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Reviewed by Jamie Michele for Readers' Favorite
In The Spilling of Secrets by Anastacia Hawkins, Freya, a recent college graduate living at Cliff House Inn with her mother, June, documents the preparations and competitions of The Mermaid’s Challenge, a local Viking-themed maritime event. Freya photographs participants, interacts with the townspeople, and juggles the attentions of Cord Larsen and Riven Montgomery. Meanwhile, June engages with community members, manages the inn, and navigates her own romantic and familial relationships, including her pregnancy. The Mermaid’s Challenge begins, where participants must pilot through an underwater maze, free a sea serpent, and face a kraken, and Freya's photography is put to its own test. The story tracks the progression of The Mermaid’s Challenge, Freya’s career and evolving relationships, and June’s efforts to manage family responsibilities and the inn.
Anastacia Hawkins’ The Spilling of Secrets is the second book in the Bakery Bay series, but reads perfectly well as a standalone. Hawkins does an excellent job of developing the lively setting of Bakery Bay and depicting characters that come across as authentic, whether dealing with misunderstandings, secrets from the past, or difficult decisions about relationships and responsibilities. Hawkins paints a full spectrum of experiences, from competitive festivals to quiet evenings spent sorting through emotions and plans, and achieves the immersion of both readers and their guides as we are swept abroad. From the blurb, I anticipated Freya's choices to hinge almost exclusively on the heart, and they do, but not in the fully romantic way I expected. Instead, the trajectory is better applied to choices she makes for herself, what she wants to do, and where she wants to be, which is beautiful. Overall, this is a well-written and heartening read. Very highly recommended.
