic for my taste.

I loved this book. Romy has been married for 30 years and was very happy until someone sent her a letter about her husband who is a barrister. Everything changes and she moves to their cottage in Sussex

This book took me a bit of time to get into but I am so glad I stuck with it! Amazing read which is well written & thought out. I’d recommend this book.

Romy has spent her life helping husband Michael work his way to the top in his legal career and if she's missed a few chances herself along the way, well it was worth it, wasn't it? Then a letter arrives, addressed to her, anonymous but containing a devastating message, which shatters everything.

Moving away to regroup Romy begins to see herself and her previous life in a different light. Gradually she joins in with some of the village groups, makes friends, gains confidence and then the phone rings...

This is a gentle book, life ebbs and flows and, although there are monumental moments, the everyday necessities are still there, still happening alongside everything else. Romy is a good main character, she has been a bit of a doormat but this story shows that, even later in life, you can change not only how you see yourself but also how you allow others to do the same. It also shows how far reaching one minute in time can be, and although every possible cliche leading from this could be applied to this story it still works mainly because it is very well written with a variety of locations and secondary characters all persuasively drawn to move things along in a satisfying way.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for an unbiased review and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a gentle, family based story without too many surprises or is a fan of this popular author.

I had a struggle with this novel. A middle class, middle aged woman newly separated living a new life. A dull start and dull characters which I could not engage with.

I found the book a little hard going to be honest and struggled to enjoy it fully because I couldn't connect with the characters. I ended up skimming parts because I wasn't fully engaged in the story. Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me review this book.

I enjoyed this story. It's a well written family drama, with a bit of potential romance thrown in. I like the fact that the main characters are slightly older.

The story begins a year after Romy has left her husband in London for a new life in their small cottage on the Sussex coast. She is beginning to make new friends and possibly even a special friendship with a local widower, Finch.

Romy and Michael had been married for more than 30 years and Romy had always been a loyal and supportive wife to her very successful barrister husband. However when an anonymous letter had arrived regarding her husband and she had asked him about the content, he absolutely denied the accusations. Over the following months she discovers her husband hasn't been entirely truthful and her doubts and his denials lead to their separation and Romy's move to Sussex..

There's a bit of arrogance about Michael and it's as if he assumes Romy needs him and will go back to him. He comes across as rather selfish and quite demanding, although he probably doesn't see himself that way. Their adult sons haven't been told the reason Romy left.

Just when her life in Sussex is beginning to go well, Romy gets a phone call with devastating news. Being such a good person, she feels guilt and returns to London to help and she finds herself having to stay longer than planned. Will she lose the opportunity of taking things further with her friend Finch? Other complications and misunderstandings crop up. The author manages to link various sub-plots quite well. I did guess at some of the 'twists' but still enjoyed the story.

The story gets a bit clichéd at times, but cliché isn't always bad. There is some comfort in familiarity so overall I enjoyed the story. Perhaps being older myself, I can relate to the main characters!

This is a very well written and interesting book. I thoroughly enjoyed it and was sorry fir it to end. I found myself totally involved in the lives of the characters and their dilemmas. Beautifully described locations, so that you felt a part of the story. Very good indeed and I would be happy to read more by this author.

The story takes a little while to get warmed up and a little dragged out in places. However it is well written and the story soon picks up pace and you become engrossed in it. There is a good twist and the plot is very believable. Worth a read.