Hannah is married to lawyer Nathan Cardew, they live in Trevose House, Cornwall, which is impressive and the residue of the once large Cardew estate which was gambled away by Nathan’s father. They have a teenage son, Alex whom Nathan tries to control as he does every aspect of Hannah’s life. As a teenage girl Hannah had strong feelings for Cam(eron) Stewart, a fisherman from Newlyn. The story is told from the perspectives of Hannah, Cam and Nathan and goes backwards and forwards from the present day to the 1980’s.

First of all, I love the Cornish setting which is always a winner for me especially if I know the places, such as Newlyn and lovely Mousehole. I love the smattering of Cornish words and I was all in with the saffron buns 😋. The characterisation is good, I love the deep bond between Hannah and Alex and the devoted friendship of Vicky to Hannah. What can you say about Nathan? He twists, he manipulates, he controls and never ceases to rub in the contrasting ‘social’ backgrounds between them. . So yes, he’s a snob and all about veneer and appearances. Sounds delightful doesn’t he? The family dynamics between the characters is good and you feel the tension and toxicity of the marriage. Trevose House provides an excellent and claustrophobic atmosphere which mirrors the intensity of events in the household. I like the contrast between the joyous Hannah of the 1980’s and the almost zombie like character of now so that you feel for Hannah with her husbands controlling aggression and relish the mini victories she has over him. There are surprises in the unfolding story and when you get to the truth it’s a shocker.

However, the story does take a bit of getting into as it’s slow to begin with. I do not find the sections where Cam is at sea with all its perils especially interesting although the dynamics between the fishermen is good. Although the book is well written it’s overly detailed at times which gets in the way of the drama. I do love the ‘storm glass’ and I didn’t know about these items to predict storms - whether they work or not is debatable but it’s a nice idea!

Overall, some sections are three star, most are four so the star rating is rounded up. I like the stormy premise with storms at sea, the storm glass, various stormy relationships, storm clouds hanging over a family which permeates the storytelling and which comes to a thunderous head when the truth emerges and sets Hannah and Alex free.

Thank you to NetGalley and HQ for the ARC.

You never know what goes on behind closed doors is what I was thinking reading this book. There is a lot more to this family than meets the eye, Hannah is in a toxic relationship with Nathan they also have a soon Alex who heard and sees everything that goes on in his parents marriage. The story flits back to the past when tragic circumstances happen. Is there a way forward or will Hannah be trapped forever and with a secret so big it could ruin all of their lives? I liked how Amanda has described her characters and how to the outside world  Hannah and Nathan's relationship is a perfect. This book is beautifully compelling.

This was my forst Amanda Jennings read. Thank you to netgalley for the opportunity.
The story focuses on hannah and her marriage to nathan. Nathan is controlling and has a hold over Hannah. The story includes Hannah's old love, Cam.
Throughout the book, it references the past and something bad that happened, and why Nathan has such a hold over Hannah. I was hooked and i was not expecting the twist that came. In fact there was a few twists and turns i was not expecting.
I really enjoyed the book and i feel that the ending is extremely open for a part two which would be brilliant as id love to see where the story goes.
Fantastic writing from Amanda, wont be my last read of hers. I 100% recommend you read this book, you will not be disappointed

Hannah has it all a son a loving husband . but does she Nathan is very controlling never lets her do what she wants ,but something happened that she lets him do this am not saying no more but it is a brilliant and a must read

I finished this book in two days so it obviously gripped me although at times it was a disturbing read. Mainly because my dislike of the controlling Nathan and, initially, some frustration with Hannah for not doing more made me feel somewhat uncomfortable. Hannah's reasons became clearer as the backstory unfolded through a series of flashbacks but my real empathy was for her son Alex.
The characters back in 1998 were well portrayed and their varied personalities came to life on the page. I could easily believe in their actions and lifestyle. Not quite so believable were all the decisions made in the present day or maybe it was just that I wished they had made different choices.
So overall an engaging book and well written enough to involve my emotions and for me to feel dislike for a character and his behaviour.

This compelling story is about abuse, coercion, and financial control. An issue which affects many families throughout the UK and worldwide. Nathan controls every aspect of his wife Hannah’s life, telling her where she is allowed to go, who she sees, what she wears, and only giving her enough money for spending, demanding receipts. Hannah allows this!
There are secrets in Hannah’s past which make her afraid to leave Nathan, all expertly written keeping you intrigued as the story unfolds. Written mainly from Hannah’s perspective, there are also several chapters written from Nathan’s viewpoint. He is obsessed by his wife and afraid she might leave him, leading to his controlling her and curtailing her freedom. Arguments regarding how to bring up their son Alex, also cause dissension between them.
The book is powerfully crafted by the author, exploring Hannah’s past, her relationship with Cam, who worked on a trawler, and harrowing, graphic descriptions of life at sea, written from Cam’s viewpoint. As with all good thrillers, several twists and turns make this book exceptional, and interesting characters make it a story not to be missed.

Wow this is a great story with lots of twists, some of them you can sort of predict but they still come with a nice bang! And a lovely little finisher leaving you wanting that little bit extra,..

An interesting and enjoyable thriller. I did not initially warm to the main character and found the first half of the novel, in particular, heavy in exposition and backstory. As I got further into the story, however, the motives of the protagonist became a little more clear and thus believable, and I started to enjoy it more. The depiction of financial bullying, in particular, I found extremely well done and quite affecting. Also, the scenes written from the viewpoint of Cam - perhaps the only sympathetic character, apart from the boy, Alex, whose plight I found moving - were taut and compelling. A clever, original novel.

I really enjoyed this book. From the outside Hannah seems to have the perfect life. She lives in a big house near Penzance with her handsome lawyer husband and 15 year old son Alex. However, things are not always what they seem. Nathan controls everything Hannah does, her spending, her clothes, absolutely everything. So why does she not leave? The truth is that something terrible happened one night 16 years previously, and Hannah made a bargain in order to keep it a secret. But now someone from that past has reappeared. Told in 2 time frames, this is a great read which will keep you guessing to the end. Thanks to Netgalley for a preview copy.
Copied to Goodreads.

When I read the synopsis I was excited to read it. It is a dark tale spamming two time periods. These were identified at the beginning of the chapters so very easy to follow.

The characterisation by the author is excellent and really affected my feelings towards each person. This is a book that I would recommend as it had me intrigued throughout.

Found this quite difficult to get into initially and it wasn't until almost halfway through that I felt like it had hooked me in. The story is told from three perspectives, Hannah, Nathan and Cam, and it also flips back and forth 15 years.

Unfortunately I figured out the direction the story was heading quite early on. There were no red herrings and everything was set up so you could work out what had happened.

However, it was an enjoyable summer read and the character development was great. I despised Nathan and rushed towards to the end as I wanted to make sure he got his comeuppance!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Wow this is a dark and twisted story of an obsessive love from a controlling husband who is mentally killing his wife and son over the years. As secrets and lies from the past start to spill out will they manage to break free unscathed and is everything as it seems.

This is a dark, brooding tale, with complex characters and a tight and twisty plot. I really loved this one!

Would you marry someone for love or money and a comfortable life that’s what Hannah did mind you he was the perfect man but all is not what it seems as you get drawn into the book there are so many secrets that happened years ago the more you read the book the more you want to read it I would recommend this book as I found it intriguing.

Outside the home a well respected and successful businessman. Behind closed doors a controlling bully who never actually resorts to physical violence. Constant belittling ensures his wife has no self respect, no opinion or say in their life and is in a permanent state of self loathing and depression. Fifteen years of living hell starts to crumble with the growing confidence of their young son, who upsets the status quo by determining to make a stand which can only have violent repercussions. The fragile facade of three lives held together by lies and deceit is ready to fall apart as violent events come back to haunt the protagonists. The arrival and intervention of a face from the past is the catalyst to push this dysfunctional family and our vulnerable central character towards a dangerous resolution. Written from the perspectives of past and present the reader moves along an unfolding series of life changing events which have damaged everyone involved and demand to be resolved if any change can be achieved. Thank you to publisher and NetGalley for this ARC.

This book transports you to the Deep South - voodoo, sex and murder. As it proceeds it becomes more tightly plotted with lots of revelations along the way.

I really enjoyed this book. Dark and twisty and we'll written. Well wrote and the characters were relatable.

The Storm transported me completely to beautiful Cornwall, to the intense feelings of first love, to the sickening claustrophobia of a toxic relationship, to a small boat in the middle of an inescapable storm.
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Amanda Jennings is a master at writing complex, believable characters, and at making you hold your breath with the unbearable tension of a situation. I cared so much about these people and - I know this is not unusual for me - I sobbed.
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An atmospheric and beautiful book that explores the heartbreaking consequences of split-second decisions and leaves you chanting “what if?” over and over, along with the characters.
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I highly, highly recommend travelling to Cornwall with The Storm this July.

3 stars

The good thing is that it didn't concern how usually books like this begin: two different couples, and then end: one husband killed and the wives having had an affair since years.
Also, what was heavily relatable here was the aspect of how everything Hanna did was controlled as it is very much prevalent in today's society, maybe even more than it was many years ago. Furthermore, it was interesting to read such a genre of book with more than just one POV. You had Hanna's POV, the husband's POV and the man she loved POV.

One thing, however, that I didn't like was how ***SPOILER*** the child wasn't actually his and she never came out with it. ***SPOILER**** The ending was a little la-dee-dah as well, like the couple leaving in the sunset and everything.

Admittedly, the ending sounded a bit creepy and often seen in a relationship where one of the parties haven't yet accepted the fact that the other one has left.

The Storm, Amanda Jennings

Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews

Genre: Mystery & Thrillers, New Adult

I'm not really sure why this is listed as New Adult, everyone in it is well past that except for Hannah's son ;-) Anyway, I was expecting to love this, it sounded very intriguing.
I liked it, a lot but didn't love it. Its one of those I'm glad I've read but won't reread.
I didn't really like any of the characters, except for poor Alex, he was the innocent victim in everything.

Nathan is obsessed with Hannah right from the start and manipulates his way into her life. He's got money and uses it to carefully lure her in, not in an obvious way, but in more subtle ones once he susses that she's not impressed by wealth. Her boyfriend Cam though....he's stiff competition. Cam's a fisherman, to Nathan its no contest but of course Hannah is in love and for her Nathan is just a good friend. And then something happens that changes everything.

Nathan goes from being a bit of a stalker to a total control freak. As events unfold I can actually see where his issues lie and they stem from way back in his life, to childhood and I did feel even the tiniest bit sorry for him. He knows way more than he admits, and what seems like heavy handed OTT control is his attempt to stop Hannah – his love, his life – from leaving. It made a hard life for her but she puts up with it for reasons of her own.

Then there's Cam who I hated at first, for leaving when she needed him, but of course as events unfold it wasn't that simple. I had guessed at some, though not all, some parts came as total surprise. I felt so sad for some of the characters, life in a fishing fleet is tough, harsh and death or life changing injuries never far away.
Its a classic story in a way of Teen ( imagined) Invincibility meets Real Life, and led to sadness all round. Alex was caught in a trap not of his making, Hannah was in a situation she felt she had only herself to blame, Cam did what felt right at the time even though he lost everything, and Nathan, well Nathan thinks he has the girl he loves but its only by controlling every bit of her life that he has her....A really sad group of characters, and even the ending holds a hint of more to come.

Stars: Four. A great read but not a re-reader for me.

ARC supplied by Netgalley and publisher