A standalone psychological thriller by author Wendy Clarke. If I am honest it took me quite a while to start enjoying this one but in fairness to the author by the end I was fully absorbed.

Ailsa and her son Kyle live on a remote Scottish Island. When Alisa was younger she had a boyfriend named Jonah and now years later she is living in a lodge owned by his mother, Briona. It was during their high school days that there was an accident resulting in the death of Jonah’s brother Callum. Jonah was blamed for the accident and left the island in shame never to be seen again until now. Emotions and memories are rampant with Jonah’s return and dark secrets are likely to be revealed especially regarding the day of the accident.

The more I read the more I enjoyed it, good characters and a twisting storyline told over two timelines. I found this book very slow in the build up but once I got to grips with the characters I enjoyed it a lot more.

I would like to thank both Netgalley and Bookouture for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

#ChildhoodSweetheart #NetGalley
An enjoyable read. 4 🌟
Ailsa is a good mother living with her son named Kyle at Loch Briona, a lodge owned by Moira, the mother of her high school boyfriend, Jonah. Jonah never returned because of what happened on that dreadful day to his brother, Callum who died and he thinks it was his fault.
Jonah returns and past secrets and lies comes to the surface. Ailsa knows Jonah, doesn't she? Because Jonah is her childhood sweetheart.
But nothing is what it seems.
I loved Jonah throughout the whole story. LOVED the way hus character was written.
Overall it's a good read. Although it's slow until the middle point but it picks up later. If you tolerate first half then go for it.
Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for giving me an advance copy.

Sooo slow and sooo long I couldn't get into the story. It was bogged down by so much fluff and things that did not forward the plot. I skimmed a lot of it.

This book for me is a bit so/so. It’s longer than it really needs to be which makes it feel more of an effort to read than a pleasure.
The story itself wasn’t a hard one to follow, but because of the length of the book, and the lack of twists and pace, I struggled to hold my interest and finish it.
It’s because I’ve read & enjoyed this author’s work previously that I did finish it.
I’m not sure I’d recommend this particular one to people new to the author, but I would tell them to read her others.
Thank you to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for my arc.
2.5 stars rounded up to 3

Thank you NetGalley for this advanced copy. This book started out ok, then seemed to just drag and drag and was way too long. I skimmed around a lot, but still didn't find anything to catch my interest. Way too predictable as well. Not for me.

Thank you NetGalley for this advanced copy. I felt like this book was way too long and way too predictable. Just didn't have any suspense or grab my attention.

I've mixed feelings. It's quite a slow burn and feels like a drama for a large part of the story hut then all of a sudden it does become more of a domestic noie/ thriller and there are definitely twists and turns that will leave your jaw on the floor! It's well written and I liked the overall plot but to me, the twist was just so so unrealistic and is kind of just thrown out there like "actually, it's this. Just go with it" and because it's not explained until later chapters, it literally just makes no sense. Once it's explained a bit then...... OK..... very unlikely but whatever and if you overlook how impossible that would be then yeah, it is a good book. Ots creepy, the tension slowly builds and you do have to keep reading to find out how it all ends. Well.... and to understand what on earth just happened. It is an enjoyable read though

Imagine this. A beautiful lake. Trees. Birdsong. Your next door neighbour living a few miles away.  Sounds nice, right? Well, yes? Some people like to live in a secluded place. I admit it can be very peaceful and wonderful.

Not for me though. I don’t want to live in a busy city centre either. My preference goes to a mixture of both. A lovely little village where you can still hear the birds  and spot a rabbit, squirrel or hedgehog playing in your garden. Shops within walking distance and people to stop and have a chat with is more my kind of style.

Ailsa feels more at ease on a remote Scottish island. It’s where she is born and grew up. Her life is there. Her job is there. She would not have it any other way. She is happy, but maybe not one hundred percent though. Her mind often wanders back, thinking about her childhood sweetheart.

She would love to see him again. You know the saying  “be careful what you wish for?” You really should…

I like the way the author alternated between the past and the present thus revealing every little detail we need.

The story is slow paced in the beginning, giving me the feeling I was reading a drama rather than a psychological thriller. Fear not. The author uses this to prepare you for what is still to come. I promise you it’s as great as it is shocking.

I picked a few of the hints up, but boy oh boy, the author still hit me with surprises left, right and centre.

A great book. Once again I realise how well people can keep things hidden if they want to. 5 stars.

Thank you

It’s been eleven years since I last saw Jonah, after his brother died that stormy summer night. And now, without warning, he’s back, living in his old house next door just like old times, on the remote Scottish island that is home. Where I used to imagine we’d stay, together, forever, sharing our lives and our secrets as we always had. But that was before.

Jonah’s not the sweet boy I once knew. His mood is changeable, his behaviour unstable, our brief conversations are forced and awkward. And then the knocks on my window begin. It can only be him, but why, and what does he want? I used to love him. Now I don’t even want to invite him in.

Because after all these years, I see our childhood secrets, the ones we swore never to reveal, in a newly terrifying light. Was his brother’s death truly an accident? Could Jonah’s secrets have been worth killing for? And how safe am I now, on this isolated island, with the man I used to love…?
Really enjoyable read totally recommend
Thank You NetGalley and Bookouture
I just reviewed Childhood Sweatheart by Wendy Clarke. #ChildhoodSweatheart #NetGalley

The book had me on the edge of my seat. I had to know how it ended and couldn't stop turning the pages. The story follows the return of the prodigal son 11 years after the death of his brother and his reunion with his mother and childhood sweetheart. It follows multiple narrators as they relate the past and now. I loved how all the characters are well scripted, especially the supporting characters. The visualisation of the location is amazing. It has multiple twists that leave you guessing and some good red herrings. It took me a few chapters to settle in while the context was being set but the story pulled me right in.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. I will be posting the review on my Instagram handles in the future.

Childhood Sweetheart by Wendy Clarke is a bit slow right out of the gate but does pick up momentum and a mounting tension as the narrative progresses, and all gradually falls into place.

Ailsa is living with her son Kyle on the remote Scottish island that has always been her home. But a visit from her old neighbour after an eleven year absence from the island will stir up secrets from the past that were buried long ago. Ailsa finds her quiet existence thrown into turmoil, and may even find herself and her son in tremendous danger if she cannot unravel and reconcile the events of over a decade ago.

This is a solid and suspenseful read that did, ultimately, pull me in. I highly recommend Ms Clarke's novels, but I must admit that this latest didn't pack quite the same punch for me as those that I have read previously.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for an ARC.

Thank you for this advanced copy which was a great read, I had trouble putting this down! I liked the way it was written and it made for an easy read. I would definitely recommend and look forward to reading another book by this author! A stunner! I guarantee you’ll put everything on hold until you arrive at the conclusion.

A slow start but it soon warms up to a tense and dark storyline with lots of secrets that somehow only appear in small villages and places. It’s slightly different from her other books being more of a family drama then a thriller but still a great read.

Drama mixed with suspense that will that have you setting on the edge of your set . Will the pacing is slow ,somehow it works for this story line ,becouse it helps set up what is going to happen next . As for the descriptions that the author writes about is vivid , so much so that yiu can almost reach out and touch them .

A well written story full of drama and suspense.
Although slow to get going once it did, wow!
Another good solid read from Wendy Clarke.
Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for an advanced copy.

Could not put this book down it kept me on the edge of my seat.Wel written full of characters that come alive twists and turns had me guessing till the last pages.#netgalley #bookouture

A spectacular setting and an unpredictable plot make this a stellar read.

The vivid descriptions of this wild and beautiful landscape with its moorland and peat bogs had me longing for a trip back to Scotland. I could almost feel and hear the wind whipping along the coast of this isolated island. What a great setting for a psychological suspense! One doesn’t have to read too far into the book to get the sense of isolation and claustrophobia that the Bray Island inhabitants would feel being cut off from the mainland.

I loved the characters in this book - all of them, from Seth to Moira! Clarke absolutely captures the neurodiverse character’s essence. He’s the voice the Bray Islanders need to pay more attention to as he sees more than he’s capable of sharing.

I’ve yet to see the twist coming in one of Wendy Clarke’s books and this one was no different. The tension was high, the atmosphere was dark and foreboding and the ‘bread crumbs’ were spread far enough apart that it was a compelling read. At times, I couldn’t wait to get off the island.

Let’s talk about that gorgeous cover! The broken stems with the battered petals give an uneasy feeling and the tagline hooks readers. I love the design similarity in each of the six Clarke thrillers I’ve read - same font, dual colour, bright and bold. Fantastic!

I envy you readers who choose to read this fantastic psychological thriller - I’d almost give anything to have a chance to read it again for the first time!

I was gifted this advance copy by Wendy Clarke, Bookouture and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

Choldhood Sweetheart was a fantastic read that kept me on the edge of my seat.

I really recommend this book to anyone looking for a solid read full of drama, suspense, mystery and fantastically written characters!

This book was sent to me by Netgalley for review…family dynamics…love and romance…children…friendship…this story is written by a talented author…although the story moves slowly at times, it comes to a satisfying end…some surprises…some red herrings…

Ailsa is living her life with her son Kyle at Loch Briona. It's a lodge owned by Moira, the mother of her old boyfriend Jonah. When they were in high school, Jonah's brother Callum dies in an accident and since then Jonah felt guilty it was his fault and has never returned to Loch Briona until now. When Jonah returns, old memories come back for Alisa, secrets are revealed, and truths about what really happened that dreadful day to Callum.

This was an interesting story filled with secrets, lies, and some surprises. I want to say it is more of a drama than a thriller. I enjoyed the past and present timelines and the story overall. It is a little slow to start, but picks up about halfway in. If you have enjoyed Wendy Clarke's past novels, you are sure to enjoy this one!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This review will be posted to my Instagram Blog (@coffee.break.book.reviews) in the near future.