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Remarkable Things
ALL FAMILIES HAVE SECRETS...
SUPPOSING ONE OF THEM IS YOU?
When Gus Albourne inherits Aunt Augusta's cottage in the Sussex village of Hangburton, he finds himself with more than a property on his hands. Why did Augusta make Gus, her adoptive nephew, her sole beneficiary, while his late brother, Robert, the natural son, was left out of the will? Robert’s widow, Elspeth, and disabled daughter, Jenny, are far more deserving than Gus, but when he tries to share the legacy with Elspeth, she refuses, hinting at a long-ago family feud involving Augusta.
It’s a mystery, one which Gus must solve in order to make amends for his aunt’s unfairness and help Elspeth. But an unexpected find in the cottage brings a new twist, leading him to the questionable story of his birth mother, Catherine.
With his own history fast unravelling before his eyes, the last thing Gus needs is a relationship, but when he meets Millie Hope it’s impossible to stay away. Millie feels the same about Gus, but until she finds her missing daughter, Karen, her life must stay on hold.
When Millie's ex-husband dies, finding Karen becomes even more urgent. But there's more than one barrier to the search. For a start, there's Jack, Karen's terrifying ex-boyfriend. And then there's the reason Karen disappeared in the first place, which is less certain as time goes on.
Solving someone else’s problems seems a whole lot easier than solving your own, as Gus and Millie discover. But just as the curtain seems set to fall on their respective dramas, more shocks are in store, and Gus faces the hardest decision of his life.
SUPPOSING ONE OF THEM IS YOU?
When Gus Albourne inherits Aunt Augusta's cottage in the Sussex village of Hangburton, he finds himself with more than a property on his hands. Why did Augusta make Gus, her adoptive nephew, her sole beneficiary, while his late brother, Robert, the natural son, was left out of the will? Robert’s widow, Elspeth, and disabled daughter, Jenny, are far more deserving than Gus, but when he tries to share the legacy with Elspeth, she refuses, hinting at a long-ago family feud involving Augusta.
It’s a mystery, one which Gus must solve in order to make amends for his aunt’s unfairness and help Elspeth. But an unexpected find in the cottage brings a new twist, leading him to the questionable story of his birth mother, Catherine.
With his own history fast unravelling before his eyes, the last thing Gus needs is a relationship, but when he meets Millie Hope it’s impossible to stay away. Millie feels the same about Gus, but until she finds her missing daughter, Karen, her life must stay on hold.
When Millie's ex-husband dies, finding Karen becomes even more urgent. But there's more than one barrier to the search. For a start, there's Jack, Karen's terrifying ex-boyfriend. And then there's the reason Karen disappeared in the first place, which is less certain as time goes on.
Solving someone else’s problems seems a whole lot easier than solving your own, as Gus and Millie discover. But just as the curtain seems set to fall on their respective dramas, more shocks are in store, and Gus faces the hardest decision of his life.
- GenresFiction
303 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 5, 2015
19 people are currently reading
43 people want to read
About the author
Deirdre Palmer
21 books39 followersDeirdre writes women’s fiction, with strong themes of family, friendship and love, and the challenges ordinary people face in their everyday lives. She also writes under the name Zara Thorne. Her novels are published by Crooked Cat and Fabrian Books.
Deirdre also writes short stories and is published by D C Thomson for The People’s Friend magazine.
Find out more about Deirdre and her writing here:
http://deirdrepalmer.com/
https://www.facebook.com/deirdre.palm...
https://twitter.com/DLPalmer_Writer
https://uk.pinterest.com/deirdrepalmer2/
Deirdre also writes short stories and is published by D C Thomson for The People’s Friend magazine.
Find out more about Deirdre and her writing here:
http://deirdrepalmer.com/
https://www.facebook.com/deirdre.palm...
https://twitter.com/DLPalmer_Writer
https://uk.pinterest.com/deirdrepalmer2/
Ratings & Reviews
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
December 3, 2017
I can't believe how much I thoroughly enjoyed reading the fabulous "Remarkable Things" by Deidre Palmer, I read every word, took my time and devoured the whole beautiful story.
Gus Albourne inherits a cottage in the Sussex village of Hangburton by his adopted Aunt Augusta, surprisingly leaving nothing to her blood nephew Robert. Gus is puzzled as to why him and not his more deserving brother and decides to search out the truth behind the legacy. As the cottage begins to reveal its secrets Gus realises there's more to his life history than he currently knows. How will he cope with the new information? Meanwhile, Millie Hope is searching for her missing daughter Karen. When Millie's ex husband (Karen's dad) dies the search becomes even more important. However, the reason for Karen's disappearance was her terrifying ex boyfriend Jack O'Brien and Millie's involvement in the breakup. Will Jack be the stumbling block to finding Karen? As the two storylines intertwine throughout the story, Gus and Millie become good friends - can they help solve each other's mystery, and can Gus face the future when his past is desperate to be known.
I truly loved all the characters in the story, they were all so very likeable and the author has created a fabulous storyline to match that just captures your attention from start to finish. I really enjoyed how the story came together at the end and I must admit to having a smile on my face during the last couple of pages. "Remarkable Things" is a well written and thought out family saga type novel involving lies, secrets, confidences and twists and with a helping dose of a clean romance this is a superb book that I would highly recommend and I'd happily read more by this talented author again. Loved it!!
5 stars
Gus Albourne inherits a cottage in the Sussex village of Hangburton by his adopted Aunt Augusta, surprisingly leaving nothing to her blood nephew Robert. Gus is puzzled as to why him and not his more deserving brother and decides to search out the truth behind the legacy. As the cottage begins to reveal its secrets Gus realises there's more to his life history than he currently knows. How will he cope with the new information? Meanwhile, Millie Hope is searching for her missing daughter Karen. When Millie's ex husband (Karen's dad) dies the search becomes even more important. However, the reason for Karen's disappearance was her terrifying ex boyfriend Jack O'Brien and Millie's involvement in the breakup. Will Jack be the stumbling block to finding Karen? As the two storylines intertwine throughout the story, Gus and Millie become good friends - can they help solve each other's mystery, and can Gus face the future when his past is desperate to be known.
I truly loved all the characters in the story, they were all so very likeable and the author has created a fabulous storyline to match that just captures your attention from start to finish. I really enjoyed how the story came together at the end and I must admit to having a smile on my face during the last couple of pages. "Remarkable Things" is a well written and thought out family saga type novel involving lies, secrets, confidences and twists and with a helping dose of a clean romance this is a superb book that I would highly recommend and I'd happily read more by this talented author again. Loved it!!
5 stars
May 24, 2018
Remarkable Things centres around two main characters, Gus and Millie.
Millie is desperate to find her daughter of which as a mother I could feel her despair in constantly hitting a brick wall. I was intrigued to find out what had happened and why a daughter would take off and not at least let her mother know that she was at least a live and okay. When she strikes up a friendship of sorts with Gus it was nice to see a different side from the worried mother.
Gus was an interesting character, I did like him but I wouldn't say he was your typical leading man. He was slightly to laid back for me but you can tell he is a gentle soul and the readers will certainly take to him.
Unfortunately I found the characters didn't quite grab me as much as I would have liked, so I wasn't as invested in their stories as much as I probably should have been but it was still a pleasant read and would certainly look at other books by the author.
Millie is desperate to find her daughter of which as a mother I could feel her despair in constantly hitting a brick wall. I was intrigued to find out what had happened and why a daughter would take off and not at least let her mother know that she was at least a live and okay. When she strikes up a friendship of sorts with Gus it was nice to see a different side from the worried mother.
Gus was an interesting character, I did like him but I wouldn't say he was your typical leading man. He was slightly to laid back for me but you can tell he is a gentle soul and the readers will certainly take to him.
Unfortunately I found the characters didn't quite grab me as much as I would have liked, so I wasn't as invested in their stories as much as I probably should have been but it was still a pleasant read and would certainly look at other books by the author.
May 2, 2015
When Gus Albourne inherits a pretty village property from his Aunt Augusta, he interested to know why he is the sole beneficiary and as he searches for answers, he finds that unspoken secrets about his own life start to emerge.
Millie Hope is desperate to find her missing daughter, Karen, and when a family tragedy disturbs the equilibrium; her search for Karen becomes even more urgent. In a roundabout sort of way, Gus and Millie’s lives start to come together and even though they share confidences, their growing attraction is hampered by the secrets they are both adept at keeping rather too well hidden.
What then follows is an interesting and well written look at the vagaries of modern life and of all too often we become hampered by the secrets of the past. The story drew me in from the beginning and I found that I had immense sympathy for both Gus and Millie. They are both likeable protagonists and as their stories starts to unravel, you can’t help but become emotionally attached to both of them, and hope that things work out for them.
There is no doubt that the author has a keen eye for detail. Her writing is confident and assured and will I am sure, appeal to those who enjoy contemporary fiction. It’s a perfect book to curl up with, preferably on a sunny afternoon in the garden, but equally as enthralling on cosy evening by the fire.
Millie Hope is desperate to find her missing daughter, Karen, and when a family tragedy disturbs the equilibrium; her search for Karen becomes even more urgent. In a roundabout sort of way, Gus and Millie’s lives start to come together and even though they share confidences, their growing attraction is hampered by the secrets they are both adept at keeping rather too well hidden.
What then follows is an interesting and well written look at the vagaries of modern life and of all too often we become hampered by the secrets of the past. The story drew me in from the beginning and I found that I had immense sympathy for both Gus and Millie. They are both likeable protagonists and as their stories starts to unravel, you can’t help but become emotionally attached to both of them, and hope that things work out for them.
There is no doubt that the author has a keen eye for detail. Her writing is confident and assured and will I am sure, appeal to those who enjoy contemporary fiction. It’s a perfect book to curl up with, preferably on a sunny afternoon in the garden, but equally as enthralling on cosy evening by the fire.
June 21, 2015
If you like the novels of Joanna Trollope and Elizabeth Jane Howard then you'll love this wonderful novel of secrets, lies and embroidery. Gus has recently inherited his Aunt Augusta's house in a pretty Sussex village and can't understand why his aunt didn't leave any of her estate to his elder brother's family. Gus was adopted and this starts him on a search to find out more about his birth mother. Meanwhile, Milly has lost contact with her grown-up daughter and is trying to find her. When Gus turns up in Milly's wonderful craft shop (I want a job there!) they begin a friendship that helps them both to understand the past and start to move on from it. There were plenty of secrets and twists and turns to keep me guessing and I thoroughly enjoyed this delightful novel.
May 14, 2015
As the by-line suggests this is a story of family, secrets and second chances. Inheriting a house from his aunt, Gus sets out to find out why she left it to him and discovers a lot more than he bargained for. Gus meets Millie along the way, a woman searching for her missing daughter, and the author keeps you guessing about how things will all work out for the two of them.
Very well written, engaging and original, this comes highly recommended and I will certainly be looking out for more from Deirdre Palmer.
Very well written, engaging and original, this comes highly recommended and I will certainly be looking out for more from Deirdre Palmer.
June 18, 2015
A great book that explores what happens when two individuals are struggling to find sense of their present because of things that have happened in their past. Gus doesn't understand why he's inherited his aunt's house when he's not a blood relation, and he's struggling as to whether he really wants to find out. Millie is attracted to him, but is distracted with the constant worry of where her daughter, Karen, is and whether she's ok.
It's a lovely tale of two people who don't set out to find each other, but are somehow drawn together. Beautifully written.
It's a lovely tale of two people who don't set out to find each other, but are somehow drawn together. Beautifully written.
July 2, 2015
Secrets, romance and a touch of mystery: This book was well written and kept me guessing all the way along. Secrets from the past for Gus and Millie added many twists and turns in this story which has a touch of mystery, humour and romance all rolled into one.
I look forward to seeing what Deirdre Palmer writes next!
I look forward to seeing what Deirdre Palmer writes next!
August 15, 2015
A gentle, thoughtful and romantic read entwined with family mysteries of the past and present. With likeable characters (even Jess) you can't help but want to read this beautifully written novel as Millie and Gus go about their ordinary, everyday lives. It makes the story believable and adds depth to the characters. A cute summer read that will make you smile.
May 16, 2016
When Gus unexpectedly inherits a cottage from his aunt he goes in search of answers and meets Millie, also on a quest to find answers. This wonderfully written book takes you on a journey full of twists and turns as they find the answers they were looking for and romance.
March 23, 2018
A friend recommeded this book, and I am so glad she did!
What an amazing story, with the perfect mix of emotion and suspense. I didn't know this author and it was a really nice surprise.
As they say, a real page turner.
What an amazing story, with the perfect mix of emotion and suspense. I didn't know this author and it was a really nice surprise.
As they say, a real page turner.
December 7, 2017
An easy read family saga
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews