The Secrets of De Courcy Square

by Ann O'Loughlin

Cora’s eyes filled with tears as she thought of the only man she had ever loved. She knew suddenly what she had to do. ‘I have to go to Dublin, visit his house when the smell of him is still there. I need to…’ she stuttered over her words, ‘I need to know about his wife.’

Cora smiles as she sees the bouquet of flowers on the kitchen table of her New York home. Her handsome long-term partner Jack never fails to surprise her. But as she leans in to smell the sweet pink roses, there is a sharp rap on the door and her world shatters as she is told that her darling Jack has been killed in a car crash in Ireland.

But Jack wasn’t the only victim. There was another woman in the a wife he never told her about. Distraught, she flies to Ireland to learn more about his secret life. She moves into his beautiful townhouse in central Dublin, determined to make sense of all the lies he told her.

As she grieves, she immerses herself in the local community, who need her as much as she needs them. The square they live on is under threat from developers, and Cora only realises when her new home is in danger how much it has come to mean to her. She must learn to work with her neighbours if they have any chance of protecting the place they all love, and the house that has become a new start to Cora despite her heartbreak.

As Cora’s heart slowly begins to heal, will she be able to move forward from Jack’s betrayal and look towards a hopeful future in Ireland? Or will saving her new home prove impossible and force her back to New York?

Previously published as The Secrets of de Courcy Square and An Ocean Between Us

An absolutely glorious and emotional read about family secrets perfect for fans of Susanne O’Leary, Cathy Kelly and Kathleen McGurl.

What readers are saying about Ann O’

‘ OMG! OMG!! … I was utterly glued to the pages and I had tears absolutely streaming down my face … I was devastated when I turned the last page… Will stay with me for a long time… I LOVED it.’ Bookworm86 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘I was swept away … I could almost feel the fresh air fill my lungs… Brilliant … Incredible … Beautiful … A wonderful five star read.’ Sarah Kingsnorth ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘I am speechless and emotionally wrung out after reading this incredibly powerful and moving novel… It tapped into my heart and squeezed out every tear I tried to hold onto but the waterfall could not be held back and the tissue box became my constant companion… Exceptional .’ Cindy L Spear ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘ Wonderful , heart-warming and emotional … Amazing … Uplifting and inspiring … One that I will recommend over and over again. I loved it!!! ’ Page Turners

‘ Wonderful! Powerful, poignant and emotional , the characters were special and Kilteelagh was definitely a character of its own. Very heartwarming… I recommend highly.’ Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘ Oh my heart! I went through so many emotions while reading this book… Beautiful … Breathtaking … I completely loved it and must read more by this author.’ Vegan Book Blogger ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘ I couldn’t believe the amount of emotion I felt whilst reading this story… Ann O’Loughlin could not have written a better book … As heart-warming as it is heartbreaking.’ Kelly’s Book Corner

‘I don’t often use the term “heart-warming” but this book definitely earns it… I was emotionally caught up in the story , and very much enjoyed it. Definitely recommend .’ Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘ Outstanding … Brilliant … Melts your heart… I really can’t praise it enough.’ Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Genres: Fiction

380 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 11, 2023

Reviews

[eyes.2c]

Surprised by death!

What do you do when you find your partner of ten years has died in a car crash, accompanied by a woman who’s supposedly his wife, and that he’s left you a house in Ireland you knew nothing about.
Cora Gartland, a talented artist couldn’t believe that Jack, her partner of ten years was gone. In a daze of grief she flys to Ireland with nothing but her handbag and credit cards to discover more.
What she finds is that this gorgeous man led a double life and that a couple of years ago he’d married another woman in Ireland, and yet in his will left Cora their house. What!
Cora is devastated and in shock.
She inhabits the house situated on a square with a private park for residents. A park under threat of developers. A park the residents must fight for. Cora joins them. She tells no-one about her true relationship with Jack.
A story with so many twists I was completely drawn in.
An unusual story that left me wondering. The residents around the park are like a big family. Some quirky, some with hidden troubles, others shut off.
Cora finds herself somehow in this turbulent time.
A story I could not put down.

A Bookouture ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

[M Soh]

I thought this would be the usual thriller but it was really a heartfelt mystery. I really enjoyed diving into the world of the residents of the square and their dramas separate from the MC, though that was also fully engaging on its own. Great book and cannot wait to read more from this author.

[Jennie Morris]

With a premise this interesting, the author could have written a masterpiece instead of a dreary, boring mess. First of all, one thing I despise is when an author writes about a person from another country (obviously the author is not American) but fails to use accurate verbiage and learn the daily activities of that country. Cora was American but you couldn’t tell that from the way she was written. Next issue was the overwritten story of flowers. Combined with a neighborhood of people I wouldn’t want to live near (OMG Gladys was the worst. And trying to make the readers like her after half a book of her being a total witch was unbelievable), it detracted from what the book was supposed to be about. The portrayal of homelessness was strange from an American point of view. If this is how Ireland treats their homeless, I’m glad I don’t live there. I thought kindness was universal.

The key part of the story, Jack and his lies, was weird. Why marry Amelia and not Cora? Why marry Amelia at all? SPOILER- why didn’t someone try harder to find out the name of the other woman? This is the age of technology- no one is invisible. The ending was stupid. Why would Amelia put that burden on Lily? And she killed her own child!!! What a psycho!

I did not enjoy this book and skimmed 75%. It was so bad I searched online for spoilers and summaries so I wouldn’t have to finish it. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find anything and was curious. I wish I hadn’t bothered finishing it.

[DianeLikesToRead]

Thank you Bookouture for inviting me to be part of the Books on Tour for “Her Husband’s Secret”, by Ann O’Loughlin. This book was sad, happy, and so well written. I could picture de Courcy Square, I could feel the emotions and yes, at one point I cried.
Cora lives on Long Island, New York. (And she happens to go to a restaurant that I also enjoy!) She gets the worst news possible- her longtime companion has suddenly died in Ireland. She travels there to sort out what he was doing there. What follows is a double story. Cora tries to sort out Jack’s life while her neighbors are trying to save the park in their little square. I really liked all of the twists and turns.
Very good read! I am looking forward to the next book in the series. Many thanks to the author, Bookouture and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of the book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Happy Reading!

#HerHusbandsSecret #AnnOLoughlin #NetGalley #Bookouture #BooksOnTour #BookLove #BooksSetInIreland #Bookstagram #NewBook #ILoveBooks

[Samantha]

"Her Husband's Secret" is set against an Irish backdrop, which I really enjoyed. The book changes perspectives, which was a little tricky for me to grasp what was happening...in the beginning. After I got used to the characters and their names, the perspective changing was fine. The community, housing setup, and the park creates a tight network that quickly gets twisty and leave the reader guessing what's been happening. As the story continues, I found myself wondering what was up with this whacked out husband! If you enjoy stories about people living dual lives, give this book a try!

[Anne Whiting]

This was a great book. Cora received such a shock when she found out Jack had died. She then made a trip to Dublin where secrets are revealed. There are lots of twists and turns before Cora is able to come to terms with events.
We meet Gladys the square's busybody who has problems of her own and Lily who has lived on the square all her life.
I loved this book. Ann is a fabulous author.

Thank you netgalley for this ARC.

[Di OBRIEN]

Not the heartbreaking and gripping page-turner I expected

This is a nice story, just not a great one. It was a little disappointing as I expected there would be more anticipation and emotion stemming from the husband's secret. The "secret" was only one aspect, as this actually turned out to be three stories in one that jumped in all directions. Not the "heartbreaking and gripping page-turner" that was advertised.

[Sue Wallace]

Her Husband's Secret by Ann O'Loughlin.
Cora’s eyes filled with tears as she thought of the only man she had ever loved. She knew suddenly what she had to do. ‘I have to go to Dublin, visit his house when the smell of him is still there. I need to…’ she stuttered over her words, ‘I need to know about his wife.’
I really enjoyed this book. Refreshing. Heartbreaking. 5*.

[Sally Coles]

Another lovely book by this author and Cora is a great character who has to come to terms with the loss of Jack while finding out that he was leading a double life. Full of twists and turns this roller coaster of a book will keep your interest until the last page with a great cast of characters and storyline

[Dianna Peck]

Amazing story, a must read

What a wonderful journey of many emotions, exploration of life's obstacles and finding one's way through back a good future. Highly recommend this book and author

[Kathryn]

Great book, though my edition is called Her Husband's Secret. Ms O'Loughlin writes some amazing books. great plot lines, great characters and makes Ireland come alive.
I'm thoroughly enjoying her books.

[Anne Lloyd]

Wow

Another fabulous book. Again I couldnt put it down. What a heartwarming story, edge of the seat, sad, happy the whole gamut of emotions. I'm off to find another book by Ann she's a brill author

[Dorothy Schaefer]

Excellent Book

Ann is a new author to me I could not put this book down this book should be a ten star book I highly recommend this book to everyone Dorothy Schaefer

[Julie]

Fascinating plot that grabs you from the first chapter. The main character was written with love. She met some very supportive friends along the way. Enjoyable read.

[Sue]

Wow!

Lots of twists and turns and total bombshell secrets. I really enjoyed this book, and all of the characters! 🙂

[Eileen Perring]

Fabulous stort

Wonderful heartfelt book, about love & loss, I couldn't put it down. It really pulls at the heartstrings. Brilliant read

[Ailish Harkin]

Really good holiday read. Enjoyed

[Maureen Twist]

Cora, Lily and Gladys

Would recommend this book to my family and friends, i didn't want to put it down. Everyone in the book played great parts in telling the story..

[Patricia Peer]

Good read!

I didn’t like this one as much as I did the previous books I have read by this author, but it is still a good book.

[Heidi Vague]

A nice easy read with some great characters and intertwining storyline.