I really enjoyed this story. It was well written with a well thought out story line and good character development. Nice settings and good chemistry. Recommend
This was the audio version which was well read, clear and easy to listen to.

Sadly I was not able to listen to this as my phone broke and by the time it was repaired the audio file had disappeared and it was too late to download again.

I enjoyed this audio book the story was interesting and kept your attention. The narrator was good and although they changed their voice for different characters it was not too bad.
Very enjoyable.

I follow the author on Twitter and often she talks about her ‘plot walks’. It is therefore interesting to see the results of these daily meanders through her beautiful, local countryside and how they have morphed into a compelling story. Threaded throughout the novel, set on the banks of the Tamar River, which forms much of the border between the counties of Devon and Cornwall, is the ambience and feel of this wonderful part of the world, and the story is redolent with her clear love of nature and flora. Setting really informs the story as it unfolds, and is a character in its own right.

In the 1980s or thereabouts, I really enjoyed the Aga-Sagas of Joanna Trollope and in some ways this novel feels like a modern take on that sweeping and involved family saga penned by that author.

There are two time lines, separated by approximately a century. In modern day Theo (a woman in her mid fifties) has left her marriage, having divorced a rather ghastly man. During her time with him, she had the opportunity to hone her skills as a landscaper and she is now an all round expert on blooms and herbage – which holds her in good stead for her new life. She has acquired an extremely run down cottage on the banks of the Tamar – Boatman’s Cottage – and she has set herself quite a challenge to live in the property whilst renovating it. During the work, she discovers a stash of letters written during WW1 in the battlefields of France. They prove to be intriguing.

Back in the early 20th Century Lady Alice, the daughter of the Duke of Exeter, is a headstrong, wilful young woman who balks at following a traditional path of wife and mother. She takes the opportunity to address the King and Queen at a social event about the iniquities being meted out on the suffragettes and is consequently banished to an estate on the banks of the Tamar; and thus a link between past and present and these two women starts to be forged.

This is a rich story of Theo and Alice, who both suffer at the hands of their mother’s undermining natures, whilst trying to to create lives for themselves that will at some level make them happy and fulfilled. They each have their crosses to bear but determined women do find their destiny in the end.

The narrative feels well balanced, moving smoothly between the women’s lives, exploring their ups and downs, joys and sadnesses. The relevance of the bundle of letters also naturally becomes clear. There is quite some detail of family relationships which at times can feel just a little overwhelming but the author always pulls things round and gets the story back into its engaging stride. The jigsaw pieces slowly click into place and we gradually discover the links between the two women.

I listened to this as an audiobook and therefore didn’t benefit from the map mentioned in other reviews – it would have been nice to see the lie of the land. Lucy Scott, the narrator, really carries the story along and it was a pleasure to listen.

Recommended.

A story detailing love and family lives over two different time periods. The first part of the book detailing Theo's purchase of Boatman's Cottage in current times, included the discovery of hidden letters which outlined some of the history between Zac and Alice. Unfortunately, these provided far too many spoilers and I found myself just waiting for what I already knew would happen when moving to the earlier WW1 time period. However, despite the numerous spoilers, there were still a few surprises towards the end of the book which were unexpected.

Overall, the book was a nice read, but it contained too many spoilers and way too many coincidences to be within the bounds of believable - in fact, the complicated family tree is one where almost every main character is related to each another in some form!

A big thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for allowing me the opportunity to read and listen to this book.

A beautiful easy listening story. Strong characters that quickly feel like you know them and care about.
I'm a family history enthusiast so was delighted with the theme of the family story and the Dna references.
Set in Cornwall around the river Tamar a WW1 story wraps around a modern family.
The description of the area and houses is delightful as is the history.
I think some of the ending could be guessed at but definitely there were some surprises.
I'd recommend this as a perfect holiday read.
I was lucky to listen to the audio book which was narrated well.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for my audio version of The River Between Us. The only negative I have to offer is that almost every character, and sometimes more than once, 'pressed their mouth into a line'! Now I have never come across this description before but now I feel I have heard it more than enough for one lifetime.

On the other hand, if you can ignore the above, and enjoy a beautifully read, intelligent, romantic, evocative novel then this is the book for you.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Collins Audio and Liz Fenwick for an ARC in return for an honest review.

What a delightful read. This book is really well written and has a wonderful plot. The narrator has a comforting voice which draws the listener in. It was a little challenging keeping up with the characters due to the changing timeline. It is a lovely summer read and I can’t wait to read more by Liz.

When Theo’s marriage breaks down she buys Fisherman cottage, in the middle of nowhere surrounded by woods Theo is sure she will be happy here, on arrival the cottage is in desperate need of renovation, and Theo finds letters Uber the floorboards. A great story unfolds as she reads the letters.

A great listen and wonderful narrator

Sometimes, a book goes by decently well and yet it doesn't impact you as much as you had expected. This is one such book.

After the dissolution of her loveless marriage, 54 year old Theo moves into an old cottage on the banks of the river Tamar. Known as the Boatman’s Cottage, it provides Theo with the right opportunity to get away from her past pains and put her skills as a garden specialist to good use. During the course of her renovation work, she discovers an old bundle of letters, all addressed to “My Lady” and signed by “Z”. These letters are set around WWI, and talk of Z’s love for some upper class lady living in the nearby manor house. While Theo uses her contacts and the modern day technology to piece together the story of the unfortunate lovers, a parallel narrative takes us into the historical timeline and gives us a direct glimpse into who the lovers were and what happened to their romance.

Usually in a dual timeline book, I prefer the historical story to the contemporary one. This book is a rare exception as both the narratives have equal pros and cons.
- The contemporary narrative moves ahead smoothly. The writing in this section is almost atmospheric at times, what with the old house, gushing river, secret letters and lost loves. I was intrigued, impressed and annoyed by Theo. That makes her as real as a character can be. On the down side, the other characters are quite predictable and stereotypical. There’s hardly any other memorable character in this timeline.
- In the historical narrative, what works fabulously are the characters. Every single character, whether main or secondary, is pretty well-formed and their struggles are depicted wonderfully. The main female character is a woman beyond her times as she loves fishing, swims nude in the river when it catches her fancy, endorses women’s right to vote, and is very clear about not wanting to marry. But the flip side is that you struggle to remember who’s who, especially if you are listening to the book. There are too many characters to keep track of. Plus, the detailed description of physical desire in this narrative turned me off. (Kind of ironic, if you think about it!)

The link between both the timelines goes much beyond the letters and everything is tied together a little too neatly at the end. The writing in the last 25% of the book is repetitive and contained too many coincidences to be believable. The resultant family tree is a complicated and convoluted one where almost every main character is related to another! I struggled to keep track of the network of relationships in the audio version. This is a book where a family tree would have worked wonders but wouldn’t be feasible because a part of the mystery was to figure out the interconnectedness between the characters.

One point that worked well in the book for me was the abundance of themes covered in the historical narrative: Cover class distinctions, women’s rights, same-sex relationships, universal suffrage, marrying for titles and status rather than love… All are blended seamlessly into the narrative without overburdening the reader. Just like a river, the story progresses at its own sweet time. The historical narrative especially takes a long time to establish itself. But the writing is beautiful so the slow pace shouldn’t deter. Fenwick brings Cornwall and Devon to life with her picturesque words. This is one of the few books where the author does complete justice to the locations by incorporating them into the storyline rather than only mentioning them when suitable.

The audiobook was narrated by Lucy Scott and she does complete justice to the characters. Her narration is perfect. At the same time, there is a big disadvantage to the audiobook in that you will find the number of characters in the historical timelines overwhelming and tough to keep track of. I would recommend the audio version only to seasoned audiobook listeners. But the book is certainly worth a try for lovers of this genre.

Thank you, NetGalley and HarperCollins UK Audio, for the audio ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review.

A compelling tale of historical love, passion and duty.

I enjoyed listening to this tale set in 2 time settings. The narrator was just right for the mood of the story and bought life and personality to the characters.

There were a few characters to follow due to the two settings but it was written beautifully.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for gifting me this arc in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

The story had a dual story line which was very good and well written, even on audio this was incredibly clear and I didn't get lost once between the two.

The heroine in then historical genre was incredibly awe inspiring, especially in the era where women were 'seen and not hear d'.
I enjoyed the current main character too, very much and I think that I cheered with one part of the story.

An great book for a summer read, one that you can really sink your teeth into.

What a beautiful read and a wonderful story!

I loved how the book set itself up, building up the tale from Theo first arriving at her dilapidated and run down cottage on the river Tamar, to her discovering a past she was intimately connected to. A story of love, loss, happiness and heartbreak, it was a truly beautiful story and a definite worthy 5 stars.

You felt like you were on a journey with the main characters, with the descriptive nature of the authors writing style effortlessly painting vivid pictures in your head from the get go. I loved how it was written.

Immersive and addicting, it was such a joy to listen to and narrated really well. I loved the split perspective chapters, spanned between times and building up a story between past and present. The chapters with Lady Alice were great, and a fast forward through time to join Theo in the present. I loved how as the book went on, more of the story advanced and a more solid picture you began to build until the end.

I really loved this whole story and I really enjoyed it!

The River Between Us by Liz Fenwick

On the rebound from her divorce, Theo buys a cottage, sight unseen, on the banks of the Tamar, the river that divides Cornwall from Devon. The cottage is in a poor state of repair – fortunately the villagers prove to be a useful and practical sort – and Theo soon falls in love with it. Her ties are strengthened when she discovers some letters hidden away, which tell of a love affair between a servant, Zach, and Lady Alice who lived at the nearby manor house of Abbotswood. Their love is divided by the river but also by class and ultimately by war as Zach becomes a soldier in the First World War. In the present day, the remains of soldiers have been uncovered in a field in France. The indications are that they were Tamar men. The village waits to learn their identities.

Liz Fenwick writes the most beautiful romantic stories, each deeply embedded in the place that she loves – Cornwall. I share that love and so I am especially drawn to her novels. There is such a strong sense of place and The River Between Us is no different.

I was immediately drawn to Theo, a middle-aged woman who is starting from scratch all over again, having lost the home she loved. We get to know and like her as she rebuilds her new home and gets to know the people of the village. I do like a novel that features an older woman! Theo is an interesting woman.

The novel moves between the present and the past as Theo investigates the mysterious and unopened letters that she discovers. This is a device but I like it and the letters are soon joined by portraits and the manor itself as a picture is drawn up of society in this remote and beautiful area in the early 1900s before war took away so many of its men. The river symbolises the divide between classes as Zach must deal with his impossible love. I loved Theo’s story but I was also really attracted to Lady Alice.

I listened to the audiobook, which was beautifully narrated by Lucy Scott. This is just the sort of novel that I love to listen to. It carried me away to a place I love and the prose is beautiful and so evocative. I highly recommend it.

Other reviews
The Returning Tide
The Path to the Sea

The River Between Us - Liz Fenwick

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins and I am leaving this review voluntarily

Following the breakdown of her marriage, Theo has bought a tumbledown cottage on the banks of the river Tamar which divides Cornwall and Devon. The peace and tranquillity of Boatman’s Cottage, nestled by the water, is just what she needs to heal.

Yet soon after her arrival, Theo discovers a stash of hidden letters tied with a ribbon, untouched for more than a century. The letters – sent from the battlefields of France during WW1 – tell of a young servant from the nearby manor house, Abbotswood, and his love for a woman he was destined to lose.

This book flows beautifully and is full of very descriptive writing. Set in dual timelines between 2019 and 1914 with secrets, forbidden love and the prospect of new beginnings it is difficult to not be drawn into the story.

I can see this being a summer book club read as there are so many different themes to be discussed.

Rating 4/5

Well written and the narrator was very good. I did, however find the characters confusing at times and it seemed too involved, hence my 3 stars. Perhaps it was just not my cup of tea as I know many others have enjoyed it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to listen to an ARC.

Theodora starts a new life by herself after her marriage breaks down and buys a run down cottage by the river. As she starts to rebuild her property and her life she starts to unravel some of life’s complications both current and appear to be linked to the past occupants of the cottage. Spilt into sections covering 1st world war and up to current day. Exploring love and relationships and a time when communication and class made life very different, the story is beautifully read. Thank you #NetGalley for the audiobook to review.

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. The narrator was engaging and added to the enjoyment of the book.

The narrator was obviously chosen with care as she does a fantastic job of bringing the story to life, handling both male and female characters’ voices with expert ease. This truly is a book to savour, It is beautifully written, with such vivid descriptions of the river and estate that it almost becomes a character in itself. As a genealogist myself, I was hooked from the very first page and was utterly captivated by the parallels between Alice, Claire and Theo’s lives. Without a doubt this is the most emotional book I have listened to in years and I was in tears several times. The themes of love, loss and how the impact of one’s choices can resonate for generations to come really resonated with me and I know these characters will be in my thoughts for a long time.