So this was my first book by this author and while I enjoyed the story I didn’t find it very “thrilling” - yes there was a twist but we all knew it was coming and that something just wasn’t right about the Callum/Jonah and Seth situation. Also we are left wondering if Moira was killed or succumbed to an illness. There were some characters such as Sorcha that were just fillers and didn’t really need to be in the story. I enjoyed the setting of a the small island off the western shore of Scotland.

Also just let Kyle have a damn dog! Seriously 😉

Thank you for the opportunity to read/review. I would be interested in reading future books by this author.

3.5 Stars

If you want a book that will keep you reading through the night, his is the one. The story is gripping and fast paced and entertaining. .

This is such a fantastic written story I loved all the twists and turns it was like being on a rollercoaster I didn't want this story too end but such an amazing ending I never guessed I love a good thriller that keeps me on my

I love Wendy Clarke books. The author knows how to write the perfect thriller.
This book was read in one sitting. I could not put it down.
Looking forward to the next one by this author

Definitely a slow burner but once it gets going, it's a web of lies and secrets that keeps hooked and gripped.

It has been eleven years since Alisha has seen Jonah after his brother died on that stormy summer night. Jonah was blamed for the accident and left the island in shame never to be seen again.

Alisha has been a single parent for ten years to her autistic son Kyle. They live in Jonah's mother's lodge.

And now he is back without warning living next door, just like old times when Alisha used to imagine they would stay together forever, sharing their lives and secrets as they always had.

But Jonah has returned changed, he is no longer the sweet boy she knew. His moods are changeable and their conversations are now forced and awkward.

Emotions and memories are returning with Jonah's dark secrets likely to be revealed about the day of the accident.

A mind blowing book that starts as a slow burn and explodes with a chilling conclusion.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

When I get super excited, I sing . Not well, but I sing . The best part ? It’s random and I make up my own words . These are my sudden bursts of self proclaimed creative talent .

Well, I’m singing .

I like big books and I can not lie
You other sisters can’t deny
When a book is before me with a big ole spine
I get sprung …

See? Zero talent . I’ll stick to my day job .

Anyway , I’m singing bc I just finished another incredible book, my instajail sentence is over and well it’s Wednesday, which means it’s hump day? I love Wednesdays, just not as much as I love peanut butter .

Ok, the book
Drumroll please …….

Childhood Sweetheart by Wendy Clarke

Oh, you haven’t heard of her yet ? Well now you have and I promise you, you are going to want to get to know her because this book is destined for success .

These characters come alive and jump right off the page . You feel as though you are watching this story take place right before your eyes . There is no shortage of twists and turns ! This book is oozing with suspense

Do you know the feeling when you hold your breath and your chest gets tighter and tighter ? That is the best way to describe how I felt while reading Childhood Sweetheart.

Check out this teaser:

Bang. Bang. Bang. I jump as the knocks on the window crash above the roaring wind outside. Who could it be, at this late hour? I open the curtains and peer outside. "Hello?" But the dark, the rain and the empty lane are all I see.

I thought I’d love him forever.

Eleven years ago my tiny Scottish island home was torn apart. One stormy summer night, my best friend Jonah’s brother fell into the loch and never came back. We tried, but I think Jonah’s grief was just too much, and he left.

But I should never have trusted him.

Now he’s back. Jonah still looks like the boy I loved, even if his dark hair shows a few strands of grey. Part of me longs to reach out to him again, but then he says something that sends a shiver down my spine.

And I have nowhere to hide.

After all these years, I see our childhood secrets, the ones we swore never to reveal, in a terrifying light. Could Jonah’s secrets have been worth killing for? And how safe am I now, on this remote island, with the man I used to love…?

Unveiling a tapestry of lies and revelations, this thrilling journey guarantees that you'll be on the edge of your seat until the final page.

This thriller started off as a bit of a slow burner and definitely took me a bit to get into, but as the story progressed, the tensions rose and had me on the edge of my seat. The ending was so fitting and absolutely perfectly handled in my opinion. The epilogue was also great and tied up some loose ends I was wondering about. My mind was reeling at both of the biggest reveals and I did not see them coming one bit. This was really well done. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC i exchange for an honest review.

Ailsa last saw Jonah 11 years ago, after his brother, Callum, died. Since then, Ailsa has remained on the remote Scottish island, living her her autistic son and Jonah and Callum's mother, Moira. Jonah returns to the island for the first time since the tragic accident that took the life of his brother.

Of course, with Jonah's arrival, secrets start coming to surface. Jonah is not the same sweet and kind boy that Ailsa once knew. Something has changed What truly happened in the accident all those years ago?

Overall, this book was just okay. Some parts were predictable, other parts really dragged on. The characters were well developed and I enjoyed the two timelines. It is definitely a slow burner. I would classify this novel as a drama, not a thriller. Nonetheless, it had some interesting secret revelations and twists.

Thank you Bookouture and NetGalley for the copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Firstly let me just say, that yes this story is a bit of a slow burner, slow start but in my opinion it has to be, so as to build up the characters to really get a feel for them, and for us to see said characters background, history of them growing up, as it all forms part of the bigger picture for where the story takes you.

So despite the slow burner of a start, I really did enjoy this story, I liked getting to know the important characters of Alisa, Jonah, Callum and Moria, seeing how they interact with each other and each of their behaviors/characteristics which gives you insight into the story.

I also liked the character of Kyle, the young boy who has autism and how that played an intricate part in the story. It also gives the reader an insight in to what it’s really like for a person/child to have autism if they don’t already know.

The author has definitely written this story well, creating lots of intrigue, plot twists, shocking moments, leaves us guessing and sitting on seat in eager anticipation of what might happen next.

This was way too simple and not well written for me to continue. There were multiple plot holes you could drive a car through and it just wasn’t interesting to me.

Wow, wow, WOW!

I couldn't put this book down - what a thrilling read!

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC copy.

Childhood Sweetheart is one twisty read. Toward the end there was one twist after another; all of them shocking and totally unexpected. Wendy Clarke expertly created a character driven, compelling story where the past comes back with a vengeance and damaging truths are revealed. The mystery is atmospheric, haunting and has an eerie undertone. This is an entertaining slow burn that explodes with a chilling and intense conclusion. Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for my copy. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Wendy Clarke has done it again, another smasher of a story!!

The island of Bray and Loch Briona is all Alisa and her 10-year-old son Kyle have known all their lives, and despite the hardships of living in such an isolated place Ailsa and Kyle love it and feel safe and secure. Ailsa has known Moria all her life and grew up with Moria’s twin boys; Jonah who was Ailsa’s best friend and his troubled brother, Callum. The island community was rocked when one night 17-year-old Callum fell into the Loch and died, Jonah has never forgiven himself for not being able to save his brother and abruptly left the island soon after to escape the tragic memories. Ailsa helps Moria runs the family holiday complex on Bray with a fair number of lodges to manage and she works alongside Moria keeping things ticking over at the complex. Through closely working together for such a long period of time the two women have become very close and have forged an almost mother and daughter relationship. However, on Moria’s birthday she has one wish, which is for Jonah to return home to her, and this wish is granted. Ailsa is nervous to see Jonah again, the boy she once loved with all her heart but on his return, Jonah seems so distant and different to the boy she once knew, and Alisa feels like she doesn’t recognise the man he has become. She assumes tragedy changes people and it has changed Jonah but when strange things start occurring at the holiday complex and conversations don’t add up, Ailsa wonders who she can trust and starts to worry whether her beloved island is as safe and secure as she once thought it was.

This was a great story! I can’t deny it was slow burner and to start with I wasn’t sure whether I was enjoying it but I’m so glad I stuck with it as it was, without a doubt, ultimately really really worth sticking with. I was very impressed with the autism descriptions, and I felt I learned a fair amount about the condition. The author really captured the creepy eerie Loch feeling perfectly and because of this it was so easy to visualise. I thought I had figured out the secret that Jonah told Ailsa, but I was very wrong and also pleased to have got it wrong and I did not see the event in chapter 29 coming. Boy oh boy the twist later on was fantastic- what a huge surprise! I felt the writing was very cleverly done and once the twist was revealed a lot of stuff suddenly made a lot of sense.

Overall, really really enjoyable! Wendy Clarke is fantastic at writing psychological thrillers that grip you and I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next. I would, without a doubt, recommend this book.

Thank you to NetGalley, Wendy Clarke and Bookouture for my advanced reading copy. Out now.

The plot grabbed me straight away on this one. It was so addictive and the tension was insane. It was a slow burner but I loved it and will be definately looking at reading more.

This book started off a bit on the slow side. I don’t mind that though as long as I feel like I’m putting all of the pieces together and I loved the breadcrumbs that were dropped little by little. I think this really helped build up to the twists. Alisa and Jonah were childhood friends. Then Jonah’s brother Callum dies and Jonah is blamed. He leaves and now is returning for his Moms birthday party. Alisha hasn’t seen Jonah. What will it be like when they reconnect? Will secrets be revealed? Oh yes and then some. Did not see that twist at the end coming. Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read this.

A good read
Will get you hooked and you won’t want to put it down
Plenty of twists and turns to keep you turning the pages
A very good story
Thanks NetGalley

I felt like the first third or so was pretty slow but it did pick up and then it was really off to the races. Lots of twists and turns. I did guess Jonas' secret but I didn't think knowing it took away from the book. Maybe we were supposed to guess it? It's hard to tell.

Anyway, I think this would make a good vacation book, it really moved quickly and was easy to pick up and down again.

Pretty entertaining after a slow start

This took a while to really take off, almost too long. Once it did get going it was a fun ride. The setting and characters were quite interesting. The twists were good and the ending was appropriate and satisfying. Overall it was a good read.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author, and Bookouture for copy in exchange for a review.