Kept: The best kept secret is one you choose to forget Paperback – 14 Dec. 2023

A beautifully written and observed story that uncovers the secrets and lies of a traditional middle class family. Set in the 1980s, the book really inhabits the era it is set in. We follow Beth as she struggles first with infertility and then with the chauvinism of that generation, as she tries to join the family firm. And we meet Tina, her impulsive younger sister who struggles to find her way in the world. The book is well paced and I enjoyed the different voices of the characters. It raises interesting and thought provoking questions about how you would have felt and what you would have done. I'd recommend this to anyone who enjoys charcter driven, family dramas.

I loved this book: a cleverly constructed plot which unfolds over several generations of a family and which captures so well the trials of life and the times in which the characters lived. I found it a lovely read, beautifully written and I'm really looking forward to the next novel by Joanna Adam.

The characters were very true to life and the structure of the plot ensured that the reader felt fully immersed in the trial and tribulations of the Parteger family. Where secrets were kept, suspense rose as the book progressed. What would people do if and when the truth came out? Really enjoyed the story and felt I had lived their experiences.

I really enjoyed this book. The characters draw you in and it is very well written. The places and the characters are really brought to life and you feel properly involved in the story. It raises lots of interesting questions and is thought provoking and very enjoyable.

This is a beautifully written story, the characters really come to life on the pages and draw you into their perspective on life in the Parteger family. It was a page turner and hard to put down. Highly recommended and I hope to see more from this new author. Kept should not be kept a secret or forgotten!

It is so atmospheric and richly written, I was astonished at how quickly you move through it. Wonderful book for someone who loves mystery stories.

It’s been a very long time since I’ve wanted to race through a book to see what happens while also not wanting to get to the end! The author manages, with her beautifully detailed descriptions and intelligent structure, to make this story of intertwined generations over the decades both relatable and shocking. This would make a great drama series or film. More please very soon!

Always nice to find a good new author. The book follows a family over time and a major theme is the effect of an early betrayal that leaves its mark.It concerns the fractures that can lie unadressed in families. It is also about women who are thwarted by men. It is a thought provoking book that quietly addresses serious issues. I enjoyed it enormously.

Kept is about secrets kept, secrets revealed and secrets discovered. It is about how deeply buried secrets corrode and eventually destroy love and life. Joanna Adam writes simply and beautifully inviting the reader into the home of three generations of a prominent family living with a terrible secret – a secret kept and, eventually, inevitably and powerfully, unkept.

I really enjoyed this first novel by Joanna Adam and could not put it down once started.I always love interesting new ideas and I had not come across this one before. It kept (!) me interested to the end as a reader to see how the secrets, including the big one, might play out. There were also quite a few clever sentences and descriptive paragraphs that made me stop and think about what was being communicated.Well done Joanna, I look forward to the second book!