Summer Secrets at Streamside Cottage

by Samantha Tonge

A new start can come from the most unexpected places... It's been years since Lizzie Lockhart spoke to her parents. But she was safe in the knowledge she knew everything about them. Once upon a time, they were as close as could be. Until they weren't. After receiving the earth-shattering news of their passing, Lizzie decides it's time to unearth some family secrets and find out just who her parents really were... starting with Streamside Cottage. A cottage Lizzie never knew existed, in a place she's never heard the beautiful English village of Leafton. Leaving behind London, and the tattoo parlour she called home, Lizzie finds herself moving to the countryside. Faced with a tight-lipped community, who have secrets of their own, Lizzie is at a loss for what to do, until her rather handsome neighbour, Ben, steps in to help. As Lizzie finally begins to piece together the puzzle of her family history she realises she has to confront the truth of the past in order to face her future.

Genres: Chick Lit, Fiction, Contemporary

352 pages, Paperback

Published August 1, 2021

About the author

Samantha Tonge lives in Manchester UK with her husband and children. She studied German and French at university and has worked abroad, including a stint at Disneyland Paris. She has travelled widely.
When not writing she passes her days cycling, baking and drinking coffee. Samantha has sold many dozens of short stories to women’s magazines.
She is represented by the Darley Anderson literary agency. In 2013, she landed a publishing deal for romantic comedy fiction with HQDigital at HarperCollins. In 2015 her summer novel, Game of Scones, hit #5 in the UK Kindle chart and won the Love Stories Awards Best Romantic Ebook category. In 2018 Forgive Me Not, heralded a new direction into darker women's fiction with publisher Canelo and in 2020 her novel Knowing You won the RNA's Jackie Collins Romantic Thriller Award.

http://samanthatonge.co.uk/

Reviews

[Toni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Samantha Tonge is my favourite authors, so when I heard her new book is about to be published I was very excited.

The sunshine and blue skies on this gorgeous cover look so sweet and invting that if I asked you what the book is about, you'd never guess it is about dark secrets and digging in the family past. Lizzie is a tattoo artist. She is passionate about her work which more often than not requires empathy and a deeper understanding of her clients' state of mind. She also needs to be focused and concentrated. Something that is difficult to do when your aunt arrives to give you the worst kind of news- Lizzie's parents, from whom she has been estranged for five years, have passed away.

They left Streamside Cottage in Leafton, a tiny picturesque village, to Lizzie's aunt, who cannot even bear the very mention of this property. It appears that Lizzie's parents let an agency deal with renting it out and kept it secret for years and years. But why? Lizzie decides to investigate and what she finds out completely changes her world.

I really enjoyed learning fun facts about tattoos. Every chapter begins with one of them, which of course propmted me to do more research, which in turn helped me understand better Lizzie's fascination with her chosen medium of art. We get glimpses from the past - Lizzie's relationship with her strict parents. Subconsciously Lizzie has always known that there was something off, some secrets (and what secrets they were!). Had her parents made different choices, Lizzie would have grown up having a closer relationship with them.

Small towns and villages make such a great setting for a novel of this kind. People remember things from long time ago, but are often reluctant to talk. Keep reading and you will understand that they are sweet and kind neighbours and Leafton is a lovely community, although the pace of life is indeed very different from London.

Samantha's trademark writing style makes it very easy to follow this intriguing story. I'm sure fans of this versatile author are going to be delighted with this new book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Aria for the review copy provided in exchange for an honest opinion.

[Dash fan · Rating 5 out of 5]

5☆ A Page Turning Gem! Not to be Missed!

Summer Secrets at Streamside Cottage is an Engrossing and Enthralling Read, filled with secrets, drama, intrigue and mystery, and I loved it!

First of all I have to mention how much I adored all the Tattoo references at the beginning of the chapters. Especially fitting as the main character is a tattoo artist. I was also excited as I'm finally, after having it cancelled 3xs, due to lockdown going to get my second tattoo! 🥰

OK back to the story, Lizzie has just found out her parents have died in a tragic accident. We're quick to find out that she had a very estranged relationship with her parents but no mention as to why.

So fast forward and the funeral has been and gone and now she is finding out that her parents were hiding a fair amount from her.
One name pops up and that's Streamside Cottage that is left to her Aunt Fiona!

Lizzie's curiosity gets the better of her so she sets out to Leafton, to rent out Streamside Cottage for a lil while to see if she can discover her parents secrets, get some answers and maybe get some inspiration to tattoo again!

But is Leafton all it appears to be?
The residents are a close knit community, where everyone knows everything. But people are very quick to say nothing, when it comes to Streamside Cottage.
Can Lizzie get the answers she so desperately seeks? Will she keep Taz her adorable kitten who she saves? Will she become romantically involved with the devilishly handsome postman Ben?
I guess you will just have to read it to find out 😏

Once again Samantha Tonge has written another Page Turning Gem!
I adore her books and know that whenever I pick one up I'm guaranteed an Enthralling and Compelling Plot, with juicy twists, Endearing and Loveable Characters and a Picturesque Location, and Summer Secrets at Streamside Cottage ticks every single box!



Thank you to Rachel Random Resources and Aria Fiction for this copy which I reviewed honestly and voluntarily.






You can Find this Review and all my Other Reviews on My Blog :-

https://dashfan81.blogspot.com/2021/0...

[DJ Sakata · Rating 5 out of 5]

Favorite Quotes:

‘You’re talking to the person who a couple of years ago dabbled with online dating. I lied about my birth date to register. A woman asked me to send her a dirty picture.’ He covered his eyes with his hands. ‘I sent her a photo of me in my muddy cricket kit.’

I’ll buy us a big palace and they won’t have to work. We can eat all the chocolate we want and I’ll only wear clothes covered in glitter.

Have you never made a mistake? One you spent years wishing you could take back? Because if you haven’t already, believe me, it’s just a matter of time.


My Review:

I count sixteen books listed on Amazon for this crafty wordsmith and though I’d love to read them all, I’ve only gotten to four of those so far. While I have enjoyed each of those four, this one is definitely my favorite to date. There was a perfect balance of wit, family drama, villainy, curiosity arousing mystery, tragedy, and a budding romance for a young woman at a major life crossroads while uncovering long-buried family secrets. Ms. Tonge’s writing was smooth, lushly detailed, easy to fall into, and continuously engaging while shrewdly paced. She relentlessly poked at my inquisitive nature and had me fit to burst before finally revealing the well-contained family secrets, and there were several unexpected yet quite cleverly plotted outcomes. What a wily minx!

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well this is the first time I've seen a tattoo artist as a main character. I learned something about tattoos here - especially since I've had no exposure to them. Lizzie is the main character, and when her parents died she learned of a cottage they owned - Streamside Cottage, so she went to stay there to find out more about it. She gets a little more than she bargained for when her stay lengthens and she uncovers family secrets. Did she really know her parents? There's a little romance in the picture as well.

An interesting book and a good plot. I enjoyed the story and liked the quirky, independent Lizzie. This was well-written and kept my attention throughout. I'd be happy to recommend it to friends.

Thanks to Aria & Aries through Netgalley for an advance copy.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great read from established author, Tonge, and I hope it won’t be my last. The beautiful, inviting cover makes the setting appear as idyllic as it sounds. Take a trip to Leafton and you won’t be disappointed.

The theme of this story is secrets. Lizzie believes there is more to the estranged relationship she held with her late parents and, after grief sees self-doubt creep in, Lizzie temporarily moves to Leafton for a break away from her busy norm. However, Streamside Cottage, owned by her parents for many years, seems to have its own history. Lizzie cannot understand why her parents remained detached from such a beautiful location and starts to uncover family history that she was completely unaware of. Along the way, Lizzie makes many friends in the village and realises that perhaps her life in London was not as fulfilling as she had realised.

Chapters do switch to the past, allowing readers to gain an insight into Lizzie’s relationship with her then-boyfriend and what caused the strain between her and her parents. We see a very different Lizzie to the present-day version as readers witness how much Lizzie was influenced (and controlled) by her parents and their decisions. The scenes where we watch the argument between Lizzie and her parents were considerably heart-breaking but made the present-day narrative so much more meaningful. I could not imagine the heart-ache that Lizzie experienced after such harsh words were exchanged and could really sympathise with her frustration and loneliness.

However, whilst you may think that this premise means the book is too similar to other stories, then think again! Lizzie’s occupation as a tattoo artist follows her to Leafton and I did laugh at the covert tattooing that Lizzie finds herself doing to the villagers. It allows Lizzie to express herself and realise she does miss this aspect of life that is left behind in London. Furthermore, Tonge opens each chapter with a tattoo fact – leading me to get highly distracted and do some cheeky internet searches as a result! I thought this was a great addition to the novel, especially as I tried to work out the link between the fact and the chapter’s content.

Lizzie is a likeable, vivid character who has been scarred by her past. The friends she meets at Leafton and the adoption of Taz, the cat, means she finds it difficult to not establish herself in this quaint village. Whilst Lizzie has inklings that her parents may have been hidings things from her, I liked the emphasis that Tong puts on Streamside Cottage and, despite the beautiful location, it appears to have a history as well. Therefore, it is as if Lizzie is the catalyst and, through her investigations, brings past and present together.

I really enjoyed this summery read from Tong and thought it provided lovely escapism. This is a great beach read and I liked watching Lizzie evolve over the story. I could intricately picture Streamside Cottage, hear the babbling waters at the bottom of the garden, and found myself wishing that I too, could join Lizzie in Leafton.

With thanks to Aria books, NetGalley and Rachel’s Random Resources for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Jessica Redland · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m a bit of a sucker for a novel with the word ‘secrets’ in the title – such an evocative word – and I love Samantha Tonge’s writing so I was pretty sure a combination of the two would be fabulous. And it was.

Our heroine is Lizzie Lockhart, a tattoo artist, who has been estranged from her parents for quite some time although we don’t initially know why. When she receives the news that they’ve both died, she’s full of regrets that they never made their peace and now it’s too late.

Lizzie is surprised to discover that her parents’ estate included a secret property: Streamside Cottage in the pretty village of Leafton. It’s been left to her auntie but when her auntie isn’t forthcoming with information, Lizzie takes out a summer rental in the hope of finding out why her parents owned the cottage … and why they kept it from her.

There were so many things I loved about this story. I loved Lizzie as a character, how she was willing to stand up for herself and be the person she wanted to be and how the cottage and village gradually got under her skin. I loved the gorgeous village of Leafton and the interesting cast of characters living there, some welcoming and some not so much. I loved the steady reveal of the back story. And I loved the secrets and mysteries that ran through the book. That was probably my favourite aspect. I think it’s natural to try and guess what might be coming and I couldn’t even begin to speculate at a couple of points and went down dead ends at others. The final reveal was strong and satisfying.

Another thing I loved about this book was that I learned a few things. There are short facts at the start of each chapter that I really enjoyed but the whole story made me pause to think about the many different reasons why people have tattoos and how very personal their stories can be.

A delicious story full of mystery, intrigue and hope with a gorgeous romantic thread running through it. Loved it.

I was granted access to an early review copy of this book via NetGalley which has not in any way influenced or biased my opinions.

[Rachel Gilbey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well I think I've learnt more than I ever thought possible about tattoos over the course of the book, in part due to the really interesting snippets of information that have placed at the start of each chapter.

And the various artworks and reasons behind people getting tattoos was definitely food for thought, and I'm very relieved to say that for a book that features a tattoo artist as its main character, there is very little mention of needles, given I absolutely hate them.

From the moment Lizzie hears about and arrives at Streamside Cottage I had the feeling there was something being concealed. There is definitely a truth to discover and despite coming up with many half hearted theories I was completely surprised once the secrets were revealed.

And suddenly with them, it makes various character behaviours over the course of book make that little bit more sense.

Throughout the book we are treated to scenes from Lizzie's past, which explain her rather strict upbringing, and just why it is she had been estranged from her parents at the time of their death. They felt so very real, that I could completely believe everything they did in relation to Lizzie's upbringing.

I loved Leafton, what a gorgeous little village with a very friendly community. I felt right at home in this setting, and the story kept me reading and when I was taking a break from the book for real life things, I was thinking about Streamside Cottage and trying to puzzle out the truth.

Another excellent story from Samantha Tonge who just keeps on showing her versatility in recent years from the more romance / rom-com sorts of stories, to her wonderful darker grittier womens fiction titles, and this one which felt like far more of a middle ground and no less impressive as a result.

Thank you to Aria and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

[Katie Ginger · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a huge Samantha Tonge fan and loved The Winter We Met. Now I have to decide which one's my new favourite!

This book features a fabulously individual main character, a mystery-filled plot, and real, heart-felt emotion. I was absolutely gripped and whizzed through this book in record time desperate to know what the mystery was. At one point I actually made myself do some housework just so I wouldn't finish it too quickly! Trust me, that never happens. And when I thought I knew what was going to happen, I was wrong!

Summer Secrets at Streamside Cottage is an unputdownable read filled with family secrets and of course, romance. Definitely one not to be missed!

[Jaimie Admans · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. Wow, wow, wow, wow, wow! I adore Samantha Tonge's books and this is the best one yet! I was hooked from the very beginning. Every night I had to force myself to put my Kindle down and not stay up reading until the early hours.

Masterfully plotted and brilliantly written. I tried to work out what the big secret would be all the way through, I'm usually quite good at guessing twists, but I never even came close to guessing it! This is the kind of book that makes you want to go back and read it again once you know, just so you can pick up all the tiny clues that were perfectly slipped in along the way! 

As a lover of tattoos, I loved that aspect of the story. The main character being a tattoo artist is something I'd never seen before, and I loved all the tattoo facts at the start of each chapter, it really added to the story.

Memorable characters, mysteries and family secrets to be uncovered, an adorable kitten, and a beautiful cottage that was a character in itself. I wish it was real so I could visit Leafton and the gorgeous Streamside Cottage! Such a wonderful, warm, and heartfelt novel that had me in floods of tears by the end. An absolutely unputdownable story that will stay with me for a very long time. Easily the best book I've read so far this year!

[Julie Morris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of books start off with a character being jolted out of their current life and into a new situation but few people have such a shocking and dramatic change as Lizzie does at the beginning of Summer Secrets at Streamside Cottage. What could possibly persuade a London-based tattoo artist to move to a tiny cottage in a rural setting, and how on earth will she fit it when she does? Was there ever a more fish-out-of-water scenario to open a book?

Well, finding out how this can all possibly work out is the joy of this book, and Samantha does a fantastic job of unfurling a convincing story out of this implausible scenario and making it all make sense. There are family secrets lurking in the walls of Streamside Cottage and Lizzie is determined to weed them out and try and make sense of why she became estranged from her over-protective parents, and why some villagers in Leafdon are so reluctant to talk about the past of Streamside Cottage.

Wrapping up an intriguing mystery with an exploration of family dynamics and what it really means to love and lose another person, this book has so much to offer to a range of different readers. It also seemed early on that the story might have a touch of the paranormal about it, until it took a very different direction. The story jumps backwards and forwards to different points in Lizzie’s life, so you have to pay quite keen attention to the headings at the beginning of each chapter to check what point you are at at any given time or the story won’t make sense, and the time jumps are not linear, but if you do that, the story will flow quite easily. I did have an inkling fairly early on as to what part of the secret might be, but this did not detract from my enjoyment of the book as I was eager to find out if I was right – and the answer was – not 100%!

I loved the fact that Lizzie was a tattoo artist – not something you come across often as a profession in a novel – and Samantha has included a little fact at the beginning of each chapter about tattoos, which tied in with events in that chapter. I found myself googling some of the things she referred to, I was so interested. She had obviously done a lot of research, and it was something Lizzie is very passionate about in the book. After living for 10 years with someone who has a bit of a tattoo addiction and having watched him add to them, I understand how meaningful they can be, and how much thought goes in to them, and this really came across in the writing here.

The storyline of the book is quite complex and dark, and the writing doesn’t shy away from this. I actually found myself in tears close to the end, so this may not be the light and fluffy read people come to expect from this type of fiction. However, this is something that appeals to me, I like the fact that romance novels can address some very personal and intense topics in an accessible way and I think people often underestimate this about the genre. This novel offers the reader a lot to think about during the read, and proved very satisfying.

This is a meaty read from Samantha Tonge, and will be enjoyed by anyone who loves a romance novel that they can get their teeth into.

[Elaine - Splashes Into Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a riveting read! Family, secrets, broken memories and dreams all play key roles in this moving family drama. It is a fabulous story of love and loss, momentous events and family history, skilfully weaving flashbacks of past events alongside current ones as Elizabeth (Lizzie) Lockhart discovers that the parents she thought she knew so well had secrets but, following their untimely death, it is up to Lizzie to uncover them if she can.

Lizzie has been estranged from her parents for several years and the reasons for this are slowly revealed through the story. When both parents are killed in a tragic accident, their legacy includes several properties which Lizzie knew nothing about, including Streamside Cottage in the small village of Leafton. Traumatised by her parents’ deaths, Lizzie rents that cottage in an attempt to find out what was so special about it. She feels strangely at home there, especially as the local postman, Ben, proves to be so helpful. However, the close-knit community seems reluctant to share information regarding her parents but, like pieces of a complex jigsaw, the revelations start to build into a picture of the past, a picture that has Lizzie rethinking everything about relationships and family as well as her possible future.

This is another fantastic, emotive page-turner from this highly talented author. There’s a lovely kitten in need of rescuing, new friendships and rekindled memories all adding to the mix, making this an unputdownable read. Personally, I just had to keep reading to discover the family secrets and just what the mystery was – and I really hadn’t foreseen it! I have also learnt about tattoos and tattooists through reading about Lizzie – I’d not considered many of the reasons shared for having them, either. If you enjoy family dramas with mystery and romance, make sure you don’t miss this superb read.

Thank you to Aria and NetGalley for my copy of this book which I have voluntarily read and honestly reviewed.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read and enjoyed a few of Samantha’s books. I love the way in which she writes such heart warming and funny feel good stories. I read the synopsis of ‘Summer Secrets At Streamside Cottage’ and it certainly sounded like another corker of a read. Well it certainly was that and so much more. I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘Summer Secrets At Streamside Cottage’ but more about that in a bit.
As soon as I started reading ‘Summer Secrets At Streamside Cottage’ I knew that I was going to be in for a treat and so it proved. I picked the book up only intending to make a start on it and read a couple of chapters to fill in half an hour but I ended up becoming so wrapped up in the story that I was still sat there reading over an hour and several chapters later. I wasn’t able to read the book over the course of a day because things like life got in the way but any spare time I had, I rushed to get back to this amazing story. I found ‘Summer Secrets At Streamside Cottage’ to be an enchanting and fun read, which held my interest throughout.
‘Summer Secrets At Streamside Cottage’ is really well written. Samantha certainly knows how to create truly lovable characters and she describes them so well that they seem just as real as you and I. For me this story hit the ground running and maintained a gentle pace throughout. I love the way in which Samantha tackles some difficult subjects but she does so in such a compassionate and sensitive way. I felt as though I was part of the story and that is all thanks to Samantha’s very vivid and realistic storytelling.
In short, I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘Summer Secrets At Streamside Cottage’ and I would recommend it to other readers. I will certainly be reading more of Samantha’s work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 4* out of 5*.

[Suzi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Didn’t think this was my kind of book at all from the cover, but I was actually pleasantly surprised. A good holiday read I think it’s a light mystery.

[Susan Buchanan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it. Romance mixed with mystery. The secrets the cottage held kept me hooked until the end.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having read some of those early romances, I’ll admit I was perhaps expecting this book to be a little lighter – but that’s in no way a complaint, because I thoroughly enjoyed the way the author blended dark secrets and thriller elements into this excellent story.

After an over-protected – loving, but a little stifling – upbringing, Lizzie has struck out on her own, training as a tattoo artist, a job she really loves. She’s become estranged from her parents, but their loss in a tragic accident hits her hard – and when she discovers that they owned a property in the village of Leafton that she didn’t know about, left to her aunt in their will, she decides to visit for a while with no particular plan other than to try to understand a little more about the parents she thought she knew so well. The cottage is a little neglected, but she takes solace in its beautiful natural setting – the woodlands, the river, all beautifully and vividly described – and is welcomed by the community, finding a particular friend in postman Ben, along with a nice frisson of attraction. But she’s no closer to understanding why her parents kept the place a secret, although she does uncover all kinds of other details about the cottage’s past.

At first, I was expecting a touch of the supernatural – some of the stories she uncovered seemed to be leading that way. But then – and it’s beautifully led up to – the secrets she really wanted to uncover begin tumbling from the woodwork, and the whole book moved in a direction I never expected. And it’s so well handled – that steady drip as the truth becomes clearer, the glimpses of her past life fed into the narrative, the real surprises as the full story slowly emerges.

At the book’s centre, Lizzie is superbly drawn, and very likeable – independent, a little quirky, passionate about her art and the future she’s chosen – and I really liked the way her character fleshed out as the story unwound, with those early glimpses of her former life and her increasing understanding of the difference between wrapping in love and over-protection. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book where tattooing played such a prominent part either – small facts beginning each chapter, relevant to what follows, that I found simply fascinating – and there’s some really well developed detail about an art that’s often misunderstood and the reasons why people might choose that particular adornment.

The story that emerges is dark and unexpected, but the whole book is particularly well balanced – there’s lightness and humour too, a slow-burning and believable romance, and a lot of warmth in the character interactions. It’s certainly a page turner – and I rather enjoyed the fact that it almost encouraged me to draw my own conclusions about the way the story was going, only to find that I was far wide of the mark. That’s really clever writing – and it certainly kept me on my toes, and rather on the edge of my seat. The final revelations might have been a surprise, but were wholly consistent and believable with the way the story unfolded.

Very different and original, I thoroughly enjoyed this one – and I’ll definitely look forward to reading more from Samantha Tonge.

[Yvonne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my goodness what a fabulous read Summer Secrets at Streamside Cottage was. Lizzie discovers her parents owned a cottage when their will is read. The cottage is left to her Aunt Fiona, Lizzie knows nothing about the house.

The village of Leafton has that wonderful community feel and Lizzie feels at home after living in the buzz of London. She had led quite a sheltered childhood as her parents were overly protective, and I mean really over the top protective. Leaving home to go to Uni was an ey opener and this led to her starting to stand on her own two feet causing a rift between daughter and parents. Staying in the secretive property will give Lizzie a chance to find out more about her past and parents. But are the locals of the village willing to share their secrets?

This is such a wonderful read that I absolutely adored from the first few paragraphs. It is told in a now and past format, the way the past is told works well with the Now part of the story. It is told in gradual back steps through the years and links in with Lizzie's discoveries. There are more secrets to be unearthed than the obvious and these cause more than a few emotional discoveries and admissions for some of the characters.

I really liked how the author used a tattooist as the main protagonist. Even though tattoos are more accepted there is still a stigma attached. It would have been easy to give Lizzie a harder time as she does have artwork adorning her skin, but the author went down a more acceptable route and I liked how it was woven into the story with explanations. I am slightly biased about tattoos as I do have three of my own.

The sense of things being secretive and hidden was wonderful, at times with the sense that there was something much deeper to come. Weaving the locals and their stories into the story of Lizzie was a really good way of adding intrigue. While the locals are supportive there is a feeling that there is more that needs to be told.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story, it is one of family and accepting the past, of heartbreaking discoveries. While it is a rom-com and it has a nice romantic thread, this feels more serious as there are some more serious issues that are dealt with. It is one for those who like a romance with a touch more suspense to it and it is one I would definitely recommend.

[Katherine Hayward Pérez · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Lizzie's parents die, she finds out they never told her a lot of things, and that includes that they had a property, Streamside Cottage.

Lizzie decides to stay at the house and little by little discovers her parents' and family's, secrets along the way. I have reviewed a lot of books with a plot where a family death leads to a character going back home or to where their parents lived and uncovering past secrets along the way.

It is a plotline I always enjoy but it usually follows the same type of route.

This is not so with Summer Secrets at Streamside Cottage. In her latest novel, Samantha Tonge has created an entirely unique character in Lizzie and the most surprising thing about her is her job. She is a tattoo artist. I have only had a henna tattoo or a stick-on tattoo in my life and I personally would not get a real one, but I know that for some people tattoos are a way of showing what they have been through in life. I thought it was a very interesting job for her to have and that it, for me, tied in well with the discovery of secrets because you also don't know what peoples' tattoos represent unless they tell you.

I got a good insight into the job this way.

I was very eager to find out about the house and something else that was unique was the fact that Lizzie did not even know that the house existed. This was a great plot twist, since in other novels characters are often aware that a property exists or it is at least a second home or a holiday home. I felt that there were so many secrets for Lizzie to discover.

Who were her parents really?

This novel really begs the question: do we really know our parents? And how much do we really get to know those close to us?

The conflicts and relationships in the book were realistic and the setting was excellently portrayed.

How will Lizzie's search go? Will she find the answers she is looking for and the closure she needs to move on? Will she find love?

I adore Samantha Tonge's books and have now reviewed them all. I am thrilled to have an ARC of her latest. Thanks to Samantha Tonge and Aria & Aries for my ARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.

5 stars

[Grass monster · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Blurb :
A new start can come from the most unexpected places...
It's been years since Lizzie Lockhart spoke to her parents. But she was safe in the knowledge she knew everything about them. Once upon a time, they were as close as could be. Until they weren't.
After receiving the earth-shattering news of their passing, Lizzie decides it's time to unearth some family secrets and find out just who her parents really were... starting with Streamside Cottage. A cottage Lizzie never knew existed, in a place she's never heard of: the beautiful English village of Leafton.
Leaving behind London, and the tattoo parlour she called home, Lizzie finds herself moving to the countryside. Faced with a tight-lipped community, who have secrets of their own, Lizzie is at a loss for what to do, until her rather handsome neighbour, Ben, steps in to help.
As Lizzie finally begins to piece together the puzzle of her family history she realises she has to confront the truth of the past in order to face her future.

My Thoughts :
Always a big fan of Samantha Tonge’s work, so was pleased to see another new release.
We meet Lizzie Lockhart. Sadly Lizzie had not spoken to her parents for many years.
when she learns of their passing in a swimming accident she wishes things were different and finds out not only secrets they kept from her but that they also owned Streamside Cottage in the small village of Leafton, which has been left to her Aunt Fiona. Lizzie knew nothing about the cottage and decides she should go and visit and see if she can learn anything more about her parents.
The neighbours are all very close there and it seems no one is willing to talk or tell her anything about her parents.
When Lizzie meets handsome postman Ben, she starts to feel at home and comfortable with him. She feels he can help her put some pieces together and maybe get some answers.
I loved watching their relationship develop throughout the story.
This was a delight to read, such a feel good, heart warming story. Lizzie was a delight to read about and she felt like a real friend. Lots of mystery, tragedy and new beginnings to be had.
Top writing again from Samantha Tonge and looking forward to her next book.

[Adele · Rating 5 out of 5]

You know you've read a good story when you get to the end and are gutted there's no more. This is literally how I felt with Summer Secrets at Streamside Cottage. However, author Samantha Tonge, had me so absorbed by this story I feel as if I could continue and imagine what comes next for the characters I've grown to love.

Lizzie has had quite a sheltered upbringing with loving but over protective parents but when she goes off to university Lizzie's eyes are opened to lots of new opportunities. When Lizzie's path takes a different direction to the one her parents had mapped out relations between parent and child becomes very strained. Several years have now passed and Lizzie receives devastating news of the death of her parents. She later learns of a property their parents kept hidden from her and wonders what others secrets were boxed up?

Determined to find out the mystery of the property in the country Lizzie decides to stay in the cottage for a month with the hope the walls wills help reveal the life her parents had.

Samantha Tonge has written a modern day family saga filled with mystery and intrigue, tragedy and longing, forgiveness and new beginnings. I was so absorbed in Lizzie's journey for the truth but I was also falling in love with this new temporary life Lizzie had stepped into. The cottage sounded so idyllic but also a little like stepping in a time warp as time left like it had stood still within the walls. Lizzie's character was very warm and friendly and you soon become invested for her happiness.

Streamside Cottage charmed me but also the village and it's residents welcomed me with open arms. The storyline was very emotive and tragic at times with a loss so great I felt overwhelmed with my emotions.

A wonderfully spun story of the struggles of life, love, acceptance and new beginnings.

[Hannah Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first thing that caught me was that it was going to based during Summer, I'm loving these books at the moment, especially when we get the crazy weather we've had recently - I mean snow!!?

Anyway, I digress! I really enjoyed this book, it had a lot of hidden depths that I really wasn't expecting and a few twists and reveals that were big surprises. The 'Secrets' element of the title definitely came true! When I first read about the accidental death of Lizzie's parents and especially Aunt Fiona's reaction, I had a sense that something wasn't quite as it seemed, and it seemed more than just about the current estrangement.

I really liked the character of Lizzie, such a brave character being able to stand up for her own views and standing by her decisions even when things didn't seem to be panning out the way she'd imagined. Despite me not being brave enough to get a tattoo, this book was full of loads of interesting facts and definitely made me more intrigued about tattoo art. Her drawings also gave me Wrendale vibes, bringing nature to life in such a lovely way, I could just imagine being sat down by the cottage stream with a big mug of tea and a book!

When Lizzie started investigating her past and searching the cottage I got so sucked in, I wanted to know what she was going to find and how things would develop. Like I said, I could not have guessed the actual ending but I absolutely loved it and it fitted in completely.

This book really grabbed me and not just because of the secrets and reveals, I'm making it sound a bit like a drama book but I would stick with it being women's fiction. I mean as soon as you meet the neighbourly postman you'll know what I mean ;)

[Steph Lawrence · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely gorgeous book!
Oh my gosh, just go read it. A fabulous story that drew me in and wouldn’t let me go.
Definitely not one to miss out on.
Tattooist Lizzie has been a bit of a disappointment to her parents, who were rich businesspeople. After a childhood of fabulous lavish overseas holidays, she doesn’t want to follow in her parent’s footsteps. She wants to study art.
Following her parent’s untimely deaths Lizzie learns of a secret property that’s been left to her Auntie, Streamside Cottage. Her Auntie is tight-lipped about the details and just wants it sold. It’s always been a rental property, so Lizzie moves from the city to the countryside and rents it for herself hoping to delve into why it was a secret that her parents never told her about.
The village setting where Streamside Cottage was located was beautiful. I visualised it so well I felt like I was there.
I loved the handsome neighbour Ben. They had a good connection from the first meeting.
She digs into the history of the cottage and learns family secrets from the past.
We learn of things that went on that explain quite a bit about why Lizzie wasn’t talking to her parents anymore. At the time I sided with Lizzie, but as I learned more throughout the story I began to understand her parents viewpoint.
It was actually quite a gritty story rather than a traditional romcom.
And I learned a lot about tattoos, even enough to consider one.
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[Corinne Rodrigues · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve never read a book about a tattoo artist and I was eager to find out more about this profession. The beautiful cover of the book also drew me in. As I mentioned at the start of this post I was very surprised with this story of love, loss, forgiving, finding acceptance and moving on.

Secrets have a way of coming to haunt you or the people you love and leave behind. Having been estranged from her parents and then finding a family secret, leaves Lizzie grappling with it all. But there’s a certain comfort that she finds among some new friends and a cat in the quaint village of Leafton !

I found the author’s style of storytelling very easy and I was immediately drawn into the story, the setting and being able to identify with some of the characters. The book is has greatly relatable characters and Lizzy herself is a very sincere, loveable character, who has managed to carve a life for herself despite her the somewhat over bearing and over protective parents.

Summer Secrets at Streamside Cottage makes a good read with a great storyline – family, community, secrets, mystery and romance – and great characters.

I’m looking out for more books from this author.

[Christine Davies · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lizzie is a tattoo artist who loves the artistry involved in her work. Coming from a family where academia is so important, she has fallen out with her parents. Her parents die & so much infornation comes to the surface about her past life that she wants to explore. Streamside cottage is a house her parents owned but Lizzie never knew. Follow her through voyage of discovery.
I like all the characters in this book, especailly Jill. Samantha Tonge writes about you, me & your neighbour & it's so easy to read. Great reading about the tattoo process & I'm definately having one for my next milestone birthday. Loose yourself in this lovely book & enjoy!

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book which was full of surprises. I now know more about the art of tattooing than I did before and found it unexpectedly interesting. Of course, this isn't the main story, but that too leaves the reader full of surprises. As Lizzie tries to unravel the secrets of the past, it doesn't unravel as she or the reader might expect. The twist isn't overly contrived but comes as a shock nonetheless. A story that will grab you and make you keep on reading. Definitely one for the summer.

[Kim · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a bad read but not exactly...plausible. A very strange story overall. The tattoo bits were a bit over the top. So was the preachy comment about keeping the kitten inside the house.

It was a fast read at least.

My copy was provided by NetGalley for review

[Janine · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable read.

[Vicky · Rating 2 out of 5]

3.5 it was good but slow at the start

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not done yet, just prelim thoughts before I forget them:

- Overall vibe is great, love the small-town feel and dip into nature appreciation, positivity and friendship, as opposed to the protagonist's oppressive past and London's noise. Love that.

- Love that the lead is a tattoo artist and we eventually get to see her practice that craft on the page. Lovely departure from the bakers/bookshop owners we're used to seeing in this genre.

- The plot revolves around a great big mystery, which I have a pretty good gist of about halfway through the book and it's honestly a bit of a letdown. Writing a mystery at all is difficult, I complete understand that - and the difference between keeping the reader in suspense and revealing too much is hair-thin - but if there's enough clues for the reader to figure it out, the protagonist needs to as well, otherwise they come across dumb as a box of rocks.

- The love story is weird (with 100 pages to go). The main past relationship seems incredibly nurturing and well-balanced, but throughout the book is seeded with references to the "big break-up" and the "big fight" that sunk that ship. Only, when the book gets around to it, it honestly isn't that bad? I mean, they could have just, you know, talked it out? Should one fight sink a 7(?) year relationship? And then trying to forcefully make the reader believe that there's attraction between lead and the new guy, when the chemistry is nowhere near as good? Nah.

Edit, since I've finished:

- Yep, most of my theory was correct, which caused much annoyance at the way the latter half of the book is written. To be entirely fair, I'm reading this with a friend in our own tiny book club and she didn't over-analyse every detail the way I did and enjoyed the book more because of it. We did agree on the lack of chemistry between prot and new guy, though.

- Again, to be entirely fair, the chemistry did improve in the last 50-70 pages, but those same pages are used to gaslight the reader into liking the parents and I will not have it. They treated Lizzie absolutely awful and no, I will not excuse them. Especially when the author uses every trick in the telenovella to try and force sympathy. No, not having it. Especially not having the little fairytale twist with the resolution of the ´terrible secret´. No no no.

I'm ambivalent about it. This may be the first time I've adored a book's vibe and feel, but hated large sections of the plot. Not hated because it's terrible (though some details really are), but hated because it tried to be unpredictable and fresh and in the end went full purple prose. Don't get your inspiration from Dynasty, please, for the love of ...

[Paola · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! Right from the start it grabs you and doesn't let go. I went through a myriad of emotions as the story progressed. I cannot believe that her parents never spoke of Rose to Elizabeth after what happened! I guess her being ripped away from them all was so traumatic that her brain blocked out her memories of her? Honestly I don't know. What I do know is that her parents really went to extremes to "protect" Elizabeth and made some really poor choices. Especially after that party. Cutting off contact with her to "protect" her mother was ridiculous and her father was such a coward for letting it go on until nothing could be done. His letter was too little and way too late. Also, the fact that they pretty much let Trish think that it was her fault, that they let her believe that Rose was dead. I cannot understand that train of thought and I don't understand how they stayed on that for so long. Lizzie's aunt was awful I really wanted her to just slap her at that party, she really deserved it. What Elizabeth's parents did wasn't protection they just feared everything they couldn't control and controled everything ELizabeth did, wore, studied, etc. They wanted to keep her alive but they didn't want her to live. It was sad really. In the end I'm glad that everything that happened came to light and that she was able to move on and somewhat make peace with her parents and her aunt. I really hate Cooper though, what he did was totally heartless. I wish that Elizabeth had gotten some closure with him even though she didn't know him, he tore Rose away from the only family she ever really knew, it was beyond. With that said, I'm glad that Elizabeth will hopefully get to have a relationship with Rose after so much time passing.

I know it doesn't sound like I liked this book but I really did. I appreciate a well woven story that takes you through the paces and this book really did that for me. I'll for sure be checking out some other books by this author.

[Kerry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Summer Secrets at Streamside Cottage is a brilliant read. I absolutely LOVED it!
Lizzie is an instantly likeable character who recently lost both of her parents in a tragic accident. They were estranged which makes things even more difficult to deal with. When she discovers her parents owned a property in the countryside, she leaves her home in London to see if she can find any real reason her once close relationship with them had broken down without any room for discussion. It can’t just be because she had decided to train as a tattooist or because they didn’t like her boyfriend at the time, surely. How come they never told her about this cottage in Leafton? What else did she not know about her parents?
I thoroughly enjoyed Lizzie’s story. I was drawn in from the very beginning and found myself as desperate as she was to find out the truth behind her parent’s overprotective behaviour and their odd reaction to her choice of profession.
I love how Lizzie instantly felt at home in the cottage. It does sound idyllic. I know I’d prefer to live somewhere like that rather than in the middle of London.
I love how she has an instant connection with Ben, her neighbour and postie.
I love Taz!
I love how the community welcomes her but at the same time seem to be harbouring secrets of their own. Why will no one tell her what they know about this cottage and its history?
It’s such an intriguing mystery. One that certainly kept me turning those pages. My heart truly went out to Lizzie when she finally finds out the truth.
Such a heart-wrenching tale with a heart-warming conclusion.
I very much recommend!

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