Julia Wild

The Secret Notebook is a duel 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.… (mais)