Why am I passionate about this?

I was drawn to writing family drama because complex family dynamics are endlessly fascinating to me. Iā€™m an adopted person whose parents went on to divorce and remarry. I have two teenagers of my own and Iā€™ve found that there are a multitude of choices we have to make as parents, and sometimes dilemmas donā€™t have a clear answer. If we get it wrong, the effects on the people we love can be devastating. Love within families can be tricky. The gap between what we want and what we need can be vast. Thereā€™s so much to explore in family dramas!


I wrote

His Secret Wife

By Lisa Timoney,

Book cover of His Secret Wife

What is my book about?

What happens when his secret wife is the only one who can save your child? Elle has the perfect life.ā€¦

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of The Silent Wife

Lisa Timoney Why did I love this book?

Secrets and lies always keep me turning the pages and this book has those in spades.

I love that Fisher writes about the kind of women we all know. Her characters are truly relatable and the dilemma of whether Maggie should expose her husbandā€™s lies or protect the people she loves is an agonising one.

Thereā€™s so much humour in Fisherā€™s writing. I love a book that brings out laughter and tears.

By Kerry Fisher,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Silent Wife as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In this heart-wrenching, emotionally gripping USA Today bestseller, a woman with a seemingly perfect life finds a mysterious letter that reveals dark secrets from the past that threaten to destroy her family.

Lara's life looks perfect on the surface -- gorgeous doting husband, Massimo; sweet little son, Sandro; and the perfect home. But Lara knows something about Massimo. Something she can't tell anyone else, or everything he has worked so hard for will be destroyed: his job, their reputation, their son. This secret is keeping Lara a prisoner in her marriage.

Maggie is married to Massimo's brother, Nico, and livesā€¦


Book cover of My Husband's Daughter

Lisa Timoney Why did I love this book?

Robinson is Queen of the emotional family drama.

Her prose is so fluid that itā€™s easy to lose yourself in her stories, which explore dilemmas that seem like impossible choices for her relatable characters, until a tear-jerking reveal.

The decision Rebecca eventually comes to in My Husbandā€™s Daughter made me wail like a wounded mouse. This book is beautifully written and packed with emotion.

By Emma Robinson,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked My Husband's Daughter as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A heartbreaking and emotional story about love, friendship, and what it truly means to be a parent.

On a cold Friday evening, Rebecca and her husband Jackā€™s doorbell rings. Outside is a woman who introduces herself as Jackā€™s ex-girlfriend Cara. And sheā€™s holding the hand of a shivering, blue-eyed, four-year-old girl. Who she claims is Jackā€™s daughter.

Rebecca is shocked to discover he has a child from his last relationshipā€”one he hadnā€™t known about. Especially since becoming parents isnā€™t part of their life plan. But Cara needs them. Because she has a devastating secret that she canā€™t tell anyone yet.ā€¦


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Book cover of Bessie

Bessie by Linda Kass,

In the bigoted milieu of 1945, six days after the official end of World War II, Bess Myerson, the daughter of poor Russian immigrants living in the Bronx, remarkably rises to become Miss America, the first ā€”and to date onlyā€” Jewish woman to do so. At stake is a $5,000ā€¦

Book cover of The Housewarming

Lisa Timoney Why did I love this book?

Lynes writes masterful psychological suspense which always has the reader asking how they would behave in the world she creates.

This superb book opens with a mother whose toddler has gone missing when she looked away for just a moment. I was gripped from the first line.

Tackling personal and community responsibility, it also examines friendship and the love a mother has for her child.

You canā€™t go wrong with an S E Lynes.

By S E Lynes,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Housewarming as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

ā€˜My stomach is in knots!ā€™ Motherhood for Slackers, ā­ā­ā­ā­ā­

ā€˜Devastating and jaw-droppingā€™ A Tick to Everywhere, ā­ā­ā­ā­ā­

ā€˜A heart-stopping thrillerā€™ Goodreads Reviewer, ā­ā­ā­ā­ā­

ā€˜Fantastic! I absolutely loved every page.ā€™ Books and Candles, ā­ā­ā­ā­ā­

Everyone is going to the housewarming party.

All the same people who lived on the street the day Abi vanishedā€¦

Will her mother finally learn the truth?

Ava only left her daughter in the pushchair for five minutes. The buckle was fastened, and she was sure it was safe. But when she came downstairs, the door was open and Abi was gone ā€“ she walked down theā€¦


Book cover of The Herd

Lisa Timoney Why did I love this book?

This novel grapples with the thorny subject of immunisation and what happens when one friendā€™s stance has a potentially life-threatening effect on anotherā€™s child.

Edwards manages to explore both sides without judgment in a story which is perfect for book clubs. The characters are relatable and fully fleshed out.

I found it a brave and compelling book.

By Emily Edwards,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Herd as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

'It is hard to imagine a more timely novel. A fascinating exploration of all sides of a particularly knotty, politicized issue.' Jodi Picoult

'Will have book clubs across the country in hot debate! Brilliant.' Clare Mackintosh

****

You should never judge how someone chooses to raise their child.

Elizabeth and Bryony are polar opposites but their unexpected friendship has always worked. They're the best of friends, and godmothers to each other's daughters - because they trust that the safety of their children is both of their top priority.

But what if their choice could harm your own child?

Little doā€¦


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Book cover of The Mysteries of Marquette

The Mysteries of Marquette by Tyler R. Tichelaar,

When the Marquis de Marquette chooses to spend the summer of 1908 in Marquette, Michigan, a city named for his illustrious Jesuit relative, the residents are all astir with excitement. People begin vying to rub shoulders with the marquis, but he remains very private until he hosts a masquerade ballā€¦

Book cover of Small Things Like These

Lisa Timoney Why did I love this book?

This short, beautiful, heart-rending book is set in an Irish town in 1985.

The Church is in control and the people of the town turn a blind eye to what goes on in the convent. The lead character grapples with his faith and his conscience, and makes a decision that will impact the whole community.

It made me think and it made me cry. Itā€™s an emotional book with a powerful message. 

By Claire Keegan,

Why should I read it?

25 authors picked Small Things Like These as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Shortlisted for the 2022 Booker Prize

"A hypnotic and electrifying Irish tale that transcends country, transcends time." ā€”Lily King, New York Times bestselling author of Writers & Lovers

Small Things Like These is award-winning author Claire Keegan's landmark new novel, a tale of one man's courage and a remarkable portrait of love and family

It is 1985 in a small Irish town. During the weeks leading up to Christmas, Bill Furlong, a coal merchant and family man faces into his busiest season. Early one morning, while delivering an order to the local convent, Bill makes a discovery which forces himā€¦


Explore my book šŸ˜€

His Secret Wife

By Lisa Timoney,

Book cover of His Secret Wife

What is my book about?

What happens when his secret wife is the only one who can save your child? Elle has the perfect life. A hard-working husband, a clever little boy, and a gorgeous home. Jen also has the perfect life. A passionate relationship with a doting husband, a creative little girl, and an exciting career. When they suspect the children may be neurodiverse, a strange coincidence throws them together. But then they uncover a shocking truth: They are married to the same man.

As they both grapple with a devastating revelation, a tragic event puts Elleā€™s son in danger. Jen is the only one she can to turn to. But can Jen bring herself to help the woman who shattered her world? And can Elle trust her husbandā€™s other wife with her childā€™s life?

Book cover of The Silent Wife
Book cover of My Husband's Daughter
Book cover of The Housewarming

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Book cover of Chance Hotel

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Jason was looking for a warm room to escape the stormy night. What he found was a world that existed beyond the boundaries of his imaginationā€¦

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The Rosewood Penny by J.S. Fields,

The dragons of Yuro have been hunted to extinction. 

On a small, isolated island, in a reclusive forest, lives bandit leader Marani and her brother Jacks. With their outlaw band, they rob the rich to feed themselves, raiding carriages and dodging the occasional vindictive pegasus. Thanks to Maraniā€™s mysterious invulnerability,ā€¦

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Convents 16 books
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Secrets 279 books