How far would you travel to find the truth?

It’s the 1960s and Jennifer Howells is a young woman with the world at her feet, just on the cusp of leaving her Welsh village for an exciting life in the city.

Then the contents of an inconspicuous brown envelope turn Jennifer’s world upside down. The discovery leaves her spiraling, unsure who she is.

Overnight, Miss Goody Two Shoes is replaced by a mini-skirted wild child who lives for parties and rock’n’roll.

But Jennifer’s experience with the excesses of sixties’ culture leaves her no closer to her true identity. She soon realizes she’ll have to travel further – first to Cardiff, then across the ocean to Sicily – if she wants to find out who she really is …

 

Title:  Her Sister’s Secret
Series:
Author:  Jan Baynham
Genre:  Contemporary Romance
Published:  September 15, 2020
Publisher:  Ruby Fiction/Choc Lit
My Rating:  4.5 stars

‘Her Sister’s Secret‘ will give us the stories of two amazing women, in different time periods, facing an entirely different world from each other yet there is a bond there.  One that Jennifer is about to discover just when she was on the brink of starting a new life beyond her home -now that’s all changed for her as she deals with secrets long kept and begins a journey of discovery to figure out who she really is.

I grew up during the 1960s and although I didn’t experience all that time period offered teens/young adults I certainly felt right at home when Jennifer appears in ‘Her Sister’s Secret‘.  But first, we need to meet Rose, for a great deal of this book hinges on what she experienced and the choices she made that are now affecting Jennifer’s life so profoundly.

I don’t want to get into spoilers that could ruin another reader’s enjoyment of ‘Her Sister’s Secret‘ so I’ll just move on to the emotional impact this story has.  Jennifer’s story is not only about her discovery but about the people she considers family, how love isn’t about the past or circumstances but directed at one particular person – and Jennifer was certainly loved throughout her life.  She turned “wild” for a bit after discovering that envelope but it didn’t change her at the core.  She needed answers and wasn’t afraid to travel beyond her comfort zone to find them.

As always with this author, you’ll be transported to lovely locations with breathtaking descriptions that will make you feel as if you are indeed there.  It’s not always easy to blend to time periods together, yet the transition from one person’s story that leads to another’s is smooth and easy to read.  I was easily caught up in both Jennifer’s and Rose’s lives and spent one long night finishing this one before giving in to the need for sleep.  I laughed, cried, got angry, and was fascinated by the courage, conviction, and lives of two women who lived their lives to the fullest, no matter the consequences.

If you enjoy a story that is emotionally satisfying, leads to secrets unveiled, and watching a young woman rediscover who she is then ‘Her Sister’s Secret‘ should be on your reading radar right now.  I loved this one and I believe you will as well.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher Ruby Fiction/Choc Lit. That does not change what I think of this story.  It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

Available for your favorite e-reader, mine is the Kindle