The Secret of You and Me by Melissa Lenhardt Book Review

 Books are powerful tools.

The written word can inform, can educate and can introduce a wealth of knowledge to a person.

And never more so than in this day and age when we try to push the boundaries and expand diversities.

The Secret of You and Me by Melissa Lenhardt is her first women's fiction novel, with Mills & Book no less and it brilliantly showcases a f/f relationship.

We need more LGBTQ books!

Nora hasn’t looked back. Not since she left home, and her broken heart, far behind her. But now tragedy calls her back, where she must finally come face to face with ex-boyfriend Charlie, and best friend Sophie. Only now will she be able to confront her past―and reconcile her future.

Sophie seems to have everything. Married to Charlie, with a wonderful daughter and a successful career. Yet underneath that perfection lies an explosive secret. A secret that ripped through their town and destroyed her friendship with Nora. So when Sophie finds out that Nora has returned, she hopes Nora’s stay is short. The life she has built depends on it.

But first love doesn’t fade easily. Memories come to light, passion ignites and old feelings resurface. As the forces that once tore them apart begin to re-emerge, both Nora and Sophie must accept that true love is something worth fighting for.

This is a story of friendship, family and fueds.

Nora and Sophie, who secretly fell in love as teenagers. But living in a small, religious town in Texas meant that what they found beautiful, in the eyes of others was considered a sin. The day came when Sophie's mother caught them in the act shall we say and one such consequence for their actions was that they ended up separated. Nora forced to leave town by her father and for many years after there would be no contact between these women.

Fast forward eighteen years and Nora is back in her hometown for her dad's funeral.

A lot has changed since she left but some things remain the same, like her feelings for Sophie.

You always come back to your first love.

Sophie to everyone else has moved on. The secret of Nora kept all this time, the towns people none the wiser to her true thoughts and feelings. Now married to Nora's ex boyfriend Charlie, she is now a mother, a wife oh and a recovering alcoholic.

But after seeing Nora at Ray's funeral (Nora's father) she can't deny those feelings that she's tried to keep buried.

Will she be able to overcome her personal fears and begin to finally live the life that she desires and deserves?

I love that the protagonists in this story are both feisty and independent in their own ways. Both on a journey of discovery, opening minds and reinforcing that love is love no matter who it is with. A beautiful representation of just how complicated any relationship can be.

This isn't a disaster waiting to happen; it's a challenge. I'm Sophie F***ing Wyatt. Bring it on.

There is a real depth to this tale.

Each character with their own flaws, there is no perfection to be found here making the story all the more realistic.

This is a second chance romance that is emotional, exhilarating and explicit (but tasteful) at times. Be prepared to jump on a rollercoaster that you might not want to get off of.

The Secret of You and Me is a quick and easy read and although it might be a romance novel that is outside of some peoples comfort zones but I feel like it is a necessary read and I hope to see more like it in the near future.