Ever since raiders from the north began attacking villages, Lady Nicole Montagna has known that defending her people would come at a cost. The betrothal of her sister Chloe to a neighboring lord seems the perfect solution, forging a powerful alliance. But shortly before the wedding, Nicole is shocked to discover that her sister is with child—and not by her husband-to-be. Now she must make a … choice. She has just hours to decide . . .
~Should she tell her soldier brother—who will take swift, ruthless action to ensure the family’s safety?
~Should she hold her tongue, let her sister deceive her husband into believing the child is his—and then hope Chloe can get away with the lie?
~Should she tell her family, hoping they will know the right thing to do?
With the help of a magic mirror, Nicole lives out each path, fighting to protect herself and those she loves with the weapons she has: wits, herbs, and fortitude. But no matter her cleverness, neither she nor her family can escape unscathed—for there are repercussions she could never have foreseen, involving her own heart . . .
A CHOICE OF SECRETS
New York Times bestselling author Barb Hendee spins a tale of intrigue, integrity, and the bonds of love and loyalty as one young woman finds her place in a turbulent world . . .
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I loved the other books in this serties so I jumped at the chance to read “A Choice of Secrets”.
Nicola is a charming character – her older sister, Chloe, is bethrothed to Erik, a nobleman who has sworn to protect her family’s lands in exchange for a mariage contract. Erik is a complex character – at first I didn’t like him much because he seemed too interested in simply getting an heir for his domain. But when the story unfolded, things changed. In this story, the three choices didn’t affect Nicola as much as they affected those around her. All choices had their good and bad points, and I was interested to see which choice Nicola made (I would have made the same!)
All in all, a superb addition to this wonderful series!
Unique, different, out of the ordinary are all words that I would use to describe this book. I was almost half afraid to start the book, hoping that it wouldn’t be less than expected. It wasn’t but I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect. It was pretty darn good story though.
Nichole was the one that the mirror appeared to and she had some heavy responsibility at the end of the 3 paths that she could take. Nichole herself was a good main character. And as the book showed, she cared deeply for her family and also her sister Chloe’s fiancee, Christophe. She wanted to honorably for both of them but there are some pretty tough choices to make. And on top of that there is the safety of her home and townspeople that add to the weight. If this marriage between Chloe and Christophe doesn’t happen, many could lose their lives. Why? Because with the marriage comes the guarantee of military protection from the groom’s side. They need that because of all the raiding going on by some ruthless people, who would sweep in, take what they wanted and leave. They left destruction and stole people and Nichole’s family just didn’t have trained men to guard against them. We also got to see differing reactions that Christophe had on each path. Chloe also has different outcomes with each choice.
Each “path” that the mirror showed Nichole kept my interest and had an interesting conclusion as well.
There is also a preview of Barb Hendee’s book ” Through A Dark Glass”. I just might have to follow up on that one. It’s another book about the 3 possible futures shown to a woman through that special mirror.
I voluntarily read an advanced reader copy of this book via Netgalley and this is my honest opinion of it.
A Choice of Secrets by Barb Hendee was an engaging read.
It plays out like an intriguing choose your own adventure but, you get to experience all three separate adventures in one story.
At the age of seventeen, Lady Nicole overhears a conversation that pits her loyalty between her most beloved sister, and the man she loves.
Not knowing where to turn or who to ask for help or even if she should, she is left at an impass.
Cue our magic mirror and Nicole’s journey into her potential futures begins. Who will she choose and what decisions will she be able to live the rest of her life with?
Barb Hendee is a wonderful story teller and knows how to pen an exciting tale. Twists and turns abound as Nicole lives through each choice.
This was a page turning read for me. It is not the first book I read in this series and it will not be the last. The premise never gets old. I love living through each decision with our main character while simultaneously trying to guess which outcome she will choose.
There is minor repetition at the beginning of each choice as the scene is set but doesn’t detract from the overall enjoyment of the book.
Although this is a series, in my opinion, they do not need to be read in order but, I must admit that each one MUST be read!
I received an ARC via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.