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Summer of Secrets: A riveting and heart-breaking novel about dark secrets and dangerous romances Kindle Edition
The unforgettable novel from Nikola Scott about two women - born decades apart - each faced with the knowledge that a man in their lives is not what he seems... Perfect for readers of Dinah Jefferies and Kate Morton.
AN EBOOK BESTSELLER
'An atmospheric and gripping read' My Weekly
'Wonderful characters and a very moving storyline' Sun
'I was completely enthralled' Kathryn Hughes
'I loved this touching exploration of love and its capacity for consolation and destruction... compelling and satisfying ' Judith Lennox
August 1939
At peaceful Summerhill, orphaned Maddy hides from the world and the rumours of war. Then her adored sister Georgina returns from a long trip with a new friend, the handsome Victor. Maddy fears that Victor is not all he seems, but she has no idea just what kind of danger has come into their lives...
Today
Chloe is newly pregnant. This should be a joyful time, but she is fearful for the future, despite her husband's devotion. When chance takes her to Summerhill, she's drawn into the mystery of what happened there decades before. And the past reaches out to touch her in ways that could change everything...
What readers are saying about Summer of Secrets:
'An absolute joy... If you only read one book this year I recommend this one' 5 Star Amazon Reviewer
'Nikola Scott has a magical way of piecing her stories together and has done her characters proud with the way she has written their journeys. An emotionally charged, harrowing and majestic novel' Kaisha at The Writing Garnet
'Such an intriguing story with a balance of lighter and darker moments. Rich in detail and beautifully told. Five stars from me!' Rachel at Rae Reads
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherReview
- Publication dateSeptember 6, 2018
- File size1839 KB
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Editorial Reviews
Review
An intriguing twisting story with a lush opening and beautifully descriptive writing throughout. I loved it―Dinah Jefferies, author of THE TEA PLANTER'S WIFE
A delightful debut about family and secrets―Prima
A compelling family story... beautifully written... evokes vivid pictures of an English summer in the 1950s―Sheila O'Flanagan
An emotional and involving story―Woman & Home
Beautifully written―Daily Mail
A gripping family mysterytold in lush, evocative prose―Erin Kelly
Compelling, atmospheric and beautifully written...trembles with family secrets. I adored it―Victoria Fox
Delightful...Beautifully written and hugely enjoyable―The People
Absolutely captivating―www.josbookblog.co.uk
Poignant―www.bookphace.blogspot.co.uk
A satisfying tale with characters you wont forget―Sunday Express
An atmospheric and gripping read―My Weekly
Wonderful characters and a very moving storyline―Sun
Had me captivated from page one right through to the end... Moreish, full of emotion, drama and beautifully written. Highly recommended!!―Karen Mace, Books and Me
Nikola Scott has a magical way of piecing her stories together and she has done her characters proud with the way she has written their journeys. An emotionally charged, harrowing and majestic novel―Kaisha, The Writing Garnet
I couldn't tear myself away.... A compelling read. Heartbreaking and emotional, tense and gripping. This was my first book I've read by Nikola but it most definitely won't be the last!―Katie, Katie’s Book Cave
The perfect book to lose yourself in.... I found myself completely absorbed in the lives of the sisters both past and present―Jo, Over the Rainbow Book Blog
I really loved this book... The stories weave together seamlessly and are so cleverly aligned it is a joy to read―Julie, A Little Book Problem
Summer of Secrets is a book about family and friendship, secrets, trust and love. A tense read at times, especially in the last chapters. I thoroughly enjoyed it―Joanne, Portobello Book Blog
Nikola Scott has a real gift for writing sumptuous, atmospheric fiction, pulling you into her world immediately, keeping you captivated throughout and making it very difficult for you to want to let go by the end―Beth, Bibliobeth
Impossible to put down, utterly compelling, brilliant writing. Highly Recommended!―Hot Brands Cool Places
I urge you to go out and buy your copy now. I finished it last night and it's all I can think about since... Emotionally charged, heartbreaking and beautiful―Nicola, Novel Delights Book Blog
About the Author
Product details
- ASIN : B07KFB31DC
- Publisher : Review (September 6, 2018)
- Publication date : September 6, 2018
- Language : English
- File size : 1839 KB
- Text-to-Speech : Enabled
- Screen Reader : Supported
- Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
- X-Ray : Enabled
- Word Wise : Enabled
- Sticky notes : On Kindle Scribe
- Print length : 343 pages
- Best Sellers Rank: #9,168 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #50 in Historical World War II Fiction
- #116 in Women's Historical Fiction
- #163 in 20th Century Historical Fiction (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author
Nikola Scott was born and raised in Germany and studied at university there. Having been obsessed with books from a young age, Nikola moved to New York City to begin her first job in book publishing -- a career in which she could fully indulge her love of fiction. She spent ten years working in publishing in New York and then in London, editing other people's books, before she decided to take the leap into becoming a full-time writer herself. She now lives in Frankfurt with her husband and two sons.
Her novels My Mother's Shadow, Summer of Secrets and The Orchard Girls have all been international bestsellers and were translated widely around the world. Her new novel, The Life I Stole, is out now.
Customer reviews
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Top reviews
Top reviews from the United States
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The two women's stories were both so gripping, when it switched from Maddy to Chloe and vice-versa I was excited to find out more about the one woman but hated to leave the other. I gave the book to my mom to read as well, and, not being able to put it down either, she sat on the veranda and read the entire book during the course of a day.
We're both looking forward to another book from this wonderful author!
I really loved everything about this book. It followed Chloe in present day and Maddy in the past whose storylines converged. I wouldn't call it a historical fiction because it barely mentioned the war but it was still a good duel storyline book. I wish the children's book theme was a little more hashed out. It seemed to be not fully developed. I found myself like Chloe's storyline more.
Top reviews from other countries
Der Roman spielt auf zwei Zeitebenen, 1939 und 2009.
1939 Am Vorabend des Zweiten Weltkriegs wartet die sechzehnjährige Maddy auf dem heimischen Gut Summerhill auf die Rückkehr ihrer älteren Schwester Georgiana von einer längeren Europareise. Maddy hat keine Eltern mehr – ihr Vater ist vor einigen Jahren bei einem Klippensturz ums Leben gekommen – und sie ist emotional sehr von ihrer Schwester abhängig. Mit Missfallen registriert sie, dass Georgiana einige leichtlebige, oberflächliche Freunde mitbringt, darunter Victor, der offenbar Georgianas Liebhaber ist. Victor ist charmant, doch Maddy misstraut ihm schon bald. Ist das Misstrauen gerechtfertigt oder nur Folge ihrer Eifersucht?
2009 Auch Chloe hat ihre Eltern verloren, sie hat aber noch ihren jüngeren Bruder Danny, der an einer unheilbaren degenerativen Muskelerkrankung leidet und für den sie sich verantwortlich fühlt. Chloe hat außerdem einen Ehemann, den Arzt Aidan, doch mit ihrer Ehe steht es nicht zum Besten. Aidan ist manipulativ und kontrollsüchtig, er will Chloe von der Umwelt isolieren und sie nur für sich allein haben. Erst allmählich gesteht Chloe sich ein, dass sie in der erstickenden Umklammerung ihres Mannes nicht mehr leben kann.
Maddy und Chloe treffen zusammen, als Chloe, vor ihrer Heirat eine talentierte Fotografin, gebeten wird, Porträtfotos von Maddy für deren angekündigtes neues Kinderbuch zu machen.
Beurteilung
Der Roman beschäftigt sich mit dem Thema „Liebe“ in verschiedenen Variationen, jedoch völlig ohne sentimentale Liebesgeschichte. Vielmehr geht es zum Einen um die beschützende Liebe älterer gegenüber jüngeren, verletzlichen Geschwistern, zum Anderen um klammernde, einengende Liebe, bei der Einer versucht, die Grenzen zwischen sich und dem Anderen aufzulösen, sodass der Eingeengte förmlich darum kämpfen muss, sich seine eigenständige Persönlichkeit zu erhalten.
Trotz der sieben Jahrzehnte, die zwischen den Geschichten Maddys und Chloes liegen, gibt es deutliche Parallelen bezüglich ihrer Lebenssituationen. Die Perspektiven und Zeitebenen werden in unregelmäßigen Abständen gewechselt, im Handlungsstrang von 1939 tritt Maddy als Ich-Erzählerin auf, die Handlung in der Gegenwart ist als Erzählung in der dritten Person aus Chloes Perspektive gehalten. Der Roman ist von Anfang an in seinem anschaulichen Sprachstil fesselnd, zum Schluss hin wird er mit Cliffhangern an den Kapitelenden geradezu unglaublich spannend wie ein Psychothriller.
In die Persönlichkeiten und Situation der Protagonistinnen kann man sich gut hineinversetzen, die Handlung ist weitestgehend glaubwürdig.
Die Zielgruppe dieses Romans dürfte eher die weibliche Leserschaft sein, es handelt sich jedoch um keinen "typischen Frauenroman" mit klischeehafter Liebesgeschichte!
Fazit
Ein fesselnder Roman, der nicht nur spannende Unterhaltung, sondern durchaus auch Anlass zum Überdenken von Beziehungen bietet!