I had been waiting for Melissa Hill's latest novel, The Truth About You, for quite some time. (And not just for the beautiful cover, either!) I've enjoyed Melissa's books in the past and the premise of this one was highly intriguing - thirty years ago, a baby is found in a cardboard box on a cafe doorstep in the small town of Lakeview. But who could it be?When Nina splits with her boyfriend, the father of her unborn child, she's forced to head back to her home town of Lakeview. With her mother travelling and nowhere else to turn, Nina soon finds herself back with her estranged father, who lives life by a set routine. Nobody yet knows about Nina's pregnancy, but it's only a matter of time.
Then there's happily-married Jess. She and her husband have worked hard and have the nicest things to show for it - besides a baby. The couple, with their expensive clothes, nights out and frequent holidays,, have always put off the idea of children, planning on pregnancy when they're fully ready. But when Jess starts to become excluded from outings and meetings with her best friends because she isn't a mum, she begins to want the one thing that she doesn't have.
Meanwhile, in the States, Lakeview-bred Hollywood star Ruth is preparing for the life of glitz and glamour that she's spent her life working hard for. If only the girls back in Lakeview could see her now! But life is about to change drastically for Ruth when a drunken night with her gorgeous co-star leaves her pregnant. Surely a baby is going to ruin everything, especially when the father wants no involvment...
With their lives turned somewhat upside down, the three women find themselves in Lakeview - Nina to work out what to do next, Ruth to take some time out from ruthless Hollywood. Jess is on a mission to get pregnant so that she'll fit in with her Lakeview yummy-mummy friends, but will everything goes to plan?
When the women meet Trish, town journalist and former school friend, they become close friends, especially when Trish is putting together a book about the town and asks for some help as a fun project. Ruth and Nina are happy to oblige, but when they stumble across an article from thirty years previously, there's no escaping the mystery of the Lakeview 'doorstep baby'. And they're about to uncover some home truths.
I finished this book a day after I picked it up, and simply refused to put it down! It's a gripping tale that kept me guessing, and the outcome was not really expected. I enjoyed reading about each of the characters - the beautiful and glamorous Ruth with her small-town roots and potential Hollywood scandal on the way; newly-single Nina, who's hiding her pregnancy from her eccentric father. Though I have to say that my favourite of the three main characters was Jess. Her sudden need for a baby once her friends' lives started to focus around kids was a fun read, especially as Jess seemed to have what they didn't. Jess' desperate plight to prove herself worthy of fitting in was compelling, and I was constantly wondering if she would see sense towards the end of the book! But you'll have to read it to find out more.
I had a feeling I'd enjoy this book, but didn't realise just how addictive and wonderful it actually was! It's a great book with enjoyable characters. The Truth About You is so far one of my favourite reads of the year.
Rating: 5/5
