Click on a thumbnail to go to Google Books.
Loading... The Secrets of Happiness (original 2016; edition 2016)by Lucy Diamond
Work InformationThe Secrets of Happiness by Lucy Diamond (2016)
None Loading...
Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. No current Talk conversations about this book. The main protagonists in this book are Rachel and Becca, who are step-sisters, about eight years apart in age, and not particularly close. The story covers just a few weeks, as Becca gets unexpectedly involved in Rachel’s family, and becomes very fond of her three very different children. What I liked best about this book was the characterisation. The contrast between Rachel and Becca is nicely drawn; they grew up in the same household but have very different values. The children, too are realistic if a tad caricatured: a hormonal teenager, an emotional middle child, a cute youngest. Inevitably there are romantic pairings - predictable from the first meetings - but they’re quite low-key. The focus is on the family, and the relationship between Rachel and Becca. The writing is informal, switching viewpoint rapidly at times, but I soon got used to that, and found the book difficult to put down once I had started. What I did not appreciate was the amount of bad language. Conversations and thoughts regularly degenerate into four-letter words, disturbingly sometimes used as compliments as well as to express anger. The excess makes my recommendation somewhat guarded, and reduces the star rating to four. If you don’t mind swearing, and enjoy character-based women’s fiction, then this would be an excellent holiday read. But if 'strong' language disturbs you, give it a miss. no reviews | add a review
Rachel and Becca aren't real sisters, or so they say. They are step-sisters, living far apart, with little in common. Rachel is the successful one: happily married with three children and a big house, plus an impressive career. Artistic Becca, meanwhile, lurches from one dead-end job to another, shares a titchy flat and has given up on love. The two of them have lost touch, but when Rachel doesn't come home one night, Becca is called in to help. Once there, she quickly realises that her step-sister's life is not so perfect after all. As Becca begins to untangle Rachel's secrets, she is forced to confront some uncomfortable truths about her own life, and the future seems uncertain. No library descriptions found. |
Current DiscussionsNonePopular covers
Google Books — Loading... RatingAverage:
Is this you?Become a LibraryThing Author. |
I wish family relationships were that easy to fix, but they're not. They are messy, complicated and sometimes irreparable. But reading this gives hope to everyone who has a fractious relationship with a sister.
It was a good read with characters that you could relate to, although getting as fit as Becca in a short space of time is a little far fetched!! A good quick read for the summer! ( )