The Secrets of Happiness by Lucy Diamond

The Secrets of Happiness by Lucy Diamond
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The best things in life . . . can be just around the corner

Rachel and Becca aren't real sisters, or so they say. They are stepsisters, living far apart, with little in common. Rachel is the successful one: happily married with three children and a big house, plus an impressive career. Artistic Becca, meanwhile, lurches from one dead-end job to another, shares a titchy flat, and has given up on love.

The two of them have lost touch, but when Rachel doesn't come home one night, Becca is called in to help.
Once there, she quickly realizes that her stepsister's life is not so perfect after all: Rachel's handsome husband
has moved out, her children are rebelling, and her glamorous career has taken a nosedive. Worst of all,
nobody seems to have a clue where she might be.

As Becca begins to untangle Rachel's secrets, she is forced to confront some uncomfortable truths about
her own life, and the future seems uncertain.

But sometimes happiness can be found in the most unexpected places . .



For the beginning of the half term I was at a lost of what to read. This was sent to me a while ago and I hadn't got round to it, mainly because it seemed intimidating in size and I knew I wanted to be able to really devote some time to it. I decided to settle down with it and I am so glad I did.

I have previously read short stories by Lucy Diamond and have really enjoyed them, so I was hoping I would enjoy this just as much and I did.

Rachel and Becca are step sisters, they have never been the closest and Becca has not heard from Rachel in a long time. So when Becca is called one night from a 'friend' of Rachel's stating she has the children and Rachel has gone AWOL Becca jumps in t help out, hoping that she can perhaps rekindle her friendship with her sister along the way.

When Becca steps into Rachel's shoes she starts to discover that her sisters life isn't as perfect as it seems and she begins to wonder exactly where Rachel is. This is a completely different life to Becca's and she struggles to slip into Rachel initially, after a while she begins to realise she is enjoying the country lifestyle and it gets he questioning her own life.

This is a family drama book, where both sisters go on a journey to really find out who they are, the characters are well developed and even secondary characters have great story lines and are likable. I couldn't really say who my favourite character was in this book as they all have their own qualities that I enjoyed reading about.

The story was a little predictable, however I didn't mind this as I was rooting for a happy ending for all involved. Although the book is a monster - over 450 pages, it didn't seem like that to read. I managed to finish this in three sittings, it also didn't seem too long, just the right amount. It is a heartwarming tale that was an easy read. I enjoyed the element of mystery in the story along with the romance and 'finding yourself' aspect. I also felt it encourages you to look at your own life and if your stuck in a rut, remember the grass is not always greener...

I would recommend this as a great read for a holiday, or when you have time to really invest in the book. I also will be reading more novels by Lucy Diamond in the future.

I would like to thank the publisher for sending this in exchange for an honest review.

A Baby at the Beach Café by Lucy Diamond

A Baby at the Beach Café by Lucy Diamond
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A Baby at the Beach Cafe is an engaging short story follow-up to Lucy Diamond's bestselling novel The Beach Cafe.

Evie loves running her beach cafe in Cornwall but with a baby on the way, she's been told to put her feet up. Let someone else take over? Not likely.

Helen's come to Cornwall to escape the stress of city living. She hopes a seaside life will be the answer to all her dreams. When she sees a job advertised at the cafe it sounds perfect.

But the two women clash and sparks fly. . . and then events take a dramatic turn. Can the pair of them put aside their differences in a crisis?


This is another quick read for this year, Lucy Diamond is an author I have heard about, however I have never actually read one of her books. I didn't think this was going to be good as this novella is in the Beach Cafe series. Saying that, it really didn't matter that I hadn't read the others.

This novella is broken down into 2 women's perspectives, Helen and Evie. Evie owns and runs the Beach Cafe with her husband Ed, they took over from her aunt and have been there ever since. Heavily pregnant and running the cafe it is hard, although Evie doesn't want to slow down, her husband and her doctor have told her otherwise. They need a new manager, just while Evie is out of action.

Helen and her husband used to own a pub and moved down to Cornwall to have a long awaited gap year, however Helen is bored and wants a job. The ladies don't hit it off from the onset but Helen is determined to make the best of it.

This is a wonderful quick read, which I enjoyed immensely. As I mentioned before it is part of a series, that didn't matter though it can be enjoyed as a stand alone. I found it so easy to get stuck into and I really liked the characters. Due to the shortness of the novella, you don't feel there is enough time to build up a relationship with the characters or really get to know them. This didn't bother me though and if I want to I could now go back and read the series.

This is a delightful story to read on a gloomy day, which will cheer you up no end. I would recommend this if you are a Lucy Diamond fan or you just love a little bit of chick lit.

I would like to thank the publisher for sending this in exchange for an honest review.