Hi there, and welcome to my website!

The countdown has begun to the release of my sixth novel, The Secret Wife, and I’m more excited about this one than I have been about any of the others. It’s about the Romanov royal family who were overthrown during the Russian Revolution – their story is so bloody and awful that it’s hard to comprehend. I’ve focused on a love affair at the very heart of it, drawing parallels with a modern woman whose husband has been unfaithful. Can she forgive him? You’ll have to wait till the 25th of August to find out.

The Secret Wife

Two stories. Two very different women, linked by the secrets of history.

2011
 After a devastating revelation, Kitty flees to her great-grandfather’s cabin on the shore of Lake Akanabee, New York State. There she discovers the spectacular jewelled pendant that will lead her to an extraordinary, long-buried family secret...

1914
 Russia is on the brink of collapse, and the Romanov family faces a terrifyingly uncertain future. Grand Duchess Tatiana has fallen in love with injured cavalry officer Dmitri, but events take a catastrophic turn, placing their romance – and their lives – in danger... Haunting, moving and beautifully written, The Secret Wife effortlessly crosses centuries, as past merges with present in an unforgettable story of love, loss and resilience.

Pre-order here: The Secret Wife on Amazon

‘A beautiful and moving story, beautifully and movingly told. I read it in just two sittings - but for the dentist, it would have been one . . . I enjoyed every page’ -John Julius Norwich, author of The Popes: A History, A History of Venice and Cities that Shaped the Ancient World.

The Secret Wife is a wonderful Russian babushka doll of a novel, each chapter revealing new and intriguing layers of a plot that spans a century of wars and revolutions and traverses from St Petersburg through Europe to the east coast of America, charting the course of an intense and forbidden affair between two real-life historical characters which feels all too credible, despite what history dictates. The result is a heart-warming affirmation of the tenacity of human love.’ - Liz Trenow, author of  The Poppy Factory, The Last Telegram and The Forgotten Seamstress

‘This is an intriguing and involving book that explores a really fascinating period in time in a clever and highly enjoyable way. I was hooked into both timelines from the start.’ - Joanna Courtney, author of The Chosen Queen and The Constant Queen.

‘Gill Paul has clearly done her research in this absorbing story that cleverly blends imagination with historical fact. The closeted and ultimately doomed Romanov family have always fascinated, especially the four grand duchesses, and the older strand of this dual narrative story is told by one of the girls' secret loves. Tragic, touching and authentic-feeling.’ Kate Riordan, author of The Girl in the Photograph and The Shadow Hour