This was an unexpected find forgotten about on my Kindle. I must have not written this one down.

Strange because I’m not a Romance reader but this one had much more to it than the ‘lovey dovey’ stuff, it was far from soppy or overly unimaginative.

You hear people falling for the “wrong “ guy don’t you?
But hey, there’s a certain attraction in some that can’t pull away, I mean, look at movies, soaps on TV, he always gets the girl, right?! Well, she got her guy but what else came with him?

I’ll be going to find out if Lynda Stacey has written anything else, I was quite taken with this book.

Romance readers- you are going to love it.

Maddie Frost escapes an abusive relationship and flees, with her tiny daughter, Poppy, to Wrea Head Hall, her father's hotel in Yorkshire, and even though Maddie's relationship with her father has been distant, she hopes that she will find a place of safety to escape from the danger posed by her estranged partner, Liam.

The story wasn't at all what I expected, I think from the cover I imagined a light family drama and what I got was a rather dark, suspenseful story which has all the necessary elements of surprise needed to drive the story along. However, it's not just a complex thriller although that is the focal point of the story, there's also an underlying historical mystery which offers a much needed respite from some of the darker elements of the main story. Whilst there was intrigue and danger aplenty there was also some light relief with a handsome hero with a heart of gold, and a couple of faithful hotel employees who are strong and sturdy when Maddie really needs their help. I also thought that little Poppy was a delightful addition to the story, as was the lively Springer Spaniel puppy, Buddy.

Overall I really enjoyed House of Secrets, it's a great immersive read and it's certainly been an interesting Summer Reading choice.

Just to add that House of Secrets was the author's debut novel in 2015 when she won the Choc Lit Search for a Star competition. Lynda Stacey has now gone on to write several more successful novels.

House of secrets by Lynda Stacey
This book is set in the present time in the UK. It is about relationships, stalking and secrets. Madeleine is a single mother, who has written four novels. Her new relationship with Liam is falling apart and her young daughter Poppy is afraid of him.
Madeleine’s half-sister Jess encourages Madeleine to leave Liam. Madeleine and Poppy move into an old Victorian Hotel owned by her father.
They settle in to a new life. Madeleine discovers an old diary from the 1940’s, and starts to unravel secrets about the hotel and the previous owners, meanwhile someone is creeping around and soon tragedy strikes.

When Madeleine decides she has to keep her daughter safe and leave her boyfriend- she seeks out her estranged father to see if she can live in his hotel. She loves getting to know her father again and it seems that Liam, her ex partner had meddled in the relationship to make it strained.

Poppy reverts back to a happy child wrapping everyone round her little finger. She likes 'Bandit' the romantic interest for Madeleine!

This book has everything- a historical link via a diary that is found that they are keen to explore, a chilling thriller aspect as Liam proves to be someone to fear, romance with Bandit and family relationships. So in turn you are on the edge of your seat and then relaxing into more sedate scenes at the hotel. I will be really keen to read more by Lynda Stacey.

We've read this story before, framed differently, but the basics are familiar. That said, Stacey has done a good job with her characters- especially Maddie and Poppy but also "Bandit." Liam's type is not new be sure but that doesn't make him any less menacing. Stacey has a nice touch in balancing the bad with the good and thrown in some interesting history as well. THanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

Thoroughly enjoyed this story, suspense and thriller, but also with love and romance. A fantastic gripping ending. Loved the strong characters, and the description of Wrea Head Hall, with the mystery secret tunnel.

Would love to read more by Lunda Stacey.

You just can’t go wrong with a book published by Choc Lit, at least not in my experience thus far. When I see their name down as the publisher I go in with positive hopes.

Stacey surely created a story that has a little bit of everything. She creates this main female character that immediately grips your heart with the challenges she’s had to face but also seeing her courage and perseverance as a mother. It has the romance angle to lighten things up a bit which is needed thanks to the tension caused by her ex hell bent on forcing her to do things his way. If all that isn’t enough she’s even sprinkled in a bit of mystery to bring her characters together and heighten the suspense of what more will the evil ex do.

I adored her characters, except for the evil ex of course, and how she used a couple as the tension relievers so you didn’t get bogged down in too much darkness.

I was already a fan of Lynda Stacey from a previous book of hers I read, Tell Me No Secrets, so this just cemented all over again what a great writer she is; I look forward to more!

Thanks Netgalley and the publisher.
This book really had a mix of everything and I wasn't expecting that at all! Thought it was just going to be a thriller, but it had elements of mystery, historical, romance and the darker side of human behaviour too and it all combined beautifully to keep me excited, scared, intrigued and hooked right to the end!

What a great debut novel. House of Secrets is very well written with a great plot that has many twists and turns to keep the reader guessing.

Sadly, it’s not a unique story, Madeleine Frost has a partner that has become so controlling and demanding that she fears for her life and the life of her little girl. Poppy. Maddie decides to leave Liam and she’s desperate enough to turn to her estranged father and the magnificent old hotel he owns in Yorkshire. Once there, she begins the painful process of reacquainting herself with her father and also meets the game keeper, an ex-marine with a past named “Bandit”. The marine and battered woman unite over an old journal they find that details the history of the Hall and its residents. But even as Maddie and Bandit grow closer, Liam is planning his revenge. If he can’t have Maddie, no one will. While domestic abuse is not the sole topic of this story, it does bring to light the tremendous problem that women face the world over. A sobering look (with a hopeful outcome) at an all too frequent problem