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The House of Lost Secrets

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The House of Lost Secrets

By: Anstey Harris
Narrated by: Annabelle Dowler, Elle Newlands
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About this listen

She thought she knew her best friend…She was wrong.

The weatherworn cottage Clachan has always been Jo Wilding’s sanctuary, a blissful escape from her tumultuous home life. From the first summer Rachel invited her to join the Willoughby family in the wilds of Scotland, she fell in love with the sea air, sandy beach and Tristan, Rachel’s older brother…

All these years later, Clachan is where their most important occasions and conversations take place, so when Rachel organises a weekend there, Jo never suspects that this weekend will change everything. Because it turns out Rachel has been keeping a secret, a betrayal that plunges Jo into a past she’s spent years trying to forget.

Left to untangle the pieces of their past alone, Jo has to decide if there is such a thing as forgiveness when there is no one left to forgive?

©2024 Anstey Harris (P)2024 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved. Friendship Genre Fiction

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Critic reviews

“Gorgeously written, evocative and compelling, The House of Lost Secrets is a heartfelt ode to female friendships. It's a hauntingly beautiful, poignant story about complex relationships and the power of forgiveness. I highly recommend it.” —Sarah J. Harris, author of Meet Me On The Bridge

“The House of Lost Secrets by Anstey Harris is a beautifully crafted study of lifelong friendship. The story is shot through with mystery and those terrible secrets we keep from the people closest to us for fear of destabilising everything we know and believe. This richly layered novel drew me in more deeply with every page turn, holding me tightly until each truth was finally revealed. A truly compelling read.” —Imogen Clark, author of Postcards from a Stranger
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Loved this and must be one of my favourites. Tears and smiles throughout, well written and brilliantly narrated, a complete joy to listen to.

What a beautiful story

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Great story told over time. A family history of secrets and lies told by wonderful characters

Great read

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This book just didn't vibe with me. The main character is very passive and has an overly romanticised view of her best friend's family. This isn't a two timeline story but there are lots and lots of flashbacks. I just felt the novel lacked any driving force, the main character is so passive; everything happens to her but she never seems to actively do anything. For example, (Minor Spoiler) she is desperately short of money and can't see a way out until her new tenants offer to buy her London townhouse, which they have just moved into. Selling the house unprompted wouldn't have occurred to her as she would have to actively make a decision.

The setting is conveyed well but the prose was a bit too purple for my taste. You can convey nostalgia without spending a paragraph describing a wheelbarrow. I think if you want a gentle book full of introspection and regrets about paths not taken and secrets not told then this might be a fantastic book but it just wasn't my cup of tea.

3 stars for now because it kept my attention despite the main character needing a kick up the bum. If I ever hear the phrase "The Willoughby Way" again though it will be too soon.

Not very exciting

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Oh wow. This was one of the most boring, drawn out books I’ve ever read/heard. I had to press on as we were reviewing it for a book club but if not for that, I would have stopped at least half way through. My biggest question - why are they all so obsessed with Rachel?! Got right on my nerves and then every time I heard the word ‘Rachel’ it made me cringe. Sorry to the author but this was definitely not for me.

If I hear the word ‘Rachel’ one more time…

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