And dont they just

Ellen and Robert go, on a whim, to stay with their old Uni friend Lucy ( not seen for many years ) over in Malaga but as soon as they arrive Ellen feels something is not quite right, in fact it is very wrong and when Lucy’s daughter arrives ‘unexpectedly’ to stay her fears double….

However I thought I had this all sewn up and knew exactly what was afoot and cockily carried on waiting for it to all come out, of course it did but totally different to what I had expected, true to say this book did shock me and I was completely wrong in everything I had workex out…more than that wont say

I loved being in Malaga and the lifestyle there, the town, the food, the weather and enjoyed meeting the characters,good and bad, bad and good!

Really enjoyable, very thoroughly researched book and thrilled to read a thriller that wrong footed me all the way

Great read

I often mention, in my reviews, how important secrets are to a story. Well! This book is very open about the subject of SECRETS by including the fact(s) in the title. I couldn't wait to get into it.

The main characters are Ellen and her husband, Richard. They have recently become empty nesters. Right from the beginning, there is a subtle overtone of unease. Ellen is somewhat neurotic and paranoid of everything. Richard is aloof and seemingly detached from the relationship. Trouble!

So, all the trouble (each secret)comes to a head, one at a time. The secrets weren't exactly what I was expecting, but they kept me turning the pages. Conversely, some events were predictable. But, it all kept me engaged, waiting to see how everything resolved itself.

The ending is satisfying. This book is entertaining, easy to read. Some of the drama is a little over the top, reminiscent of a soap opera.

My rating is 3.5 stars, rounding it up to a four.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the Advance Readers Copy.

The narrative commences with Ellen grappling with a profound confession that has the potential to transform her life and marriage with Robert. As she observes her youngest daughter embarking on her university journey, Ellen reflects on the sacrifices she has made for her family. This moment of pride is overshadowed by the unsettling realization that her husband is emotionally distancing himself, engendering anxiety about the future of their relationship.
An unexpected invitation from their longtime friend Lucy to visit her residence in Malaga presents itself to Ellen and Robert. Initially, Ellen harbors hopes that this trip will rejuvenate their romance; however, Robert's demeanor becomes increasingly withdrawn. His prolonged walks and enigmatic notes exacerbate Ellen’s fears, leading her to suspect that he may be concealing a significant secret. The narrative oscillates between past and present, unveiling the intricacies of their shared histories with Lucy and the clandestine matters each character harbors.

As Ellen navigates her feelings of betrayal and uncertainty, she uncovers that Robert's secret is far more devastating than she could have anticipated. Concurrently, Ellen is confronted with her own suppressed truths, which threaten to dismantle their family dynamics. The tension intensifies as both characters are compelled to confront their respective secrets, prompting them to question whether they can restore the trust that has been irrevocably damaged.

The story profoundly explores themes of love, vulnerability, and the ramifications of concealed truths within relationships. It underscores the necessity of communication in a marriage, illustrating how secrets can erect barriers that obstruct intimacy. Ellen and Robert’s journey resonates with the challenges many couples encounter, particularly during transitional life phases, such as navigating the empty nest syndrome.

Ultimately, "We Both Have Secrets" serves as a poignant examination of friendship, love, and the lengths individuals will go to safeguard their loved ones. The novel delivers a tumultuous emotional experience, intertwining past and present, culminating in a satisfying resolution that underscores the potential for healing and reconciliation. Emma Robinson’s adept writing style and relatable characters render this work a compelling addition to contemporary women's fiction.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance review copy in exchange for my review.

My thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘We Both Have Secrets’ written by Emma Robinson in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Ellen and Robert have been invited to stay with Lucy and her husband Joe at their home in Malaga which was unexpected as they haven’t seen Lucy since leaving university in the mid-1990s. Ellen feels Robert is drifting away from her and hopes being in Malaga will encourage him to reveal what’s troubling him, but when she sees him in deep conversation with Lucy and her daughter Charlotte she fears she’s losing him.

‘We Both Have Secrets’ is the dramatic story of friendships that are made at university and the secrets they’ve kept until the present time. The chapters regularly revert back to the mid-1990s when Ellen first met Lucy and Robert, and tell of Ellen’s complicated history that she kept a secret until she felt it was time to reveal it. This is a well-written novel that doesn’t divulge the secrets until later in the story, and although I thought I’d guessed them I was completely wrong. I liked the characters who seemed to grow in stature while facing their fears before eventually becoming a close-knit group of friends. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel that kept me attached to my Kindle until I’d reached final pages that concluded with a happy-ever-after ending bringing a smile to my face.

Another wonderful book by Emma Robinson. Likeable (apart from Ian obviously) and believable characters, a beautiful setting in Malaga and lots of secrets. What more can a reader ask for? This had me completely engrossed and I couldn’t put it down. Absolutely brilliant. Well done Emma 👏🥳

I love Emma Robinson’s books and so the bar was set high for this one.

We both have secrets is a tale of family, health scares, friendship, growing up and trust. It is a story of old friends coming together and skeletons being unearthed.

The bar was set high so to say this book didn’t quite for me hit my expectations is only a small criticism. I think for me this book didn’t have quite the same ethical/moral dilemma as I have come to expect from this author and so on this point it lost a star for me. That said the storyline and characters were brilliant, I loved going on the journey with them and meeting Ian was a wonderful scene!

A very good read, for me not the author’s best so if you loved this you are in for a real treat with her other books! Definitely worth the read

This is a book which has the reader up and down, twisting and turning on a journey of unexpected events and is an emotional rollercoaster. Set over a dual timeline and following our female protagonists from college to later adult life, as they meet for the first time in 30 years.

The book is a good strong female cheerleader, as the children of both female leads have strong independent daughters, this being proved by the final section of the book. It is well written and emotionally thoughtful, despite covering some complex subjects such as date rape, coercion, gaslighting and the trauma of keeping secrets for many years.

I would definitely recommend reading this.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

We Both Have Secrets is a heartwarming, emotional domestic story. It starts with a half written confession, but doesn't say who is confessing or what they are confessing.

Ellen and Robert, married for many years, are saying goodbye to their youngest daughter who is off to university. Invited by a mutual friend from their university days, they take a trip that should be full of romance and mark the beginning of their next phase in life. This, however, does not come to fruition as they both have secrets they are keeping from each other.

Filled with all the elements of a great domestic novel, this was an amazing read that I thoroughly enjoyed. Emma Robinson knows how to write a great tear jerker, so have plenty of tissues nearby. The characters, though unreliable, are likeable and well written. After all, who doesn't have a little secret or two from their past they don't want to come out. I highly recommend this book.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the advanced copy

I finished this book in one sitting it was a quick fast paced read that made me want to be in a foreign country sitting around a pool so bad. I can't wait to read more by the author

This suspenseful book is fast paced fun. At only a little over 300 pages it’s the perfect summer book to read at the beach. the pool or on your porch with a cold beverage. You could easily finish it in a day.

Robert, Ellen, married since right after graduation, and Lucy were college friends years ago. They reconnect decades later and they all have secrets and daughters.

I want to visit the house in Malaga and enjoy some of the meals prepared by Lucy. It all sounds lovely.

This is an emotional rollercoaster for all the characters and will keep the reader guessing.

When Ellen and Robert wave goodbye to their second daughter at university, it’s time for them to enjoy some time alone. After reconnecting with old friend Lucy, the pair fly off on holiday to unwind. But is everything as it seems? Robert doesn’t seem to want to spend quality time with Ellen and everyone is behaving suspiciously. Just what secrets are being kept??

With lots of twists and turns you will think you have it all sorted, but as ever, this author throws in some curveballs! I definitely didn’t see the one twist coming but may have figured out some things.

I really liked how everything weaved together, how you get to know all the characters, how you may make a judgment about them, but you find that changes as you read on.

It’s lovely and descriptive as I’ve come to expect from this author, you can easily visualise all the characters and where they are.

I’ll be honest, I didn’t need as many tissues this time as previous books and didn’t feel quite as emotional at the end, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing!

All in all a fast paced, quick read that will have you reading into the night, just finishing that one more chapter…….!

We Both Have Secrets- Emma Robinson

Ellen and Robert have entered the phase in their marriage where their children have left the family home, pursuing their own lives. Instead of relishing the peace and quiet and this new stage in life, Ellen finds that Robert is distancing himself from her and she doesn't know why.
A chance meeting with a mutual college friend and an invite to her lavish home in the sun could be just what they need to reignite the flame in their marriage. But when Ellen finds an unfinished note to her from Robert, their lives will be changed forever.

I came across Emma Robinson for the first time only this year when I read The Favourite Child. I was incredibly impressed and was thrilled to discover another of her books so soon on Netgalley.
While it was a good read and I couldn't figure out the plot twist, I think I liked the more thriller/darker plot of the other books I read. This was an enjoyable read but not one I would be recommending vehemently to all my bookish pals. A good solid read but not my favourite of what I have read from Robinson.
⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book centering on Ellen and Robert, a couple navigating the quiet after their children have flown the nest. With their newfound freedom comes unexpected tension—Ellen suspects Robert is hiding something, and her discovery of a cryptic note only deepens her unease. But Ellen isn’t innocent either; she’s harboring a secret that could unravel their decades-long marriage. The characters are deeply relatable—flawed, loving, and layered—making the emotional stakes feel authentic. Themes of trust, vulnerability, and the enduring strength of love are woven throughout in a warm, engaging style.

Heartfelt and grounded, We Both Have Secrets is a beautifully written exploration of marriage, midlife, and the hidden truths that shape us. It’s a moving story of second chances and rediscovering each other when it matters most.

oh wow. we are not ok. are emotions people are not ok. and ooomph this book sure does pack a emotionally punch. but in all the best ways. a delight of a book to completely get engrossed in. just wow.
i needed to know what was going to happen. i needed to know if our characters were going to be ok. i need i need to know right now. the pages couldnt be turned fast enough. my eyes simply couldnt read fast enough. this was more of an emotionally connected read than i thought possible going in.
there are secrets and long carried weights being carried around here. there is people you know will be hurt. and the outcome feel so tense. you are just waiting for each part to come.
i love how this felt just so real. if you suspect something you often then are given answers to everything you see them doing that fits that fear you have. and so then the stories and fear builds until you are so far past any point of return. so what then? what happens then? and what will be the fall out.
both our couple are keeping things. and its like the gorgeous author Jodi Picoult kind of plot point in this book, where you are left figuring out which side is right, or which side you are on. is there a moral right and wrong. is their more consequence than another or more pain to be had than another. and i loooooove this kind of book that almost hurts as you the reader cant think what is quite truth, right or wrong!
this book held me tight and didnt let go. it was so much better than i could have predicted and im in awe of talent authors like this. that can make us feel so much from their stories. just brilliant.

I found this to be a mildly diverting rather than a ‘must read’ book of emotional family secrets
The plot was quite slow paced and when the twist arrived, I wasn’t surprise by it. Whilst I certainly sympathised with the main characters I found neither particularly likeable.
This is a quite short, sub 300 page book which may have benefited from being more fleshed out. Overall I enjoyed ir and would rate it 3.5 ⭐ although due to the rating system here this was rounded down to 3 stars.

"We Both Have Secrets" is a book about secrets within the family and friendships. It keeps you guessing about the secret that is trying to be told in chapter one only for other secrets to come out along the way too! I honestly couldn't put this book down as it hooked me from the beginning with a need to know what the secret is and who's it is. The book is written with a lot of emotion and different perspectives of the situations.

Emma Robinson proves time and time again that she is the queen of contemporary women's fiction, the Jane Austen for the 2020s. We Both Have Secrets is a story with more twists than your average thriller and the author knows just when to throw in yet another heart-stopping revelation, keeping the reader on their toes or tied up in knots, whichever metaphor you prefer! Ellen is reuinted with an old university friend, Lucy, with whom she has lost touch for reasons neither quite understand, when Lucy invites her and her husband Robert to her holiday home in Malaga. From the start their relationship is spiky, unnatural and fraught with Ellen's insecurities. Ellen is so utterly miserable in such a relatable way, I wanted to reach into the book and give her a lo-ong hug. As the holiday unfolds, Ellen becomes aware that all is not as it seems, which further increases her paranoia and self-doubt. But all these incredibly human, flawed characters have secrets and all are hurting themselves while damaging their relationships by fracturing communication. Robinson shows so deftly how keeping things from those we love is a barrier to intimacy and it is only in bringing out into the light what is most painful to us that, ultimately, we become closer than ever before. She does this with a lightness of touch without ever shying away from how very difficult these conversations can be. All this while weaving the most gripping story - I had to set the alarm this morning so that I could finish it before work! I wonder if this is my favourite Robinson novel so far... until the next one, I guess.

Secrets have always intrigued me when they are the theme of a novel. We Both Have Secrets is a serious, twisty novel about two women's lives, from their early friendship in college to their settled lives as women with grown children. Ellen is the unreliable narrator of this twisty story about feelings of the self and what happens when they are projected onto ones we love, admire, and sometimes, envy. I loved sitting down with this wonderful new novel. It tells a great story and teaches a lesson about doubting oneself.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of the book.

This was an easy enough read. I didn’t know of the author before, but I can see why her books are recommended for fans of Jodi Picoult.

No spoilers but I found the first twist (or secret) a little bit of a letdown. After that, some of the other scenes were either quite predictable or trying a bit too hard to be unpredictable, in my opinion.

The book did keep me wanting to know what would happen next and I think this would be a good holiday read. I just generally prefer stories where the characters have more depth to them.

Thank you to the publisher for the eARC.

While I always look forward to a new Emma Robinson book, and We Both Have Secrets kept me turning pages, this one landed a bit shy of her usual four or five-star reads for me. As my sixth book by her, I've come to expect a certain level of gripping suspense and intricate plotting, and while the story was engaging, it didn't quite hit the same intensity as some of her previous works. The premise was intriguing, and the characters were well-developed, but I found myself anticipating twists that either didn't materialize with the same impact or felt a little less surprising than I'm used to from her. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release in exchange for my honest review. To be published June 2025.