Release date - 1st March 2019
Book length - 285 pages Publisher - HQ Digital Amazon UK - www.amazon.co.uk Amazon US - www.amazon.com I want to thank Rachel from www.rachelsrandomresources.com for the opportunity to take part in this blog tour and for providing me with an e-copy of this book for review via Netgalley. ABOUT THIS BOOK Can she unlock the mysteries of the past? A country at war It’s the summer of 1919 and Ellen O’Brien has her whole life ahead of her. Young, in love and leaving home for her first job, the future seems full of shining possibility. But war is brewing and before long, Ellen and everyone around her are swept up by it. As Ireland is torn apart by the turmoil, Ellen finds herself facing the ultimate test of love and loyalty. A long-buried secret A hundred years later and Clare Farrell has inherited a dilapidated old farmhouse in County Meath. Seizing the chance to escape her unhappy marriage she strikes out on her own for the first time, hoping the old building might also provide clues to her family’s shadowy history. As she sets out to put the place – and herself – back to rights, she stumbles across a long-forgotten hiding place, with a clue to a secret that has lain buried for decades. MY REVIEW THE FORGOTTEN SECRET by Kathleen McGurl is an absorbing, dual-timeline story that packs an emotional punch which I was not expecting. In 1919, Ellen O'Brien has gotten a job up at the big house and the boy who claims her heart returns home from school where they can finally be together. Life is hard work but she is happy. But things are about to change drastically for Ellen and she will experience hardships and heartbreaks like no other. Will she have the strength to keep on living against the odds? In the present day, Clare Farrell has inherited her uncle's farm in Ireland and her controlling husband is determined to sell it regardless of her feelings. But this farm may just be the perfect place to escape to - a place where Clare can leave her sham of a marriage and find herself again. But life is never quite straight-forward and when she finds an old heirloom hidden in a chair, will uncovering the past help Clare face her future? THE FORGOTTEN SECRET by Kathleen McGurl is excellently written and Ireland's harsh and raw past is well-depicted without being too graphic. I had a very emotional reaction to this book, especially Ellen's story, because I'm Irish and this is my history, my ancestor's history, and I felt anger and sadness at times but I also felt pride and hope too. For Ellen is a character that echoes in our history - a proud, strong, Irish woman who suffers abominably but continues to forge a new life against the odds, a woman who never gives up. Clare's story is equally important and I enjoyed watching her character find her inner strength too. THE FORGOTTEN SECRET by Kathleen McGurl is a compelling and gripping story that will hook you from the very first page and I highly recommend it. AUTHOR BIO Kathleen McGurl lives in Bournemouth with her husband and cat. She has two grown-up sons who have now left home. She always wanted to write, and for many years was waiting until she had the time. Eventually she came to the bitter realisation that no one would pay her for a year off work to write a book, so she sat down and started to write one anyway. Since then she has sold dozens of short stories to women's magazines and written three books for writers. These days she is concentrating on longer fiction and has published several dual timeline novels with CarinaUK and HQ. She works full time in the IT industry and when she's not writing, she's often out running, slowly. For more information: Website - kathleenmcgurl.com Twitter - twitter.com/KathMcGurl Facebook - www.facebook.com/KathleenMcGurl/ Instagram - www.instagram.com/kathleenmcgurl/ DON'T FORGET TO CHECK OUT ALL OF THE OTHER STOPS ALONG THE WAY!!!
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WelcomeHi fellow bookworms. My name is Linda and I'm a reviewer & blogger, wife & mother who loves all things books! Currently ReadingUPCOMING BLOG TOURS
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