Author: Rachael Johns
ISBN: 9781489210531
RRP: $32.99
The Art of Keeping Secrets is the latest life-lit by Rachael Johns and I can safely say it’s her best yet. Though I suppose I should add, in my opinion. She has tackled tough but topical issues and she has done so with sensitivity and still a sense of wit.
This book has been on my desk for a couple of weeks and I have been putting it off knowing that I can’t put my review up for another couple of weeks… well I just couldn’t ignore it any longer. And once I started I have been ignoring everything else… washing, eating, family.
There are so many things I want to tell you about this amazing story but I don’t want to take away the impact of reading it for yourselves so I am going to have to be careful how I approach it.
Flick, Neve and Emma are best of friends, they met when their sons started at an elite private high school and hit it off because they didn’t fit in with the rest of the mothers. They certainly weren’t ladies who lunched and though they have careers they love but they aren’t the high profile careers of the other school mums.
As is often the case it’s hard to know whose close friendship came first, the mothers or the sons, but the families all became quite close and spent lots of time together. They became more like extended family than just friends.
The three woman are quite different and their home situations are worlds apart as well but they have an empathetic bond that sees them try to understand the other situations, though it’s always quite difficult to wear another shoes in these situations. They share everything, or at least they thought they did….
It seems that there are secrets in all of their lives and when they come out the collateral damage could be very far reaching.
Secrets are a tricky business, especially if you have been keeping them for a lot of years; the way Flick and Neve have been. It gets to the point where the fear of revealing the truth is a toss up between the reaction to the truth and the anger of the fact that the secret has been between you for so many years. By their nature though, secrets have a habit of coming out in the end regardless of whether you want them to or not.
I read an ARC of The Art of Keeping Secrets so I’m not sure if this is something that changed in the finished copy, but in the copy I read the chapters are headed by the full name of the character whose head we are in for that chapter – and all references in the story are by their nicknames. It took me a couple of chapters to get my head around it but it was no real biggie.
The story is told in alternating chapters by each of the friends as we follow them through a tumultuous stage in each of their lives as their sons are coming up to their year 12 graduations. This story is a perfect example of everything going wrong at once, and I’m going to do something I never do and put a line in here that actually made me laugh out loud.
Neve was right – their lives were a shambles. Someone could write a book about them.
This was just the perfect example, everything went so terrifically wrong all at once that it had to be immortalised…. and it was by the talented Rachael Johns.
Neve’s secret is the first to break and it sees her booking a trip to New York, just days after the three friends were talking about how much they needed to splurge on a girls getaway. In the end Flick and Emma join Neve on her trip to offer support, and soak up the shopping.
The trip offers them some wonderful girl time but it is marred by the stress all three women are under. It brings them together while at times threatening to tear apart even their strong bonds.
All three of these women are strong and independent, they are relatable and realistic and they could be any one of us. They find themselves in situations where it would be so easy to judge, and each of the women find themselves sitting in judgement at one time or another but they also recognise the derogatory effect of judgement and work hard to get past that so they can offer the support that is really needed.
The events faced by each of the women, and in effect the three of them together, show them a new perspective and offer an opportunity for reflection and for change.
The situations faced by Flick, Emma and Neve are not ones that have touched my life, though there are similar ones in my wider circle so these were very new concepts for me to actually try to wrap my head around.
An amazing tale of friendship, love, tribulation and the ability to get through anything life throws at you with the right support network.
Johns has tackled some hard-hitting topics with sensitivity and insight and she’s brought one rather high profile social issue of our times in close and made it personal, and she’s done it well.
This is definitely the best work I have read by Rachael Johns and I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next.
The Art of Keeping Secrets is book #36 for the Australian Women Writer’s Challenge 2016.
Rachael Johns can be found on Twitter, Facebook and her Website.
The Art of Keeping Secrets is available from October 2016 through Harlequin and available to pre-order now from Angus & Robertson Bookworld, Booktopia and where all good books are sold.
I devour books, vampires and supernatural creatures are my genre of choice but over the past couple of years, I have broadened my horizons considerably. In a nutshell – I love to write! I love interacting with a diverse range of artists to bring you interviews. Perhaps we were perfect before – I LOVE WORDS!
Rachael Johns knows how to tell a good story. The author has written numerous romance novels and chick lit books. Her latest novel, The Art of Keeping Secrets is a well-crafted and emotional piece of fiction. It’s also a story that is a testament to the power of female friendship.
The story is about three women who have been friends for the past five years while their sons have been studying together at high-school. The trio have a regular book club meeting but they’re also heavily involved in each other’s lives. You have the down-to-earth Felicity (known to everyone as “Flick”) who is a non-nonsense woman and a keen taxidermist. She seems to be living a textbook romance despite being married to her near-perfect husband Seb for years. But is their marriage all it’s cracked up to be?
Emma is the divorced mother of Caleb and twin teenage girls, Laura and Louise. She is a superwoman juggling the new demands of full-time work and single motherhood. She appears to be coping but she is also harbouring a number of secrets of the head and heart. Then there’s Genevieve (known as “Neve”) who is a looks-obsessed make-up artist and a single mum who has a close relationship with her son, Will because she has always been the sole parent in his life. The only problem is she hasn’t told Will the truth about his father’s true identity.
This novel is told in the third person and split into separate chapters focusing on each of these strong women. Their friendship is a real and inspiring one and the trio are almost like sisters. They’ve shared lots of things together and they’ve also had their share of ups and downs and lived to tell the tale afterwards. So they should be able to make it through anything that life throws at them, right?
Rachael Johns has crafted an excellent little book in The Art of Keeping Secrets. She reveals things slowly with just enough to keep the reader hooked and interested. The reader is basically strapped into an emotional roller coaster of a journey, bumps and all! In sum, this book is a fun read about three strong, everyday women and it examines the choices they make and how their secrets, lies and betrayals have lasting impacts on the individuals living around them. Fascinating stuff.
The Art Of Keeping Secrets is essentially a story about friendships and secrets that are kept, as well as the repercussions that occur when secrets are finally disclosed…
Three best friends, Felicity (or Flick, as she is affectionately known), Emma, and Neve met when their sons began high school together.
They are always there for each other to offer advice and support, but could the secrets they hide unravel their strong bond?
Flick has a shocking secret relating to her marriage, and she grapples with prospect of holding on to it forever.
Emma is divorced and struggling financially. Pressures of single-parent life make her constantly run down and moody.
And Neve has a secret that, if disclosed, may effect the wonderful relationship she has with her beautiful teenage son William…
The story is told in alternate chapters from each of the women’s perspectives. By doing so, the author creates a nice flow to the story, and as each chapter is told, we learn more about each character.
I really liked all three female characters, and could relate to each of them in certain ways. They are by no means perfect, but that is what makes them so sincere.
Rachael has done a fantastic job of portraying the significance of having friendships, and those people that are willing to support you no matter what.
This story had me smiling, and at times, close to tears.
The only small criticism I have is that the ending felt a little abrupt, and I still had a few unanswered questions, but it’s probably only because I was enjoying it so much that I didn’t want it to end!
This novel really blew me away. I’d read and enjoyed Rachael Johns’ before, but I’d have described the books I read as light and diverting romances; they didn’t stay with me, although I enjoyed them. “The Art of Keeping Secrets” is completely different – I couldn’t put it down.
Johns’ prose is always readable and flows well, and her characters vivid. She’s kept those strengths, but for me the characters here were also strongly relatable and the plot fascinating.
The main characters – Neve, Flick, and Emma – are all in their mid forties. Almost regardless of what lifestyle you’ve chosen, by then life is complicated. Partners, ex-partners, kids, jobs, friends, extended family, daily life… they all make their demands, sometimes conflicting ones. Johns’ captures this well. These three women are juggling a lot, and most readers will see themselves in one or all of them.
But each of these three also carries a longstanding secret, and their chickens are about to come home to roost, simultaneously, in one mind blowing week. This too rang true; so often you can’t take turns having a crisis, and friends find themselves dealing with their own problems and trying to support others at the same time.
I really loved this novel. Not just the main characters but the supporting cast were drawn strongly, and seemed very real. The majority of characters were decent people trying to do their best, even though that best would sometimes earn them a failing mark from the people around them. Although their secrets are a little more explosive than the ones most of us keep, they’re still credible and realistic, and you understand how the trio got into the mess they’re in by the middle of the novel.
I really found it hard to put this down; long after I should have been abed, I was thinking “just one more chapter…I want to know what she does…” There aren’t many books that hook me like this, but this one really got me. Strongly recommended; this will appeal to anyone who likes strong characters or a strong plot – or both.
Thank you, Beauty and Lace for the opportunity to read an advance copy of Rachel John’s book, “The Art of Keeping Secrets.” I loved the way the three main characters were portrayed, their friendship was indeed special. I loved the ending, beautifully handled, extremely satisfying for me and realistic. However I couldn’t come to terms with what to me was so unrealistic in the way Neve’s son’s father handled Neve’s secret.
I’ve not had experience even indirectly with the situations faced with Flick and Neve so this could have clouded my judgement. Emma’s situation I was able to understand. I admired Neve for the way she had accepted single parenthood and raised her son. I loved the way their lives were intertwined and even though I haven’t had experience anything like that which Flick was facing, I felt that realism was evident. Unfortunately I didn’t feel that with the initial revealing of Neve’s secret.
I found the writing to be powerful and I enjoyed the book, even with my doubts about the reality aspect of part of it. The bonds of friendship were real and it was wonderful the way Flick, Neve and Emma’s characters developed along with their families. Facing the truth has consequences but it also brings the ability to know yourself.
What a beautiful story as true friendship shines throughout the pages.
Every page entertained me with bantering and funny, witty remarks from such wonderous, memorable characters. When I am giggling as I turn the pages, I know I am in for a great read.
The storyline is about three friends Neve, Emma and Felicity that tell each other everything except each character does have a little secret of their own which will be revealed as you read further on.
From the first chapter you’ll be taken on a journey of happiness which will see you laughing and then further on sadness, which will definitely require a box of tissues. You will be shown family and relationships with dramatic consequences. It is not hard to love the other characters that will appear in the book.
A novel that if you never knew the true love of friendship, then reading this book will show you what real friends are like. It is beautifully written and one that will remain in your heart for a long time. This book captures the true essence of friendships.
This is not the first book that I have read of Rachael Johns and it certainly won’t be the last. Rachel has written a very engaging, beautiful read where the characters become so real that you actually feel like their fourth friend as you read along.
Thank you to Harlequin MIRA for giving me the chance to read this uncorrected proof and to Beauty and Lace for showing me so many great Australian authors. I love the cover for the book also.
Carol Johnson
This book ‘The Art of Keeping Secrets’ was truly magnificent.
It had me enthralled right from the beginning.
It is a story of true friendship put to the test and embraces the lives of three ordinary
women who have been very close friends for many years but who also have each kept
a secret close to their heart.
Felicity ( Flick ) Genevieve ( Neve ) and Emma who are all strong, likeable characters
who have shared MOST of their innermost selves to each other until one of them
reveals a secret that she has kept for most of her life and which could consequently damage
her relationship with her son but is now forced to deal with.
This revelation results in a trip from Australia to New York for the three friends and brings
about a roller-coaster of feelings and emotions. It also results in other secrets being revealed
by the trio.
It proved to me that you never truly know what maybe going on inside someone’s head
no matter how close you think you are to them but also that true friendship can conquer
anything.
I also think the ending says it all, that there are some secrets you can live with but there
are some you just cannot.
I have not read any of Rachael Johns novels before but I will looking for them now.
Thank you to Beauty and Lace and Harlequin Mira for giving me the opportunity
to read this novel. Truly an excellent read!!
I really enjoyed this book as a lover of chick literature.
The characters are truly believable and some of the readers will likely relate to the main characters in this charming book of friendships (especially among women),, past and present loves, young love, affairs, divorce, family, bringing up children and the dilemmas and trials of parenting.
The writer explores many facets of motherhood through various female characters and their relationships with their friends, family and colleagues.
I did not want to put the book down from the moment I started reading and wanted to know what was going to happen next.
The story also travels across the world from Australia to the States in search of a past love to divulge a family secret.
I would rate this book 7.5/10
The Art of Keeping Secrets will not disappoint Rachael John’s fans.
She has written this book with undeniable insight of three women who keep secrets from family and friends and the ultimate heartache and disruption they cause when they start to unravel.
A true page turned that you will not want to put down.
I highly recommend this book and it will appeal to readers of all types not just Romance Readers, and I honestly think this is her best book so far.
Thank you for the chance to read The Art of Keeping Secrets by Rachael Johns.
There were many secrets between school Mum friends Flick, Neve and Emma. After a trip to New York these all come to light and have to be dealt with simultaneously. I really enjoyed the characters interactions and learning how they dealt with their separate issues together. It also showed that life isn’t always smooth and doesn’t go the way you imagined, but if you have support you’ll get through okay.
I would thoroughly recommend this book to anyone who has a secret and/or friends, or just enjoys immersing themselves in others lives and friendships.
First of all thank you to Beauty and Lace for letting my trial The Art Of Keeping Secrets by Rachael Johns. At first I didn’t think I had read any books by this author, but turns out I had read one of her ‘Rural Romance’ stories years ago and I remember it being quite good. However I have not read any of the ‘Life-Lit’ books, so it was a first for me in that section.
The story is essentially about three women (Flick, Emma and Neve) who are good friends with one another because their sons went through school together. Secrets have been kept however and not yet shared, and the story follows the impact these have on them individually, emotionally and in their friendship.
I really don’t want to give away any “secrets” or story, so all I can say is go grab The Art Of Keeping Secrets by Rachael Johns and give it a read! It goes through good times where you are smiling or having a chuckle, to those dark boding times where you think oh no what should/will she do here? It all starts to unravel, and the pieces of the puzzle start to form about marriages, family, motherhood, strong bonds and feelings and puts them together in this wonderful story.
I really thought the book was well paced, pieces of information were carefully revealed at the right time and it definitely kept me reading on to see what happens next (quite often late into the night!!). Having each chapter from the perspective of one character was also quite interesting, as you got a glimpse into their mind and world. I was very impressed with the book overall, I thought it was quite well written, the story kept me interested and wanting to know more, and the characters seemed relatable to me in that they would be someone you could know.
Thanks again to Beauty and Lace, and I will definitely be looking out for other books by Rachael to read.