The Wife's Secret

by Barbara Hannay

Two different dreams

Since their bitter divorce, Lisa and Rolf have forged new and separate lives. Rolf has moved out of Beacon Bay, while Lisa has remained in the tiny tropical town, a pillar of her community.

One violent storm

When a cyclone brings a massive tree smashing into Lisa’s roof – into the home Rolf built and where they raised their family - their son Dave convinces Rolf that he must do the repairs. Tensions abound when Rolf arrives with glamorous stage star Renata, along with a pretty young publicist who stirs up complications for Dave and his new restaurant business as well.

Is the damage beyond repair?

Their combined efforts to rebuild the community see them confronting old wounds of their own, but will Lisa be brave enough to risk her heart again, especially if that means revealing the one guilty memory that has haunted her for decades?

Set on the picturesque coastline of Queensland’s tropical far north, this is an uplifting story about resurrecting hope and unearthing love, even through the most turbulent of times.

Genres: Contemporary

341 pages, Paperback

Published July 23, 2024

About the author

Multi award winning author, Barbara Hannay, is a city bred girl with a yen for country life. Most of her 50 plus books are set in rural and outback Australia and they've been enjoyed by readers around the world.

Barbara has been nominated five times for Romance Writers of America's RITA Award which she won in 2007 and she has twice won Australia's Romantic Book of the Year award.

In her own version of life imitating art, Barbara and her husband currently live on a misty hillside in beautiful Far North Queensland where they keep heritage pigs, hens, ducks, turkeys and an untidy but productive garden.

Visit Barbara's website at www.barbarahannay.com
Follow her on Facebook and Twitter

Reviews

[Brenda]

Beacon Bay in far north Queensland had been Lisa Anders' home for a lifetime and when she and her husband Rolf divorced, she was heartbroken but stoic. Her desire to help everyone who needed help, and even those who didn't, had never left Lisa. And when Cyclone Pixie was headed their way, Lisa did all she could to help the townsfolk be safe. Her house would be fine as it was high up, and built to cyclone standards by Rolf, so she had her best friend Heidi stay over on the night it was due to hit. Dave, Lisa and Rolf's youngest son, would be fine at his fledgling restaurant as well, unless they had a storm surge. But one can never tell with Mother Nature, and when a huge tree fell on Lisa's house, burying itself inside the living area, the good fortune that saw both women in the bedroom, hit them hard.

As the cleanup began, Lisa was shocked to know Rolf would be arriving from Melbourne to repair her house. He'd put his writing career on hold for the time it took. When he arrived he was accompanied by a well-known opera singer, Renata Ramsay, but she soon jumped in to help those who'd been impacted the most. Then Ellie Bright arrived from Sydney, a young publicist, to interview both Renata and Rolf. As the locals worked side by side with the people from away, they came to know one another. A disaster always brought out the best in people, and it was showing after Pixie. But the tensions that continued to rumble through Lisa, with the one thing she'd never told anyone grabbing her, threatened her emotions - what was she to do? Was it time to unburden herself?

The Wife's Secret is another exceptional contemporary novel by Aussie author Barbara Hannay which I was completely absorbed in. The cyclone was terrifying, and completely realistic (as the author has been through them herself) while the characters were wonderful. A heartwarming, feel good story from a master at her game, The Wife's Secret is one I recommend highly.

With thanks to Penguin Random House AU for my ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

[Helen]

This is another beautiful story from Barbara Hannay, her stories are moving, relatable they have awesome characters who are so easy to like and get to know and the settings are the best, this one starts with a cyclone, cyclone Pixie we are at Beacon Bay in Far North Queensland, it was a hard book to put down.

Rolf and Lisa Anders had a bitter divorce years ago and both have moved on with their lives, Rolf living further up north and he has made his dream come true of becoming a successful author and Lisa has become a pillar in the community of Beacon Bay she is on many committees and always ready with a helping hand, but when the cyclone comes through and a tee falls on the roof on Lisa’s house, their youngest son Dave who is now owner of a café in Beacon Bay convinces his builder father to come back and repair the house that he built for his family, this causes some tension, especially when Rolf arrives with the beautiful opera singer Renata.

Then arriving in town is young Ellie, Renata’s publicist but with the town in turmoil with no electricity and trees down and all the damage done Ellie ends up meeting Dave Anders and there is a spark, Ellie ends up staying at Dave’s small flat above the café, will there be a romance between Ellie and Dave?

With Rolf and Lisa pushed into spending time together as the community rebuilds, maybe it is time to open up about the past and see if there can be a future for friendship after all that they have been through in the past as a family, but will it turn into more than just friendship can Lisa risk her heart and let her secret out and can Rolf put all that happened behind and look to rebuilding their relationship?

I loved this story, I felt like I was in the cyclone the writing is so real and Lisa and Rolf are such awesome characters they are so real and MS Hannay has bought them to life on the pages I felt all of the emotions they both felt, and Dave and Ellie I loved them too they both deserve such happiness and maybe Beacon Bay is the best place for Ellie to make her future in.

I loved the way the community came together after the cyclone the effort that was put into rebuilding and I felt what they all went through, this is a story that I do highly recommend, I loved it and I never miss a Barbara Hannay story they are must reads they are always a wonderful read and so very heartwarming.

My thanks to Penguin Random House for my copy to read and review.

[Suzanne]

What a book ! Loved it . I still talk about it and think about it. What I enjoyed about this book was the characters and the romance. I felt every bit of it. Barbara's writing makes you feel like you are part of the family. I loved the storyline it was realistic especially for me as I live in an area which has experienced both floods and fires. This book had me feeling so many emotions. I cried tears of happiness, I was smiling and I was laughing. This book is about relationships and regrets. This book will stay with me for a long time. Highly recommend.

[Sharon]

I’ve only read a few books by this author and what I’ve read so far I’ve enjoyed including this one.
The Wife’s Secret has likeable characters and is set in Beacon Bay in far North Queensland. I love that this story captures the true meaning of community spirit and how a community comes together to help one another in a crisis.
 
Once again, Aussie author Barbara Hannay has written another enjoyable feel-good story, one which I highly recommend to anyone looking for their next read.

[Brooke - Brooke's Reading Life]

**2.5 stars**

While the reviews for this one seem to be majority positive, I didn't get into it that much. There were parts I liked but I didn't feel overly connected to the characters and to be brutally honest there were sections that I just found a bit boring and/or unnecessary. I was slightly surprised at the ending in relation to the lead characters Lisa and Rolf but that's not necessarily a bad thing, it was just unexpected to me. I did enjoy reading about the community spirit of the town when everyone was happy to help each other before, during and after a cyclone event.
Overall: I'd describe this one as okay. Not great but not bad either; not one I'd go out of my way to recommend but if you like the sound of it then definitely give it a go.

[Craig and Phil]

Thank you Penguin for sending us a copy to read and review.
I’ve been a fan of Barbara Hannay for many years now.
Her delightful, bright and drama filled stories always warm the heart.
Lisa and Rolf have moved on since the demise of their marriage.
Rolf becoming a successful author and Lisa has stayed in the small community of Beacon Bay and made a new life.
Then a raging cyclone storms through the town.
Dave, their son, talks Rolf into coming back to fix the family home that Lisa still lives in and Rolf built when they were together.
But he doesn’t arrive alone and jealousy starts.
With the arrival of Renata, a famous opera star and a publicist Ellie, it’s time to shake up the drama.
As the rebuild begins, hearts flutters, people come together, the past resurfaces, secrets revealed, theres team spirit and second chance romance.
An alluring contemporary fiction read.
Barbara is a dependable author who constantly assembles well crafted, compelling and highly engaging stories.
I always feel satisfied and content after finishing a Barbara book.
They give you all the feels, touch the emotions and make you smile.
Rich in emotion, a charming plot and an eye catching cover all knitted together for a splendid reading experience.

[Carolyn]

The Wife's Secret by Barbara Hannay is a brand new story set in Queensland's tropical far north and Atherton Tablelands.

Two different dreams, one violent storm ~ is the damage beyond repair?

It tells us of the damages that a cyclone 🌀 can bring and how it can destroy lives.

On a lighter note, be prepared to enjoy Chocolate Sachertorte Cake 🎂 🍫 and other gourmet delights!!! 😊

I'm sure you'll all enjoy this latest novel by one of Australia's leading authors, Barbara Hannay at her finest.

Thank you to Penguin Random House, Publishers for an advance copy of this book.

It's an absolute delight!

[Suzanne]

Was a nice read. A nice way to relax by reading this with a coffee. Loved the characters. I think bringing the old boyfriend back was unnecessary though it didn’t add anything to the story.

[Michelle]

Another Brilliant Barbara Hannay book. Ellie is definitely my favourite character in this book. I loved it heaps. Great job Barbara on another page turner.

[Nerelle Donnelly]

Cyclones aren’t all destruction and mayhem….sometimes they clear a path.

This story is told from multiple points of view, and is a tale of second chances, recovery, new beginnings, community spirit and hopeful futures, all set in the beautiful tropical north Queensland location of Beacon Bay.

I really enjoyed immersing myself into this small town romance and found Barbara’s characters to be diverse, with a variety of personalities that seemed to bring the story together effortlessly. Her fabulous writing skill had me “experiencing” a cyclone and its full fury for the very first time, which really had me on edge, as well as feeling the tranquillity and beauty of the incredible seaside and tropical locations.

The Wife’s Secret is an emotional journey, with laughter, heartbreak, hope and sheer determination, watching relationships under stress while others are trying to begin. Cyclone Pixie brings along its devastation but also brings the community of Beacon Bay together, including an opera singer, builder come author extraordinaire, PR newbie, master chef and volunteer extraordinaire.

This is a relaxing easy to read book that kept me engaged throughout, leaving me fully entertained with a sense of enjoyment, and I would encourage readers to grab a copy and join the Beacon Bay community.

#thewifessecret
#barbarahannay
#cleanupromance
#penguinbooksaustralia

[Margi]

This is the 5th book I've read by this author and I've really enjoyed them all. This was a heartwarming story with wonderful characters and very easy to read and get absorbed in. Just my kind of book! If you're after a feel good book with a happy ending, this could be your next read.

[Annie Robson]

Refreshingly different. Refreshingly real. Beautifully crafted.

[Maggie]

Loved it!

[Kim Solleder]

another wonderful story from Barbara Hannay, she is becoming one of my favourite authors, takes you away from the world for awhile

[Cathleen Ross]

This is one of Hannay's best stories and I've read a lot. She is a master writer after writing so many books. She appears to do it with ease, even though she probably sweated blood and tears. It's a really good set up, where Lisa and Rolf are divorced. He is a respected quality builder, who built their far north Queensland house. Except Rolf has a dream. He wants to be a writer and suddenly this builder and devoted family man wants to do something for himself. Write!
Poor Lisa can't get her head around Rolf's new passion and the marriage breaks down. Their sons have grown up and Rolf moves interstate, becoming a best-selling author, one who gets to make money out of his passion. Lisa continues on her life, working and volunteering. Helping everyone in her small community. Then a cyclone moves in and turns the town unsidedown, taking part of the roof of Lisa's house. Lisa and Rolf's son, ave, begs Rolf to come and fix Lisa's house because builders are scarce up north. Both Rolf and Lisa have to re-look at their ruined marriage. A horrible secret is revealed. Can Lisa and Rolf repair their relationship when the truth comes out?

[Catsalive]

A very entertaining book. I love the setting on the Cassowary Coast of North Queensland, in the small town of Beacon Bay that has just been devastated by Cyclone Pixie. The characters are likeable & believable as the community bands together, helping each other in the recovery effort.

While I didn't particularly like Lisa Anders, I did enjoy the family dynamic between her, ex-husband Rolf & son Dave. Rolf is particularly interesting as he has recently become a celebrated author after being a successful builder for most of his life; he's a very well-rounded character & I like the way he is as comfortable with wood as he is with writing. I'm glad Renata Ramsay made her decision before hearing about Mateo Diaz' interest in "The Magic Flute" - I wish I could hear her sing :0) The name Ellie Bright makes me think of someone beaming & perky, perhaps that feeling is enhanced by Pixie.

I enjoyed this engaging & relaxing tale.

[Natalie M]

Fantastic summer read!

Set in tropical Beacon Bay, north Queensland, The Wife’s Secret is a heartwarming story of second chances, recovery, and community spirit. Told from multiple perspectives, it combines romance, hope, and resilience against the backdrop of Cyclone Pixie, which devastates and unites the town.

The diverse characters—an opera singer, a builder-turned-author, a PR rookie, and a master chef—bring the story to life, and I enjoyed my first foray with the author's writing style.

Ultimately, it is a feel-good read with some humour, some sadness and a lot of Queensland spirit. An easy-to-read novel that was really entertaining

[Heather Reyburn]

Living through a tropical cyclone must be terrifying for anyone, but in this delightful story, Barbara brings the community together in many ways. Lisa and Rolf have been divorced for years but find an unexpected understanding while dealing with the aftermath. Their son Dave has troubles of his own when his cafe is trashed in the storm, and a glamorous stage star and her young publicist create a stir when they try to help.
Set in the Queensland tropics, this beautiful book reminds us about hope and love, even in troubled times.

[Wendy]

This book was such a great read …. Loved it

[Mary Sefton]

Loved it. Such strong characters and emotions. Great story line.

[Lyn]

A very enjoyable book where the characters were likeable and credible, and where each of them managed to find their way after confronting their vulnerabilities.

[Nicole Hopkins]

Great easy read.
Really disappointed lisa never told Rolf she missed the partnership of their business and her contribution to that, hence why she was against his writing and change of career

[Kim]

very easy read

[Mum2abc Janson]

not my usual read. but enjoyable

[Jill Shortt]

Very light and predictable but lovely setting and great escapism.

[Leanne Freeman]

Beautiful story, such a good read

[Morag]

Fantastic

[Elaine]

First book I’ve read from this author, the story dragged on about nothing in particular