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The Hidden Truth
A gripping story of love, heartbreak and one devastating confession that changes everything.
A SECOND-CHANCE AT LOVE. A NEW BEGINNING. A SECRET WAITING TO BE REVEALLED . . .
It was meant to be a summer of love. Then came the confession . . .
Sara Tempest has been alone since her husband died and daughters left home. But over the course of one summer she meets and falls in love with the charming Bernard. The years of heartache and loneliness are finally behind her.
She quickly moves into his beautiful home on the wind battered cliffs of Hastings. But, after a while, she begins to wonder if Bernard is all he seems.
He's barely in touch with his children and with stifling reminders of his wife everywhere Sara looks, the walls begin to close in.
Then comes Bernard's confession and Sara's newfound happiness starts to crumble around her . . .
A SECOND-CHANCE AT LOVE. A NEW BEGINNING. A SECRET WAITING TO BE REVEALLED . . .
It was meant to be a summer of love. Then came the confession . . .
Sara Tempest has been alone since her husband died and daughters left home. But over the course of one summer she meets and falls in love with the charming Bernard. The years of heartache and loneliness are finally behind her.
She quickly moves into his beautiful home on the wind battered cliffs of Hastings. But, after a while, she begins to wonder if Bernard is all he seems.
He's barely in touch with his children and with stifling reminders of his wife everywhere Sara looks, the walls begin to close in.
Then comes Bernard's confession and Sara's newfound happiness starts to crumble around her . . .
389 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 4, 2022
About the author
Hilary Boyd
41 books134 followersBoyd was born and spent the first six months of her life in Prestatyn, North Wales, where her father, an army major, was stationed after the war. She was later educated in London, then at the boarding school Roedean. She trained as a nurse at Great Ormond Street Hospital, London, and subsequently as a marriage guidance counsellor with Relate before reading English Literature at London University in her late 30s.
After college, Boyd became a health journalist, writing about depression, step-parenting and pregnancy. She began writing fiction as a hobby whilst raising three children and working at various day jobs including running a cancer charity, Survive Cancer, working for an engineering company, and an online vitamin site.
After college, Boyd became a health journalist, writing about depression, step-parenting and pregnancy. She began writing fiction as a hobby whilst raising three children and working at various day jobs including running a cancer charity, Survive Cancer, working for an engineering company, and an online vitamin site.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
April 19, 2022
U.K. title The Hidden Truth
Sarah Tempest, 58, has been widowed for six years but still doesn’t feel ready to date again. With the encouragement of her daughters and the assurance that’s she’s just being a wimp, Sarah sets off to meet Colin. Suffice it to say it doesn’t go well though as an added bonus she’s now a burger press expert!!!! After meeting and not necessarily kissing a few frogs she meets Bernard, a widower. The story is told via their alternating perspectives.
This is another good book from Hilary Boyd. The characterisation is very good with Sarah and her daughters and their lovely relaxed relationship being especially likeable. Bernard and his son Adams portrayal is good particularly of the troubled soul of the latter. Initially, Bernard seems very likeable but it becomes clear he’s harbouring something and his mood swings make it hard to get a handle on him. It becomes a rollercoaster ride with a lie of mega proportions at the heart of it all. The dynamics and relationships are done extremely well with this ranging from serious dysfunction to the very touching.
Once things become clear there are some moments of high drama which are full of tension with the things that have been suppressed almost exploding. Talk about cutting atmospheres with knives! It builds well, it’s a compelling read and I especially like how the ending seems realistic bearing in mind the whole saga of Sarah and Bernards relationship.
Overall, this is well written, easy to read and it takes you on an interesting journey of the path of love never running smooth.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to the publishers for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
Sarah Tempest, 58, has been widowed for six years but still doesn’t feel ready to date again. With the encouragement of her daughters and the assurance that’s she’s just being a wimp, Sarah sets off to meet Colin. Suffice it to say it doesn’t go well though as an added bonus she’s now a burger press expert!!!! After meeting and not necessarily kissing a few frogs she meets Bernard, a widower. The story is told via their alternating perspectives.
This is another good book from Hilary Boyd. The characterisation is very good with Sarah and her daughters and their lovely relaxed relationship being especially likeable. Bernard and his son Adams portrayal is good particularly of the troubled soul of the latter. Initially, Bernard seems very likeable but it becomes clear he’s harbouring something and his mood swings make it hard to get a handle on him. It becomes a rollercoaster ride with a lie of mega proportions at the heart of it all. The dynamics and relationships are done extremely well with this ranging from serious dysfunction to the very touching.
Once things become clear there are some moments of high drama which are full of tension with the things that have been suppressed almost exploding. Talk about cutting atmospheres with knives! It builds well, it’s a compelling read and I especially like how the ending seems realistic bearing in mind the whole saga of Sarah and Bernards relationship.
Overall, this is well written, easy to read and it takes you on an interesting journey of the path of love never running smooth.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to the publishers for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
August 16, 2022
EXCERPT: Sara got up at four on Sunday morning to drive Peggy and a mountainous, clanking backpack to the airport. Coming back to the empty house - it was still barely eight o'clock - she felt a wave of self-pity. What's wrong with me these days? Sunday stretched ahead and she thought of all the couples waking to each other, to a day spent lazing around with croissants and coffee, chatting and exchanging views on the papers, maybe meeting friends for lunch. Sara had friends, of course, but she was heartily sick of being the sad single at these gatherings, always having to enter a room alone, often being set up with another sad single - kindly meant, but embarrassing.
The buck always stopped with her. No one else would ring the insurance company to complain about a hike in renewal payments, or the service centre when the washing machine leaked all over the kitchen floor - as it had only the previous week. There was no one at whom to shout her frustration when her laptop crashed, a client played up, or even just relay day-to-day anecdotes to - about an amusing exchange she'd heard in the supermarket queue, for instance, or something she'd read somewhere. She'd just been plodding along in her own private lane since Pete, not really considering her situation that closely. But now this version of the world was beginning to seem less appealing. Fortified by a cup of coffee and some summer berries with yoghurt and local honey, she reached for her phone and opened the dating app.
ABOUT 'THE HIDDEN TRUTH': Sara Tempest has been alone since her husband died and daughters left home. But over the course of one summer she meets and falls in love with the charming Bernard. The years of heartache and loneliness are finally behind her.
She quickly moves into his beautiful home on the wind battered cliffs of Hastings. But, after a while, she begins to wonder if Bernard is all he seems.
He's barely in touch with his children and with stifling reminders of his wife everywhere Sara looks, the walls begin to close in.
Then comes Bernard's confession and Sara's newfound happiness starts to crumble around her . . .
MY THOUGHTS: Relationships are tricky things at the best of times. But second time around with adult children involved seems to prove more challenging than most. Particularly in this case where parent and children are concealing a secret that is not only destroying their relationship, but could have dire consequences for those involved if it is revealed.
Hilary Boyd has written wonderful characters. Sara and Bernard couldn't be more different. Sara, a widow, is a warm and relaxed person, and has a close relationship with both her daughters. Bernard, a widower, is basically estranged from his adult twin children, and is uncomfortable even talking about them.
I really loved Sara's relationship with her deceased husband's mother. Margaret is delightful.
I loved the way this couple met; it was funny and entertaining, but also touching, and I enjoyed the spark that sprung up between them, but then . . . for a long time, nothing.
Hilary Boyd writes with heart and realism, and I enjoyed experiencing the growth and dynamics of this relationship from both Sara's and Bernard's perspective. It's a very rocky road as both try to do their best for one another and their own children.
This is a quiet book which kept me interested with the moral and ethical dilemmas that were posed. The Hidden Truth is a story of love and hope, actions and consequences, and living your life to the fullest. I must admit I finished it with a bit of a hitch in my breath.
⭐⭐⭐.8
#TheHiddenTruth #NetGalley
I: @hilaryboyd3837 @michaeljbooks
T: @hilaryboyd @MichaelJBooks
#contemporaryfiction #familydrama #romance #sliceoflife
THE AUTHOR: Boyd was born and spent the first six months of her life in Prestatyn, North Wales, where her father, an army major, was stationed after the war. She was later educated in London, then at the boarding school Roedean. She trained as a nurse at Great Ormond Street Hospital, London, and subsequently as a marriage guidance counsellor with Relate before reading English Literature at London University in her late 30s.
After college, Boyd became a health journalist, writing about depression, step-parenting and pregnancy. She began writing fiction as a hobby whilst raising three children and working at various day jobs including running a cancer charity, Survive Cancer, working for an engineering company, and an online vitamin site.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Hidden Truth by Hilary Boyd for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
The buck always stopped with her. No one else would ring the insurance company to complain about a hike in renewal payments, or the service centre when the washing machine leaked all over the kitchen floor - as it had only the previous week. There was no one at whom to shout her frustration when her laptop crashed, a client played up, or even just relay day-to-day anecdotes to - about an amusing exchange she'd heard in the supermarket queue, for instance, or something she'd read somewhere. She'd just been plodding along in her own private lane since Pete, not really considering her situation that closely. But now this version of the world was beginning to seem less appealing. Fortified by a cup of coffee and some summer berries with yoghurt and local honey, she reached for her phone and opened the dating app.
ABOUT 'THE HIDDEN TRUTH': Sara Tempest has been alone since her husband died and daughters left home. But over the course of one summer she meets and falls in love with the charming Bernard. The years of heartache and loneliness are finally behind her.
She quickly moves into his beautiful home on the wind battered cliffs of Hastings. But, after a while, she begins to wonder if Bernard is all he seems.
He's barely in touch with his children and with stifling reminders of his wife everywhere Sara looks, the walls begin to close in.
Then comes Bernard's confession and Sara's newfound happiness starts to crumble around her . . .
MY THOUGHTS: Relationships are tricky things at the best of times. But second time around with adult children involved seems to prove more challenging than most. Particularly in this case where parent and children are concealing a secret that is not only destroying their relationship, but could have dire consequences for those involved if it is revealed.
Hilary Boyd has written wonderful characters. Sara and Bernard couldn't be more different. Sara, a widow, is a warm and relaxed person, and has a close relationship with both her daughters. Bernard, a widower, is basically estranged from his adult twin children, and is uncomfortable even talking about them.
I really loved Sara's relationship with her deceased husband's mother. Margaret is delightful.
I loved the way this couple met; it was funny and entertaining, but also touching, and I enjoyed the spark that sprung up between them, but then . . . for a long time, nothing.
Hilary Boyd writes with heart and realism, and I enjoyed experiencing the growth and dynamics of this relationship from both Sara's and Bernard's perspective. It's a very rocky road as both try to do their best for one another and their own children.
This is a quiet book which kept me interested with the moral and ethical dilemmas that were posed. The Hidden Truth is a story of love and hope, actions and consequences, and living your life to the fullest. I must admit I finished it with a bit of a hitch in my breath.
⭐⭐⭐.8
#TheHiddenTruth #NetGalley
I: @hilaryboyd3837 @michaeljbooks
T: @hilaryboyd @MichaelJBooks
#contemporaryfiction #familydrama #romance #sliceoflife
THE AUTHOR: Boyd was born and spent the first six months of her life in Prestatyn, North Wales, where her father, an army major, was stationed after the war. She was later educated in London, then at the boarding school Roedean. She trained as a nurse at Great Ormond Street Hospital, London, and subsequently as a marriage guidance counsellor with Relate before reading English Literature at London University in her late 30s.
After college, Boyd became a health journalist, writing about depression, step-parenting and pregnancy. She began writing fiction as a hobby whilst raising three children and working at various day jobs including running a cancer charity, Survive Cancer, working for an engineering company, and an online vitamin site.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Hidden Truth by Hilary Boyd for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
August 10, 2022
In this, my second novel by Hilary Boyd, Sara Tempest moves to Hastings to live with her new beau, Bernard. Sarah has been a widow for six years and her offspring encouraged her to try out online dating but this approach isn't particularly successful in the cases of Colin and Gareth. She meets Bernard in a tea shop, by chance while there for another date, a dentist named Randall, and they get on well. Bernard's property in Hastings is an oppressive cliff house he designed himself as he's an architect. But is he all he seems?
Hilary Boyd's writing is exciting and she writes with heart. There's a lot happening in this novel and I was never bored with the occurrences and developments. The characterisation is excellent and I found reading The Hidden Truth immensely rewarding.
I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House via NetGalley and this review is my own unbiased opinion.
Hilary Boyd's writing is exciting and she writes with heart. There's a lot happening in this novel and I was never bored with the occurrences and developments. The characterisation is excellent and I found reading The Hidden Truth immensely rewarding.
I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House via NetGalley and this review is my own unbiased opinion.
December 2, 2024
I hovered between 3 and 4 stars with this book. Sara and Bernard, both widowed, meet and start a relationship which seems ok until Bernard reveals his hidden truth. It's frustrating and rather slow at this point, Bernard is a bit of a wet lettuce when dealing with things in his life. It does redeem itself before the end of the book.
August 7, 2022
Thanks to Net Galley and Michael Joseph Penguin Random House for an ARC of this book in exchange for a review.
Sarah has been a widow for six years, her grown up daughters recognise that their mum is lonely and encourage her to try on line dating, which she discovers can be pretty awful. It is by chance though that she meets Bernard and agrees to have a coffee with him. They have a connection and she likes him, it’s several weeks though to she hears from him again. Things move quickly and she moves into his house on the cliff near the beach, the house is not what she expected it to be as Bernard is an architect, it’s dark and there is an odd heavy presence about it.
Bernard is often withdrawn and sullen and she knows it is related to his difficult relationship with his grown up twins. She feels he is hiding something from her, what will it take for him to open up to her and heed her advice to try to mend his relationship with them.
This is a beautiful story of a second chance, consequences, drama, a hidden truth which is festering, love and hope. It’s beautifully written and the pages turn themselves. Another great book from Hilary Boyd.
Sarah has been a widow for six years, her grown up daughters recognise that their mum is lonely and encourage her to try on line dating, which she discovers can be pretty awful. It is by chance though that she meets Bernard and agrees to have a coffee with him. They have a connection and she likes him, it’s several weeks though to she hears from him again. Things move quickly and she moves into his house on the cliff near the beach, the house is not what she expected it to be as Bernard is an architect, it’s dark and there is an odd heavy presence about it.
Bernard is often withdrawn and sullen and she knows it is related to his difficult relationship with his grown up twins. She feels he is hiding something from her, what will it take for him to open up to her and heed her advice to try to mend his relationship with them.
This is a beautiful story of a second chance, consequences, drama, a hidden truth which is festering, love and hope. It’s beautifully written and the pages turn themselves. Another great book from Hilary Boyd.
March 26, 2023
What an utter misery fest. A nice middle aged woman with money, great friends and a rewarding job gets involved with a depressed man called Bernard of all names who is at war with his adult children and whose secret is miserable as well as a non event. In fact in real life an independent older woman absolutely wouldn’t throw away her freedom for so many emotional complications.
At times there is a sinister ghostly presence in his house but this comes to nothing.
In fact the story would’ve been far better I’d it had been supernatural
, or a twist showed Bernard to be a liar and only after her money. Sadly as things stand we just have chapters of misery heaped on misery that made me want to poke my eyes out with a blunt stick.
Give it a miss, or use it as toilet paper.
At times there is a sinister ghostly presence in his house but this comes to nothing.
In fact the story would’ve been far better I’d it had been supernatural
, or a twist showed Bernard to be a liar and only after her money. Sadly as things stand we just have chapters of misery heaped on misery that made me want to poke my eyes out with a blunt stick.
Give it a miss, or use it as toilet paper.
August 7, 2022
It was meant to be a summer of love. Then came the confession . . .
Sara is still grieving the sudden loss of her husband Pete six years ago and missing her two daughters Peggy and Joni who have both left home, but they encourage her that it's time to move on and find some happiness, so she decides to dip her toe in the water again. She meets and falls in love with Bernard and soon moves into his clifftop home in Hastings, but Bernard, also widowed, is hiding something and when he finally confesses to Sara the secret he's been hiding, things may never be the same again...
The Hidden Truth is a tale of second chances and consequences, it highlights what can happen when you try to do the right thing to protect a loved one, but the decision you make at the time isn't always the right one further down the track. Hilary Boyd is on point in her portrayal of these characters, drawing the reader in so you feel you are living there right beside them and involved in their troubles and woes. It's a beautifully written story with just the right amount of humour and emotion, I especially loved the relationship that Sara had with her mother in law Margaret, and admit to shedding some tears at one particular point in the book, it was very moving. Fans of this author will love The Hidden Truth, for those that have never picked up one of her books but like a family drama, I think you will love this book too, I definitely recommend it.
I'd like to thank Michael Joseph, Random House UK and Netgalley for the approval, I will post my review on Amazon and Goodreads.
Sara is still grieving the sudden loss of her husband Pete six years ago and missing her two daughters Peggy and Joni who have both left home, but they encourage her that it's time to move on and find some happiness, so she decides to dip her toe in the water again. She meets and falls in love with Bernard and soon moves into his clifftop home in Hastings, but Bernard, also widowed, is hiding something and when he finally confesses to Sara the secret he's been hiding, things may never be the same again...
The Hidden Truth is a tale of second chances and consequences, it highlights what can happen when you try to do the right thing to protect a loved one, but the decision you make at the time isn't always the right one further down the track. Hilary Boyd is on point in her portrayal of these characters, drawing the reader in so you feel you are living there right beside them and involved in their troubles and woes. It's a beautifully written story with just the right amount of humour and emotion, I especially loved the relationship that Sara had with her mother in law Margaret, and admit to shedding some tears at one particular point in the book, it was very moving. Fans of this author will love The Hidden Truth, for those that have never picked up one of her books but like a family drama, I think you will love this book too, I definitely recommend it.
I'd like to thank Michael Joseph, Random House UK and Netgalley for the approval, I will post my review on Amazon and Goodreads.
February 12, 2026
⭐️ 3 - The Hidden Truth krijgt van mij drie sterren. Het gaat over Sara die al zes jaar leeft als weduwe. Dan begint ze naar wat aanmoediging van haar twee dochters en vriendin met daten. Dit verloopt niet geheel vlekkeloos, maar toch ontmoet ze spontaan Bernard in een koffietentje waar een van haar dates zou plaatsvinden. Al gauw is het dikke mik tussen de twee en trekt Sara bij Bernard in, toch begint Bernard zich steeds vreemder te gedragen en blijkt het dat die een groot geheim met zich meedraagt. Dit maakte mij het hele verhaal erg nieuwsgierig maar vond ik uiteindelijk wel een beetje een anticlimax. Verhaal las wel lekker weg en de relaties in het verhaal vond ik heel mooi, vooral die tussen Sara en haar schoonmoeder, de moeder van haar overleden man. Al met al, niet mega bijzonder maar wel vermakelijk ✌🏻
August 11, 2022
Sara Tempest is getting back into the dating game. It’s been years since she lost her husband Pete and her daughters have moved away. She dives back into dating and meets Bernard. A respectable gentleman who lives on a cliff near Hastings. Together they discover a new love. He too is a widower and he has children, but there’s a distance between them that Sara can’t get to the bottom off.
As their feeling deepen the pair move in together. However, Bernard has a secret. One which effects him and his son. Sara has her views but are they welcome.
This is a thought provoking booking. What would you have done in the circumstances. I see this book perfect for book clubs with lots of debate.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to see an Arc
As their feeling deepen the pair move in together. However, Bernard has a secret. One which effects him and his son. Sara has her views but are they welcome.
This is a thought provoking booking. What would you have done in the circumstances. I see this book perfect for book clubs with lots of debate.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to see an Arc
July 29, 2022
Sara Tempest, urged on by her daughters after six years of widowhood, is trying online dating. It’s just as bad as she imagined it to be. So when a chance meeting with architect Bernard Lockmore leads to new possibilities, she lets her guard down and allows some happiness in. But life is complicated. Bernard is somewhat obsessed with his dead wife who seems to have been a fairly unpleasant person. He’s also distanced from his children, twins Carrie and Adam. Since Sara is devoted to her own children, she encourages Bernard to heal the relationship with his. However, there are some very serious reasons for the estrangement. The title The Hidden Truth refers to this and when Sara learns the secret that Bernard has been hiding, it threatens their new relationship.
This is an excellent family drama. It’s also classified as a mystery and thriller, which it is not. The suspense lies in the secret that Bernard has kept form Sara and the consequences to his family when it is revealed. I especially liked the setting, the description of Bernard’s cliff edge house and the older characters. 5 stars.
Thank you to NetGalley, Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House and Hilary Boyd for this ARC.
This is an excellent family drama. It’s also classified as a mystery and thriller, which it is not. The suspense lies in the secret that Bernard has kept form Sara and the consequences to his family when it is revealed. I especially liked the setting, the description of Bernard’s cliff edge house and the older characters. 5 stars.
Thank you to NetGalley, Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House and Hilary Boyd for this ARC.
July 25, 2022
I will admit that one thing that I was interested to learn more about is the fact that Hastings is mentioned in the book description. As I live in East Sussex this was a definite draw card.
Then to start reading and realise there were more references to places that I am quite familiar with. A good example of this is Sara, a widow, who lives in Lewes. Both of her daughters are keen for her to date as it has been a good many years since her husband has passed away, but she is not finding the process easy.
Sara ends up meeting Bernard in a cafe, when she is meant to be meeting another date instead. They appear to hit it off. But Bernard seems to avoid moving things forward. Then he does show an interest.
Bernard is racked with secrecy. Eventually he shares this secret with Sara. It does concern Sara and then she too is burdened with this secret that she can’t share with anyone.
I then got hooked on the story wanting to know how it would all unfold.
Thanks to the publisher who provided access to this book via Net Galley.
Then to start reading and realise there were more references to places that I am quite familiar with. A good example of this is Sara, a widow, who lives in Lewes. Both of her daughters are keen for her to date as it has been a good many years since her husband has passed away, but she is not finding the process easy.
Sara ends up meeting Bernard in a cafe, when she is meant to be meeting another date instead. They appear to hit it off. But Bernard seems to avoid moving things forward. Then he does show an interest.
Bernard is racked with secrecy. Eventually he shares this secret with Sara. It does concern Sara and then she too is burdened with this secret that she can’t share with anyone.
I then got hooked on the story wanting to know how it would all unfold.
Thanks to the publisher who provided access to this book via Net Galley.
August 1, 2022
Sara decides it is time too tip her toes back in the dating game and ventures there through a dating agency. She meets Bernard and so starts a romance that is fraught with difficulties from secrets he has kept suppressed. This story works through the effect this has on their relationship. It is a pleasant and easy read
July 30, 2022
It is time for widowed Sara to move on. Encouraged by her family, she signs up to an online dating site and meets charismatic Bernard.
This sounds like a happy ever after story but with more than half the book left to read you know that something is going to go wrong!
Hilary Boyd kept the momentum and tension going throughout and the secrets and lies just kept coming.
An enjoyable read.
This sounds like a happy ever after story but with more than half the book left to read you know that something is going to go wrong!
Hilary Boyd kept the momentum and tension going throughout and the secrets and lies just kept coming.
An enjoyable read.
July 17, 2022
I absolutely love Hilary Boyd’s books including this one. She never disappoints.
A good storyline and a secret uncovered which changes everything.
Plenty of family drama and romance which kept me turning the pages.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review.
A good storyline and a secret uncovered which changes everything.
Plenty of family drama and romance which kept me turning the pages.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review.
July 13, 2022
An accomplished, well written novel that involved a variety of emotions. Definitely worth reading. We all try to do the best for our children and hope the decisions we make will be the right ones for them- but not all turn out that way!
May 7, 2022
Sara Tempest and Bernard Lockmore meet on an internet dating site. Both are lonely and craving companionship. All seems to be going well and they are both surprised at how quickly they fall in love with each other. When they decide to move in together the natural decision is to share Bernard’s large cliff house. Sara feels uneasy in the house, but she struggles to understand why,,
Sara has a loving relationship with both her adult daughters and finds it difficult to relate to Bernard’s relationship with his twins. As Sara tries to reunite his family she finds many obstacles in her way. The hidden secrets that are uncovered threaten to tear her new found relationship and happiness to shreds.
Can love conquer all ? Or will hidden revelations tear their love apart? I love how Hilary’s characters are usually middle aged and the problems they encounter are explored and portrayed brilliantly.
Relationships are difficult at every life stage but blended families definitely add their own dynamics.
Overall I enjoyed this family drama which explored how lies have consequences which last a long time and can impact lives in many more ways than is imaginable.
Sara has a loving relationship with both her adult daughters and finds it difficult to relate to Bernard’s relationship with his twins. As Sara tries to reunite his family she finds many obstacles in her way. The hidden secrets that are uncovered threaten to tear her new found relationship and happiness to shreds.
Can love conquer all ? Or will hidden revelations tear their love apart? I love how Hilary’s characters are usually middle aged and the problems they encounter are explored and portrayed brilliantly.
Relationships are difficult at every life stage but blended families definitely add their own dynamics.
Overall I enjoyed this family drama which explored how lies have consequences which last a long time and can impact lives in many more ways than is imaginable.
March 31, 2022
Another fantastic read from Hilary Boyd who seems to champion the middle aged with such accuracy and realism!
Sara middle aged widowed and suffering from empty nest syndrome embarks on a dating journey with mixed results until she meets Bernard rather unconventionally, they appear to have an immediate spark and the relationship progresses rapidly, although there is an underlying niggling undercurrent that seems to emanate from Bernard at times and he seems rather evasive about his twin children rarely seeing them until they concede to spend Christmas with him and Sara at the cliff house, revelations are revealed with shocking consequences and the lengths a parent will go to to protect a child however misplaced! Can Sara and Bernard recover from this ? Will family dynamics/relationships ever be restored and harmonious? Such an utterly riveting and compelling read that I really didn’t want to end, would highly recommend!
Thank you netgalley for this early read.
Sara middle aged widowed and suffering from empty nest syndrome embarks on a dating journey with mixed results until she meets Bernard rather unconventionally, they appear to have an immediate spark and the relationship progresses rapidly, although there is an underlying niggling undercurrent that seems to emanate from Bernard at times and he seems rather evasive about his twin children rarely seeing them until they concede to spend Christmas with him and Sara at the cliff house, revelations are revealed with shocking consequences and the lengths a parent will go to to protect a child however misplaced! Can Sara and Bernard recover from this ? Will family dynamics/relationships ever be restored and harmonious? Such an utterly riveting and compelling read that I really didn’t want to end, would highly recommend!
Thank you netgalley for this early read.
May 4, 2022
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in advance.
A refreshing take on a new relationship for a widow, Sara, who meets Bernard unexpectedly in a cafe, whilst waiting to meet a blind date. The reader learns that Bernard has a hidden secret, and that his marriage wasn't as "normal" as Sara's and his relationship with his children isn't as open or warm as it once was. Bernard's secret has a number of layers which are slowly revealed, perhaps a little too slowly and at times I did wonder if I really cared, especially when his frustrations were directed towards the wrong audience. However, I really appreciated that this book wasn't all flowers, romance and happily ever afters; the author ensures that the characters are exposed to the reader with all of their flaws and vulnerabilities on show. I loved the relationship between Sara and her children, and her Mother in law and really warmed to her honesty.
A refreshing take on a new relationship for a widow, Sara, who meets Bernard unexpectedly in a cafe, whilst waiting to meet a blind date. The reader learns that Bernard has a hidden secret, and that his marriage wasn't as "normal" as Sara's and his relationship with his children isn't as open or warm as it once was. Bernard's secret has a number of layers which are slowly revealed, perhaps a little too slowly and at times I did wonder if I really cared, especially when his frustrations were directed towards the wrong audience. However, I really appreciated that this book wasn't all flowers, romance and happily ever afters; the author ensures that the characters are exposed to the reader with all of their flaws and vulnerabilities on show. I loved the relationship between Sara and her children, and her Mother in law and really warmed to her honesty.
July 31, 2022
Sara is encouraged to join an Internet dating site by her two daughters, after losing husband Pete many years before. After many failed introductions, she meets widower Bernard by accident - she is at a cafe to meet a different man, and finds herself speaking to Bernard instead. What follows is a quick romance, which sees Sara moving into Bernard's isolated cliff top home. However, his life isn't as smooth as Sara's - his relationship with his two children isn't as smooth as the one she has with her daughters, and he has a secret he is reluctant to reveal. Can their fledgling relationship survive the events that follow?
I really enjoyed the descriptive sections of the book, the locations were beautiful. I also really liked the relationship Sara had with her mother in law. I found it a bit predictable however, and I wasn't too keen on Bernard's character. Overall, a quick and enjoyable read.
I really enjoyed the descriptive sections of the book, the locations were beautiful. I also really liked the relationship Sara had with her mother in law. I found it a bit predictable however, and I wasn't too keen on Bernard's character. Overall, a quick and enjoyable read.
August 7, 2022
This is an intense suffocating read. Both interesting and frustrating in equal measures.
Sara a nutritionist from Lewes Sussex, has started online dating, after being widowed by some years, is it time to start again!? Bernard lives in Hastings, also widowed but with dark secrets. They meet by chance in a tea shop......
Although I had much sympathy for the peripheral characters, Sara and Bernard left me cold, their relationship unbelievable. I read to the end which was hard as I felt the book lose its way, getting into trickier subjects which some were addressed but some not.
This is not a relationship I could ever live with, these are people I wouldn't care to meet.
The writing flowed at times but not at others....not the easiest of reads.
Thank you NetGalley for the early read.
Sara a nutritionist from Lewes Sussex, has started online dating, after being widowed by some years, is it time to start again!? Bernard lives in Hastings, also widowed but with dark secrets. They meet by chance in a tea shop......
Although I had much sympathy for the peripheral characters, Sara and Bernard left me cold, their relationship unbelievable. I read to the end which was hard as I felt the book lose its way, getting into trickier subjects which some were addressed but some not.
This is not a relationship I could ever live with, these are people I wouldn't care to meet.
The writing flowed at times but not at others....not the easiest of reads.
Thank you NetGalley for the early read.
April 16, 2022
I loved this book. I love Hilary Boyd's story telling.
The complexities of beginning again after a lifetime with a spouse now deceased.
Grown up children, family secrets and a past that you were not part of.
Can you ever have a future with a dark secret lurking in your past?
If you have ever read any of Hilary Boyd's previous books then you will love this one.
If you have never read any of Hilary Boyd's books, you could start with this one, and then discover her back catalogue of novels. You won't be disappointed
The complexities of beginning again after a lifetime with a spouse now deceased.
Grown up children, family secrets and a past that you were not part of.
Can you ever have a future with a dark secret lurking in your past?
If you have ever read any of Hilary Boyd's previous books then you will love this one.
If you have never read any of Hilary Boyd's books, you could start with this one, and then discover her back catalogue of novels. You won't be disappointed
May 27, 2022
. .First time I have read a book by this author and really enjoyed this book. A lovely romantic tale about Sara Tempest who is a widow and meets Bernard a widower.
Loved the way the author describes their feelings and relationship with each other and how family issues affected their lives. Really enjoyed the book and didn’t want it to end but it was a great conclusion and I would recommend .
Loved the way the author describes their feelings and relationship with each other and how family issues affected their lives. Really enjoyed the book and didn’t want it to end but it was a great conclusion and I would recommend .
May 26, 2022
Hilary Boyd has the ability to take a reader on a journey with her books. I could see the house by the sea as it was perfectly described by her. This is a book about lies and love and mending broken ties. Great characters with an equally great setting that I really enjoyed reading. I would recommend this book.
June 14, 2022
It is good to read a story with more mature characters. This is a great family drama. Two single people meet and quickly fall into a relationship. Sara is open and has two adult children she is close to however, Bernard is very closed about his family. A secret is revealed and all comes crashing down. I loved this story and it read well with very emotive subjects.
January 7, 2026
⭐️⭐️
I kept waiting for the twist or the suspense to arrive (as you’d expect from a story advertised as ‘gripping and suspenseful’) but it just didn’t. In hindsight it was actually quite a boring book.
I kept waiting for the twist or the suspense to arrive (as you’d expect from a story advertised as ‘gripping and suspenseful’) but it just didn’t. In hindsight it was actually quite a boring book.
February 3, 2024
It's OK...
May 3, 2024
Didn’t like the characters and I felt that they were grieving for too long after the death of their spouses.
November 27, 2024
the plot wasn’t gripping for me, felt like i was reading it without actually reading it
February 24, 2025
Found this book boring. Sarah and Bernard start a relationship, having both lost their spouses. It becomes apparent that Bernard has a strained relationship with his children. It is revealed that his son killed a young woman in an accident and Bernard chose to take the blame. His son was living with the guilt. They decided to confess. All this put a lot of strain on the new relationship between Sarah and Bernard. Just not interesting or intriguing whatsoever. I didn’t like the characters either. It just wasn’t for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 5, 2022
I have always enjoyed Hilary Boyd’s books and this one didn’t disappoint. Sara decides it’s time to move on with her life and try dating again as she has been a widow for six years and both her daughters, Joni and Peggy have now flown the nest. After a couple of disasters she meets Bernard in a tea shop. She learns that Bernard is a widower and his Finnish wife died, he also has two children, twins Carrie and Adam. Their romance starts to blossom over the summer and Sara moves in with Bernard. He has a large house set on top of a cliff. He and his wife were architects so the house seems quite imposing to Sara as she feels the presence of his late wife. Sara is very close to her daughters and becomes concerned that Bernard seems to be estranged from the twins. She is thinking of visiting Joni, who lives if California and wants Bernard to go as well. He then has to confess why he couldn’t go as he had been involved in a fatal car incident where he was driving and run over and killed a woman. Sara persuades him to invite the twins for Christmas but was not prepared for further revelations to be revealed. This causes heartbreak and heated arguments which result in Sara packing her case and leaving. Will Sara and Bernard be able to resolve their issues and will they have the same relationship? This is a very compelling family drama which you won’t be able to put down. An enjoyable read.
Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.
Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.
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