My Stepmother's Secret: An incredibly powerful and heartbreaking story about a family dilemma

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I particularly enjoyed the dual timeline narrative structure, which gave the reader a glimpse into Gabby’s life during her boarding school years and how those experiences shaped her as an adult. Her husband has betrayed her and their daughters in the worst way, and she has no option but to go to the last place she wants, her childhood home.

The description of the author states that she has a passion for stories which explore the power of family and friendship in the most challenging circumstances. In January 2020, my dad brought home his new girlfriend to meet us and she moved in with us when our state went into lockdown in March.Now married herself and with two children, Olivia and Alice, she discovers her husband has lost everything they had worked so hard for and finds herself turning to the one person she thought she'd never have to, her stepmother Jill. However, living together now all under the same roof, all the secrets that have kept us apart for all these years are finally slowly revealing themselves. Will our fragile bond break completely, or could it be the only thing that saves me and my daughters…?

The book’s dual timeline, alternating between Gabbie’s boarding school days and her present-day struggles, adds a layer of complexity to the plot, keeping the readers engaged and invested in the story. Maybe I'm heartless and petty, but if I was in Gabbie's place I would have thrown my husband under the bus from the beginning, after making sure my kids and I would be ok. However, I had a hunch what the diagnosis was and was correct because I went through the same exact situation. However, I assume this is the publisher's way of trying to make the story interesting, but I don't think it's necessary. However, not everything is as it seems, and secrets are about to be revealed which could change Gabbie's mind about everything.

I highly recommend this heart-warming read to anyone looking for a thought-provoking and emotionally resonant story. Another thing I love about ALL Emma's books is the resolutions, she is a master at the realistic, unflowery but whooosh feel-good happy ending: The happy endings come naturally from all the previous confusion and despair, and it gives you such an uplift - even empowering feeling. The main mystery in My Stepmother’s Secret is why did Gabbie and her two daughter’s up and leave her husband to come stay with her Stepmother? What it was was an amazing look at lies, secrets, long-held beliefs based on those lies and secrets, and a woman coming to grips when learning the truth. We learn that things aren’t always as we see them and that there’s always more to the picture than we let ourselves believe.