The premise of this book was great - a woman facing a marital crisis escapes to the old family ranch and slowly uncovers the secrets of her eclectic and partly nutty aunt. But my mind kept wandering throughout the book as the story failed to capture my attention, I struggled to distinguish the minor characters from one another and to remember the precise relationships between the major characters. This may mean more about me as the reader than the book itself, but I can definitely say this one just wasn't my cup of tea. ( )

I have to say I enjoy Calleti’s young adult novels better. This, her second book for adults, takes a look at the challenges of a long lasting marriage and how communication can break down. Callie and her sister leave their families to go help their Aunt Nash on her ranch in Nevada. Both sisters are struggling with their marriages, making it easy for them to spend time away from home. Aunt Nash is sick and focused on something that happened in 1951 but won’t share her problem with the girls. The story is a look at family history and adult relationships and how thoughtful people can repair what hurts them. ( )

I love Deb Caletti, but this latest novel disappointed me. It was too cute and lacked an edginess that her other novels have had. Callie is so quick to judge, and that really bothered me. The divorce ranch history was fascinating and the shining sections of the novel. While it made for an amusing read, it is not a novel that will stick with me. ( )

...riveting and soulful!

A truly poetic reflection of life, love, marriage and it's challenges.
Poetic in descriptions of Nevada, in the many aspects of the interaction between the women portrayed and their situations, and Callie's interaction with the mustangs.
At first I wondered what I had wandered into. The more I read, the more I became immersed in the changing stories of a younger Nash, Callie McBride her niece and then Nash as the elderly quixotic ranch owner. Not just any ranch, but a divorce ranch of the 50's. This was fascinating stuff!
Callie's call from her mother to investigate what's going on with her Aunt Nash becomes the catalyst for Callie's leaving of her husband. At the ranch Callie comes face to face with what has been happening or not, in her married life.
And then there's the mustangs! Callie may have wanted to capture them on camera, Canetti certainly captured them with words. The symbolic hues of the mustangs are many throughout this interesting story.
I loved this description of them, a description that segues into other happenings.
'...their eyes were manic and their tales stringy. They were an entire street corner of scary men shouting that the end of the world was coming. They were beautiful and dirty, alluring and repelling, a reminder that nothing is ever one thing, as much as you wish it.'
The connection between Callie and Kit, the Forest Protection Officer is a beautiful momentary thing, a growth experience, a meeting of souls if you will. Two people crossing paths at significant moments.
The novel is chock full of wonderful reflections on life and wants and the journey of marriage. A definite winner!

A NetGalley ARC ( )

A special thank you to Random House/Bantam and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

THE SECRETS SHE KEEPS by Deb Caletti, is a quirky novel of women gathering at their aunt’s Nevada divorce ranch, a place where high society women gathered in the 1950s to obtain their quickie divorce, from the men they so longed to be rid of.

“Longed for him. Got him. Shit.“– Margaret Atwood, Six Word Story

Told from Nash (past) and Callie (present) voices in alternating chapters we hear from aunt and niece. When Callie finds a mysterious woman’s phone number in her husband’s possession, she thinks he is having an affair. All sorts of family drama: Empty nesters: Thomas and Callie. Shay, Callie’s sister also family issues. And the aunt, Nash manages the divorce ranch. Nash of course is acting weird and secretive.

Callie, travels to Tamarosa Ranch to visit Nash, her elderly aunt-she has some big secrets from back in the 40s-50’s on the divorce ranch and her sister Shay joins them.
Nash’s two nieces, Callie and Shaye, are sent by their mother (Nash’s sister, Gloria) to assess the situation. Neither sister realizes that their mother asked both of them to help, so they are initially quite surprised to see one another at Tamarosa Ranch.

The three women begin their journey of present day trials of love, betrayal, and marriage; with loves, losses, and some mysteries of the past with the ranch’s scandalous history. Ranch guests were given relaxing day trips to Lake Tahoe and exciting night trips to Reno’s casinos. I am not a fan of casinos or ranches; however, enjoyed the Nash's past, more so than the present--as always find the secrets of the older generation more intriguing.

The two sisters, stroll down memory lane, they recall this familiar place and now it seems to have gone downhill. You know how you recall something from your youth and you return and it is not how you remember? In addition, their aunt is acting odd, and is hoarding all this stuff from the fifties and is very secretive about it.

The negatives: The books starts out with too much in your face all at once making my head spin, with confusion and frustration, while putting it down more than once, with a rather impatient feeling. Would have preferred a slower introduction of characters with a good backstory and easing into the drama filled lives. I tend to agree with some of the other reviewers: it is too tedious a read. Not really my type of book.

The positives: Some nice quotes, humor, and liked the Aunt Nash, eighty years old and her past, managing the divorce ranch where women would come to stay for weeks to establish residency and then their quickie divorce. There are beautiful scenes with the landscape and horses. Some good relationship dynamics between family; however, could not get past the overall pacing, and the fast introduction of too many characters to quickly, distracting from the root of the story buried underneath.

In the end, Tamarosa Ranch ends up, once again being a healing and transitional spot for women with emotional scars and marital problems, leaving them better equipped to handle their futures.

This was my second adult book by Deb Caletti, having read HE’S GONE , quite some time ago, and enjoyed the author’s writing style. ( )