The Secrets We Keep: Heartbreaking and compelling World War 2 historical fiction for fans of Kate Quinn and Kristin Hannah

I have read a number of World War II novels and this novel is among the top! Reading this book I could feel the fear and anxiety on all sides of the war. The uncertainty of war time was evident throughout the book. The characters were either likable or unlikable according to their roles. All characters are relatable. This is a book not to be missed!--Mary C

Well written and beautifully descriptive of place. Marguerite is a complex character; Simone I found less so; her character wasn't as finely developed; a bit like we were missing some of the before story. Not a lot of novels have explored the effect of the Second World War, occupation in the south of France so that added to the interest; most of the action seems to take place in the weeks leading up to the allied invasion of the south, another aspect that isn't paid a lot of attention to in this genre. The brutality of the occupiers is on full display; Macquisard, the ferocious hatreds in villagers are barely constrained and ready to unleash retribution-almost from the first page. All of this creates an atmosphere of unbearable tension; it is difficult for most of us in the 21st century to grasp what that had to have been like. The story of Marguerite and Etienne is sensitively told; plenty of opportunity to exploit the sexual tension between them but she doesn't do that; both are written as real people with doubts aplenty, temptations, fears. The one character they could have left out...I will leave to other readers; to write more here would be a spoiler. Another reviewer suggested her review was less positive because too many main characters died. It was war, so that is entirely realistic. I do wish the ending.... but that would not really have been true to the character, might have reached into fantasy romance fiction. All in all quite a debut! I struggle with a story; with characters that have "lived in my head" for some time; writing fiction is not easy--Ms. Howes' first venture is an inspiration.

Amazing story of resistance. Not knowing who to trust and having to continually lie. Even when truth could save you, lying continued as you had no proof that you weren’t a Nazi collaborator. Great read

I love historical fiction and historical romance fiction, but I was not a fan of this author or book. It did not keep my interest and I found it tedious reading. I actually jumped through a lot of the pages to get to the end. I prefer Kate Quinn and a few other better authors. Just my prefernce.

A gripping story of the bravery of many characters who, I am sure, represented real heroes who risked their lives for the cause of freedom.

This was a good xtory that you could really get into. Good characterizations a d descriptions. It geld my attention from start to finish. My only criticism is too mzny main characters died

I can't believe how fast I read this book -- couldn't put it down! The story helped me to remember the wonderful life I have had these 75+ years all because of others who paid a big price for my freedom. This story highlights the suffering that they faced. We all need this reminder of that gift.

German occupation of coastal France made hero’s and heroines as well as collaborators and cowards. The interaction between them was intriguing.

Not the sort of thing I'd usually read but I'd run out of my usual British Golden Era crime classics and my wife said I ought to give it a chance.And it was worth it.Although the subject matter (WW2) isn't easy, the style was easy to read. It's written in a fairly plain style, that's not a criticism - more that it's easy to read and the story draws you in, rather than battling with vocabulary or flowery descriptions as some authors do.The story itself is more like listening to a friend recounting some awful event in their life - unpleasant but wanting to know how it pans out in the end.Fundamentally, it's a love story, so not really my genre. But it does give a very believable flavour of life in that time and location.No spoilers as to how it ends though, you'll have to read it!

Kept me engaged throughout. The blurb said this was a debut novel, so an impressive debut I think.

Beautifully written, drew me in from the first page. The struggle of living under Nazi occupation and not knowing who to trust. The main characters are amazing and well rounded. This book will stay with long after the last page has turned.

This book will stay with me for a long time. A credit to Theresa Howes for exquisite writing and an evocative storyline.I really felt the trauma of the characters and the 'Life or death' period of history they were living in.The central relationship was different and I could feel the connection between the characters as they fought with their conflicting emotions.This type of book is my favourite reading matter . Would highly recommend.

Fascinating insight into the war in France. Surprising ending all to sudden. I was gripped the whole way through. Recommended to anybody with an interest in World War 2.