Secrets and Lies

by June Francis

Will her past ruin her future, or could this be the start of something new? When Olive receives a letter in the post from the father of her daughter – American soldier, Joe – she is shocked. Not only is he losing his sight and, after years of no contact, suddenly wanting to reconnect, but Olive has to decide whether or not to reveal that she has been lying all these years to the man she married – who believes himself to be Joanna’s father.

Luckily for Olive, Theo is angling for a divorce so he can marry his mistress. But between her mother’s judgement and buying her own home, Olive is facing hardships from every angle.

When her old friend, Josh, comes back into her life, they rekindle a spark Olive thought was long-dormant. But can she trust the man who kept so many secrets from her in the past?

A compelling and dramatic family saga, perfect for fans of Kitty Neale, Anna Jacobs and Dilly Court.

Praise for Secrets and Lies ‘A beautiful Liverpool family saga. Very emotional… Loved it’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader review

‘A brilliant read. I was taken into Olive’s world completely. Well-written… June truly is a talent’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader review

336 pages, Paperback

Published August 7, 2025

About the author

Although, June was born in the seaside resort of Blackpool, she has lived all her life in the port of Liverpool, home of the Beatles. One of four children, her love of stories began when her father told her 'The Little Match Girl', which left her in floods of tears, but also with a desire to make up stories, herself. As soon as she could read she was doing a three mile walk to the local library. She passed the scholarship to Liverpool Girls' College where her English teacher told her that she had a great imagination. Despite this, June did not believe she could ever be an author, so on leaving school, she became a cash clerk. She married at twenty-two, has three sons, ran a church playgroup for ten years and it wasn't until her youngest started school that she joined a Writers' Club and turned her hand to writing articles about What She Knew for a woman's magazine. But her first love had always been books and eventually she wrote her first two medieval romances for Mills & Boon. After doing another two, she had an urge to write a family story set in Liverpool during WWII. This was bought by another publisher. Since then she has had thirty-three books published.

Reviews

[Heather Copping · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the bestselling women's fiction author, this is her latest novel set in March 1958 in Liverpool in the North of England.
From the very beginning, there are certainly lots of deceptions, plus many secrets and lies.
Olive returns to her hometown of Liverpool after discovering her beloved father had passed away, and her mother hadn't even told her. She hadn't even told her when the funeral was. So she was determined to do something. One thing was to take her daughter Joanna and go to America and see Joanne's father, who has not got too much longer to live. But first she must find somewhere to live, the accommodation in her mums house was just not suitable and they really didn't get on. Olive has her set of numbers that her dad always used for the football pools. They have already been good luck to her, and she has a sizeable winning. But this is a secret that she must keep from her mum. Her mum certainly seems to have a grudge against Joanna, and when Olive finds a house in Waterloo near Southport, her mum certainly objects to this too, wondering where she has got the money from. It's not long before Joanna sets sail for America with two friends who are going over to do some climbing, so at least she has some company en route. She has a lovely time, visiting film studios and other places she has only seen on films before. Meanwhile, back in Waterloo, near Liverpool in July and August, Olive receives some bad news and has to make an unscheduled journey to see a special person. Worried about how long it will take and whether that person will be wanting to see her are just a couple of doubts she has.
As in the title, this book has many secrets and plenty of lies, but will it be enough to make everyone happy?

I have always been a big fan of June Francis's work, and this book is as good as all the others I have read. I really enjoyed reading it, a five-star read from me.

#Canelo
#JuneFrancis
#netgalley
#SecretsandLies

[Booklover BEV · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful Liverpool family saga.
Will her past ruin her future or could it be the start of something new.
Olive Jones story is unique to read from the first page.
The story draws me in that brings so much joy with lots of emotions as you turn page after page.
Very emotional very touching I couldn't fault any of this book.
Loved it.

[Courtney Pityer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very good book with an important message. Always tell your significant other and your children the truth no matter how difficult it may be. I feel like a lot of issues cpukd have been resolved if the main character had beeb honest at the beginning. overall it was a very good book.