Bit of a slow start at more than 80 pages before it gets exciting.
I enjoyed the setting and characters immensely, which kept me going to get to the exciting bits.
I was especially fond of that Miss Olivia Kitto; she was a firecracker!!!
Much love to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for my ARC.

This book started a bit slow, but it really picked up about a quarter into it, and became hooked! The book follows two main characters, Rebecca and Olivia. Rebecca seemed to be a sad character at first, and a little flat and uninteresting, but I loved the character growth that she experienced! Don't give up on her if you think she is a bit flat. She becomes quite lively. Olivia was a fun and energetic character, and we get to read about her experience of the Second World War while living in Cornwall. She was forced to grow up quickly due to her circumstances and I loved her spunk.
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I also enjoyed the setting of Cornwall and enjoyed learning about the impact on the area during and after the War. It was also interesting to read about the connection between Cornwall and England and also North Africa. Not a connection you would think to make in a World War Two novel. I also loved the metaphor of the title, The Sea Gate.
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As you can see, there are many things to love about this book! Highly recommended for lovers of historical fiction, and for those who are looking for a different kind of war story.

I found the beginning of this book very slow and considered not finishing.
I am very pleased I continued, as the story continued to unfold, there was great happiness and tragedy. I felt very close to the characters in the story. This was a very deep story, switching back and forth from past to present, specifically what some had to endure during wartime.
Highly recommend this book, very well written.

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster Canada for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of The Sea Gate by Jane Johnson in exchange for an honest review.
The Sea Gate is told from the perspective of two women in different time points. One is Rebecca who is a woman dealing with an illness, her mother’s death, family issues with her brother and his wife and a rocky marriage. While going through her mother’s things while they’re cleaning out her house, she finds letters from a sick relative (Olivia) who needs help up in Cornwall, England. Rebecca heads up to Chynalls and discovers more is going on than she first realizes.
The other half of the story is told from Olivia’s perspective as a young teen during WWII. Her father leaves for war, her mother leaves to work in London and a woman and her daughter Rosemary turn up to stay while the war is going on.
I really enjoyed how both timelines intertwined and have more information bit by bit until you figured out everyone’s connections and there were some total surprises at the end I didn’t see coming. I really loved the book and the writing style. It was so descriptive that I really felt like I was in at Chynalls and near the sea. Highly recommend picking this up when it’s published November 17th!

The Sea Gate is one of those books that stays with you long after the last page is turned. In fact, I will read this one again, which is unusual for me.
It weaves together the stories of Rebecca and Olivia, cousins who are brought together by circumstance. Olivia is old and frail and in need of help; Rebecca is young and insecure.
Jan Johnson, the author, deftly handles the early life of Olivia with compassion, leaking the secrets and wartime misery as she brings in Rebecca to save Olivia's home in Cornwall. The characters are real, flawed, and both in need of support. The plot is masterly.
The reader discovers courage in both women, a resilience born of need and protection of others.
Poignant, real, and compelling, The Sea Gate is highly recommended.

I absolutely loved this book. Jane Johnson mastered literary fiction while adding mystery and romance. A beautiful tale of family history, lost love, secrets and bonding time. I loved the devotion and love that grew between Rebecca and her elder cousin Olivia as they twisted through the past, grew stronger as family and conquered the secrets and surprises past the sea gate. I would recommend this book to lovers of historical fiction. These thoughts are my own . I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review , Thank you Simon and Schuster Canada and netgalley for my ARC . #janejohnson #theseagate #simonandschustercanada

Thank you NetGalley and Jane Johnson and Simon & Schuster Canada for the opportunity to read The Sea Gate
Thoroughly enjoyed this novel and would read more by this author
This is a great story about Olivia, a woman who grew up during the war. The struggles that she has had and the joys. During the war, her parents had to go away and Olivia was responsible to look after a younger girl named Rosemary, who's mother was called away to look after her sick mother. Olivia is not thrilled about being thrown into the caregiver role looking after Rosemary. The story goes back-and-forth between present and past. Becky in present day happens to read a letter that her mother received from Olivia. Becky's mother has recently passed, so Becky makes the trip to go and visit Olivia, only to find a very run down home and a woman who is quite ill.. Becky has left behind a boyfriend who is in the midst of getting ready for an art show and doesn't seem to have time for her right now.Becky does everything that she can To make Olivia's house livable with limited funds, so that Olivia can come home from the hospital and be comfortable. Once Olivia is home Becky learns the truth about Olivia's history and past and the whole story comes together. An invigorating and enjoyable read, lots of twists and turns, wondering what will happen next.

Another book that moves between two different time periods, a story of 90-something Olivia and her first cousin's daughter Becky. After the death of Becky's mother, Becky is going through her mother's mail and finds several pieces of correspondence from Olivia a cousin living in Cornwall, whom Becky vaguely remembers from her childhood. In the letters, Olivia is asking for help with her derelict house and Becky decides to go to Cornwall, thus beginning her discovery of family secrets, hidden love, wartime sacrifice and deep sadness. The author does a remarkable job of creating parallel stories between the two eras and two women: young Oliva and Becky. The Cornwall seaside setting provides a beautiful backdrop, particularly for young Olivia who at age 16 is left to fend for herself during the war. The author uses unusual and expressive vocabulary to tell the story, some words that I have never seen before! Some examples: "louche" behaviour, "fuggy", "an ensorcelled princess", "eldritch", the wind "soughs". I didn't need to use a dictionary because I was able to discern the meaning from the rest of the sentences.
One could describe this book as yet another wartime story, but the twists and turns provide substance, and the beautiful descriptive prose lovingly portrays the women with courage and determination that helps them through their difficult circumstances.
I was given this book to read by the publisher through Net Galley and will definitely recommend it when it comes out this fall. I plan to check out more of Jane Johnson's books.

This is a story told from two views. The first is modern day as told by Rebecca and the second is told from Olivia’s viewpoint from her youth during world war 2. Olivia is Rebecca’s mothers elderly cousin and Rebecca goes to live with Olivia to help her when she has some health issues and is in the hospital. When Rebecca moves to Olivias home, she starts to discover secrets within the house. As she is discovering these secrets, we learn from Olivia’s version what happened during her youth. This isn’t a war story, even though Olivia’s story took place during ww2. Rather it is a story about how Olivia lived through the war and the consequences of war on her life and on the choices she made. about her life and the secrets that have been kept hidden for far too long. It also is the r story about how Rebecca takes charge of her own life.

I really enjoyed this book and enjoyed learning about Olivia’s life and learning the secrets as they unfolded.

I think fans of Kate Morton would enjoy this book. Jane Johnson's The Sea Gate shares a lot of the features that make Morton's books so enjoyable like dual timelines. Becky is the protagonist for the modern timeline, and she goes to Cornwall to help her mother's elderly aunt Olivia, who is the protagonist in the historical timeline set during WWII. Of these two characters, I found Olivia to be the more interesting because of her spunky independence, and I generally enjoyed the historical parts of the story more as a result.

The setting was a significant draw for me in choosing to read this book, so I was glad to see that both timelines included some details about the Cornish landscape. I would have been happy with more description of the landscape, but Johnson strikes a good balance between creating a sense of place and keeping the plot moving.

I think my favourite part of The Sea Gate is that the dual timelines enabled Johnson to explore racism past and present, with links shown between the two. There wasn't an especially surprising or deep message about racism, but I thought the juxtaposition of the issue in the two time periods was an interesting element in this book.

Some elements of the plot are a bit predictable, but the journey to the ending is still enjoyable.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Canada for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I found this novel to be a greatly entertaining read. The characters came alive and the plot always had me wondering 'what's next!' The two main characters, Olivia and Rebecca, could not have been more different in personality and age, yet the relationship they formed was deeply caring. The setting of Cornwall overlooking the sea from within an old house that includes an intriguing basement, is delightful.
I liked the chapters alternating back and forth from Rebecca to Olivia as the women lived their lives in the past and present. There was more than one adversary and this kept the mysterious plot alive and well. I didn't get lost in the cast of characters likely due to the fact that Jane Johnson introduced them slowly and with wonderful descriptions. This is a love story (more than one), a thriller and historical fiction., the three things I enjoy most in fiction. Highly recommend you read it.

This is a beautiful story!! It is told in two separate time periods, which I love! The characters were beautifully crafted and Olivia was easily my favorite!! I really enjoyed how the telling of the story healed the characters. The story was heartbreaking and inspiring!

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read and review this book!

"Scratch the surface of any family history... you 'll find a story that has been buried."

This quote from The Sea Gate sums up the book quite well and is it not the truth with any family.

The Sea Gate draws you in slowly but you soon become wrapped up in the story of Olivia and Rebecca as Rebecca heads to Cornwall to help out her mother's old friend.

The story is told from both their view points and it works quite well . Olivia is during the second world war and Rebecca in present time.

I felt like I was at Sea Gate with both Olivia and Rebecca and loved it when the stories merged.

A great read. Off to check out more of Jane Johnson's books

Thanks to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster Canada , Simon and Schuster for the privilege or reading The Sea Gate,

The Sea Gate is a dual timeline novel that introduces us to two very different women: Rebecca, a breast cancer survivor whose mother just died, and Olivia, her elderly relative who is now in the hospital and requires help. As Rebecca sets out for Cornwall to visit Olivia, she gets swept up in renovating Olivia's house so that the woman can come home. In the process, we get Olivia's back story, her coming-of-age during WWII with danger and forbidden love, while Rebecca goes through a transformation and takes back control of her life.

I enjoyed this novel and both Rebecca and Olivia's stories, although I must say I found Olivia's story more exciting and unpredictable. Through her relationship with the cantankerous Olivia, and her sojourn at Olivia's house by the sea, Rebecca finds the courage to mourn her mother in her own way, to accept her own losses from the cancer treatment, and finally, to regain confidence in herself. Olivia lost her father to the war and was essentially abandoned by her mother and had to take care of herself as a teenager. Through her story, we see her resilience and strength.

I loved the setting of Cornwall, the sea and the house on the cliff were like characters in the novel. The author's description vivid and alluring. The ending was bittersweet and a little rushed. The whole episode with Rebecca's one-dimensional boyfriend seemed unrealistic and Olivia's quick dismissal of crimes against her was anticlimactic. But overall, this was an exciting read with a compelling setting, full of mystery, secrets, danger, forbidden love, redemption and healing.

Not only has Rebecca just lost her mother suddenly, but she is still recovering from her own serious illness. Rebecca finds a letter, from an elderly cousin, among her mother's things. Rebecca decides to go see her cousin, only to find Olivia in the hospital.

Olivia was a teenager during World War II, and even though she has suffered tremendous loss, she still has the same strong spirit. There are some things that must be done to Olivia's home before she will be allowed to leave the hospital. Olivia adds another important request to the list, but will Rebecca's curiosity open the door to the dangerous secrets that Olivia has tried for so long to keep locked away?

I loved Olivia's character. Her flaws and strong will helped her to survive but also made her seem more realistic. I wasn't as keen on Rebecca's character at first, but she grew on me as she gained confidence and I learned more of her back story. I loved the elements of star-crossed lovers and history repeating itself.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Simon Schuster for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. #NetGalley #TheSeaGate

This is the first time I've read a novel by Jane Johnson.

The author has a way of drawing the reader into the setting from the opening page. A great narrative voice shows the reader the depth of despair the heroine feels in the sudden loss of her mother, the messes she has to clean up and the locations she moves within.

The story bounces between the 1940s and present day.

The men in the novel weren't likeable. Rebecca's boyfriend and twin brother are just nasty and terrible men. Sadly, it felt stereo-typical to me so it turned me right off. And as a mom of twins, details about twins matter. "You'd never know we were twins. We don't look alike..." It's a common misconception that all twins look alike and so having to state the obvious was off-putting and I wondered whether a biology lesson was needed.... I also felt the relationship created between Rebecca and her twin brother is not a true representation of the relationships between twins, but rather an older brother vs younger sister (which really are quite different).

And I really didn't like Rebecca's boyfriend who let her go to her mom's funeral by herself because he had an art exhibit coming up. I just wanted to give her a shake when she was trying to justify him not being there.

This story didn't quite do it for me, despite the author's talent in narrative.

I received an ecopy from Net Galley. All opinions expressed are my own.

*Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada and to NetGalley for giving me a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

‘The Sea Gate’ is a historical fiction novel that is written in dual timelines and follows the story of Rebecca, who heads unexpectedly to help her hospital bound Aunt Olivia in Cornwall. The second timeline follows the story of a much younger Olivia and takes place during WW2.

While slow to start, the book picks up pace a third of the way into the book, especially in the chapters dedicated to Olivia's story. The novel is a quick and enjoyable read. I particularly enjoyed the way that both stories showed the journey of each main character (Rebecca and Olivia) of finding their strength as women and standing up for what is most important to them (although I enjoyed Olivia's journey more than I did Rebecca's). I enjoyed the introduction of diverse characters, which is quite fresh for novels set in Cornwall and during WW2, although I felt that they were mainly used as plot devices to create conflict (and resolution) in the story. It would have been nice if these characters were given more depth and given realistic characteristics - they appeared very one-dimensional. I also didn't really enjoy the secondary story line surrounding Rosie as again I don't think we, as readers, really understood her or her motivations. I wasn't very satisfied with the end - things seemed to happen out of the blue and are then skipped over very quickly. The relationships definitely needed to be fleshed out more to give each character more dimension that would have allowed the reader to really root for them (or even despise them!)

Overall, this was a good and enjoyable read but I was never really interested in either character. It never really made me want to quickly turn the page and find out more about their journeys.

The author uses descriptive vocabulary to tell the story of The Sea Castle. Unfortunately, the book couldn’t hold my interest and I didn’t finish the book..

While going through her mother's paperwork after the funeral, Rebecca discovers a letter from from her mother's elderly cousin who is requesting help to renovate her home so that she can leave the hospital.

Rebecca has always been needy, and now with her mother gone she feels she should buck up and pull her own weight. She decides to help her relative, Olivia, get back on her feet by helping her fix up her neglected home. As she sorts through Olivia's things, she begins to piece together some disturbing puzzle pieces that lead her to believe that Olivia's past may be more than she bargained for.

Written in a dual timeline, the story alternates with Rebecca in the present day and Olivia from the time she was a child during the war. No wilting flower this story, be prepared to be hang onto the edge of your seat as both women will rise to their full potential to protect those they love.

The Sea Gate is a lovely unfolding story that takes place both in the present and the past. After discovering a letter in her recently deceased mother's possessions Rebecca decides to take a chance for change and sets out to answer the letters summons. The discovery of a long-forgotten relative in need becomes a catalyst for change and reflection in Rebecca’s own life as she delves deeper into the mysterious past of her mother’s cousin Olivia.
This book completely captivated my attention. I found that once I started reading it and the mystery of the past began to intertwine with the present events I couldn’t put it down. It was also delightful to see the character of Rebecca transformed by her newfound knowledge of Olivia's life and how the two stories became so closely woven together at the end.
I would recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of Kate Morton's novels as it has that same historical back and forth feel.