It's a pleasure to take part in the BlogTour Your Secret's Safe with Me by Rosie Travers today. It's a crime, mystery, a romcom and most of all a story about family.
Rosie Travers grew up in Southampton on the south coast of England and loved escaping into a good book at a very early age. After many years juggling motherhood and a variety of jobs in local government she moved to Southern California in 2009. With time on her hands she started a blog about the perils of ex-pat life which rekindled a teenage desire to become a writer.
Now permanently settled back in the UK, Rosie takes inspiration from the towns and landscape of her native south coast and enjoys writing heart-warming stories sprinkled with mystery, tragedy, comedy and romance. Rosie’s debut novel, The Theatre of Dreams, was published by Crooked Cats Books in August 2018. She is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association.
Visit rosietravers.com
About the book
Career girl Becca Gates’ organised life is thrown into chaos when her mother, romantic novelist Pearl, announces her surprise engagement to Jack, a man she has only just met.
Worse news follows when Pearl tells Becca she intends to leave London, quit writing, and retire to her new fiancé’s idyllic waterside home on the south coast. Becca is determined to prevent Pearl from making a disastrous mistake, but when she at arrives at Rivermede, more shocks await when she stumbles upon a familiar yet unwelcome face from her past.
As Pearl embraces her new life amongst the local sailing fraternity, Becca receives a grim warning that all is not as calm as it seems at picturesque Rivermede, and if she wants to keep her family safe, she should keep them away.
But why should Becca trust the man who has betrayed her before, the man who broke her heart, the man who thinks he knows all her secrets?
What Travers captures really well is the chaos of family and in equal measures the strange intangible type of loyalty that goes along with it. Regardless of all the annoying traits, thoughtless words and complex relationships, when push comes to shove, one expects family to be there to support. Of course the reality usually comes down to - you can't pick who you're related to but you can pick your family unit.
Pearl has decided to sell her home, retire from writing and marry a man she has only known for a few weeks. Her daughter Becca thinks she is selfish for changing their lives based on a whim.
Becca demonstrates the perfect example of family boundaries when she meets Pearl's new stepson-to-be. She is allowed to voice critical opinions about her mother, however a stranger needs to keep their mouth shut about her mother. The unspoken rule kicks in - anyone in the family unit can talk crap about family members, but you defend them if anyone dares to talk rubbish about them on the outside.
I enjoyed the way the author drew from all the chaos to create an entertaining read. It reminded me of a 90s romcom with a side order of crime, mystery and intrigue. The more serious aspects are offset by the snarky way Becca, Pearl and the rest of the characters interact with each other. Travers has her own individual style when it comes to telling a story, which couldn't be more apparent than in the last chapter. What a way to reveal a secret, it was just so off the cuff. Oh, by the way...
It's a contemporary read with a light-hearted feel. It's a crime, mystery, a romcom and most of all a story about family. I liked it. Travers has a knack for describing the dysfunctional and functional moments in a family.
Buy Your Secret's Safe with Me at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: Crooked Cat Books; pub date 18 Feb. 2019.
No comments:
Post a Comment