A cleverly written book with characters that jump out of the book, brilliant and gripping from the first page. This book kept me up way into the night as I was so keen to keep reading.

This book was really brilliantly written and the ending was such a shock. I really wasn't sure what I thought would happen and couldn't quite put my finger on who I trusted. I will definitely be looking out for what else Amanda Jennings writes.

THE CLIFF HOUSE is Amanda Jennings fourth novel, but the first one I have ever read. It certainly won't be my last! Set in Cornwall, the descriptions are stunning, taking you right into the action as if you are there. The story has a lot of different strands but the author weaves them together cleverly Which keeps you reading and turning the pages. It is a haunting and dark tale with a cleverly deceptive plot that is twisty from start to finish. I will remember the descriptions of the North Cornish coastline for a long time to come.
This book is about obsession, loss and longing. Set in the 1980's and against the backdrop of a beautiful Cornwall, it has all the ingredients for an escapist read and it delivers ten fold. , I thoroughly enjoyed it and would highly recommend.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy.

I found this quite a slow book to get into but was suddenly drawn in around 2/3rds of the way through the book and compelled to finish it. I think Tamsin was a complete nutjob. I liked her mother though, although they were all still trudging through life without their husband/father which I found quite draining. The Davenports were also all totally bonkers and I found the ending a little disappointing I'm afraid.

An evocative tale, it starts with Tamsyn constantly watching The Cliff House and the people who live there. We find that Tamsyn finds the place a comfort following her father's death some time before. One day Edie catches her on the premises and they become friends but things then change...

Although it started slow, I soon got into it. The Cornish setting really set the atmosphere and the story left an imprint for several days after.

Th first thing I admired about this novel is the cover, it is absolutely stunning. I loved the simplicity of it, and the subsequent images it evoked. So often a stunning cover does not necessarily mean the content is of a similar nature, but The Cliff House delivered on both fronts.

I have to say that it was a novel that surprised me with content that I wasn’t quite expecting. I was expecting a tense psychological thriller very much in the same vane as In Her Wake. Yes The Cliff House is thrilling, yes it is tense and the psychological aspects are brilliant but it is so much more than that. It is a novel of teenage angst, of grief and loss and a house, The Cliff House, a house that means different things for the characters that enter through its doors.

For sixteen year old Tamsyn it is the last link and the place where she feels closest to her dead Father, still grief stricken six years after his death. I had mixed feelings about Tamsyn. On the one level I felt incredibly sorry for her, this young woman, who could not move on, stuck in a time warp, extremely naive and quite childish in her outlook. On another level I found her childish naivety frustrating, and at times wanted her to shake her, tell her to wake up and realise that the perfection she saw in the Davenports was all an illusion, the house nothing but bricks and mortar. If this is the way in which Jennings wanted me to feel she certainly succeeded.

Edie is Tamsyn’s opposite, strong, willful, streetwise, confident, out to prove a point and to rebel. In some ways I actually felt more empathy for Edie and found her more likeable, she may have a hard exterior but underneath was a girl who just wanted normal parents and above all a mum to share things with.

The relationship between Tamsyn and Edie was interesting. Edie the leader, pulling Tamsyn along, Tamsyn the willing follower, dazzled by what she perceives as the perfect life, the perfect family, desperate to be in the Cliff House no matter the cost, both using each other for differing outcomes.

The outcomes may not have been what they both wanted but the events leading up to the end results were brilliantly tense and unnerving. I could sense that a huge explosion of emotion and drama would erupt, that maybe not all would end well. The latter pages had me sitting on the edge of my seat and were evocative, chilling and just slightly surprising.

What sets this apart from the many novels in this genre is the setting. Jennings descriptions and imagery had me right there in Cornwall, on the cliff paths and inside the Cliff House. The Cliff House itself, dominated the narrative, with its white exterior, its myriad of windows and the stillness of the swimming pool, exerting its magnetic pull on the characters.

The Cliff House pulled me in and held me, enthralled in its clutches until it let me go, leaving me filled with admiration at such a wonderfully powerful novel.

As I write this review I am actually sighing in contentment as I remember how I felt whilst reading The Cliff House! You know that feeling when you close a book and just hold it, not wanting to quite let it go yet as you desperately try to hang on to the emotions it evoked? Please tell me that other people do this too!

I love books that surprise you by tearing up the rule book and The Cliff House comes across as if the author was utterly compelled to just let her characters speak and be heard. It is one very special book and one that deserves words far more eloquent than those I can come up with so please forgive me if mine don’t match the marvel of this story! To me this book is pure perfection. It swept me up, swirled me around in its current of emotion and left me washed up on the banks of purgatory completely drained. The themes of love, loss and obsession became entwined with my own feelings and I was left positively exhausted by the time I greedily devoured the final few pages.

This poignant page turner is set in Cornwall in the summer of 1986 and the sense of both time and place are brought to life perfectly by its evocative narrative. There was often a dreamlike quality to it even when it was actually more of a nightmare at times! Tamsyn was an intriguing character, struggling to move on from the death of her father six years ago and who becomes obsessed by The Cliff House and the family who live there. Her grief manifests itself in her all-consuming behaviour but as the plot developed with its emotive and slow burning intensity, I found that I wasn’t as repelled by her actions as I would have expected myself to be. In fact I felt sympathetic with, not only her, but all the main players here! I was captivated by their interactions with each other, hanging off their every word and looking for clues as to why their behaviour was the way it was. It helped that the narrative was so powerfully suggestive, with images conjured up perfectly of both characters and places that I couldn’t help but become involved with them. I often felt like I was actually there, pulled into their world as if I had purposely stepped into a literary work of art.

Yes this is a stunning book! It’s spellbinding from the very first word and just so touchingly beautiful in every turn of phrase that is so thoughtfully put together. I feel I am gushing a little with this one but I just loved it so much! I can highly recommend this dark but hauntingly atmospheric read. Don’t miss out on this one!

I simply loved how the author has managed to bring the whole story setting to life. Although it was a slow paced book, it kept me hooked right to the end. Perfect read for the holidays.

A brooding tale of adult and teenage jealousies and obsessions, The Cliff House tells the tale of Tamsyn, a lonely misfit in her small Cornish town. Shunned by her peers she spends a lot of time sneaking into The Cliff House, owned by the glamorous Davenport's. When she is caught by their teenage daughter Edie and an unlikely friendship is struck up. But Tamsyn doesn't just want to be a friend of the family....she wants to be one of them.

Evocative and compelling this novel brings Cornwall to life on the page, even if the story hadn't been good the descriptions and prose would have still made this a good read. As it is because the story is good then actually it's a great read. I thought throughout that I knew exactly where it was going but was never quite right. For me, that's refreshing in itself. If you like Cornwall and you enjoy thrillers this will be right up your street.

The Cliff House is so many things, it isn’t just a psychological thriller, it is a coming-of-age meets a family coping with grief and the hard realities of living below the breadline story. When you put all those components together and add a layer or difference of socioeconomic status between two friends, that’s when you can see the cracks start to appear in the seemingly innocent story of a young lonely girl.

A girl almost consumed with grief after the death of her father, despite the fact it has already been many years since his death. Tamsyn focuses her obsession on any place she visited with her father and even on any object he may have touched at one point. When anyone invades those memories she becomes irrational and antagonistic.

One of the places she obsesses about is a house her father told her would one day be theirs. The Cliff House and its inhabitants are the objects of her daily routine. She watches, she imagines and she becomes part of the family, if only in her head.

One day her routine is disrupted and her fantasy threatened when the daughter of the house discovers Tamsyn trespassing. The ensuing relationship or what she perceives to be a relationship is the beginning of a downward spiral for everyone in both families. Her reaction when someone encroaches upon her territory is indicative of a dark side of her personality.

Jennings plays around with the alleged innocence of youth, the divide between rich and poor, and the invisibility each girl suffers from in their own family settings. Every family has problems regardless of their economic status.

Jennings underplays the importance of the obsession, so it becomes a subtle undertone in the background. It buzzes around like a persistent reminder, but not enough to think it might be an actual threat. It’s a sublime well-plotted story.

I enjoyed this book immensely. The writer so vividly described the setting that I could see it all in my mind. It was quite a slow burner but kept my attention all the way through.

I had read a number of 4 and 5 star reviews for this book so I was expecting great things. I must admit I was therefore a little disappointed that it didn’t live up to my expectations. It was a good book and well written but I thought it dragged out a fair bit.

Tamsyn lives with her mother, brother and grandfather in a damp little house in Cornwall. She has an obsession with ‘the white house’ which she watches from the rock with her binoculars. Sometimes, when she knows the family aren’t there, she sneaks into the grounds of the house and uses the swimming pool. It’s on one of these visits that she meets Edie, the daughter of the owners, and they become friends. Tamsyn’s obsession grows with the friendship and she spends more and more time there.

One thing I did like about the book is how the author brought everything to life and I was able to envisage the setting etc.

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced read copy of the book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

Be careful what you wish for

In the Summer of 1986, Tamsyn is almost sixteen and still grieving the death of her father, a lifeboatman, who was drowned while attempting a rescue 4 years earlier. For Tamsyn, the Cliff House represents her father’s dreams that one day they would live there. While said in jest, she hangs on to the promise and the memories of swimming with her father in the pool when the owners were away.

Tamsyn’s mother cleans for the family each time they visit, but in-between Tamsyn uses her mother’s key to explore the house and to swim in the pool.

When the Davenport family, Max, Eleanor and Edie come to stay for an extended visit, Tamsyn spies on them from the cliff path using her father’s binoculars. Soon she finds herself sucked into their lives, imagining how it would feel to be part of that family, living in the house.

Inevitably she is discovered, by the daughter, Edie who is bored to death and welcomes the diversion. Initially, Tamsyn is accepted and included by the Davenports, but after a while, as Max and Eleanor’s relationship sours, she starts to be viewed with suspicion, especially when a valuable bracelet goes missing.

This is a very readable book with a wealth of interesting characters, superstition and intrigues aplenty; Tamsyn’s mother Angie and brother Jago are unwittingly drawn into the complicated relationships developing between the Davenport family and themselves.

Well written and with a well-developed plotline there is much to enjoy as the story is brought up to date and the consequences of actions taken in 1986 come to light. Have dreams been fulfilled? You’ll have to read it to see!

Pashtpaws

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.

I loved the authors previous novel, In Her Wake, so was delighted to get the chance to read this one.
A haunting and evocative novel which is beautifully written. The backdrop of the North Cornish coast and the authors wonderful descriptive powers adds to the pull of the story.

Sixteen year old Tamsyn comes from an ordinary slightly struggling family, She becomes obsessed with the Cliff House where her mother is the cleaner and with the family that live there. . The Davenport family have a stunning house and a flamboyant life style. Inevitably, everything is not as it seems and a lot of angst and sadness lies below that golden veneer,. Tamsyn strikes up a relationship with the daughter of the family and becomes involved in their lives and struggles.

This book moves quite slowly. The exquisite writing and the wonderful descriptive powers of the author seem to be building up to something, there is a definite feeling of threat ahead. The characters are not even that likeable - but I found myself drawn into their world. The ending to this tale of family, grief and obsession completes this brilliant novel perfectly.

Thanks to Net Galley for the chance to read this book.

Many thanks to netgalley for an arc of this book in return for my honest opinion.

Wow - what a setting! The author did a magnificent job of bringing the breathtaking beauty of Cornwall alive with words. The story tells of a young girl growing up with an obsession for the stunning 'Cliff House' and its rich weekend residents, Her mother cleans there sometimes so has the key and Tamsyn, the young girl throws caution to the wind one day, steels the key and takes herself up to Cliff House to enjoy the magnificent pool and all the cliff top house has to offer.

Unfortunately for her, she is caught by the daughter of the rich family and this sparks the beginning of an unlikely friendship... As the story progresses, we learn more about Edie's family and how their perceived 'perfect life' is far from the reality. It was a great story with great characters and I enjoyed it immensely. I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.

I liked the book quite a lot, I found it slow in parts to be honest but didn’t struggle with it. Never read anything by the author before and I have to say I thought it was a decent book full of twists and a good storyline, obsession, friendship and more...! A good read.

An emotional story of a lonely young girls obsession with Cliff House and the wealthy family that live there. A very realistic story in a fabulous setting.

Thanks to HQ and Netgalley for a free copy of the book in exchange for a fair and unbiased review. Also my apologies for not sending this before.
This is my first Amanda Jennings novel but is will not be my last. I found the writing exceptionally mature and gripping. You can read the blurb to get and an outline of the plot so I will not post spoilers here. However, getting into the mind of the narrators was a rewarding experience and one I could believe.
This is one for the holiday book shelf.

A book of obsession of love and of classes I guess .. Tasmyns mother cleans at the cliff house ., a rich persons house which Tasmyn watches from afar through binoculars and makes perfect life stories in her head of the people who live there . A nostalgic place for her , a place where she had illicit swims with her late father . When 16 year old Edie come to live there for the summer Tasmyn has a chance to see the cliff house and it’s occupants in all their glory !! My thanks to netgalley and the publisher for my chance to read

The story revolves around the life of Tamsyn, a teenager growing up the 1980’s in the small coastal town of St Just in Cornwall. Her beloved father had died a few years earlier and her happiest times were remembering the carefree days spent with him as a child. Life became hard for the family who struggled to make ends meet and Tamsyn’s escape was to spy on a rich family who owned a stunning house on the cliff. Watching the way they lived and imagining herself being like them. Her obsession grew and she took more risks stopping at nothing to entwine herself into their lives. Was everything really as perfect as she imagined it? A slow burning book that had snatches of drama throughout but no major shocks until the end. It was quite enjoyable as the story switched between different characters and was therefore seen from other perspectives but I would have preferred more thrills and suspense.