Banner for blog tour for Julia Wild's novel The Secret NOtebook.

Written by Julia Wild

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

Published by	One More Chapter (8 July 2021)
Genre	Military Romance, WWII
Pages	400
ASIN	B08RS6JBRJ
ISBN-10	0008418586
ISBN-13	978-0008418588

Having taken part in a cover reveal, and brought you a guestpost by the author as part of a recent blog tour, I am now delighted to to be able to share with you my review of The Secret Notebook.

Full blog tour banner for dates 8th to 15th July 2021

Book Cover for the novel The Secret Notebook by Julia Wild

The blurb:

The Secret Notebook

When Izzie Dean’s beloved nan, Molly Blackshaw, passes away, Izzie returns to the Blackpool bungalow where she grew up, to say goodbye once and for all. When Izzie’s homecoming reunites her with her first love, Justin Swift, every emotion that Izzie has repressed since the day he broke her heart comes rushing to the surface. But then an unexpected discovery changes everything.

Between the pages of the battered secret diary Molly kept during WWII, Izzie discovers a story of love, heartbreak, and the incomparable hardship of life in a world at war. Reading her grandmother’s words soon puts her own story into perspective, and suddenly Izzie realises that the only thing holding her back from happiness, might be herself. Now she just has to convince Justin that they deserve a second chance at forever…

Military Romance WWII Dual Timeline

My thoughts:

The Secret Notebook is a dual timeline story set during World War II and present-day 2017. It tells the story of Izzie Dean uncovering her deceased grandmother Molly Blackshaw's young life through a notebook which she found whilst clearing out Molly's bungalow.

This secret notebook contains letters that Molly has written or received, plus her thoughts and some sketches, things she values and which help her to remember the exact detail of what and how she was feeling at the time. There are similarities between Molly's wartime romance with Jack Blackstock and Izzie's relationship with Justin Swift, a man she has known since childhood, in that for different reasons, they have spent time apart.

It took a while to get into Izzie's present-day story, but I was immediately hooked by Molly and the WWII side, which shone a light on life in Blackpool. I thought The Secret Notebook was engaging and well written. Molly and Izzie are likeable characters and I desperately wanted them both to find happiness.

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Author Bio – Julia Wild
Lancashire born, I moved to Bedfordshire in the late seventies, married and started a family. I’m a past Hon Sec of the Romantic Novelists’ Association, have been a member since 1993 when I joined their New Writers’ Scheme as a probationer. That came about after winning a week’s historical writing course on the strength of the first chapter of my third Poldark-era romance. The tutor on the last day loved the story and handed me details of the Romantic Novelists’ Association – she said I absolutely must join as they would be able to help me towards publication. Some four years later my first published book, Dark Canvas, won the RNA’s New Writer’s Award in 1997, the sixth, Illusions, won the RNA’s Romance Prize in 2003. After working in the local library service for 18 years, during library cut-backs I took the leap to become self-employed as a writer and worked on releasing my backlist as eBooks for Kindle. Most recently, I’ve had the pleasure of working with amazing Charlotte Ledger when she pulled me from the writing wilderness and have now signed a three-book deal with One More Chapter.

Author Bio – Julia Wild

Lancashire born, I moved to Bedfordshire in the late seventies, married and started a family. I’m a past Hon Sec of the Romantic Novelists’ Association, have been a member since 1993 when I joined their New Writers’ Scheme as a probationer. That came about after winning a week’s historical writing course on the strength of the first chapter of my third Poldark-era romance. The tutor on the last day loved the story and handed me details of the Romantic Novelists’ Association – she said I absolutely must join as they would be able to help me towards publication.

Some four years later my first published book, Dark Canvas, won the RNA’s New Writer’s Award in 1997, the sixth, Illusions, won the RNA’s Romance Prize in 2003.

After working in the local library service for 18 years, during library cut-backs I took the leap to become self-employed as a writer and worked on releasing my backlist as eBooks for Kindle.

Most recently, I’ve had the pleasure of working with amazing Charlotte Ledger when she pulled me from the writing wilderness and have now signed a three-book deal with One More Chapter.