Cute story. Violet is dumped by boyfriend. Her job affords solace and connection to her tribe, her family. Enter Kai. Kai has a few tricks up his sleeve. Secrets of his own. Cinderella story ensues. Personal growth. Loss and love.

I’d like to think people decide what to do…to grow or shrivel. in adversity. I love the idea that one can grow where they are planted, be it deliberate or a volunteer.

I think the author exemplified the idea of taking whatever life throws at you and making lemonade out of proverbial lemons.

Personally, I don’t want all the spoilers and best parts of a book ruined for me. I love a good Cinderella story. You would love this if you do, too. Good writing, Lizzie.

Thanks to LibraryThing’s Early Reviewers and the author for an advanced copy of this book. All reviews are mine and mine alone, without prejudice or influence. ( )

Lizzie Chantree writes feel good romance stories with wonderful characters and interesting settings. Her latest, Shh... It's Our Secret gives the reader a romance brimming with a great sense of community, friendships, family and the importance of standing up to bullies/aggressive partners. With Shhh It's Our Secret, the venue is a particularly interesting one - a music cafe. This appealed to me as our house sometimes feels like a music venue! My hubby is a mad keen guitarist. Also, I liked how the main character, Violet grows in the story shaking off her down-trodden persona - after being horrendously treated by her mean partner Liam she finds a new strength and a way to trust and love again.

And the secrets revealed were also a great way to pull the reader in. Who doesn't like a secret?

There are some wonderful characters in this novel, from Kai, Cole, the older ladies (Doris, and Esme,) who I loved to Violet's sister Molly, and many others, with lovely touches of humour throughout.

Lizzie Chantree's greatest strength lies in her ability to write her characters so well that you feel as if you know them!

A great ending full of emotional feels.

I listened to this on audio and thoroughly enjoyed. Would highly recommend. ( )

This was such a nice book. Violet has an amazing voice, but she's shy and does not want to perform in public, especially after the tragic death of her parents. Kai is a successful music producer who happens to hear her sing and is immediately intrigued by her. Most of the story takes place at Shh... It's Our Secret, which is a coffee-shop, bar and music venue. Violet works there and Kai ends up buying the place from her lousy ex-boyfriend. Violet is a sweet character. She does not realize how big an impact she has in everyone around her. Kai is organized, strong and kind-hearted. The whole story is really lovely.
I had some trouble getting in to the story. The writing style is a little uneven. The dialogue was sparse and I was not always on track of the motivations of the characters.
Thank you Librarything and BHC Press for a copy of this book. ( )

This was my first Lizzie Chantree book. I would definitely consider this a good beach read - it's nothing serious and overall just a fluffy read.

Thank you to LibraryThing Early Reviewers for the opportunity to read this Cinderella story.
Violet, the heroine, manages a money-losing cafe owned by her abusive live-in boyfriend Liam, who doesn't even pay her. She's fiercely loyal to him, the staff, the regular customers (whom she considers friends), and her sister Mollie, even though most of them do nothing to deserve her loyalty. Violet has a hauntingly beautiful voice and writes incredible songs in secret, but she's too shy to sing in public, or in front of anyone except her young niece and nephew. Part of the issue is that she used to sing with her parents and write music for them, but after they died tragically (apparently years before this story opened) she stopped singing because the memories were too painful.
After Liam dumps her for another woman, he sells the cafe to Kai, a handsome, wealthy music producer who has some doormat tendencies as well. Kai, the new owner, overhears Violet singing, falls in love with her, and vows to make her a star.
Eventually, Violet is able to recognize her worth, but the process is painfully slow, and at times, I wanted to shake some sense into her.
The author's writing style leans more towards telling than showing, and with the omniscient viewpoint, the reader is privy to the thoughts and feelings of all the characters, so there isn't much suspense.
But overall, it's a sweet romance with a happy ending. ( )