#Review - A Choice of Secrets by Barb Hendee #Fantasy

Series: Dark Glass #4
Format: E-Book, 304 pages
Release Date:  November 13th 2018
Publisher: Rebel Base Books
Source: Publisher
Genre: Fantasy

Ever since raiders from the north began attacking villages, Lady Nicole Montagna has known that defending her people would come at a cost. The betrothal of her sister Chloe to a neighboring lord seems the perfect solution, forging a powerful alliance. But shortly before the wedding, Nicole is shocked to discover that her sister is with child—and not by her husband-to-be. Now she must make a choice. She has just hours to decide . . .

~Should she tell her soldier brother—who will take swift, ruthless action to ensure the family’s safety?

~Should she hold her tongue, let her sister deceive her husband into believing the child is his—and then hope Chloe can get away with the lie?

~Should she tell her family, hoping they will know the right thing to do?

With the help of a magic mirror, Nicole lives out each path, fighting to protect herself and those she loves with the weapons she has: wits, herbs, and fortitude. But no matter her cleverness, neither she nor her family can escape unscathed—for there are repercussions she could never have foreseen, involving her own heart . . .

 

A Choice of Secrets is the Fourth installment in author Barb Hendee's Dark Glass series. Each of the books in the series offers up new protagonists, a beginning, and a wrap-up. You don't have to read the previous three novels in order to read this book. This story follows 17-year old Lady Nicole Montagna who is the sheltered younger daughter of the Lord and Lady of the White Deer Lodge. Nicole's father still treats her as a little girl where she can't attend major parties that are too much fun. 

While Nicole is given no chance of having her own future, or family, or path, her sister Chloe is betrothed to Lord Christophe de Fiore who has promised her father up to 200 soldiers to help protect them from invading raiders who steal women and destroy villages. Then one day, Nicole overhears her older sister, Chloe talking with Julian Belledini, third son of a minor baron.What she hears will change her destiny. Can Nicole keep a secret? 

Or, will she tell her family what she overheard, and therefore destroy Chloe's reputation and any chance that Christophe will follow through with his promise of helping protect Lord Montagna's shoreline. This is the point where the infamous 3-way mirror appears. The witch in the mirror tells Nicole that she is at a crossroads. She will live out 3 outcomes, 3 different choices, 3 paths, 3 actions that will have major implications for everyone involved.

~Should she tell her soldier brother Erik who will take swift, ruthless action to ensure the family’s safety? Or,

~Should she remain silent, let her sister deceive her husband into believing the child is his, then hope Chloe can get away with the lie? Or,

~Should she tell her family, hoping they will know the right thing to do?

Each of these choices are truly unfair to Nicole. She hasn't done anything wrong at all. She is happy taking after her mother learning how to use various herbs, & raising chickens which provide eggs. But, it lands on her shoulders to make the right choice for everyone involved including her brother, Christophe, Chloe, and yes, even Julian. If she tells her brother what happened between Chloe and Julian, will the marriage between Chloe and Christophe last, or will the secret come out? 

Then you have a third factor, and that would be Christophe's sister Mildreth who rules Whale's Keep and never leaves the island. What happens if she finds out the shenanigans and that Nicole has kept her mouth shut and not told anyone what happened? It's fair to say that I wasn't happy with the choice that Nicole makes. But, it's hard to say what I would do if I or anyone else I knew was in the same situation where once choice, one path, can determine what happens to so many people.

It is fair to say that all three endings give Nicole a measure of fulfillment in life, but it would also cause people she cares about to suffer. She has to learn that complications will arise no matter how hard you try to protect the ones that you love. Normally after the end of each story, there's a chapter that looks forward to the next book in the series. This is not the case for this book. I am curious if this is the final installment, or whether the author will continue to write books in this series.  

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