Four old college friends decide to spend the weekend together to reconnect but each hides a secret. Elise feels lonely despite her wealth and has been squirrelling money away but now her husband has found out. Ivy is almost bankrupt and has started working as an escort. Ada is hiding her postnatal depression. Widow Libby has found a second chance at love. However, there are more secrets from the past…
Her Guilty Secret is a great title as it can apply to each of the four main characters. They have been hiding secrets from each other as well as their loved ones. Yet for all of them, things are going to come to a head this weekend as tensions and personalities collide.
The four main women are all likeable, facing their own struggles and desperate to cling on to their lives yet terrified of what will happen next. I liked the strength of the women’s friendship that ebbs and flows throughout the book. The realism of their emotions makes this an enjoyable book to read and there is a naturalness to the situations that makes us think ‘what if it was me’.
We get to see different perspectives as each chapter gives us insight into one of the women’s viewpoints. They are all treated equally by the author who shows us their version of current and past events through third person narrative.
Her Guilty Secret is an enjoyable tale of enduring friendship and modern life.
I have previously reviewed Everybody Lies by Emily Cavanagh
Ivy has been looking forward to seeing her oldest college friends for months. But the reunion couldn’t have come at a worse time. Her husband has left her and she is struggling to pay the bills. She’s never felt less like sitting around drinking cocktails. And as the reunion weekend approaches, Ivy can’t stop thinking about the life-altering mistake that changed everything during her senior year…
Not wanting to let everyone down, Ivy boards the plane to Boston and makes her way to Elise’s stunning Cape Cod summerhouse, where Ada and Libby are waiting. That evening, as everyone gathers on the sofa with several bottles of wine, someone suggests they play truth or dare.
When Ada picks truth and is asked about her biggest regret, something is said that can’t be taken back. Something that makes Ivy question the moment she has always blamed herself for and makes her wonder if these women were ever her friends to begin with.
But Ivy’s not the only one keeping secrets. Ada, Elise and Libby’s perfect lives are not quite what they seem. As new revelations come to light, will this weekend bring the three friends closer than ever or tear them apart for good?
A gripping, emotional drama about the complexities of friendship and the lengths we will go for the ones we love. Perfect for fans of Big Little Lies, Elin Hilderbrand and The Family Next Door.
Author Bio:
A teacher as well as a writer, Emily Cavanagh lives with her husband, two daughters, and an Australian Shepherd on Martha’s Vineyard Island. Her work has been published in Red Rock Review, Grain Magazine, Transfer, and Martha’s Vineyard Arts and Ideas. Read more about Emily’s work and life at www.emilycavanaghauthor.com.
