Thank you to @netgalley and @lakeunionauthors for the advanced copy of The Secret of the Brighton House. The book follows Joanne, a young woman who struggled to get pregnant and finally got her wish. But at what should be her happiest moment, she's overwhelmed with questions and mysteries surrounding her birth mother.

There was plenty of suspense, though some of the surprises were very obvious, but as a whole, Joanne's attitude annoyed me. Despite that, I flew through the book in just two days. You can read it on Nov. 1!

Fair warning, there is discussion of miscarriages, postpartum depression, and violence.

This book is definitely psychological and has suspenseful moments as we follow Joanne (2021) and her mum Grace ( 1975/1977) I loved how all the secrecy in the story about Grace and how she died was revealed at a good pace , it really helped keep my attention and intrigue to find out more about the cause of death etc ( though I was a bit disappointed with the ending). Overall, I really enjoyed the book and found it hard to putdown. This book also contains author notes and why she wrote the book as well as bookclub questions.

Thanks to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for this ARC. This is my honest review.

Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Wow what a read it was. Great story and I couldn't put it down.
A story about something that is rarely spoken about.

The Secret of Brighton House by Cathy Hayward
This story is told in a tandem dual timeline between the 1970s and the present. In the story you are introduced to Joanne who is pregnant, and as she is preparing for her baby she discovers family secrets among heirlooms that are given to her, She is shocked by lies revealed with a photograph. Her parents kept secrets but even they don’t know the whole truth. Joanne goes on a quest to find the truth of her mother’s past and her birth.
The stress from dealing with worry of the unknown is almost as intense as the need to find the truth. This story does have some dark elements, but important ones in exploring topics of infertility and the mental health of women, issues not often explored or mentioned.

I think the flashback episodes could have been developed more and introduced in a better way. I also think that the characters beyond the mother and daughter could have been better developed. The back story with the mother was underdeveloped and not fully explored.

On a side note, American readers may be put off by the lack of punctuation, meaning periods, in title abbreviations.

Overall, I enjoyed the story. It was a quick read and I found it engaging. However, I just wanted more depth and background in the flashback base story.

I want to say “ Thank you” to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the ARC copy. These are my personal opinions.

I received a free copy of, The Secret of the Brighton House, by Cathy Hayward, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Joanne thought she knew the truth about what happened to her mother, that she died in child birth, but she did, and her father has lied to her all this time. I enjoyed this read, Joanne is such a strong female character.

I was intrigued by the idea of this story and was drawn in by all the secrecy. I enjoyed the dual timelines of this book was wasn’t prepared for how dark the story would get. There are a lot of sensitive topics throughout this book which I would advise to read with caution.

I rated three stars as I was hoping this would fall into a mystery / thriller but it didn’t go there.

However, overall I would recommend reading this book as I was drawn into how secret everything was.

Thank you Netgalley, Cathy Hayward for allowing me to read this as an ARC.

I was unprepared for the darkness of the plot. The Secret of the Brighton House by Cathy Hayward deals with IVF, postpartum depression, mental psychosis. and dark secrets.

Releases Nov. 1st. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

An emotional story about a pregnant women discovers her biology mum developed mental issues after her birth. Years ago, things were so different. Lovely that she discovered new family

Wasn't sure about this book to start with and contemplated giving up. So glad I didn't because I ended up loving it. Such a sad story. Loved the dual time line perspectives, they really made the story work.

#thesecretofbrightonhouse was a good read, a quick read, and i enjoyed it. what i didn't enjoy was joanne. perhaps if it had been in her situation - finding out her birth was not what she thought - perhaps i would've felt the same. also, it was quite the "ruse" her "parents" managed to pull off for a long time. i lost patience with all of them.

p.s. thanks to #netgalley for the ARC.

Multi-generational story centering on childbirth; the mental health aspect is a unique twist and I felt it was handled appropriately. Not sugar coated and not over dramatized.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!

I enjoyed the dual viewpoint and glimpse into the history of giving birth in the 1970s, but overall found the plot somewhat lacking. I think I was waiting for this to be a mystery/thriller, but it wasn't--but it did get fairly dark. Not sure if I would recommend as a go-to, but I wouldn't stop someone from reading it!

Thank you to NetGalley and ‎Lake Union Publishing for my copy of The Secret of the Brighton House by Cathy Hayward.
Joanne’s always known that her mother died giving birth to her and considered her stepmother Lou her man, the only one she had ever known.
But now she’s pregnant and going through some of her own baby things that’s her dad has brought round for the new baby she finds some photos of her mother holding her.
Finding the truth of what happened is a painful voyage. Can the family survive the secret that was kept?

This book was definitely a bit anxiety inducing, I kept thinking the worst with all the secrecy, that’s my own fault because secret is obviously on the name and description of the book.

I actually read enjoyed the book once I got past the fear she would miscarry or end up like her mom.

This book was also a learning experience I've never heard of what happened to Joanne's Mam, and kept thinking about how badly it was handled.

If you have a chance read this book, it is really good just a bit slow.

The Secret of the Brighton House by Cathy Hayward. Lake Union Publishing, 2024.

This well-written book tells two stories, Joanne first (August-December 2021) and then Joanne’s mother, Grace (November 1974-May 1977).
Getting to the bottom of what happened and why it matters requires reading about multiple painful and difficult topics - miscarriages, postpartum psychosis and other sad issues.

This book is outstanding with respect to plot, character development and consistency, and writing style.

I am not sure who likes to read about heartrending matters, not me as I read for pleasure and entertainment. However, postpartum psychosis, a rare condition, affects an estimated 0.089- 2.6 mothers out of every 1,000 births. This is the first I’ve heard of it, and while I did not suffer from it myself, I do believe that I did experience it firsthand, a call to help late one night when it would have gone better had I had an inkling of what was going on.

Disclosure: I received a review copy of The Secret of the Brighton House free via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. #TheSecretoftheBrightonHouse #NetGalley

A difficult and often not talked about subject, but was written about in a caring and sensitive manner. Told in a two storyline basis, modern day Vs 70s, alongside each other. Grace's voice was important to hear I felt, so I liked that we got to hear her story along with Joanne's as she aims to discover the truth about her mum.

I enjoyed this book. The differences about pregnancy and childbirth from the 70s to today was interesting to read about albeit slightly frustrating as the times are different now, and there were some believable characters as well.

The Secret of the Brighton House by Cathy Hayward

Thank you NetGalley, author Cathy Hayward, and publisher for allowing me to read The Secret of the Brighton House in exchange for my honest review. I really liked the bright blue cover, and was intrigued by the description: Her family lied to protect her. Will the truth tear them apart? “Joanne’s always been told her mother died in childbirth, but she never questioned her dad’s love. When unpacking a box of her own old baby clothes, Joanne accidentally discovers a photo of her birth mum holding a newborn, and realises she’s been lied to. As Joanne begins to dig into the past, she uncovers layers of secrets that threaten to destroy the very family she holds dear. What really happened to her mum? What could be so devastating that her dad has kept it from her for her whole life—and is she ready to find out?”

This was my first read by the author and I was ill prepared for how dark this plot would actually be. Told in flashback first person and modern day third person timelines of 1975 and 2021, the character Joanne Shaw and her husband Alex are finally pregnant after years- long struggles and IVF. Her “condition” (pregnancy) is repeatedly referred to as a reason for the lifelong secrets regarding her 1975 birth and the fate of her birth mother, Grace. Joanne was always told Grace tragically died during her childbirth, but when long packed away baby clothes and mementos are opened, pregnant Joanne begins a quest to get to the bottom of the actual truth, with or without her overprotective father, Mike’s, help. The decade Joanne was born (the 70’s) was a different time and Mike thought he was doing his best by hiding the truth from his daughter throughout her life, especially when Joanne stumbled upon the box of her own baby clothes and mementos while finally pregnant. Throughout her fragile pregnancy and birth of baby Grace, Joanne has visions of her deceased mother Grace and faces her fears of hereditary conditions and a predisposition to postpartum psychosis. This was by no means a light read. 2/5

Topicss: infertility, deception, postpartum psychosis, motherhood, mental illness, IVF, marriage struggles, predisposition to postpartum psychosis.

Triggers: IVF, miscarriages, lies, postpartum, mental hospitals, psychosis. antipsychotic medications.

What happens when you discover that your mother who supposely died in childbirth was alive unitl you were two years old? What secrets do families keep to protect family members from being hurt? A disturbing story of postpartum depression and what little was known about it for years.. Be forwarned, parts of this story can makae some readers uncomfortable.. Having worked on Labor and Delivery/Post Partum floors years ago, this story resonated with me. A well written story about hidden secrets and the perils of depression following childbirth..

I wish the synopsis had included the detail that Joanne is pregnant. The book was as much about her pregnancy and fears as the mystery surrounding her mother. If I had known this I may not have chosen to read it.

The plot was reasonable and the main characters fairly well written although I did find Joanne quite frustrating. Thankfully it was quite a quick read and easy to get through.

Joanne’s fathers refusal to discuss things with her, going so far as to lock himself away and refuse to speak to her, even after she’d found out some fairly major details is baffling and nonsensical.

“In your condition” is mentioned many many times and not just in the flashbacks. She’s pregnant not deathly ill.

There are some trigger warnings including infertility and loss of a parent.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

Joanne has always known her mother died in childbirth, but when after a decade of disappointments and IVF she finally finds herself pregnant and daring to hope, she's confronted with a little baby-book. Hers. With pictures and scribblings of her mother.
The second story line, not surprisingly, is that of a girl named Grace. Married to the love of her life, and firmly routed in Brighton, she and her best friend Susie fall pregnant within a few months of each other. Set in the early seventies it paints a picture of life as was. (think smoking pregnant women, think women giving up their job to become a mother).

Two story lines is a common way of telling historical fiction - you know they're going to make sense eventually, and usually reveal a big plot line. In this case, it's obvious really early, if not immediately, who Grace is. And so as a reader you know she's dead. But how? And when? It's a haunting read, really. And the answers to these questions, you know as a reader before Joanne knows, have a massive impact on Joanne's own situation.

As Joanne's pregnancy continues, and -so I can imagine- her hormones are raging, finding out what happened to Grace becomes a mission. A mission that has you sometimes questioning her sanity. (but then again: hormones. Or?).
The story had me hooked despite not always liking Joanne's focus and her inability to cut some slack here and there to those who love her. That said: hormones. Plus: do we need a character to be likeable all the time? No. Is it understandable given the story and her situation: yes.

The novel ends with Joanne in labour on the backseat of the car, being driven to hospital.

(and there's an epilogue). No spoilers.

I received an eARC from NetGalley for my honest opinion and review.