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Her Family Secret
What if the father you never knew, left behind a heartbreaking secret? June Westwood is devastated by the news the father she never met has died. Now the truth about why Jasper abandoned her as a child will be buried forever. Escaping to the secluded beach house she's inherited, June hopes to spend time bonding with her two little daughters, away from her hectic job and failing marriage. On the wild shores of the Pacific Northwest, her father's hideaway leaves June breathless. But it's his oil paintings decorating every wall that surprise her most. How could someone paint other people so beautifully, but reject those closest to him? And why is every drawer in her father's workshop locked? June hopes her new neighbor--her father's apprentice Caleb--will provide the answers. But Caleb won't talk about the past. Then, hidden in her father's workshop, June discovers a box of newspaper clippings that reveal the shocking reason why her father left years ago--and uncovers Caleb's own devastating secret . . . When her old life comes calling, June has an impossible decision to make. Will digging deeper into her father's dark past heal or destroy her precious family?
290 pages, Paperback
Published May 13, 2021
1358 people are currently reading
862 people want to read
About the author
Melissa Wiesner
17 books955 followersMelissa Wiesner’s mother didn’t allow her to watch much TV as a child and instead, made her play with paint, colorful pipe cleaners, random bits of fabric, and all manner of other crafty things. This set Melissa up for a lifetime of creative pursuits, and it was only a matter of time before things took a bookish turn.
A night-owl, Melissa began writing novels when her early-to-bed family retired for the evening. She is the award-winning author of both emotional women’s fiction and romantic comedies. Melissa’s book, His Secret Daughter was an Amazon bestseller, The Second Chance Year was a Book of the Month add-on pick, and It All Comes Back to You will soon be translated into almost a dozen languages.
Along with her charming husband and two adorable children, Melissa splits her time between the big city of Pittsburgh, PA and rural West Virginia.
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A night-owl, Melissa began writing novels when her early-to-bed family retired for the evening. She is the award-winning author of both emotional women’s fiction and romantic comedies. Melissa’s book, His Secret Daughter was an Amazon bestseller, The Second Chance Year was a Book of the Month add-on pick, and It All Comes Back to You will soon be translated into almost a dozen languages.
Along with her charming husband and two adorable children, Melissa splits her time between the big city of Pittsburgh, PA and rural West Virginia.
Sign up for Melissa's newsletter! https://www.melissawiesner.com/contact
Website: melissawiesner.com
Instagram: @melissawiesnerauthor
Facebook: MelissaWiesnerAuthor
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 116 reviews
March 15, 2022
Her Family Secret by Melissa Wiesner is a women’s fiction novel with a little romance, a little mystery and a whole lot of heart. The story in Her Family Secret is one that is told by changing the point of view between the characters to give both perspectives in the story.
June Westwood and her two sisters grew up with their mother never having known who their father was or why he wasn’t in their lives. One day out of the blue June gets a phone call informing her that her father was a famous artist and he has now passed away naming her and her sisters in his will.
After some problems in her life June packs up her daughters and heads to Wishing Cove where her father had lived along with her sisters. The women all wonder what it was that kept the man out of their lives and hope that his artistic protege, Caleb, will have the answers that they seek.
Her Family Secret by Melissa Wiesner was an engaging read that easily pulled me into the story. There were plenty of secrets to uncover from the past and the present and I certainly enjoyed the ride to figure it all out. The characters all had their struggles and grew within the pages which was great to see. Would definitely read this author again in the future.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
June Westwood and her two sisters grew up with their mother never having known who their father was or why he wasn’t in their lives. One day out of the blue June gets a phone call informing her that her father was a famous artist and he has now passed away naming her and her sisters in his will.
After some problems in her life June packs up her daughters and heads to Wishing Cove where her father had lived along with her sisters. The women all wonder what it was that kept the man out of their lives and hope that his artistic protege, Caleb, will have the answers that they seek.
Her Family Secret by Melissa Wiesner was an engaging read that easily pulled me into the story. There were plenty of secrets to uncover from the past and the present and I certainly enjoyed the ride to figure it all out. The characters all had their struggles and grew within the pages which was great to see. Would definitely read this author again in the future.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
May 16, 2021
June is living the storybook life--fabulous career, two children, and a rich and handsome husband--when she is summoned out of the blue to the beautiful beach house of a father who abandoned her and has recently died. June and her two sisters find out that their long-lost father is a famous artist, and they are heirs to his fortune. They eventually meet up at the beach house to take care of his affairs. When June arrives first, she meets Caleb, her father's protege, and things do not go well. Will she ever get answers as to why her father abandoned them?
This is well written women's fiction with a bit of romance, but it is much more than a romance. June's anger at her father for his abandonment is the true focus of the story, and she begins to go through his belongings, looking for answers. We are drawn into the art world and introduced to June's father through his paintings. The biggest theme in this story is sacrifice. June and her father have both made sacrifices and life-changing choices. Were they right to do so? Mental health issues are also discussed. This is a beautifully written story of a family, with all its bumps and bruises, and of a busy woman who pauses at a crossroads long enough to look at her future. Fans of women's fiction and romance will enjoy this book.
I received a free copy of this book from Bookouture via Netgalley. My review is voluntary.
This is well written women's fiction with a bit of romance, but it is much more than a romance. June's anger at her father for his abandonment is the true focus of the story, and she begins to go through his belongings, looking for answers. We are drawn into the art world and introduced to June's father through his paintings. The biggest theme in this story is sacrifice. June and her father have both made sacrifices and life-changing choices. Were they right to do so? Mental health issues are also discussed. This is a beautifully written story of a family, with all its bumps and bruises, and of a busy woman who pauses at a crossroads long enough to look at her future. Fans of women's fiction and romance will enjoy this book.
I received a free copy of this book from Bookouture via Netgalley. My review is voluntary.
January 9, 2023
4.5 Stars
This was a fairly fast paced and enjoyable book that I found hard to put down. It's a wonderful debut novel by the author, Melissa Wiesner, about a woman's emotional journey into her past while dealing with her current life and trying to envision what her future could be.
Junes is the main character in the book. Most of her life was spent taking care of others from the time she was a child because her father left and her mother was hardly present. She had two sisters to care for right through college. Even once married, she cared for her husband and two children without giving much attention to her own needs.
Now, the father she never really knew has died and left she and her two sisters his property and most of his possessions in Whispering Cove, Washington. Could this be a fresh start for her? Read about the incredible strength of family bonds and the healing power of love to to find out the whole store. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
This was a fairly fast paced and enjoyable book that I found hard to put down. It's a wonderful debut novel by the author, Melissa Wiesner, about a woman's emotional journey into her past while dealing with her current life and trying to envision what her future could be.
Junes is the main character in the book. Most of her life was spent taking care of others from the time she was a child because her father left and her mother was hardly present. She had two sisters to care for right through college. Even once married, she cared for her husband and two children without giving much attention to her own needs.
Now, the father she never really knew has died and left she and her two sisters his property and most of his possessions in Whispering Cove, Washington. Could this be a fresh start for her? Read about the incredible strength of family bonds and the healing power of love to to find out the whole store. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
May 4, 2021
I absolutely loved this story! Wishing Cove is the perfect place for June Westwood to start over. One might think she needed rest from a recent car accident, when what she really needed was a new start after some blinding news about who her father was. When she gets news that the father she barely remembers is a famous artist, and that he’s willed her a fabulous house in Wishing Cove, she decides to travel and see for herself what Jasper Luc gave up his family for.
This book is filled with warmth and real life relationships. Melissa Wiesner manages to give us stock in all the characters, secondary as well as main, including June’s two children who play a nice role but aren’t overdone.
Caleb our super talented hero is an artist who struggles with depression and doesn’t believe that he’s worth the time it takes for a real relationship to root. But oh, he is. There’s more to him than a diagnosis, and the way he introduces June’s girls to oil crayons just made me want to go out and buy some for myself. It’s obvious that the author has a knowledge of art, color, paint, and all the smells and textures that come with that.
As for June’s husband…yes he’s alive. I’ll let you read about him for yourself.
There is a moment near the end when Caleb (our HERO) is standing in the rain. I don’t want to say much more, except that I could feel every emotion. It brought a tear to my eye.
This is a story that will stick with me for quite some time.
Highly recommend!
I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review. (which was quite easy to give)
This book is filled with warmth and real life relationships. Melissa Wiesner manages to give us stock in all the characters, secondary as well as main, including June’s two children who play a nice role but aren’t overdone.
Caleb our super talented hero is an artist who struggles with depression and doesn’t believe that he’s worth the time it takes for a real relationship to root. But oh, he is. There’s more to him than a diagnosis, and the way he introduces June’s girls to oil crayons just made me want to go out and buy some for myself. It’s obvious that the author has a knowledge of art, color, paint, and all the smells and textures that come with that.
As for June’s husband…yes he’s alive. I’ll let you read about him for yourself.
There is a moment near the end when Caleb (our HERO) is standing in the rain. I don’t want to say much more, except that I could feel every emotion. It brought a tear to my eye.
This is a story that will stick with me for quite some time.
Highly recommend!
I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review. (which was quite easy to give)
April 6, 2021
Ever felt like you’d like to grab the steering wheel, tap on the brakes and make a u-turn in life?
Juniper Westwood feels that this world has always fit her like the wrong-sized pants. She’s always had a sense of being out of place. An accident and an unexpected phone call cause her to grab her most precious possessions, her two little girls, and head for Wishing Cove, Washington. It’s here, on a small plot of land at the edge of a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean, that for a brief, fleeting time, all the pieces of her life slot into place exactly where they belong. It takes a reclusive artist apprentice to help her see that just because her life was always headed in one direction, it didn’t mean that she couldn’t take a turn.
There’s nothing quite like a global pandemic to shake things up and change our perspective. Maybe, like June, we can take some time out for ourselves and focus on what we want. Maybe the rat race we were accustomed to is of our own creating. Maybe it’s the one we think we’re supposed to have. What if it isn’t the one we want? What then? We could learn from June and stop wasting time on what we think we are supposed to do and use this time to find out what truly makes us happy.
Melissa Wiesner, in “Her Family Secret,” writes about the importance of making time for love, art and possibility. Her gentle approach to dealing with the hurdles life throws our way, her layered and loveable characters, and her focus on mental health make this a fantastic read. I loved how Juniper’s sisters dropped everything for the summer to come to Wishing Cove to support their big sister; they share the burden as well as take time to process how this life changing information will affect them. I loved broody Caleb and his approach in dealing with June. I’m a big fan of authors showing, not telling, the action and Wiesner deftly taps into reader’s emotions while highlighting characters’ bold moves in reclaiming what they need in order to move on.
I highly recommend this insightful glimpse into dealing with challenges, chasing what makes us come alive, surrounding ourselves with those who really ‘see’ us and reminding us to nurture our psychological health.
I was gifted this advance copy by Melissa Wiesner, Bookouture and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.
Publishes May 28, 2021
Juniper Westwood feels that this world has always fit her like the wrong-sized pants. She’s always had a sense of being out of place. An accident and an unexpected phone call cause her to grab her most precious possessions, her two little girls, and head for Wishing Cove, Washington. It’s here, on a small plot of land at the edge of a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean, that for a brief, fleeting time, all the pieces of her life slot into place exactly where they belong. It takes a reclusive artist apprentice to help her see that just because her life was always headed in one direction, it didn’t mean that she couldn’t take a turn.
There’s nothing quite like a global pandemic to shake things up and change our perspective. Maybe, like June, we can take some time out for ourselves and focus on what we want. Maybe the rat race we were accustomed to is of our own creating. Maybe it’s the one we think we’re supposed to have. What if it isn’t the one we want? What then? We could learn from June and stop wasting time on what we think we are supposed to do and use this time to find out what truly makes us happy.
Melissa Wiesner, in “Her Family Secret,” writes about the importance of making time for love, art and possibility. Her gentle approach to dealing with the hurdles life throws our way, her layered and loveable characters, and her focus on mental health make this a fantastic read. I loved how Juniper’s sisters dropped everything for the summer to come to Wishing Cove to support their big sister; they share the burden as well as take time to process how this life changing information will affect them. I loved broody Caleb and his approach in dealing with June. I’m a big fan of authors showing, not telling, the action and Wiesner deftly taps into reader’s emotions while highlighting characters’ bold moves in reclaiming what they need in order to move on.
I highly recommend this insightful glimpse into dealing with challenges, chasing what makes us come alive, surrounding ourselves with those who really ‘see’ us and reminding us to nurture our psychological health.
I was gifted this advance copy by Melissa Wiesner, Bookouture and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.
Publishes May 28, 2021
April 15, 2021
This layered and emotional book is about June, a woman who discovers an earth shattering truth about her past and identity. In an effort to come to terms with the revelation, she and her two, young daughters take (temporary) leave of the East Coast and her unhappy marriage, sights set on serene Wish Cove, WA. There, she learns about a father she never knew, an inheritance that could change her life, and a man whose artistic talents and personal struggles prod her to take a hard look inward.
HER FAMILY SECRET grapples with weight subjects: the healing power of art, the stigma and turmoil of mental illness, deep grief, and love. Each is woven into the story in a beautiful, thoughtful way. I greatly enjoyed the read!
HER FAMILY SECRET grapples with weight subjects: the healing power of art, the stigma and turmoil of mental illness, deep grief, and love. Each is woven into the story in a beautiful, thoughtful way. I greatly enjoyed the read!
April 18, 2021
I kindly received an eARC advance copy of this book to read and review though NetGalley.
This debut novel is this stunning read.
June is is the oldest of three sisters who grew up with a flaky and unreliable mother and two younger sisters, Sienna and Raven. Her father left them when the three girls were young and June has only the vaguest of memories of him.
The story starts with June getting a phone call to let her know that her father has died. She doesn’t realise her father was the renowned artist Jasper Luc, if she had she would have been able to contact him years ago.
June is driving when she gets this news and is in a car accident soon after. In hospital she senses that all is not well with her husband. She accidentally reads texts on his home computer when she is home and he admits to be having an affairs with his assistant. They work together but June cannot work for a few weeks after the accident.
She makes the decision to fly the next day with her two young daughters to Jasper’s home and studio in the Pacific North West outside Seattle to find out more about her father. While she is there, June meets her father’s protege Caleb, who we find suffers from manic depression as he did.
Caleb encourages June to start painting again and awakens this side of her that she has been concealing since she met her husband. June’s sisters arrive after some time and support her in connecting with Caleb. They don’t seem to have much time for her husband either.
I love how the title refers to a secret (singular) whereas there are so many layers of secrets. How Jasper used a different name after leaving his family, how he kept watching them from afar, June’s husband having an affair, how she denies her talent for years and hides under the facade of an accountant, the relationship between June and Caleb is hidden from her children, how Caleb doesn’t share his struggle with mental illness until near the end of the book, how the sisters don’t share what is happening in their lives until later.
The scenery also seemed to enhance the feeling of peace throughout this book. I struggled to put down this story until it was finished! Excellent read!
This debut novel is this stunning read.
June is is the oldest of three sisters who grew up with a flaky and unreliable mother and two younger sisters, Sienna and Raven. Her father left them when the three girls were young and June has only the vaguest of memories of him.
The story starts with June getting a phone call to let her know that her father has died. She doesn’t realise her father was the renowned artist Jasper Luc, if she had she would have been able to contact him years ago.
June is driving when she gets this news and is in a car accident soon after. In hospital she senses that all is not well with her husband. She accidentally reads texts on his home computer when she is home and he admits to be having an affairs with his assistant. They work together but June cannot work for a few weeks after the accident.
She makes the decision to fly the next day with her two young daughters to Jasper’s home and studio in the Pacific North West outside Seattle to find out more about her father. While she is there, June meets her father’s protege Caleb, who we find suffers from manic depression as he did.
Caleb encourages June to start painting again and awakens this side of her that she has been concealing since she met her husband. June’s sisters arrive after some time and support her in connecting with Caleb. They don’t seem to have much time for her husband either.
I love how the title refers to a secret (singular) whereas there are so many layers of secrets. How Jasper used a different name after leaving his family, how he kept watching them from afar, June’s husband having an affair, how she denies her talent for years and hides under the facade of an accountant, the relationship between June and Caleb is hidden from her children, how Caleb doesn’t share his struggle with mental illness until near the end of the book, how the sisters don’t share what is happening in their lives until later.
The scenery also seemed to enhance the feeling of peace throughout this book. I struggled to put down this story until it was finished! Excellent read!
April 9, 2021
I received an ARC from Bookouture through NetGalley for an honest review. June is about to leave on a mini vacation when she gets a phone call from her other. Her mother was supposed to be picking up her girls and watching them while she was away. Her mother called all excited that she was heading out with her latest boyfriend. June was angry her mother flaked on her once again. She decides she can't let her girls feel abandoned when no one is there to pick them up at school, so she tries calling her husband, but he doesn't answer his phone. She decides she has to give up her plans and heads back home.
She receives a phone call from a lawyer telling her that her father has died and left everything to her and her two sisters.
She ends up in an accident and while she is at the hospital she sees something that she later learns her instinct is true. She and the girls pack up their things and heads to Wishing Cove, Washington. Once there, she connects with her sisters and convinces them to come there too. Once they learn who their father was, they have a lot of questions. The only one who can answer them is Caleb, the man that has been with their father for the past twenty years. The son he never had.
It is an emotional but enlightening journey as they learn about their father, the decisions he made, and why he left them, and never tried to contact them. The sisters are seeing that their fathers death has put them on the path they need to be on. It isn't smooth as June decides when her husband shows up and convinces her after what he did that they belonged together and her and the girls go back home. Once there, she sees the difference in not only herself but the girls, so she tells her husband she wants a divorce and heads back to Wishing Cove.
Sometimes something bad happening is what it takes to bring you to where you need to be and see who you truly are. There are a few things like abandonment, mental illness, and suicide that they have to deal with and come to understand them. From Caleb, I learned that his family just couldn't understand him, but he also couldn't understand himself. Jasper, the famous artist could understand him because he could see a lot of himself in Caleb. In this book, I found emotions, hope, understanding, peeling away the layers of whom you became because of someone else, to become the person you are supposed to be. It's a journey of becoming.
She receives a phone call from a lawyer telling her that her father has died and left everything to her and her two sisters.
She ends up in an accident and while she is at the hospital she sees something that she later learns her instinct is true. She and the girls pack up their things and heads to Wishing Cove, Washington. Once there, she connects with her sisters and convinces them to come there too. Once they learn who their father was, they have a lot of questions. The only one who can answer them is Caleb, the man that has been with their father for the past twenty years. The son he never had.
It is an emotional but enlightening journey as they learn about their father, the decisions he made, and why he left them, and never tried to contact them. The sisters are seeing that their fathers death has put them on the path they need to be on. It isn't smooth as June decides when her husband shows up and convinces her after what he did that they belonged together and her and the girls go back home. Once there, she sees the difference in not only herself but the girls, so she tells her husband she wants a divorce and heads back to Wishing Cove.
Sometimes something bad happening is what it takes to bring you to where you need to be and see who you truly are. There are a few things like abandonment, mental illness, and suicide that they have to deal with and come to understand them. From Caleb, I learned that his family just couldn't understand him, but he also couldn't understand himself. Jasper, the famous artist could understand him because he could see a lot of himself in Caleb. In this book, I found emotions, hope, understanding, peeling away the layers of whom you became because of someone else, to become the person you are supposed to be. It's a journey of becoming.
May 5, 2021
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I must say, first of all, how much I loved the cover art of this novel. Diving into reading this, I was definitely in the mood for a women's fiction/drama. I read this book in 24 hours. June, a mom of two young daughters, sets off from her life that she has just realized is not at all what it seems, to the West Coast, to Washington state. She has just found out that she and her sisters have been named in their famous artist birthfather's will. When June gets to Wishing Cove, she is not only on the quest to find out all about her father's past, but soon discovers who she truly is and wants out of her life. Caleb, who was her father's protege lives on the property she has inherited. And boy, did I love Caleb's rugged, sexy, artistic character! I loved the authors writing style, and just devoured this book. For a debut novel, it was outstanding. If you are an art lover, you will definitely bond with this book, as so much about colors, palates, scenery, etc are described so well. 4.5 stars!
I must say, first of all, how much I loved the cover art of this novel. Diving into reading this, I was definitely in the mood for a women's fiction/drama. I read this book in 24 hours. June, a mom of two young daughters, sets off from her life that she has just realized is not at all what it seems, to the West Coast, to Washington state. She has just found out that she and her sisters have been named in their famous artist birthfather's will. When June gets to Wishing Cove, she is not only on the quest to find out all about her father's past, but soon discovers who she truly is and wants out of her life. Caleb, who was her father's protege lives on the property she has inherited. And boy, did I love Caleb's rugged, sexy, artistic character! I loved the authors writing style, and just devoured this book. For a debut novel, it was outstanding. If you are an art lover, you will definitely bond with this book, as so much about colors, palates, scenery, etc are described so well. 4.5 stars!
May 4, 2021
June squashed her true personality for many years. She had to support her younger sisters after her father walked out and her mother was flaky. She is the perfect wife and mother but one day it all cracks. June abandons her life and flees to discover who her father really was. I am always sucked into family mystery stories. I suspected Caleb’s secret at one point in the story. I liked the renewed ties between June and her sisters. June runs away a few times in the book, but eventually she has to face stark truths. I thought David was a smug jerk. I couldn’t really warm up to Caleb, but I liked he and June’s chemistry. It’s a good read about facing reality and pursuing your true passions while not accepting a stale life. Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the early copy/
November 9, 2023
This is now the second book I’ve read by Melissa Wiesner and I liked it even better than the first. It’s funny because, while there was nothing earth-shattering about this book, it was just so well done that I gave it five stars anyway. Both of her books so far have reminded me of hallmark movies in the way that they are just so cozy, but lacking the cheesiness which I so appreciate. They have been such a welcome reprieve since I’ve been wanting to deviate some from my typical genre(s) of choice.
April 14, 2021
Juniper, an overcommitted mother of two daughters, a working wife of an emotionally-absent- cheating husband is again disappointed by her own mother’s empty promises. Tragic circumstances intervene which give her the opportunity to escape for a time to courageously test out a new life. She, her girls and sisters, meet in the beautiful Northwest at the home and studio willed to the sisters by their artist father. She meets Caleb, her father's handsome and talented protege, and the attraction is mutual and the wonderful. But life is never so simple.
Ms Wiesner's description of the way in which the past impacts the present for these two is realistic and well formed. Her characters are interesting and complex, and the setting is perfect for this engaging romance.
It makes a very good read.
Ms Wiesner's description of the way in which the past impacts the present for these two is realistic and well formed. Her characters are interesting and complex, and the setting is perfect for this engaging romance.
It makes a very good read.
January 8, 2022
Such good characters
Could not say one bad thing about great book. Why did the three sisters dad leave them? And now to find out who he was
Could not say one bad thing about great book. Why did the three sisters dad leave them? And now to find out who he was
October 31, 2023
Pretty predictable from the first chapter.
March 23, 2025
This Was a great book!
April 14, 2021
In Melissa Wiesner’s Her Family Secret, June Westwood receives a phone call from her father’s lawyer telling her the father she doesn’t know has died. Her father, Jasper Luc- the artist- has left June and her two sisters his house in Wishing Cove, Washington, his paintings, and part of his studio. June’s personal life is a wreck with a cheating husband, so she moves along with her two children to her father’s home. Little did she know that this move would change her life. Caleb Valencia, her father’s apprentice, helps June learn more about herself and begin a life of second chances.
July 28, 2022
I live in the suburbs of Pittsburgh and recently stumbled upon Melissa's books thanks to a mutual friend. Love supporting local authors, especially when then stories keep me intrigued and invested throughout. This gem was so good I instantly went and downloaded the other one on hoopla via audiobook and I am already enchanted. A little bit of romance, while also touching on several important topics dealing with mental awareness, family dynamics, phobias etc.
April 14, 2021
Loved this book! Characters were engaging and the story line moved at a good pace. Can't wait to read her next book. Highly recommend!
July 2, 2025
Live the life that makes you happy… dealt with
mental illness and how to cope… enjoyable.
mental illness and how to cope… enjoyable.
May 16, 2021
This was such a fast-paced and enjoyable read, I couldn’t put it down. I liked the storyline and the characters, both the main characters and the secondary characters were very well developed. The author quickly transports you to Wishing Cove.
When June Westwood finds out that her father, whom she never met, had died, she thinks that she will never know the truth about why he left all those years ago. So, June and her sisters meet at their father’s beach house in the Pacific Northwest to take care of his affairs. They didn’t that their father is a famous artist and they inherit his house and his fortune. June is the first to arrive and she investigates to see if she can find any information about her father. When she meets Caleb, she is in for more than she bargained for, as their first meeting does not go well at all. Caleb was her father’s neighbor and protege. When June’s sisters arrive at the beach house, they join in the journey of finding answers to some questions they have had all their life. As they go through his belongings looking in to who their father was, they learn more about themselves then they ever realized.
I enjoyed this emotional story very much, and the underlying message of how important it is to always make time for family. I was so engrossed with the story and the multi-faceted characters. Thank you Melissa Wiesner for this fantastic read.
When June Westwood finds out that her father, whom she never met, had died, she thinks that she will never know the truth about why he left all those years ago. So, June and her sisters meet at their father’s beach house in the Pacific Northwest to take care of his affairs. They didn’t that their father is a famous artist and they inherit his house and his fortune. June is the first to arrive and she investigates to see if she can find any information about her father. When she meets Caleb, she is in for more than she bargained for, as their first meeting does not go well at all. Caleb was her father’s neighbor and protege. When June’s sisters arrive at the beach house, they join in the journey of finding answers to some questions they have had all their life. As they go through his belongings looking in to who their father was, they learn more about themselves then they ever realized.
I enjoyed this emotional story very much, and the underlying message of how important it is to always make time for family. I was so engrossed with the story and the multi-faceted characters. Thank you Melissa Wiesner for this fantastic read.
May 12, 2021
BLOG TOUR REVIEW
Review for 'Her Family Secret ' by Melissa Weisner.
Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Melissa Wiesner, Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous.
Publication date 17th May 2021.
This is the first book I have read by this author. It is also Melissa's debut novel.
I was originally drawn to this book by its beautiful eye catching cover and its intriguing synopsis. It also stated in the synopsis 'Fans of Diane Chamberlain, Kerry Lonsdale and Kerry Fisher will devour this powerful read from award-winning author Melissa Wiesner'. I am a fan of Kerry Fisher and Diane Chamberlain so am looking forward to see if it lives up to this. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Bookouture. I have yet to read a book published by Bookouture that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).
This novel consists of 32 chapters. The chapters are medium in length so possible to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!
This book is based in Washington, USA 🇺🇸.
This book is written in third person perspective with the main protagonists being June Westwood and Caleb Valencia. The benefits of third person perspective especially with are that it let's you see the bigger picture of what's going on and you get to know more characters more, what they are thinking and what they are doing. It feels like you get to see the whole picture and not miss out in anything.
This book is beautifully written with vivid descriptions that absolutely captivate Wishing Cove and brings it to life. The cover and synopsis suit the plot perfectly.
The storyline is a rollercoaster of emotions from love to loss, secrets to regrets and lost chances. It is so heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time. I was absolutely captivated and absorbed throughout, a beautiful page turner. It is one of this books that will give you hope and happiness when your feeling down. Melissa has obviously done her research on a certain subject and it shines through. I was addicted to this gorgeous novel. The setting is gorgeous and it makes me want to up and leave on a plane. I am so glad it ended the way it did.
The characters were realistic and each had their own unique personalities. I loved how circumstances went from so bleak for many of them to working out the way it did. Where there is rain there will be a rainbow and this book and the characters really do show this. I loved the bond between June, Raven, Sierra, Emma and Izzy and how they overcame what was thrown at them. I fell in love with Caleb and my heart really went out to him. I felt so sorry for him after something happened and disgusted with way June reacted unfairly. I would love to read more about these amazing characters and Wishing Cove.
Overall a gorgeous heart breaking but at the same time heart warming page turner that will take your breathe away.
Some of my favourite quotes from the book include the following :
🚒 "She’ll need to put out the fire. Baking soda. The fireman that came to her first-grade class said to use baking soda." You learn something new every day!!
Genres covered in this book include Holiday Fiction and Romance amongst others.
I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of Jodi Picoult, Diane Chamberlain and Kerry Fisher and anyone looking for a gorgeous summer read.
301 pages.
This book is just 99p to purchase on kindle via Amazon which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!
Rated 5 /5 (I LOVED it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.
Feel free to add me on Goodreads or follow me on my website or Facebook for more reviews
#HerFamilySecret #Bookouture #MelissaWiesner #NetGalley #BookReview #BlogTour #BooksOnTour
@MelissaWiesner @Bookouture @Bookworm1986 @bookworm86
https://kcmw86.wixsite.com/bookworm86
https://m.facebook.com/Bookworm1986/?...
https://m.facebook.com/Bookwork86/?__...
Review for 'Her Family Secret ' by Melissa Weisner.
Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Melissa Wiesner, Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous.
Publication date 17th May 2021.
This is the first book I have read by this author. It is also Melissa's debut novel.
I was originally drawn to this book by its beautiful eye catching cover and its intriguing synopsis. It also stated in the synopsis 'Fans of Diane Chamberlain, Kerry Lonsdale and Kerry Fisher will devour this powerful read from award-winning author Melissa Wiesner'. I am a fan of Kerry Fisher and Diane Chamberlain so am looking forward to see if it lives up to this. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Bookouture. I have yet to read a book published by Bookouture that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).
This novel consists of 32 chapters. The chapters are medium in length so possible to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!
This book is based in Washington, USA 🇺🇸.
This book is written in third person perspective with the main protagonists being June Westwood and Caleb Valencia. The benefits of third person perspective especially with are that it let's you see the bigger picture of what's going on and you get to know more characters more, what they are thinking and what they are doing. It feels like you get to see the whole picture and not miss out in anything.
This book is beautifully written with vivid descriptions that absolutely captivate Wishing Cove and brings it to life. The cover and synopsis suit the plot perfectly.
The storyline is a rollercoaster of emotions from love to loss, secrets to regrets and lost chances. It is so heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time. I was absolutely captivated and absorbed throughout, a beautiful page turner. It is one of this books that will give you hope and happiness when your feeling down. Melissa has obviously done her research on a certain subject and it shines through. I was addicted to this gorgeous novel. The setting is gorgeous and it makes me want to up and leave on a plane. I am so glad it ended the way it did.
The characters were realistic and each had their own unique personalities. I loved how circumstances went from so bleak for many of them to working out the way it did. Where there is rain there will be a rainbow and this book and the characters really do show this. I loved the bond between June, Raven, Sierra, Emma and Izzy and how they overcame what was thrown at them. I fell in love with Caleb and my heart really went out to him. I felt so sorry for him after something happened and disgusted with way June reacted unfairly. I would love to read more about these amazing characters and Wishing Cove.
Overall a gorgeous heart breaking but at the same time heart warming page turner that will take your breathe away.
Some of my favourite quotes from the book include the following :
🚒 "She’ll need to put out the fire. Baking soda. The fireman that came to her first-grade class said to use baking soda." You learn something new every day!!
Genres covered in this book include Holiday Fiction and Romance amongst others.
I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of Jodi Picoult, Diane Chamberlain and Kerry Fisher and anyone looking for a gorgeous summer read.
301 pages.
This book is just 99p to purchase on kindle via Amazon which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!
Rated 5 /5 (I LOVED it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.
Feel free to add me on Goodreads or follow me on my website or Facebook for more reviews
#HerFamilySecret #Bookouture #MelissaWiesner #NetGalley #BookReview #BlogTour #BooksOnTour
@MelissaWiesner @Bookouture @Bookworm1986 @bookworm86
https://kcmw86.wixsite.com/bookworm86
https://m.facebook.com/Bookworm1986/?...
https://m.facebook.com/Bookwork86/?__...
February 20, 2024
seeing clearly
Another great read by the talented Melissa Weisner. This book felt different from her prior books, and I’m still mulling over it all.
The story felt like a journey that moved effortlessly through time, drifting into the past and reemerging into the present.
I love how much hope the main characters had. It was like Melissa had taken their current lives and replaced it with a blank canvas for them to create their new one on.
The book is about June, a wife, mother, sister, accountant, and painter who was forced to grow up too fast after her father abandoned her and her sisters when they were young. Junes mother isn’t responsible and June ends up stepping into the caregiver role in her home. She soothes everyone else, cooks, cleans, and works hard to make sure all of their dreams come true. She literally sacrificed all of her dreams for everyone else’s.
She finds out her life isn’t quite what it seems after receiving a phone call from a lawyer disclosing her fathers identity and sharing his will. Shock consumes her and she abruptly stops her car in the middle of the highway. Unfortunately the car behind her slams into her and she is hospitalized. After recovering in the hospital she leaves everything she has created in pursuit of the unknown.She leaves her rotten husband behind and takes her girls with her vowing to return after the summer.
She arrives at her fathers estate and begins to unravel who her father really was. She has so few memories of him. On the new property she encourages her sisters to join her in her quest to uncover who their dad was and they agree to join her.
The family clicks and life feels lighter, June even finds herself attracted to her late father’s apprentice who knows more about her father than he’s willing to share.
June pushes him for information desperate to know what her father was like, hungry to know why she wasn’t good enough for him to stay. Caleb, the apprentice has secrets of his own but will the connection they feel for one another provide a safety net for all of those secrets to fall out onto?
I really enjoyed the book. It was fast paced and easy to read. I was interested from start to finish, though it didn’t tug deeply at my emotions like her other books have.
This book touches heavily on mental illness, bipolar disorder, suicide, and finding out who you are amidst who you believe you need to be in order to survive.
Another great read by the talented Melissa Weisner. This book felt different from her prior books, and I’m still mulling over it all.
The story felt like a journey that moved effortlessly through time, drifting into the past and reemerging into the present.
I love how much hope the main characters had. It was like Melissa had taken their current lives and replaced it with a blank canvas for them to create their new one on.
The book is about June, a wife, mother, sister, accountant, and painter who was forced to grow up too fast after her father abandoned her and her sisters when they were young. Junes mother isn’t responsible and June ends up stepping into the caregiver role in her home. She soothes everyone else, cooks, cleans, and works hard to make sure all of their dreams come true. She literally sacrificed all of her dreams for everyone else’s.
She finds out her life isn’t quite what it seems after receiving a phone call from a lawyer disclosing her fathers identity and sharing his will. Shock consumes her and she abruptly stops her car in the middle of the highway. Unfortunately the car behind her slams into her and she is hospitalized. After recovering in the hospital she leaves everything she has created in pursuit of the unknown.She leaves her rotten husband behind and takes her girls with her vowing to return after the summer.
She arrives at her fathers estate and begins to unravel who her father really was. She has so few memories of him. On the new property she encourages her sisters to join her in her quest to uncover who their dad was and they agree to join her.
The family clicks and life feels lighter, June even finds herself attracted to her late father’s apprentice who knows more about her father than he’s willing to share.
June pushes him for information desperate to know what her father was like, hungry to know why she wasn’t good enough for him to stay. Caleb, the apprentice has secrets of his own but will the connection they feel for one another provide a safety net for all of those secrets to fall out onto?
I really enjoyed the book. It was fast paced and easy to read. I was interested from start to finish, though it didn’t tug deeply at my emotions like her other books have.
This book touches heavily on mental illness, bipolar disorder, suicide, and finding out who you are amidst who you believe you need to be in order to survive.
August 29, 2025
This compelling story grabbed me right away and never let go. Seriously, it's that good! Here's a bit of the plot, with no big spoilers.
June (our heroine) learns that she and her two sisters have inherited the estate of Jasper Luc, a famous painter who'd abandoned them when they were young children. Curious to learn more about their father, June leaves her unfaithful husband (David) in Connecticut and takes their two small daughters to Jasper's secluded beach house in Wishing Cove, two hours north of Seattle.
June is admiring the paintings in Jasper's studio when she's confronted by Caleb--Jasper's apprentice and her new neighbor. Caleb doesn't want her here, invading his space, and she's not impressed with his rumpled clothes, scraggly beard, and too-long hair. But their initial animosity soon morphs into tentative friendship and something more, as June learns that both Jasper and Caleb struggled with bipolar disorder, which ultimately led to Jasper's death.
June's little girls love their new home, where June's sisters join them for an extended visit. June rediscovers her talent for painting--something she gave up years ago, when she became an accountant in her husband's firm. She is ready to leave her old life behind, and embrace her new life as an artist and the love she's found with Caleb. But David shows up, wanting her back, and Caleb decides he can't ask her to give up her life of safety and security to take a risk on a guy with bipolar disorder. He figures June and her girls would be better off without him.
Will June return to Connecticut and her stultifying existence with David in a world that "had always fit her like wrong-sized pants?" Or will she "stop wasting any more time on what she was supposed to do, and find out what would truly make her happy?" Read this gripping, emotional, unforgettable story to find out.
Kudos to the author for her sensitive descriptions of bipolar disorder, an incurable mental health condition that can be treated with medications and psychotherapy. Kudos also for immersive Pacific Northwest settings, likable characters, very limited profanity, closed door romantic scenes, and a plot that touches every emotion, from smiles to tears. Highly recommended!
June (our heroine) learns that she and her two sisters have inherited the estate of Jasper Luc, a famous painter who'd abandoned them when they were young children. Curious to learn more about their father, June leaves her unfaithful husband (David) in Connecticut and takes their two small daughters to Jasper's secluded beach house in Wishing Cove, two hours north of Seattle.
June is admiring the paintings in Jasper's studio when she's confronted by Caleb--Jasper's apprentice and her new neighbor. Caleb doesn't want her here, invading his space, and she's not impressed with his rumpled clothes, scraggly beard, and too-long hair. But their initial animosity soon morphs into tentative friendship and something more, as June learns that both Jasper and Caleb struggled with bipolar disorder, which ultimately led to Jasper's death.
June's little girls love their new home, where June's sisters join them for an extended visit. June rediscovers her talent for painting--something she gave up years ago, when she became an accountant in her husband's firm. She is ready to leave her old life behind, and embrace her new life as an artist and the love she's found with Caleb. But David shows up, wanting her back, and Caleb decides he can't ask her to give up her life of safety and security to take a risk on a guy with bipolar disorder. He figures June and her girls would be better off without him.
Will June return to Connecticut and her stultifying existence with David in a world that "had always fit her like wrong-sized pants?" Or will she "stop wasting any more time on what she was supposed to do, and find out what would truly make her happy?" Read this gripping, emotional, unforgettable story to find out.
Kudos to the author for her sensitive descriptions of bipolar disorder, an incurable mental health condition that can be treated with medications and psychotherapy. Kudos also for immersive Pacific Northwest settings, likable characters, very limited profanity, closed door romantic scenes, and a plot that touches every emotion, from smiles to tears. Highly recommended!
May 31, 2021
Trigger warning: this book contains mental health and suicide
June Westwood has a seemingly perfect life. Two gorgeous daughters, a successful husband and business. She is heading off on a trip to meet old friends when her mother lets her down. AGAIN. She turns the car around and get a second call that informs her of the death of her estranged father. She crashes the car and, as she begins her recovery, she needs to reassess her life...
Her Family Secret is a moving and emotional story of a woman who has been let down by both parents and as a result has always put others first. Now her husband betrays her as well and she feels lost and alone. But there is a spark of hope in the form of her father's protégé Caleb who sees her talent and encourages her to fulfil her potential as an artist.
June and Caleb don't get off to a great start. Both of them are hiding secrets that threaten to derail their burgeoning friendship. Mental health issues and suicide are included within the plot and character background but these are handled sensitively.
I always say it is a sign of a good book when it makes you feel emotions and this book had me mad, sad and happy. I was so angry at June's family circumstances and the unfairness which has blighted her life. Her selfish husband made me want to shout at June to stay away from him. I felt so upset at all of the sacrifices and wasted years that June has face. But the potential for the future is uplifting and made me smile.
Her Family Secret is a compelling emotional book about fresh starts and hope. I really enjoyed it and look forward to reading more from this author.
June Westwood has a seemingly perfect life. Two gorgeous daughters, a successful husband and business. She is heading off on a trip to meet old friends when her mother lets her down. AGAIN. She turns the car around and get a second call that informs her of the death of her estranged father. She crashes the car and, as she begins her recovery, she needs to reassess her life...
Her Family Secret is a moving and emotional story of a woman who has been let down by both parents and as a result has always put others first. Now her husband betrays her as well and she feels lost and alone. But there is a spark of hope in the form of her father's protégé Caleb who sees her talent and encourages her to fulfil her potential as an artist.
June and Caleb don't get off to a great start. Both of them are hiding secrets that threaten to derail their burgeoning friendship. Mental health issues and suicide are included within the plot and character background but these are handled sensitively.
I always say it is a sign of a good book when it makes you feel emotions and this book had me mad, sad and happy. I was so angry at June's family circumstances and the unfairness which has blighted her life. Her selfish husband made me want to shout at June to stay away from him. I felt so upset at all of the sacrifices and wasted years that June has face. But the potential for the future is uplifting and made me smile.
Her Family Secret is a compelling emotional book about fresh starts and hope. I really enjoyed it and look forward to reading more from this author.
May 18, 2021
After hearing the devastating news that the father she has never known has died and has left her, and her sisters, an amazing legacy, June Westwood leaves behind her husband, and taking her two daughters heads for her deceased father's property in Wishing Cove in the Pacific North West. There she, and her two sisters, discover more about the family secret which has been hidden for so long, and as they learn to accept the reasons why their artist father abandoned them when they were children, so their own personal stories start to evolve.
Whilst Her Family Secret follows what is happening with June, and her tentative relationship with, Caleb Valencia, her father's protégé, we are also entrusted with an emotional roller coaster of a read as the story looks at the complicated bonds which bind people together. The story captures the indecision which June faces, especially as she has to make some momentous changes in her life, which the author writes about with empathy, and a natural awareness of picking up on the subtle nuances of people's complex behaviour.
Beautifully written from start to finish, Her Family Secret is an emotional and thought provoking story about how secrets long buried can have a devastating effect on those who have to pick up the pieces. It also covers a wide range of topics from marital infidelity, mental health issues around bi-polar disorder and the complicated ties of family but does so with a light touch and a fine eye for detail which makes reading Her Family Secret so enjoyable.
Whilst Her Family Secret follows what is happening with June, and her tentative relationship with, Caleb Valencia, her father's protégé, we are also entrusted with an emotional roller coaster of a read as the story looks at the complicated bonds which bind people together. The story captures the indecision which June faces, especially as she has to make some momentous changes in her life, which the author writes about with empathy, and a natural awareness of picking up on the subtle nuances of people's complex behaviour.
Beautifully written from start to finish, Her Family Secret is an emotional and thought provoking story about how secrets long buried can have a devastating effect on those who have to pick up the pieces. It also covers a wide range of topics from marital infidelity, mental health issues around bi-polar disorder and the complicated ties of family but does so with a light touch and a fine eye for detail which makes reading Her Family Secret so enjoyable.
July 6, 2021
Another women's fiction gem from #2021Debuts that I'd have missed otherwise!
#HERFAMILYSECRET by @melissawiesnerauthor
This was also to be my palate cleanser between my #historicalromance reads. It worked really great. For me this story was equal parts romance and women's fiction and that's usually very rare imo. Not that I read a lot of WF but whatever I read my exp was that. So it appealed to my romance book reading heart a lot. The romance portion is prominent too.
June is a mother of two and wife of a man that cheats on her. At heart she is an artist but practical about her corcumstances she chooses a stable high income path. Nothing wrong with that except she completely stifles her artist within.
In comes a surprise about her missing father from years. And her life takes a turn. Including finding a love interest who helps her through finding her own artist self. Caleb is fighting his own demons with #mentalillness. I learned so much about it without the I of sounding like a dump. It was so attuned to the character. He used beach stone towers as a therapeutic act and I'm so in love with it. I'm definitely going to make one the next time I'll hit a beach.
And a highlight? There are 3 sisters ! It's great to see the sisters' dynamics and how they figure out living together and connected is much better than everyone living in their own isolation dealing with their own problems. Independence shouldn't be at the cost of being isolated. I love that piece so much.
A great read for WF as well as romance readers!
#HERFAMILYSECRET by @melissawiesnerauthor
This was also to be my palate cleanser between my #historicalromance reads. It worked really great. For me this story was equal parts romance and women's fiction and that's usually very rare imo. Not that I read a lot of WF but whatever I read my exp was that. So it appealed to my romance book reading heart a lot. The romance portion is prominent too.
June is a mother of two and wife of a man that cheats on her. At heart she is an artist but practical about her corcumstances she chooses a stable high income path. Nothing wrong with that except she completely stifles her artist within.
In comes a surprise about her missing father from years. And her life takes a turn. Including finding a love interest who helps her through finding her own artist self. Caleb is fighting his own demons with #mentalillness. I learned so much about it without the I of sounding like a dump. It was so attuned to the character. He used beach stone towers as a therapeutic act and I'm so in love with it. I'm definitely going to make one the next time I'll hit a beach.
And a highlight? There are 3 sisters ! It's great to see the sisters' dynamics and how they figure out living together and connected is much better than everyone living in their own isolation dealing with their own problems. Independence shouldn't be at the cost of being isolated. I love that piece so much.
A great read for WF as well as romance readers!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 27, 2021
I love taking book photos at the beach, and wasn’t it nice if this pigeon to walk right into my photo? I mean a seagull would’ve made more sense at the beach, but I’ll take any wildlife!
This cover is gorgeous and I love stories set in the Pacific Northwest. Her Family Secret is a heartbreaking and healing story of family and love.
The father you never knew, has left behind a heartbreaking secret…
June Westwood is devastated by the news the father she never met has died. Now the truth about why Jasper abandoned her as a child will be buried forever. Escaping to the secluded beach house she’s inherited, June hopes to spend time bonding with her two little daughters, away from her hectic job and failing marriage.
On the wild shores of the Pacific Northwest, her father’s hideaway leaves June breathless. But it’s his oil paintings decorating every wall that surprise her most. How could someone paint other people so beautifully, but reject those closest to him? And why is every drawer in her father’s workshop locked? June hopes her new neighbor—her father’s apprentice Caleb—will provide the answers. But Caleb won’t talk about the past.
Then, hidden in her father’s workshop, June discovers a box of newspaper clippings that reveal the shocking reason why her father left years ago—and uncovers Caleb’s own devastating secret…
When her old life comes calling, June has an impossible decision to make. Unsure what’s best for her girls, and if she can trust Caleb, will digging deeper into her father’s dark past heal or destroy her precious family?
This cover is gorgeous and I love stories set in the Pacific Northwest. Her Family Secret is a heartbreaking and healing story of family and love.
The father you never knew, has left behind a heartbreaking secret…
June Westwood is devastated by the news the father she never met has died. Now the truth about why Jasper abandoned her as a child will be buried forever. Escaping to the secluded beach house she’s inherited, June hopes to spend time bonding with her two little daughters, away from her hectic job and failing marriage.
On the wild shores of the Pacific Northwest, her father’s hideaway leaves June breathless. But it’s his oil paintings decorating every wall that surprise her most. How could someone paint other people so beautifully, but reject those closest to him? And why is every drawer in her father’s workshop locked? June hopes her new neighbor—her father’s apprentice Caleb—will provide the answers. But Caleb won’t talk about the past.
Then, hidden in her father’s workshop, June discovers a box of newspaper clippings that reveal the shocking reason why her father left years ago—and uncovers Caleb’s own devastating secret…
When her old life comes calling, June has an impossible decision to make. Unsure what’s best for her girls, and if she can trust Caleb, will digging deeper into her father’s dark past heal or destroy her precious family?
April 27, 2024
Sometimes you need a romantic, overly dramatic chic read and this book fits the criteria. Giving this one a 3.8. I liked it, a lot, and even though some parts were mushy, there was a fair amount of suspense and drama to help even the scales. June is a mom of two that works for her husband’s company as an accountant. Her days are filled with work, PTA meetings, volunteering, and her kids activities. She pretty much feels burned out (like so many mothers and wives) and may as well be a single mother as she cannot depend on her husband. She receives a call from an attorney, letting her know that her estranged father has died and left his estate to her and her sisters. After discovering her husband’s affair she packs up her daughters and heads to Wishing Cove for the summer to stay at her father’s house. Her father turns out to be a well known artist whose paintings are worth a fortune. Once away from the madness of her life, June opens herself up to finding love and rediscovering her joy of painting. Of course there is drama as she learns the secrets her father kept and the real reason he walked away. This was an easy book to listen to and one where I didn’t have to think too much about. Very enjoyable and fast paced and not too sickly sweet. I was rooting for June as she healed her inner child. She has always taken care of her two sisters and put her dreams aside to make sure she could follow theirs. Finally, she gets the chance to live her life on her own terms.
April 20, 2021
Some first lines resonate with you more than most. In Her Family Secret, Melissa Wiesner writes, “When the phone rang at 10:45 that morning, Juniper Westwood knew before she answered that the call was going to ruin her day.” I’ve experienced times like that, and I would imagine other folks have too. But that first line, while descriptive and foreboding, doesn’t even touch the surface of what really happens. That phone call certainly ruins June’s day, but it also completely upends her life—an idea that lends itself well to great women’s fiction like this. Shortly after that phone call, Wiesner immerses the reader in the lush setting of Wishing Cove, Washington, where June’s father used to live and the place she escapes to with her two young daughters. And Wishing Cove certainly is a place for escape: while there, June and her daughters thrive, and June finds the time to think about what her life and what she wants out of it going forward. Painting, colors, brushstrokes, and more permeate this story, and I was drawn to the emotion of the book and the paintings described within. Wiesner touches on so many themes in her novel—love, betrayal, mental illness, suicide, family, and motherhood among them—and deftly depicts a realistic portrait of a woman who wants more, of a woman who realizes she deserves more. Well done! I can’t wait to read more from Wiesner.
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