Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy of this book.

Ailsa and Jonah are inseparable growing up in an isolated part of northern Scotland. Jonah’s parents own the lodges and Ailsa’s mum works for them. Jonah has a twin brother Callum, who is a nasty piece of work. Their dad Hugh is a tyrant and a bully. The. Hugh disappears to the mainland with his mistress and then tragedy strikes and Callum dies, resulting in Jonah leaving for 10 years.

Fast forward and Ailsa now works for Moira the twins mum, doing the same job her mum did. She has a son Kyle, who’s dad is unidentified. Moira is about to celebrate her 60th birthday and reveals she has asked Jonah to come back for the celebration. During this Moira reveals some shocking news. But why is Jonah acting so different. He’s not the boy Ailsa once knew.

This book starts slowly. For me it mimicked the slow and steady loch that features heavily. Despite it being a slow burner it was quite obvious that something was going to happen and I kept reading anticipating a major spoiler.

I really enjoyed this. More than the initial chapters would have had me believe. A great story!

Jonah returns to the Isle of Bray at his Mother Moira's request. Its her 60th birthday and she wants him there. Reluctantly he returns to the Island he hasn't seen in eleven years following the death of his Brother Callum, for which he's never forgiven himself. Meeting up again with Aisla ( his childhood sweetheart)and her son wasn't on the cards.
But his suffering continues when faced with the old surroundings, will the trauma of the past affect his future.
This story took me back to holidays in Bonnie Scotland, around the Lochs and staying in lodges, the smell of the heather and the differing weather conditions all in one day. Wendy has written about relatable characters that you find yourself rooting for, as well as a couple of baddies
Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read this advanced copy, I'm under no obligation to leave my review

The location at atmosphere for this book is written perfectly and is immersive, the story however is quite disappointing.

I found the ending far to quick and it jumping from a life changing letter to an epilogue was really unsatisfactory.

A real shame.

I had an UNCORRECTED Advanced copy, thanks to Netgalley and the publishers.

The book itself is really intriguing, and the mystery kept me HOOKED.
I couldn't put it down once I got into it (a few pages in).

The only thing that let me down a little was that there were some typos and some grammatical errors. But it didnt stop me from reading, as I was given an uncorrected copy, so it didnt put me off!

Claustrophobic Setting..
Slow burn domestic noir which benefits from a claustrophobic setting and a relatively potted and well crafted cast of characters. The island setting is well done, relationships well described and the tension mounts in an effective manner. The undercurrent of underlying menace works in a creeping sense of dread to the tale where secrets may eventually out and indeed soon come thick and fast with a neatly presented resolution.

This was a slow start for me. Once I got further into it I was hooked. I loved the secrets and the twists and turns of this book.

Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC.

Couldn’t hardly put this down. Stayed up long into the night reading. Lots of twists. Can’t wait to read more by this author!

This book starts as a slow burner and incresases the pacing as the plot tension increases. As the book goes on this becaomes an absolutely gripping read that I couldn't put down. Twisty and unpredictable and left me on the edge of my seat.

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Childhood Sweetheart by Wendy Clarke is a gripping thriller with three major twists! The story revolves around Ailsa, a single mother taking care of her special needs son on a remote Scottish island. One day, her childhood friend Jonah returns to the island. But is it a happy reunion? Soon, her son is saying that there's a man knocking on his window at night, asking to be let in. Could it be Jonah? What does he want? Is Ailsa safe with him back around?

Here is a chilling excerpt from Chapter 1:

"Ailsa says nothing. Without realising it, her hands are clasped in front of her so tightly that the points of her knuckles have whitened. She knows she should breathe, but it’s like she’s forgotten how.
Moira’s arm is around her shoulder. ‘It will be fine, hen.’
But it won’t be fine. Her whole life is about to be tipped upside down.
Jonah is coming.
She feels the gentle pressure of Moira’s hand on her shoulder as she draws her closer. She’s worried. Needs to know Ailsa’s okay. She tries to muster up a smile, but it’s more than she can manage.
For with Jonah’s return, the memories will surface again."

Overall, Childhood Sweetheart is a twist-filled domestic thriller that hits you with nonstop twists! One highlight of this book are the three major twists that I wasn't expecting at all. Even if I could have predicted one of the twists, I absolutely could not have expected the next two. I am a huge fan of the author's previous books, so I knew that I was in for a treat when I started. I did take off 1 star, because I felt that there was a lot of padding in the beginning. It was pretty slow-moving until midway through, but then the reveals picked up, and the rest of the book makes it definitely worth it. If you're intrigued by the excerpt above, or if you're a fan of domestic thrillers in general, I highly recommend that you check out this book when it comes out in August!

really struggled to read this book. The MC kept mentioning a secret and I really wanted to know what it was , or really, to confirm my suspicions because I had a good idea. Turns out I was right lol. It took until about 60 or so percent into the book (based on my settings for font size and what not ) for it to get intense . And it got really intense . I don’t particularly care for the way it was ended. I feel like it was wrapped up cleanly and I do like that , but it went from a chapter of not knowing what would happen to an epilogue . I feel like there was room for more details but again it was wrapped up very cleanly and I liked that. It was very clean cut and easy to understand when a different time (past vs present) or someone other than MC was giving perspective and it made the story very easy to follow. Overall it was good but I was a bit bored for the majority of the book .

Make sure that you stick with this book. It is a really slow burner in the first half. But the second half makes up for it. As that is where the action all enfolds.

I enjoyed this book, although I found it to be a slow burner until half way through. I persevered and glad I did as the story was brilliant. I couldn’t put it down then and loved the twists and turns! A fantastic storyline with some good strong characters. Set in Scotland with some references to Scottish accent.

This is such a good read, I was gripped from the first page! Loved the scenery and imagery, great characters and a plot line that makes you think constantly!

I've never found a book from Wendy Clarke I didn't like, and Childhood Sweetheart is no different. Such a small setting (a remote Scottish island) but a wide plot arc and a heck of a narrative thread that will keep you guessing every step of the way.

I think it really benefits from keeping a small cast of characters, everyone you're introduced to plays a good and important part in moving the story along, plus you get the same event told from a couple of perspectives, gradually filling in the detail across multiple chapters.

It's a slow burn, but I say this in a positive way. It's almost like a growing doubt in your mind about what the real story is and it's an agonisingly slow reveal which I really appriciate.

My only grumble is that I think the ending was a little too neatly wrapped up for my liking. There's such intense tension built so well, and it was a little bit of a let down not to have it peak in a satisfactory way. Saying this, I do like what eventually happens to Ailsa and Kyle.

Moira owns some holiday lodges on the island of Bray (off Scotland) and Ailsa looks after them, who lives with her young son Kyle. Eleven years ago one of Moira’s sons was killed in an accident when he was in a boat on the loch with his brother. When Jonah returns after many years it is a surprise for both of the women. There are secrets and lies on all sides which in turn affect the others. Why is Jonah back and why now?
This is a beautifully described book of a Scottish island, the wildness and the beauty therein. I found this rather slow to get going but once it did I was intrigued but did guess some of the premise. It's written in two timelines- present day and back when Ailsa, Jonah and Callum were young. I liked Ailsa and Moira and their determination in life whilst thinking of others. An interesting read with stunning “ scenery”.

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I really enjoyed reading this book! It started off a bit slow but once it picked up I couldn’t put it down!

Thanks to Netgalley, Wendy Clarke and her publisher I was lucky enough to be sent a copy of Childhood Sweetheart to read in return of my honest review.

Wow, wow, wow! I honestly have to say this is my favourite book I've read this year! I was very intrigued by the title and blurb, it sparked a sense of excited anxiety of utter escapism and I couldn't wait to get stuck in.

From the beginning to the very end I was hooked! So devoted to this story and the characters. There is so much undealt with trauma for the main characters in this book. And the way in which all their pain and own side of events have been weaved together. It's brilliant. So many twists!

Childhood Sweetheart is intensely atmospheric and Wendy Clarke has done an utterly incredible job at painting vivid pictures in the readers mind, I honestly felt like I was there, a fly on the wall in the epic tale of first love lost, emotional and physical abuse, suspenseful mystery, greed and jealousy. Broken people and in a broken world.

10/10 - I couldn't put this book down!

Really enjoyed this new thriller by Wendy Clarke. Lots of crazy great characters that kept the story moving at a hopping pace. And oh the secrets! So many good twists and turns. And such great reveals! Dark and twisty
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book

First things first...the book is a cracker in terms of atmospheric settings and vivid visual descriptions of a moody island on Scotland which I absolutely loved being transported to, and that is one of the reasons I got into the thick of it right from go!
Set in a remote Scottish isle, the tale has as many shades as the Loch Briona where the narrative takes place. It's an intense, high voltage thriller with dramatic twists and turns that keep you glued till the end. The plot is filled with secrets, lies, drama and deception and some well etched characters. Dual timeline is a feature I love and Clarke has made its use well here. This was my first book by the author but I've enjoyed it so much that I'm definitely going to be checking out her other books too.
Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Secrets don’t make friends.

Ailsa is living her life for herself and her son. They have a very comfortable routine, down to the same breakfast and lunch every day. When a childhood friend comes to town, everything starts to unravel. The life she’s created is threatened by the past. Can what’s buried really stay hidden?

This novel is absolutely captivating. From the prologue I was sucked in to a world I couldn’t find my way out of. The medium pace kept me begging for more, and the even tone was easy to follow. The transitions between point of view changes were good, and I enjoyed reading from both the mind of a man and a woman. The timeline transitions were also pulled off effortlessly. I thought the suspense was well done and kept the story going smoothly.

I did guess one of the big secrets, but the reveal was done in such a way that I wasn’t disappointed.

If you love a good thriller that keeps you guessing until the very end, you’ve GOT to check this one out.