How would you feel if a small, defensive, slightly scruffy woman turned up on your doorstep after answering the advert you placed for a house-sitter? Coupled with the fact said woman seems to have accepted the job, even though if wasn't yet offered. Then there is a small matter of the child she is carrying in her arms. I can't say what Joe's exact thoughts were as this is a nice blog, but lets just say they weren't particularly enthusiastic.
Joe, a bridge engineer from The North, was on the verge of offering the house-sitting job to a bustling and doughy Mrs Dunn. Yet, here was this prickly London girl on his doorstep, annoyed with him because he has a dog. He starts to show her around the six bedroomed house, hearing himself tell her to choose any bedroom and that, yes, she can watch his TV.
Secrets by Freya North is about Tess and Joe along with Em and Wolf the dog. Tess, running away from something, sees the house sitting job advert by chance after picking up someone's discarded Cleveland Gazette on the underground. After calling Joe she leaves the very next day with no idea if and when she'll return.
Tess, slightly irritating in her defiance at times, and Joe, often unreadable with an inability to stick to one woman, start to live together. Joe is often away, but when he returns sparks fly between them. Romance is obviously on the cards but their journey to the happy ever after is rocky at best, with both of them storing secrets.
I have been something of a Freya North fan ever since Sally and Chloe. Secrets is more grown up, like Pillow Talk, but just as entertaining (and still has the, ahem, saucy moments Freya does so well). Freya writes so lovingly about the North East it actually encouraged me to book our summer holiday in Northumberland.
Perhaps the only negative I have to say about the entire book is the writing style. It is neither from Tess's perspective, or Joe's, instead we are 'all seeing' over everything. Occasionally confusion abounds as you're not too sure who is thinking what.
It is always a little nerve wracking when one of your favourite authors writes a new book. What if you don't like it? Would it tarnish all that has been written before? Happily, none of this applies.
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