Secrets, lies, love and family are at the forefront of a carefully-crafted story. Three generations get their say, but for me the story never goes quite deep enough and misses the mark a little.

Relative Secrets
by Helen Stancey
A reasonably well written book. This follows the life of Mary who once she has moved to a care home as she has dementia and secrets from the past are starting to escape from her muddled mind. Whilst her granddaughter Lucy is starting to clear out Mary’s a locket and a photograph of people she doesn’t know and she decides to try to solve the secret/mystery. This is a family that have secrets that are slowly starting to unravel. A bit of a slow starter and enjoyed the slightly different form of Mary’s story in the sometimes muddled way for a confused person trying to explain. Some of 5he parts relating to Lucy’s mother didn’t really seem relevant and didn’t add anything to the story just made it drag a little.

I must firstly apologise for the amount of time it has taken me to provide me review of this book, my health was rather bad for quite some time, something that had me in hospital on numerous occasions and simply didnt leave me with the time I once had to do what I love most.

Unfortunately that does mean I have missed the archive date for many of these books, so It would feel unjust throwing any review together without being able to pay attention to each novel properly.

However, I am now back to reading as before and look forward to sharing my honest reviews as always going forward. I thank you f0r the patience and understanding throughout x

Helen Stancey's Relative Secrets delves into the complexities of familial relationships and the burdens of hidden truths, exploring the repercussions of long-buried secrets resurfacing within the confines of a care home and a family struggling to come to terms with their shared past. Through the intertwined narratives of Mary and Lucy, the novel offers a poignant and heartfelt exploration of the emotional turmoil that accompanies the unveiling of family secrets and the impact of these revelations on the delicate fabric of their lives.

While the novel endeavors to shed light on the intricacies of familial bonds and the enduring power of love, a two-star rating is attributed to certain aspects that could have been further developed to provide a more comprehensive exploration of the characters' emotional journeys and the dynamics of their relationships. The narrative pacing at times lacks the necessary momentum to fully engage the reader, and some plot elements could have been more intricately woven to create a more immersive and cohesive storyline.

Despite its noble intentions, Relative Secrets falls short of fully realizing the depth and emotional resonance of its characters' experiences, resulting in a narrative that, while touching on poignant themes, struggles to leave a lasting impact. Stancey's prose, while evocative in certain moments, could benefit from a more nuanced exploration of the complexities inherent in the portrayal of family dynamics and the weight of hidden truths.

In conclusion, Relative Secrets presents a heartfelt exploration of familial struggles and the enduring power of love amidst the revelation of long-held secrets. While the novel grapples with themes of emotional turmoil and familial bonds, it falls short of fully immersing the reader in the intricacies of its characters' experiences. Despite its limitations, Relative Secrets offers a glimpse into the enduring resilience of the human spirit and the capacity for love to transcend even the deepest of familial wounds.

I have just finished reading Relative Secrets, a book about a family surrounded by secrets.

I have to admit, the plot sounds more intriguing than I found it to be - I don’t think I connected with the writing. In places I found it clunky and chaotic - although I am not wholly sure this wasn’t done to represent the state of Mary’s mind. For me personally, the characters fell flat and I found it predictable.

What I did like was reading about the characters lives during the war - I wish this part had been extended further.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my copy of this book.

I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the ebook. Good book and highly recommend. Perfect for a weekend read.

I honestly couldn’t keep up with the story… felt dense even though I was interested in it at the beginning.
Had to stop at around 40% and for now I don’t think I will pick up anytime soon.
Will give it another go when am more prepared for it.

Relative Secrets is an interesting and compelling look at what it means to be family. Told through the point of view of three generations of the same family. It's a stark reminder that every family has secrets but that love is the thing we all have in common.

I’m a bit on the fence with this story. As much as I tried to get into the story line, I found it to be extremely slow for my reading tastes.

Lucy’s grandmother went into a nursing home because she and her family could no longer care for her. While she and her mother and siblings were trying to put normalcy back into their lives, Lucy reclaimed her old bedroom where her grandmother had previously been staying. As she was cleaning, she found an old box containing all sorts of trinkets, pictures, and documents. In other words, Lucy found her grandmother’s life summed up within its content.

She felt funny thumbing through her grandmother’s box of life, but it was a photograph she found that gave her pause. After putting two and two together, she wasn’t sure what she should do with the information she learned. It would cause an entire upheaval within the family, and she wasn’t sure she would be able to manage the aftermath. There were a few times, Lucy questioned her mother about what she knew of her own mother’s past life and surprisingly, Beth didn’t know much.

So, Lucy heads back to the nursing home to ask her grandmother questions and what she admits to her granddaughter changed Lucy’s life forever. Although what I just wrote may sound exciting as the reader navigates Mary’s, Lucy’s grandmother’s past, I found the story to be lackluster and it was—dare I say it, boring! I just couldn’t stay focused as I read this story. I truly struggled to finish it. I almost abandoned it. But, as my readers know, I always give authors respect. I will read a story even when I struggle through it. Even though this story was not for me, doesn’t mean it will not be for you.

Sadly not one me. I couldnt connect with this, wasn’t keen on , the pacing and story were all over the place. Overall it was just too slow and I felt like nothing had really happened during the story.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

It wasn't bad but it wasn't good either. I don't know how to explain it. The chapters seemed to go each in a different way and that made me got a little bit off of the story. The book finished abruptly and many questions were left unanswered.

Thankyou to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me an early copy of this book. I have not read anything by this author before and it was an enjoyable read. This book follows family drama which was intriguing to me, following secrets that were not to be found out. this book had so much potential but unfortunately just fell a little bit short for me.

Unfortunately, this one was disappointing for me. I didn’t like the writing style which was very simplistic and felt choppy. The timeline would go back and forth without obvious transitions. The characters were fine but not developed. The plot was so slow and nothing really happened.

Thanks to @netgalley and @fairlightbooks for an arc for a honest review.

When Lucy and her mother are cleaning out her grandmother's home, Lucy discovers a locket that reveals a possibly shameful secret about her family, but with her grandmother's mind mostly gone, Lucy can't ask her about it so she sets out to try to find out the truth for herself. This book is not what you might expect. It is not so much about earthshattering revelations that rock a family. It is more of a quiet book about family and the way families look out for one another. If you are looking for an explosive potboiler, this is not the book you are looking for. If you are looking for a quiet book of reminisce and discovery, you may enjoy this book.

Helen Stancey's RELATIVE SECRETS tells the story of several generations of the Pearson family from the grandmother who is descending into dementia with occasional flashes of keen presence through granddaughter Lucy who takes it upon herself to pursue the stories of the people in the family photographs she finds hidden in her grandmother's things. The connections, love, passions, and missteps of eminently likable characters provide a fascinating view into the doors leading into doors leading into doors that Lucy meditates upon as she reveals the secrets beneath other secrets, changing her view of herself, her mother, and what she always thought to be true and reliable. While I got caught in the tangles early on in the story, I ultimately fell in love with the language, the individuals, and the piercing beauty of Stancey's prose. A memorable story, one that I will muse over for a very long time. Highly recommend. I received an advance copy of this novel in exchange for my unbiased review.

I found Relative Secrets a very interesting read which kept me hooked all the way through. I read it in one sitting as once I started it I needed to know the outcome.

Thank you to NetGalley and Fairlight Books for my ARC.

This book was a joy to read and i finished it in one setting! I loved how the story of all 3 generations unravelled and i am interested in seeing what the author comes out with next.

Mary has kept a secret for many years, but now she's in a care home and her mind not quite what it used to be, things start to slip out, Marys granddaughter Lucy finds something that should have been kept hidden and starts to ask questions.

I read this book some time ago and just remembered I had not completed the feedback. That could tell you that although I liked the book I didn’t love it. It’s a story about family drama and secrets. I felt it was difficult to become invested with most characters. I found myself scrolling through because it wasn’t interesting enough to keep my attention

I do want to thank Netgalley for the advanced readers copy for my honest opinion.

This one is a gentle but intriguing family drama, ideal for those who enjoy multiple character narratives. Honestly, this had so much potential. I loved the setting. I loved the plot. I can see what the author wanted to make out of this and I loved the idea.