Best Kept Secret: A Novel

Written by Amy Hatvany

Narrated by Joy Osmanski

A timely and captivating novel about a mother whose life spirals out of control when she descends into alcoholism, and her battle to get sober and regain custody of her beloved son.

Cadence didn’t sit down one night and decide that downing two bottles of wine was a brilliant idea.

Her drinking snuck up on her—as a way to sleep, to help her relax after a long day, to relieve some of the stress of the painful divorce that’s left her struggling to make ends meet with her five-year old son, Charlie.

It wasn’t always like this. Just a few years ago, Cadence seemed to have it all—a successful husband, an adorable son, and a promising career as a freelance journalist. But with the demise of her marriage, her carefully constructed life begins to spiral out of control. Suddenly she is all alone trying to juggle the demands of work and motherhood.

Logically, Cadence knows that she is drinking too much, and every day begins with renewed promises to herself that she will stop. But within a few hours, driven by something she doesn’t understand, she is reaching for the bottle—even when it means not playing with her son because she is too tired, or dropping him off at preschool late, again. And even when one calamitous night it means leaving him alone to pick up more wine at the grocery store. It’s only when her ex-husband shows up at her door to take Charlie away that Cadence realizes her best kept secret has been discovered….

Heartbreaking, haunting, and ultimately life-affirming, Best Kept Secret is more than just the story of Cadence—it’s a story of how the secrets we hold closest are the ones that can most tear us apart.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
• Release date: Dec 16, 2014
• ISBN: 9781442361898

Amy Hatvany

Amy Hatvany is the author of nine novels, including It Happens All the Time, Somewhere Out There, and A Casual Encounter. She lives in Seattle, Washington with her family.

Reviews for Best Kept Secret

[kennylef_495849271 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I really like this book for a couple of reasons, I don't normally read books with the mom being the alcoholic and it was nice to see it didn't have your typical cookie-cutter ending. I look forward to reading more books from this author.

[readingrebecca · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I have read several of Amy Hatvany's other books, enjoyed them all, but decided I wanted to read her first book, Best Kept Secret. At first I was a little put off because I couldn't keep track of where she was in her life, was she drinking or not. But I soon got tuned in to the story.I found her descriptions of drinking brilliant. I was married to a recovering alcoholic. He was sober for 32 years when he passed away. Ms. Hatvany's depiction of the course and curse of alcoholism was spot on. Great book.

[macescamilla · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Good story, quick read, and very similar to Jennifer Weiner.

[bookappeal · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Cadence Martin had a rather nice life until her marriage fell apart. She felt not only the bitterness and betrayal of the divorce but the pressure to be the do-it-all single mom, needing to prove to her husband and her friends that she and their son would survive just fine without him. But Cadence, like many single moms, cannot do it all. Rather than ask for help, she copes with a glass of wine at the end of the day; then two. And, eventually, she's binge-drinking at home but keeping up such a believable front that no one suspects until her ex-husband finds her passed out and their son fending for himself. Cadence loses custody and beings a long, fraught struggle to sobriety. A realistic portrait of how easily a mother might slip into alcoholism and how frighteningly good women can be at hiding it.

[judithdcollins · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Recently, I read Amy’s latest book, “Heart Like Mine” and loved it, so working my way back as want to read all her books, as she has been added to my favorite author list. I love her writing style and her subject matter --the way her characters come alive. I did not want to put this book down (it was amazing)! I had a lot of work and appointments this week, so anxiously awaited my quiet reading time to find out what obstacle Cadence was to overcome next.

Hats off to the author for putting herself out there to help other women with this inspiring and poignant story of the everyday and realistic struggles of alcoholism and motherhood. Every woman, whether old or young, mother, single, aunt, sister – needs to read this book. There are so many additions out there today which are as bad as alcoholism; unfortunately, they do not have the stigma attached (shopping, pill popping, workaholics, eating disorders, and many compulsive disorders which wreak havoc on lives of women daily which are sometimes hidden) as they try and keep up to be the “perfect” woman.

There are many takeaways from this book and a lesson for us all in some way or another. We all have problems and sometimes we cannot turn around our life until we help someone less fortunate. In doing so, we help them as much as ourselves by opening our hearts to accept new things, as we broaden and enrich our lives.

I have a beautiful, driven, and successful girlfriend (single), who has been through some rough times and has turned to alcohol and Xanax to cope for years. Her mother was an alcoholic and died years ago. Unfortunately, my friend has not faced her problem yet. She gets angry when drinking and drives away everyone close to her. She believes every day is happy hour at 5pm and this is the norm. Her life is spiraling downhill and she has turned away so many friends who have tried to help. This book helped me to realize these friends need our love, support, compassion, and no judgments. I look forward to sharing this book.

I loved Jess (the sister), her humor and personality and the way she supported her sister. Even her mother came through for her in the end. Oh Charlie – I just wanted to reach out and hug him as he was adorable.

Again, thank you Amy for your candidness in writing such a powerful book which I cannot wait to pass along to my friends. I highly recommend as this is a 5 Star .

[bookqueenshelby · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Cadence didn't set out to become an alcoholic. She had recently divorced Martin (a mommy's boy) and was having trouble sleeping, dealing with a young child, and struggling financially. She would just have a glass of wine at night to help her sleep. A glass of wine turned to 2 bottles of wine per night before long. She didn't see that she had a problem. One night she was out of wine and left her young son at home by himself to run and grab a bottle (I didn't like her much then) The author did not pretty up Cadence's character. She made her real. She could be you or I.
Eventually Cadence does lose control and her ex husband takes her child. She ends up in rehab and begins seeking help. The author of this book does an amazing job of taking you through the process of alcoholism's recovery. You cheer for this character and you cry with her.
If you have known someone that struggles with alcohol's grip or have been there yourself this book is amazing. Aww heck it's amazing anyways.

[permaswooned · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Semi-autobiographical novel about a mother's alcoholism. It deals with the problems in her life that led to her dependence on wine to the point that she loses custody of her son. Having had a close look from the outside on alcoholism and the struggles with AA concepts and living with sobriety, it was very true to life.

[maydacat_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Did you ever make a bad choice? Ever wish you could undo a mistake? Ever look around at your current circumstances and wonder when and how you ended up here? Maybe you have never suffered with an addiction or even known someone who has, but this novel will still speak to you. Amy Hatvany paints a vivid picture of a woman losing herself and her life to drink, and her slow path back to sobriety. Is it too late to reclaim her former existence? Can she undo all the bad things and make them right? And what if she can’t? How will she go on, and will she even want to? The protagonist of the story has only one goal since her drinking problem became public knowledge: to regain custody of her young son. But her ex-husband now thinks she is an unfit mother, and wants full custody. This character-driven novel will capture your interest from the very first page until the very end of the story, and may change the way you judge mothers who drink.

[beamis12 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

4 1/2 but I can see why this book has received all 4 and 5 ratings. I got so emotionally caught up in this book, it was a brutally honest portrayal of a woman who descends into alcoholism putting herself and her son in jeopardy and her attempt to climb back out. Plus I love the characters name, Cadence.

[melaniehope · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book was absolutely amazing. When I first read the description, I was not sure if it was a memoir or a work of fiction.It is a fictionalized account of a woman named Cadence who is a mother, a freelance writer and wife to Martin. However, the marriage eventually crumbles. Cadence finds herself struggling to find the perfect balance without help from others. Her son, Charlie, begins to overwhelm her, her freelance writing stops becoming fun and is just another stress she needs to deal with in order to pay the bills. A few glasses of wine help Cadence, until one night she hits rock bottom.Charlie is taken away from her by Martin who gains temporary custody. Cadence's sister checks her into the hospital and later in a rehab facility. Cadence is utterly shattered and humiliated by her actions. You can feel her pain and anguish throughout her struggle to gain back custody of Charlie.It took me a bit longer to read this book but it was just because I wanted to savor it. I got a glimpse into a mothers life who desperately loved her son, but messed up really bad. The consequences she had to deal with after wards, along with her road to recovery was just so compelling to read.I also found a connection with this book's setting of Seattle. I currently am a transplant living in Snoqualmie and was very familiar with all the locations and observations on the weather. So that was fun for me personally.One of my favorite quotes in the story was said by Cadence early on in the book. "I couldn't help but feel like his (Charlie's) behavior reflected how good a job I was doing as his mother. If he lost it, it was like having to wear a dunce cap in front of the entire class." I think all mothers can relate to that.Whether you are a mom or not, young or old, this is a beautifully written story of one person's secret and her strength to recover.

[alfonsoxelsabio · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I normally shy away from "issue" novels, but Amy Hatvany's compelling language and accurate characterization, so firmly rooted in the real life of thousands of people, drew me along with such a firm grasp that I couldn't put it down. Through the magic of her honest writing style, the reader comes to genuinely like the main character, Cadence, as she tries and fails to cope with tremendous pressures. We sympathize with her when she slowly realizes that she alone cannot maintain a writing career to earn money and raise her son the way she wants to without help. But she feels utterly alone, in spite of the support of her beloved sister and the moms in the various groups she takes her to, who seem enviably "together," with no problems they can't handle. As she indulges too much in the relief of alcohol, her inevitable downward slide is just as surprising to the reader as it is to Cadence. Even as she researches the symptoms of alcohol addiction on the internet, she reaches rock bottom and loses it all when her ex husband takes their boy and sues for custody.Although most of the readers of this book will be "normies," who don't drink too much, Hatvany's vivid exploration of Cadence's thought processes and the revulsion she feels even as as purchases and pours the wine and vodka forces us to see how her predicament is a possibility for so many everyday people who can't ask for help for whatever reason. This novel will help anyone with any kind of addiction to feel less alone, and anyone who knows an addict to learn what they can do to help.In short: beautifully written, realistic, by a sensitive writer, and highly recommended.

[nightprose · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Cadence is a working mother, which is like having two conflicting full time jobs, as any working mom will tell you. She wants the best for her little boy, and she takes pride in her freelance writing position.Overwhelmed and exhausted, Cadence begins to have one little innocuous glass of wine before bed, just to help her get to sleep. Unfortunately, one glass gradually becomes several, until glasses eventually become bottles. Before long, Cadence has become dependent upon the wine. She is an alcoholic, at risk of losing her child.Even in today’s society, there are predisposed opinions regarding behaviors for men, women, and for parents. There remains a double-standard when it comes to women and drinking, particularly mothers and drinking. The reality of addiction, however, is that it affects both sexes, all ages, classes and people.This is an important book, especially for women, because of this closed thinking, and the shame associated with it. It is a brave book, written with an understanding of the cause and effect, the tragedy and the possibility of triumph.This book should be read and discussed. It should be shared. It should never be a secret.