When I first started reading I thought this was just another chick-lit romance, but it soon developed something with much more depth. Starting in London, but moving to the jungles of Costa Rica testing Doctor Tara Tremain's strength and resolve to the limit, both physically and emotionally. It highlights some of the serious environmental issues facing countries such as Costa Rica illustrating conflicts between environmentalist, indigenous people and developers. With thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review

Another great book by Karen Swan. It’s full of drama and will they won’t they moments and it keeps you guessing to the end. A story based in London and Costa Rica follows a Doctor, her wealthy family and a few men so you’ll have to read to see which one gets her!! Great writing and loveable characters that led me to read and keep reading past my bedtime. Thanks Karen, her publisher and NetGalley.

This book was beautifully written and extensively researched as all Karen’s books are. Set in London and Costa Rica , Karen is a master story teller and her locations make the reader feel they are there!
This book was full of emotion and intrigue. It had great, fully believable characters and so many twists to the tale.
Tara was a fantastic character!
I would highly recommend this book
Thank you to Netgalley, Pan Macmillan and Karen Swan for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review

I was drawn to this book because I have an interest in Costa Rica. It didn’t disappoint me there, the descriptions evoke a real sense of being there.
But the book wasn’t anything like I expected. A good chunk of the book was set in the past, before the story began, telling the back story of Tara’s relationship with Alex. It didn’t skim over this back story, it went into a lot of detail. I enjoyed this additional story.
When the story gets to present day, we see a different, maturer Tara with new demons to fight. That’s when the story as described in the blurb really begins.
There’s a lot of intrigue and excitement in this novel, and it’s really a very good read. It does capture the essence of Costa Rica and it’s a book you can’t stop reading.
I would really recommend this book.

Another great read from the fabulous storyteller, Karen Swan. Full of emotion, great characters, a beautiful backdrop and a little romance, this story had it all. The descriptions of the Costa Rican rainforest were so vivid and colourful- one of Karen Swan’s specialities is putting her books in such beautiful places, and the flawed characters of Tara and Alex so engaging.

A very involving story. The brilliant descriptive writing in the rainforest passages bring the scenes to life. I love a happy ending!

Karen Swan has built up a loyal following with her Christmas-themed novels and with her escapist fiction, and it is easy to see why, as her characters are well-rounded and believable, and the plot is always engaging. This novel falls under her ‘destination fiction’ label, with its plot unfolding in the Costa Rican rainforest. At the novel’s start, we are introduced to main character Tara, an affluent young woman who finds herself betrayed by her boyfriend Alex. Ten years later, Tara, now medically qualified, is settled with new partner Rory. She accepts her father’s invitation to join him at his home in Costa Rica, but soon after arrival notices that the small son of one of his employees is gravely ill. When the boy’s mother refuses medical treatment, arguing for a medical healer, Tara agrees to trek into the jungle in search of a medicinal plant. At the ranger station, however, she runs into Alex….
Although the plotline of a young woman battling it out against an old adversary and finding her inner strength may appear familiar, the lush, tropical setting of this novel is inimitable, and it is worth reading ‘The Secret Path’ just for the depth of its research the rugged, enigmatic country that is Costa Rica. Warmly recommended!

I always look forward to a new book by Karen Swan, and this was another great read, set mainly in the rain forest in Costa Rica.

Tara is a doctor, but comes from an extremely wealthy family, which she has always felt slightly guilty about and tries to pay it back by being a doctor and not relying on her family's wealth. But it did cause her a lot of heartache when younger, when she was in love with Alex who used her to get to her father, and justified it as being 'for the greater good' of the planet.

Tara never got over him, but moved on with her life and ten years later is back in Costa Rica on a holiday with her friends and to meet up with her family to do big handover of the rain forest legacy project her father bought years ago, with Alex helping, back to the government, but it's not without quite a bit of anger from various factions, all wanting something completely different.

Whilst there Tara tries to help a young child being treated by a local shaman, but who needs urgent medical treatment to live, so ends up trekking through the rain forest and through various circumstances meets up with Alex again.

There is just so much going on here that you're not quite sure who to trust a lot of the time, and it certainly keeps you on the edge of your seat reading it, especially towards the end. But the descriptions of the rain forest are wonderful, you really feel like you are there with them all.

Another great read by Karen Swan.

On the face of it, this is a story of Tara, who meets her old flame, Alex again after her used her to get access to her father, a very rich man to help fund his environmental project in Costa Rica.
The tale picks up about 10 years later as Tara and her friends are going on holiday to Costa Rica.
I ask for 2 things from a good book.: to entertain and to inform. This book does both. It manages to explore the issues around preserving nature and aiding to third world countries whilst balancing the views of the the indigenous people. Karen manages to do this without preaching.

Every summer I look forward to the release of Karen Swan’s summer read, her wonderfful storylines and characters always make for a brilliant read. The Secret Path starts in London, but is mainly set in the heat of the stunning Costa Rica. Tara Tremain is studying to be a doctor, but she isn’t your ordinary student as her family is incrediby rich. At twenty she has met the man of her dreams, American Alex Carter, and they are planning to get engaged, until he betrays her in an unforgivable way. Ten years later, Tara has a successful career, being the youngest consultant in her hospital and is in a relationship with a man who loves her. With her father celebrating an enviromental project in Costa Rica, Tara is expected to attend the party at the place she spent many happy holidays as a child. But whilst there Tara tries to help a friend and finds herself face to face with Alex, who is the only person who can help her save the life of a young boy. Can Tara work with Alex, or will old wounds come between them.

Every year Karen Swan comes back with another exciting and compelling book with an immersive story and characters that you care about. This years destinaton of Costa Rica, is exotic, colourful and simply stunning. By setting the book in Costa Rica Karen Swan brings to light some of the important issues effecting the country and its inhabitants. It is a poor country so there is a lack of hospitals, clinics and equipment available to them. The rain forests are also being depleted, as farmers cut them down so they can plant coffee and other crops that will make them money, but causing catastrophic environmental damage. Reading one of Karen’s Swan’s books is always an immersive experience. She has the ability to make you feel you are there with the characters, feeling the heat of the sun, hearing the birds and cicadas and seeing the stunning landscape of the contrasting beaches and the rainforests.

The same writing skill is used in the creating of her characters. We meet Tara at the beginning of the book when she is a young trainee doctor with the world at her feet, and is in love with Alex, an American biology student. Tara at first keeps the truth of her family wealth a secret, both from friends and Alex; she wants to be liked for who she is not for her families money. Ten years later and all her hard work has paid off, she is a consultant, runs a charity for clinics to be set up in Costa Rica to help the local residents who have welcomed her and her family over the years. Even whilst on holiday she is a doctor first, wanting to help the son of a friend who is desperately sick, a situation that sees her come across the man who broke her heart. Alex is one of those characters you want to scream at, I couldn’t believe his betryal of Tara, it was so shocking. His moral code is the complete opposite of Tara’s, and probably a lot of most people so its not surprising the tension, and anger she feels towards him is still strong even ten years later. Their trek through the rainforest with her pride and his unease reminded me a bit of Micheal Douglas and Kathleen Turner in Romancing the Stone; I have to say I hoped he would come to a sticky end. You can’t help but be drawn into the lives of Tara and Alex, wanting Tara to triump over adversity and show Alex what she had achieved, and the obvious sexual tension still there between them.

The Secret Path is another phenomenal novel from Karen Swan. With its stunning location, where you can actually feel the heat of the sun, and humidity of the rainforests, and taste the coconut water. As well as the colourful landscape Karen Swan also highlights the difficulties faced by the inhabitants of the country and the enviromental challenges faced. Tara is a wondeful character, wanting to use her expertise and wealth to help others, and willing to go to any lenghts to do that. The Secret Path will lead you on a journey of love, loss, betrayal, and adventure; a pure escapist read.

Read as a holiday read. It was perfect. Lighthearted romance story with an interesting plot background and good characters. Really enjoyed it.

Tara is engaged to Alex, then discovers he only wanted to get an introduction to her father to fund a project close to both their hearts. 10 years on and the Costa Rican project is complete and Tara has to face Alex again. A combined romance and thriller, enthralling to the very end.

I loved this book following Tara and her friends taking a holiday in Costa Rica which turns out to be a trek through the jungle for Tara where she meets her ex boyfriend of ten years ago.
The description of the beautiful beaches and the tree laden jungle were amazing. I could picture it all so vividly.
This book has elements of a love story mixed with adventure which makes it a truly epic read.
Highly recommended.

Tara Tremain has everything a wealthy family, a boyfriend Alex who is in love with her. She is at the start of her career as a trainee doctor when Alex proposes to her and she now knows that she will have to introduce Alex to her family. He is unaware that her family is wealthy and then everything goes wrong for Tara.
Ten years later Tara is on holiday in the tropical paradise of Costa Rica when she meets Alex again . This leads to a trek across the tropical forests trying to help save a child's life but not realising she is risking her own.
The descriptions of the environment of Cost Rica takes you to a breath taking picture of both good and dangerous with a story that makes you just want to keep turning the pages. Totally enthralling book.

I have read a few Christmas themed books by Karen Swan and always enjoyed them, so when I saw this book was available and it was set in Costa Rica, I requested it. Maybe I should have read the synopsis more.

Let me start by saying I love the cover and the descriptive way she describes the lush setting making you almost feel the sun on your face whilst reading. Tara Tremain is a medical student who has had a privileged life and is head of heels with her American boyfriend Alex. She hides who she is from him in the beginning who it turns out has his own agenda and betrays Tara. Fast forward 10 years and she is now a surgeon and trying to save the life of a desperately ill child.

I found my self not really being able to make a connection with the any of the characters, or feel any real chemistry with the characters, so I didn't enjoy the book as much as I could have. I can see why other people loved it, but it just wasn't the book for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, what a story. I always get excited about Karen Swan releasing a new book and this one was no exception.
Tara has had her hear broken by Alex as she is studying to be a doctor and is about to give up on everything she’s studied to be.
10 years on and Tara and her friend from uni have become Dr working in a busy hospital. After losing a patient Tara, Holly and her family and Rory her partner set off to Costa Rica where her millionaire dad is set to hand over a very generous amount of his fortune. Tara is then faced with a sick child and the remedy is a two day trek into the jungle.. little does she know she’s about to come face to face with Alex and the memories of his betrayal.
This book is filled with adventure and suspense and made me want to visit the jungle and waterfalls that Karen describes..
As also I wasn’t disappointed in this fantastic book.
Thank you Pan Macmillan and NetGalley for an early copy of this book.

I really enjoyed this story and how well it was written . The characters were fantastically written but above all else I felt transport to a different dimbemsion. EACH charcter I felt had a good depth about them which adds layers to the story . The connection between Tara and Alex was clear from the begging alsa like life having it ups and downs.

I really enjoyed this story. The characters were fantastically written but above all, I actually felt like I was there. The author wrote the location so well! Would recommend.

Another brilliant novel from Karen Swan. As with all of Karen's books I just loved the plot, settings and characters.

I felt that the characters were really well written and had a good depth about them. The connection between Tara and Alex was clear from the start despite the ups and downs they went through.

I really enjoyed the rainforest setting and how it explored different cultures and their beliefs and how just because you don't believe in something doesn't mean it isn't true/doesn't work.
I think the way the story explores the impact of climate change and how far reaching it is was quite powerful.

If you are looking for an escapism story with real depth then this book is definitely for you, A perfect holiday read.

Brilliant. A surprising tale of money, broken hearts and betrayal with an amazing ecological backdrop in Costa Rica. Nothing is straight forward and there is no way to guess where the story of Tara, Alex and their gang will take us - whoever expected not just one ,but two, Shamen? Love doesn’t always conquer all, and when you are used, betrayed and lose what is important to you, it makes it all that bit harder no matter how much time has gone by.