I have read all of Ms Monefiore’s books and loved them all and this was no exception.
I was pleased to see that this was the 4th in the Deverill series and enjoyed it immensely.
I look forward to reading more in the future.

Another amazing read from Santa Montefiore.
Reading this book was like catching up with old friends and hearing all their recent news, I absolutely loved it.
I thought we’d heard the complete Deverill story last year, so was delighted to find out more about my favourite Ballinakelly family.
The Secret Hours tells the take of Faye as she sets out to fulfil her mother’s last wishes and finds she is part a whole new family she knew nothing about and then through her late Mothers diaries, her Mother’s wonderful life story is revealed.
Set in County Cork, London and
Massachusetts, this book will have you guessing your way through, trying to find the answers to Arethusa’s story.
Lost love, family and friendship, such a wonderful journey.....and now I am left wondering....will we meet the Deverill family again??

First I fell in love with the cover, then I fell in love with this book.
It's an amazing book which is moving, engrossing, and entertaining.
I loved this women so frail and so strong at the same time, I was fascinated by the setting and the plot moved me and made me smile.
Even if it's part of series it can be read as a stand-alone as both the plot and the character development are well explained.
I loved the style of writing, the character development are amazing and I really liked them.
I look forward to reading the other books in this series.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Enthralling, I fell head-first into this captivating, standalone fourth book in the Deverill Chronicles. 

Bostonian Faye Langton has spent her life living and doing as others expect her to do; firstly as a daughter and now as a wife and mother. When her mother Arethusa Clayton dies, the reading of the will acts as a catalyst for Faye to embark on a journey to her Mom's homeland, Ireland. Knowing she will come up against opposition, Faye manages to convince her husband to let her go to Ballinakelly, to see if any of her Mom's family are still alive. On arrival, everything she thought she knew about Arethusa is a lie as she discovers secrets from the past, a large extended family she never knew existed as well as unlocking her own repressed passions and desires.

Written to reflect the past (early twentieth century) and the present (1961) we find out how and why Arethusa left her family in Ireland and moved to America without a backward glance. The missing elements are pieced together from extracts in a diary she bequeathed to her daughter, Faye. In Ireland, Faye's assisted by her newly found, lookalike cousin, Kitty Deverill and local 'Jack of all trades', Cormac O'Farrell. What they uncover is shocking however it allows both sides of the family to finally lay to rest the memory of the formidable Arethusa 'Tussy' Deverill. 

Exquisitely written, the narrative blends together captivating stories, heightened with historical events of the time. Set against a stunning County Cork backdrop, it's easy to visualise the scenery of this South Eastern part of Ireland along with the character of the communities within. Together, they create a delightful, page-turning experience for the reader.

I picked up this title simply because it's written by Santa Montefiore. I've only read one book by her in the past and it left a lasting impression. This second time around, I'm filled with the same feeling of satisfaction and a longing to read more from this author, starting with the other novels in the Deverill Chronicles.

Whether you are familiar with the Deverill's or not, The Secret Hours is a wonderful way to escape and pass away many hours whether as a holiday read or curled up next to a fire.

***arc generously received courtesy of Simon and Schuster UK Fiction via NetGalley***

I read this very quickly over a weekend and enjoyed it as a light read, which didn't trouble the brain cells too much after a heavy week.
Having said that I nearly gave up after the first 2 pages - starting with a dream retelling was not the way to grab my attention.
It did improve and i I did find myself caring for the main 1960's character but then I am like her bored and 50+.

Thanks to netgalley for an early copy in return for an honest review
Delighted to get this early copy as I have read all the other books in this series and it was excellent to have a conclusion which was again set in fabulous Ireland I can highly recommend this book and author.

This was an advanced copy from netgalley - thank you sooo much

I absolutely LOVE Santa Montefiore's books - I've probably read all of them

This is the final instalment of the Deverill family and I have read the others in the series so was THRILLED to be able to read an advanced copy of the last one

There is the return of previous characters so it is helpful if you've read the previous instalments

As always, this is well written, the plot is fantastic - a touch of mystery - loved the Irish setting - it makes me want to go there

Intriguing, family secrets

Charming and mysterious - absolute treat to read - a wonderful holiday read - but would also make a great book club book - what family hasn't dealt with a family death and then found afterwards surprises regarding their lives you couldn't have guessed at? I know I have

An absolute essential read this Summer

Another great read by Santa, slowly but surely you are drawn back to Ireland and the Deverill family, how many more secrets can there be? Obviously quite a few. However I think it is now time to move on from this family. Can old rivals bury the past and become friends, will there be a happy ending, what do you think?

This book is the final part in the Deverill series.
I love a romance story from Montefiore. And this was no exception. Her writing is so enchanting and gripping. I couldn't put it down. It's so emotional and I definitely LOVED it!
Thanks a lot Netgalley and the publisher for this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is the final part of the Deverill series (although I think this could be made clearer on the cover) and it was a real treat to go back.

Kitty is back. Yay! And there’s a long lost cousin from the USA. When these two get together to solve the mystery of Arethusa Deverill.

The story is well written and the plot is a great mystery and family saga that is easy to get lost it. The Irish setting and culture behind the story is really immersive and is written almost as an ode to the country of Ireland and its people.

Imagine having to go to Ireland on your mother’s deathbed request to go and find out about her past? Especially as she never mentioned Ireland before!? It’s all very intriguing and the stories of secrets and lies come out, one after another.

The location, with its charm and mystery, and of course history really does enhance the main story and it’s a feast for all the senses. You can tell the author loves this part of the world. There’s many splashes of Irish history as well to interest you as well.

Santa Montefiore is one of my must-read authors so I was delighted to get this e-copy in exchange for an honest review.
I love the Castle Deverill series and if you do too you won't be disappointed. Kitty is back, but this time the story brings her a long-lost cousin from America and together they unravel the story of Arethusa Deverill who left for America as a girl and didn't return or tell her children of her past. Arethusa is one of my favourite characters in the saga so far, she's ahead of her time, headstrong, kind-hearted and controversial.
If you haven't read any of the series you could definitely still read this as a stand alone but I'd recommend reading them all ;)

Nothing less than I have come to expect from Sante Montefiore. A delightful story that had characters from a previous novel. I enjoyed it from beginning to end, was kept entertained and was sad when it finished. I could empathise with relationship difficulties and was happy when they were resolved. When is the next book?

This was a heartwarming family story set in two time periods.
The characters were beautifully drawn and I warmed to both the main protagonists, American Faye in 1961 and her mother,Tussy, who lived in Ireland at the turn of the twentieth century.
When Faye’s mother dies she leaves a will in which she asks her daughter to go to her homeland, Ireland and scatter her ashes. She also leaves a bequest that will only be revealed after this has been done. Both Faye and her brother Logan are astounded as their mother never mentioned Ireland or any relatives whilst she was alive.
Faye is in a loveless marriage with 3 grown up children and she is keen to fly from Boston to County Cork to find her long lost family and discover the reason her mother left in the first place.
Tussy it seems was a difficult woman who never spoke of her past so it was assumed she left Ireland to escape poverty.
Faye’s brother Logan refuses to go and wants to contest the will.
However when Faye arrives in Ireland she discovers many family secrets and also romance which might well break her heart. Faye gradually reads her mother’s diary and the story in the past is moving both for Faye and the reader.
This is a delightful read, perfect for those who like romance and family sagas. I have been reading it on holiday and I really was was transported to the Emerald Isle with its beautiful scenery and changeable weather. The book has been well researched and you are treated to a bit of Irish history as well as a wonderful story.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my arc in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed the book and the tale of how the past was intertwined with the present. I did find it dragged in a few places but overall a good read.

I absolutely loved this book. For me the author (whose books I have to read ) takes you on an emotional journey of the past. I could not put it down as I wanted to know the ending. Santa Montefiore never disappoints. I thoroughly recommend this book.

A strong story as you'd expect from Santa Montefiore. I loved learning about Arethusa Deverill's past. The setting - mostly in Ireland - was well-written. I found the language a bit stilted at times. Like 'I have' instead of 'I've', but it's a small point. I also think the way the modern day romance was done was a bit simplistic. But overall, I enjoyed this story. The ending was fitting also. I've just learnt that this is the third book in the Deverill chronicles, but this book works as a stand-alone.

I really enjoy getting engrossed in a Santa Montefiore book and this was definitely no exception. Set primarily in 1961 with flashbacks to the end of the nineteen century this is the story of Faye, a woman in her late fifties who defines her life by her husband and grown up children and doing what is expected of her. After her mother passes away she finds herself drawn into her mother’s past and her life in Ireland prompting her to visit the Emerald Isle herself to gain an understanding of who her mother was and what caused her to flee to America.

Faye is a beautifully written character, brought up to be a good daughter and wife she doesn’t know the strength of her own character until she finds her spiritual home, This is very much a book about Faye despite the flashbacks to her mothers past and a wonderful set of surrounding characters, some of whom are not entirely unfamiliar but yet this is very much a stand-alone book. I found it slightly less of an epic than previous books and it had a slightly different feel to it somehow but yet it is still very much a Santa Montefiore book. I enjoyed immersing myself in this enormously and found it a book that draws you in more and more the further you get into it. Whilst this is a definite must for fans of Santa Montefiore I would highly recommend it to others who have yet to discover her.

Faye Langton is part of a wealthy Catholic American family and, although not particularly close to her mother, is unaware of any family secrets. However, at the reading of her mother's will it becomes clear that Arethusa Clayton held many secrets. In order to carry out her mother's wishes, Faye must travel to Ireland, where she discovers that her mother was far from the poor Catholic Irish immigrant that her family had believed. This is a fascinating glimpse into early 20th Century Irish history, as well as one woman's quest to unravel her mother's story whilst rewriting her own.

I love Santa Montefiore's writing and have recommended them to many of my friends , in fact several of my old copies of he books are circulating around my U3A wine group!!!!

It was a delight to return to the Deverills and to continue this story, I sincerely hope that there will be more to follow in this series but I must return to the earlier books in the series and reread them to refresh myself on the intricacies of the story and the historical stories of Ireland and of emigration to Ireland.

This is another well researched novel from Santa Montefiore with as usual interesting characters and a strong stortyline.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

Eagerly looking forward to her next book!!!!!!

I always enjoy Santa Montefiore's writing, and this book is no exception.
So many authors seem to be using the divided centuries genre at the moment, and admittedly it does take a while to get into. However, the glimpses of Arethusa's young life, and the comparison with Faye's are so well drawn. The Diary, the visit to Ireland, one could almost be there with Faye.
Poor Arethusa. How sad that she would never know forgiveness. Both Faye and Logan learned much about themselves during the journey. I'm so glad the ending was as it was.
Thank you for a review copy of this lovely book.