This was an engrossing and thought provoking book that was a wonderfully rich and vivid work of women's fiction. It was intriguing to follow the life of a single home through the lives of the generations of women who lived there. I will admit that this is a slow burn book for me and I found I needed that time to truly fall I to the story, but once I did I found the authors style of writing to draw me deeper into the story. I think it is important to noted that this story covers many heavy topics that may disturb a reader if they are looking at this as a light beach read. I will be looking for more works by Sullivan because I still am thinking about this book.

This is a good one! Combines a ghost story with a mystery with a bit of history and women’s literature. I really found myself rooting for all these women.

*The Cliffs* by J. Courtney Sullivan, chosen for Reese’s Book Club, is a powerful exploration of relationships, personal growth, and how the places we inhabit shape our lives. Set in a coastal town, the story follows the intertwining journeys of its characters, revealing how their pasts influence their present. Sullivan’s writing is engaging and heartfelt, blending the serene beauty of the setting with the emotional complexity of the characters. The novel touches on the idea that to truly understand yourself, you often have to confront your past. It’s a great choice for readers who enjoy rich, character-focused stories with a lot of depth.

I started this one with high hopes, but was unfortunately let down. It started out great, but went all over the place and it became hard to follow or know where it was going. I found it very hard to pick back up but powered through. 2 stars.

I had read differing reviews about this book, but I loved it. There is heartbreak and loss for the main character, Jane, but there is also redemption and she finds her way. A beautiful, coastal town in Maine is the setting for this multiple timeline story. As a teenager, Jane found an abandoned house and felt drawn to it. The house and the land it is on is the touchstone for multiple women through time and their stories are all woven together in a wonderful way. I am so glad to have read this book and I am adding this region of Maine to my want to visit list.

Thank you to Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own.

I'm a J Courtney Sullivan fan for awhile now. I absolutely love her romance/women's fiction. Maybe because this one is a different genre. I'm not sure. But I absolutely could not get into it and it didn't even feel like her "voice" to me. I'll absolutely pick up her next one, and always remain a fan. This foray into a new genre though just didn't work for me.

🌟🌟🌟/5

Thank you to #NetGalley for this book.

One of the tags on this book on Goodreads was Gothic and I'm thinking uh oh since I don't read gothic but being a favorite author, I knew I had to try to read it. People like reading their favorite authors for the similarity in books but I like authors with diversity in their writing and this is her first in this genre.

Take an old Victorian home, renovate it, and of course there are ghosts. It starts off in 1995 with Jane who lives in Maine and visits this dilapidated, crumbling house when she's in her teens and then it segues into the present which was 2015 where Paul and Genevieve are using it as their Summer home.

I hate giving negative reviews especially for a favorite author but when an author switches genres sometimes it just doesn't work. I even saw a 1 star review and other not so good reviews so I'm not in the minority this time.

I couldn't get to page 100 even. It was too slow for me.

Enjoyed this multi layered and atmospheric novel. A bit of a mystery mixed with an historical element.

A bit choppy, this book was hard to get into and soon lost my interest. Some suspense and twists and turns but I felt it was just okay. It seems like this storyline has been saturated lately in the thriller genre so nothing new. Not sure why it was chosen for Reese's Book Club. Again, it was okay, but I DNF after 2/3 in. Thanks to #netgalley #thecliffs for the chance to read and review this book.

This book was a pleasant surprise.
I thoroughly enjoyed it, as it was a quick read and a good time.

J. Courtney Sullivan is an auto-read author for me, and this is no exception! I was waiting eagerly since her last book, "Friends and Strangers" (which I LOVED) and "The Cliffs" delivered. Beyond the amazing wring about the coastal setting, Sullivan's excellent character work is on display again here, as she weaves together the past and present storylines. The plot is a bit slow to get going, but since I've read everything else the author has written I knew to settle in and trust her, and I'm so glad I did.

This book was not my speed, it has numerous conflicting story lines that seemed like tangents and took me out of the true purpose of the book. Love the author but this one was not for me.

This is a deeply character-driven story that follows Jane as her life unravels. Recently placed on leave from her job and separated from her husband, Jane is also grieving the recent death of her mother. She temporarily moves back to her childhood town to clear out her family home, which brings her face-to-face with a Victorian house she was once obsessed with as a teenager. Perched on cliffs overlooking the ocean and abandoned for years, the house plays a key role in the story. As the narrative unfolds, we gradually learn what has led Jane to this pivotal point in her life, with insights from her past and different perspectives along the way. This rich, atmospheric novel explores the struggles of three generations of women, weaving together their complex stories with vivid, evocative descriptions.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book is an exploration of human relationships, set against the breathtaking backdrop of the rugged coastline. It is an interesting book and worth the read but not my favorite.

One of the standout aspects of "The Cliffs" is its setting. Sullivan's vivid descriptions of the coastal landscape are almost cinematic, immersing readers in the sights, sounds, and smells of the sea. The cliffs themselves become a metaphor for the emotional highs and lows experienced by the characters, adding a layer of depth to the narrative. Loved this part of the writing and this element in the book.

The themes such as love, loss, and redemption make "The Cliffs" a thought-provoking read.

I do think that the confusion in the novel is caused by too many POVs and the choppiness of the way the story is presented.

My thanks to J. Courtney Sullivan, Knopf, and NetGalley for the ARC.

some interesting ideas and strong characters, i liked emphasis on female protagonists. Overall, it felt like to many areas of focus, too disparate to link well or flow as a narrative. It felt like the book doesn't know if it wants to be a ghost story?; a literary and poignant exploration of family trauma, alcoholism, forgiveness and love?; a exploration of the terrible mistreatment of the indigenous peoples? Unfortunately the author failed to draw me in with characterization enough to want to find out and I did not finish the book.

This book started out great with a mysterious house with a ghost, a woman who has to restart her life, and other charming characters. I DNF at 36% after I felt like I was reading a lecture. This was far too slow paced, and I did not enjoy this soliloquy in the middle of the story.

I loved the Maine setting, but the plot was just too slow for me + I had a hard time feeling invested in the ghost story-line.

As a teenager Jane discovers a Victorian house, painted lavender that sits abandoned on a cliff in Maine, overlooking the ocean. She begins to visit the house every day to escape her home life and pretend that she lives here.

Years later Jane is back in her home town after making a mistake that threatened her job and career; while also battling alcoholism. She is disappointed to learn the house’s new owner has remodeled; the house is now white, not lavender, and very little of its charm remains. The new owner insists that the house is haunted and hires Jane to dig into the history.

Thank you Netgalley, the author and publisher for the ARC!

Initially, I was not sure what to make of this book, because I was scared that it was too long. I told myself that if I did not like it, a quarter of the way through, I would not finish it. However, I was nicely, surprised, this seems like a genre of book. I would not usually read but I found it, engaging, cozy, and enjoyed it all the way through

Sullivan's "The Cliffs" masterfully weaves together past and present in a haunting tale set against Maine's rugged coastline. The story follows Jane Flanagan, whose teenage fascination with an abandoned Victorian house comes full circle when she returns home twenty years later as a Harvard archivist, grappling with personal and professional crises. When she discovers the house has been transformed by its new owner Genevieve, who believes it's haunted, Jane is drawn into researching its complex history.
The novel brilliantly explores themes of motherhood, marriage, and the weight of the past through multiple timelines. Sullivan's rich prose brings to life both the atmospheric Maine setting and the intricate web of stories spanning generations of women who lived in the house. While investigating tales of lost lovers, stolen artifacts, and family secrets, Jane must also confront her own demons.
What sets this book apart is Sullivan's deft handling of complex themes like colonialism, alcoholism, and generational trauma, all while maintaining a compelling narrative that blends elements of historical fiction with a ghost story. The result is an emotionally resonant novel that shows how places can hold onto memories long after their inhabitants are gone.