Secrets of The River by Jess McGlynn Book Review

I love supporting new authors and even better when one of those authors is also a feloow blogger. Jess McGlynn recently released her debut novel, Secrets of the River and I have been lucky enough to get my hands on a copy to review.

Some secrets simply can't remain hidden…

When Isabelle moves to a sleepy riverside village in France she thinks she is being given a second chance.

Keen to leave behind the secrets of her past, she throws herself into village life where she meets cute American journalist Ed, rugged vineyard worker Matteo, and the dark and mysterious Hugo.

Life should be good, but Isabelle's arrival acts as a catalyst in the village and she soon disovers she isn't the only one trying to escape her past and that sometimes there are things which simply can't remain hidden.

Isabelle must face her mistakes and rediscover herself in this wonderful romance set against an idyllic backdrop.

Let me start off by saying that for a debut book I'm impressed. I went into this blind because I received a PDF copy and hadn't even read the blurb so I had no idea what this book contained.

I feel the story has a unique concept and mixes genres wonderfully. A combination of romance and mystery makes a great a platform for this tale.

Right from the first page I was drawn in and wondering just what has happened. Secrets so far uncovered and from the words written you get the sense that this is how it is hoped they remain.

Isabelle is looking for a second chance in life, running away from events in her past, she moves to a village in france, Brantome, where her sister Martha lives with her husband Eric and their two children Anais and Ben. It appears to be the iddylic setting for starting over.

However as we know in real life, things aren't always as they seem and as it turns out Isabelle isn't the only one keeping secrets.

There is a great build up throughout the book, layers upon layers of depth and a brilliant mix of characters. Some I took an instant liking too, like the brooding Hugo and others I was unsure of, particularly Matteo and Rose, could they be trusted?? I found myself changing my mind constantly as to who was the 'bad guy'.

Emotions run high throughout this tricky tale and with three men trying to capture Isabelle's attention, tension is forever increasing.

I was pleasantly surprised by the conclusion, definitely not what I expected/predicted but it definitely worked.

Overall I was impressed, there were parts that I felt jumped around, certain moments that I think needed a little more editing but that's my opinion. All in all a fab book, one I could picture myself sitting by the pool reading, definitely one for your Summer holiday reading list.

I'm hoping there will be a second book with these characters in.

xxxx

Disclaimer : I was sent a copy of this book FOC for reviewing purposes however all thoughts and opinions are my own.