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

Reviews

Misty

Overall it was an excellent read and I would definitely recommend it. As a mother of 3 girls, reading how she struggled with her own parenting decisions, made mistakes and felt constant guilt brought comfort to me in a way. I sympathised deeply with her no-win situation and the way her character grew and changed made for a hugely rewarding ending.

Lisa Timoney

Highly recommend! Some parts of the story were told via a dual timeline which I enjoyed.

The faultless writing allows you to fully immerse yourself in the story, and this emotional family drama, packed with secrets, lies and gripping backstory, was a brilliant one to get lost in. Mum, Gabbie, is such a relatable character. It was evidence that we're all really trying to do our very best, even when it doesn't feel like it.

Even though Gabbies mum passed away when she was 13, we still got to see their relationship and have an understanding as to how her dislike of Jill came to be. I galloped through. As the story unfolds however, we learn that maybe Jill isn't as bad as she seems and Gabbie in fact has a skewed perception of her own childhood.

Seeing how he would blame her for his own shortcomings but in a roundabout way that meant he never outright said it was her fault but also never accepted blame. I’ve always found Emma Robinson’s books moreish, and My Stepmother’s Secret is no different.

Another superb book from Robinson. Robinson writes children beautifully.

Gabbie as a character was entirely relatable, especially for me. Her relationship with Liam, her husband, infuriated me at times but again, was relatable. I love how it made me feel like a good enough woman and Mum.