A story of friendships and love and loss and how deciding to write secrets down and set resolutions the premise being those who don’t fulfil the resolutions have to share their secrets with everyone else. This New Year’s Eve pact begins to shape how the following year turns out.

This was an easy read with some funny comedy moments along the way although some sad ones too and issues which some readers will be able to relate too.

Would be good if there was a follow up book to see how the lives of the characters continue to pan out.

I was so looking forward to reading this as I loved Another Time, Another Place by Jo Lovett. This was very good, but it didn’t hit the mark the way her previous release did. The premise is excellent - a group of friends write down their New Year’s resolutions and commit to sticking to them, they also write down a secret which will be revealed next New Year’s Eve if they don’t manage their resolutions.

I mean I was gripped by the secret element - I had to know what it was and the actual big secret did not disappoint. But the narrative felt a bit writing by numbers and dialogue heavy? I don’t know, something was just off for me. I think maybe the third person narrative didn’t click and with the two points of view from only two of the group of friends. Nevertheless I still enjoyed this and it’s worth a read.

What to expect:

- friendship drama
- life changing secrets
- single mum storyline
- marriage in crisis storyline
- friends to lovers
- closed door

This is a cheerful romcom with a fun central plot and some equally amusing characters. Georgie is an interesting central character and whilst it is clear that her childhood has not been the best and her family have kept a distance, it is also clear that she has found her own sort of family in her friendship group. That is why she is so desperate to stop her ill- judged secret from being revealed. There is quite a lot of humour to be enjoyed as she pursues Raf in her quest to capture her secret before the year is up.

As you get to know the friendship group, you can see that some have their own preoccupations and that not everyone's life is a bunch of roses. Georgie proves to be a true friend, prepared to step away and try to help from a distance if need be. This is an entertaining read. There are some warm, uplifting moments as you wonder whether all the friendships and partnerships will survive the year. There are some who are looking for a second chance and others who need to make a new beginning.

In short: An uplifting read, full of heart

Jo Lovett has a way of writing the best stories and I really enjoy them. This book is no exception, I really enjoyed it.

Can you keep a secret is a book about a unique tradition that the characters have at new year's where they all share their deepest darkest secrets. It's also about friendship and love and life. It's a good book with a uniqueness that was refreshing.

"Can You Keep A Secret?" by Jo Lovett is a heartwarming romantic comedy that revolves around friendship, secrets, and the complexities of human relationships. Set against the backdrop of a unique New Year's Eve tradition where friends exchange their deepest secrets, the protagonist, Georgie James, finds herself in a dilemma when she shares a secret that could jeopardize her friendships. As the story unfolds, Georgie grapples with regret and the desperate need to retrieve her secret before it's too late. Lovett skillfully portrays relatable characters with flaws and endearing qualities, and the romance element adds an extra layer of charm. Despite its light-hearted premise, the novel delves into deeper themes such as body image, self-worth, and the quest for acceptance. With accessible writing, humor, and poignant moments, "Can You Keep A Secret?" is a refreshing addition to the romantic comedy genre, offering a comforting and hopeful narrative about friendship, growth, and unexpected love.

Really. Can you imagine? I mean, if the "game" is played right, you could totally be revealing something deep, dark, and otherwise unknown to your friends if your willpower to follow through on those resolutions fails, and let's face it, most fall victim to them! This foursome, albeit under the influence, play it right, and, like most alcohol tainted choices, regret this one in the morning. The thing is, no one is really adult enough to admit it, so they each go about as if it was a perfectly sane decision, aim to hit those targets set, and if not, lie through their teeth to avoid the consequences and fallout. Do they succeed? Some more than others, but through all the ups and downs, they each discover sides of themselves and each other they really never knew, and uncover other secrets as well as truths that were lying in wait for the right moment to come along. By the time New Year's rolls around again, they're ready...come what may.

I liked the concept, and I loved the group of friends. Their personalities were each distinct and unique, yet the meshed like good friends always seem to do. Watching them each tackle their new year challenges was amusing, but the most laughs came from Georgie and Raf...among them, the mom scene. HA! Imagine being caught going through his things BY HIS MOM with no good explanation, and...yeah, trust me, you won't be able to stop at least a good giggle! The story has wide range appeal for Fiction fans of many sub genres, and it doesn't purely cater to the female side either, depending on the male reader, of course. All in all, it was a fun way to read the night away while I waited desperately to see just how they were going to get out of what they walked themselves into!

This was a really enjoyable read told from several points of view. the friendship group seemed really authentic and the characters were pleasant.. when the secret is revealed its's a big one!!! but the tory continues in a fairly lighthearted way and the end is satisfactory. I would recommend this read, excellent on the plane or beach!

I really enjoyed the concept of this novel, I liked that all the characters made New Year's resolutions (some a lot more than others) and if they couldn't keep them for the full year their secret that they wrote down on New Year's Eve would be revealed! To begin with Georgie can't remember all her resolutions but then realised she needs to get her secret back from Raf! And what a secret she has, I was not expecting it to something quite so shattering that could ruin the friendship group.

I enjoyed this book and appreciated how it was a fresh storyline/story premise that I haven't read before! I found it quite tricky to get into initially as there was a lot of names and characters all introduced in quick succession but once I'd gotten my head around who was who I settled into the story and enjoyed it. A comfy, cosy read!

A group of friends meets on New Year's Eve and amid drinking and the setting of resolutions the failure penalty is that you will share a deep dark secret is the setup of Jo Lovett's Can You Keep a Secret?

The story told from Georgie and Poppy's points of view has a bit of humor and a bit of pathos. I enjoyed the pace of the story and my only real quibble is that Georgie's secret feels like an improbable stretch to me. All in all a fun read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of Can you Keep a Secret in exchange for an honest review. This book is available now.

When a group of friends decide to make their New Year’s resolutions on a drunken New Year’s Eve, this sounds like the drunken 'off the cuff' thing to do. But when they decide to keep each other accountable by revealing a secret if the resolutions are not kept; when sober they realise this was not the best idea.

This was a fun read, full of friendship as well as everyday life situations. Even as Georgie was writing down her resolutions I wanted to take the pay away from her and tell her to stop. However, the scenes of her filling out these resolutions are actually quite funny; I especially laughed at the ice skating scene.

Lovett tells us this narrative from multiple points of view with themes I couldn’t put down and characters I couldn’t put down.

Four best friends and their partners are gathered together to celebrate New Year's Eve when they come up with a plan to write down a big secret that will be revealed next New Year's Eve if they did not keep their resolutions.

The story is told from the POV of two of the friends - Georgie and Poppy. Georgie is a single mum to 11yr old Max while Poppy is married to Declan and a stay at home mum to their young son, Daniel. The two have known each other since they were 5yrs old and have remained close over the next 30 years but Georgie's secret threatens to unravel everything.

It turns out Georgie and Declan had met 12yrs previously and spent a few short hours together before going their separate ways, only to meet again when Poppy introduces them to each other.

This was a really sweet story and really well written. Having the dual POV really meant that we could see things from each character's experiences being on opposite sides of the same secret. They all go their happy endings though.

Thanks to NetGalley & Boldwood Books for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

Can You Keep A Secret is the second book I've read by Lovett.

It's set at NYE, so as you can imagine the atmosphere is set, there's booze aplenty, followed by rather a lot of vomiting.

I loved everything about the characters, they were flawed, relatable and definitely credible.

It's a highly enjoyable story of friendships, bravery and love.

Ps. I remember doing something like this with my friends back when I was a teen, it didn't go so well for us either, if I remember rightly

An interesting concept of friends holding each other accountable through exchanged secrets, but I wasn’t fully engaged. While Georgie's predicament adds some intrigue, the storyline feels somewhat predictable and the characters could use more development to truly resonate. However, the novel still offers a light and enjoyable read for those looking for a simple romantic escapade with a twist.

This story centres around four childhood friends and one pretty big secret – which could ruin the whole friendship group if it ever were to come out. One slightly drunken New Year’s Eve, Georgie and her friends decided on what they thought was a great idea to help them all stick to their resolutions – to write down their secrets, sealing them away in envelopes and posting them to each other.

At the end of the year, anyone who hadn’t kept to their resolutions – well, their secret would be revealed! What further motivation could the four friends need to stick to their resolutions – especially for Georgie – you see, her secret is huge, and could potentially ruin the life-long friendship.

We follow each of the characters throughout the year and see if each of them can find happiness and growth in their lives, especially Georgie, who is struggling with regret and is desperately trying to get back her envelope before her mysterious words are revealed.

Can You Keep a Secret? is a beautifully written book about the highs and lows of friendships, relationships and life in general. The book covers some emotional and difficult topics, such as toxic relationships, body image and self-worth, but all done with sensitivity. Can You Keep a Secret? is a really heart-warming, but also quite emotional read as well.

A read involving secrets and friends. An interesting read. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this book.

Gosh this was a great story and very original to me. Georgie and her friends come up with a plan to keep their new years resolutions, by having each of them write down a secret and sending it to each other. All they have to do to avoid their secret being told is to stick to their resolutions, easy peasy? I mean of course not lol!

It's a story that isn't just funny but like all Jo Lovett books it deals with real life issues which I always like.

A great story and can't wait to see what she comes up with next

It is about seven friends who, in various stages of drunkenness, decided to write down their secrets as a new year resolution. The secrets will be revealed the following year, except some have bigger secrets than others.

There were a lot of names at the beginning. I struggled to get into this story. It didn’t start off for me on the right notes. It was slow and boring. Subsequent chapters felt like just going through the motions of reading.

It only began to pique my interest more than halfway in when things started getting interesting and there was a whole lot of drama to unpack.

I love the friendship between Georgie and Poppy. I wonder why Georgie continued to put up with her mother’s behaviour. I wish that angle was explored more so Georgie can confront her mother.

If you love women’s fiction then you will like this.

Read and reviewed in exchange for a free copy from NetGalley. I've enjoyed Jo Lovett's previous books and was pleased to have my request for her latest ARC granted. This was an enjoyable read, albeit a bit slow. The plot was interesting and I was particularly invested in Georgie and Raf.