I received this book in exchange for my honest review.

I think Pauline Wiles book, Secrets in the Sky, was a refreshing, well written romance novel. It flowed very smoothly and I enjoyed the quirky characters of the town and the setting being in the UK. My only complaint would be that the "secret" storyline for Sophie and Kit dragged out a little too long. The Saffron Sweeting setting makes for a good series and I would recommend this book to people who like romance novels, but not trashy ones. ( )

**I received an ARC from LibraryThing as part of their Members Giveaway program in exchange for an honest review.**

I rated this one 4.5 stars out of 5.

Women’s fiction, affectionately known as “Chick Lit,” often gets a bad wrap. Sure, chick lit novels sometimes aren’t as wordy or ironic as what’s passing for literature these days, but these books are no less fulfilling, emotional, and beautiful reads. Sometimes you need a book with a bubbly protagonist whose own emotional life issues mirror your own, with characters so stereotypical in their supporting roles that you just have to laugh at their ridiculous antics, and with a heartwarming conclusion that sends tingles into your fingers and toes and does in fact warm your heart. And that’s why I devoured this novel like I have my other women’s fiction favorites, wholly and without pause. In fact, I was so concerned about the plight of Sophie Cambell and the village of Saffron Sweeting, I read over 85% of the book in a handful of hours. I just couldn’t put it down.

Sophie Cambell has many secrets, and for awhile, she was comfortable keeping all of them. When a death in the family sets off a chain reaction of events, her whole ability to keep telling the lies protecting these secrets is put into jeopardy. The entire book revolves around the idea of coming home and trying to establish who you are in the face of people who have the wrong idea of who you’ve been. This conflict sets Sophie off on a journey that eventually ends in acceptance, love, and a new found sense of self she was waiting for.

The story itself is a pretty common one in women’s fiction. But what sets Wiles’ novel off from the rest is her biggest supporting character, the village of Saffron Sweeting. Each character Wiles introduces has a role: the town gossip, who also works at the post office; the estate agent who is glamorous, but shows Sophie that the image one portrays isn’t always correct; the pub owner with a heart of gold. And with each character, you welcome yourself into this village. I could almost imagine myself walking down the cobbled streets (I imagine them to be cobbled), and passing the familiar faces in the warm sunshine, while I nibble on a sausage roll from Brian’s bakery. And in their own way, each of these characters play an important role in creating the evolved Sophie Campbell that we meet at the end of the book.

I enjoyed Wiles’ mastery of dialogue, especially the English and Scottish mannerisms and language. It was never too hard to understand the meaning, even if the words weren’t familiar. I also loved the central romance, and was rooting for it until the very end. Many times, as the two lovers tried and failed to get together, I was heartbroken with them as they navigated their way back to each other. Ugh, I get chills just thinking of it!

I would recommend this book in a heartbeat to anyone that enjoys a fun read with a rewarding conclusion. I’ve not read Wiles’ debut novel, Saving Saffron Sweeting, but given my love for the village, I am planning on picking that one up right away!

( )

I rated this one 4.5 stars out of 5.

Women’s fiction, affectionately known as “Chick Lit,” often gets a bad wrap. Sure, chick lit novels sometimes aren’t as wordy or ironic as what’s passing for literature these days, but these books are no less fulfilling, emotional, and beautiful reads. Sometimes you need a book with a bubbly protagonist whose own emotional life issues mirror your own, with characters so stereotypical in their supporting roles that you just have to laugh at their ridiculous antics, and with a heartwarming conclusion that sends tingles into your fingers and toes and does in fact warm your heart. And that’s why I devoured this novel like I have my other women’s fiction favorites, wholly and without pause. In fact, I was so concerned about the plight of Sophie Cambell and the village of Saffron Sweeting, I read over 85% of the book in a handful of hours. I just couldn’t put it down.

Sophie Cambell has many secrets, and for awhile, she was comfortable keeping all of them. When a death in the family sets off a chain reaction of events, her whole ability to keep telling the lies protecting these secrets is put into jeopardy. The entire book revolves around the idea of coming home and trying to establish who you are in the face of people who have the wrong idea of who you’ve been. This conflict sets Sophie off on a journey that eventually ends in acceptance, love, and a new found sense of self she was waiting for.

The story itself is a pretty common one in women’s fiction. But what sets Wiles’ novel off from the rest is her biggest supporting character, the village of Saffron Sweeting. Each character Wiles introduces has a role: the town gossip, who also works at the post office; the estate agent who is glamorous, but shows Sophie that the image one portrays isn’t always correct; the pub owner with a heart of gold. And with each character, you welcome yourself into this village. I could almost imagine myself walking down the cobbled streets (I imagine them to be cobbled), and passing the familiar faces in the warm sunshine, while I nibble on a sausage roll from Brian’s bakery. And in their own way, each of these characters play an important role in creating the evolved Sophie Campbell that we meet at the end of the book.

I enjoyed Wiles’ mastery of dialogue, especially the English and Scottish mannerisms and language. It was never too hard to understand the meaning, even if the words weren’t familiar. I also loved the central romance, and was rooting for it until the very end. Many times, as the two lovers tried and failed to get together, I was heartbroken with them as they navigated their way back to each other. Ugh, I get chills just thinking of it!

I would recommend this book in a heartbeat to anyone that enjoys a fun read with a rewarding conclusion. I’ve not read Wiles’ debut novel, Saving Saffron Sweeting, but given my love for the village, I am planning on picking that one up right away! ( )

I enjoyed it. I had to re read a few sections but it was an alright book. I liked the characters and found that the author did a great job of creating the landscape. ( )