Book Synopsis:
My dearest daughter, I will never forget the day I nearly lost you. The day you learned the secrets that would tear our lives apart…
Time stops for Jen when her beloved daughter, Gracie, is involved in a terrible car crash. Pronounced dead at the scene, it’s a miracle when paramedics manage to then resuscitate the little girl.
The relief Jen feels at Gracie’s recovery is matched only by her fury at the driver of the car – her ex-husband’s new girlfriend Ella. Jen has never trusted Ella, and now her worst fears have been confirmed.
But then Gracie begins to tell strange stories about what she heard in the car that day, and what she saw in those moments near death. It’s clear that there’s something shocking hidden in Ella’s past… but exposing it could tear all their lives apart.
An emotional page-turner that will take your breath away. Perfect for fans of Jodi Picoult, Lisa Wingate and Kerry Fisher.
Gracie’s Secret is out in ebook and paperback now, the e-book is currently only 99p. You can purchase a copy of both here.
My Review:
This is a gripping and emotional read where everyone is hiding something.
The story is told from both Jennifer’s and Ellie’s point of view which helps make the book a lot more compelling. My opinion on whose ‘side’ I was on changed constantly. My favourite character was actually Ellie who I felt was quite misunderstood, especially by Jennifer. As her story unfolds and we discover more about her history my like of her grew as I really felt for all she had been through. That’s not to say I didn’t feel for Jennifer. Having your child in such a critical situation in hospital must be absolutely horrendous. The pain and anguish she obviously felt was heartbreaking to read about and was almost tangible at times. I can’t imagine how I would feel in such a situation. However she came across as too perfect, or definitely thought herself to be, and everything was everyone else’s fault but hers which made it difficult to warm to her.
The mystery part of the book was very intriguing and definitely kept me on my toes. I honestly wasn’t sure what was going on at times. I found Gracie’s memories/ recollections had a slightly eerie feel to them I felt. I couldn’t understand why Jennifer was so ready to dismiss them and felt Gracie’s frustration as she tried to get her mum to believe her. At times I just wanted to reach in and give the little girl a huge hug.
The author very cleverly lulled me into a sense of false security with some of the characters. She was very good at setting the scene and making the reader believe one thing when the opposite was true. The twist at the end was brilliant and completely took me by surprise, I always love when that happens in a book.
This, amazingly, is Jill Child’s debut novel and I very much look to reading more from her in the future.
Thanks to Kim Nash and Bookouture for my copy of this book and for inviting me onto the blog tour.
About The Author:
Jill has always loved writing – real and imaginary – and spent 30 years travelling the world as a journalist, living overseas and reporting wherever the news took her. She’s now made her home in London with her husband and twin girls who love stories as much as she does. Although she’s covered everything from earthquakes and floods, riots and wars, she’s found some of the most extraordinary stories right here at home – in the secrets and lies she imagines behind closed doors on ordinary streets, just like yours.
For latest news, follow Jill on Twitter (author_jill) and Facebook (Jill Childs).
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Over The Rainbow Blog 