What a beautiful book. I saw the cover of this book and as a massive lover of Cornwall and history it just had to be read. The love, heartache and stories of these families was amazing to read. I struggled to put the book down at all. I would highly recommend reading this to anyone.

The River Between Us is a beautiful and heartwarming story which follows the lives of Theo in the present day and Alice in the past. It starts in the present with Theo travelling to the cottage she has purchased following her recent divorce. Recklessly she bought the cottage unseen and arrives to a dilapidated but somewhat charming cottage. Whilst renovating it she discovers a bundle of old letters, which unlock some very intriguing secrets from the past. Boatman’s Cottage is nestled on the banks of the River Tamar dividing Devon and Cornwall. The setting is exquisite and you get a wonderful sense of the peace, tranquility and beauty of the surroundings. The writing is vivid and descriptive and I really enjoyed exploring the landscape and history of the area and lovely descriptions of the the flora and fauna.

The dual timeline flashes back from the present day to 1914-1920. I’ll admit the first flashback threw me completely as I’d settled very comfortably into the present day and didn’t want to leave. It then required a bit of concentration to get to grips with the new era and the complicated family tree and sorting out who was related to who. However, I persevered and everything started to slot into place and the connection between the two timelines became clear. I found myself completely caught up in both past and present timelines and both were equally as absorbing. Alice’s and Theo’s story is truly heart-wrenching, a forbidden love story due to class division. Alice falls in love with a gillie, or gamekeeper, on the estate, it made me think back to years ago when I read Lady Chatterley’s Lover.

The River Between Us is an irresistibly romantic story which is full of emotion and endearing characters. The map at the front of the book is really useful in establishing location and the Alice in Wonderland quotes at the beginning of some of the chapters are a lovely idea. A touching story which will play with your emotions and sweep you away in the lives of the characters both past and present.

Thank you to the publisher for the eARC to review.

What a beautiful story set around the borders of Devon and Cornwall and spanning a 100 years of life. Very well written but then Liz Fenwick books are always a pleasure to read. 5 stars and I recommend reading this.

Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for this ARC

I enjoyed reading The River Between Us, Its cleverly written and I am blessed to have been able to read this book via #Netgally.
Liz Fenwick is a new Author to me, and it did take me a while to get into the story, or into the stories as it flips from 1918 to 2019. A story of then and now. I was truly lost in Lady Alice's story, It's amazing how synchronicity brought the two time frames together. I found myself lost in the river between us as it literally is. It all starts with Theo, a recently divorced woman who buys a cottage without having seen it.. From there two worlds collide. I also love that sexuality is gently raised for the earlier time frame.
It is inspiring, heart breaking and entirely enjoyable, My Hero of the story is Cat!!

A dual time novel set in Cornwall by one of my favourite authors. It definitely didn't disappoint. Highly recommended.

I got to 30% through and I just couldn’t get into it. I think it was more to do with me than the book/story. I will attempt to go back and read it again in a month or so.

This is my first book by this author although she has been on my radar for some time (mainly because my book loving friend Donna always gives 5 star reviews) so I knew I had to dive in at some point.
I got drawn into this story as soon as I started reading - with the main character, why she had bought such a run down property and the secrets behind the letter and her grandmothers ring.
This book has everything (but I don't want to give any of the plot away) - a compelling story of forbidden love, family secrets and of new beginnings all told over a dual timeline from 1914 and 2019
The book truly does transport you to Cornwall and the banks of the River Tamar - and I'm just a bit sad after living in North Devon for 6 years that we didn't explore further South.
I fell in love with this book and will certainly be going back to read some of her earlier novels - and I think I will be in for a real treat.

The River Between Us is a duel time novel set in the present day, and the early 1900’s. It is essentially a story about love and relationships, and how things have changed over time.
Theo is recently divorced and has moved to a ramshackle house in the south west of England. She finds some old letters hidden there and starts to patch together the story of a doomed love affair from before the First World War. This involves Alice and Zak, who found true love but could never be together.
All the relationships within the book are somehow linked together and the story moves between the two eras. A great read for anyone who enjoys this genre.

I absolutely loved this book. I could not put it down. It is so well written. The story that starts with Theo finding letters that then takes you on another story and they eventually entwine. You then get Theo’s story as well as the story behind the letters. I cannot praise this book enough. I will definitely be reading more of Liz’s books. Five stars.

Set in Cornwall this is a well written compelling read about forbidden love, loss, family and new beginnings. It is a well woven story with a cast of delightful characters

I highly recommend it to everyone who loves a dual timeline historical romance.

I was so engrossed in this book from the beginning, this is truly a book you can loose yourself in.
The pure strength of Lady Alice and Theo just poured out from the pages, giving me a feeling of soaking it up for my own use.
The ladies in this book are so powerful yet in their eyes they are powerless and not capable. The story shows this power and the characters realisation of this is truly wonderful to experience. The gentlemen in this book are just in complete admiration for these wonderful ladies.

The River Between Us is wonderful, moving love story that follows a dual timeline. First we meet Theo, a recently divorced woman who has moved to a beautiful countryside cottage that is situated on the riverbank that separated Devon and Cornwall. She purchases the cottage on impulse without actually viewing it first, so when she actually begins to move in she discovers that the place is in serious need of some TLC. With no running water or electricity, as well as a building that looks like it could be falling apart, Theo remains positive and focuses on the potential the building has.

As Theo is taking in her new home she decides to take a proper look at each room and assess the work that needs doing. Whilst doing this she comes across a stack of letters that had been hidden underneath the floor in one of the bedrooms, secured neatly with a ribbon. She can’t resist taking a look at the letters, and before long she finds herself immersed in a love story that is over 100 years old.

As the story then alternates between the past and present day, it shows how the cottage has kept its secrets well hidden until now. With each letter that Theo opens, more well kept secrets are surfaced, and the somewhat tragic story of a young couple who were kept apart by war and living across the river from one another, alongside some other well kept secrets. As Theo adjusts to her new life living in the cottage, she begins to forge new friendships whilst she strives to bring the cottage back to its former glory.

Laced with humour and emotion, this book has a lot to offer and is so much more than simply a romantic tale. Each of the characters are brought to life wonderfully by the author, allowing us to see them as close companions, and with each passing chapter we get to know them on a much deeper level, and learn more about their lives and the secrets they harbour. The storyline itself is wonderfully structured and flows effortlessly from the start. I found myself becoming more immersed in the story with every passing chapter. A fantastic read.

I love the River Tamar with its creeks and inlets . We once stayed in an Edwardian style hotel and the description of Abbotswood sent me immediately back there.
This was my first title by Liz Fenwick and it certainly won't be my last, she has such a way with words, and her obvious knowledge of Cornwall sends you straight to it. I could image Boatmans Cottage in my minds eye and feel the sun ,and smell the salty freshness of the air.
Theo has just come out of a marriage and buy a Boatmans Cottage unseen. It turns out to be a wreck and she sets out to fix it up.
She finds some letters, and delves into a forbidden relationship between Lady Alice and Zach.
The book has a dual timeline from present day back to the years of around 1914 to the mid 1920s where woman of a certain class had expectations of them and Alice wasn't ready to quite commit herself to.
I loved the book and also the way she weaved the characters. A truly heartwarming story.

This was a very complicated story sorting out family histories. Excellent characters throughout the decades and with Cornwall as a background you can't miss. I enjoyed the .conclusion, tying up all the looses ends. Great read!

My first read from Fenwick and I was not disappointed. With the Cornwall/Devon backdrop, Fenwick carefully explores love and family over two different time periods. It’s a novel that does not rush its story and for that I was grateful, relishing in the vivid setting and palpable emotions.

I can hardly believe that the concept of marrying for status and society was still occurring just over 100 years ago. Furthermore, the suffragettes were fighting for women’s rights and the vote, something that I think so many of us take advantage of today, without necessarily realising how lucky we are. In this case, we travel back to pre-World War One with Alice and her desire to remain a single woman, unattached from a husband and not to be traded as a piece of property. This, of course, creates conflict with her mother and, after shaming her family reputation at a debutante ball with the monarchy and other people of high status and importance, Alice is sent to Abbotswood to “recover” her reputation and realise a husband is what is needed.

Move to present day and Theo has moved into Boatman’s Cottage, on the Abbotswood estate. Discovering letters from an unknown ‘Z’, written from the trenches in the First World War, Theo moves to learn more about her recently deceased grandmother and the connection to Abbotswood. Initially, I found the present day narrative tricky to keep up with because of so many abstract character names that are thrown into the story. Theo and her brother start to learn more about their grandmother and the connections she had. As a result, a lot of new names are established and I struggled to keep track of their different identities. However, persevering with the book, this soon becomes clear through Alice’s story and I was glad I kept going with the novel.

Indeed, Fenwick’s writing does require concentration. I loved the map that is included right at the start of the book and only truly appreciated it in the closing chapters. I think I would have liked a family tree included at the end of the story to act as a reflection point on the plot. Having read the connections between different characters, it would have been helpful to visualise this properly and see how this became associated with Theo and her son, David.

Despite this, I really did enjoy Fenwick’s tale. The writer’s love of the area is portrayed through her vivid descriptions of Abbotswood, Boatman’s Cottage and the river Tamar. I felt like I was exploring the area with both female protagonists and also relished in the botanical references. Not hot on plant names myself, I still felt a part of the natural environment and could easily picture the scenery being described. Indeed, I actually felt a little inspired and my green fingers started to itch as a result!

I loved the parallels that are established between the female characters and the symbolism of the novel’s title was striking. There are so many layers to this title and I think it could be applied to several characters as well, especially as relationships are uncovered throughout the story.

Overall, I thought this was a bright, colourful read but equally charming and calming. I really enjoyed discovering more about Theo’s past and felt a little envious of her riverside, idyllic cottage. The characterisation in Fenwick’s writing is vivid and the attention to detail was truly reflected in the plot development. It’s a lengthy novel but definitely worth your time and attention.

With thanks to HQ Digital and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a richly immersive, glorious tale of romance and relationships.

It's well-written and engaging from the start, instantly drawing you in with gorgeous prose and descriptive imagery. The pacing is great too, ensuring the story flows effortlessly from one page to the next. At no point does it feel too fast or slow-paced. I enjoyed the story very much and was sorry to finally come to the end!

The characters are complex and likeable - it's easy to relate to their situations and what they are going through, even if you haven't experienced it yourself. They are three-dimensional; flawed yet interesting and intriguing to read about. There are quite a few characters to keep track of in the story, but at no point does it become too complicated or confusing.

This is a timeslip novel, told alternately between the present day and the past during the First World War. Past and present are contrasted beautifully, creating a gorgeous juxtaposition between the two. Ultimately, this is an emotionally charged story of love and loss in the scenic Cornish countryside.

The beautiful imagery and vivid descriptions really bring the story to life. The Cornish setting is idyllic, adding an evocative and almost magical touch to the book. This story will definitely want to make you book a holiday to Cornwall!

The River between Us by Liz Fenwick is the perfect summer read, taking you on a virtual trip to Cornwall as it tells the story of Theo, newly divorced, who buys a cottage on the banks of the river Tamar despite never having viewed it in person.Shortly after moving in she discovers some love letters hidden in the cottage written by a soldier in WW1. The book has a dual timeline, switching between 1914 and 2019, as Theo begins to delve into the story behind the letters and discovers the cottage’s link to her own family.

This is my first Liz Fenwick book and it certainly won’t be my last. Fenwick’s love of Cornwall shines through and her descriptions of the location are so detailed and atmospheric that she really draws you in to a setting that is easy to imagine and becomes very much part of the story. She weaves the two stories together very well and creates a cast of flawed but fascinating characters in both stories; the romance the letters relate to tugs at your heartstrings as it is clear there is never going to be a happy ending.

This is the latest from Liz Fenwick and is a must for fans of historical fiction, big houses and the complexity of family.

Theo recently divorced finds herself starting again in The Boatman’s Cottage which is on the river bank bordering both Devon and Cornwall. The cottage is run down and has many secrets to tell and whilst Theo wants to restore it to show of it’s best, the gardens hold just as much of an attraction as the cottage itself.

The cottage formerly part of an estate which is now an hotel, Theo finds herself welcomed by the locals and when she discovers a box of letters in the cottage, she finds herself drawn back to the past and with the help of these new friends, discovers the mysteries.

Lady Alice, is about to be presented at court, it is the Edwardian period, war is on the horizon and the obvious route for Alice is marriage. However she has much to say on the path her life is supposed to take, and does so at the most inopportune moment. Destined never to be married, she is shipped off to a house in Devon, right by the Tamar river. The river just does not divide two counties, it divides two worlds. Two worlds that destiny has decided will meet when class clearly says it cannot.

For those who adore dual timelines, this is the book for you and I enjoyed the contemporary side of the novel as much as the past. Themes are reflected through both time periods and it shows how there are still prejudices, that there are still class divides now as much as their was in the past. They might be hidden amongst other behaviours but they are there all the same.

But what makes this book stand out for some others? The evocative nature of the sweeping landscape, the flowers and trees that are both appreciated in the past and the present. How something so male dominated as fishing is shown to be achievable whatever your gender. I was swept away with this novel as if I was paddling in the waters of the Tamar and adoring the flowers that were bringing new life around me.

Full of emotion, full of life and full of everything you need to make a first class book – The River Between Us is one of the best books of the year I have read.

I loved this book and couldn’t put it down! I devoured the pages needing to find out Lady Alice’s story and how Theo came to a happy peaceful acceptance of her own life. I loved how fictional characters were woven into real life places and events. A 5* read.

A beautifully described read, using a dual timeline to tell the stories of Alice a suffragette and Theo a gardener both who end up living on the River Tamar. It feels as though you are there, hearing the river, smelling the flowers and feeling the sunshine and the rain as the link between the two women grows bit by bit.
Highly recommend, thank you for the opportunity to read this book.