1940 - Flora lives with her father and brother in a cottage overlooking Loch Ewe, a base for the Artic conveys.
She is in love with Alec, the Laird's son which is not want the Laird wishes for his son.
1978- Lexie, Flora's daughter moves back to the small Scottish community. Flora has died and Lexie has a daughter but no husband.
Lexie begins to unravel her Mother's story with the help of the community and begins to feel she has come home. What secrets will be revealed and can she find happiness?

I have never read Fiona Valpy before despite having had one of her books on my kindle for several years. This book was a delight. I love stories set in two distinct times and war fiction is my preferred genre. Also Scotland is somewhere we visit every other year so this book certainly hit several spots for me. It is a great story of Flora and Lexie and the threads that connect them - to each other and to their home turf. Well written and well plotted. With thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review a free e-ARC of this engaging book.

Thank you to NetGalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review. 

Shifting POV and overlapping time periods were well orchestrated and not the usual historical fiction fare.  I did predict the twist but it was kind of inevitable.  The light romance was...well, light. 

This author is one to watch and I would read more by her.

Gorgeous cover, too!

There is so much I love about this book! The Skylark’s Secret is an emotionally compelling blend of historical fiction and a story about home and family. Set in dual timelines, every aspect of the story is told with exquisite detail as well as deep, complicated feelings of love, community, regret, heartache, and vulnerability. Flora’s story is set in Scotland during WWII, which was fascinating, as I’d never read a book set in Scotland during the war. Flora’s story was incredibly moving; a young woman in love during wartime, who winds up battling more than the challenges of living during such an unsettling time. Lexie’s story is set in 1978, although her story truly begins before she was even born. When she returns home as a single mother, after a successful career in London, she is at first resentful of the close-knit community, and even embarrassed. But she soon finds the true meaning of community, and how she herself was saved and shaped by her coastal village. Flora and Lexie were such wonderfully complex characters, and as I became entrenched in their stories, I truly cared for them. The setting of this coastal village in Scotland was a character itself—the beauty, the ever-changing weather, the tightness of the community as it works together during wartime as well as when it is a quiet, peaceful place for Flora, Lexie, and the rest of the endearing characters.

A mother/daughter story. I loved this book! You are transported into two different time periods in a HIghland Village in Scotland.. The Royal Navy’s presence changed the town forever. This novel is rich in history and a heart wrenching love story of Flora and Alec. Also, the lovely songs transport you to this close knit town. Read this one - you won’t be disappointed .

I wish to thank NetGalley and Amazon Publishers UK for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book. I have voluntarily read and reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is a World War II story focusing on the Scottish Highlands and then fast forwarding to the 1970’s. The timelines go back and forth. In the 1970’s Lexie returns home to Loche Ewe following her mother’s death. She and her young daughter settle into the Game Keepers Cottage and she begins to unravel the story of her mother. This story has long been held a secret from her. The story teaches one about Naval movements and how children were sent from the horrors of daily London bombings into the countryside for safety. You learn about the dangers of the war ship convoys trying to avoid U-Boats and the role of the Loch Ewe’s ports during the Nazi invasion. The story is well researched and brilliantly written. It is love stories in two different time periods and you feel you are experiencing all of the ups and downs of war torn Europe. You feel a part of this small village where people cares about one another as small towns often do. I enjoyed the story and learned a lot at the same time.

I do wish that some of the Scottish terms had been explained in a glossary as they were not words I understood and feel that would have been beneficial.

What a lovely descriptive, light and flowing read! This is a new author and I thoroughly enjoyed her style of writing! Easy to follow and it flicked between two time lines and two characters, Flora and Lexie. I smiled lots whilst reading this and didn’t want it to end! I will definitely read more of Fiona’s books.

“The Skylark’s Secret,” by Fiona Valpy highlights a little known facet of World War II history in Great Britain—the pivotal role played by the Loch Ewe in the Western Scottish Highlands, which served as the muster point for Arctic convoys to Murmansk and Archangel, providing supplies to Russia during the Nazi offensive there.

The novel alternates between two time periods. The first covers 1977-1980, focusing on Lexie Gordon who, after her mother Flora’s death, returns to her cottage home in the Scottish Highlands as an unwed mother with an infant daughter, mirroring her own mother’s life there where she also lived alone in the cottage raising Lexie with the help of her friends in the community.

The second time period focuses on Flora and her fellow WRNs during the war years between 1939 and 1944 and the separations and losses they suffered during that time while they played their own supporting roles as ambulance drivers and canteen operators.

At the heart of the novel is Lexie’s quest to uncover a secret surrounding her birth, which her mother never revealed to her before she died. The alternating time lines slowly unfold to reveal the truth. In addition to this secret, the book also focuses on the love and support provided to both women by the close-knit Scottish Community of Loch Ewe.

This character-driven historical fiction novel will appeal to those readers seeking a fresh take on World War II history with its spotlight on the part the Scottish Highlands played in winning the war.

I am thankful to have received this advance copy from Lake Union Publishing & NetGalley.

I am a huge fan of Historical Fiction, especially pertaining to WWII. But, reading about different locations around the world that were somehow affected by the war is a plus.

This book takes place in a village in Loch Ewe, which is the NW Highlands of Scotland. Time frames are early stages of WWII & also alternating chapters in the late 1970's.

The 2 main characters are Flora, and Flora's daughter, Lexi.

Flora's chapters are based around what happens in the village as the war escalates, friendships & romance. We read about the struggles the village & surrounding areas have to deal with, on top of watching ships come & go & the loss of local men.

Lexi's part of the story is how Lexi finds out the truth of what happened prior to her birth & also opens her eyes to the locals who she was unsure of.

I really enjoyed this book, it had a little bit of this & that. History, romance, sadness, music, a sense of appreciation & beautifully written. I enjoyed reading about how women were there during times of war, in small ways & large.

What a beautiful, well-written book that kept me captivated from the first page to the very end. The story toggles between Alexandra "Lexie" Gordon 1978 and her mother, Flora Gordon 1939.

Flora is a young woman who lives with her father and brother in the Scottish Highlands. She is in love with the laird's son Alec Mackenzie-Grant and her father is the game keeper for the laird. As the war begins, Flora joins the Wrens with two of her girlfriends, Birdie and Maire, and becomes an ambulance driver while Alec joins the Navy.

Alexandra "Lexie" is Flora's daughter who went to London to pursue a career on stage with a fantastic voice. She falls in love with her director, gets pregnant and he leaves her. After her baby girl, Daisy, is born, Lexie returns to her hometown in Scotland to the cottage she grew up in. Her mother has passed away and Lexie wants to find out more about her father.

I really enjoyed this book with all the history in it as the WWII unfolded. The characters are all really good (except one) and I loved the story line between the two time periods. There were a lot of Scottish terms I was not familiar with that I did stop to look up which made this a longer read for me than usual.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this wonderful book in exchange for an honest review.

The story is told in two time lines. Flora lives in Loch Ewe. Her father is the gamekeeper for the laird. She and her brother are best friend's with the laird's son, Alec, and when they grow up realize that they feel more than friends but his father is against the union. During the war the town houses a naval base so Flora works with the Wrens and Alec is a naval officer working the Arctic runs.

The second time line is the late 1970's when Lexie, Flora's daughter, comes home from London with her daughter, Daisy. She had a flourishing career in musical theater but lost her voice. Her mother has just died and she hopes to stay in the cottage until she comes up with a new plan for her life.

I loved this story of love, resilience and protection. The town wrapped Lexie and Daisy up in love and support and we watch her grow from a bitter young woman into someone willing to accept the love that is extended to her. There were so many colorful characters, Bridie who was one of Flora's best friends, becomes a surrogate grandmother to Daisy. Davy was a young boy during the war who was sent to the country to be safe and after the war he came back. Elspeth, her childhood friend, who she had lost touch with over the years but upon coming home gives her a new purpose. The countryside was lush and green and brutal with the storms. The war years were so vivid to me with the storms and the soldiers.

Flora was always evasive when Lexie would ask her about her father. She knew who he was but never what happened or how they fell in love. There were no pictures of them together and she never talked about the time during the war. Lexie sets out to find out what the secret is. It wasn't revealed until the very end and I could not have been more surprised.

I found Fiona Valpey's books while reading Kindle Unlimited last year and now she is one of my favorite authors. I hope there are a lot more of her books in my future.

Thank you to Netgalley and Amazon Publishing UK for providing me a copy of this book. These opinions are my own.

A real feel-good read, I couldn't put this book down. Set in rural Scotland the story alternates between Lexie who has returned to the place she grew up along with her baby daughter, and her mother during Ww2. One us a love story and the other is about finding a slower pace of life and finding what is important in life.

Loch Ewe, 1940. When gamekeeper’s daughter Flora’s remote highland village finds itself the base for the Royal Navy’s Arctic convoys, life in her close-knit community changes forever. In defiance of his disapproving father, the laird’s son falls in love with Flora, and as tensions build in their disrupted home, any chance of their happiness seems doomed.

Decades later, Flora’s daughter, singer Lexie Gordon, is forced to return to the village and to the tiny cottage where she grew up. Having long ago escaped to the bright lights of the West End, London still never truly felt like home. Now back, with a daughter of her own, Lexie learns that her mother—and the hostile-seeming village itself—have long been hiding secrets that make her question everything she thought she knew.

Valpy's book was perfect escapism for me to the heart of the Scottish Highlands. The tale of mother and daughter both defiant in times of loss, sacrifice and heartache. The dual narration of the novel was incredibly effective in building up both characters and their individual stories which intertwined flawlessly. Although the story is ultimately quite tragic, Valpy crafts little nuggets of pure happiness into the narrative with themes surrounding family, friends and community. I would absolutely recommend.

(This review will be shared on my Book Blog - Instagram.com/whatson.mybookshelf)

A novel about mothers,daughters,lovers,friends, set in a beautiful Scottish setting. It begins with the story of Flora and then evolves into Lexie Gordon s story. Good story

I went back and forth on how to rate this book. In the end, I'm just giving it two stars because it pretty much spiraled downward for me so I just didn't care though I was interested and liked it in the beginning--less and less so and the book progressed.

I enjoy historical fiction--but here, I use the term's applicability lightly. I also like dual timelines which this has, but...

The settings: "Loch Ewe, 1940. When gamekeeper’s daughter Flora’s remote highland village finds itself the base for the Royal Navy’s Arctic convoys, life in her close-knit community changes forever. In defiance of his disapproving father, the laird’s son falls in love with Flora, and as tensions build in their disrupted home, any chance of their happiness seems doomed."

1978: "Flora’s daughter, singer Lexie Gordon, is forced to return to the village and to the tiny cottage where she grew up. Having long ago escaped to the bright lights of the West End, London still never truly felt like home. Now back, with a daughter of her own, Lexie learns that her mother—and the hostile-seeming village itself—have long been hiding secrets that make her question everything she thought she knew. As she pieces together the fragments of her parents’ story..."

And so it goes,

From the start, I wondered about the predictability of this book. And yes, it was--totally. This is a real disconnect for me. I like surprises but more, not knowing the trajectory from almost the start! Way too neat and tidy,

One HUGE criticism--there are many, many Scottish phrases and descriptions! This book would have benefitted from a glossary, [one advantage of reading in Kindle format]

The writing was acceptable. BUT, I regret spending the time when I could have read a much better book! I could have walked away at any time.

I feel as if I've read this book and seen this movie before--many, many times.

Note: I'm in the distinct minority of opinions.

This book is set with dual time lines. I thought each one was interesting. I thought the characters were good and felt a connection to them. I think historical fiction fans will enjoy this book. I definitely recommend!
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the early copy

Flora's Waltz

This book is a tearjerker. The book brings home the loss of loved ones during a period of war. It also is a story of secrets. It has been said that "The Truth is a Powerful Force" and I believe it is true. It is certainly true in this story.

The story is about the love between Flora and Alec, and a love story between Davy and Lexy. It's a story of war and the losses felt in the small Scottish village of Loch Ewe. The people in the town and how they gathered together in times of need to help each other. It's about love and friendship and courage. It's about a secret the town kept to keep one of their own safe.

Although the story is written in two time periods, the stories of a mother and in later years her grown daughter, it is very easy to follow . Many of the characters are the same in both stories.

I loved the story and the scenic background of the seaside village. The descriptions of the place, the flowers, and other details were descriptive enough I could picture them in my mind. I also loved the characters.

The story was very well written and I would recommend it.

Thanks to Fiona Valpy, Amazon Publishing UK, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a copy if the book in exchange for an honest review.

Lexi Gordon reluctantly returns home to Loch Ewe in the Scottish Highlands following the death of her mother Flora. Her career as a rising West End musical star is over following the loss of her voice and a failed relationship. However, she has the compensation of a beautiful baby daughter in Daisy. The story is told in alternating timelines by Lexie in 1980 and by Flora from 1939 with the outbreak of World War 2, tells the story of her love affair with lairds son Alec MacKenzie-Grant. It weaves in the historic importance of a Loch Ewe as a naval base for the Home Fleet and for the Atlantic and Arctic Convoys.

I absolutely loved this book from start to finish. I’m always drawn to books set in Scotland but had a personal reason for wanting to read it as my father was in the navy and spent a brief time in Loch Ewe before heading to Scapa Flow and elsewhere. As well as being totally transfixed and transported by the storytelling I learned so much too! It’s beautifully written, the mother daughter alternating stories works really well and it flows effortlessly. There are some stunning descriptions of the landscape of this lovely area which made my heart soar like the skylarks in the story and make such a contrast to the horror of the wartime convoys. The characters are fantastic and most are so likeable, the exception being Alec’s father, Sir Charles who is arrogant and cold. I love how the two women’s stories change, Alec and Flora’s initially shines brightly and then changes, becoming darker and tentative whilst Lexi starts uncertainly but finds her anchor in the warm embrace of the lovely community and a very special man. Flora’s story emerges slowly with all its well hidden secrets and at times in very intense and there’s some tension where you almost hold your breath. The war sections are especially vivid especially as the impact of war is reflected in the loss of loved ones with all the grief and devastation. This is so blindingly obvious in a small community dashed by one blow after another and is heartbreaking.

Overall, this book was just what I needed it’s heartwarming, it’s sad, it’s joyous, there are little touches of humour, there’s a wonderful community but most of all the songs and singing. I love the interspersing of traditional folk songs which express so much. Thank you Fiona Valpy for this fantastic and emotional read.

With thanks to NetGalley and Amazon for the ARC for an honest review.

🌅Beautiful story of love and loss with a moving history lesson⚓

Fiona Valpy's page-turner novel focuses on strong women who deal with love, loss and single parenthood in a tight community. The story is told alternating between mother and daughter and two time periods: World War II and the late 1970's. During the earlier time period, the young women of Loch Ewe, a remote sea loch in Northwest Scotland, find love and suffer as their men risk life and limb at sea. Lexie, the daughter of a dead naval officer and the faithful woman who loved him, finds her way back to Loch Ewe when her life in London falls to pieces. This is a drama with so many memorable characters that it's best read for yourself rather than summarized. But it's so emotional, tragic at times, and a really good story of romance in trying circumstances and the tragic human cost of war. The more modern heroine's young daughter Daisy is a sunny treat.

The World War II part of the story was an eye opener for me. I had no knowledge of the dangerous missions staged out of Loch Ewe through the North Atlantic and Arctic oceans to supply Russia's armies in their defense against Germany's Russia campaign. I love a good historical novel that has a strong grounding in research and fact and Valpy's novel delivered a fine history lesson about Loch Ewe's role in the War. I wish I had known when I visited the area several years back on a tour of the Scottish Highlands.

Thanks to Lake Union published and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.

An interesting novel about the North Atlantic crossings bringing supplies from Scotland to Russia during World War 2. This is the story of a mother, Flora and her daughterLexie, during the war years and during the 80’s Both women are single mothers raising their daughters under taxing circumstances. Flora, the gamekeeper’s daughter and Alec the autocratic son are star crossed lovers. Who are torn apart by Alec’s father and the war. Lexie has left her Scottish home and has a flourishing career as an opera singer in London. When she becomes pregnant and is deserted by her lover she must return home to raise her daughter. She tries to find out about her real father, Alec who her mother had only told her had died during the war. The story is told from Flora’s point of view and then likewise from Lexie’s life story. The story is finely researched and although the characters are fictional the times and history are accurate. The characters are well developed and interesting, especially Flora’s friends. This is the second novel by this author I have read and I look forward to reading more.