Synopsis: Judy only has one friend: her goldfish, Marlie.
With Marlie gone, who can Judy rely on?
Goldfish Secrets is the short story prequel to The Lady of the Vineyard (also by Kellyn Roth).
Okay, yes, I jumped ahead and read this one earlier than intended. I’ve heard a lot about this series recently, and I’m intrigued! Plus, it truly is a short story, and only took a few minutes to read, AND this review is still being posted in the order it was intended, so you can put down the pitchforks. It was definitely worth picking up early!
As mentioned, I have heard a lot about The Lady of the Vineyard series recently, but I haven’t read the series myself (yet). Goldfish Secrets is a prequel, but it also functions as a standalone. Because of this, it seemed like a good place to jump in and see what the author’s style is like. Excepting a few instances of rather blunt, uninspired dialogue, Goldfish Secrets is nicely written. Although short, you are introduced to enough of the character’s world to understand family dynamics, general living conditions, and characterization. The descriptive passages are effective, not overwhelming the reader with too many details while granting a thorough view.
Our protagonist is Judy, a young girl who loves her goldfish. Unfortunately, as goldfish are wont to do, hers eventually dies. As Judy copes with her loss, themes of grief, trust, and family are lightly examined.
Surprisingly, this is quite an empowering little story. Judy is not the only one impacted by the death of her goldfish: members of her family must decide whether they will step up and help Judy grieve or remain isolated by their own personal pain. Despite the fact that death is obviously so prominent, the ultimate emotion of this piece is hope and empowerment.
Also, more exciting news! Goldfish Secrets was just released a little over a week ago on September 10th, and the author is hosting a giveaway! 
You can enter the giveaway through Kellyn Roth’s blog here!
CORRECTION: Apparently I had the dates of the giveaway wrong, and the winner has already been chosen. I apologize to anyone who read this post before this update was added and tried to enter, and to anyone who would have entered if it were still open. (9/19/18 8:23am)
This truly is a fun little book, and I hope you all check it out! You could easily spend more time researching the book or wandering around Goodreads than it takes to just read it, but in case you want to do that first, here’s the link to Goldfish Secrets on Goodreads or Amazon.
Disclaimer: I received a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
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