By Erica Wiggins
Karen Swan is a new-to-me author who has written 20 novels. An interesting fact I learned about her is that she writes two books a year—a summer title and something for Christmas. The Secret Path is Swan’s most recent novel.
Part One: March 2011
We meet Tara, a trainee doctor, and her new love Alex, a biology student. A whirlwind relationship finds Tara saying “yes” to marrying Alex after just a few months. However, Tara has a secret or two that she needs to tell Alex before she can marry him. It seems like Alex may have a secret as well, and his betrayal will change the course of Tara’s life.
Part Two: Ten Years Later
We catch up with Tara, now a surgeon, working at the same hospital as her best friend Holly. After a particularly bad case, Tara, Holly, and their families head on a much-needed holiday to Costa Rica. Tara is looking forward to resting, relaxing, and attending a family event there. After catching up with an old friend whose son is sick, Tara sets out to help him and what follows is an incredible and unexpected story.
I went into this book expecting a love story, and it kind of is, but it is so much more. It is an adventure with drama and a little bit of mystery. In fact, it is a perfect mix of everything and more than exceeded my expectations.
The bulk of the story is set in Costa Rica, and the descriptions are incredible and make you feel like you are trekking right there with the characters.
I loved watching Tara’s character develop from a trainee doctor to a surgeon. Her path and struggles felt true to life. It was easy to sympathize with her loss of a relationship after a betrayal, and you never get over it. Her fierceness and determination after this loss is admirable. I wanted her to succeed and be happy.
Swan weaves a story, leaving out pieces here and there that come out later in the story. This leaves you wondering, assuming, guessing and questioning, and I wasn’t always right. She is a master of leaving Easter eggs throughout the story that don’t stand out or make sense until they do. I picked up this book and read it in one sitting. I could not put it down. It was my first Karen Swan, but it will not be my last.
I would highly recommend this story to anyone looking for a covert love story, or an adventure, or a little bit of mystery. This gives you a little bit of everything. Don’t let the cover fool you, pick up this book!
Thank you, Publishing Group Canada, for the complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review!