Review: The Secrets of Primrose Square by Claudia Carroll

So many stories hidden behind closed doors . . . 

It's late at night and the rain is pouring down on the Dublin city streets. A mother is grieving for her dead child. She stands silently outside the home of the teenage boy she believes responsible. She watches . . .

In a kitchen on the same square, a girl waits anxiously for her mum to come home. She knows exactly where she is, but she knows she cannot reach her. 

A few doors down, and a widow sits alone in her room. She has just delivered a bombshell to her family during dinner and her life is about to change forever. 

And an aspiring theatre director has just moved in to a flat across the street. Her landlord is absent, but there are already things about him that don't quite add up . . .

Welcome to Primrose Square.

Review: This book had tons and mystery and intrigue but also loads of heart. I don't want to give away any spoilers so forgive me if I'm a little vague on the details but safe to say I really enjoyed this book and I couldn't work out how things would turn out for our lovely characters until the very end!

I love the fact that we have a book about neighbours as well, setting this in a square and having the neighbours all link together somehow and all be there for each other is such a unique concept but also something that I feel like we've lost of late, I don't know my neighbours but I can hear what they're watching on TV! So while there are some dark aspects to this book dealing with addiction, mental health and grief, there are definitely heartwarming moments in these friendships formed from being neighbours. 

I really liked main character Susan, she seems like she's really falling apart in the start of the book but she is aware of that and wants to do something about it and that's what endeared her to me. Her daughter Melissa is a real gem, as keeps being said in the book. I also love when we get to see some of a story from a child/teenagers point of view and this was no exception. She is so open and honest but really brings to light the kind of things that young carers have to go through. They we have Jane and Nancy who are definitely supporting characters but have their own troubles to deal with and weave into Susan and Melissa's story beautifully. I thought that Jane was way too trusting but it really suits her. I would love to hear more about Nancy in future. 

Obviously this book is set in Dublin which made for a wonderful change since there are so many books set in English cities or the coast these days, I liked reading a book set in Ireland. The theatre is covered, school is covered and having a partner and father in the armed forces is also covered. I loved the way Internet dating is seen in this book and as I say, although dark topics are included, they are dealt with in a great way. I listened to this on audio because I am a big fan of this narrator and would really recommend doing all of Claudia Carroll's books this way!

to order your copy now, just click the link: UK or US 

Blog Tour: Author Interview with Claudia Carroll to Celebrate Our Little Secret

I am so excited to be part of this mammoth book tour to celebrate the release of Our Little Secret by Claudia Carroll. I got the audiobook version of Claudia's new novel and you can read my review here. Don't forget to stop by the other blogs on the tour for more exclusive content! And to order your copy now, just click here!

A sparkling story about what happens when you let someone into your life… but they turn out to want more than you’d bargained for!

Sarah Dee has the perfect life. A high-flying job in a law firm, a beautiful daughter and a house to die for. So how does she find herself looking in through the kitchen window while another woman enjoys it all?

When Sarah takes pity on a struggling young graduate who can’t get a job, she thinks she’s doing the right thing. She’s being kind, generous and helpful to others, as she always is. But as Sarah allows the younger woman into her home, her law firm and even her family, is there more to this pretty youngster than meets the eye? And could this be a good deed that goes further than expected?

Thank you so much to Claudia for stopping by the blog today. We are such big fans here at Fabulous Book Fiend and we so appreciate you answering all of our burning questions!

First question-bit of a cliche-how did you get into writing?

For me, writing wasn’t really something I got into, it was more or less a case that this was a passion I had, and that I’d been scribbling away at stories since I was a child. Then, of course, shoving them into drawers and thinking, ‘that’s rubbish, no one will ever read this.’ Took me years and a lot of discipline to actually put my very first book out there. I can still remember how terrified I was!

Do you write full time & if so, have you always done this?

I am lucky enough to write full time just now, but that said, I do have another career (acting on stage and in a TV soap) which I dip in and out of. But writing is what fills my day and I really do, hand on heart, think it the best job in the world. Writers, readers, publishers and booksellers are just the loveliest, warmest and most passionate people you could ever ask to me.

Do you have a particular writing style or genre that you prefer?

Personally, I love all genres of writing, and I’ll read absolutely anything, from historical to crime to drama to commercial fiction to broad strokes comedy. Hell, I’ll read the back of a Cornflakes box if needs be!

How do you develop your characters as you write, are any of them based on real people?

I often think that characters really do take on lives of their own, to the point that you really are living with a cast of other people in your own head. Sometimes, yes, you can see dominant character traits in others and you think, ‘imagine if a character in a book behaved that way, or thought like that.’ But honestly, most characters develop slowly over time, I find. My background in in TV soap opera, so I know of old that stories come and go, but characters are what viewers (and readers!) invest in.

What was the inspiration behind Our Little Secret?

Do you know the Bette Davis movie, All About Eve? That was a huge touchstone of mine. It’s basically about an older woman who does a good turn for a younger, hungrier one, but ultimately discovers that -  as the old saying goes, no good deed goes unpunished.

What is your writing process-do you map it out first? Write in chronological order?

Yes, I’m a plotter and have to have the broad strokes of the story mapped out before I write a line. That said though, things do change and when you work organically, sometimes the whole feel of any book can take a different direction to the one the author originally intended. Which is part of the magic, really!

 How much attention do you pay to the reviews that you get?

I try not to read them, if possible. I once read a quote that said the bad ones kill you and the good ones don’t help. Although I think the secret is, if you can read either good reviews or bad ones and not care, then you’re laughing! And if you manage to do this, please tell me how….

How do you feel leading up to your publication day?

Oh God, so nervous, I can’t tell you. Every single time. And with Our Little Secret, all the more so as there’s so much of my own blood sweat and tears in it! I’m praying readers will enjoy it and much as I loved writing it.

Which other authors inspire you or are there any you particularly enjoy reading?

So many other authors are a huge inspiration to me, with a special shout-out to the Irish gals in there, who I’m lucky enough to be pals with. Looking at you, Sinead Moriarty, Liz Nugent, Monica McInernery, Patricia Scanlan and Sheila O’Flanagan. Goddess, all of them!

Finally...what are you working on right now?

 I’ve quite literally just finished the edited draft of my new book, SECRETS OF PRIMROSE SQUARE, to be published this Spring. I love when the first draft of edits are done and I can start thinking about another brand new book…what’s not to love?!!

Can I just say, on a personal note, that I’m a huge fan of the Fabulous Book Fiend blog, you do such an amazing job and I just wanted to thank you so much for letting me be a part of it. You really a superstar. With warmest wishes, Claudia Carroll.