My thanks to NetGalley and publisher HQ for the ARC.

I really enjoyed this book; we have a good set of characters, good writing and dialogue. Each chapter gives insight into each individual character - except Jeremiah (Jay), because Jay's character is developed all the way through the book in relation to the others.

So, setting the scene back in 1995 at Oxford University, Kit and Jay have become very best friends although they couldn't be more different: Kit has a wealthy background but had always been a disappointment to his parents but still retains a sense of responsibility; Jay comes from a working class family and is somewhat of an anarchist and political activist. They are both in their third year when Tara joins the college and they all become like-minded friends. Tara is from a middle-class family where her parents mapped-out her life for her. Tara and Kit become romantically involved, resulting in her pregnancy.. Tara and Kit drop-out and have an awful flat in Cowley with Kit taking on menial jobs to provide for his family but they are only just scaping by. Jay is always close by and suggests they move out of the rat race and become self-sufficient. Kit has a trust fund but refuses to touch it. A feeling of disillusion sets in, then they visit Tara's parents for Skye's third birthday where there's an almighty row over Skye's parenting. That's the trigger for buying Winterfall Farm on Bodmin Moor, Cornwall.
Jay has gathered like-minded friends - Anne and Bruce, Dean and his brother Ash, (together with dog Sasha), and Mary, a herbalist. The farmhouse has no utilities at all, only a wood-burning Aga and other stoves. It's all one big adventure and using their individual skills - and Kit's money - they plan-out their community. However, Jay seems to have his own agenda, especially when, after disappearing for a few days, he returns with a young girl, Dani. Tara especially is very unhappy about it, but Kit remains in thrall of his friend Jay and the group unquestioningly see him as the leader.
When Jay appears again with Emily, a 23yr-old, Tara really hits the roof. Emily becomes a destabilising influence and Jay's demeanour begins to change into something darker. This is not what the original group signed-up for but Jay is persuasive and charismatic in getting his own way.
Things go from bad to worse through several incidents, leading to an explosive conclusion.

.......................
This is a good, engaging read which starts more like the good life but descends into life-threatening chaos. I didn't think the Epilogue was that good - there must be years that have passed, but it isn't said - seemed a bit disjointed there. I really enjoyed seeing how Dani's character developed especially, and as the story unfolds we get to know the individual reasons the members of the group have for joining the community.

Yes, a good read.

Thanks to Amanda and NetGalley for allowing me to read The Haven before the publication date.

Kit and Jeremy (aka Jay) have been friends since their first year Oxford University. When Tara meets them in her first year, they quickly become friends.
Kit has grown up with all the benefits which his wealthy parents can buy, except their attention.
Jeremy is charismatic, claiming to reject all things conventional or materialistic.
Tara is the product of a middle class family. She is carrying the weight of their expections regardless of what she wants.

When Tara falls pregnant with Skye, she and Kit drop out of university and move into a grotty bedsit, where they live hand to mouth.

Then Jay talks to Kit about a farm in Cornwall where they could start a commune, live life off the grid.
He has already spoken to a variety of people who would be happy to join.
It just needs Kit to use the trust fund which he despises to fund the dream and it seems that Kit can refuse Jay nothing and will forgive him for anything.

As the group learn to live and work together on the farm, the balance of power starts to shift.
Does Jay have his own agenda?

Amanda has developed a group of interesting characters who seem to have little in common except their dream to live an unconventional lifestyle. As the story progresses, their strengths and weaknesses are revealed.

Disappointed to say that I never really got going on this one. Such a slow pace that I was never fully engaged. Being Cornish and having grown up on Bodmin Moor myself, I'm always intrigued to see how Cornwall is portrayed. This did not feel authentically Cornish or Cornwall understood.
I look to be the odd one out here looking at other reviews, so will treat this as a not for me...

I think this cover really fits the book very well, it looks absolutely idyllic, and it could literally be a snapshot from the book itself with the female walking through the field with wild flowers being Tara. It certainly attracted my eye to the book, so I would say it does its job really well. I find books and the idea of cults and communes quite interesting so when I read the blurb, I knew I really wanted to read it.

The book begins will Tara, Kit and Jeremy all meeting at university and becoming friends. Though to outsiders it may look as if Jeremy is somewhat a third wheel in the relationship, as Tara & Kit soon become a romantically attached couple.

When Tara becomes pregnant, it clear that her parents are horrified, and Kits are simply indifferent but Tara and Kit are happy at the news. Tara drops out of university and they find a small, rather drab, rough flat to live in. Neither set of grandparents are happy at their living situation and when Tara’s parents suggest they take Skye and bring her up themselves, naturally Tara and Kit are horrified. It especially shakes them to the core when they learn Tara’s parents are prepared to take them to court citing the young families living conditions as just one of the reasons that they are incapable of taking proper care of their little daughter, Skye. It seems to give Kit the final push to do the very thing he had declared he never would, use the trust fund his family set up for him. With the trio of friends all having dropped out of University, they decide to try living their dream, going off-grid. They want to
live their dream of a life together living off the land with a small group of like-minded people, all brining their different skills together. So, Kit uses his trust fund money to buy an old run-down farm house along with its surrounding land. Living there is hard with all the “rules” that Jeremy expects them to follow. There are no utilities, so no hot showers or baths or central heating. Obviously, they do have to buy some items as they have yet to plant crops and get animals to create their “farm” and self-sufficiency. The locals are of course wary of the new comers, thinking they are “layabout hippies” but eventually a few of them come around a little. It soon becomes apparent that Jeremy seems to have his own side agenda alongside the farm. It almost seems like an obsession on his part that those at the farm should shun all technology, and all modern conveniences including medical help which has devastating consequences.

Characters I liked were Tara, Patsy, Dani, Anne and Bruce. Though Patsy is only in the book in a small capacity it is clear she is an important person in Kit’s life, in fact she is more of a caring parental figure, than either of hi biological parents. Dani is a troubled teen who is thrown out of home by her mother which sounds horrific. Dani’s step father Eddie is a drunken bully who regularly beats up his wife and has his eyes set on Dani now she is becoming a young woman. Its this very reason why Dani’s mum gives her the money from her purse and her own coat as it is the warmest one and literally pushes her out of the door.

The characters that fell between the like/dislike were Kit and Mary. At times I wanted to reach into the book and really try to shake both Kit and Mary for different reasons.
Despite Tara speaking to him on numerous occasions he seems to have “rose coloured glasses” on when it comes Jeremy. Kit only seems to realise his friend is spiralling out of control when he starts shouting at little Skye and treating her like an adult.
It is Jeremy that puts his faith in Mary and places her in charge of medical issues with her herbal remedies and various concoctions. Mary seems kind and is helpful for some simpler issues like sleep remedies. However, Mary becomes more and more distant and almost unhinged and away in her own world. It quickly becomes tragically apparent she is out of her depth.

I thoroughly enjoyed disliking/hating were Jeremy and Eddie. I have to admit I felt a weird apprehension about Jeremy from the beginning of the book. Jeremy seemed to invade the relationship between Kit and Tara. When Jeremy turned up everyone had to “dance to his tune” and bend to his will. To me Jeremy seemed to be a bit of a privileged protestor and even though he does go to jail for a short time it doesn’t change him in anyway. He doesn’t think through the consequences of his rash actions. Jeremy has a very blinkered view of the world and wants everything done his way. As someone actually verbalises in the book, the idyllic commune starts to feel more like a cult ruled by a tyrannical dictator Jeremy.

My immediate thoughts upon finishing the book were that I really loved it . . . the ending felt a little rushed, and the time jump/lapse between Emily helping Danni and then the sort of epilogue part where they communicated via letter felt a little “off” with the rest of the story to me.

Summing up, I really enjoyed reading this book and felt the pull to read every night. I liked all the different characters and learning their different back stories.

An absolute humdinger! I've fairly rattled through this in 3 days, well 3 days and a few minutes this morning! It draws you in without you realising until the conclusion. I loved it.

What a great book to discuss at a bbok club or with friends.
'Every body is searching for happiness' and this group of friends believe they have found it at Winterfall. Farm.
Disappointed with life in the city and looking for somewhere to bring up their young child, Kit and Tara with friend Jeremy try to be self sufficient with a small group of like minded people. initially all is peace and harmony but slowly dark spots of trouble emerge.
This is a fantastic read, full of hope and innocence until Pandora's box is opened.
Great for discussion with wonderful characters.

A trio of friends move to the country to live a sustainable life (start a commune). Unfortunately, the behaviour of one becomes very concerning …

I have to admit to wanting to escape to the country and live a more sustainable life, so I found it easy to bond with Tara, one of the main characters. When the dream started to turn sour, I found it difficult to put the book down,

With a lot of focus on violence against women and girls, I felt that Jeremy’s character was particularly menacing, his ability to groom vulnerable women and girls and his extreme views very creepy but worryingly realistic.

The book did drag a bit in the middle, but the end was nail biting. A good, solid read.

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

All is not as it seems…… Kit and Tara meet at university and fall in love. But they also have a deep friendship with Jeremy.
Both having unhappy childhoods, they want something better for their own daughter, and Jeremy persuades them to help him set up a self-sufficient commune, and they buy a tumbledown farm in Cornwall, dreaming of an idyllic, simple lifestyle.

I was keen to read this, having spent most of my adult life in Cornwall. However, it wasn’t the setting that was the focus but the characters, written so that you can really empathise with them. At times it was heartwarming, seeing the good intentions of the members of the community and at times shocking, seeing the power that one person’s magnetism and drive can wield. Not the liveliest plot, but plenty of details to make it an engaging read - I really enjoyed it.

I enjoy reading stories and hearing true-life tales of cults - the idea of power in the wrong hands and the disintegration of a social group dynamic is fascinating. I was therefore excited to receive the ARC for The Haven by Amanda Jennings.

This story is very much a character driven piece, focused around Tara and Kit who leave their busy life behind to set up a commune with their best friend Jeremy. The story is built up well – we get flashbacks into their past to learn more about their friendships and how their relationship started. This then expands into day-to-day life around the commune before building to a fast-paced and gripping ending. Although this worked well to establish the characters, I did think it made for a very slow build and the middle part of the book did drag a little for me.

I also thought the character of Jeremy felt a little under-developed. Although the idea of a charismatic man who slowly takes the leadership role and corrupts the commune by bringing in young woman from the streets is creepy and interesting, I didn’t feel that we really got to know Jeremy that much. He spends the majority of the book in the background or away from the commune which makes the end reveal a little too unrealistic as we don’t see that side of him develop. I would have liked to have a few more hints and smaller scenes with him throughout the book to build on the unease and signpost the ending.

The ending of the book is great, and the events all come together to make for a fast-paced and energy-filled conclusion. I was a little sad that one aspect was walked back in the epilogue (no spoilers) as this twist had really shocked me.

Overall, The Haven is a solid read with a great ending but it did drag a little in the middle. Thank you to NetGalley & HQ Stories for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is an intriguing, psychological thriller that is sure to keep you hooked from start to finish. Each chapter is from one of three different points of view; Tara and Kit who are a couple and best friends with the 'leader' of the farm, and Dani who is a 14 yr old child who has escaped from an abusive home. At first everything seems perfect at the farm but soon Jeremy's leadership turns more into a dictatorship and things start to go from bad to worse. It is an intense and dramatic story with hints of horror within it as no one knows what Jeremy is capable of. It reaches an extreme climax with devastating consequences and you won't be able to put it down until it is finished.

A group of university friends decide that they don’t want to live the way their parents did and make plans to start a commune.
They move to a farm with some other like minded people and strive to be self sufficient and live off the land.
Life is hard but the are determined to make it work but not all the residents are in the same frame of mind.
This book had me hooked from the beginning and I really enjoyed it.
Thank you to NetGalley and HQ for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

I spent part of my childhood in Cornwall and remember visiting a remote farm for sale on Bodmin Moor. The appeal of the landscape was compelling, but the practicalities meant it was out of the question.

These same issues slowly become important to the small community who escape their bleak lives in the city for and escape to the country in the ‘haven’, at Winterfall Farm on Bodmin Moor.

I like the way Amanda Jennings switches point of view, with subtle shifts in writing style, to weave the experiences of different characters into the story.

After an idyllic start, one of the characters observes, ‘The trouble with Utopia is it looks ideal on paper, but when you add people it can never work. Each individual brings their own set of past experiences, their own hopes and expectations.’

This is the essence of The Haven, and I soon found I couldn’t put the book down as the pace increases from a leisurely amble to a brisk run, with an unexpectedly harrowing ending.

In her author’s note Amanda Jennings mentions that she wrote this book during the pandemic, and there were many times when she yearned to be living in an off-grid farm on Bodmin Moor. Those feelings shine through in her storytelling, to create a book I will remember for a long time.


Tony Riches

Kit and Tara have never wanted a conventional life . They have cut off ties with their families and moved to a small holding on Bodmin Moor with their daughter Skye and a group of friends to live off the land and become self sufficient.
Jeremy is their friend from university and takes on the role of leader. However, he changes and begins to bring in young girls. He has different ideas to the rest of them and tries to impose rules and regulations that no-one wants. One night it all changes because of Jeremy's actions. Will they ever recover from that night?
Loved it especially the ending.

Written in a lovely setting, this book is full of interesting and complex characters but the manner in which they live is far from 'A Haven'! I'm all for being eco and helping to save our planet, but this is not the way forward as you will soon discover if you choose to read this thriller by Amanda Jennings. I must admit that I have read one or two similar books in the past couple of years so I raced through it but enjoyed getting to know the people portrayed here and I admire the writing skill which led to a great build in tension between them. Clever stuff!

A highly readable psychological drama from Amanda Jennings, full of intriguing characters and with a compelling central theme.

We've all dreamt at one time or another of living off the grid, away from the rat race- personally though I'm always thrust back into reality by the thought of not having my mobile phone or television- but the characters here actually gather an eclectic group of like minded people and give it a go. Unfortunately the ego of one will end in disaster for all...

The Cornish setting is beautifully described and the narrative is addictively clever. It is a vivid story full of both hope and the harsh light of reality, as things start to become darker the truth of human nature comes to the surface.

Really enjoyed it. It made me want to move to Cornwall...somewhere with signal though for sure. Just in case!

Recommended.

Loved this though it certainly wasn’t a haven 😂 what a great little story this was, fast paced and gripping and one you need to look out for this year! Fantastic 5 stars!

What a fantastic novel! It's a familiar story - a utopian dream turns sour. This time set on the edges of Bodmin Moor in Cornwall.

A group of communal-living enthusiasts follow their leader who, bit by bit, becomes more obsessed with his dream of making his version of utopia work. And of course, it all falls apart at the seams.

So, sounds like a familiar story with a predictable ending - but it's so much more. You really get to know their characters and feel their pain. And there're a couple of dinner table scenes where the tension is so sharp, you read it with your heart in your mouth. And that takes some doing for a writer - I imagine it's considerably easier to write a tense scene featuring a hold-up or in a blizzard, etc, but the fact it's just a bunch of friends eating their dinner means the tension comes from the characters, and that, in my own opinion, is a masterful thing to achieve, so kudos to the author.

A wonderful read. Loved it.

I really enjoyed this book.
The ideology of a space where one lives off grid and without hierarchy sounds good but unfortunately someone always seems to need to rise to the top snd instil their ideologies and hierarchies.
A very good read snd I’m looking forward to reading more by the author.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publishers HQ for a great read.

I loved this book!!

The Haven drew me in from the very beginning. A retreat in itself from my usual genre! Set on a remote farm on the moors of the South West of England, three university friends set up a sustainable farm, with the aim of living off grid, a utopia away from the draws of the modern world. But everyone’s vision is not the same, and the people who join them in the project add other dimensions and tensions along the way.

I have read all of this authors books, and rate this one the best so far!! The writing draws you in so you feel you’re not reading, but the narrative is playing in your head instead. A rare skill, a rare book for me. A feel good book with good characters (liked and disliked), and a satisfying read. Thrilling at times with plenty of tension - it’s not all fields of buttercups!

I loved it!! Definitely my best read over the last twelve months.

**Trigger warnings (and potential spoiler alert):
Animal death/trauma (I personally hate this but it wasn’t too much and could be read quickly)
Guns
Hospital/ICU/loss

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my ARC. (Did I tell you I loved this book?!!)