Something To Tell You by Lucy Diamond

• Hardcover: 464 pages
• Publisher: Macmillan; Main Market edition (24 Jan. 2019)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1509851097
• ISBN-13: 978-1509851096

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Synopsis

When Frankie stumbles upon an unopened letter from her late mother, she’s delighted to have one last message from her . . . until she reads the contents and discovers the truth about her birth. Brimming with questions, she travels to York to seek further answers from the Mortimer family, but her appearance sends shockwaves through them all.

Meanwhile, Robyn Mortimer has problems of her own. Her husband John has become distant, and a chance remark from a friend leads Robyn to wonder exactly what he’s not been saying. Dare she find out more?

As for Bunny, she fell head over heels in love with Dave Mortimer when she first arrived in town, but now it seems her past is catching up with her. She can’t help wondering if he’ll still feel the same way about her if he discovers who she really is – and what she did.

As secrets tumble out and loyalties are tested, the Mortimers have to face up to some difficult decisions. With love, betrayal and dramatic revelations in the mix, this is one summer they’ll never forget.

 

Review

It’s been quite a while since I picked up a Lucy Diamond novel, but reading her latest offering Something to Tell You had that comfortable and familiar feel, like putting on a pair of comfy slippers. Set in Yorkshire, this books looks at family, secrets and lies.  At Harry and Jeanie’s Golden Wedding Anniversary they have a surprise guest in Frankie, who inadvertently walks in with the bombshell that she is Harry’s love child.  It seems that Harry is not the only Mortimer family member keeping secrets; Robyn Mortimer is worried about her husband John, who has become distant, and Dave’s girlfriend Bunny is also keeping her past a secret.  As the Mortimer family face up to the revelations, decisions have to made that will change their lives.

Something to Tell You is a a warm and witty read about  family dynamics and how easily they can change.  I just lost myself in this multi layered plot, and fell in love with the wonderful characters.  Told from the female point of view, Lucy Diamond captures the feelings and dilemmas faced with great understanding.  The chapters follow  Frankie, Jeanie, Robyn, her mum Alison and Bunny, who all have to face new challenges after secrets and lies are revealed. This does seem like a lot of different individual narratives but they all weave seamlessly together to make this such a fabulous read. I really enjoyed the depth of the characters, that Lucy Diamond spent time on their back stories so that there is a better understanding of who they are in the present.

Something to Tell You includes the serious subjects of adultery, domestic abuse and suicide, that are all treated with great compassion and understanding, but there are also many laugh out loud moments, especially when Alison joins a senior internet dating site, and Jeanie heads off on holiday. Lucy Diamond’s writing has detail, depth, understanding of human emotion and plenty of wit and wisdom to boot.  I really felt wrapped up in a cocoon with the Mortimer family, with their love, friendship and acceptance; I had that warm fuzzy feeling of familiarity.

I read Something to Tell You in the run up to Christmas and it was a the perfect antidote to the stress for me.  The different narratives drew me in and I flew though this book, reading most of it in one day.  The highs, and lows, humour and wit and  the strong female characters all combined to make this such an enjoyable and life affirming read.  Another brilliant book from Lucy Diamond!