Reviews

Atmosphere Press, Lizzie's US publisher, reached out to authors and professional review organisations way before Family Secrets came out, asking them to read the book and write a review. Lizzie was promised two blurbs (which you usually see at the start of a book: PRAISE FOR FAMILY SECRETS) but was lucky enough to get four of them.
As they were the first reviews that came in, let's start with these.

1. Sonja Koch, author of Bookends of Life

In Family Secrets, Lizzie Mac presents us with a captivating tale of love and mystery that keeps readers on the edge of their seats. With vivid descriptions and a touch of intrigue, every page is a sensory delight, inviting readers into a world where secrets are as rich and tempting as Belgium chocolates. A delightfully engaging read from beginning to end!

2. Cathy Schieffelin, author of The Call and Snakeroot and Cohosh

Family Secrets tells the story of Nina and Ben who meet at a café in the chocolate capital of Brussels. Both are on assignment for work, but have no idea their destinies are entwined. Their physical chemistry and playful banter are underscored by secrets they both keep from each other, including their real names. Exploring chocolate shops and wandering picturesque, cobblestoned streets, Nina realizes she’s fallen in love. Hard. A chance glance at Ben’s phone changes everything and begins to unravel the world she knows. As more truths are revealed, Nina is forcex to confront the harsh glare of familial betrayal. Hold on to your hats, Mac’s Family Secrets is a sexy romp of a novel with two compelling protagonists you’ll be rooting for.

3. Quinn Jamison, author of The Art of Time Series

A romance built on lies collides with a truth that changes everything. The slow unraveling of the past made every chapter heavier than the last. Family Secrets by Lizzie Mac is addictive and full of twists you won't see coming.

4. Kevin Rowlett, author of Travel: A Project Outrigger Novel

Lizzie Mac's Family Secrets is an intriguing tale, blending elements of mystery, intrigue, romance, and deep, dark secrets into a cocktail readers will be thrilled to consume. The cast of characters is compelling and makes you want to read it all the way to its thrilling — and shocking — conclusion. Be prepared for masterfully executed twists and turns as the story draws you in and takes you on a wild ride!

Professional reviews

Then there were several professional reviews.

1. First professional review from Readers favorite: five stars!

"In Lizzie Mac’s Family Secrets, Ben, an American in Brussels who's preparing to relocate to England, meets Nina, a British woman who refuses to share her real name or the details of her work. Intrigued by a sense of recognition, they invent aliases and agree to exchange only limited facts while spending several charged days together across the city. Their conversations move from guarded banter to personal history, yet both remain bound by obligations neither will explain. When they discover they are booked on the same flight to London, the coincidence begins to feel deliberate. Unseen forces seem to be guiding their movements, and fragments of family history hover just out of reach. As private messages and long concealed connections begin to surface, Ben and Nina realize their meeting may not have been accidental, and that whatever brought them together has implications far beyond a fleeting encounter abroad.

Lizzie Mac’s Family Secrets examines how concealing the history of people, even from different continents, will reshape whole identities long after they're formed. Mac has written an extremely thoughtful novel with a lot of moving pieces. Yes, there are all those Clover family secrets, but they rest on the development of humanity. There's a heartbreaking hospital scene with Nina that seriously choked me up, and a public declaration that had me doing fist pumps. The points of view transition between Nina and Ben, so we are in each of their heads throughout. The writing is intelligent and immersive, especially as Mac gives us a little travelogue for an armchair adventure with the pair. The King Charles suite, with its sea view and separate sitting rooms, frames a private reckoning, whereas Juliette’s disordered French house is reflective of a family’s grief. For readers who love a family-centered novel that includes inheritance, secrecy, and romance, this is where to find it!"

Reviewed by Asher Syed for Readers' Favorite

You can find this review here:

https://readersfavorite.com/book-review/family-secrets/2

2. Second five-star review from BookView!

BookView Review: Family Secrets: The Clover Clan I by Lizzie Mac

BookView Review rated it:

"Love, secrecy, identity, and the pull of destiny intertwine in Mac’s emotionally charged romantic suspense novel. On her first solo trip abroad, Nina arrives in Brussels expecting little more than a series of interviews, some indulgent spa time, and boxes of fine chocolate to take home. What begins as a fleeting encounter in a Brussels brasserie quickly deepens into something neither Nina nor the enigmatic American can explain or fully trust. Bound by secrecy, they build a connection on borrowed names and withheld truths. In London, a single discovery reveals how deeply their lives are entangled.

Mac leans on sharp, fast-moving dialogue to carry both romance and suspense. The opening is well paced, with Brussels vividly drawn and thematically aligned with indulgence and risk. Nina is quick-minded and conflicted; Ben’s cool exterior slips over time. Their exchanges—smart, playful, edged with subtext—anchor the novel. The romance is immersive, though the mystery develops more gradually, at times yielding to extended dialogue and reflection. That restraint ultimately serves the novel, allowing its themes of identity, trust, and family legacy to land with greater weight. At its core, the story asks whether love built on secrecy can endure, and what truth ultimately costs.

A tender, suspenseful, and engaging story of connection, concealment, and the risks of falling for someone you may not fully understand."

You can find the review here: https://bookviewreview.com/2026/03/29/bookview-review-family-secrets-the-clover-clan-i-by-lizzie-mac/

Goodreads reviews

Goodreads is a social platform for book enthusiasts. Users can search books, create personal reading lists, and generate virtual bookshelves to organise their reading habits. Users can rate books from 1 to 5 stars, write reviews, share favorite quotes, and participate in discussions, polls, and book-related groups. Two reviews of Family Secrets were posted there so far.

***** review by Avira N., Author

Love, secrecy, identity, and the pull of destiny intertwine in Mac’s emotionally charged romantic suspense novel. On her first solo trip abroad, Nina arrives in Brussels expecting little more than a series of interviews, some indulgent spa time, and boxes of fine chocolate to take home. What begins as a fleeting encounter in a Brussels brasserie quickly deepens into something neither Nina nor the enigmatic American can explain or fully trust. Bound by secrecy, they build a connection on borrowed names and withheld truths. In London, a single discovery reveals how deeply their lives are entangled.

Mac leans on sharp, fast-moving dialogue to carry both romance and suspense. The opening is well paced, with Brussels vividly drawn and thematically aligned with indulgence and risk. Nina is quick-minded and conflicted; Ben’s cool exterior slips over time. Their exchanges—smart, playful, edged with subtext—anchor the novel. The romance is immersive, though the mystery develops more gradually, at times yielding to extended dialogue and reflection. That restraint ultimately serves the novel, allowing its themes of identity, trust, and family legacy to land with greater weight. At its core, the story asks whether love built on secrecy can endure, and what truth ultimately costs. A tender, suspenseful, and engaging story of connection, concealment, and the risks of falling for someone you may not fully understand.

***** review by Anne Brooke, author

This is a charming romance with a twist of family secrets which threaten the budding relationship between Nina and Ben. I enjoyed the development of the romance and it was lovely to have the initial setting in Brussels - which is excellently described and brought back a lot of happy memories for me! The relationship Nina has with her real and found family is very strong indeed, and it was great to explore how Ben is integrated into the family setting. It is here where the secrets really start to make their presence known and there is much for the young couple to discover about each other and to come to terms with. The ending is very satisfying indeed. A lovely read!