The Secrets We Keep: A gripping emotional page turner (Powerful emotional novels about impossible choices by Kate Hewitt) Paperback – September 4, 2018

It is no secret that being a parent is probably the most rewarding job and the most challenging job a person will ever have. We may find amazing joy as well as unspeakable heartbreak as we nurture our children and keep ourselves grounded in relationships with spouses and other family members. In “The Secrets We Keep,” by Kate Hewitt, we are pulled into the story of two families who happen to meet on summer vacation at a lakefront resort. Both families are women with their children trying to get away from everything at home and find themselves and peace of mind. Tessa and Rebecca appear to be totally opposites: Rebecca living a wealthy life and staying in a luxurious beachfront house; and, Tessa just making it and staying in a cabin next door further from the lake. But they discover they are more alike than what appears. They both face the same challenges with communicating with husbands and raising children while defining their own roles and responsibilities.This is a beautifully written story that transports the reader into the two family dynamics as they bond over the summer. Kate has a keen eye for the subtle thoughts, emotions and actions that make us who we are and the motivations behind those actions. Envy, jealousy, compassion and kindness are all shared by both mothers. It was a delight to read. I laughed at the silly things the parents did like skinny dipping in the lake while the children were asleep. I marveled at the bond of friendship that developed between Tessa and Rebecca in one short summer. I cried for their trauma and loss and their final separation.In her own words, Kate tells us what she hopes we get from this book. “I wanted to write a story about forgiveness and grace, because as parents we are trying our hardest to do right by our beloved children, and sometimes – even often, we make mistakes. Sometimes those mistakes have consequences, even terrible ones, but I do believe there is still grace and hope to be found, and ultimately that is what “The Secrets We Keep” is about.”This story is all about grace and hope under extreme pressure and perseverance. Rebecca and Tessa show us that as parents, when we do our best for ourselves and our children; we can give the gift of promises kept and peace of mind.

“The Secrets We Keep” by Kate HewittWe all have secrets. Some we hold that others have shared with us. Some we hold within ourselves because they are personal. And some are there that we are unaware of until something happens and it comes to the surface. Some are so damning one doesn’t know if they are real or not or why they have suddenly arisen or why they are suddenly taking over your life without your control. When do secrets become memories? Or are they always a form of a memory? Thus some memories are secrets?Rebecca has secrets. But one is a memory she wished would have stayed locked away instead of consuming her. It has been eating her up from the inside out more and more everyday.Tessa has secrets. Some she are aware of some she will come to find she has hidden and locked them away. Someone else holds the key.Rebecca and Tessa have chosen to spend the summer in Upstate NY. Their cabins are as complete opposites, as are their personalities, their backgrounds, and their children. Yet, they strike up a friendship, of sorts, that benefits each of them in very different ways.When an incident occurs affecting Rebecca, Trisha is there to help. Yet, when status quo is to reign again, can it really happen? Or does one incident affect not just the other friend but all the family members? Short term and long term? Are there still secrets and questions and insecurities that still exist or complicate things as versus helping? What happens if they are revealed?Two women away for the summer to try and get their lives, their selves, and their families back on track, find that achieving that goal will take a lot more work and revelations than they were ever prepared for and the outcomes of those goals weren’t what they hoped to achieve or in the manner that they would have ever chosen.A novel about family, friends, self preservation and self seeking. About the tangled web we weave when we hold back certain things and when when we let them go. When is it beneficial and when is it harmful? And where do the lines of friendship, family and forgiveness get drawn?A fascinating novel that is both complex and simple in its storyline. The author has written her characters so that they truly fit the novel and the role they each play. It was realistic and relatable. Engaging and enthralling. The reader will root for the characters and question them and their choices and become so involved in the novel, you may be surprised where it ends.Rating: 4.3⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I don't know what to say about this novel without offering up spoilers. Other than to say it was one of the best novels I've read in the "women's fiction" category.I didn't like Rebecca at first. I thought she was a typical "rich b***h". She was such a narcissistic snob. She thought she was such a well put together woman with her expensive clothes, high end cosmetics & her country club airs. She thought she was being so well-intentioned when she befriended Tessa, like she was doing Tessa a favor when she befriended her.Tessa was a "poor me" woman. She was feeling sorry for herself, feeling guilty for everything she did. She spent her time apologizing for being alive, as if she was in the way. She wasn't a bad person; she was really a nice person, too nice. She felt that everything she did was wrong, and she was forever apologizing.Both women become friends, and their worlds change dramatically.Ms. Hewitt's writing was wonderful and beautiful. The characters, including the children come alive under the author's pen. I felt like her characters were real people living real lives.By the end of the story, both woman are transformed by the other. Their lives are permanently changed, their personas changed by life and circumstances. Good things and horrible things occur.This was a wonderful story. I have a number of Ms. Hewitt's novels in my TBR pile, and I plan on reading another of her novels next. What a terrific writer Kate Hewitt is!