Many thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for this arc. Charlotte Duckworth is an auto-buy of an author. I’ve read all of her books, which I highly recommend, and The Sanctuary doesn’t disappoint. Duckworth proves again what an absolute stellar author she is. I couldn’t put The Sanctuary down and read it in two breathless sittings.
The Sanctuary follows five female narrators:
- Nicky - Pregnant at 42-years old, Nicky is exhausted. She already has two boys and was hoping to return back to work. But another baby on the way means putting a pause on what she wants.
- Bonnie - Nicky’s younger sister by two decades. Bonnie is 22-years old. This is her first baby. She’s the complete opposite of Nicky. Bonnie is confident and impulsive.
- Georgie - In her late thirties getting pregnant is a blessing for Georgie, as this could be her last chance at being a mother. She’s a journalist living in Notting Hill, but she’s nervous about her new boyfriend of three months.
- Poppy - Still dealing with the breakup of her marriage and her infant daughter’s death, Poppy is pregnant once again, but she’s nervous. And she’s going to the retreat with an agenda. To get back at Selina...
- Selina is the one running the retreat in her idyllic countryside home. But Selina has secrets of her own...And someone is out to get her...
I loved the dynamic between the characters, and the countryside setting. There were loads of twists and reveals I didn’t see coming. I was at the edge of my seat wondering how things would come together, and they certainly do. Exploring mother-and-children relationship is at the core of all of Duckworth’s book, and she does a great job here delving into the alternative, “natural” lifestyle that seems to be the rage on parts of the internet. We see a range of female characters experiencing pregnancy and motherhood differently, without any judgement. The writing is crisp, and the structure is tight, with excellent pace. A brilliant psychological suspense read exploring pregnancy, motherhood and creepy retreats.

Sounds Idyllic? Think Again…
A pre-natal yoga luxury pampering retreat - The Sanctuary- nestled in the Devon countryside with spectacular views and every whim catered for. The host, Selina, hailed as an expert in all things pregnancy and yoga. Sounds idyllic? Think again. Secrets are about to blow this place apart. Slow, menacing and unexpected suspense slickly and successfully told in differing narratives. Pulls the reader in from the very first page and doesn’t let go until the very last with a, perhaps, unexpected finale. A superb, compulsive and thoroughly engaging read. Bravo!

This is another fantastic read by Charlotte Duckworth. The writing is creepy, dark and filled with intrigue. The characters and unique and interesting.
I loved the ending and it took me by surprise. I’ll be reading more from this author in future.

secrets can be deadly . . .

Firstly a big thank you to the publishers for my copy to review on netgalley . I’m a big fan of her books so was thrilled to review.

Charlotte is a fantastic author who knows how to write not only a captivating active story but also characters you relate to or find compelling . The sanctuary is no exception to this with the focus being on friendship,family and parenthood .

All pregnant at a yoga retreat but that’s where the similarities end with these women .
Secrets , lies , revenge and betrayal are running trough these pages .

I raced through this eager to know what was really going on . Tense and addictive thid is another great psychological thriller.

Published 16th December and I highly recommend checking out not only the sanctuary but also her previous books.

I don't leaving negative reviews however I have to say that, sadly, this book just didn't do it for me. It's such a shame as I thought the premise was really interesting and was really looking forward to reading it however I just couldn't get excited about it.

I think my main issue was that I didn't really care about any of the main characters. I found most of them to be unlikeable throughout the book and I wasn't really bothered how it was going to turn out.

Also the structure of the book bothered me too. The novel is told in parts and, initially the story was told from the perspective of Nicky, Bonnie, Georgia, Poppy and then Selina. Each part had five separate chapters and the story moved on as the perspective changed however about half way through the book this changed it just annoyed me.

On a positive note, the ending to the book was good and it did come together well in the end but getting there was just a bit of a slog.

Thanks to Quercus Books and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

what an INCREDIBLE thriller! i will be highly recommending this to anyone and everyone, it was addictive & devourable and i loved every second of it. The characters were all super shady and had a secret they were hiding and i love how it included such a diverse range of characters. the plot was 10/10 as was everything else.

This book had everything I want and more, it was chilling, creepy, complex and had really gothic undertones which i love in any book. It was tense, suspenseful and so twisty including a fantastic twist at the end which i didnt expect i loved it

Four pregnant women attend a yoga pregnancy retreat and they all harbour secrets.
Nicky is pregnant with her third child and upsure how she feels about it.
Bonnie is her younger sister and won't reveal who the father is of her unborn child.
Georgia is a journalist who is given a free stay for a hopefully positive review by the owner Selina.
Poppy has split from her boyfriend and definitely has an agenda for being there.
Each chapter is told from one of the main characters point of view.
All emotions are covered in this very good read recommended.
Thanks to Netgalley and Quercus Books for the ARC

The sanctuary sucks you in from the start. You immediately start asking questions and want the answers, To find out what their secrets are and what they’re hiding.

From the start you can tell not all is what it seems at the sanctuary. Something is out of place. Love how the story unfolded, it was clever how it was told throughout the different women there. How all the secrets came to light.

I like how they were all fairly different in personalities, some more likeable than others. How each had a story, stories within a story.

I wasn’t expecting the ending, which is always a bonus.

Overall a thrilling, easy read.

Thank you Quercus books and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Really enjoyed this one! Loads of twists and turns and you are always on tenterhooks waiting to see what's going to happen next. I'm a big fan of Charlotte's books and I think this might be her best yet.....absolutely brilliant! I loved all of the characters, even the bad ones and thought they all played their parts really well and I raced through it. Did not expect the ending, total surprise....always a hard thing to achieve. Go and read this one ❤

Thank you NetGalley for this advanced copy, Another great read by Charlotte. This book took four pregnant women, all with secrets, to a yoga pregnancy retreat. I enjoyed the character development and the wide range of situations brought into these characters: infidelity, child loss, not knowing who the father is, not wanting another baby etc. I did not see quite a few of the twists coming, which made it even more enjoyable. Good ending! Always nice to see people being held accountable when they try to play God with other's lives.

3.5 rounded up.

Four women sign up for a prenatal yoga retreat at The Sanctuary near Okehampton, Devon. There’s Nicky, a mother of two lovely boys and trying to get her head around being pregnant again at 42. Her sister Bonnie joins her, she’s twenty years younger and in her final year at catering college but she’s got herself ‘knocked up’, father undisclosed. Journalist Georgia also joins them with the fee waived as the owner Selina hopes for some positive publicity and finally, there’s Poppy who has recently split from partner Ant and is there with some kind of agenda. All four are hoping to resolve various issues but it’s fair to say none of them get the weekend they bargain for. The story is told from several perspectives.

The first 60% or so is really good. The setting is described extremely visually allowing you to picture events easily. There are some creepy, menacing hints from the start that despite Selina's many efforts to ‘deliver’ a relaxing weekend, her plans go badly awry. Poppy concerns you from the start and it becomes a case of curiouser and curiouser. The characters are all portrayed well with the two sisters being an interesting contrast and I like the vibe between them which at times has some needle to it. All the characters are carrying burdens, not of the baby variety, their emotions are all over the place, some feel guilty, others insecure and anxious. There are some good twists, a couple of which are particularly unexpected, there’s tension every which way you look especially from Selina so it's hardly the relaxation they crave, in fact, the whole thing is a dangerous unmitigated disaster.

However, much as I love a loaded plot, I think this just becomes too crowded, so many secrets, so many lies that it gets a bit dizzying. As it builds like the proverbial bonfire for the 5th November celebrations, I have hopes for it igniting but I think the wood must be a bit damp because it didn’t quite go out in a blaze of glory! It does keep you glued to the pages though to try to sift your way to the truth!

Overall though it’s very entertaining, it’s diverting, some things are a bit of a stretch but hey, it’s fiction!!

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Quercus Books for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

Wow, this was so gripping and compelling. The characters are all so vivid and devious with all their twisted secrets though some are more normal and rational than others. I loved how the pace of the novel sped up as you got to know each of the women. But what I loved is that you had no warning until right up to the end of what was going on and what would happen. This is a truly brilliant book and I for one will buy this book as soon as it is out. Love love love this.

#TheSanctuary #NetGalley
Loved it's story.
Four pregnant women. Three nights of pampering at an exclusive yoga retreat. One too many deadly secrets . . .
On a remote farm in the deepest Devonshire countryside, four pregnant women arrive at an exclusive yoga retreat for a five-star weekend of prenatal pampering. The location is idyllic.Their host, Selina, is eager to teach them all she knows about pregnancy and motherhood. But, like Selina, each of the women has a secret.
And secrets can be deadly.
Definitely loved it. I think everyone should read it.
Thanks to NetGalley and Quercus Books for giving me an advance copy of this book.