The Secrets of Sunshine by Phaedra Patrick Blog Tour

As a lover of books I pride myself on the fact that I'm always willing to give any novel a go (even historical ones that aren't my favourite) but I'll admit that I have always found myself gravitating back to the genre that is romance.

Maybe for the happily ever after moment.

Perhaps for that heartwarming feeling that you get when you come to the end of the story.

Anyway the reason I'm talking all things love is because I was kindly given the opportunity to be a part of the blog tour for Phaedra Patrick's latest novel, which was of course of the romantic kind, The Secrets of Sunshine.

Single dad Mitchell Fisher has said a firm goodbye to romance. He relishes his job cutting off the padlocks that couples fasten to his hometown’s famous ‘love story’ bridge. Only his young daughter Poppy knows that behind his prickly veneer, Mitchell is deeply lonely – and he still grieves the loss of her mother.

Then one hot summer’s day, everything changes when Mitchell bravely rescues a woman who falls from the bridge into the river. He’s surprised to feel an unexpected connection to her, but then she disappears. Desperate to find the mysterious woman, Mitchell teams up with her spirited sister Liza to see if she’s left any clues behind. There’s just one – a secret message on the padlock she left on love story bridge…

This is a novel that will leave you feeling both hopeful and comforted.

The protagonist Mitchell, who is a single father to his daughter Poppy (9), seems to be content with his life. His current job is cutting off padlocks from his hometown's bridges and he's a man who likes a plan. He is just trying to the best he can for his daughter. 

However beneath this seemingly happy bravado is a man who is lonely, a man who still feels an immense amount of guilt over the death of his wife - his daughter's mother - a man who has lost the ability to be truly happy.

That is until one day when he bravely makes the choice to rescue a stranger when she happens to fall from one of the town's bridges after hanging a padlock of her own on the bridge.

Who was the mystery woman he saved and could she be the key to unlocking Mitchell from the life he's currently leading?

Sometimes you find happiness in the most unexpected places ... 

From this point we are introduced to a brilliant cast of characters including: Liza (the stranger's sister), Barry (Mitchell's work colleague), Graham (Mitchell's life long best friend) and Carl (who works in Mitchell's apartment building).

Each and every one of them adding a certain touch of charm to the story.

My favourite has to be Barry, he really gave the comedy element to the book, balancing out the more serious moments.

A really touching element to the tale was the use of letter writing. This was cleverly weaved into both Mitchell's past and present. An old fashioned way of communicating to some but actually something that I think should still be done, I do believe I will be putting pen to paper more often now.

The most emotional and uplifting novel of 2020

By the end of The Secrets of Sunshine I felt like I had been on a journey alongside Mitchell. A brilliant mix of emotions have been weaved into the pages, giving a real depth to the story.

Friendship, family and all the feels are what you are presented with. 

This is a story that although has its moments of drama, they are nothing too drastic which means it is the perfect feel-good tale. Prepare to laugh, smile and possibly shed a tear or two (mostly happy tears).

Definitely a book to put on your reading list for 2020.

For more insight into The Secrets of Sunshine I insist that you check out the rest of the blog tour - which is outlined below: