How far will Bert go to avoid the truth about her family? Her name's Bert Smith, not Bertina - if only Bert could convince her mum that she likes it that way. Bert wants to be her Dad's first mate forever, taking tourists on boat trips around local beauty spot, Stonewave Cove.

But Bert is forced to live with her Mum and Mum's boyfriend, Ronnie, in his super-clean starter home, only an hour away on the bus but a million miles from Stonewave and Dad.

Bert decides that Dad needs her. Whatever lies Mum tells and whatever Pearl, Dad's new girlfriend, is up to, Dad, Jake Smith, is her dad.

But Mum has more revelations that rock Bert's world. In the end and scariest of all, Bert can make or break her growing family. What has to happen for Bert to accept the truth? Bert so far is a family, friends and feelings story about only believing what you want to believe and the trouble it makes.

J.M. Carr lives in Southampton UK with her partner, a border collie called Cindy and a goldfish called Melbourne. She's been a teacher and a community worker. She writes novels for middle grade/teen/YA and short stories for anyone.