Book: Secret Lives

I recently finished reading Secret Lives by Diane Chamberlain and absolutely loved it!

Here is the description :

Actress Eden Riley's decision to make a film about her mother plunges her into a shattering confrontation with her own past, irrevocably altering her life and the lives of those she loves. Her mother, Katherine Swift, was a renowned children's author who died when Eden was very young. Now Eden, recovering from a divorce and disillusioned with her glamorous life, returns to the childhood home of the mother she barely knew. She moves in with her uncle, archaeologist Kyle Swift and his wife, Louise.

Eden gets more than she bargained for when Kyle gives her the journal her mother had kept from the age of thirteen until her death. Eden is spellbound by the powerfully written, intimate diary that chronicles a life of hardship, madness and tragedy. But her fascination turns to horror when she discovers the shocking truth about her mother's life. 

Eden turns for comfort to Ben Alexander, Kyle's colleague, not knowing that Ben has a secret of his own that could ruin Eden and her career. Now Eden must make a heartbreaking decision as she struggles to lay the ghosts of the past to rest and come to terms with her own future. 

About half, maybe a little less, of the book is the journal entries of Eden's mother. I didn't think I would like this, but it turns out I really enjoyed it. Usually when I read books that have a two part story, where it goes back and fourth either between characters or time periods, I usually really favor one over the other. Not in this story. I absolutely loved both. I connected with the characters in this book more than I have in a long time. Go. Read. This. Book!