A Mother's Secret

White Christmas #3

by Katie Flynn

Petticoat Lane, 1940

Leaving Liverpool behind, Libby Andrews embarks on a transformative journey to London with her newfound friend Suzy.

Amidst the bustling city streets, they find Libby's parents' cherished stall on Petticoat Lane has been taken over and run into the ground by Libby's conniving uncle.

Libby is determined to reclaim what rightfully belongs to her and with Suzy's support, she is able to bring the stall back to the way it used to be.

But when they unravel a long-held family secret, unearthing the truth about her mother's past, will it shatter the bright future that lies ahead for Libby?

________

WHY READERS LOVE KATIE FLYNN...

'Her characters are like old friends'

'Takes you on a journey of heartbreak and joy'

'Heartwarming romance'

'Hard to put down'

Genres: Historical Fiction

432 pages, Paperback

Published May 29, 2024

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.

Katie Flynn was born in Norwich and attended Norwich High School, where she was extremely happy and extremely undistinguished. Published at the tender age of eight, in Enid Blyton's Sunny Stories, she joined a Writers’ Circle as an adult, publishing short stories, articles, etc; only turning to novels in 1971 because the postal strike cut off her main source of income!
At first she wrote under several different names – Judith Saxton, Judy Turner, Lydia Balmain, Judith Arden – but her Katie Flynn books were a delight to write and proved far more popular than she had dreamed. She has now published nearly ninety novels, twenty-seven of which are Flynns. Her most recent titles are: Lost Days of Summer and Christmas Wishes.

Reviews

[Julie Stevens · Rating 3 out of 5]

I normally really enjoy Katie’s/Holly’s books and reading them never takes very long.

It’s probably my fault that I didn’t enjoy this book as much as others. I felt too many characters were introduced together in the early part of the book and without enough information to separate them in my mind. Thereafter I found myself wondering which character was which as each character’s name was subsequently mentioned. Usually a little bit of information is given when each character’s name is mentioned early in the story and this helps get each character straight in my head when they are subsequently mentioned. The end result was I was forever thinking who is this when a name was mentioned.

Also the plot seemed to develop slowly and then all be tied up quite quickly at the end.

[Lainy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Time taken to read - 4 days

Pages - 426

Publisher - Penguin

Source - Review copy

Blurb from Goodreads

The brand new novel from the Sunday Times bestselling author

Though she may feel lost, she will never give up on finding the truth…

1941: Libby’s life on the sprawling farm at Hollybank is a far cry from the bustling streets of London where she grew up, but after the tragic death of her parents she moved to Liverpool to be closer to her long-lost aunt and uncle.

When she discovers they are far from the decent people they claimed to be and have spun a web of lies about her late mother, Libby’s world is shaken. But she is determined to set the story straight and embarks on a journey to unravel the devastating secret her mother kept until her dying day.

Can Libby separate the truth from the lies, and forge a brighter future for herself?


My Review

Set in 1941, war is ongoing (themed throughout the book but not the main focus), it is a saga, small town and some good characters and some real shady potatoes! Libby and co are our main characters Libby has discovered some old diaries of her mums and finds out some things that shake her to her core. We find a lot of exploitation going on, people taking advantage of people, pretending to be something their aren't and out to get what they can for themselves with zero moral compass.

The story I believe features characters from previous books and act as standalones but I kinda felt a bit out the loop for some of this. Like the importance of the diaries, did we meet her mum before or Libby and would that have had a bigger impact on the finding of these and exposure of lies?

I really liked the girls from the farms and the newest addition to their group, an animal makes everything better and that which is good it takes to great. Relationships, families, skulduggery, criminality, it has a wee bit of everything set in the timeline of world war 2. I liked it but didn't love it and I do enjoy this authors works I just felt a bit like maybe I had missed out on important back story, maybe its just me. I do intend of getting the other books and may make more of an effort to read in order of release, 3/5.

[HARRYTOWN CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL BOOK CLUB · Rating 5 out of 5]

Katie Flynn’s A Mother's Secret is a heartwarming tale that delves deep into the themes of love, resilience, and family bonds. Set against the backdrop of World War II, the novel follows the life of a young mother struggling to protect her family and safeguard her secrets. Flynn’s evocative writing and well-drawn characters make for a compelling read that is both touching and inspiring. This book is a testament to the enduring strength of maternal love and the sacrifices made during challenging times.

[irene currie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wowwee

This book is amazing Libby Jack Emma Bernie Margo Tom and all the rest of the characters are great the storyline so believable in the aspect of war as always Katie Flynn is a brilliant author every book draws you in she makes you feel as if you are truly there experiencing every step the details of places and people keep you hooked to the end I just wish I could give more than five stars if you haven't already read these then why not book the time sit back with that tipple you prefer and enjoy

[Ria · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's 1941 and Libby's life has changed, she lives at Meadowbank farm after leaving London when her parents are killed during the bombing.
She moved to be nearer to family but they aren't what they seem.
Then when she finds some diaries of her mother's her world is shaken to the core.
Can she ever find out the truth?
A wonderful finale to the White Christmas trilogy.

[Sue Rouse · Rating 5 out of 5]

part 3 saga

Another great Katie Flynn book. Great characters, great storyline and great trilogy. The comings and going of the girls that ended up at Hollybanks Farm and their families during WW2 GB. Thanks to Katie and her publisher.

[Claire Smith-Simmons · Rating 3 out of 5]

Following the death of her parents during an air raid Libby is trying to pick up the pieces and start a life of her own. Life takes many unexpected turns and doesn't end up where she thought it would.

[Sam Rae · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didn't realise it was part of a trilogy of books. As I was reading, I kept thinking it felt like I should know about the issues being discussed, and I only found out when I read the authors notes at the back of the book. Ruined it for me.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was so repetitive and just went over the same conversations and story. There is no surprising ending, just a little bit longwinded. I finished it though.

[Denise Varty · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were too many people to remember and where they came from

[Bernie Morris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite good

[Carol G · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed this second book in the series. Easy tale to read with a stronger story line interwoven .

[patricia mctaggart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this story i hope to see more off there stories please

[Emma Reynolds · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the ending, tied up the loose ends really well. Book was good throughout, though rambled a bit in parts

[Sue Hickling · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lovely story ,1 more in set to go .