The House on Rockaway Beach

This author is gifted at writing a cozy story that is difficult to put down. Likable characters...some not so much...an old house...secrets...family and friends...love and romance...children...This book was sent to me by Netgalley for review. Thanks to the publisher for the electronic copy. I enjoyed this book. I did not want to stop reading. The setting...the images...the writing is fantastic...I could picture the house and the items inside...the beach...the surrounding areas...the sunsets...This author is talented...cozy up with this book...grab a warm, fuzzy blanket...get settled in a comfy chair, enjoy a cup of steaming herbal tea...be transported...

Thank you very much for the privilege and opportunity to review this book. Full review to follow both here and on the blog. I love sister themed novels and I am so excited to see how Sophie & Celia deal with a house inheritance from their grandmothers this novel seems to have lots of interesting plot lines besides the main storyline with romance and mystery thrown in and I’m so excited to dive in,

A gripping tale of family secrets, sibling rivalry and summer romance, set against the backdrop of New York's sizzling urban beach.

Sisters Sophie and Celia haven't been on speaking terms for years. So it's a huge shock when they discover their grandmother has left them her quirky old house on Rockaway Beach, New York.

Just a stone's throw from the bright lights of Manhattan, they spent many idyllic summers there as children, swimming in the Atlantic ocean, playing in the sand and watching day trippers come and go. Then suddenly, the visits stopped. Sophie knows her mother and grandmother fell out, but has never found out why.

Together, the sisters return to Rockaway, and can't agree on anything. Sophie wants to keep the house, Celia's determined to sell. It seems they'll never see eye to eye, until Sophie makes a shattering discovery that forces her to question everything...

Why do she and Celia have such different memories of their grandmother? What caused the rift with their mother? Can Sophie trust the handsome stranger who seems to take such an interest in her? And who is the mysterious old woman watching them from afar?

As soon as I started reading this book I just knew I was going to love it. When a book hits you with that feeling after just the first few pages it’s a wonderful feeling. Everything about this book was excellent.

Sisters Sophie and Celia have been estranged for years. Celia’s life is strictly regimented whereas Sophie has a more carefree attitude to life. So when their grandmother dies and leaves them her old house on Rockaway Beach, New York, they both have different opinions on what they should do with it. As they fight and disagree about what should happen to the house, one of them will reveal an age-old secret which will have a devastating effect on the other.

A great tale of family secrets and sibling rivalry which was easy and entertaining to read.

This book was nothing short of awesome. It was witty, fun, and romantic and it kept me hooked from the very beginning.

Sisters Celia and Sophie couldn't be more different. Celia is disciplined, regimented, and scheduled. Sophie is a free spirit. The two sisters have been estranged, and must come together after their grandmother dies, and leaves her house to them.

They hadn't seen their grandmother for years, since they were children, and their mother had a falling out with her parents.

Celia wants to sell, Sophie wants to keep the house. While they are cleaning out the house, a shocking family secret come to light. Can the two sisters find their way back to each other, and possibly overcome years of bad feelings and resentments?

Following their grandmother’s death, Celia and Sophie discover that they have inherited her beloved home, ‘Piping Plover House’. Though they are sisters they have nothing in common. Celia is a doctor, with a husband and two grown sons living in a beautiful house. Her feet are firmly on the ground, and she likes to give the impression that everything in her world is wonderful. Whilst Sophie is a single parent of one grown daughter, both of whom have very little money and seem to be a little flighty.

Piping Plover House is on Rockaway Beach, New York and has seen better days. The sisters travel there with the intention of clearing the house and putting it up for sale. On arriving, the house brings back lots of memories of spending many fun-filled childhood summers there, on the beach and playing with the local children, but the visits suddenly stopped. Sophie’s memories are much fonder than Celia’s and she decides she would love to keep the house, whilst Celia just wants to rid her hands of it.
A poorly disclosed family secret leads to the gap widening between the sisters, leaving Sophie’s world upturned and requiring her to revaluate her life.

Emma’s books drag you so far into the story that you can picture everything in your mind’s eye. I loved reading this book and thoroughly enjoyed the plot. It’s a warm and cosy read whether you are snuggled in the armchair or lazing on the garden. Yet another enjoyable book to add to Emma’s already amazing catalogue!

This is the perfect summer read. A coastal setting, a old beach house and two sisters at odds. I loved the picturesque setting , the two sisters who are opposites and the theme of family bonds. A very enjoyable read I highly recommend.

Thank you to the publicher and to Net Galley for the opportunity. My review opinion is my own.

A good read. This book looks at family issues and a secret which has been kept for generations. The characters are human with good and bad points and the story evolves gently towards a romance, resolutions and a happy ending.

Estranged sisters, family secrets and unexpected inheritances ~ perfect ingredients for a great story.

For those of us who have a less than stellar relationship with a sibling, this story will resonate to the point where we’ll be thinking of similar familial situations and nodding our heads. The author has captured the essence of the awkwardness between two very different siblings. It isn’t until readers get well into the book that they see the big picture. It was good for me to step back, have a coffee and think about the big picture in my own relationship with my sister. I’d like to think it gave me a little more understanding. There’s always a reason for a behaviour!

The past refuses to be buried and Piping Plover House is holding some secrets. Author Emma Burstall explores family relationships, the faces we front to protect us from hurt, and the secrets we keep. She reminds us that appearances can be deceiving.

One only has to Google ‘Piping Plover’ to see why the author chose this name for the house!

I was gifted this advance copy by Aria & Aries and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

A very, very lovely novel exploring the relationship of two very different sisters and of their difficulties in getting along. The effects their father had on each of them bore out in their lifestyles and traits. Celia is the by the arrow one living up to exaggerated expectations. Sophie is a free spirit living her own life. They come together at their grandmother’s house to dispose of it and find their mutual dislike still flourishes. The undercurrents of their aggravations bubble to the surface and change the course of everything.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Family secrets, lies and estrangement loom large in this novel told by sisters Celia and Sophie. Their mother and grandmother had issues and the two of them do as well. In fact they've hardly spoken in recent years but now they've inherited their grandmother's beach house and have to sort it out. It's easy to tell that these two really do love on another despite their obvious differences. Celia, a physician, has lived a conventional life in many ways and she wants to sell Sophie has lived larger and would like to keep the house. But, as always, things aren't that simple. Yes it's a bit trope-y and yes these two argue a lot but it's a well told story that will resonate. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

Sisters Celia and Sophie have hardly spoken to each other in years. Following the death of their grandmother, they inherit her beach house. They hadn't seen their grandmother since they were children and now they have to decide what to do with it.

Even now, they can’t get along - Celia wants to sell the property whereas, Sophie would like to keep it. Whilst they are cleaning out the house, a shocking family secret comes to light turning Sophie’s world up side down, forcing her to question everything.

I love a good family saga. It’s even better when you have estranged relatives, secrets and lies. As such, this was the book for me!

Thank you to NetGalley, Aria & Aries for the opportunity to read and review this gripping book

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

The house on rockaway beach

This is a lovely story, which looks into the relationship of two sisters, both different from each other, as well as the problems they have in getting along.

Their fathers influence on them impacted in their own lives. Celia lives up to overstated expectations, whereas Sophie is a free thinker and living her own life. They unite at their grandmothers house, and realise that they still don’t like each other, the issues they have come out in the open and everything changes.

I recommend this book.

Lovely storylind and well written,could not put the book down.A heart warming story of family and friends good description,loved all the characters in the book.
A real feel good book.

Really enjoyed this feel good story of two sisters and their relationship developing when they deal with an inheritance. Easy to read and warm - most enjoyable - thank you.

Family issues and sibling rivalry are the main themes running through this story, great characters and storyline.

This is one of those book you read when you want family secrets, rivalries, romance, mysteries. It's perfect of Rosamund Pilcher's fan and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Well plotted and compelling.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

The instant I finished The House on Rockaway Beach I was sad that the story was over. I wanted more of these characters and the special setting of Rockaway Beach! The book revolves around 2 estranged sisters, Sophie and Celia. Sophie and Celia are adults with very different lives. Sophie lives in London with her adult daughter who can't find a job she likes and seems to always be unhappy. Celia is a doctor as is her husband and they have 2 college aged boys. They live in a big home and never have to worry about money. Sophie and her daughter are always worried about money.

When Sophie and Celia's grandmother dies, they find out that she has left her house to them both. The house in at Rockaway Beach, a quaint beach town that Sophie has very fond memories of. Sophie fell in love with the town and her grandmother's house as a child when she would spend summer there. Celia doesn't have fond memories of those summers and wants to sell her half of the house. Sophie can't afford to buy her out, so even though she's extremely sad, she doesn't see any other way. The sisters both travel to Rockaway Beach and begin to clean out the house. Sophie is thrilled to be back and swims in the ocean most days, while Celia doesn't enjoy the experience at all.

As Sophie finds a letter in her grandmother's sewing kit, new discoveries about what she thought she knew come to light. Sophie and Celia's mother died recently and they find out new things about her while cleaning out the house. Celia has been keeping a big secret from Sophie about the family she thinks she knows. What is the secret? Will it change things between them? Will it change Sophie for the better or worse? Why did Celia keep such a huge secret all of these years? Will they really sell the house? Will they find away back to being real sisters who share things? This book had me laughing out loud at times and crying at other times. Sophie meets someone while at Rockaway Beach. Will she find a way to open her heart to love again?

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would love to see a follow up book with the same characters. There's so much more to their stories. I've never read a book by Emma Burstall but I will be adding her to my list of must read authors. The House on Rockaway Beach comes out on September 1, 2022 so be sure to pick it up. I'd like to thank NetGalley and Aria & Aries for an advanced copy of The House on Rockaway Beach in exchange for a fair review. #NetGalley #TheHouseonRockawayBeach