Wow. Lea Geller put on paper how I feel about motherhood. The stress to fit in, trying to fit in with the parents who seem to have it all together, trying to parent in a sea of parents who are young enough to be your kid. To paraphrase a line from the book... she sees us. I’ve been Bells. Maybe not the blogging about my town gossip— but I’ve been the mom worried she is not doing enough, never good enough for her mom and mother in law, feeling like an outcast in her own skin. This book spoke to me- made me laugh, made me cry, and made me proud of what I have become. This is a definite must read for any mom who just wants to be seen.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC to facilitate my unbiased review.

This is a witty, fun and cute book. A good light read, but one that ultimately did not go quite as deep as I wanted.

Bells learns her husband has not gotten tenure at roughly the same time she learns she is pregnant at forty-two, despite her IUD and two older children. She ends up moving to Dutchess County in upstate New York, where her dream of writing takes on a somewhat catty form of a gossip column in the free paper dishing dirt on local moms. Meanwhile, her much more serious husband is trying for tenure at his new school. All this leaves Bells feeling dissatisfied and unseen, which comes out in her increasingly catty anonymous column about her peers in the community.

I thought the writing was zippy and cute, and Bells’ family was very relatable. The one weak link was her husband, who somehow I never really found quite too likable. I did not like his general failure to appreciate her goals and dreams in life in favor of his own. His propensity to take Bells for granted never really felt like it got fully resolved, and I didn’t see enough of what she loved about him.

Overall, I would have liked for the author to show us more vulnerability in Bells as the book went along, and get into maybe a little more depth about how unhappy/unfulfilled she actually was before the end. The book wraps up into a somewhat tidy package but I didn’t feel like we really got the emotional depth and self-realization throughout that I was hoping for from Bells. What are the reasons Bells was compelled to write this ultimately somewhat nasty column? The author explains them at the end but does not really show the sadness to us in Bells’ daily life before that point.

Nonetheless, this was a clever and fun light read that will likely please many people, especially those frustrated with the overachieving, privileged moms and norms in their community. Bells is a likable heroine with a distinctive voice, and so is the author herself.

3.5 stars, and I’d read this author again in hopes she would go a little farther and deeper with her interesting ideas next time.

Thanks to Lake Union, NetGalley and the author for the ARC!

Thank you NetGalley.


I was reading this book while laughing.

We are all Belle in some way... I mean blogging.

Belle's life situation leads her to blog and her blog keeps growing but like all the things, come with some negative consequences...


It was so fuuuuuuuuuuuuun, because it was so relatable and I found myself thinking if this happens to me what would happen after.


I highly recommend it for those who are fan of stories about small towns and all the situations that come from it.

We all got a little Bells Walker in us. She's a mom of two who finds out shes pregnant again in her 40s. And she truly doesn't understand all of the Step ford like moms in her new town. So she blogs about it, anonymously of course. Only as always, what's done in the dark always comes to light.

This sounds like such a simple premise for a book, yet what takes this from good to great is the authors amazing sense of humor, wit, and ability to paint a flawless picture with her words. I read this in a day and actually woke up my husband at 3am laughing out loud. Its that good. Even secondary characters are well rounded and all add something to the overall story. There's absolutely no filler here, just a darn good read from start to.finish. The best part is we all know moms just like the Pigkill moms, and we all have days (years if youre me) where we feel like Bells. Too old, overworked, and unnoticed to even begin to understand how those moms do it all while wearing high heels all day. This is a five big star read. I've not read anything by this author before this but I'm absolutely going to check her out now. Her writing style is truly top notch.

Thank you to Lea Geller, NetGalley, and Lake Union Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Thoughts
Wheeling from the fact that her husband, Harry, did not get tenure at the university and a failed IUD resulting in pregnancy in her 40's, Bells feels like she is spiraling. When Harry finds a job at a university in a town called Pigkill, Bells did not think life could get worse until she meets the mother pack. You know those moms who run the PTA, the bake sales and everything else social in a small town. Bells has been hiding from these types of women/moms her entire life. Instead of trying to make friends, she becomes the County Dutchess whose blog posts get more scandalous by the day. The more comments Bells gets on her posts, the more she seeks out town gossip without actual proof of happenings. One of her readers is onto her, and they will do anything to reveal the duchesses true identity. When they do, Bell's life and the life of her family will come crumbling down.
This was such a fun read! Bell's character was refreshing, raw and real. I think her and I would have the same feelings on almost everything from the hemp aprons to the overly competitive parents. This story did make me want to run out and try kombucha and bake more...just not at all hours of the night/morning.
I love that she had a friend like Suki who rooted for her and was brave enough to tell Bells that enough is enough as each blog post got more scandalous. You knew people were going to discover Bell's true identity, you just didn't know how or how it would affect her and her family.
I felt like this story had a “you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover” type of ending, and I loved it! You'll have to grab this one yourself to see what I'm talking about.
Thank you Suzy Approved Book Tours, Author Lea Geller and Lake Union Publishing for my #copy. This one comes out April 6, 2021!
Book Rating: 4/5
Wine Pairing: Espiral Vinho Verde slightly chilled

Thanks to Lake Union Publishing for an advanced copy of The Truth and Other Hidden Things by Lea Geller.

This was such a funny, laugh out loud book! If you like crazy mom bloggers, Mean Girls and crazy suburban drama you will enjoy this!

Bells who is in her 40s with 2 teenagers finds out her IUD failed on the same day her husband didn't get tenure, so they leave NYC for Dutchess County, NY. Faced by a different kind of suburban moms and lots of hipsters, she starts blogging dishing the dirt as County Dutchess, but as she gains popularity will keeping her identity a secret work? What will happen when they find out who is behind the blog?

This is full of hilarious cultural references, side characters and a little bit deeper message of feeling like you belong and what you are doing is worthwhile standout to me in this book!

The Truth and Other Hidden Things is about small town gossip and moms behaving badly.

I found Bells’ blog posts as The County Dutchess entertaining. I loved the exploration of motherhood and what it means throughout a mother’s and child’s life. I also appreciated how it delved into what it was like to be accidentally pregnant over the age of 40.

I found Harry to be someone that I didn’t like and I felt like he was somewhat dismissive of Bells and her feelings.

If you want a laugh or some honest insight into motherhood, I recommend checking this out!

Linda’s Book Obsession Reviews “The Truth And Other Hidden Things” by Lea Geller, April 2021. On Tour With Suzy Approved Book Tours

Lea Geller, the author of “The Truth And Other Hidden Things” has written an enjoyable, witty, delightful, and emotional novel. The Genres for this novel are Fiction, Domestic Fiction, and Women’s Fiction. The timeline for this story is set in the present and goes to the past when it pertains to the characters and events. The story takes place in New York and Pigkill, a town in Dutchess County. The author describes her colorful and dramatic characters as complex, complicated, flawed, and quirky. There is a touch of satire, and this is a perfect book to escape into. Sometimes it is just so necessary to escape and enjoy a wonderful book to read. I would highly recommend this thought-provoking novel for other readers to enjoy.

I love the way Lea Geller vividly describes her characters, scenery, and events. Bells Walker finds out that her husband Harry doesn’t get the expected tenure, the day she finds out that she is accidentally pregnant. Bells is fortyish and has two teenage children. Luckily, or perhaps not, Harry finds another job in Pigkill, and the family is forced to move. They move to a large unique farmhouse that seems to require a constant handyman. The kitchen is not part of the house and is part of a former garage. To get to the kitchen, one has to go outside. Both of Bell’s children are average students and this move is difficult.

The women in the community seem to be very cliquey. Bells is a former writer and decides to write a blog about what goes on in this town, not realizing the possible effects. She anonymously writes as the “County Duchess”, and is amazed at what she finds out about her neighbors.

One of the scenes that really had me laughing, was when she calls what she thinks is an agency for-handymen, and finds out that these men are handy, but not in the house. Again, this is Linda’s Book Obsession recommendation to read this book!! What fun!! What are you waiting for? Happy Reading!!

DNF. I really liked the premise but the writing did not work for me at all. It wouldn't be fair to the book if I finished reading and gave it a low rating.

The Truth and Other Hidden Things gets a solid 4 stars from me!

42-year-old mom Bells Walker discovers that she's expecting her third child as a result of a failed IUD on the same day that her husband finds out that he has to find a new job as an English professor. The whole family's life is uprooted as they head out of Manhattan and into Dutchess County. Bells was a writer for a free newspaper and immediately struggles to find a similar job in Pigkill, a small town being taken over by ex-Brooklyn and city residents. The result? A witty and anonymous blog-based attack on her fellow residents of Pigkill and their hipster takeover. A bit of fun takes a darker turn when Bells uncovers some of the morally and legally questionable behaviours of the Pigkill moms.

The Truth and Other Hidden Things pleasantly surprised me. This was the first I've read of Lea Geller's, but I'm a big fan of the author's writing style. The story and dialogue felt realistic and entertaining. I loved Bells' story arc, showing that low self-worth and insecurity can bring out the worst in us.

I'd definitely recommend this one - I got major Gossip Girl and Big Little Lies vibes throughout :)

The Truth and Other Hidden Things

This book made me laugh so much! I wasn’t prepared for how funny it is. Bells Walker is an UWS mom who finds out she’s pregnant at 43 on the same day her husband loses his job and their faculty housing. They are desperate for Harry to get a new job, even if that means that have to move out of the city and to upstate NY, to Dutchess County.

Bells is bored and very pregnant so she decides to start an anonymous gossip blog about all the moms at her kids new school. She doesn’t quite fit in with them or the town at all. She writes for the small city newspaper she used to hoping that no one from her new town of Pigkill will read the County Dutchess. Obviously this backfires on Bells and

This novel was absolutely hysterical and reminded me a lot of the book Class Mom, which I also loved. I’m not a mom yet, but this just made me laugh so much that I’m sure if you are a mother, you will find it even funnier. I can’t wait to read the author’s first book, Trophy Life!

Thank you to @suzyapprovedbooktours, @kccpr, @lakeunionauthors & @leagellerauthor for my review copy.

4.5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

I received a digital ARC (advanced reader copy) of this book from Netgalley.

Bells Walker and her husband and New York City residents down on their luck. Bells is a stay at home mother and her husband, Harry, got rejected for tenure. The family follows Harry upstate to a new job and are hoping for a fresh start, especially since Bells is expecting. To their surprise, their new location is filled with New York City rejects like themselves and the sanctimonious people they thought they left behind. Bells feels out of place and isolated as her husband and children try to fit in and tries to start a gossip blog.

Obviously gossip always end badly and while Bells supposedly redeems herself, I don't think the other characters did enough to redeem themselves. Her husband and children never apologize for stressing her out and pressuring her while she is pregnant or has just given birth. It was a very shallow redemption and her misogyny towards other women is never addressed. She hates other women for the way they dress, talk, how they parent and is simultaneously offended that other moms act the same way towards her. Also, the constant mentions of millennials and kombucha are just ridiculous. It is really disingenuous how older generations like the main character denigrate younger people when they had plenty of ridiculous youth movements and made their own youthful mistakes. While the book was occasionally funny, all of the stereotyping and holier than thou attitude was boring to read about.

No one likes to experience mean girls but it’s always fun to read about or watch. I mean why is #meangirls so popular? Why 17 years later are we still quoting #shedoesntevengohere or why do we still wear #pinkonwednesdays? Also, take a minute to let it soak in that it was 17 years ago!
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Anyway, like it says in the book, “At the end of the day people like reading about the mean girls who grew up and became moms behaving badly.”
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Bells was having a day from hell. Her husband found out he wasn’t getting tenure, they were losing their college issued apartment and moving to Pigkill (yep, that’s the town name) and her IUD failed so she is forty something and pregnant.
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She tires to stay positive but soon realizes her new town is filled with hipsters, kombucha, farm to table and ultra competitive parenting. In a world where tiger moms reign a bunny mom like her doesn’t stand a chance. She took her sarcastic humor to the blogosphere and began writing under the name the #CountyDutchess. She started writing snarky tidbits about her neighbors and the town and things quickly spun out of control. Her blog gained traction with other bloggers and even The New Yorker.
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Hiding behind the screen though is she just as bad as the neighbors she is writing about?
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I love a dark, funny suburban story and this was a treat. The only thing I wish is for an epilogue. I’m someone who needs closure and I feel this ended too abruptly but all in all this was fun.
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Thank you #NetGalley and #LakeUnion for an arc in exchange for an honest review.
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This book is out April 6th!

4 stars for this fun read-I literally Lol’d a few times!
Bells finds out that her iud has failed and she’s going to have another baby at the same time as her husband finds out that he didn’t make tenure at his school. As a result, they, along with their teenage kids have to move out to the country for her husbands new job, which no one is excited about except her husband. As a stay at mom in her 40s, she feels left behind everyone and that she has nothing in common with the other mothers so she goes back to writing again, only this time she is trashing all them and their kombucha drinking lifestyles under a pen name so no one can trace it back to her, but she feels alive again. Eventually it all blows up in her face and she has to put the pieces back in order to save face and help her family come back together.
I really enjoyed this story. Bells was totally relatable as a wife and mom who gives all she can to her kids and her husband, and deals with teenage drama as well as pregnancy and postpartum life that isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. Her husband got sucked into the lifestyle and it cracked me up!. And overall, when it all went wrong, the people she dogged on were the ones who stepped up for her.
Enjoyable, witty and engaging story. Thanks to Netgalley for this Arc in exchange for my review.

I was given an advanced reader copy of The Truth and Other Hidden Things by NetGalley. This was a very enjoyable read for me. Bells finds out that she is pregnant at 43 on the same day her husband is denied tenure at the university he worked at in New York City. This precipitates a move to the Hudson Valley. Bells, who worked for a free newspaper in NYC, began writing an anonymous, snarky, gossipy column about the people in the Hudson Valley for the paper. Things quickly spiral when her column develops a huge following, and people want to find out who she is. The book is funny, but touches on some very timely issues such as social media, family relationships, and personal satisfaction and happiness. Bells was a very likeable character, even though she was a hot mess! I will definitely recommend this to friends.

Bells Walker is a writer in her forties that has two children in their teens. Right away you learn that her husband has lost tenure at a Manhattan university, her IUD failed - she's pregnant, and they are moving from the city to a Hudson Valley town, Pigkill. What could possibly go right? Bells cannot relate to the helicopter moms in this small town so she decides to begin her journey as an undercover blogger, pen named The County Duchess.
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This book had me laughing out loud as Bells, with her witty sense of humor, balances the life as a pregnant, secret blogger that is trying to raise teenagers in a small town. Lea Geller does a fantastic job balancing this humor with some emotional battles Bells faces as a mom and wife. I would highly recommend this book if you are looking for a light read with some humor mixed with the challenges of being a mother.

This was a fun book about moms behaving badly and all the small town drama. I was laughing out loud at Bells' blogs as she evolved into the County Dutchess. Throughout the book we explore the many facets of motherhood as Bells navigates being 40 and pregnant, the pressures of college acceptances, and the standard overcommitments of the PTA. I'd recommend this book to anyone who wants to read about motherhood through a more comedic lens or just needs a laugh.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the ARC in exchange for my honest review*

Meet Bells, a mother who feels under appreciated, never hitting expectations by her mother or mother-in-law, taking the back burner for her husband’s teaching career, raising teenagers..... All on the same day she becomes a statistic of birth control that shouldn’t fail - an IUD at 43 😱 - and learns her husband didn’t make tenure, throwing their life plans on its head.

A teaching position opens in Duchess County in upstate New York, so she moves along with her grumpy teens, morning sickness and overly perky husband to a monster house with monster problems, including a “detached kitchen”. At the urging of her best friend and foodie writer, she starts to write all the exaggerated shenanigans of the area. She takes it a bit further and starts to write a blog - “The County Duchess” - anonymously, telling the dirt on everyone from town. Not expecting such success from a small news source, things keep tumbling out of hand, including this little secret she hasn’t told her husband.

This snarky and humorous novel will be a hit with anyone who loved Class Mom or is a mom up to her eyeballs in over expectations that we often feel. So, that’s every mom! 😉

Thanks to Lake Union Publishing and Netgalley for this ARC! All comments are my own. I will be posting on Instagram on April 14th for the @letstalkbookspromo

3.5 stars This was a fun read. Lady Whistledown meets Gilmore Girls. Bells moves to the Hudson Valley from New York city. Feeling lonely and a bit sorry for herself, she starts dishing all the town gossip (and some of it is pretty juicy) under a pen name. She soon learns that not everything is as it seems.
This was an enjoyable read. If some of the relationships between characters had been developed a little more, this would have been 4 stars.

In The Truth and Other Hidden Things, Bells Walker learns she is pregnant on the same day her husband, Harry, is denied tenure at his university in New York.

The future she had imagined for her forties – stable, mature, making her way as a columnist on a local paper – is undone as she, Harry and their adolescent son and daughter move to the small town of Pigkill in the Hudson Valley. Harry has got a job at Dutchess College with, once again, the lure of tenure at some unspecified future date.

Bells grapples with the discomforts of pregnancy, the embarrassment of her children, her husband’s obsession with bringing home artisan things in jars (or sometimes just the jars) and tries to find a place for herself in their new community. She struggles, though. The place is tight knit, the hipsters are ubiquitous, and there is no chance of a job for her at the local paper because of the hordes of other New York escapees that have come before. Bells feels particularly alienated by her female contemporaries who she sees as cliquey, dismissive of her and overly focused on engineering the lives of their children.

She takes out her frustration by writing a blog satirising the local community, with its cafés full of CBD-coffee and kombucha-tea guzzlers. Her old editor in New York publishes it on his site, under the name of the County Dutchess. When it starts to get attention, and her alter ego seems to be having a success she can only dream of, she writes more. But, drunk on attention, each time she pushes a little further and gets a little closer to home, until eventually it all blows up in her face.

This was a fun but also an interesting read. Beyond the humour and the cultural references is an interesting story about a woman in midlife trying to find a place for herself. She finds herself rebelling against two ideals of womanhood – her own mother who is intensely driven and puts work before everything, and her mother-in-law who believes a woman’s life should be devoted to nurturing her husband.

Bells has decided to let her children be themselves, and not to push them, but as an academic, Harry understands the value of striving and commitment. It raises the question – is Bells’s approach empowering or just benign neglect?

I loved the eccentricities of small-town life (I won’t spoil what they find when they get to their new house) and the odd juxtaposition of the locals and the well-heeled incomers. There is also a lot of sharply observed snark on lifestyle bloggers, and some poignant insights – like the way Bells never lavishes much love on her New York apartment because she’s always convinced her real life is somewhere else, about to begin.

The disappointment for me was the ending. Having set everything up so beautifully to implode, the resolution feels a little abrupt and unconvincing.

Still, The Truth and Other Hidden Things is an enjoyable, witty and engaging read about one woman’s struggle to reconcile conflicting pressures on mothers — from society and from herself.
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I received a copy of The Truth and Other Hidden Things from the publisher via Netgalley.