Cassi Ellen

This was so unusual in the way that it was written as you really feel as if Cassi is talking to you and you’re experiencing everything with her. For someone who has travelled half-way round the world and is experiencing life in ways I would never dream of, it sometimes feels as if she has never lived at all due to the amount of comical scrapes she gets herself into.

I really liked Cassi as a character; she is so trusting and carefree and takes everything in her stride. She refuses to show more wallow in self-pity after the break-up of her relationship and instead goes swimming in the sea of life. She just needs to be careful that she doesn’t drown or get bitten by sharks, as she is in Australia after all.

I think the main theme of this book was just to enjoy life, have fun and don’t take things too seriously. I realised how much I had come to care about Cassi when I started to get annoyed at how controlling Cassi’s new man, Ben, was – telling her what to wear and pretty much passing her round his friends. For me, it was a bit of an eye-opener getting a glimpse into Sydney’s shady underbelly, and ok drugs and prostitution aren’t something I relate to, but it is fiction after all…or is it?

I loved the fun quotes at the end of each chapter and wish that I had written more down as I went along. It has certainly ensured that I will pick the book up again in the future for some pearls of wisdom, such as these little gems:

‘I’m thankful for the horrible people I’ve met, they have showed me exactly who I don’t want to be,’ — Unknown.

‘Sometimes we stare so long at a door that is closing that we see too late the one that is open.’ — Unknown.

With one foot in the chick lit genre and the other foot in gritty real life drama, Story of a Secret Heart is well worth a read if you’re looking for something that little bit different.

I received this e-book from the author in exchange for an honest review. show less