Kerry Darcy has loved Conor, her childhood sweetheart, for more than twenty years. They’ve built their dream home together, raised a happy family and are still madly in love. Hope Kennedy seems to have it all; a fabulous job, a luxurious apartment and best of all she’s married to her soulmate, Niall. Two very different women,two perfect husbands; but what happens when their lives horribly collide?
I won a free copy of this book and I was excited to settle in and start reading it. Well of course it never works out that way, I'm always hit with a chorus of "Moooooooooooooooooooom" at 2min intervals or whenever I look to comfortable, lol. Either way I've got it started now and I will be back soon to update with my unbiased opinion.
"Maura was overcome with a great desire to slap her twin sister sharply across the face." Me too lady, me too...
Let me start by saying I found this book extremely hard to read in some places. It just didn't grab me the way I wanted it to. I usually can't justify a 4 or 5-star rating unless the book is an edge of your seat, can't put it down, up-til-midnight adventure. This was not it for me. Being a stay at home mom with 2 kids home for summer vacation my reading time is precious and sparse. I found myself having to "come back to it later" almost like a chore instead of losing myself in this world. It seemed like it was well over 164 pages.
I found Hope to be EXTREMELY annoying and pathetic. "Hope loved Niall to such a degree that he was the most important person in their relationship as far as she was concerned." I wanted to vomit as she pressed on with the wedding even though her "husband" was blowing her off and couldn't even be bothered to make the appointments! He goes away for weeks at a time barely calls her over Christmas. I could barely abide her stupidity. It took like 75% of the story for her to grow some balls and demand to be an equal in the relationship but by then....who cares? Cut to just a few pages later she finds out she's pregnant and I hate her guts all over again. She was such an ass. I kept hoping for some unexpected zombie carnage because she needed to be eaten!
Kerry was the better of the two in my opinion. Maybe it's because we're both moms, maybe because she had 2 girls, I'm not sure, but somehow I found myself switching from "Geez Lady it's just a little pink hair quitchabitchin' and deal!" and being annoyed with her whining to remembering my own "terrible teens" and sympathizing. When the kid came home with the tattoo I wanted to send her a drink myself, lol.
Later in the book (even knowing ahead of time that Naill was Conor) I found myself agreeing with the sister (even though it seems she's got a little crotch buzzer for Conor) when she said:
"She had two wonderful, healthy daughters who loved her to bits and a husband who adored her....What more could Kerry possibly want?"
I was frustrated with her for ignoring all her instincts and not addressing her concerns to her husband. She seems almost afraid to speak up about what she's feeling so she tries to soothe her fears with sex.
Supporting characters are fine. Mom/ Chantale seems like a loon and that fortune cookie/zodiac spiel was just odd. I can't imagine a mother saying those things to her visibly distraught daughter about her new husband.
I HATED Kerry's relationship with her daughter. Yes the kid was a rebellious teen but even when the girl was trying to do something as simple as watch TV the mother was brow-beating her!
Overall it was an interesting read. To a degree I feel as if I've just read a 200pg diary because none of the intrigue that is alluded to in the description is in the book. I kept waiting for something to happen, then looking at the progress bar and by the time something did happen I was 96% in! There are some pretty steamy sex scenes if you're into that type of thing...as a prequel it serves its purpose introducing you to the characters for the upcoming novels. Had it been a stand alone novel I would have give it 1-star but I'm going to say a solid 3.
My favorite line in the book was: "Reading truly was a gift, in Kerry's opinion. She loved being transported to a different world and bonding with new characters, who often felt like old friends by the time she finished reading." Sadly these characters were mere acquaintances.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I do not understand the good reviews on this book. It is poorly crafted, has many inconsistencies, and cannot stand alone as any good book will even when part of a series. I will not bother with books 2 & 3.
Secrets & Lies (Secrets & Lies, #1) by Joanne Clancy.
I received a free download for my Kindle through the Amazon Mega Book Giveaway.This is an amazing writer with a great gift for story telling.This is the 1st book of The Secret & Lies Trilogy.
This story follows the lives of a couple of female main characters. Kerry who's married to Conor and Hope who's married to Niall.But how are these two very different ladies connected?
Kerry Darcy's life changed as of 3:00P.M. Friday Mar11/2011, when one of the deadliest natural disasters ever recorded in history, 5th largest earthquake hit Japan coast, it's devastation far reaching.
Joanne tells us about both families, Kerry and Hope.Kerry, a writer is 42 years old and is happily married for 20 years to Conor, managing director of the Imperial Hotel Group.They have 2 daughters, Emer, 19 ,in University and Saoirse,13 who is a bit rebellious in nature.Conor's job requires him to travel for extended periods of time.Hope is left to hold up the fort.Conor has booked a 3 week trip to Japan, to celebrate his 45th birthday, and to be there for the opening of a new hotel in Tohoku.
Hope is a newly discovered actress, who recently got a job in Dublin at The Abbey Theatre Repertory Company.Niall is a businessman working in the computer field. They do not have any children, but have 2 dogs.Niall's job requires that he travel extensively. Hope is lonely waiting for her husband to come home.
Without giving anything away,I understand why there are pending books in this trilogy to follow.I sat down this Sunday afternoon, and was immediately glued to this book. I couldn't wait to find out what was going to happen.A very enjoyable read...from one Irish lady to another.Thanks Joanne!
Having read a few previous books by this author, which I'd also enjoyed. I have to say that Joanne Clancy just gets better and better every time and as a result this is a polished and well thought-out, intriguing story. It follows the lives of a couple of female main characters. Kerry who's married to Conor and Hope who's married to Niall and it sure makes you wonder how these two, very different ladies are connected and I don't want to spoil anything, but could it be their husbands? The sex scenes were handled really well as I've come to expect, for Joanne Clancy has a knack of making them downright sexy without being 'cringey' which is a major skill in itself. I got stuck into this novel right from the start and raced to finish it, seeing as I was carried away on a simple basis of wanting to find out what happens next. In fact, it's such a page-turner that I nearly missed my doctors appointment when they'd called out my name, but I was so engrossed in reading it that I didn't hear them until the nurse tapped me on the shoulder and I nearly dropped my Kindle. I can't wait for the second book in this trilogy to be produced and if you read it too then you'll understand, why!
Wow, I absoultely loved this book and am eager to read the second book in the 'Secrets and Lies Trilogy.' The two main characters in this book are Kerry and Hope, two very different women but with one thing in common they are completly in love with their husbands Niall and Conor. The book starts with an eathquake and a young girl called saoirse (Kerry and Connors daughter) trying to evacute the beach as huge waves threaten to kill. This story left me wanting more and a fully reccomend it to anyone.
Thank you to the author for providing the free ebook to read and review. Secrets & Lies was a wonderful story. It kept building momentum as the stories of Kerry's and Hope's lives unfolded. The author described the characters in vivid detail and you felt as though you knew them by the end of the novel. There are also hints as to their lives possibly intersecting in the following sequels which promises to be very interesting considering the cliffhanger of an ending! I feel compelled to read Aftermath to see exactly what lies ahead for these characters...
This is the first book of a trilogy that follows the lives of Kerry (spouse Conor) and Hope (spouse Niall)and follows their lives during the 5th largest earthquake to hit Japan. Joanne has such a vivid way of describing the characters that I felt as if I was being swept into the story and that I was a part of their lives. I could not put this story down as I could not wait to find out what happened next! I am looking forward to reading the sequels to find out when and how or if the lives of these two woman intersect and what the result is.
Parts of this book were predictable, but overall a very enjoyable read.
Hope was not my favorite character out of all the authors books, but otherwise I liked the idea of the book and the story line. It's nice that she uses real events and real places in this story to help you keep track of where and what everyone is doing. Ready to read the second one!
First up, I was given this book (trilogy actually) by the author, Joanne Clancy, to read and review for her. So, a big THANKYOU to Joanne.
Second, I hate spoilers! so I will try my best to tell you a bit about this book without giving too much away.
Here we go...
This first book, Secrets & Lies, is pretty much a meet & greet of the two main couples in this story - Kerry & Conor, and Hope & Niall.
Both are the perfect couple! both husbands are workaholics, jet-setting around everywhere, leaving their wives at home alone for a considerable part of their lives. Kerry & Hope, although extremely different types of women, are both quite successful in their own right (Kerry - a mother & successful author. Hope - a well known television presenter & aspiring actress). These women do not at all begrudge their hubby's for their time away from home pursuing their careers, although at can become a bit lonely & tedious at times.
Throughout the book, both past & present are explored for Kerry & Conor, whilst we focus more on the present for Hope & Niall. As we get to know these two women, we begin to see some small cracks in their marriages, imagined or not, they are there and each wife can see/feel them forming.
We leave these women, one on top of the world on the perfect holiday abroad with hubby & daughter, the other already facing a life changing situation, as the earth is rocked by the terrifying tsunami in Japan, catastrophically changing these two women forever.
excerpt from book: "The killer wave had taken its fateful hold on time and place. It had ruptured the present, warped the future, replaced order with confusion, confidence with trepidation and control with powerlessness. Lives were ended for some, changed forever for others and a most significant chain of events was about to unfold with catastrophic results"
I'm loving Joanne's writing! It flows nicely, easy to read, & even the rare typo doesn't bother me at all (which usually drives me a little nuts). Even the changing from present to past & back again is done seamlessly, unlike some books, here it's easy to follow and not at all confusing.
can't wait to jump into the next book, Aftermath, and find out where these two women's stories are taking them!
I got an e-book copy of Secrets & Lies (Secrets & Lies #1) by Joanne Clancy for review via Goodreads.com. I first want to thank her for providing the trilogy for review. This is the first book I have read from this author. Overall I enjoyed this book. I am a mother and had to read this book over a week while my daughter napped and there were times I did not want to stop reading, but had to. In this book you are looking at 2 families, who end up having something in common: a husband who travels for work. First there is Kerry & Conor Darcy who have been married for 20 years and have 2 girls,Emer who is away at school and Saoirse a rebellious 13 year old. I was able to relate to this family and anytime Saoirse did anything I would start to think about when I was a teen and what I have to look forward to when my daughter grows up. Conor is the Managing Director for a hotel chain and must travel a lot, leaving Kerry home alone quite a bit. Then you have Hope Kennedy who wants so bad to be an actress. Hope at times was a little annoying, I did think to myself a few times who would want to be around her. She had met her husband Niall Gillian, while walking their dogs in the park. He had to travel for work as well, which Hope didn't mind in the beginning but he had been starting to travel a lot more since. Conor, Kerry and their daughter Saoirse take a trip to Japan and are loving their experience. When their trip is almost over something unbelievable happens and the book ends with a cliffhanger ending to build up into book 2. Overall it was a good read and I can't wait to continue to Aftermath (Book 2).
After I had started reading this book, I couldn't seem to put it down until I had finished it. This book was an amazing first book of a series; it was well written and the information given about the different characters was done in such a way, you couldn't wait to read more to find out what happens next.
The way that the author was able to describe the different aspects of the characters lives, without seeming overbearing with the details was amazing. She was able to tell you just enough to leave you wanting for more.
During the course of this book, you learn about 2 completely different women's lives, and how one act has affected them both. You learn about how the women met their husbands, and how their lives have changed. It also shows some of the hardships that the women have been through in their lives, like many of us have in our lives. It touches on some important topics, but without over powering the book completely.
The ending of this book has definitely left me wanting to read more of this series.
I will totally recommend this book to many of my friends!
Kerry Darcy is a Writer and Illustrator of children's books and her husband Connor is Managing Director of an exclusive hotel chain which has him travelling quite a bit. They have been married 20 years and have a 19 year old daughter Emer who is at school studying to be veternarian and their younger daughter Saoirse is a 13 years old student.
Hope Kennedy is an aspiring actress and is married to Niall Gilligan for 6 months.
Kerry, Connor and Saoirse take a 'dream come true' vacation to Japan and are having the time of their lives. But at the end of their trip the unexpected happens and lives are changed forever. Joanne Clancy has a remarkable knack of bringing her characters to life and as you are reading you can feel every emotion they are going through right down to your bones. An amazing story that will keep me on the edge of my seat until I see a sequel to this book! Wonderfully written!
This, the first in the Secrets and Lies trilogy, builds on the lives of its characters with nothing catastrophic happening until the last page or two of the book and by then, Hope's and Kerry's lives have not come together.
For the most part Secrets and Lies is well-written other than its propensity to revert to earlier times in the lives of its characters, primarily of the females. What held my interest is the promise of something occurring which as I've written, does not take place until the last page or two. If I had the second in the series already in my kindle arsenal, I would read that next as I imagine the series can only get better.
I simply love Ms. Clancy's books. Her characters come to life, the plots are always well thought out and the Secrets & Lies trilogy is simply a fantastic read.
I wanted to read the entire trilogy before posting my review and all I can say is "wow! I did not see that coming." If you're one to get emotionally attached to characters, this story will tug you in a million directions. Love. Hate. Anger. Disbelief.
You have to read this. And don't stop till it's done!
I was basically skimming through the whole thing waiting for something. But nothing happened at all. It was so flat! There wasn't really much said in the present. It was all stuff that HAD happened when the people were younger or whatever.
I guess with all the good reviews, everyone must have a different way of thinking or something than me. I'm clueless here, as to what the problem was?!
First thing I want to say.........OMG! Secrets and Lies had me at the opening! I was kinda confused on what's going on and how Kerry and Hope were connected. But than it hit me and I wanted more! Just when I had the whole book futures out, Joanne threw a curve ball and changed the whole book and what I thought was going on out the window. Now it's time for the second book.
Loved this and can't wait to read the 2nd in the trilogy. Could not put down. Want to find out what happens for Kerry and Hope. I know that I will start the 3rd Book as soon as I finish Aftermath (Book 2).
Got this as a free download on my kindle as I am always looking for something interesting to read. The title is what got me but I found the story not the exciting thing I was hoping for. It was an ok read and will possible finish the trilogy but not in a big hurry to do so.
First off, you must read the entire series to get the whole story. The title is Secret and Lies but the first book doesn't tell you any secrets or lies. It hints at them. The stories are intersting and set in beautiful Ireland.
I received this as a first read. This one was hard for me to get into. I could not truly loose myself in the world. However, there were some really good things about this book. Definitely a interesting look at two very different women. Will read the two more in the series eventually.
The book was predictable, but had a cliffhanger ending to build up into the next one, I'm assuming. I wasn't really into any of the characters they seem kind of bland and overly dramatic.
Fantastic, I enjoyed reading this book. This was a quick read, good characters in the story. I cannot wait to read the other books in this series Aftermath and Redemption.