Tara meets Kit and his best friend Jeremy when she goes up to Oxford. A year later, they have all dropped out and Kit and Tara have baby Skye.

Jeremy sells them the vision of a self sufficient "haven" and they move to a farm on Bodmin Moor with like minded individuals.

But how long can Utopia last under the influence of the strong minded Jeremy?

A fast paced novel about how the idyllic lifestyle is hard to maintain

An excellent read. The story about Tara, Kir and Jeremy. Friends from university Kit and Tsra become a couple but Jereyis never left out so is part of their social life. As drop outs their utopia is buying a farm with Kit's trust fund much to the horror of his parents. They set up a commune by inviting several others to join them. After some hardship all seems to be perfect then it starts to fall apart. Great storyline full of twists.

I love all of this authors book and this one is no exception. I was so pleased to be able to read it early.
Fabulous,
Loved it !
10/10

I would like to thank Net galley and the publishers for the opportunity to read this e arc.
Please don't be swayed not to read this book just by seeing my star rating.
When I read the blurb for this book it sent all the signals to me for it being a wonderful book to read, but for some reason or other I have struggled to get into this book, i like to give books a fair chance, this just didn't grip me. I'm sure if id have got further in i would have come to enjoy it. Unfortunately i had to DNF.
What i will say is it was nothing to do with the writing style or the way the book was presented, it has all the makings of a brilliant book.
I truly wish this book and Author the best.
Happy Reading!

A fantastic read. When Tara meets Kit at university they immediately connect and start a relationship and along with Jeremy ,Kits best friend they decide modern life isn't for them and drop out of university and decide to live in a community away from modern lifestyles and try being self sufficient. The basic conditions are a trial for them and others who have joined them and soon things start getting difficult especially as they have a daughter to think about..A brilliant story with lots of different characters who all have some kind of emotional experiences and soon problems start to change the way they feel about their new lives. I loved this novel and really recommend it a 5⭐read

Finally escaping her stifling family when she goes to University Tara wanders into an Oxford bar and sees the charismatic Jeremy holding court. Unlike the other adoring young women Tara is more interested in his his best friend Kit ,who she settles down with and they have a daughter together. Tara and Kit find their already difficult relationships with their parents stretched past breaking point with their respective parents who don't agree with their lifestyle. Jeremy suggests that as society is doing them no favours they should drop out and,using Kit's legacy they buy Winterfall Farm on Bodmin Moor with a view to self-sustainability with a handful of kindred spirits and young daughter Skye.
At first they appear to be living their dream,the thrill of a new way of life,the stunning scenery, close friendship then Jeremy brings a teenage runaway to the farm,just the beginning of his increasingly erratic behaviour.

This is very much a slow burn,a psychological thriller with the emphasis on psychology rather than thrills.......but don't let that put you off. If you're looking for shoot-outs,car chases , a police investigation and "a twist you won't see coming", this isn't the book for you. If you want great characters with diverse backstories, slowly ratcheted up tension with the Moor and the dilapidated farm almost characters in themselves you'll really enjoy it. Anna Jennings brings Bodmin Moor alive with her descriptions of both it's beauty and it's bleakness, having lived in the area I can attest to that.

This is a book that slowly draws you in and grips you as the cracks begin to appear in the seemingly idyllic life at Winterfall Farm.

Amanda Jennings gets better and better - The Haven is a dark, disturbing and compelling novel which she balances beautifully with love, light and hope. An addictive page-turner that has bestseller written all over it.

I read The Cliff House some time ago and didn't think much of it. This was much better. I liked the main characters, Tara, Kit, Skye, Dani and Jeremy. All of these people had been damaged by their parents in different ways. The parents were portrayed as exaggerated stereotypes - drunken abusive lower class, snobbish intolerant middle class, selfish spoiled upper class. However, Kit has a trust fund which he is persuaded to spend by Jeremy on a remote property on Bodmin Moor which they hope to become a self sufficient community. Along came Bruce and Anne, Mary, Alan and Dean and then Dani and Emily. Kit and Tara agin to disagree with Jeremy who becomes increasingly controlling. Things escalate and there is a spectacular breakdown which I did not expect. The chapters each feature different characters in turn but they all sound the same - the only voice which is distinctive is Dani's. Some of the supporting characters are under developed, particularly Alan and Dean who are like one person. The final chapters at the end continue the character's stories, of which Dani's stretches credulity a little. It is difficult to explain my criticisms without giving away any spoilers, but I did have a lot of questions. What happened to Mary is not explained and what was Jeremy charged with? All in all I enjoyed reading this but for me it had a lot of plot and character faults.

A great story with so many twists and turns as well as so many routes the story could take. This will keep you on the edge of your seat

This book was my perfect pick me up, I felt as though I fell in love with the whole scenario but is something more sinister happening beneath the layers. I thought there were some intriguing characters in this story, ones I felt as though I could trust and ones that I didn't. Kit and Tara move away from the city to a small holding with their daughter and some of their friends, they will live of the land and enjoy the fruits of their labour, but when Jeremy starts bring young girls back, Tara is concerned about Jeremey's intentions, I felt as though the story got dark and tense and I was not sure where the rest of the story would lead, but was surprised where it did lead, it captured my attention and I didn't want to put the book down. Such a fantastic story that will keep you on tenterhooks the whole way through.

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.
But people change, and their visions for the future begin to diverge drastically, even dangerously.
Written from the point of view of different characters over a period of time, the author gradually builds towards a tense conclusion.
Well written and very readable.
Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Haven, Amanda Jennings

Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews

Genre: General Fiction (Adult), Literary Fiction

I've seen this described as psychological thriller – I'd say its more that creeping suspense, where little seemingly innocuous events build and build. Its a great read, one I really enjoyed.
That Utopian ideal, well, Kit and Tara reminded me of myself in my teens, less the money. And I knew a bit more of the practical side having grown up in a grow it eat it family.
At first things seem perfect. The group have a steep learning curve, some never having done anything like this, others with more experience but needing to fit in with new people. Anne and Brian, without their steady presence and past experience I don't think the group would have got past the first hurdle. Enthusiasm is one thing but practical experience is a definite need.
The farm – it needed serious hard work, and money spending on it before they could live their dream. I did feel that poor Kit was just treated like a never ending source of funds, that Jeremy didn't appreciate just how hard Kit found it to go against his principles and use his trust fund.
Backing up a bit, if only Tara's parents had known the truth about Kit and his family, they'd be in seventh heaven. The irony ;-) but when folk judge on appearance, and most of us do sadly, that's what happens.

Anyway, things are going well and then...Jeremy brings Dani in to the fold. I do felt for her, and at first it seemed like he was just being reasonable, but I also understood Tara's cautions. Slowly the group begins to unravel, and Jeremy changes – or perhaps becomes what he always was but kept hidden. I look back and try to pinpoint where he changed, but there isn't really a point, he's always been impetuous, strong minded and opinionated so in a way those seeds of dictatorial behaviour where there ready to flourish.

I am so glad for that epilogue. I read to relax, I like challenges, love books that bring out emotions as this one did, but I also need to know What Happens After. This ending was almost perfect, I'm still sad over one event but that's reality I guess, life isn't all HEA for everyone.

Stars: Four, maybe five. Four and a half, meet in the middle ;-)
I really enjoyed this story, great characters and a good look at human nature and how we behave, leaders, followers and what happens with the wrong person at the helm. I'm not sure I'd read this again, as I do some books but I very much enjoyed it.

Arc via Netgally and publishers

Winterfall farm reads as an idealistic place to be (perhaps only offputting by the extreme cold) and the community who initially set up and thrive there are a lovely range of characters, all seeking something that "normal" life is not providing them.
However things start to turn sour as Jeremy begins to self-style as the leader of the group and keeps bringing young and fragile women home with him and dictating how the group can live..
As the tale progresses you will be glad you didn't sign up for commune life at Winterfall and will be screaming out loud at those who did!

Firstly a big thank you to the publishers for my copy to review on netgalley. I discovered Amanda many years ago with The Judas Scar which is actually being republished!! This is very exciting .

I finished this in one sitting cover to cover , I’ve not done that for a while!

This book is going to be huge! It’s so good . It’s addictive and reels you in with characters and a storyline you can connect with .

Families,lies,loss, love and betrayal are themes in this book. Amanda examines the complexities of family dynamics within many different settings .

What happens when power and greed go to someones head? Will they change and what will the consequences be?

What started as a dream and promise of a new way of living quickly turns into something far more like a nightmare.

Written in alternative narratives the reader gets a insight into different mindsets of the situation that’s unravelling.

Haunting, atmospheric and you can feel a foreboding senseof tension .

A fantastic book that’s excellently written . I highly recommend but be prepared to be reading into the early hours!

Published 17th March

Good tense thriller with excellent scene setting and characters you will hate! But in a good way!

A novel that showcases what domestic abuse can be like and I appreciated this part of the novel to show, in such a normal way, what people can go through. The Haven was also a sign of control and this is the theme throughout the novel. A good book for book clubs to discuss.

Oh wow! I was excited by this book and so grateful that I got a review copy, and I was not wrong! What a rollercoaster of a ride, I thought the Cliffhouse had to be my favourite book by Amanda, but this one just completely beats it hands down! It was like a really posh chocolate bar, I had to make it last as long as possible because I didn’t want it to end. Can’t praise the story highly enough, the characters were believable and it gripped me from the first page till the last, what more could you want from an amazing book? Everybody needs to read this, Amanda just gets better and better with every book. If I could give it more than five stars I would.

This is the story of a group who buy up a tumbledown farm on Bodmin Moor to set up a haven - an idyllic life. Tara and Kit with their daughter, Skye, leave to escape parental expectations and society’s norms to live a freer life and live off the land. Jeremy, their friend, becomes the de facto leader. Rules and a disciplined life around the demands of farm life are imposed. Through the summer months the sacrifices are manageable but the harmony is broken when Jeremy brings Dani (a 14 year old runaway) and then Emily to join the group. Questions are asked about the direction being taken and the winter months task their commitment further.

Tensions rise with devastating consequences for all.

An interesting read told from the viewpoints of various lead characters. I did not foresee the ending but was happy to see hope concluding the book.

This story is all about the search for Utopia and it’s eventual demise.
I really enjoyed the thought of living off grid, getting away from the pressures of life and breathing in fresh country air, but I was also fascinated by the different views of the residents of the commune.
An excellent book.

I wasn’t expecting to like this anywhere near as much as I did! The characters are unique, human and realistically flawed, the plot is intriguing and unusual, and the various viewpoints keep you engaged. I finished this book in just over a day!

A real twisty tense read that I really enjoyed! Students Jeremy, Tara and Kit decide to remove themselves from society and live in a collective on the moors, in search of a simpler life. But soon idyllic turns tense and sinister! The ending seemed a bit rushed but still a great, gripping read.