Book Review: A Mother's Secret by Minna Howard

 A Mother's Secret

 by Minna Howard

Amazon US / UK / AU / CA / 

B&N / GP / Kobo / Apple

Verity seems to have it all. A beautiful home, two grown-up sons and a husband who has always been her rock. But one day, the doorbell rings. And it changes Verity's life forever.

Saskia has nowhere else to go. Before she died, her mother left her with her father's name and nothing else. The only way for Saskia to take care of herself – and her unborn baby – is to find the father she never knew. And the family that didn't know she existed. 

This family secret means the end of everything they've ever known. But could it also be the chance for a new beginning?

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

Delia, who had not had to earn her living for years, had little idea how most people’s lives worked and how they could not escape their jobs whenever the mood took them and expect to find them still there when they returned.


She knew it sounded incredulous especially as Toby found it difficult to imagine his father having a sex life before marriage and then probably only having it twice to make him and his brother.


She said you had a summer romance, a “piece of magic” she called it, resulting in me.

My Review:

I was happily bumping along, curious and invested in this slowly developing and unpredictable family drama and found the storylines seemed to be coming together toward a pleasant outcome, then it just - stopped. Say what?!? Grrrr, I need an ending, a nice tidy little bow… it doesn’t have to be bright and shiny but I do prefer a sense of closure, which was reflected in my overall rating. But that is just one of my quirks, I had otherwise enjoyed the storylines and writing style.


The characters were an odd mixture of earnest, annoying, petty, endearing, selfish, spoiled, testy, arrogant, and driven; like most groupings in fact. The writing was emotive, engaging, peppered with sneaky wryly amusing insights and observations, and easy to follow while the characters' concerns were relatable and relevant, and although the circumstances were somewhat unusual, the issues were not uncommon. However, the abruptness of the ending, I just cannot forgive it, but I’m petty like that.


I did pick up a new phrase for my Brit List with gardening leave – which is a term for an employee resigns or is terminated from their position and told not to return but still receives pay for a specific amount of time. I’d like some of that, although I tend to dish the dirt rather than play in it. ;)

About The Author

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Minna has had an exciting career in fashion journalism and now writes full time, whilst enjoying time with her grandsons and working as an occasional film and TV extra. She lives in London.

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