Hilary Boyd has a wonderful way of describing her characters that makes you really know and understand them.. This isn't the thriller type I usually read, more about dysfunctional relationships and the consequences of lying.
Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC

A good storyline and well written but it just didn’t grip me. I felt as though it took too long to find out the secret and then when it was revealed I was left disappointed!

A nice family drama, just not for me!

Hilary Boyd does it again. A family drama that pulls you in & keeps the reader wanting more. Love, loss, secrets all make for a well written story.

Sara decides it is time too tip her toes back in the dating game and ventures there through a dating agency. She meets Bernard and so starts a romance that is fraught with difficulties from secrets he has kept suppressed. This story works through the effect this has on their relationship. It is a pleasant and easy read

I’d say this is a family drama. I was really enjoying it to start with, but about half way through I have to admit, I did lose interest. I’m not really sure why, the book is well written, it flows well, I just found I wasn’t very invested in the characters. I did finish the story, and it did have a good ending so I can’t fault it on that. Perhaps I was expecting something more from the secret. I can see that it will definitely appeal to others so I would recommend it. Thank you #netgalley

Sara is encouraged to join an Internet dating site by her two daughters, after losing husband Pete many years before. After many failed introductions, she meets widower Bernard by accident - she is at a cafe to meet a different man, and finds herself speaking to Bernard instead. What follows is a quick romance, which sees Sara moving into Bernard's isolated cliff top home. However, his life isn't as smooth as Sara's - his relationship with his two children isn't as smooth as the one she has with her daughters, and he has a secret he is reluctant to reveal. Can their fledgling relationship survive the events that follow?

I really enjoyed the descriptive sections of the book, the locations were beautiful. I also really liked the relationship Sara had with her mother in law. I found it a bit predictable however, and I wasn't too keen on Bernard's character. Overall, a quick and enjoyable read.

In this book, we meet Sara a widower who is ready to start dating again. A chance meeting in a coffee shop leads her to meet Bernard.
Is all as it seems with him though?

Sara feels something isn't right and soon it is all revealed. A family drama which hooks you in and keeps you wondering.

As the world she wants crumbles around her what will Sara do?

I enjoyed the book for it's twists and turns.

It is time for widowed Sara to move on. Encouraged by her family, she signs up to an online dating site and meets charismatic Bernard.

This sounds like a happy ever after story but with more than half the book left to read you know that something is going to go wrong!

Hilary Boyd kept the momentum and tension going throughout and the secrets and lies just kept coming.

An enjoyable read.

Sara Tempest, urged on by her daughters after six years of widowhood, is trying online dating. It’s just as bad as she imagined it to be. So when a chance meeting with architect Bernard Lockmore leads to new possibilities, she lets her guard down and allows some happiness in. But life is complicated. Bernard is somewhat obsessed with his dead wife who seems to have been a fairly unpleasant person. He’s also distanced from his children, twins Carrie and Adam. Since Sara is devoted to her own children, she encourages Bernard to heal the relationship with his. However, there are some very serious reasons for the estrangement. The title The Hidden Truth refers to this and when Sara learns the secret that Bernard has been hiding, it threatens their new relationship.

This is an excellent family drama. It’s also classified as a mystery and thriller, which it is not. The suspense lies in the secret that Bernard has kept form Sara and the consequences to his family when it is revealed. I especially liked the setting, the description of Bernard’s cliff edge house and the older characters. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House and Hilary Boyd for this ARC.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

Sara is widowed, and now living on her own. She starts dating, which has different outcomes each time, that is until she meets Bernard, both instantly feeling a spark between them, their relationship grows quickly. But it feels to Sara as though Bernard sometimes, he doesn’t seem to be a bit vague about his twin children, who he rarely sees, that is until they spend Christmas together at cliff house. Secrets come out, that have serious repercussions.

Will Sara and Bernard get through this? Will their relationships be the same as they were?

A story that keeps you turning the page, and one that you don’t want to finish.

Highly recommend this book.

Sara has finally given in and agreed to online dating; it’s been several years since her husband passed and it’s time to move on. She has several unsuccessful dates and is in her way to meet a dentist that she isn’t too excited about. At the meeting point she meets a handsome stranger, Bernard. Bernard seems to like her but doesn’t ask for her number. He does however manage to track her down and they begin dating. But Bernard has a secret, and how will Sara react when she finds out and what will happen going forwards.

I will admit that one thing that I was interested to learn more about is the fact that Hastings is mentioned in the book description. As I live in East Sussex this was a definite draw card.

Then to start reading and realise there were more references to places that I am quite familiar with. A good example of this is Sara, a widow, who lives in Lewes. Both of her daughters are keen for her to date as it has been a good many years since her husband has passed away, but she is not finding the process easy.

Sara ends up meeting Bernard in a cafe, when she is meant to be meeting another date instead. They appear to hit it off. But Bernard seems to avoid moving things forward. Then he does show an interest.

Bernard is racked with secrecy. Eventually he shares this secret with Sara. It does concern Sara and then she too is burdened with this secret that she can’t share with anyone.

I then got hooked on the story wanting to know how it would all unfold.

Thanks to the publisher who provided access to this book via Net Galley.

Sara is living alone after the death of her husband and her daughters leaving home. Then she meets someone who she falls in love with but, although her life is an open book, as is her relationship with her daughters, it seems his life isn’t so straight forward.

I really liked and admired Sara although I’m not sure I would have acted in the same way as she did. A compelling storyline

I always enjoy Hilary Boyd's books and love the way her stories focus on relationships between middle aged people rather than the usual thirty somethings that most romances cover. It makes for a refreshing change and one that readers of my own age can identify with. Sara and Bernard are both widowed so theirs is a story of second love in their middle years. I really liked Sara's character but felt that Bernard was often very weak and there were times when I wanted to give him a good shake. He is hiding a huge secret from Sara and one in which his two children are complicit which make for a very unsettled and uncertain relationship. The supporting cast of Sara's best friend, Precious, and her mother in law Margaret added warmth and kindness to the story but Bernard never really gained many Brownie points in my estimation throughout the book. I did enjoy the story though and eagerly turned the pages to see just how it would all end. All in all a thoroughly enjoyable read. My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

I love Hilary Boyd's books because they dealwith more mature characters (like myself) I like the insight into the challenges of relationships starting again later life, and all the difficulties created by past experiences and baggage. This was particularly engrossing and the question of how much Sara should put up with from Bernard kept me interested and hoping they could find a way through.

I love q Hilary Boyd book and was very excited to read this one. It's a nice story about second love, and secrets that people hold. As always its a very well written book, with a good storyline and good characters. However it wasn't my favourite Hilary Boyd book. But I still enjoyed reading it.

This wasn’t as much of a suspenseful read as I was expecting. It is more of a drama about Sara and Bernard, two mature widowed people who meet and fall in love. Something is off with Bernard and his relationship with his children and his late wife. Finally his secrets are revealed. Can their love last? Not my usual type of book but I appreciated the skillful writing and descriptions of the characters.

I absolutely love Hilary Boyd’s books including this one. She never disappoints.
A good storyline and a secret uncovered which changes everything.
Plenty of family drama and romance which kept me turning the pages.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review.

An accomplished, well written novel that involved a variety of emotions. Definitely worth reading. We all try to do the best for our children and hope the decisions we make will be the right ones for them- but not all turn out that way!

Sara is living alone and working hard as a nutritionist after her husband Pete died. She has 2 daughters, one in the UK and one who lives in California. It's time to start to think about herself and to maybe start dating again.

She meets Bernard and she falls for him instantly. He is a widower with twins (son & daughter), who have both left home. He lives in a cliff top house, which was designed by himself and his late wife. Bernard too falls for Sara ad things should be idyllic BUT something is not quite right. Bernard seems unable to give of himself 100% and Sara feels that his wife is still very much on his mind. Why is he reluctant to tell his children about her and for her to meet them? What is holding him back?

She knows that he is hiding something and he finally confesses!

This then impacts really badly on the relationship, will they manage to overcome this and survive??

This is a great read, it shows that being truthful is always best or is it?

I thoroughly enjoyed this book; having read earlier books by Hilary Boyd. I gave it 5 stars and look forward to her next publication.