Gabbie also has challenges of motherhood to her two daughter Olivia and Alice, But, she has to stay strong, to keep them safe and loved from the world around them. But, the only way she can do this is to return to one place, Gabbie hoped she would never return to, her family home!. With so many happy memories of the one place she once called home when her dad was alive. Sadly he died Her father left her the house but with one proviso. His second wife, Gabby's stepmother, was to be allowed to live there for as long as she wanted. Robinson examines the role addiction, infidelity, divorce and secrets play in our lives and reveals the joy in second chances, forgiveness and learning to rely on others for help. This emotionally charged and thought-provoking book, centered around family secrets and bonds, is one that you’ll remember for quite some time. Gabbie finally realizes she must depend on others for help. Highly charged topics from addiction, bullying, infidelity, affairs, family secrets, marriage, relationships, self-awareness, and second chances.

rounded up to 5. Based on the cover and description of the book I expected more of a thriller type story. I read the entire thing waiting for something big to happen and a big revelation of the stepmother. I kept expecting something really bad. That being said, this story was so well written and really heartfelt and real. In my opinion I feel this story will be better received by a mom/parent.As Gabbie begins to face the issues of her husband's addiction to gambling and her daughters' happiness, Jill begins to share family secrets with her and Gabbie finds out that nothing in her life is what she thought it was -from her loving and fun mother, why her father sent her away to boarding school, the girl who bullied her in school and her husband's addiction - she has spent her entire life viewing people and situations wrong. Now she has to decide how to deal with the changes in her life and how to best take care of her daughters and she realizes that she may need to start depending on people that she had never trusted in the past. My experience as a reader was nothing short of complete immersion in the story and its characters. As Gabbie struggled with tough choices, I felt a range of emotions that truly pulled me in. What stood out to me the most was how Robinson handled sensitive and difficult topics, such as addiction and bullying, with both grace and sensitivity. The book itself is written so well that it reads so smoothly from chapter to chapter with brilliant descriptions and settings perfect for the scene. It really dragged me deep into the story and I became completely invested until I came out the other end with tears streaming down my face. The title and synopsis fitted the storyline perfectly. Having read some of Robinson's previous works, I have to say that this is her greatest novel to date. She writes from the heart, but skillfully avoids sentimentality, crafting a story that mirrors the complexity of real life in all its thorniness and messiness.

My Stepmother's Secret by Emma Robinson was another brilliant book, I was hooked from the beginning till the end. I loved it. It's all taken a toll on Gabbie over the years, made her extra protective of her own 2 daughters and severely damaged her relationship with both her father and her stepmother. I just want to say Thank you to author, publisher, and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this 5 star story . I truly appreciate it!

Robinson's writing style is nothing short of captivating, as she teases out the story layer by layer, keeping the reader guessing until the very end. I found myself invested in Gabbie's dilemma, unsure of which way I wanted the story to go. It was a rollercoaster of emotions, and I couldn't put the book down. The main mystery in My Stepmother’s Secret is why did Gabbie and her two daughter’s up and leave her husband to come stay with her Stepmother?! It was kept hush hush from everyone including the readers! I was dying to know what was going on and why she was so close lipped about it. However, I never ever in a million years think that would be the reason! I didn’t see that coming! Stars!!!!… I’m hooked… Excellent!… Reminds me of the writings of Jodi Picoult… I experienced every emotion that exists.’ Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of Nicholas Sparks, Kate Hewitt, Diane Chamberlain Jojo Moyes, Jodi Picoult, Colleen Hoover and just anyone looking for a beautiful read.Alice Moore needs to be commended on this beautiful cover design for My Stepmother’s Secret. Emma always has a great eye for cover designers for her books. This situation can get much worse if the stepmother has a child of her own with the father. One interviewee recalls her “stomach-dropping disappointment when I told my partner’s children I was pregnant and they began to sob. I believed they were trying to sabotage what should have been a time of perfect bliss. From their perspective, I was ruining their lives.” Genres covered in this novel include Literary Fiction, Women's Divorce Fiction, Mystery, Romantic Fiction, Thriller & Suspense Literary Fiction, Women's Writers & Fiction, Romantic Suspense, Literary Saga, Mothers & Children Fiction, Mystery, Contemporary Women's Fiction, Small Town & Rural Fiction, Thriller, Suspense, Domestic Fiction, Family Saga, Women's Literary Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Women's Saga, Emotional Drama and Fiction amongst others. Yet the act of trying to connect with a child who isn’t their own means the stepmother is likely to be rejected, time and time again – for acceptance represents to the child not only a betrayal of their biological mother, but also the denial of the stepmother’s attempt to be a substitute for that mother. I could feel every single emotion Gabbie was going through and it was like I knew her personally. All of the scenes were perfectly described and It was easy to feel as if you were right there in the middle of all of it. I cried and cried some more. I highly recommend reading this story with a box