Jill Mansell - It Started with a Secret: The feel-good novel of the year, from the bestselling author of MAYBE THIS TIME

Copyright 2020 Jill Mansell

Extract from Maybe This Time 2019 Jill Mansell

The right of Jill Mansell to be identified as the Author of the Work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

Apart from any use permitted under UK copyright law, this publication may only be reproduced, stored, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means, with prior permission in writing of the publishers or, in the case of reprographic production, in accordance with the terms of licences issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency.

First published in 2020 by

HEADLINE REVIEW

An imprint of HEADLINE PUBLISHING GROUP

First published as an Ebook in 2020 by

HEADLINE REVIEW

All characters in this publication are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Cataloguing in Publication Data is available from the British Library

eISBN: 978 1 4722 4848 0

Jacket design by Siobhan Hooper; jacket illustration Giovanna Giuliano; title lettering www.sophiaslater.com.

Map illustration by Laura Hall

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Contents

It Started With A Secret is the thirty-first fabulous, feel-good novel from Jill Mansell, whose books have sold over 11 million copies around the world.

Jill lives with her family in Bristol, and is now a full-time writer, having previously worked in the field of Clinical Neurophysiology.

Her hobbies include buying stationery, particularly magical new colours of ink for the fountain pen she uses to write all her books. (And if magical sounds far-fetched, go on, just take a look at internet images for Emerald of Chivor, Jills favourite.)

Her other hobbies include people-watching and finding new characters to put in her novels. So when youre out, make sure to always be on your best behaviour. And beware beady-eyed authors carrying notebooks...

Twitter @JillMansell

Facebook/OfficialJillMansell

A heartwarming treat from one of my favourite writers Katie Fforde

Romantic and brilliantly written... A feel-good gem **** Heat

Reading Jill is always such a joy! Veronica Henry

A lovely uplifting read Good Housekeeping

Fans of PS, I LOVE YOU will enjoy this funny and heart-warming read Bella

The sweetest love story of the year Fabulous

A wonderful feel-good summer read thats full of unexpected twists and turns S Magazine, Sunday Express

Jill Mansell is the queen of witty, heart-warming, feel-good love stories Red

The perfect romantic read to make you smile and dream of long summer days by the beach Woman & Home

It Started With A Secret

Maybe This Time

This Could Change Everything

Meet Me At Beachcomber Bay

You And Me, Always

Three Amazing Things About You

The Unpredictable Consequences Of Love

Dont Want To Miss A Thing

A Walk In The Park

To The Moon And Back

Take A Chance On Me

Rumour Has It

An Offer You Cant Refuse

Thinking Of You

Making Your Mind Up

The One You Really Want

Falling For You

Nadia Knows Best

Staying At Daisys

Millies Fling

Good At Games

Mirandas Big Mistake

Head Over Heels

Mixed Doubles

Perfect Timing

Fast Friends

Solo

Kiss

Sheer Mischief

Open House

Twos Company

The trouble with secrets is that you cant guess what the consequences will be...

Lainey has just lost everything. Luckily one little fib (OK, quite a big fib) helps nail her dream job. Soon shes living in a stunning house by the sea, fending off obsessed fans for a retired if far-from-retiring actor and organising his charming but chaotic family. Yes, everyone thinks shes part of a couple and its tricky keeping this secret. But at least shes not looking for love: with her disastrous relationship history, men are definitely off the agenda.

Except Seth, the actors grandson, really is very attractive. Theres growing chemistry and a definite connection between them. What would happen if he knew the truth?

But Laineys not the only one with a secret it seems everyone has them! And theyre all about to start unravelling...

This book is dedicated to the Romantic Novelists Association, which celebrates its Diamond Jubilee in 2020. Im proud to belong to such a welcoming, supportive and friendly organisation. Heres to all members past, present and future, and to the next sixty years of romantic fiction. Love is love!

Lainey could hear the helicopter before it came into view over the tops of the trees, the powerful thud-thud-thud of the rotor blades quite thrilling out here in the depths of the French countryside. She wondered what it would be like to actually take a trip in a helicopter.

Blinking, she shielded her eyes from the bright afternoon sun. Here they are then, right on time.

Bill, standing next to her on the ancient stone steps of the chateau, said, Remember, anything they want, they get. Before they even know they want it.

The faint tremor in her bosss voice signalled just how vital it was that this stay was a success. Lainey passed him a tissue so he could mop his brow. Everythings going to be fine. Theyd worked so hard; every eventuality had been covered. What could possibly go wrong?

Well, apart from water pipes bursting, ceilings falling in or the electrics blowing up, but now wasnt the time to think about things like that.

Together they followed the grey and silver helicopters trajectory as it drew nearer, descending from a cloudless cobalt-blue sky and aiming for the landing pad in the centre of the front lawn.

Bill puffed out a lungful of air and wiped his palms with an already damp and mangled tissue. Everything has to be better than fine. It needs to be perfect.

Lainey felt his pain. Behind them, Bills wife was shrilly calling out to everyone to gather on the steps in order to greet their all-important guests, Downton style. Bill and Biddy, in their late fifties, were lifelong Francophiles who had made the decision two years ago to take the plunge and exchange their immaculate semi in Hounslow for a dilapidated twelve-bedroom chateau in the Loire valley, with the aim of living the good life, enjoying the warmer weather and spectacular scenery, and socialising with like-minded expats and friendly locals alike. In order to finance the dream, the plan had been to host guests at the chateau, and hold weddings and special events there too.

In theory it had sounded like everyones idea of an idyllic existence, but it hadnt turned out to be nearly as easy or as much fun as theyd envisaged. A centuries-old chateau was an always-ravenous money pit, and the small bequest left to them by Biddys parents had soon been swallowed up. The moment the fences were repaired, the drains collapsed. Once the leaking roof was fixed, fifty huge window frames needed replacing. No sooner were the chimneys unblocked than the ancient plumbing system disintegrated and the floorboards developed dry rot.