High expectations for this title but they were absolutely fulfilled. Storyline, setting, characters all worked brilliantly and the result is another multi-generational winner from Veronica Henry. Highly recommend

Wow!! The Secret Beach is brilliant! I didn't think Veronica Henry's books could get better than than her last book - Thirty Days in Paris ( my favourite book of 2023 but this one comes mighty close or may even have beaten it.

Such fantastic writing, I felt I was right there with them in the town of Speedwell in North Cornwall, amongst all the action. The characters were perfect, the location amazing. Its the perfect uplifting story that has it all. A perfect summer read for curling up with or snuggling up with at any time of the year.

This is the 9th book I have read by Veronica Henry since I come across her a couple of years ago and I've enjoyed them all. I hope there's many more to come. and cant wait to read the rest.

A big thanks to Orion Publishing Group, Orion for the ARC.

Veronica Henry is fast becoming one of my favorite authors. This is only the 2nd book I have read by her but I am going to hunt down her previous ones as they are pure escapism!

This is a great read, set in beautiful Cornwall, full of family secrets, family loss and possible new found love all rolled into one fantastic book!

Highly recommend!

My thanks to NetGalley and Orion Publishing Group for giving me the opportunity to read an advanced digital copy in return for an honest review.

As the kids say, this fabulous book is filled with ‘All the feels’. I felt swept up in Nikki’s memories and genuinely felt her loss as the heartbreaking truth eventually emerged. We are given glimpses of Nikki’s past and the memories that she shared with her family, and those glimpses merge to create a patchwork image of Nikki in the past and the Nikki that we are meeting in the present.
Despite feeling as though I shouldn’t like her, I couldn’t help feeling quite deeply that she had suffered the most, although her pain was a deep secret. She has berated and chastised herself for twenty years over that secret, and she’s not prepared to risk the devastation that she can imagine is coming her way if anyone ever discovers the truth that she’s been hiding.
The descriptions of Speedwell and Nikki’s coastal cottage and the beach nestled below were as perfect as could be. I could picture the sand-coated steps that led down to the beach, the caves at the back of the beach, and the often-icy sea, perfect for a spot of wild swimming. In particular, I was mindful of the caves and the secrets that they had kept over the years, from pirates hiding their spoils to Nikki and her secret.
This story is compelling, and I was invested from the earliest pages. The jeopardy that emerged as a result of finding the cryptic postcards and the suggestion of finding friendship with her new neighbour sat heavily with Nikki, and I could feel myself spurring her on to be brave. But, as more of her story came out, I had a greater understanding of the secret that she was keeping and struggled to see how she would navigate out of the trap she found herself in.
Once again, Veronica Henry has created a perfect story that was beautifully executed, totally absorbing, and ultimately uplifting. I cannot praise it enough.

Veronica Henry - The Secret Beach.

Let Veronica Henry take you to the picturesque seaside town of Speedwell.

Nikki has just bought a cottage that overlooks the secret beach. A place that holds many memories for her.
Nikki’s heart belongs in Speedwell. Along with her family, her cosy new home and her lovely new neighbour, life is looking good.
But Nikki has secrets. Secrets that nobody should know about.
When handwritten notes start being delivered through Nikki’s door, it seems that someone knows the truth…. but who?
Can Nikki settle into her new home and enjoy her new life? Even with the past snapping at her heels.

#TheSecretBeach is a captivating tale. It’s a family saga and a love story, all set to a breathtaking Cornish coastal backdrop.

There are well written characters, who have warmth and depth. Nikki’s sister was, as we say in Wales, ‘a bit of a load,’ but she wasn’t without some redeeming features.

Veronica Henry delivers another glorious read. It’s heartwarming and uplifting.

As always Veronica Henry tells her story beautifully, with words that flow effortlessly and entice the reader to keep turning those pages.
Another five star read from this clever lady.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

With thanks to Random Things Tours and Netgalley for a digital arc of this title.

The Secret Beach is the brand new story from Veronica Henry and once again she has written a thoroughly enjoyable book. It’s centred around a family who live in a small seaside village called Speedwell in North Cornwall. The family are still adjusting to the loss of their father and brother-in-law many years ago and it’s the women left behind who have to pick up the pieces and move forward. But this is very difficult to do given the main character Nikki has been harbouring a secret. If said secret is revealed she feels her family’s lives will be even further torn apart yet the guilt is weighing heavily on her, especially when she receives a sinister postcard which says - there are no secrets in a small town. To say my interest was aroused would be an understatement and I was keen to dive into the book and see what Nikki was keeping close to her chest and why.

The book is mostly set in the present day but a brief introduction is given set twenty years earlier. A storm is approaching the village which will have severe consequences but a woman has to do the noble thing and meet someone at their secret beach. Why does she feel the need to do this given the warnings for the storm and why will it be their last time meeting? These questions as well as many others ran through my mind but to discover the answers we are taken back to the present and the story slowly starts to unfold. The pace throughout the book wasn’t fast or a rollercoaster of emotions. It didn’t need to be instead there is a lovely, gentle and relaxed pace which allows the reader to get to know the characters and the situations they find themselves in. Bit by bit, the strands of the story start to come together and by the end there is a deeply satisfying conclusion which makes Nikki and others realise that family is the most important thing.

Nikki now has an empty nest as her son Bill has moved to Bali. She needs to downsize but wants to remain in Speedwell. The house of her dreams has just come on the market, a former coastguard’s cottage at Devil’s Cove, which is near to the secret beach which means so much to her. The reasons for her love of this beach become more evident the further the book progresses. Nikki is a wedding planner and her company has had good success. As well as this she is a member of the lifeboat crew as was her father and brother-in-law Rik. She craves the seascape and solace. She enjoys the ability to be by herself and enjoy her own company as everyone in a small seaside town knows everyone else’s business.

With the opportunity to buy the cottage she feels the world is her oyster and the past can be put behind her but not so when the postcard arrives and sets the cat amongst the pigeons and all thoughts of the past and what she has tried to avoid come rushing back to her. Nikki meets her new neighbour Adam Fitzroy and his dog Gatsby. He has moved from London and is recently widowed. Despite his situation you can see that there is a little spark between the pair but given the maelstrom of emotions that is about to be unleashed is Nikki in a place to pursue things further than a friendship or is Adam even ready to?

The story deftly moves back and forth between the past and the present enabling connections to be established and chapter by chapter things become clearer to the reader. Grief is something Nikki is not immune to and she knows how lost you can feel as does Adam. I have to say I did prefer the chapters set in the present day but at the same time I appreciated the need for recollections of the past. In the past, we see Nikki as a young and impressionable girl whose sister Jess is the complete opposite to her.

Jess is wild and pushes people to the edge and always gets what she wants. She is headstrong and you never know what angle she is going to take. She could be a judge or as nice as pie. Jess has scant regard for her sister and when the dazzling and seductive Rik sails into Speedwell harbour he certainly catches the eyes of the two sisters. Rik has been drifting about on his boat trying to find his place in the world. Nikki feels very comfortable in his presence, like she has known him forever and she introduces him to the secret beach. They really get to know one another and the reader can see that Nikki is falling hard and fast. But as the storm approaches life is about to change for Nikki and it will never be the same again and it’s only in the present day that we learn the true story of Nikki and Rik and how Jess forms part of it too. But to say much more would give too much away. Suffice to say, it was a tangled and interesting web which I could see no way out of once you were within its clutches.

The Secret Beach is another winner from Veronica Henry. I really do enjoy her style of writing. This story focused on love, loss, family relationships and there was a nice bit of drama thrown in too and all in all it made for a really enjoyable read with memorable characters, setting and a plot that will have you guessing until the end.

If you want magical, uplifting fiction, Veronica Henry is your woman. She specialises in a particular oeuvre: middle class folk living in picture postcard seaside villages. Behind the Farrow & Ball painted doors and roses in the garden there is often heartbreak or secrets. She also writes very well about family dynamics and relationships, and they are not always rosy.

The Secret Beach has memorable characters. The story unfolds at a gentle pace and "the reveal" builds nicely, taking us to satisfying and not sickly sweet conclusions.

A great read for when you want some escapism and good storytelling with a dash of romance.