"That Night at the Beach" is an exceptional, emotional, gripping, page turning book about an impossible dilemma for any parent to face. Without giving too much away it's a case of "he said she said" and who to believe? 2 best friends who's kids are best friends and grew up together but something happens between the kids that changes everything...
The book is written with such fierce emotion and covers every aspect very well. The author, Kate Hewitt, is a favourite author of mine because in every one of her books she conveys a story perfectly with not just words but pure raw emotion, and the ending is always captivating and slightly unexpected!

I received this book from Netgalley. The first thing that attracted me to this book was the cover and the writing on it -

This book was really quick to read. The chapters were well written and flowed into each other well. At the beginning of the story I preferred Rose to Cara but then Rose exploded on Cara about Finn and the alleged incident. While I can understand where she was coming from, that's not the way you handle the situation. Especially not when this woman was your best friend. Albeit not anymore apparently.

Carla's almost reluctance to believe Finn is strange to me. When Finn says that he can't remember what happened, Cara seems to believe that he could be capable of what he has been accused of. Even saying he should give Bella an apology when he can't remember and it's her word against his. When there hasn't even been a discussion between the two of them.

When Cara finds out it was Henry she just cares about protecting him. Whereas when it was Finn it seemed she just wanted him to do the right thing.

I'm a bit unsure about the end of this book. When everyone thought it was Finn they wanted blood, particularly Rose. Then it turns out to be Henry and all of a sudden, due to his circumstance, everything is okay? It's all just forgiven? The family are friends again? Bella and Finn might be more than friends? If Henry had been perfectly fine would they still have been so understanding? Doesn't seem likely. To be honest this book was 4 starts for me until the end. Now, unfortunately it's about 3 and a half.

What a tangled web of lies! And when I say “tangled web” I truly mean it!
Two families that have been friends forever have their life’s torn apart in just one night. No one will ever be the same.
A truly heartbreaking and emotionally charged story. You will find yourself going through many emotions reading That Night at the Beach.
The only thing that I found frustrating was how long the author took in some parts of the story to get the point.
The ending was quite surprising though I did have just a tiny inkling of “who did it.”
Definitely recommended!
Many thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture and the author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

“ Perhaps it was everything, the perfect storm, or maybe it’s simply the way life is: continually messy, complicated, difficult, no matter how determined you are, how hard you try”

Reading this book, I had felt every emotion… I have felt what both mothers were going through, what Finn and Bella we’re going through and how these two families lives are changing because of these events.
Such an emotional, heartbreaking book , the type that makes you open your eyes a little wider, and become hopefully a little bit more attuned to the world around you

Some interesting themes around personal responsibility, friendship and the truth, but the end was abrupt and felt a little like the easy way out.

Labor Day weekend at the beach gets turned on its head. Friends and families are strained and tested as fingers point and secrets are revealed.

This was a dramatic domestic thriller. It had emotion and twists. You won't forget it.

The Night at the Beach by the brilliant Kate Hewitt is a domestic drama that will tug at your heartstrings and leave you with plenty of food for thought.

Two families head to a nearby beach to celebrate the Labour Day weekend. The women, Cara and Rose, have been friends for years, but lately the cracks have been starting to show, and the day out comes to a rather abrupt end. Leaving their teenaged children at the beach with the promise of soon returning to collect them, the adults depart. But when they are picked up not long after, it is clear that the teens have been drinking. What emerges the next morning, however, is much more than a hangover. Bella accuses Finn of assault, and families, friendships, and loyalties will be tested, pushing everyone to the brink.

This is a heartbreaking story of the ties that bind us in this life, and the relationships that are the very foundation of our day to day.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for an ARC.

If you are a fan of Jodi Picoult, then I strongly recommend this book.

The two families, Johnsons and Rosses were spending together at the beach for Labor Weekend. Due to a fight between the two husbands, the parents leave the beach, leaving their four children--Bella, Finn, Elspeth and Henry at the beach with Cara collecting them later. But as soon as Cara collects them, she realizes that something was wrong--Bella and Finn seemed to be drunk and Finn seemed to have brought some beers with fake ID. But soon, things started to get nasty when Rose's daughter Bella accuses Finn of sexually assaulting her.

The story is told from Cara's and Rose's POV. To me, this was very emotional, a little like "Me Too" movement. You can truly understand the wave of feelings and emotions that both these women as mothers going through--Cara believes her son is innocent although as a woman, she knows that Bella may not be lying. Rose is determined to protect her daughter by going to the police to report on the sexual assault. The drama between the two families, the wave of emotions that passed between the families, the social media attack, the attack on both Finn and Bella and how it affected Finn in school, they were all realisting to me and I really liked how the author has managed to capture the emotions and written well. The author brilliantly captured the feelings and emotions and put them to words to make the reader also feel they are also part of the story. Overall, it was a heartbreaking story though the ending was a happily-ever-after ending. Worth a complete five stars!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

Four young people are left at the beach to enjoy a night of fun, but none of them will be the same after that night. This is a book that tackles the very emotional and difficult topic of sexual assault. The author does a good job of describing the emotions of everyone involved. While I’ve loved all of the other books I’ve read by this author, this story did drag a bit until it got toward the end. Overall, however, a good story!

Rose and Cara have been friends for ages. Their friendship started when they both joined the same mother and baby group and helped each other through the rigours of babyhood. Rose had a daughter called Bella and Cara a son called Finn. As the children grew up the families became good friends with traditions and outings where their children played together and grew like a brother and sister. Soon there was a sister for Bella and a brother for Finn. Their families were complete and the old traditions stood, just maybe not quite so often.
But now both firstborns were near to spreading their wings at Uni. Each family knew nothing would ever be the same again. The annual Labour Day weekend was ahead and the party to celebrate American workers was as usual observed on the first Monday in September. The BBQ would be lit on the beach, the four parents would eat and drink together while the four almost grown up children would amuse themselves, chat, play games, listen to music, and maybe dip their feet into the sea. It was a lovely day and the BBQ was soon alight. The mothers had made a special effort, everyone was looking forward to their imminent day, but unfortunately there was an issue between the fathers which caused a ruckus, Cara’s husband left the party and rushed away. From that moment on it seemed as though nothing could stop an ugly trail of events from happening. Both sets of parents let the children stay on the beach because they didn’t want to totally spoil their fun, arranging to collect them a little later.
The first indication that something was wrong was on the pickup to drive back to their separate homes. The two seventeen-year-olds were as drunk as a skunk, but worse than that was the other two younger were almost out of sight. There would definitely be recriminations the next day. But before the misbehaviour was spoken about, Bella confessed to her mother that Finn had assaulted her. From then on things spiralled like a skyrocket. The two mothers were adamant that their child was telling the truth. They fought like cat and dog, both protecting their own child and insisting it was the truth. Finn was punished and sent home from school, as a police investigation tried to fathom out what had happened, who to believe and who to blame. This was every mother’s worst nightmare. So the story continues.
What a firecracker of a novel. I was absolutely unable to stop reading on. Each character gave the story gravitas, sharing their point of view and thereby enriching the story. The storyboard was crammed with issues; teenage drinking, misunderstandings, regret, sexual assault, fear, lies, secrets, friendship, fragility, social media misuse and a ton more. I drank it in and changed my mind about the outcome several times, but I was never right. This author is well known for her great storytelling and bringing tabooed issues under inspection. The poignancy of these outcomes was stunning and thought provoking causing destroyed relationships, heartbreak, disputes and finally justice at a great expense, though not monetarily. It was like a runaway train, dangerous, exposed and unstoppable, but I loved it and enjoyed it.
I received a complimentary copy of this novel from publisher Bookouture through my membership of NetGalley and I would like to thank the publisher for my copy, sent out to me in return for an honest review. I thought this novel was outstanding and I recommend it for you to read. I award it a well-deserved 5*

I’ve withheld this review for weeks. But I’ve finally decided: You need to go into this cold.

Don’t read reviews that spoil it. Don’t read the synopsis.

Do you have a teenager at home? A friend with a teenager? Then you need to read this.

All I’ll tell you is that one night at the beach changed everything for two families who did everything together for 15 years. Can they dig deep to uncover the facts? Can they sift through the accusations? Will it tear them apart? Bring them closer?

What really happened that night at the beach?

“We’ve lost so much, over the years, simply to time. Or was it more than that?”

It’s everything you’d expect from Kate Hewitt; extremely tastefully, compassionately and sensitively written and pulls on your heartstrings.

I’m glad I read it. It’s a five-star read.

Going forward, I’m going to make more of an effort to be responsive rather than reactive. I’d hate my actions to derail someone at their most vulnerable point.

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

This story is the journey of two families, who always got together on the beach the Friday before Labor Day. This year, there were some who didn't want to go, but they had to go. It was a tradition, and it might be the last one, with the two oldest ones from each family going off to college next year.
The parents have a disagreement, and they leave, leaving their kids at the beach and will pick them up later. When they go back to pick up the kids, they find them drunk, and the next morning, Bella accuses, Finn, of sexual assault. As I was reading, my instinct kept telling me there was more going on, and things weren't adding up, but I was accepting what I was being told.
Reading the book, it was a reminder of what is taking place, with underage drinking, not remembering what happened and trying to piece the pieces together, the part Social Media has, when living with guilt, takes its toll.
This was a difficult time for the two families, but it was also a wake-up call to see what was really going on in their own life, the things they had just accepted, and finding the courage to, face the things, that had been wrong for so long. It was a time to ask themselves the difficult questions, of what they thought they knew what they didn't know, and to find out who they really are. How do they move on from all that has happened?
I received an ARC from Bookouture through NetGalley, and a book from Bookouture is intense, makes you think, and will take you through a journey and brings you through to see where they are now.

A topical novel about two families, a night at the beach, and the terrible things that followed. Cara and Rose have been pals for years but they don't really know each other. And now they're learning things they don't want to know. They left their kids alone at the beach party and came back to find...Bella claims she was assaulted by Finn who denies it. But of course there's more to the story. Hewitt has a good storytelling style that will carry you through the rough patches. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC.

I need to start off by saying this is not my usual style of book. I don't normally do the dramatic, emotional reads. This however was one of my favorite books I read in 2022. The feelings of the characters are so real and the cracks this one incident creates in these already fragile relationships make you want to keep reading to see what happens.

Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for the arc in exchange for my honest reviews.

Publication: January 19, 2023

I really struggled to get into this book. I found that it was overly descriptive in parts and you could skip pieces but still follow the story. I think it was a great plot concept but I found that it didn't hold my attention as a reader. I could see why fans of Jodi Picoult will enjoy this book because it does try to tackle big topics.

Overall, I personally had a hard time as a reader to get into this story and sometimes this story moved very slowly.

Wow. Just wow. What an emotional roller coaster of emotions, regrets and fears. The topics of teen drinking, sexual assault, social media, and high school milieu are covered in a tense story. Two mothers, friends for a long time, are dealing with an incident that could destroy each of their children. They battle each other, destroying everything in their wake. A thoroughly excellent novel.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you Bookouture and NetGalley for an early copy of That Night at the Beach. It evoked a lot of different emotions but there were many loooooooooong parts to this too. It took toooo long to get to the point. I felt for all the kids and the ending was good but it didn’t grip me.

There are different ways and reasons for becoming good friends or even best friends with someone. It can be trough your job, a mutual friend, a hobby or your child. It a wonderful thing to have that one person to share everything with and it is even greater when your husbands like each other too. Isn't is wonderful to see how the babies that brought you together are becoming firm friends as well. Live is wonderful. You don't need to see each other every day, but knowing there is someone to have your back, is more than enough.

Years go by and you keep certain traditions alive. Are there cracks showing though? You behave as if they are not there, but when you are honest with yourself, you know the end of an era is near.

You are determined to make this one a memorable and a memorable one it was to say the least...

I seem to be on a roll at the moment because once more I had figured one of the main things out. I still had doubts somewhere, but I was very pleased to see I was right. :)

It was a  story filled with emotions/ A story about you wanting people to believe you, about doing the right thing even though you do not really know what that is. It is about admitting you were wrong, but were you?

|Who is telling the truth? Who is to blame? What will happen to that once solid friendship?

I loved this book.  5 stars

Thank you

3.5 stars

Two families, eight people whose lives were completely changed by one night on the beach.

Cara and Rosé’s families have a tradition of spending one night at the beach on Labor Day weekend, they’ve been doing it since the kids were little. The families have been close, probably too close for their own good. While they live in the same area, they are distinctly different in many ways: socially, economically and their parenting styles.

My family was part of a similar dynamic when we were growing up, and eventually it imploded. I could easily have seen it take the same trajectory as the story took.

All the differences mentioned above led to a confusing, hurtful event that night. Everyone has told their version of the events and is dug in. Rose has reasons from her past that are encouraging Bella to go to the police and get justice, because Rose never got it herself. But she pushes, Bella relents and the situation takes on its own life, leaving lives forever changed.

This is a heavy book, relevant in today’s me too culture. Important lessons are contained for those open minded enough to see them.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book, but my opinions are my own.

Wow, this is not a light hearted read, but so important and well done.

The story follows two families, who have been friends throughout the children’s lives, but are growing apart. None of them are that keen to go to their annual BBQ and after the events that take place I think they all wish they had skipped it!

What follow so a heart wrenching, emotionally draining roller coaster of an experience. What would you do if your child was assaulted by a friend? What would you do if your son assaulted their friend? What steps would you take to get justice?

An issue that is straight forward in the hypothetical, is so much more complex and nuanced when it is your reality and the people on both sides are connected.

How do you get justice for one child without ruining the others life? How do you apportion blame when events leading up to the assault impact what happened?

And what do you do when what you thought was the truth turns out to be anything but?

A brilliantly told story it love, family, patriarchy, sexual assault and justice. This book will tie you in ethical knots.

Engrossing and important, a tale of two families and one tragedy.