Quinn LaPointe left Butternut Lake, Minnesota as soon as she graduated from high school ten years ago. Now a successful journalist living near Chicago, Quinn makes an unexpected decision: to return to Butternut Lake and attend a memorial service for her high school boyfriend, Jake Lightman. Cross country superstar, charming, and handsome, Jake and two of his friends died before the end of senior year in an accident on the lake. Quinn has always blamed herself for this accident, and it was part of the reason why she hasn't returned to Butternut Lake in a decade.

Returning to her small hometown, Quinn is astonished by how much is the same, but also by some very unexpected differences. The memorial for Jake is emotional, but also strange. She has a run-in with the mother of one the other boys who died in the accident, and she blames Quinn for causing Jake to act so recklessly. Jake's older brother, Tanner, appears to be flirting with her, while his parents keep their distance. But most surprising of all, Gabriel, Quinn's closest friend from high school, is nowhere to be seen. After losing touch after graduation, Quinn is stunned to find out that Gabriel, an accomplished photographer who had a scholarship to RISD, never left town, and makes ends meet by taking on handy-work around town.

All of these strange occurrences, good and bad, inspire Quinn to write personally for the first time in what seems like forever; she spends a few extra days in Butternut Lake trying to piece together her memories of the days leading up to that devastating night. Were her actions really the cause of Jake's accident? Will Gabriel ever tell her why he wants nothing to with her? And was coming back home a big mistake?

THE SECRETS WE CARRIED by May McNear, the sixth book in her long-running Butternut Lake series is a mysterious and hopeful novel. Quinn is a relatable main character, trying to come to terms with the events that shaped her adult life. In coming back to her hometown, Quinn realizes that even though she'd been trying to stay away for so long, that part of her would always consider it home. Additionally, returning to the place she thought had caused her heartache also brought back a lot of welcoming and warm feelings for her family and friendships. Butternut Lake is practically a character in the novel on its own, and it was easy to imagine this small midwestern town, and how a tragic event could shape part of that town's history forever. For an emotional and engaging read, pick up THE SECRETS WE CARRIED!