Secrets in the Dales by Diane Allen


Secrets in the Dales

 by Diane Allen



Secrets in the Dales by Diane Allen was published on 14th August 2025 by Pan Macmillan. My thanks to the author and publishers for sending me a copy to review and to Random Things Tours for inviting me to take part on the tour.



Synopsis

In the sleepy Yorkshire Dales, the peaceful existence of Sally’s family is shattered by the outbreak of the Second World War. With her father navigating the challenges of wartime farming, and her mother striving to keep the home fires burning, young Sally is determined to do her bit. The war brings unexpected challenges, but none so disarming as Luca – an Italian POW who introduces Sally to a love that threatens to unravel everything she holds dear. As secrets threaten to surface and the war rages on, Sally must face a battlefield of her own, torn between love and duty. Will her choices lead to heartbreak or hope ?





My Thoughts

Secrets in the Dales by Diane Allen is a heartwarming story about a lovely family going through the hell of war in the beautiful picturesque setting of the Yorkshire Dales. Though the Dale itself escaped the horrors of the war the families living within it were affected in many ways.

Sally is a lovely heroine. A proper Yorkshire girl with grit and determination coping with whatever life throws at her as best as she can . With a family that work through their disagreements supporting her , Sally navigates her way through heartache, uncertainty and life in Dentdale.

Diane tells this story in an easy to read style from the family’s perspective and gives a fair insight into what life was like for a young Yorkshire lass during the war. This is a story to enjoy whilst imagining the stunning setting in which the narrative unfolds and one in which Diane is fortunate to live in and portray through her books.


About Diane




 Diane Allen was born in Leeds, but raised at her family’s farm, deep in the Yorkshire Dales. After working as a glass engraver, raising a family and looking after her ill father, she found her true niche in life, joining a large-print publishing firm in 1990. She now concentrates on her writing full time, and is Honorary Vice President of the Romantic Novelists’ Association. Diane’s novels include A Precious Daughter, The Girl from the Tanner’s Yard and The Miner’s Wife. Diane and her husband Ronnie live in the Dales market town of Settle, and have two children and four beautiful grandchildren.

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