This is my first dark mystery romance book. I can honestly say that I enjoyed most of it. I did feel as though it was too drawn out at times, but as soon as I felt like it was taking too long to get to the point, something major happened and I needed to know the answers to all the mysteries.

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is one of my can’t miss authors and I enjoyed the book as always. It wasn’t one of my favorites maybe because it was a little slow going at the beginning and for me personally I was getting a bit confused. I loved the multiple person pov and flashbacks that it had which by halfway thru the. lol drew me in and there were plenty of ups and downs from that point forward. This is a good book for a rainy day as you imagine yourself in Scotland.

"You can’t forget your first love…Maybe you should…"

CHILDHOOD SWEETHEART is an atmospheric psychological thriller set on the remote Hebridean island Bray on the North West coast Scotland. The setting was chilling to the point of below freezing, so disturbing it was. And for that alone is probably the reason I stuck with it. I'll be honest, this book is a slow burn that wasn't as glacial as some but it was very slow and confusing at times. It did marginally get better but by then I had already figured out the big reveal that had been blindingly obvious to me. But in all fairness, I was relatively absorbed and engaged enough throughout to keep reading till the end.

The prologue at the beginning was thoroughly confusing and I found it made more sense after I had finished the book and then I went back and re-read it. Only then did it make any kind of sense. Before that, it was so vague and obscure I had no idea what to make of it.

Fast forward eleven years after that, Ailsa and her 10 year old autistic son Kyle live in one of the small cottages of Loch Briona Lodges, the holiday lets owned by Moira Wallace for whom Ailsa works, just as her mother before her. Growing up on Loch Briona, Ailsa's best friend had been Moira's son Jonah, with whom she'd secretly been in love. She'd hoped for so long that her feelings would be reciprocated but when Jonah's brother Callum was tragically killed in a boating accident, Jonah blamed himself and left the island soon after Callum's funeral, never to be seen again. Until now.

Moira is turning sixty and it is her greatest wish that her only surviving son return to the fold to celebrate with just her, Ailsa and Kyle. But the Jonah that returns is not the same Jonah from eleven years ago. He's gruff, weathered and extremely bitter. He continues to blame himself for his brother's death, never moving beyond that one iconic moment in his life. From the moment he arrives at Loch Briona he makes it clear he is here just for a couple of days. He has no wish to relive the glory days or stay there a moment longer than he needs to.

It is clear to both Moira and Ailsa that Jonah continues to suffer great emotional pain that is all consuming to the point it has changed the young man they both once knew. He is a different man now. And he brings with him a secret that has haunted him every day of his life since. But then Moira shocks them at her birthday dinner with an announcement that changes everything.

Over the course of the ensuing days, long buried memories return to the surface bringing with them the pain each of them has suffered since. And since Jonah's return, memories of Callum and their father Hugh run rampant for each of them. Through chapters that take the reader back to the past, we see the relationship between the two brothers and their vast differences like night and day. Jonah was kind and sensitive while Callum was aggressive and a bully like their father. But then Callum died and Jonah was devastated by the loss, blaming himself and fleeing Loch Briona and any memories the place held for him.

But Jonah is not the only one with secrets, with Moira and Ailsa harbouring secrets of their own also. But is now the right time to bring any of them to light and what will be the repercussions should they do? Then just when we think there are no more secrets, Moira imparts a parting secret to Ailsa that has the power to change everything. But who out of them all, has the biggest secret of all? And whose secret could do the most damage?

CHILDHOOD SWEETHEART is an absorbing read that is atmospheric and chilling but it is incredibly slow going. It doesn't just start slow, it remains slow throughout. But the story was enough to hold my attention till the end. But only just. I did enjoy the past timeline that was cleverly interwoven with the present day story but my favourite part that touched me the most was the final lines which brought tears to my eyes...

"He'll say nothing because the girl doesn't want him to...and because he hasn't forgotten what he saw through the window of his caravan all those years ago.
A boy. A girl.
A random act of kindness to his beloved dog.
For him, it's enough."

Overall, CHILDHOOD SWEETHEART is an interesting tale filled with secrets, lies and a few surprises. Fans of slow burns and atmospheric reads will delight in this one.

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

This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.

'Childhood sweetheart' attracted me, being a psychological thriller set in the remote Scottish Highlands & Islands, written by an author I hold in high regard. I wasn't disappointed.

The main character, Ailsa, is living in the Island home she grew up in with her son, a preteen who is neurodivergent, and Ailsa is challenged in home schooling him in addition to working on holiday lodges. She is single, and appears not to have moved on since the apple of her eye, Jonah, left the island many years ago, following the tragic death of his brother. Aisle's. boss happens to be Jonah's mum and summons him home to celebrate a milestone birthday. This is the catalyst for all sorts of secrets and lies from the past to come to light.

This is a great read, it has a darkness running through it, that really conjures up imagery around the remote and presumably bleak, location. Characters are extremely well portrayed, and I felt this a real strength in this novel. This is a book that kept me up any night and sleeping with one eye open!

An excellent read that I wouldn't hesitate to recommend. My thanks to netGalley, author and publisher for the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an advance copy.

This book was ok - I didn’t really get into it. I loved the cover and it drew me in but that was about it.

What a gripping read I could not put this down. Loved the setting, amazing plot and interesting characters, I would highly recommend this.

Totally gripping. Set in a remote location on a small Scottish island where everyone knows everything that happens. A tragic death years ago comes forefront as the brother of the drowned boy returns after ten years. Big secrets emerge, A really good, engaging story with some shocking twists.

BLOG TOUR REVIEW

Review for 'Childhood Sweetheart' by Wendy Clarke.

Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Wendy Clarke, Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous

Publication date 23rd August 2022.

This is the second book I have read by this author. I have previously read 'Blind Date' which I would highly recommend!!

I was originally drawn to this book by its stunning eye catching cover and intriguing sounding synopsis and title. I am also a huge fan of Wendy after reading 'Blind Date' and if this book is half as good as that is it's guaranteed to be a page turner! The synopsis stated that 'Anyone who loves The Woman in the Window, The Wife Between Us and The Housemaid won’t beable to put Childhood Sweetheart down!' I am a huge fan of 'The Wife Between Us' so am looking forward to seeing if this lives up to this statement. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Bookouture. I have yet to read a book published by Bookouture that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).

This novel consists of a prologue, 49 chapters and an epilogue. The chapters are short to medium in length so possible to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!

This book is based in Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 ,UK 🇬🇧. I always enjoy when books are set in the UK as I'm from Wales and have sometimes visited areas mentioned in the book. This makes it easier to picture where the scenes are set at times. I have actually holidayed in Scotland on several occasions so will be keeping an eye out to see if I recognise any places mentioned.

This book is written in third person perspective and the main protagonists are Ailsa and Jonah Wallace. The benefits of third person perspective with multiple protagonists are that it let's you see the bigger picture of what's going on and you get to know more characters more, what they are thinking and what they are doing. It feels like you get to see the whole picture and not miss out in anything.

OMG!!! Wow!!! I was NOT expecting any of that!! Mind absolutely BLOWN!!!!


Well, well, well Wow!!! What an absolute cracker of a book!!! This book sucked me straight in from beginning to the explosive ending. It was very well written with excellent descriptions which put me straight into the storyline. The blog, title and the cover suited the book perfectly.

The storyline was very fast paced and filled with Drama, tension and suspense. The prologue had me hook,line and sinker and gives readers something to sink their teeth and imaginations into immediately! A very believable storyline which kept me on edge throughout. I loved all the twists and turns and throughout it kept me guessing what was going on and who was doing what. I would NEVER have guessed at the ending so a MASSIVE WELL DONE to Wendy. I have read many thrillers and it's getting harder and harder for me to be surprised so great job there. There were so many mysteries in this book it just kept getting better and better!!! It was filled with suspense, romance, tension, friendship, lies and deceit and kept me on the edge of my seat throughout!!! My heart was pounding and the hairs on my arms were raised while I was on the edge of my seat biting my nails reading this!! The Scottish dialogue used throughout made the story more realistic and adds to the feeling that you are there with Ailsa and Jonah. The only thing I was gutted about was that the setting was a figment of Wendy's imagination . However , you would never have thought this when reading as Wendy describes the scene perfectly and it sounded gorgeous. Sadly you can't visit Bray or The Stag in real life but if you want to visit these stunning places you just need to open the pages of this mind blowing novel!! If you pick this up make sure you clear your diaries as you will NOT be able to put it down until the explosive ending!!! I loved the storyline and just loved everything about it. It was all done perfectly!! This would make an absolutely amazing movie!!!

It is set over multiple time lines. When books show what has happened in the past and what is happening in the present I find it really helps the reader (if it is well done) understand why things are happening and what has lead to the present activities and decisions. It also shows the bigger picture.


THE characters were fantastic, solid and completely believable, or are they?? Sadly I can't say much more than this as I don't want to give anything away. I will say that Wendy's potrayal of Kyle (Alisha's son) who had autism was 100% realistic and it is lovely to see diversity in a psychological thriller. I was completely invested in both Kyle and Ailsa and I loved the kindness Ailsa showed Seth's dog. The fact that Wendy has researched autism and police procedures absolutely shines through the pages. There's little worse than than a book littered with unnecessary errors as the author hasn't done any research into their plot subjects so a HUGE WELL DONE to Wendy. They all had such different and strong personalities and all suited the storyline perfectly.

Well done Wendy on yet another mind blowing page turner!! This is exactly why you are one of my favourite authors . Here's to your next success 🥂

Overall a compelling, page turning, mind blowing psychological thriller that will keep you up late at night


Genres covered in this book include Thriller, Psychological Thriller, Suspense, Psychological Fiction, Domestic Drama, Crime Thriller and Suspense Thriller amongst others.


I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of Woman in the Window, The Wife Between Us, The Housemaid, you, your friends, your neighbours.your family and your pet dog!!!


381 pages.

This book is just 99p to purchase on kindle or free on kindle unlimited (at time of review) and £8.99 on paperback via Amazon which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!

Rated 5/5 (I LOVED it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.

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Wonderfully thrilling, gripping and tense, this was an incredibly suspenseful read. I could not put it down, racing through it,heart pounding all the way. Loved it. Do read this one.

I read a lot of twisty thrillers, so it isn't often a book pulls off a twist on me that I at least didn't see coming at least a little, but this one did.  And to say it tricked me multiple times makes me say kudos to the author.   Not all of the twists were shocking, but a few rate right up there with some of the best I've read.  I'm going to avoid a lot of talk about the book for fear of delivering too much info.

I will say the book started out a little slow for me, but once I read some, I was hooked.  I am not sure why I connected with Aisla, as we have nothing in common, but I really did.  She was very relatable.  Maybe it's that I've been reading a lot of romances and I could root for a romance while also getting my thriller fix, but more likely the author did a great job of drawing me in.

After the start, the book moved along, had me liking the characters and wanting to know who the man stalking them was.  It really was plotted well to deliver the twists while not seeming far fetched or out of the blue.  This is a good start to my spooky fall reading.

Ailsa's childhood love, Jonah, is back after 11 years, living next door and bringing with him memories of secrets that were long buried. But Ailsa' has little time for anything new, as she's trying to raise her autistic son, Kyle, of whom she is very protective. But Jonah has changed so much, and even the best-hidden secrets have a way of coming to light.

This thriller is somewhat slow-paced at first, but eventually picks up speed. I enjoyed the setting on a Scottish island, and there are plenty of twists, turns, and red herrings. Ailsa's challenges as a parent of an autistic child are well described, and Kyle's personality is very well done. I also feel the reaction of some of the characters to Kyle is very realistic. There are varying points of view as well as flashbacks, and as a warning rape and child abuse are a part of the story.

Overall, this is an entertaining thriller that will keep you guessing.

I received a free copy of this book via Bookouture. My review is voluntary and my opinions are my own.

Wow, this is a book that’s both chilling and totally gripping!

Set on a remote Scottish island, the setting really adds to the atmosphere. The story is told from the perspectives of Ailsa, Joshua and Callum, with a dual timeline. The plot builds up slowly at first, seemingly relatively straightforward, but with the flashbacks to the past and the sense of unease that Ailsa feels, it soon becomes apparent that all is not as it seems and the tension and suspense really begin to build.

I found this book impossible to put down, and could not wait to get back to it when I had to leave it. There are a few twists near the end of the book, but one in particular was genuinely jaw-dropping and I really didn’t see it coming.

Superbly atmospheric and cleverly plotted, this is one to really set aside time for and get totally immersed in. Highly recommended.

Ailsa’s first love Jonah has returned home after being away for 11 years. Jonah left their small village when his brother Callum died in a tragic accident. For the past 10 years Ailsa has been single mother to her autistic son Kyle. She does have help with Kyle, and that is with Jonah’s mother Moira, who is her boss. Ailsa and Moira have much more than a working relationship, as they are quite close.

As the story is told in a dual timeline fashion, we see that relationship that Ailsa had with Jonah as they were growing up. But we also see what Jonah’s relationship was like with his brother Callum. The brothers were as different as night and day. Jonah was kind, protective and sensitive. Callum was more like their abusive father, displaying aggressive and unkind behavior towards anyone that came in his path. Jonah felt very loyal to Callum and was truly devastated after he died.

This story slowly unfolds as secrets from their past are beginning to come to light. Now that Jonah is back, albeit only for a short time, Ailsa and Moira see a different side of him, as the emotional pain that that is consuming him has truly changed him. Not only has Jonah been holding onto secrets from their past, but Moira has secrets of her own. With very good reason, Ailsa is concerned about the future she has to offer for Kyle, as long ago secrets and current revelations are shaking up her world.

Although this story may have had a slow start, Wendy Clarke has created characters that had a lot of depth, even the town’s outcast, Seth. Then there was the thrilling plot that was executed marvelously. This engaging read reaches a crescendo when the past and present collide. The conclusion really floored me as there were some really surprising twists that led to a shocking ending. What a fabulous job by a fabulous author!

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

Please enjoy my YouTube video review - https://youtu.be/AthnFfPe1KM

I think I've read all bar one of Wendy's books at this stage and am never disappointed...this book is just like the rest..a great read.
Set on a remote island off Scotland its told from the perspective of each of the main characters which is great because the same details told by several people will fill in any holes or questions you might have.
After a terrible accident 11 years prior Jonah is now back where he said he'd never go....home. That accident was the death of his brother Callum....something he never got over.
Ailsa was his childhood sweetheart. She still lives there with her son Kyle and they're neighbours and still best friends with Jonahs mother Moira. How awkward is Jonahs return going to be? He and Ailsa are practically strangers now who never kept in touch.
Also..secrets are being kept.
Was Callums death really an accident? This book builds slowly but with great atmosphere to the conclusion you may or may not see coming!

It took a while for the plot to really get going. The first third of the book was a little slow but a little bit creepy in places. After that however, it was a roller coaster that twist, I did not see it coming!!! I probably should have but I didn't. I did guess Jonas secret pretty early on though. The ending was very bitter sweet. It broke my heart a little. Really enjoyed Childhood Sweethearts and will definitely be checking out more by Wendy Clarke in the future.

Eleven Years. That is how long it has been since Alisa has seen Jonah after that fateful summer night. She thought they would always be in each other’s lives. She thought that they would remain close; that they would reminisce about old times in their old age. Then a tragedy occurred, and things would never be the same.

Alisa and her son, Kyle live on a vacation lodge on a Scottish Island. Alisa has been living and working there since that fateful summer. Moira, Jonah's mother, has provided her with a place to stay and helps with Kyle. Their lives are happy and calm, but one day, Moira announces that she has invited Jonah back to celebrate her birthday and Alisa can't shake the feeling that things are about to change.

When she was younger, Alisa hung out with Moira's son Jonah and his brother Callum. Then one horrible night, Callum died, and Jonah left town. But now he is back, and their childhood secrets weigh heavy on their minds.

Whew! Secrets are funny things. They can set you free and they can also trap you. In this book the characters have secrets that they have been hiding for a long time. What happens when they truth comes out of hibernation and secrets are revealed???

This book sucked me in, and I was fully invested in learning about what those secrets might be. I love tension in books, and I loved how the author incorporated it in this book. When Jonah comes back, the tension can be felt, and it flows throughout this book. I also liked the story was told in two storylines and as the plot unfolded, we learned more and more.

Then there is that TWIST at the end, it's a big one. There are other smaller twists along the way, but then the BIG one is revealed, and readers will be shocked! Nicely played, Clarke!

Fans of Clarke will not be disappointed. This was my first book by the author, and I look forward to reading more of her books in the future.

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

Childhood Sweetheart is a slow burner of a read which builds the tension leading to a shocker of an ending.

From the stunning scenery of Scotland to the isolation of Bray Island, the settings were perfect adding an atmospheric feel; chilling and a sense of foreboding.

All of the characters were well sketched and credible, some likeable, some not.

Along with many twists and turns we were treated to not one, but three fantastic plot twists!

I found Childhood Sweetheart to be a highly enjoyable and engaging read which I would highly recommend.

Many thanks to Bookouture for my tour spot.

Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫

I was first drawn in by the setting of this book, a remote Scottish Island. I found it to be a slow burner to begin with but once it gets going there are plenty of twists and turns which kept me on the edge of my seat and meant I could not put it down.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for my ARC.

My Review:
Enjoyed!!!! This one was definitely a slow starter but once it got going I couldn’t put it down. It had one heck of an ending that I never saw coming, not in a million years. I just couldn’t believe it and was in total shock. I had to read it twice. If you read my blog then you know I’m a sucker for any book with a twisted ending and this one definitely had that. This author is no stranger to me and I have liked everything I’ve read by her so far. I can’t wait for her next book to come out and totally recommend this author to anyone that enjoys a good mystery.

In conclusion, the plot, the characters and all the twists in this book made this book an enjoyable read. I would definitely recommend it and happily give it 4 Hearts❤️❤️❤️❤️

Ooooh what a thriller!

In this story the surviving twin returns home to be with his mother before her death. A childhood friend and once love still lives in the resort her mother runs…and so does this woman’s son.

After the death of his mother, will they see eye to eye about the future of the resort? Or will their past and secrets make this impossible?

When a big reveal hit mid-book I was worried that would be all there was to it. But nope! The twists and turns kept coming. Well done!