The Secrets of Willow Bay

Temple River #4

by Phillipa Nefri Clark

Twenty-five years ago, Joanna Johnson fled her hometown of Rivers End, leaving behind her best friend, her first love, and a dark secret. When a mysterious letter arrives, she’s forced to confront the past she’s tried so hard to forget…

Returning to the picturesque coastal town, Joanna is drawn back into the world she left behind. Walking along the sandy stretch of beach below her aunt’s cottage in Willow Bay, the memories come flooding back of all the dreams she cherished until betrayal and a stormy night at sea tore them apart. When she runs into her first love, Lucas, now a single father, Joanna feels a spark between them once more. Can she dare to rekindle a relationship she thought lost forever?

When pieces of an old shipwreck begin washing ashore, the answer might be made for her… As the yacht surfaces, bringing Joanna’s secrets with it, can she find the courage to trust Lucas with the truth about the night she ran? Or will holding on to the past force her to leave Rivers End behind once again…?

The Secrets of Willow Bay is a captivating tale of second chances, forgiveness, and the enduring power of friendship.

Genres: Mystery

316 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 21, 2025

About the author

Phillipa lives just outside a beautiful town in country Victoria, Australia. She also lives in the many worlds of her imagination and stockpiles stories beside her laptop.

She writes from the heart about love, dreams, secrets, discovery, the sea, the world as she knows it… or wishes it could be. She loves happy endings, heart-pounding suspense, and characters who stay with you long after the final page.

With a passion for music, the ocean, nature, reading, and writing, she is often found in the vegetable garden pondering a new story.

Reviews

[Phrynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the fourth book in the Temple River series. I love the way this author links her stories together and brings back characters from earlier books.

Joanna left River's End twenty five years ago and has tried ever since to forget what happened there. Now a letter arrives which forces her to return. She needs to solve the mystery of what really happened all those years ago and why it has returned to haunt her now.

This is a delightful story about lost love and friendship and how there can be second chances. I loved every minute of it and cried a few happy tears along the way. An excellent mystery/romance. Five stars.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joanna Johnson was startled when she received the mysterious letter from Rivers End, her one time home which she'd left twenty five years before and never returned. Her Aunt Beryl still lived in Rivers End while Joanna lived next door to her parents in Brisbane. But it seemed things were about to change - could she go back to the place that had torn her heart apart, and had her burying secrets so deeply, no one else had ever known? When Joanna arrived, she was so pleased to see Aunt Beryl, even knowing her aunt was travelling to Brisbane to spend some time with her sister - Joanna's mum - after a long time between visits.

As Joanna tried to work through her memories of the past, as well as keeping out of sight so she wouldn't run into people she'd known all that time ago, she knew the stress and pressure from what was happening were weighing her down. The pieces of an old shipwreck which were washing up at Willow Bay taunted her; was it part of her long ago past? And could it be possible to move forward from the past, and for both Roslyn and Lucas to become part of her life once again?

The Secrets of Willow Bay is the 4th in the Temple River series by Aussie author Phillipa Nefri Clark and I loved it. Catching up with past characters - Christie especially - felt good, while the mystery surrounding Joanna and her traumatic past captivated me while it unravelled. I always enjoy Phillipa Nefri Clark's writing and recommend The Secrets of Willow Bay highly.

With thanks to NetGalley & Storm Publishing for my digital ARC to read and review.

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again MS Nefri Clark has taken me on a moving emotional journey, to a place that I feel very at home, River’s End this time can there be a second chance at love and friendship after everything that happened twenty five years ago, come along and meet Joanna, Lucas and Roslyn and see how things pan out when secrets and mystery are uncovered.

Joanna ran twenty five years ago when she felt so very betrayed by her best friend Roslyn she left behind her first love and a secret that she has done her best to bury deep, when she followed her parents to Queensland and left her aunt in Willow Bay she asked them never to bring up Willow Bay or her friend Roslyn and as time when on, although giving up her wish to be a fashion designer she found her place travelling the world as a fashion buyer, she has stayed single never forgetting her first love. But when a letter arrives she must now go back and face what she left behind.

Arriving back in the place she loved so much has her emotions flying in all directions and one of the first people she runs into is Lucas her heart jumps but he still has a place in her heart after all that happened not knowing what has gone on with Lucas and Roslyn has Joanna presuming what happened, which is probably not a good thing, will she ever be able to put the past behind her and find out exactly what happened?

With parts of a yacht washing up on the beach the reason she in in Willow Bay, Joanna worries about what this could mean for her is she partly to blame after that terrible night all those years ago? Getting to know Lucas and Roslyn again is so good but can she open up and tell them what really happened the night she ran, and she fears that she is in danger now with more questions than answers with more bits and pieces of the yacht washing up.

I did love this one so much, it is so well written the author has bought the characters to life on the pages I felt all of the emotions. The anger, the hurt, the pain and the love that still flows between friends and first loves, this is a story that I would highly recommend, and it has a bit of everything in it mystery, romance and a fabulous story.

This one is going to stay with me for a long time to come, many thanks MS Nefri Clark for a wonderful story.

My thanks to Storm Publishing and Netgalley for my copy to read and review.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Joanna has never revealed what happened to her in Willow Bay twenty five years ago as she was about to enter adulthood. Her betrayal by her very close childhood friend and this horrible event triggered a sudden move to start a new life elsewhere. She was successful in the fashion industry and seemed to have fulfilled her dreams of a prosperous career. Even her parents later moved to be closer to her and were never aware of what triggered Joanna’s sudden departure out of Willow Bay.
The prologue of this book is a real attention grabber. It offers hint of what transpired on that fateful night in Willow Bay. An unexpected message from her estranged friend brings Joanna back to Willow Bay where she must confront her past and make peace with a long depressed memory that has haunted her for twenty five years. The book held my interest and it was an enjoyable read.

[Kerry Kennedy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Storm Publishing and Netgalley for the arc
Twenty-five years ago, Joanna Johnson fled her hometown of Rivers End, leaving behind her best friend, her first love, and a dark secret. When a mysterious letter arrives, she’s forced to confront the past she’s tried so hard to forget…
This book had a bit of everything as we switch from her past and the present, discovering snippets of what forced her to leave the Bay.
It's a mid paced book packed with wonderful bay vibes and small town. The author captures the life so well you feel like you're there with JoJo as she's called locally.
I enjoyed the second chance romance element and that it was coupled with a vein of thriller with something she discovered and how it came up in her current life.
A book of long lost, strong friendship, family bonds and romance a thoroughly enjoyable book.
Kerry Kennedy Author

[Susan Mackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story captivated me from the very first page. The fourth in the Temple River series, I loved the way the author wove in characters we met in previous books. This one centred around a mysterious shipwreck and events in the area almost 25 years earlier, with the main protagonist, Joanna, very easy to empathise with. It is full of misunderstandings and secrets, some due to omission and no spoilers here, but there is a boy and a dog. :)

[Craig and Phil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Big thanks to Phillipa for gifting us a copy to read and review.
Returning home to a coastal town evokes many emotions ranging from nostalgia, friendships and memories for Joanna.
Decades can pass but home is where the heart is even when history haunts.
Joanna felt betrayed as a young woman by her best friend and her boyfriend. Leaving was the only option.
The disappearance of another friend and his boat creates a mystery and for Joanna some guilt.
Fast forward to the present day and Joanna receives a letter from her estranged best friend.
Parts of the missing boat are washing up and perhaps will shed light on the mystery.
Rosalyn is hopeful that she may entice her former friend home to Rivers End.
Joanna does return and embarks on a difficult journey of confronting the past, reconnecting a friendship and putting her life in danger as evil lurks.
The exploration of friendship shines throughout this and is so relatable to most people.
The return to a familiar town is always great and catching up on what other characters are up to is a winning factor.
An element of crime mixed in seamlessly in this great read.

[Lorraine Southern · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story may be good but the narrator was awful and spoilt it all, sadly!

[emily *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️
after a horrible accident one night as a teenager and betrayed by her best friend- all Joanna can do is run. when parts of an old shipwreck start turning up her best friend reaches out to her because they both know who the ship could belong to- Joanna is forced to return to willow bay to get the truth. after the lies, secrets and betrayal can there be forgiveness? i had a little bit of a hard time at the beginning to get into it but after that i couldn't put it down.

thank you to the publishers and netgalley for the ARC!

[Cindy Spear · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have enjoyed the Temple River series and book four is no exception. The Secrets of Willow Bay by Phillipa Nefri Clark is a captivating mystery well executed that kept me turning the pages. It is a story that focuses on friendship, forgiveness, love and second chances but it is also about misunderstanding, naivety, fear and trauma.

The novel’s Prologue set in the past, is gripping as it begins on an ominous note. It clearly depicts the fear and distress experienced by the main character. You can almost feel the ‘shock of cold water,’ hit your body. The desperate attempt to escape a dark and shadowy danger. A sky streaked with lightning, gasps for oxygen, in the murky depths. Then the pounding heartbeat of one racing to safety in a struggle for survival. All caused by the sudden realisation and exposure of a secret.

Joanna Johnson is a troubled woman who flees her hometown in River’s End in a hurry after she is traumatised by an unexpected event. On top of this, she is heartbroken by betrayal. She loses her two favourite people: her boyfriend and best friend through something she sees. But is everything as it appears? Not only has she lost her greatest friendship with Roslyn but also their plans of working together after taking a fashion design degree. The two young women had big dreams and loved designing and sewing clothes and wanted to start their own brand. Full of smiles and hopes they were heading into a happy direction but then everything changes. When Joanna’s world comes crashing down, she runs away to the Gold Coast to a new job and life—leaving her old world behind. For twenty-five years she is separated from her past until one day she gets a letter from Roslyn, telling her about a yacht that has surfaced. ‘Parts of an old boat washed up on the beach…investigation…certain it is Trent’s yacht…you need to come home.’ Her old friend pleads with her to return and see for herself. She is hesitant, of course, to go back. But the pull is strong and so she does…Then the whole story behind this letter starts to unfold. We are taken back and forth in timelines of 2000 and Now where the truth is unveiled…

There are a number of twists and turns in the plot that give the reader plenty of surprises. The mystery of a wreck that turns up after twenty five years has the town hopping trying to put clues together. As valuable items of evidence wash up on the beach and are found, the pieces of the puzzle slowly come together. But this mystery turns out to be far more than anyone expected and it has Joanna in a state of panic for she wonders if she has unintentionally played a part in the boat and owner’s demise.

Joanna must face many aspects of her past: her old friendship, her past love, her home-setting: the people and coast she loved and lost. And to discover what is real and imagined. The author delivers the truth carefully and cleverly at an excellent pace. There’s lots of danger and pulse racing moments!

I truly enjoyed the full journey with each of the characters and was very happy with the ending that offers wise choices, restoration and justice. this is another winner in the Temple River series that I certainly recommend. And I love that gorgeous atmospheric cover! 5 Stars

Thanks to Storm Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC.

[Meg Pearson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phillipa Nefri Clark has once again crafted an immersive and emotional tale that draws readers deep into the heart of a small coastal town and the secrets it harbors. The Secrets of Willow Bay, the fourth book in the Temple River series, delivers a beautifully written story of love, betrayal, and redemption, set against the vivid backdrop of Australia’s stunning limestone coast.

The narrative follows Joanna Johnson, who fled her hometown of Rivers End 25 years ago, burdened by heartbreak and a mysterious tragedy. A letter from her estranged best friend, Roslyn, pulls her back to confront the ghosts of her past and unravel the truth behind the long-lost wreck of a yacht that has suddenly resurfaced. Phillipa’s evocative descriptions bring the town and its surroundings to life, making it easy to picture every scene, even if you've never visited Australia.

The plot is masterfully constructed, blending past and present timelines to peel back layers of secrets and misunderstandings. As Joanna reconnects with old friends, her first love Lucas, and her former dreams of designing and creating, the reader is taken on an emotional journey filled with twists, danger, and revelations. The mystery surrounding the yacht and its owner is gripping, with well-paced developments that keep you turning pages late into the night.

Clark excels at portraying complex relationships and deeply human emotions. Joanna’s struggle to reconcile her past and find forgiveness is relatable, though her habit of jumping to conclusions and holding onto assumptions for decades might test the patience of some readers. Lucas, as the steadfast love interest, is charming, though their initial connection felt tenuous, making the depth of Joanna’s enduring feelings a bit puzzling at times.

The exploration of themes like forgiveness, second chances, and personal growth adds depth to the story, making it more than just a mystery. The resolution is satisfying, with justice served and relationships restored in a way that feels both hopeful and earned. Fans of the Temple River series will appreciate how this installment ties into the overarching themes of the series while still standing alone as a compelling story.

Overall, The Secrets of Willow Bay is an engaging and atmospheric read, perfect for fans of romantic mysteries with richly drawn characters and a touch of suspense. Phillipa Nefri Clark continues to prove her talent for weaving heartfelt stories that resonate long after the final page.

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

🌊⛵Fatal historic mystery and romance rolled together: lovely😍

I've read this Temple River four-book series right through from the beginning and enjoyed each subsequent one just a bit more. And something I really like about this series: the stories are set in the same general location in and around a small coastal town called Rivers End in southern Australia yet each is really a standalone. So it really doesn't matter if you read them in order and you don't have to rely on what you remember about the last novel's plot and characters. That so suits my reading style because I read so many books it's hard to pull the details of a plot from a year or 18 months ago and hundreds of reads ago out of my memory!

The format alternates between a critical summer from long in the past with the present. Joanna, the main character, had a horrendous time that summer during her summer break from fashion studies, so bad that she picked up and abruptly left, only returning in the present in response to a cryptic message connected to a decades-old shipwreck just now disturbed from the seabed and floating in to shore. She fears she knows which boat they'll retrieve and her connection to its captain.

There's small-town life, romantic heartbreak, friendship destroyed, nostalgia for the halcyon days spent along the beach in her youth, a professional crossroads, and Joanna realizing that the past and all the slings and arrows attached can no longer be ignored. The mystery of Joanna's fears regarding the shipwreck were strung along, pieces slowly revealed and I found the answers, as they came late in the story, surprising: just like I prefer.

Loved the writing, plot and suspense, the happy ending, and an Australian setting is always a plus in my view!

Thanks to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Temple River Series Book #4. Joanna Johnson left her home in Rivers End twenty=five years ago, leaving behind her best friend, her first love and a secret that she had never shared with anyone. Living her life as a designer in her home on a canal on the Gold Coast of Queensland, Joanna receives a letter from her previous best friend practically demanding Joanna return to Rivers End. After a storm, pieces of a wreck turn up on the beach. So Joanna takes a well earned break from her job to go back to Rivers End to face her past.

Once Joanna has returned to her much loved home on the limestone coast, she is drawn back to the memories of her childhood friend Roslyn and how they had planned to open their own boutique in the town, designing and making the clothes and the lives they both dreamed about. After her friend had betrayed her, Joanna fled her home also leaving behind her first love Lucas. As pieces of the wrecked yacht drift on to the beach, Joanna remembers the other betrayal which caused her to flee for her life. And it appears that not all secrets are hidden as Joanna once again finds herself in danger.

Her friend Roslyn is no longer the vibrant person Joanna knew. Lucas, now a single Dad, has become very much a part of Rivers End. Will the mystery of the wreck be solved and will Joanna be able to survive all the secrets in her life at that time?

I loved this story, Book #4 in the series. Though set in an area of Australia that I don't know and have never visited, the pictures and descriptions Phillipa gives us in her prose, brings to life a vibrant township and area.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this story prior to the book release.

[Chiara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book! Mystery novels aren’t usually my go-to genre, but this one might just change that—it was such an enjoyable read.

The story follows Joanna, who has kept a life-altering secret for 25 years. She left the place she grew up and loved to escape the events of a terrible night. Since then, she’s tried to move on and forget both Roslyn, her childhood best friend who betrayed her, and Lucas, her first love, who also seemed to betray her... or did he? Now, decades later, Joanna is forced to return to Rivers End when pieces of a boat—one she was on the night of the incident—begin to resurface in Willow Bay. Will the truth finally come to light after all these years?

This book is a thrilling read that kept me on the edge of my seat as I raced to uncover what really happened. I loved how the story weaved between flashbacks and present-day chapters, adding depth and tension as Joanna worked to uncover not only the truth about that fateful night but also the reasons behind the betrayals of the people she once trusted the most. At its heart, this is a story about hope, friendship, and second chances, and I couldn’t recommend it more.

Even though The Secrets of Willow Bay is part of a series set in Rivers End, I hadn’t read the previous books and had no trouble jumping right in.

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Twenty five years ago Joanna Johnson fled her hometown of Rivers End in Victoria after discovering a shocking and dangerous secret about someone she had made friends with that summer. She also felt betrayed by her best friend Roslyn and decided to cut all ties with her and their dreams of starting a fashion label together, also leaving behind a new relationship with Lucas, a young man who had just moved to Rivers End.

Following her parents to Queensland, Joanne settled on the Gold Coast and started a successful career in fashion. Now in her forties, Roslyn has summoned Joanna back to Rivers End where an old wreck is washing up on the beach and the secret Joanna tried to escape is at risk of being discovered.

This is a slow burn of a tale as Joanna rediscovers everything she loved about Rivers End, slowly rekindling her relationships with those she left behind and trying to decide where she wants the future to take her. I very much enjoyed visiting this picturesque small coastal town and meeting all who live there in this feel good story of second chances. 3.5★

With thanks to Storm Publishing via Netgalley for a copy to read

[Patty Duplechin · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Joanna Johnson left her hometown of Rivers End twenty-five years ago, she lost her best friend and the young man she loved because of betrayal. She vowed to not return. Her friend Roslyn sent a note about something washing up on the beach. Does Roslyn know something? Joanna does have a secret she’s kept for twenty-five years. Why did she send it? It’s not like they are friends anymore, especially after she stole her boyfriend, Lucas. She decides to face the past and heads to her auntie’s beautiful cottage to stay there. As the lies, betrayal, mystery of a missing boat and misunderstandings come to light, it’s time to solve it all. A lot of mystery surrounding the missing boat. Will they solve it? Will she forgive Roslyn? What does Lucas know? How could he just leave her and be with her Roslyn? Why is he single father of three boys? The characters are wonderful. They all need to forgive and move forward with their future. Can they? Phillipa Nefri Clark always writes wonderful stories that draw you in. It was hard to put the book down. Worth the read. I received this book from NetGalley for my honest review. I give it voluntarily.

[Jody · Rating 5 out of 5]

With thanks to Storm Publishing and NetGalley I was fortunate enough to receive an ARC of The Secrets of Willow Bay by Phillipa Nefri Clark which is based between two time lines - current time and early 2000.

Joanna is called back to Rivers End after receiving a urgent letter from her once best friend Roslyn. She'd blocked Roslyn from her life 20 plus years ago and had refused to let anyone mention her or Rivers End since then. What's in the letter is urgent enough for Joanna to hesitatingly return now and revisit things that happened in her previous life that she'd worked so hard to move on from.

You’ll be eagerly turning the pages and will be left with many different scenarios in your head - why are parts of an old yacht washing up now, did Joanna kill someone accidentally, is he really dead, who is making the threats, can she trust the first person she fell in love with, why did Roslyn do what she did, can she forgive her and move on with life now? So many questions that need answers. To find these answers you must read this book, you won't regret it.

[Susan Hamann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Joanna and her best friend, Roslyn had their futures planned. They were going to university together and then opening a fashion shop in their home town. But life interfered, they had a falling out, and Joanna moved to be closer to where her parents had just relocated. And the girls never communicated again for over 20 years.

But now the wreckage of a yacht has started washing up on shore and Roslyn has found a way to reach Joanna. Joanna has been working in a high powered job as a buyer in fashion, but she drops everything to go back to her hometown. She's in a panic because she's terrified that the wreckage might reveal a secret she's held for all that time.

This is a great mystery that is told in the first person by Joanna. It flips between time lines in 1999 and current day. It's a story about love, treachery, danger, and deep friendship. Also, about misunderstandings and lack of communication. I enjoyed it greatly. It's the first book I've read by this author, but I will be looking for her books for future reads.

[Sue Garland · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE SECRETS OF WILLOW BAY is the fourth novel in the Temple River series by PHILLIPA NEFRI CLARK. I have not read the first three books, and this one can easily stand alone. The story is exciting and suspenseful, with murder, mystery, and even some romance in the mix. It takes place in Australia, which is interesting.
When Joanna Johnson is called back to Rivers End by her ex best friend, Roslyn, who literally stole her future and her boyfriend twenty five years ago, she is afraid she is going to have to face the music about itinerant surfer Trent’s disappearance, when wreckage of his yacht are washed up. Was she the last person to see him alive, and did she push him too hard?…….
The characters are interesting and their emotions are well portrayed. It is altogether an enjoyable read.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Storm Publishing. The opinions in this review are completely my own.

[lara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you for allowing me to review this book. I have enjoyed all the books by Phillipa Nefri Clark that I've read and this is no exception. Joanna returns to Rivers End where she grew up after receiving a letter from her ex-best friend. The letter reawakened memories from the past that she'd tried to bury. After a surprise announcement by her boss, she decides to take time out and return to her old hometown.
The story is a an excellent read looking at old friendships and why they went wrong. Who's at fault? Who's kept quiet, when questions should be asked? Can secrets be unearthed.? The story is told in the present as a memory. This doesn't affect the flow of the story.. As the truth comes to light, who comes out better or worse off.
Family, friendships, relationships, shared memories are all important to this story

[Sandra M. Dethlefsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joanna Johnson left her hometown of Rivers End, leaving behind her dear friends and a dark secret. Twenty-five years later, she received a mysterious letter, and suddenly, she had to return to face everything she had hoped to leave behind her.
As she once again walked its streets, her memories of life in the beautiful coastal town were clouded by a stormy night at sea that changed her life forever. As pieces of a shipwreck began to wash ashore, her memories of the things she desperately needed to forget began to return. When she runs into her long-lost love in town, Lucas, she hopes she can rely on him to help her face her past and the truth surrounding her sudden escape from town years before. Or will she have to run once again, putting aside her dreams of remaining in the town she loved to start a new life?

[Colin Bell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Twenty-five years after Joanna left Rivers End she receives a letter from her old BFF calling her back as something has been discovered.
The story is told by a series of flashbacks between the present day and Twenty-five years.
This is a mystery with a touch of second chance romance. Joanna is haunted by something which happened then, the story of which is gradually revealed. She is also coming to terms with what caused her and her old BFF to acrimoniously past ways all those years ago, along with a decision she had to make about her future career. A suspenseful story that kept me guessing all the way through on what happened all those years ago.
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley, however this did not influence my review of the book.

[Maria Angela A Meireles P · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the book, Phillipa Nefri Clark tells us the story of Joanna, Roslyn and Lucas. Joanna and Roslyn are best friends, and they share a dream of working in fashion design and commercialization. Then, Lucas moves to Rivers End, a beach place in Victoria, Australia. There is a row between Joanna and Roslyn. Joanna, without thinking straight and not talking to either Roslyn or Lucas, decides to move to Queensland. The row takes a long time to get understood. They lost their friendship. Will they solve their problems? You must read the book. It is lovely. And there is a plus: I very much like fish with red wine, so I was so happy to learn that Joanna and her date were having fish and chips with red wine on Rivers End Beach!

[Antonia Mancinelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful book. If given the chance I would read this again. It is a love story wrapped up in learning how to move forward in ones life, with forgiveness in ones heart. This story has all of that and more.
This story is about a young woman named Joanna. One day she ran from her home town the Willow Bay. Why you might ask, well she had a very dark secret that she was keeping locked inside of her heart. That is until she received a mysterious letter. Now she has to go back and face what she left back in Willow Bay. That would also mean for her the love of her life and her best friend that she left behind when she ran, does she stand a chance of ever getting him back?

Thank you NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the early read!

[Vicki F · Rating 5 out of 5]

From page one of the prologue Phillipa Nefri Clark had me on the edge of my seat with the suspense in The Secrets of Willow Bay. The suspense did not let up until the end. What was Joanna running from? What had she seen? Would he come after her?

What had happened in the 20 plus years since she had moved away? And why did her former friend send for her.... something important about 'that night'?

Wonderful characters, resolutions, and forgiveness plus a side of romance.

Releases Jan. 21st. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

[Sue Sykes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book, it’s the 4th book of the Temple River series and is about friendship, misunderstanding, finding and a little bit of mystery thrown in. The story is about Joanna and her friendship with Roslyn. Joanna has been away from Willow Bay for years when she receives a letter that draws her back there where she begins to try and solve the mystery that made her leave, she meets her first love again and comes face to face with her friend Roslyn who was also the other part of the reason she left. Will the mystery be solved ? And can lost friendship and love be reunited ?
Lovely read and as always my thanks to NetGalley and publisher Storm Publishing

[Jessica Wilczynski · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️ Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for an advanced copy of The Secrets Of Willow Bay.

Joanna receives a letter from her ex best friend telling her that she needs to return home because they have found wreckage from a yacht and she believes Joanna knows what happened. Joanna was betrayed by her best friend all those years ago but knows she has to confront her past. When she arrives home she realizes that not everything was what it seemed all those years ago.

This is part of a series but can be read as a standalone. I liked the characters and the storyline. Some parts felt a little dragged out but overall I enjoyed the book!

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Secrets of Willow Bay by Phillipa Nefri Clark begins with a mystery that has profound influence on the characters in the story twenty-five years later. It catches your attention, holding it as you read to find out all of the secrets being kept by some in Willow Bay.

For Joanna Johnson this is an emotional journey as she returns to Rivers End. As is usual in this author’s books, the characters do not know all of the past only what they witnessed and through their perspective, meaning it isn’t until it is all put together is it full understood. Character focused with a smart plot that will captivate the reader.

[Cozy Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is next in series and a wonderful addition to the series. Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for the opportunity. My review opinions are my own.
After a 25 year absence Joanne returns to her beautiful bay side home when a letter summons her back. She is determined to stop running from her memories of what happened long ago and solve a mystery that is haunting her. Along her journey she finds wonderful community, friendships and renewed sense of life.

This was a lovely story of redemption, courage to start over and new beginnings. .I loved the characters, the setting and the well crafted story. Well done to the author.

[bookloverjb123 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This book had me captivated right from the beginning. The author weaves the story between past and present which is very effective. This book is all about the mystery, history and a little romance thrown into a small coastal town.

The past may not be Joanna’s favorite place but can she mend fences and make things right in the present? All the while trying to figure out the mystery of the past?

A very emotional read and one I could not put down. 5 star read.