The Secret of Joy

This is a wonderful story that encouraged me to take a deeper look at love, relationships, family, disappointment, and most importantly, forgiveness. With a smooth and enjoyable writing style, Melissa Senate whisked me into the lives of Rebecca and Joy, seemingly opposite half-sisters who didn't know the other existed until the death of their father. Though Rebecca is delighted to discover she has a sister, Joy is anything but. It is while Rebecca tries to kindle a relationship with her reluctant half-sister that she begins the process of self-examination, reflection, and ultimately discovery. The author handled this brilliantly. If you yearn for quality contemporary women's fiction that's loaded with wit, insight into the heart, and unusual charm, then this is your book!

First of all, I LOVE the title of this book! It is so appropriate. As Rebecca Strand's father is in the hospital dying of cancer, he tells her that he fathered another child, a girl, during a brief affair when Rebecca was three. After his death, Rebecca feels compelled to honor her father's wish and deliver letters from him to her half sister, Joy. Once she finds Joy, who lives in Maine and runs a bus tour for singles, Rebecca must figure out how to get Joy to accept her as her sister. Even though Joy remains elusive, she brings Rebecca into her life, and Rebecca becomes involved with men and women who are going through rough periods in their various relationships, some trying to work things out, and some divorced or divorcing. There are so many questions in this book, and so many types of relationships are explored. As Rebecca finds Joy, she also searches for the joy in her own life, and watches her new friends as they also search for the joy in their lives. This was a wonderful book, insightful and thoughtful, asking questions about how to make our relationships work, whether in our marriages, in our families, and even our relationships with ourselves.

I read the first chapter of The Secret of Joy, immediately put the book down and began figuring out the best time to sit down and really be able to immerse myself in the story. That night, I put the kids to bed and read the book cover to cover. I could not put it down. It was amazing and has instantly become one of my favorite books. The focus on love, doubt, expectations and disappointment were so real and raw. I'm not a crier but scene with Rebecca, Joy, Harry and the letter left me weeping. Utterly fantastic. I can't praise this book enough.

Melissa Senate has always been one of my favorite chick lit authors. I loved all her books that she wrote for the Red Dress Ink line and was excited to hear that she had another one coming out. As soon as I started reading this one, I knew I'd love it as well. The story is really easy to get into and I couldn't stop reading as soon as I started. The setting is wonderful as you go from the hectic lifestyle of New York to the calm tranquility of Maine. It really made me want to go up and visit one day. The idea of singles tours and running an entire weekend tour event like Joy did seems like such an interesting job. The characters are all very engaging and multidimensional. What I actually liked best were the secondary characters such as the Divorced Ladies Club. I felt that they could have had a book all to themselves! I felt extremely bad for Ella. She kept trying and trying to make her marriage work and her husband pretty much is acting like a baby. It just pained me to see him treat her like crap and then expect her to accept it. Even when confronted, his excuses are just flimsy and pathetic. It's really sad that there are guys out there who think like that and aren't able to commit. Rebecca's and Joy's story brought feelings of warmth and uncomfortableness throughout the entire book. I felt that Rebecca could have handled things a little bit better with Joy. I understand her excitement and concern over finding out she has a sister. However, I don't think she really thought the whole situation over. She imagines that Joy would welcome her with open arms as soon as she hears the news. She doesn't think about the other reactions her words would cause. Rebecca is not very tactful at all either. I wanted to jump in the story and be like "Come on, THINK!!!" I'm not excusing Joy's brusque behavior but at the same time I could totally understand why she kept treating Rebecca in that way. At the same time, sisters are always exciting and it's a bond that's one of the closest you'll ever have. I really enjoyed this book. It was a quick read, but keeps you thinking as you read. It's not just a sister story, it's a relationship story. Marriage issues, family issues, and just relationships overall are discussed throughout the book. There are also discussion questions and an interview with the author included at the end of the story to help keep the conversation going about the story. There is some language and a little bit of sex but both are not main factors in the story. If you're a fan of chick lit, you'll really enjoy this one. I can't wait for Melissa's next book!

When I started reading this book I was thinking it was chicklit. I received it to be a part of a Pocket Books tour for the title and it's from Downtown Press and by Melissa Senate so I figured it was chicklit. And maybe it is, but I don't think so - I think it is so much more. It has a twenty-something heroine and she's trying to figure out her life, but there aren't many references to designer clothing (though there are a few designer shoes mentioned). But there is romance and the figuring out her life that Rebecca does seems so much more than it usually is in chicklit (not downing chicklit - I love it). I would almost say this crosses into women's fiction for the younger set. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and therefore I gave it a rating of 5. The storyline is easy to follow yet not predictable. The characters are wonderful. I enjoyed Rebecca and Joy and of course the divorced ladies (and man) of Joy's small town. Theo was completely yummy and I even liked his dog. Rebecca's efforts to get to know her sister were interesting to watch and they story unfolded beautifully. I was cheering for Joy and Rebecca the whole time. The characters and storyline of this book will stay with me for awhile and that tells me it was a good book. I will definitely be checking out more of Melissa Senate's work in the future.