Ever since we locked fingers and swore to be best friends at school, Sophie was there for me. When she married my brother, I followed her down the aisle as a bridesmaid, thrilled that we were becoming a family.
we laughed and cried together. We shared everything. At least I thought we did. And then it was gone. The terrible accident that took her life devastated me. She was so quiet these last few months. I keep thinking there is something i don't know.

Liv, Grace and Sophie have been best friends since they were at school. Live thought she saw her dead friend on a beach in Mexico. Liv is taking a break from her marriage to Jamie and decides to visit Grace. There's been a lot of tragic events in Liv's life recently. Could the stress be making her mind play tricks on her?

The chapters jump back and forth in time and are told from Liv, and Sophie's perspectives. This is one of those books I think you are better going into blind, plus I don't want to spoil it for potential readers. The plotline has been cleverly crafted with well developed characters. It's quite an emotional book to read.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #Bookouture and the author #JuliaRoberts for my ARC of #TheWomanOnTheBeach in exchange for an honest review.

The Woman on the Beach was a fast-paced read that was based on an interesting premise. Sophie, Grace, and Liv are three friends whose lives are drastically changed after a tragic accident. The Woman on the Beach is the story of events leading up to the accident, as well as the devastating aftermath.

I enjoyed the initial mystery but quickly became confused with the frequent jumping back and forth in time at the beginning of the book. I also felt like the transitions were a bit abrupt. One moment I was convinced that I knew what was going on, and then a sentence or two later and the narrator (one of two) was taking us in a completely different direction.

The overall story was certainly a page turner but some of the details left me confused and wanting more.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC.

I requested this book as I was attracted to the Tulum beach setting and a story of friendship between 3 girls. This novel is a mystery with suspense and a few twists along the way.

At first, I was confused with the 3 different characters but I was fine by the 20-30% mark where the story started picking up.

If you are looking for a fast read and a few suspenseful twists, this is a great book. The pace was good throughout the book and I enjoyed the characters. However, it deals with a few hard subjects such as post parfum depression, grief and spousal abuse but not in dramatic ways.

Do not shy away from this book!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me a complimentary e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

I picked up The Woman on the Beach by Julia Roberts when I saw the tagline gripping family drama, that to me sounded a bit like a popcorn read watching everyone’s problems unfold. However, after reading this one I’d more call it a psychological drama which was perfectly fine too as once invested I fell right into trying to figure out who was lying or telling the truth and who to trust.

The story revolves around Liv who was once best friends with Grace and Sophie becoming friends as children. Sophie had even married Liv’s brother and Liv was in their wedding then Liv married her brother’s best friend so you can imagine how close these women were. However, Sophie and Grace were involved in a horrific accident where Sophie did not survive and Grace withdrew from everyone leaving her friends and family behind.

Liv was left to cope with all the loss on her own all the while having even more pain in her life on top of losing her friends. Once Liv’s marriage becomes in danger she decides to take a trip to a place she’d once traveled with Grace and Sophie to reflect when she spies a woman on the beach that looks just like Sophie. Liv knows that the woman just couldn’t be Sophie but the resemblance really shocks her and before she knows it the woman is gone and Liv heads back home.

As much as the description for the book intrigued me I also picked this one up because I have read Julia Roberts before and have enjoyed her books. This story took a little warming up to in the beginning switching between the points of view in different timelines but despite the slower start I did become completely invested in the characters and story. I loved the psychological aspect of this one and just waited for the twists that I knew would be coming and they certainly did come along and turned this one into something I wasn’t expecting at all which was certainly a gripping ride.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

This is a story about family and friendship. Love and loss. Happiness and heartbreak. And above all, memories. It's a story that begins in one vein and ends up totally different in another. Having read the author's previous book "My Mother's Secret" I knew it would be a hard one to top as that one was just totally brilliant...but THE WOMAN ON THE BEACH is an enjoyable read in another way.

Three women - Liv, Sophie and Grace - have been best friends since their first day in senior school all those years ago. Upon graduating, the friends decide to take a gap year and travel before settling down at university. While Liv and Sophie both aced their exams, Grace hadn't and so she stayed behind to resit them and then join her friends on their travels in Mexico in January time to celebrate Sophie's birthday. But something happens on that trip that changes their course of their lives, and their friendship, forever.

Spain 2014: A woman sits in the airport lounge awaiting her flight to Guatamela, her hands shaking, when the TV screens surrounding them come to life, reporting the tragic news of a deadly train crash that the lives of all by two people. The woman tries to block it out. But the fragmented snippets invade her memory...falling...the silence...the explosion. The woman smiles beside her and asks her if she's alright to which she replies that she's a bit nervous of flying. But as she closes her eyes all she can hear is the sound of screaming metal and the silence before the explosion. Her hand shakes as she hovers over the button of the email she's about to send that will change everything. Now there is no going back.

Mexico 2018: Still reeling from her husband Jamie's unexpected revelation, Liv lays on the sun drenched beach in Tulum just outside her beachfront cabin ruminating over how their marriage has come to this. She knows she has not been the easiest to get along with in the past three years but it hasn't been plain sailing for her either these past three years. First there was her miscarriage then the tragic death of Sophie in Spain to Grace disappearing off the face of the earth and, more recently, the sudden death of her father to cancer...all of which Liv hasn't had a chance to grieve for any of it. So when Jamie suggested this trial separation Liv was devastated. Jamie's her soul mate and she can't imagine life without him. So to give herself some breathing space and time to think things over, Liv decides to go back to the place where she and her two best friends visited in their gap year but vowed they would never return for a week's reprieve.

Now as she enjoys the quiet almost secluded beach she drifts off to sleep and is suddenly awoken by a dog barking. She follows the sound to a bouncy gold retriever running along the pier and welcoming his owners as they return to the beach from their swim. Something about the woman strikes a cord with Liv as she watches them return to their pile of clothing on the sand and tossing them on over their wet bathers.

And then she sees it...the woman's arm...and it stirs a memory. Sophie. She calls her name...the name of her best friend who died three and a half years ago. And with those words she is sure she sees the woman freeze momentarily...or did she? Eager to catch up to the couple, Liv reaches around to hastily tie her bikini top but when she turns back...they have gone.

Was the woman on the beach Sophie or did she just imagine it? But how can that be since Sophie is dead? It would have been Sophie's birthday just a couple of days ago. What with that, her unresolved grief and her recent troubles with Jamie, it could well just be a case of her conjuring up the memory of Sophie as she has been at the forefront of her mind for the past three years. Without further regard, Liv pushes all thoughts of the woman on the beach from her mind and returns to England and hopefully back into the loving arms of her husband.

But Liv has only been home a week when an unexpected letter arrives throwing caution to the wind and everything she thought she knew is is now under question. The only way to uncover the truth is to return to where it all began...when the three friends were at their happiest before life took a tragic turn and changed them all forever. Before Liv married Jamie and Sophie married Tom, Liv's brother, and Grace moved to Spain. Before the train crash that claimed Sophie's life and caused Grace to disappear in a cloud of grief and guilt at surviving. Before university, when life was good and they were young and carefree. Before everything changed.

But is Liv prepared for what she is about to uncover? And will any of their lives ever be the same again when she does?

The premise for THE WOMAN ON THE BEACH is definitely intriguing and upon starting the book it wasn't long before I figured out the line along which it was heading. But that was only the beginning. What ensues is a far deeper tale of the joys and heartbreaks of these three friends and how things went tragically wrong.

The story moves along at a steady pace throughout with easily spaced chapters that weren't long and drawn out. The narratives alternate between Liv, Grace and Sophie mostly between 2014 and 2018 with some leading up the former and latter days. We go to see the respective husbands in Jamie and Tom respectively through Liv and Sophie's eyes whilst life with Luis through Grace's. I didn't like Tom and his behaviour I don't think was adequately explained in the end and didn't sit right with me. I do, however, love Jamie and Luis who were the kindest, most forgiving and compassionate. But my favourite character by far was Vince...and I'm so glad that he got his happy ever after above all!

Julia Roberts has an engaging writing style that easily pulls the reader in unlike others in the same genre. Contemporary women's fiction is not really my thing but there are but a handful of authors who easily capture my attention and hold it throughout and Ms Roberts is one of them. THE WOMAN ON THE BEACH is definitely an addictive page-turner with several twists to be savoured along the way and everything being tied up at the end...though not in the way I had expected or would have actually preferred. The original angle was my preferred choice as for me that was far more believable.

Overall, THE WOMAN ON THE BEACH is an emotional and heartbreaking read perfect for lovers of contemporary fiction or chick lit. And though it's not a patch on "My Mother's Secret" , it is still worth a read.

I would like to thank #JuliaRoberts, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheWomanOnTheBeach in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. I really enjoyed the style and writing in the book. It was a good storyline and characters that were sympathetic. I liked the book but was just a little disappointed in the ending, it was tied up a little too neatly for me. I’d have liked another twist at the end! But overall a good read.

This is an unexpected twisty story that will keep you reading until the end. Just when you think you know how the story is going to end it has another twist. This is a story about 3 forever friends, Liv, Grace and Sophia. Sophia falls in love with Liv’s brother, and gets married. Then an accident happens and Sophia dies, Grace goes on to live her life not wanting contact with Liv. Liv struggles to get over the loss of her baby, her father and her best friend. Liv’s husband Jaimie suggests a separation. Liv decides to go to Mexico to try to figure out what to do with her life. One night in the distance she sees a woman that looks like her best friend Sophia that has been dead for 3 yrs.

Who is the woman? Did her best friend not die? Where has she been fir the last 3 yrs?

Fun story, interesting characters!
Thank you Netgalley for complimentary copy.

Liv, Grace & Sophie have been best friends since Secondary school. Sophie marries Liv’s brother Tom and then Liv marries Tom’s best friend. Tragedy hits whilst Sophie is visiting Grace in Mexico. There is a terrible accident and Sophie dies. Due to Sophie’s death and two other tragedies in Liv’s life the stress becomes too much and her husband Jamie suggests a trial separation. Liv decides to have a break in Mexico to commemorate what would have been Sophie’s 30th birthday. On her last day on the beach she sees a woman who she is convinced is Sophie but Sophie is dead. Is it the stress of everything that has recently happened in her life getting to her? This sighting sets off a sequence of events.

This is a story about family and friendship. I enjoyed the story overall but because the story kept going back and forth and also from different perspectives I got confused in parts. This was a very easy read and I will be seeking out more books by this author.

How would you feel when you see a woman on the beach in Mexico, who looked exactly like your best friend who died years ago? Shocked and wondering if your best friend was alive or not. That's how Liv felt and that's where the story starts.

Liv and Sophie have been best friends since school and they were so close that Sophie ended up marrying Liv's brother Tom and Liv was the bridesmaid. But the train crash in Spain supposedly killed Sophie with a funeral being arranged. But in truth, it was Grace, their friend who died in the crash and Sophie is in Mexico starting a new life.

The synopsis of the book fascinated me and I decided to try out the book though I was a bit skeptical of how this book will end up. But to my surprise, I actually enjoyed, devoring the book! The plot sounds interesting and emotional and is told from the perspectives of Liv and Sophie. Through this book, I could see the close friendship bond between Liv and Sophie and the author's writing actually captured my attention. What was Sophie escaping from? Domestic abuse? But as you continue reading the book, you would find a heartbreaking and emotional twist that you did not expect in the end! But luckily, the ending was a happy one with everyone living happily and moving on with their lives. This is actually the first book I have read from this author and kudos for the author's style of writing!

Overall, an emotional and heartbreaking book, quiet unputdownable that you would finish this in one go--worth five stars!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

The story starts when Liv is taking a break from her marriage and decides to go to Mexico where she, and her best friends Sophie and Grace used to go. Unfortunately Sophie died in a train crash and Grace dissapeared in grief and guilt. When Liv sees a woman briefly on the beach with the same hair colouring and tattoo as her late friend Sophie it puts her life into perspective and she just wants to come home to be with her husband Jamie. No one realises that she has started a chain of events that will change a lot of lives.

A lovely twisty, turny story, perfect for the summer.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4161250352

Woman on the Beach was a great read. I loved the twists and turns in the story as you try to figure out what happened to Sophie. My only criticism was I wish during the flashbacks it said like 4 years ago instead of the date. I kept getting mixed up as to what was in the present and what was in the past. Otherwise, a really good read.

I struggled to get in to this book but forced myself to finish it. Is it a good-enough mystery but the author's writing style is somewhat stilted.

A book about friendship. Three friends from school stay in contact up until one of the friends is killed in a train crash. Liv is going through a rough patch in her marriage and goes to Mexico to relax and sort herself out. She sees her friend on the beach, which seems unlikely because she died in the accident or did she ?
On the whole, well written . The main characters were well devloped, others less so, for example Liv's brother came across as nasty at times which was not really explained properly . Certainly not a bad book though and there are a few unexpected turns in the story which made for a great read.
One criticism is the third friend .... very little depth in the way her story was told.
Thank you to Net Galley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4142762442

The Woman on the Beach is a book about friendship and heartbreak. Grace, Sophie and Liv have been best friends since their early school days. The chapters alternate between an earlier time in their friendship and a few years after a terrible accident that changed their lives. I did have a hard time keeping up with the plot due to the back and forth. Thanks to author Julia Roberts, publisher Bookouture, and NetGalley for providing a copy of this book for an honest review.

What a page turner! There are lots of twists and turns making it a perfect book to add to your summer reading list. Three close as can be friends, a tragic accident, and lives are altered, seemingly forever....until a chance glimpse of someone on the beach.

Liv had been best friends with Grace and Sophie since they were children. Sophie ended up marrying Liv's brother, Tom, and Liv then married Tom's best friend, Jamie. Three years ago Sophie was killed in a train accident while visiting Grace and Grace, believing it was her fault, disappeared.

Liv had a lot of sorrow in her life all of a sudden with the death of Sophie, Grace disappearing, a miscarriage and the sudden death of her father. When she and Jamie have a trial separation, Liv heads to Tulum, Mexico, for a week. There she thinks she sees Sophie at the beach ... but how can that be since Sophie is dead? When Liv arrives home, she receives a letter that will explain everything but it makes Liv eventually deal with unresolved issues from the past and present.

I thought this was an interesting premise. I liked the writing style. There are lots of twists and turns that had me wondering what was going on. It all comes together in the end, perhaps a bit too neatly and I wasn't really buying it. The chapters jump back and forth in time and are from Liv and Sophie perspective (they are labeled).

The Woman on the Beach is an original novel about three best friends whose life put on different sides. Girls were inseparable during the school years but sometimes fate is cruel and though them apart. Well written and spoken in a very original way with many real-life challenges and lies. I am amazed about the constructed layout of the book - how easily the storyteller jumps from one point of view to another, from past to present events, to explain the reasons and results—written in first-person but from Sophie's and Olivia's points of view. Description of the emotion and feelings, thoughts, and choices in-depth make the whole situation more authentic and original. It is not only saying or standing to the reader what is happening but also explaining it - you can feel it as well! Julia Roberts created a memorable novel - It will stay with the reader for longer. It is a very emotional story, reduce me to tears. After so many unexpected twists in the book, I smile through the tears.

Julia Roberts wrote an inspirational book that appears to be a personal journey with real-life challenges and many surprises. You will find here hidden secrets, unexpected twists and lies that should protect loved ones. I am amazed by this novel and its positive vibration, even if you see very tangled situations. Well done!

Highly recommended for a holiday season!

Thank you, NetGalley and Bookouture, for an ARC of this novel, in exchange for an honest review.

Heartbreaking, enthralling and not to be put down until the very end. A very emotional novel that captivates all the way through.

Olivia, Grace and Sophie begin a wonderful friendship all through school and after, traveling during their gap year. As these women form separate lives we can see how perception, reality and communication are very different but equally important. With the death of one friend and possible betrayal of Grace, or maybe Sophie we see the layers of lies and unforgiving patterns that overwhelm their lives and relationships! I was never sure which direction the book was going, who was the victim or what was going to happen next! Totally gripping and entertaining while spotlighting a serious current issue. Excellent!! #NetGalley#TheWomanontheBeach

Liv is convinced that a woman she sees on a beach in Mexico is her old school friend Sophie, but that's impossible as Sophie died in a train crash years earlier.
This book despite being slightly far fetched In places kept me invested in the story, I wanted to keep reading to see what happened next. Parts of the story are based loosely on the Authors experiences. This shows in the very clever writing.
A worthy 4 star novel
Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review