Sing Me a Secret by Julie Houston | Blog Tour Review #SingMeASecret

Publisher : Aria
Available in ebook (7 May 2020)
333 pages
Source: Review copy provided via Netgalley

ABOUT THE BOOK

The four Sutherland sisters have all had very different paths in life, but one secret and a slighty tense production of Jesus Christ Superstar are about to bring them all back together again…

When the news that pop-superstar Lexia Sutherland is returning to Westenbury, not everyone is thrilled by the news – including Lexia. There are too many memories she doesn’t need to face – or need re-surfacing.

Meanwhile, Juno Sutherland just wants a little peace and quiet. As the local village doctor, she’s got her priorities in order; kids, job, husband, tenacious pony, a role in the village musical… So when the sexy new locum turns up – and steals her office – the last thing she needed was to be hit with rising temperatures and an over-active imagination.

Will these sisters be able to uncover the past, deal with the future and put on the performance of a lifetime?

MY THOUGHTS

Having had the pleasure of reading Julie’s books before, I knew I was going to be settling down to a read that would not only be fun but that would also include troubles and traumas with life and relationships generally that many might find familiar – and I certainly wasn’t disappointed.

The story centres around four sisters – all very different in personality but they all have one thing in common – they can sing, very well.

Set around a Yorkshire village called Westenbury, Juno, the GP having to hold the family fort whilst her husband decides to work in America.  Pandora, an ex-solicitor but now leading the local musical theatre group with aspirations of bigger and better things and wanting to control everything and everyone. Ariadne, a classics teacher, is the singleton with no children and a no-nonsense attitude; and lastly, the youngest of the four, Lexia, who has had to deal with so much parental upheaval whilst her sisters were away studying at University and whose earlier lifestyle has taken its toll.

My goodness, what a lot of drama and emotional trauma this family has had to endure. Having been estranged from her family for some considerable time, Lexia’s return really does open Pandora’s box! and the consequences are far reaching for the whole family. The story flits back in time to tell Lexia’s part – of the four girls she was considered to be the one most ‘educationally challenged’ but her talents lay elsewhere – with a phenomenal singing voice she found fame with a career as a pop star.

As well as a romance element, there are several heavier topics covered here which include one or two rather unsavoury characters. The main characters of the sisters are well drawn, and engaging with their flaws and insecurities adding realism.  Even some of the minor players had their place in the story. Juno’s young daughter Tilda, with her caustic comments found her way into my heart. It did take me longer to warm to some than others – Ariadne with her dry humour and was a favourite, as was Lexia. Although I could quite understand Juno’s almost obsession with the hunky new locum at the practice, it took a while for me to warm to her, she could be a bit of a scatterbrain which grated on me at times.  

Although this is one of a series with some recurring minor characters, (Harriet Westmoreland from previous books makes a fleeting appearance) each story is a standalone and this can very easily be read on its own.

A story of secrets, marital issues and family relationships – and a storyline that was both witty and full of drama. Sing Me A Secret was a hugely enjoyable and entertaining read.

My thanks to Vicky of Aria for the tour invitation and for providing the Netgalley copy for review.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Julie Houston is the author of THE ONE SAVING GRACE, GOODNESS, GRACE AND ME and LOOKING FOR LUCY, a Kindle top 100 general bestseller and a Kindle #1 bestseller. She is married, with two teenage children and a mad cockerpoo and, like her heroine, lives in a West Yorkshire village. She is also a teacher and a magistrate.

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Book Links:
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