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This summer's secrets
A bold new story for fans of We Were Liars , intertwining past and present, love and loss, from the bestselling author of The One Memory of Flora Banks.'
A sun-splashed Cornish thriller with a dark heart, ideal for YA fans of E Lockhart' Guardian
ONE HOT SUMMER, FIRST LOVE AND SO MANY BURIED SECRETS . . .
Senara has never been in love before. She's not done anything exciting before. Always the sidekick . . .
Until the summer that changes everything.
Cliff House is closed off for most of the year until its rich Londoner owners come down to Cornwall for the summer. This year, despite herself, Senara finds herself pulled into this world of wealth and ease, sunbathing and beautiful people. She even finds herself falling in love for the first time.
But Cliff House and its owners are hiding things. They've been hiding things for too long and now, despite all their efforts, their secrets are coming out . . . Secrets that involve Senara's friends and her family in a way she could never have imagined.'
This is another young adult novel that will have younger readers transfixed' The Metro'
A slow-burn summer novel packed with intrigue' Culturefly - 22 Books to add to your Summer Reading List
Read more captivating fiction from Emily
The One Memory of Flora Banks
The Truth and Lies of Ella Black
The Girl Who Came Out of the Woods
Things to do Before The End of the World
Ghosted
A sun-splashed Cornish thriller with a dark heart, ideal for YA fans of E Lockhart' Guardian
ONE HOT SUMMER, FIRST LOVE AND SO MANY BURIED SECRETS . . .
Senara has never been in love before. She's not done anything exciting before. Always the sidekick . . .
Until the summer that changes everything.
Cliff House is closed off for most of the year until its rich Londoner owners come down to Cornwall for the summer. This year, despite herself, Senara finds herself pulled into this world of wealth and ease, sunbathing and beautiful people. She even finds herself falling in love for the first time.
But Cliff House and its owners are hiding things. They've been hiding things for too long and now, despite all their efforts, their secrets are coming out . . . Secrets that involve Senara's friends and her family in a way she could never have imagined.'
This is another young adult novel that will have younger readers transfixed' The Metro'
A slow-burn summer novel packed with intrigue' Culturefly - 22 Books to add to your Summer Reading List
Read more captivating fiction from Emily
The One Memory of Flora Banks
The Truth and Lies of Ella Black
The Girl Who Came Out of the Woods
Things to do Before The End of the World
Ghosted
432 pages, Paperback
Published June 1, 2023
87 people are currently reading
1415 people want to read
About the author
Emily Barr
44 books584 followersEmily Barr worked as a journalist in London, but always hankered after a quiet room and a book to write. She went travelling for a year, writing a column in the Guardian about it as she went, and it was there that she had an idea for a novel set in the world of backpackers in Asia. This became Backpack, which won the WH Smith New Talent Award. She has since written eleven more adult novels published in the UK and around the world, and a novella, Blackout, for the Quick Reads series. Her twelfth novel, The Sleeper, is a psychological thriller set on the London to Cornwall sleeper train.
In 2013 she went to Svalbard with the idea of setting a thriller in the Arctic. The book that came out of it was The One Memory of Flora Banks, a thriller for young adults, which attracted universal interest from publishers before being bought pre-emptively by Penguin earlier this year. It will be published globally in January 2017.
She lives in Cornwall with her partner and their children.
In 2013 she went to Svalbard with the idea of setting a thriller in the Arctic. The book that came out of it was The One Memory of Flora Banks, a thriller for young adults, which attracted universal interest from publishers before being bought pre-emptively by Penguin earlier this year. It will be published globally in January 2017.
She lives in Cornwall with her partner and their children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 190 reviews
July 2, 2023
it was 400 pages instead of fourty but I still liked it very much
July 10, 2023
woah. woah. woah. this book. my favourite summer book that I’ve read so far. This was sooooo good. Martha is my fave and I think she executed everything so well and was so careful not to expose anyone. I came to really like Rik, but at the beginning i hated him but he really grew on me. I honestly didn’t expect to like this book as much as I did and I hope I get to read another book like this soon. Senera thought she was an extra but from the moment I read her POV she was radiating main character energy. I was hoping for another big plot twist at the end but that’s just my high standards after reading AGGGTM. It did give me AGGGTM vibes but Senera obviously didn’t figure much out except for the letter but that would’ve been so easy for Pip. I liked Clem. Sorry. I loved her personality. I don’t actually like her and I wish this book extended more on Felicity not really liking her own daughter. But I don’t like Clems aura and I know that she’s not a good person but she definitely has the potential to be a good person but in the end i’m glad they all drifted away from her, for their own good, although I’ll never really understand how Rik and Meg were ever friends with Clem in the first place. I laughed out loud when everyone was under the impression that they were together. And i actually laughed out loud at the maid Holly story. This book provided: humor, mystery, darkness, summer love and awareness. This book also touched on mental health issues like Depression and BPD. As well as also mentioning Schizophrenia.
May 19, 2023
pre-read review: I hate that I didn’t notice this was dual timeline before I requested it.
pre-review review: i truly don’t understand the point of this book??? what???
review: When Senara and her friends break into Cliff House gardens, the last thing Senara expects is to be invited back, again and again. But that’s what happens, and Senara finds herself growing close with the old lady who lives there, Martha. But the house is hiding things and when Martha’s great-granddaughter Clem comes up for the summer, the furthest thing from their minds was murder. But then secrets come to light, bodies are uncovered, and Senara is left reeling.
I’ve never read a book by Barr before this one, and so I don’t know if I would have lowered my expectations had I known how she writes, but this was incredibly underwhelming.
Some positives—I loved how determined Senara was to find herself and what she liked. I enjoyed how she was strong and how she often tried to prioritise herself over others. I enjoyed Josie and Meg’s relationship, as I pretty much enjoy any sapphic relationship.
However, other than this, there weren’t many things I really liked about this book. This book, to me, felt very passive. As in, Senara wasn’t really doing anything, things were happening to her, and so this kept pulling me out of the book because I was expecting something to happen, but nothing really was because Senara was more of a bystander in these chain of events, rather than a main character.
I also got the impression that this was supposed to be more of a mystery than it really is. From the prologue, I felt like there was supposed to be more. And I mean—SPOILERS—accidentally killing someone and then burying their body in the garden is big, don’t get me wrong, I just thought it would be bigger. It’s all really rather done and dusted, that’s it. Move on. As for Aubrey, I mean, I get it. But once again, the book felt like it should have been bigger. I feel like that’s part in due to the fact that nothing actually happened until around the seventy percent mark. The first seventy percent of the story was literally just a young adult summer contemporary, complete with boy problems, friendship problems and the like. But this isn’t simply a contemporary, and so why it took that long to get to the major aspects of this book baffled me. I kept wondering when something was going to happen to shake it all up.
The fact that there were four points of view across three timelines was also a little baffling and it definitely added to the overall bulk of the story in terms of how long it took to get to the part where shit hits the fan. Martha’s part didn’t really seem overly important. And Felicity’s only served to tell us the how and what of what happens.
I also wasn’t entirely convinced by the romance. It didn’t feel fake, but it definitely felt forced. There was no chemistry between Rik and Senara at all.
Overall, this wasn’t a great book. I was bored for most of it. Will I read more of Barr’s books? I don’t know. We’ll see.
Thank you, NetGalley, for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
pre-review review: i truly don’t understand the point of this book??? what???
review: When Senara and her friends break into Cliff House gardens, the last thing Senara expects is to be invited back, again and again. But that’s what happens, and Senara finds herself growing close with the old lady who lives there, Martha. But the house is hiding things and when Martha’s great-granddaughter Clem comes up for the summer, the furthest thing from their minds was murder. But then secrets come to light, bodies are uncovered, and Senara is left reeling.
I’ve never read a book by Barr before this one, and so I don’t know if I would have lowered my expectations had I known how she writes, but this was incredibly underwhelming.
Some positives—I loved how determined Senara was to find herself and what she liked. I enjoyed how she was strong and how she often tried to prioritise herself over others. I enjoyed Josie and Meg’s relationship, as I pretty much enjoy any sapphic relationship.
However, other than this, there weren’t many things I really liked about this book. This book, to me, felt very passive. As in, Senara wasn’t really doing anything, things were happening to her, and so this kept pulling me out of the book because I was expecting something to happen, but nothing really was because Senara was more of a bystander in these chain of events, rather than a main character.
I also got the impression that this was supposed to be more of a mystery than it really is. From the prologue, I felt like there was supposed to be more. And I mean—SPOILERS—accidentally killing someone and then burying their body in the garden is big, don’t get me wrong, I just thought it would be bigger. It’s all really rather done and dusted, that’s it. Move on. As for Aubrey, I mean, I get it. But once again, the book felt like it should have been bigger. I feel like that’s part in due to the fact that nothing actually happened until around the seventy percent mark. The first seventy percent of the story was literally just a young adult summer contemporary, complete with boy problems, friendship problems and the like. But this isn’t simply a contemporary, and so why it took that long to get to the major aspects of this book baffled me. I kept wondering when something was going to happen to shake it all up.
The fact that there were four points of view across three timelines was also a little baffling and it definitely added to the overall bulk of the story in terms of how long it took to get to the part where shit hits the fan. Martha’s part didn’t really seem overly important. And Felicity’s only served to tell us the how and what of what happens.
I also wasn’t entirely convinced by the romance. It didn’t feel fake, but it definitely felt forced. There was no chemistry between Rik and Senara at all.
Overall, this wasn’t a great book. I was bored for most of it. Will I read more of Barr’s books? I don’t know. We’ll see.
Thank you, NetGalley, for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
September 2, 2024
This book was easily one of my favourite books of the summer - and of 2024, if I'm honest - and I can't wait to get my hands on a physical copy. A complete 4.75 star wonder.
I haven't read much Emily Barr since her debut (I think) blew up all of those years ago, but this book made me want to go back and binge her entire catalogue. It was summery and beautifully written, long and illustrative, containing sharp social commentary and wonderful, well-rounded characters, flashbacks and detail. It was perfect. I don't think I've enjoyed a mystery book this much since discovering Ravena Guron.
The book follows a certain summer in Cornwall, 2022, after years of pandemic and crisis have kept a wealthy family away from their seaside second home. Told primarily from the perspective of Senara, who is sixteen and living in the village below the house, we start to uncover dark secrets about the house on the cliff... and the people who live there.
If I was to be super picky, I'd comment on certain aspects of the pacing, maybe on the fact I guessed the plot twist. But I don't think this book was ever meant to be strictly a mystery book. It was dark and romantic, had the most gorgeous flashbacks to periods of time I'd love to know more about, and contained so many interesting relationships that I honestly just couldn't get enough.
It was also a sharp commentary of the wealth divides in areas like Cornwall, where second homeowners are causing a crisis and locals are being driven out of their own family homes for the sake of a crumbling tourism industry. We don't see much of this in YA nowadays - the sort of social commentary that can be applied to the real world, and is grounded in unfortunate truths.
There were so many beautiful lines and quotes in this book. It was summery and wonderful and so refreshing, because a lot of YA books nowadays tend to skip out on description and characterisation, which is something I personally find a tad lazy.
I definitely will be devouring the rest of Emily Barr's books.
I haven't read much Emily Barr since her debut (I think) blew up all of those years ago, but this book made me want to go back and binge her entire catalogue. It was summery and beautifully written, long and illustrative, containing sharp social commentary and wonderful, well-rounded characters, flashbacks and detail. It was perfect. I don't think I've enjoyed a mystery book this much since discovering Ravena Guron.
The book follows a certain summer in Cornwall, 2022, after years of pandemic and crisis have kept a wealthy family away from their seaside second home. Told primarily from the perspective of Senara, who is sixteen and living in the village below the house, we start to uncover dark secrets about the house on the cliff... and the people who live there.
If I was to be super picky, I'd comment on certain aspects of the pacing, maybe on the fact I guessed the plot twist. But I don't think this book was ever meant to be strictly a mystery book. It was dark and romantic, had the most gorgeous flashbacks to periods of time I'd love to know more about, and contained so many interesting relationships that I honestly just couldn't get enough.
It was also a sharp commentary of the wealth divides in areas like Cornwall, where second homeowners are causing a crisis and locals are being driven out of their own family homes for the sake of a crumbling tourism industry. We don't see much of this in YA nowadays - the sort of social commentary that can be applied to the real world, and is grounded in unfortunate truths.
There were so many beautiful lines and quotes in this book. It was summery and wonderful and so refreshing, because a lot of YA books nowadays tend to skip out on description and characterisation, which is something I personally find a tad lazy.
I definitely will be devouring the rest of Emily Barr's books.
August 26, 2023
first of all i have to say that i went into reading this book with completely false expectations, i thought it was a cute little romance book but it quickly turned out to be a thriller (not a heavy one but still). so yea in the beginning i was a bit confused but as i continued reading it, it turned out to be quite fun actually.
what i loved most about the book was def the character martha, she was brilliant, i loved her sm!! even tho she was a 92 year old she was the most open minded, funny and cool person to ever exist. the way she was there for everyone and always helped them out no matter what, she was truly fantastic.
another thing that i liked, it that the book played in england more specifically in cornwall and the funny thing is that i have been at some of the places the book mentioned a few weeks ago. i loved how they described the landscape and the coast because i saw it with my own eyes and it looked stunning.
the fact that the book showed the life of three different characters that all took place at a different time was rlly cool, mainly because you could see the story slowly forming up and in the end when you discovered all the secrets the characters hid everything made sense.
the only thing i didn’t like was the romance part of the book, idk but between senara and rik was barely any tension (in my opinion) and it all happened way to fast.
overall the book was a good read, it wasn’t 5 star read tho due to the lack of romance.
what i loved most about the book was def the character martha, she was brilliant, i loved her sm!! even tho she was a 92 year old she was the most open minded, funny and cool person to ever exist. the way she was there for everyone and always helped them out no matter what, she was truly fantastic.
another thing that i liked, it that the book played in england more specifically in cornwall and the funny thing is that i have been at some of the places the book mentioned a few weeks ago. i loved how they described the landscape and the coast because i saw it with my own eyes and it looked stunning.
the fact that the book showed the life of three different characters that all took place at a different time was rlly cool, mainly because you could see the story slowly forming up and in the end when you discovered all the secrets the characters hid everything made sense.
the only thing i didn’t like was the romance part of the book, idk but between senara and rik was barely any tension (in my opinion) and it all happened way to fast.
overall the book was a good read, it wasn’t 5 star read tho due to the lack of romance.
October 9, 2023
Auch wenn ich die storyline nicht ultra mega spannend fand, konnte ich das Buch manchmal kaum weglegen, war ein easy read mit süßen Charakteren - wobei Martha bei weitem mein Favorit war 🫶🏼
und ich mochte dass es 4 povs aus 3 unterschiedlichen Zeiten gab, deswegen 3,75 ⭐️ weil das Buch mich gecatcht hat, auch wenn die Story bisschen predictive war und bestimmt auch auf 300 statt 400 Seiten hätte geschrieben sein können
und ich mochte dass es 4 povs aus 3 unterschiedlichen Zeiten gab, deswegen 3,75 ⭐️ weil das Buch mich gecatcht hat, auch wenn die Story bisschen predictive war und bestimmt auch auf 300 statt 400 Seiten hätte geschrieben sein können
July 14, 2024
I truly enjoyed this book. The characters were amazing, an all had interesting lives and personalities, especially Martha. (Love you Martha) This book deals with loss, classism, selfishness and the internal monologue that these cause. The mystery aspect of the story was a bit lacking, hence the four stars in stead of five, but I still enjoyed it due to the complexity of the characters and their respective lives and feelings.
July 8, 2023
I barely liked this book it wasn’t bad but it wasn’t good.
2.5 ⭐️
They already mentioned COVID 🙂
I only liked Martha and the others were meh
3 POVs was way to confusing at least write the name so I know who’s POV it is.
The romance was also not to good the girls were cute but thats about it.
All in all wouldn’t really recommend ✌️
Also not enough summer vibes
And the book didn’t have a point what story was the author trying to tell? What was the intention?
And a big minus Point for the plot twist not plot twisting! The secret(s) were no surprises and not shocking to me.
I as well didn’t enjoy the writing (that included the 3 POV type of writing).
This book made me feel not much
2.5 ⭐️
They already mentioned COVID 🙂
I only liked Martha and the others were meh
3 POVs was way to confusing at least write the name so I know who’s POV it is.
The romance was also not to good the girls were cute but thats about it.
All in all wouldn’t really recommend ✌️
Also not enough summer vibes
And the book didn’t have a point what story was the author trying to tell? What was the intention?
And a big minus Point for the plot twist not plot twisting! The secret(s) were no surprises and not shocking to me.
I as well didn’t enjoy the writing (that included the 3 POV type of writing).
This book made me feel not much
July 26, 2023
Great for fans of A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder.
The overlapping strands of timelines and characters makes this plot very interesting and leaves you always guessing what the skeletons in the closet are. Every new revelation changes your theories.
There’s LGBTQ representation, there’s actual representation of an old lady’s whole life instead of dismissing her as some background character just because she’s old.
There were so many times in this book that I actually gasped from the plot twists.
The overlapping strands of timelines and characters makes this plot very interesting and leaves you always guessing what the skeletons in the closet are. Every new revelation changes your theories.
There’s LGBTQ representation, there’s actual representation of an old lady’s whole life instead of dismissing her as some background character just because she’s old.
There were so many times in this book that I actually gasped from the plot twists.
August 28, 2023
The book was too long in my opinion. The first 100 pages could've been made into 50 pages so the actual exciting part which happens after the first half of the book would happen faster. But after that it actually gets pretty exciting because the reader slowly gets to know all of the secrets.
But that is also kind of the problem. When I purchased the book I thought that it is going to be a mystery book in which our main character is going to be finding clues and find out what actually happend. Instead we, the readers, find everything out through scenes that happend in the past. Nevertheless those scenes were really exciting to read and one of the best parts about the book.
Also the relationships between the characters were kind of weird. Don't get me even started on Senara, Josie and Garreth. Like Garreth treats Josie like that and they all stay friends? Not just that, but also the girls saying "Well he's known for being a player?" Like hell no. Did not like him.
Also the love relationships feel a little bit "random". Maybe because they are presented to the reader from half of the book so I guess there was not much time to build a real connection.
But that is also kind of the problem. When I purchased the book I thought that it is going to be a mystery book in which our main character is going to be finding clues and find out what actually happend. Instead we, the readers, find everything out through scenes that happend in the past. Nevertheless those scenes were really exciting to read and one of the best parts about the book.
Also the relationships between the characters were kind of weird. Don't get me even started on Senara, Josie and Garreth. Like Garreth treats Josie like that and they all stay friends? Not just that, but also the girls saying "Well he's known for being a player?" Like hell no. Did not like him.
Also the love relationships feel a little bit "random". Maybe because they are presented to the reader from half of the book so I guess there was not much time to build a real connection.
September 22, 2023
looooooved it!! i am a person that SPECIFICALLY only reads cute little romance books or stuff like that but this was way deeper.
the start of it was kinda lame, it didn‘t catch me at all but if you have made yourself read like the first 50 pages, the rest is FLAAAWLESS.
ultimately i gasped at like every chapter because it was so unpredictable. i need book 2 asap please
the start of it was kinda lame, it didn‘t catch me at all but if you have made yourself read like the first 50 pages, the rest is FLAAAWLESS.
ultimately i gasped at like every chapter because it was so unpredictable. i need book 2 asap please
August 28, 2023
A nice YA beach read. The plot is interesting, and the different timelines and viewpoints but I found the writing underwhelming even for this genre. An enjoyable book nonetheless.
August 20, 2025
Het moet een summer secret blijven dat ik dit heb gelezen
April 15, 2024
I liked how this book was from multiple perspectives and different time periods. It took a few chapters to get used to the style but after that I couldn't put the book down and I really enjoyed it!
August 13, 2023
It’s a cute story, but somehow it got really predictable at the end 🥹
February 25, 2024
did not finish, got about 200 pages through, which is about halfway and that was enough for me.
firstly, this book was so hard to even pick up and actually start. i was putting it off since i didnt really know what to expect. going into it, i thought it would be a cute little, short, summer romance, but let me stop you there and tell you it was NOT at all. this book was actually over 400 pages not 40, as it says on goodreads, so after just only reading half of it i was DONE, absolutely DONE.
now the plot was actually so confusing, like actually. the perspective kept on switching between this old lady and the main character, which i mean is fine in most books, but nah uh, in this one it just changed so randomly and inconveniently. like it would switch without any notice whatsoever. and it was just so not needed.
now the actual plot and storyline was rubbish, and had no point in anything. the book was literally about going to this old ladies house and finding out her past with this magical came-out-of-nowhere-character. there was no context or stuff like that. omg and the characters, WHAT. THE. HECK. dont even get me started. oh my. im not even joking when i say this but i literally had to stop reading and write out a full on diagram on the characters about who was who and how they were related. and after writing it out i still didnt get it.
thanks but no thanks, im never picking up this book again.
firstly, this book was so hard to even pick up and actually start. i was putting it off since i didnt really know what to expect. going into it, i thought it would be a cute little, short, summer romance, but let me stop you there and tell you it was NOT at all. this book was actually over 400 pages not 40, as it says on goodreads, so after just only reading half of it i was DONE, absolutely DONE.
now the plot was actually so confusing, like actually. the perspective kept on switching between this old lady and the main character, which i mean is fine in most books, but nah uh, in this one it just changed so randomly and inconveniently. like it would switch without any notice whatsoever. and it was just so not needed.
now the actual plot and storyline was rubbish, and had no point in anything. the book was literally about going to this old ladies house and finding out her past with this magical came-out-of-nowhere-character. there was no context or stuff like that. omg and the characters, WHAT. THE. HECK. dont even get me started. oh my. im not even joking when i say this but i literally had to stop reading and write out a full on diagram on the characters about who was who and how they were related. and after writing it out i still didnt get it.
thanks but no thanks, im never picking up this book again.
September 27, 2024
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review!
There was so much going on here, and yet at the same time, not a lot going on? There's 3 timelines - present day, where we have two different POVs, 1988, where we have another different POV, and the 1940s, where we have yet another different POV. It did get a little confusing - the POVs all sounded pretty similar to each other, and it was hard to distinguish at first between all the perspectives. I think that this would have been okay, if the mystery had been more compelling. It's difficult to discuss without spoilers of course, but nothing to do with the mystery really kicks off until about 60% of the way through, and I was definitely expecting there to be happening a lot earlier. And by the time the mystery does kick off, the plot twists don't feel like plot twists - they weren't surprising or shocking enough, because you pretty much know by then what's going to have happened.
I think that this book was possibly just marketed wrong. It is way more YA Contemporary than YA Mystery/Thriller, and I think when it is marketed as such you go in with the wrong expectations, when this isn't necessarily a bad book - just not the 'dark Cornish thriller' it was made out to be.
There was so much going on here, and yet at the same time, not a lot going on? There's 3 timelines - present day, where we have two different POVs, 1988, where we have another different POV, and the 1940s, where we have yet another different POV. It did get a little confusing - the POVs all sounded pretty similar to each other, and it was hard to distinguish at first between all the perspectives. I think that this would have been okay, if the mystery had been more compelling. It's difficult to discuss without spoilers of course, but nothing to do with the mystery really kicks off until about 60% of the way through, and I was definitely expecting there to be happening a lot earlier. And by the time the mystery does kick off, the plot twists don't feel like plot twists - they weren't surprising or shocking enough, because you pretty much know by then what's going to have happened.
I think that this book was possibly just marketed wrong. It is way more YA Contemporary than YA Mystery/Thriller, and I think when it is marketed as such you go in with the wrong expectations, when this isn't necessarily a bad book - just not the 'dark Cornish thriller' it was made out to be.
July 23, 2023
3 time lines, 4 points of view, mystery, history, suspense, poor kids-rich kids trope, gothic setting (but in summer), what’s more to love. A thrilling mystery that will suck you in to solving all the secrets. There are plenty of relatable characters to like and enough awful ones to detest. Barr made some mindful choices to develop empathy for characters who desperately needed it despite their actions, the integration of the flashbacks, and to write Senara in first person (the exception to everyone else), so that she would finally have her own storyline. Once I was set on the multiple perspectives and timelines (about 1/8 of the way in), I was hooked. I didn’t want to put this down.
14+ Years (or mature 13)
14+ Years (or mature 13)
July 1, 2023
I read Ghosted by Emily Barr last year and absolutely loved it so I was thrilled to get the chance to read her latest work.
I absolutely loved this too. Set across 3 timelines and 3 generations of family it slowly weaves them together beautifully. The fact I grew up very near a Cliff House overlooking a beach made it even more of a fun read although I think mine was a little less dramatic!
I see this is being pitched towards fans of We Were Liars and it definitely has similar vibes. I enjoyed it just as much.
I absolutely loved this too. Set across 3 timelines and 3 generations of family it slowly weaves them together beautifully. The fact I grew up very near a Cliff House overlooking a beach made it even more of a fun read although I think mine was a little less dramatic!
I see this is being pitched towards fans of We Were Liars and it definitely has similar vibes. I enjoyed it just as much.
August 25, 2023
A very strong 4.5 this book was a brilliant read. Lots of secrets to be uncovered, lots of characters to full in love with, and learn about. There are many different time lines in this book, but they are well written, and easy to follow. I especially loved Martha, and her parts in the book. A wonderful read for summer, or anytime your feeling like a book full of Cornish mystery!
You can read more over on my blog:
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You can read more over on my blog:
https://insidethecover356912439.wordp...
February 10, 2024
Wow…
I loved the three timelines of the book and kept me guessing throughout!
I defo thought I knew what was happening then it changed and everything made sense even the little details!
BIG SLAY EMILY !
I loved the three timelines of the book and kept me guessing throughout!
I defo thought I knew what was happening then it changed and everything made sense even the little details!
BIG SLAY EMILY !
March 16, 2023
A great concept and I do usually love Emily's books but this one fell a little short for me and I just couldn't commit myself to the book which was a bit of a shame.
June 24, 2024
SOOOOO good! Couldn’t stop lol.
February 15, 2025
i love love love this book! words can’t describe how much enjoyment i gained from reading this. the whole experience felt very nostalgic as all the plot’s twists and turns made me keep flipping the pages.
now, WHY do i love this book so much? it was the writing that stole my heart. it was simple yet beautifully engaging, as it teleported me to Cliff House and the beachy scenery of Cornwall. i could talk endlessly how much i loved it but i digress, that would take hours and days even!
now the characters! chefs kiss! the characterisation was so intentional and felt as if i was reading a non-fiction story of a real family and mystery. i sympathised greatly with senara through how genuine and and relatable she was. clementine was such a complex girl, i could feel her urge for vengence and privilege radiating through the pages. what i loved most was how tied together these characters were and how they all served a pivotal purpose in the story.
now my favourite…the plot. it was everything and more. it was as if it was made for me as it had all my favourite things: mystery, romance, historical flashbacks and more! i was audibly gasping at how much this book was a match made in heaven for me!
i haven’t felt this exhilarated after reading a book in a while! so glad i went to the library on the day that i did and picked this one up! 😊💕💕
now, WHY do i love this book so much? it was the writing that stole my heart. it was simple yet beautifully engaging, as it teleported me to Cliff House and the beachy scenery of Cornwall. i could talk endlessly how much i loved it but i digress, that would take hours and days even!
now the characters! chefs kiss! the characterisation was so intentional and felt as if i was reading a non-fiction story of a real family and mystery. i sympathised greatly with senara through how genuine and and relatable she was. clementine was such a complex girl, i could feel her urge for vengence and privilege radiating through the pages. what i loved most was how tied together these characters were and how they all served a pivotal purpose in the story.
now my favourite…the plot. it was everything and more. it was as if it was made for me as it had all my favourite things: mystery, romance, historical flashbacks and more! i was audibly gasping at how much this book was a match made in heaven for me!
i haven’t felt this exhilarated after reading a book in a while! so glad i went to the library on the day that i did and picked this one up! 😊💕💕
September 14, 2023
Cliff House is a place full of money, stuck-up Londoners, and most importantly…secrets.
While this isn’t my favourite book I’ve ever read, I really enjoyed the character development and always love when I can relate to a main character. I also didn’t see a lot of the twists coming until last minute which kept me hooked right until the end.
This is a quick summer read, perfect for if you’re visiting England for summer like I did.
While this isn’t my favourite book I’ve ever read, I really enjoyed the character development and always love when I can relate to a main character. I also didn’t see a lot of the twists coming until last minute which kept me hooked right until the end.
This is a quick summer read, perfect for if you’re visiting England for summer like I did.
July 22, 2023
Read it in 2 and a half days, every free minute I used for reading this book. From the first page on I was corious about cliff house secrets.
Martha was my absolute favorite character, so lovely and funny!
I really liked the three different timelines and I will recommend this book to my friends as the perfect thrilling summer read!
Martha was my absolute favorite character, so lovely and funny!
I really liked the three different timelines and I will recommend this book to my friends as the perfect thrilling summer read!
May 4, 2024
This was the first “YA” book from Emily Barr that I really liked. I really wish she would go back to her adult stories, mostly so much better.
But on Theo the story is interesting, the characters also (some you love, some (one??) you hate), the mystery behind it all keeping us on the edge of our seat.
But on Theo the story is interesting, the characters also (some you love, some (one??) you hate), the mystery behind it all keeping us on the edge of our seat.
October 17, 2024
May this book turn into a movie some day. The plot is so good, an incredible mix of mystery and love story (quite low on the love story thing). Emily Barr deserves an award for making such an addictive book, every chapter has his own specificity which makes the next one understandable.
I recommend and somehow wish that I get brainwashed and forget about this book so that I can read it again.
I recommend and somehow wish that I get brainwashed and forget about this book so that I can read it again.
October 23, 2023
3.75 - dann nur 3 sterne zu geben fühlt sich falsch an
December 31, 2023
3,5 ⭐️ dieses Buch war verwirrend…ab der zweiten Hälfte aber eig gut 🕺🏼
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