It Started with a Secret

In <i>It Started with a Secret</i>, Lainey and Kit, looking to take on new jobs, signs up to help a large family organize their house and their lives. Each member of the family is going through their own turmoil, so they need all the help they can get. But in order to qualify for the job, they had to pretend to be a couple. This one little fib kicks off what turns out to be a fun-filled and heartwarming adventure for everyone involved.<br /><br />This is a quintessential Jill Mansell: lighthearted, funny, and absolutely feelgood. The characters are all quirky and fun, and you can't help but cheer for them to find their happiness. Yes, it's a bit cheesy in the end when it all works out for every single person, but it never feels overly saccharine, so it still comes across as satisfying and authentic.<br /><br />I only gave this one 3 stars because the story didn't quite grab my heart the way other Mansell books have done in the past. I think it's because this one has a lot of characters and multiple diverging/intersecting storylines, so it ended up feeling a little bit chaotic. But honestly, I still had so much fun reading it. Once I started, I couldn't put it down. I wrapped myself in a cozy blanket and pretty much gulped the whole thing down in a day.<br /><br />Mansell has this way of taking a light and fluffy genre (chick-lit) that's been done every which way, and making it into something new and interesting. Each of her books and characters feels unique, and it's the reason I keep coming back to her. Even though this isn't my favorite book of hers, it still brought me so much joy to read it and to immerse myself in that world. There are so many Mansell books I haven't read yet, and I'm already looking forward to my next one.

EXCERPT: Hello! Amazing couple required -<br /> could it be you?<br /><br />We live in a gorgeous beachfront home in North Cornwall. We're an untidy family who need taking in hand. Are you organized, energetic, and delightful to have around? Would you like to restore order from chaos, and look after us?<br /><br />Most love cats, dogs, teenagers and the occasional tricky geriatric. You'll have your own flat, use of a half-decent car, and flexible hours. <br /><br />So what do you think? Would you be our Mary Poppins. . . and Bert? Come on, give us a go. It'll be hard work, but lots of fun too, we promise. <br /><br />ABOUT THIS BOOK: The trouble with secrets is that you can't guess what the consequences will be . . .<br /><br />Lainey has lost everything. Luckily one little fib (OK, quite a big fib) helps nail her dream job. Soon she's living in a stunning house by the sea, fending off obsessed fans for a retired - if far-from-retiring - actor and organising his charming but chaotic family. It's definitely worth the challenge of keeping her secret.<br /><br />At least Lainey isn't looking for love. It's time for a break from all that. And yet . . . Seth, the actor's grandson, really is rather attractive. There's growing chemistry and a definite connection between them. But how would he react if he knew she hadn't been honest with him?<br /><br />Lainey's not the only one with a secret, though. Seth has one of his own. And everything's about to start unravelling . . .<br /><br />MY THOUGHTS: A lovely light read that is touching and funny without being silly. Think of sunlight, laughter and love . . . with more than a few complications.<br /><br />The characters are a delightful bunch of offbeat personalities. Three generations of one family and a young couple who arrive to take care of them, all with secrets that will gradually be revealed. There is an aged movie star, his widowed daughter-in-law, with her twin teenaged daughters, their younger brother, and her adult step-son and his endless succession of women. Add to this a woman stalking the movie-star and Seth's flibbertigibbert of a mother who pop in and out of the storyline, and you have a cleverly crafted conference of characters who both amuse and enchant. Plus, of course, Kit and Lainey who are living a lie in order to keep their jobs. <br /><br />This is a wonderful read, a one sitting read, a read that will leave you smiling and happy. I have a great collection of well-thumbed Jill Mansell paperbacks on my bookshelves. It Started With A Secret will be joining them. <br /><br />????<br /><br />#NetGalley <br /><br />THE AUTHOR: Jill Mansell lives with her partner and children in Bristol, and writes full time. Actually that’s not true; she watches TV, eats fruit gums, admires the rugby players training in the sports field behind her house, and spends hours on the internet marvelling at how many other writers have blogs. Only when she’s completely run out of displacement activities does she write.<br /><br />DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Sourcebooks, Landmark for providing a digital ARC of It Started With A Secret by Jill Mansell for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions. <br /><br />For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com <br /><br />This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage <a target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow" href="https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/2020/06/17/it-started-with-a-secret-by-jill-mansell/">https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...</a>

This is exactly the kind of novel the world needs right now. It’s happy and fun and I liked everybody. <br /><br />When Lainey and Kit lose their jobs through no fault of their own, they concoct a lie and secure jobs helping out with a wealthy family—a famous, now old actor, his widowed daughter, her three kids, and their dogs and cats. Lainey is immediately attracted to the actor’s grandson, but because of her secret, she can’t act out on those feelings. <br /><br />This book is filled with romance. It’s a very light summer read.<br /><br />Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this novel. <br />

A charming little love story that is light and airy and full of characters. Lainey and her best friend Kit take a job and pretend to be a loving couple. That's the hitch though...Kit is gay and soon Lainey finds herself falling for the boss! Such a small secret, right? This is a quick and entertaining summer read, just right if you want to lift your spirits.<br /><br />**Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley in exchange of an honest review.**

It started with a secret by Jill Mansell was fun...like soap opera fun! I do miss All my children! Out of work Lainey and her BFF Kit take a job caring for a retired actor and his Zany family. Just watch the antics ensue...<br /><br /><br />My thoughts:<br /><br />This book is not my typical read...but a nice change of pace. The characters were all quirky and enjoyable...each with their own story and laugh out loud moments...making this book perfect for a summer beach read!<br /><br /><br />For more book fun subscribe to my blog @ <a target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow" href="http://beachbumbookworm.com/">http://beachbumbookworm.com/</a><br /><br /><br /><br />I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. I would like to thank Netgalley, the author Jill Mansell, and the publisher for this opportunity.

This was a lovely heart warming book, I loved it. It was so warm and I could picture where the characters lived, the sunshine and the sea. This book kept you interested all the way through . I used to read every Jill Mansell books that came out, then I drifted away for awhile but, now I’m back ready to read more!!! <br />My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

Jill Mansell practically qualifies as a genre of her own—somewhere between chick-lit and romance. It's not quite chick-lit because the story spreads out among a group of people, and doesn't really have a growth-arc concentration. And they generally feature a couple of romances and it's not always easy to pick out a "main" one. But if you know that coming into the story, it mostly works out pretty well. And I enjoyed this one very much.<br /><br />Lainey was immediately sympathetic and searching for a new job because the one she had closed down was an interesting start. And I liked her growing friendship with Kit who was in the same situation. Better, it's a fun twist on the fake relationship because a) Kit is gay so obviously not the romantic focus (for Lainey) and b) they were, I dunno, middle friends? Not best friends but still pretty friendly, so they trust each other and have a great friendship dynamic but there's still some distance and probing and give and take going on.<br /><br />And the new position they find (that is searching for "a couple" that prompts the fake relationship) is a great chaotic mess with a make-do family that really needs a couple of organized people who can get crap done. And Chase, as the mostly-head of that family was a great lead, and match for Lainey, too. His PoV sections weren't quite as engaging as Lainey's, but that was a high bar, anyway. I liked him and the care for his family was nurturing and I loved how devoted he was to his step-mother and half-siblings. He's a bit of a stick-in-the-mud, but he gets over that and he did have a lot to deal with along the way.<br /><br />Two bits I want to pull out. First, I loved, more than a little, the Wyatt side-story. Wyatt has a bit-part in the beginning so I was surprised to find him as a PoV later on. His journey is the only real growth arc, and it's a fantastic one and (take the spoiler seriously because you'll miss a great twist if you know in advance) I cried, just a little, at <input type="checkbox" class="spoiler__control" aria-label="The following text has been marked spoiler. Toggle checkbox to reveal or hide." onchange="this.labels[0].setAttribute('aria-hidden', !this.checked);" id="8fc3b550-9b8c-407c-99e2-99e902e3d7d5" /><label aria-hidden="true" class="spoiler" for="8fc3b550-9b8c-407c-99e2-99e902e3d7d5">his coming out to Kit for the very first time and how relieved he was. And how eager-but-scared he was to let others know, now he'd gotten that first out of the way</label>.<br /><br />Second, I'm still not sure what I think about Chase's big crisis in the later stage of the story. It draws things out a bit but it also has a weird dynamic on his character. It makes sense because it's a big thing and could reasonably have a number of reactions, all reasonable. And he would totally react with a pull-back and shut-down. But it felt a bit convenient to the plot because they needed a bit of a draw-out for other plots to catch up and the relationship needed a cross to show how attached they are (or aren't). And it resolved a bit weirdly. And yeah, all of that is vague because it isn't worth the spoilers and the details aren't really important. I just want to flag that the plot goes a bit wonky and I'm not sure if it worked or not.<br /><br />At any rate, I enjoyed myself immensely and end up with 4½ stars that I'm rounding to five. A good story and some great romances with wonderful found-family dynamic.<br /><br /><strong>A note about Chaste</strong>: While sex might or might happen with some in the story, there's nothing in a reader viewpoint. So it's pretty chaste, and even the underwear swimming scene had no real steam as it was too cold to linger...

When Lainey and her friend Kit find themselves out of work at the chateau they have been working at, they begin the look for new jobs. One is offered to help out with a chaotic family in a Cornish Village. The family are looking for a couple, so Lainey and Kit lie, it's only a little lie, but a lie all the same.<br /><br />The family are indeed a madcap and riotous bunch and also friendly and in need of help, so Lainey and Kit are hired. While this seems ok, there is a slight problem and that is Seth, he is one of the family and there is an attraction between hi and Lainey. If only she hadn't lied!<br /><br />This was such a wonderful story and it is the first time I have read a book by this author, what a fabulous introduction I have had. This is a story that I found completely absorbing and so addictive. I loved the family, such a wonderful bunch of characters and I could imagine them so easily from what I discovered about them.<br /><br />Nothing in the story is straight forward and this added to the intrigue of the book. There were many surprises along the way as well as some humorous, heartwarming and soul-searching moments for various characters. The characters covered a wonderful array of traits and had good personalities. By the end of the book, I felt I had come to know a few of them very well and I found myself really caring about them.<br /><br />The pacing of the story was wonderful and the story flowed so well, it was effortless reading and was able to just relax and enjoy every word. This is an author I am definitely going to read more of and I am delighted that she has so many books that I can choose from.<br /><br />If you are a fan of well written contemporary romance that has a fabulous storyline and great characters then you are going to love this book as much as I did. It is one I would absolutely recommend.

What a great light summer, fun read. Lots of stories with great characters. This was my first book by Mansell, but it won't be my last. I am on the look out for more as you are reading this review.<br />I recommend this 4 star summer fun read.<br />The Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required and all views expressed are our own.

Take ALL the issues: losing a job, dating, paternity, degenerative disease, death/grief, homosexuality, jealousy, family, fame, romance… mix them in your Kitchen Aid, then pop them in the oven and you’ve baked yourself this book. <br />Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it’s just A LOT.