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56th out of 323 books
—
398 voters
The Secret Between Us
by
Barbara Delinsky (Goodreads Author)
Nothing will break this mother-daughter bond. Not even the truth.
Deborah Monroe and her daughter, Grace, are driving home from a party when their car hits a man running in the dark. Grace was at the wheel, but Deborah sends her home before the police arrive, determined to shoulder the blame for the accident. Her decision then turns into a deception that takes on a life of
Hardcover, 368 pages
Published
January 22nd 2008
by Doubleday
(first published January 1st 2008)
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The Secret Between Us by Barbara Delinksy is truthfully painful. A good novel but with so much guilt that you really start to feel like it's you in the story. It's a can't put down book til the end so that you can see if things come out for better or worse.
Deborah Monroe is mom, daughter, sister, ex-wife, and prominent town doctor to a quiet little town in New England. Highly respected and loved, independent, honest to a fault has her life upturned by one little incident. Oh, is it little or big...more
Deborah Monroe is mom, daughter, sister, ex-wife, and prominent town doctor to a quiet little town in New England. Highly respected and loved, independent, honest to a fault has her life upturned by one little incident. Oh, is it little or big...more
A pleasant surprise. It wasn't challenging reading, but a good story that kept my interest. Would be good for a vacation book or beach book. Similar to Piccoult's style - but much better character development.
I'm not done yet, but enjoying the book. It's easy reading. I got the book from the publisher as part of a buzz campaign through BuzzAgent.com I've been telling people that I know are interested in this genre of books about this book as well as the author. I thought at first that I would fi...more
I'm not done yet, but enjoying the book. It's easy reading. I got the book from the publisher as part of a buzz campaign through BuzzAgent.com I've been telling people that I know are interested in this genre of books about this book as well as the author. I thought at first that I would fi...more
Okay. I picked up this book because I was looking for a new author like Jodi Picoult. This book was a quick read but dragged at times. I kept reading because I was intrigued by the topic and the relationships. A daugter kills a man while driving with her mother on a rainy night. The mother does not correct the police when they assume that the mother was driving. Made me wonder if I would do the same. Also, it reminded us how a lie can impact your life and how the truth can set up free.
I could re...more
I could re...more
I have to say I've read better books by Barbara Delinksy. For some reason, although this was a reasonably interesting story, if felt a little overwrought to me, particularly since it only covered a two week span of time. There was just something about going from extreme stress and panic to everything neatly tied up in such a tidy fashion - all in two weeks - that annoyed me. I'm not sorry I read it, but I have come to the conclusion that Delinsky's best work, like that of authors before her (Ste...more
I never actually thought I would enjoy listening to an audio book. I have tried it in the past and ended up never listening to the end. But I had to take a car trip that I knew would be long enough and the radio stations tend to be horrible in between towns, so I thought I'd give it a try. I don't know when or where I picked up this audio book, but I loaded it on my Nook, plugged the card into the ear phone jack and then using my auxiliary cord, plugged it in to my car and out it came through th...more
This book was my first introduction to Barbara Delinsky. My mom loaned it to me and said it was so good she lost sleep trying to finish it. Wow was she right. I could not put this book down! Like Jodi Picoult, Delinsky writes about family issues and weaves a compelling drama that pulls you in instantly and hooks you all the way to the end. However, Picoult likes to write about somewhat obscure issues, or highly controversial topics, whereas Delinsky chooses topics that could easily happen to any...more
Bought this in the airport bookstore on Sunday (btw, IAH Terminal A has an awfully slim book selection) and finished it that night. It bugs me when I finish a book that fast, but there was a longer-than-planned flight and a night alone in a hotel room involved so I couldn't really stretch it out any longer. It was an okay read, but nothing special. I found the romance in the book -- yes, oddly, there is one -- wholly unbelievable, to the point that it pretty much ruined the book for me. On the o...more
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I have a thing for 'family drama' type novels. I like to see how people interact together, and this month, I guess the theme is "mother/daughter relationships", because this is about the 3rd book I've read this month that focuses heavily on that.
The story here is that the daughter, Grace, is driving, hits a guy and the mother, Deborah, tells her to run home & she takes the blame. Grace feels bad, Deborah feels bad that Grace feels bad and tries to come to terms with it. Meanwhile, she's dea...more
The story here is that the daughter, Grace, is driving, hits a guy and the mother, Deborah, tells her to run home & she takes the blame. Grace feels bad, Deborah feels bad that Grace feels bad and tries to come to terms with it. Meanwhile, she's dea...more
This was the perfect non-demanding novel to listen to in the car during my daily commute. Deborah is the ultimate keep-it-together, always-under-control mom/doctor/daughter - until she and her daughter accidentally hit a pedestrian while driving home late on a very rainy night. The accident, which results in the man's death after an operation, wasn't their fault - but Deborah's daughter Grace, a teenager with a learner's permit was driving at the time. Wanting to spare her daughter, Deborah lets...more
Maybe I was expecting something else. Maybe I shouldn't pick books from my aunt's bookshelf. Maybe it's just because this is my first exposure to the ever-growing genre of chick-lit. I'm not for sure what the reason for my disliking this book was, I just know I had trouble getting into it. Perhaps it was the main character's habit of turning every encounter into a knock-down drag-out dramatic scene. Drama is essential, yes, but in every scene? After awhile it began to feel formulaic and predicta...more
I've been exploring a lot of new-to-me authors for the past several months, and Barbara Delinsky is one whom I had never read before. I was pleased to find that I really enjoy her writing. I started reading "The Secret Between Us" late last night and had it finished by the same time tonight; I would have read it straight through if I'd been able to keep my eyes open any longer last night. As the book begins, Deborah and her daughter Grace are driving home late one rainy night and hit a man joggi...more
I have to start off by saying that my grandma gave this book to me over the summer. She LOVED it and loves Delinsky and, thus, wanted me to read it. I'd give this book 2.5 stars. The plot is really interesting as well as the themes, but these are severely underdeveloped by the author. There are so many characters in the book that, at times, its just so hard to keep track with what's going on with each of them. There are so many minor plot points that this felt like a soap opera at times. But, I...more
This is a rather simple book, but a nice "good read" for a few chilly evenings before going to sleep~ The book is set during contemporary time, published in 2008 by Random House. I got it in the Large Print paperback version.
It deals with today's issues as the main character deborah comes to terms with her recent divorce and how to handle the emotions between her now ex husband and their two children. As n agining baby boomer myself, I can relate to the "sandwich generation". The main character...more
It deals with today's issues as the main character deborah comes to terms with her recent divorce and how to handle the emotions between her now ex husband and their two children. As n agining baby boomer myself, I can relate to the "sandwich generation". The main character...more
I read this for our book club, having no expectations, and having read nothing else by this author. (I prefer to read a book going in "blind.") I have to admit, it was a bit painful to read at times. As the story developed and the characters' actions built up steam, I was nervous for them, knowing that some of their choices would only lead to heartache. However, it didn't take long for me to become absorbed in the characters' lives and circumstances and I found myself rooting for them, and hopef...more
The Secret Between Us was unlike any other Barbara Delinsky book i've previously read, and I don't know if that was such a good thing. I did like this book, but feel like this book didn't blow me away as many of her other romance-type novels did.
The Secret Between Us is a story of a mother and daughter who get into an accident in the middle of a rainy evening where they hit a man with the car. The only problem is the police believe the mother was the one driving, when in fact it was the daughter...more
The Secret Between Us is a story of a mother and daughter who get into an accident in the middle of a rainy evening where they hit a man with the car. The only problem is the police believe the mother was the one driving, when in fact it was the daughter...more
This book is not a murder mystery. It is not a romance. It's not an adventure or a thriller. It is, however, a pretty good story.
As I read, I had a lot to think about. Like for example, "What exactly is a lie?" "What if nobody asks you for the crucial information? Are you dishonest if you don't volunteer the information?" "When do you quit protecting your teenage daughter?" "How many people are the victims here?" There are lots of family dynamics to explore in this story in at least two separate...more
As I read, I had a lot to think about. Like for example, "What exactly is a lie?" "What if nobody asks you for the crucial information? Are you dishonest if you don't volunteer the information?" "When do you quit protecting your teenage daughter?" "How many people are the victims here?" There are lots of family dynamics to explore in this story in at least two separate...more
I'm on a mission right now to read as many books as possible to help clear out my bookcases! Maybe if I read this one slower, I might appreciate it more. I like books that are dialogue-heavy (which this one is) but it just didn't always ring true. All of the characters seemed to be suffering major crises in their lives and were right on the brink of the cliff, and it just seemed like an awful lot all at once. I like the main character's relationship with Tom but this book was more about her and...more
I want you to be okay
I want you to care about yourself
I want you to forgive yourself
It was all an accident
So, just forgive yourself
I feel your pain
So, do not grieve
I know what you are going through
I am you parallel
Everyone knows you're not perfect
So you don't need to always try so hard
Give yourself su-um credit, baby
Everyone loves you, so just take a brake
Have some fun, let yourself be-e-e!!
Do not worry, you dont always have to pretend to be someone greater than you are!
Just let your self be,...more
I want you to care about yourself
I want you to forgive yourself
It was all an accident
So, just forgive yourself
I feel your pain
So, do not grieve
I know what you are going through
I am you parallel
Everyone knows you're not perfect
So you don't need to always try so hard
Give yourself su-um credit, baby
Everyone loves you, so just take a brake
Have some fun, let yourself be-e-e!!
Do not worry, you dont always have to pretend to be someone greater than you are!
Just let your self be,...more
Deborah Monroe and her daughter Grace were driving home from a party, when they suddenly hit a man that ran out in the street. Grace was behind the wheel, she is a minor so she feels overwhelmed with guilt and sorrow but her mother promises that she will be be alright. That is until the word gets out that the victim was not only badly injured but later died, a shocking relevation that shocked both Deborah and Grace. Now Deborah wants to prove her daughter innocence, but it is not as easier as i...more
I feel like I read this years ago in a women's magazine, but the book was only published in 2008 and I've been keeping track at Goodreads since 2007. Delinsky says "I write about the emotional crises that we face in our lives. Readers identify with my characters. They know them. They are them. I'm an everyday woman writing about everyday people facing not-so-everyday challenges. My novels are character-driven studies of marriage, parenthood, sibling rivalry, and friendship..."
I enjoyed this stor...more
I enjoyed this stor...more
This was yet another of my "quick" summer reads. The plot of the story (a mother and daughter deal with the repercussions of a car accident) is good. Yet, it was certainly predictable at certain points. Delinsky's style very similarly resembles the style of Jodi Piccoult. Delinsky's writing, however, focuses more on the relationships between characters rather than the twists and turns of an intricate and surprising plot.
What intrigued me about this novel is, in fact, the mother-daughter relatio...more
What intrigued me about this novel is, in fact, the mother-daughter relatio...more
I got several books for Xmas, and this was one of them. I read it in two days - yes, it is that quick. Very simple prose, nothing terribly thought-provoking.... The characters aren't very realistic, nor is the dialogue between them. I thought that the premise of the entire story was very interesting, but this author dropped the ball. It could have been so much more interesting and/or intense, but it just wasn't. I hated the mom (Deborah), and the girl (Grace) annoyed me. Jodi Picoult would have...more
The is the first book that I've read by Barbara Delinsky and It was Great!!! A very compelling account of famliy, love, lost, sacrifice and reconciliation
Might have spoilers. I enjoyed this book. I didn't read it, I've been becoming a fan of listending to books on tape and this is one of them. I am glad that the author wrote the book the way she wrote it. It was very good to hear it. I could have done without the judgement of the town but its a book based on a small town .. so, critism would have came from the towns people. IT was a decent read. Especially for someone just starting up to read again and don't want anything too serious. Though what...more
I'd give it 3 1/2 stars. This is the first book I have read of hers. It reminded me a little bit of Jodi Picoult--but not as much depth. At first I was worried that I wasn't going to really relate to the characters because there was a lot of dialogue and the characters seemed slightly flat. But as it developed I did feel like I knew them better. The story is about a mother and daughter who hit a man while driving home in a horrible rain storm. The 15 year old daughter is driving on her permit an...more
I really liked this book. I read several books by this author many years ago. At a friends' book review of this book, I decided to give her a try with this read. It was very different from years ago. In the beginning I thought she wrote along the lines of Jodi Picoult as someone has previously said. Delinsky made you think about the family dynamics and social issues. Being a parent, I can strongly relate to that. There were several things as a mother that I wouldn't have done, but who knows? I c...more
This is one of the first books I have read by B. Delinsky. I enjoyed it and the relationship between the mother and daughter. it shows how one lie for the right reason can haunt you and have terrible results. When Deborah tries to protect her daughter, Grace, from being responsible for an accident, she actually makes it worse for her and herself. it shows what a mother will do so her child will be happy and have good opportunities in life. It is a page turner and you don't find out what happens...more
Delinsky likes to write about family drama. I have enjoyed some of her others a little more but found I wanted to see how this all ended. A mother and daughter driving home on a rainy night hit a high school teacher. When the police assume the mom was driving she doesn't correct them. Thus the "lie" begins. I liked the main characters except for the daughter who just seemed to get more and more annoying with her one note angst. (I do think it is hard to realistically write teens and their though...more
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I was born and raised in suburban Boston. My mother’s death, when I was eight, was the defining event of a childhood that was otherwise ordinary. I took piano lessons and flute lessons. I took ballroom dancing lessons. I went to summer camp through my fifteenth year (in Maine, which explains the setting of so many of my stories), then spent my sixteenth summer learning to type and to drive (two sk...more
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“Rain didn't make things messy. People did that all on their own.”
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Apr 23, 2013 12:43pm