Mixed feelings on this book - dual timeline was good, characters felt authentic, but pacing was slow. Second half was gripping and Rebecca's character development was impressive.

This story started out very promising. Becky is mourning the loss of her mother and when going though her belongings, she discovers a letter from her elderly cousin asking for help. Not knowing how long ago the request was sent, and needing a distraction from her sorrow, she heads off to assist the now-hospitalized, elderly Olivia.

There are dual timelines: Becky uncovering Olivia’s secrets in the present and Olivia as a teenager in the past. While I enjoy this method of storytelling, I never really connected with any of the characters. The secondary characters were rather two-dimensional, and both the romances and serious betrayals seemed to come out of nowhere. The characters in this book never felt very fleshed out, and Becky doesn’t seem to have anyone in her life who is a real support system. No close friends, and she doesn’t have a good relationship with her twin brother, his wife, or her own fiancé. For a person who has been through a very serious health crisis of her own, it seems like she would have had people she was close to, to get her through it.

I enjoyed the setting of her cousin’s home by the sea. It felt rather gothic, with secret passageways and shocking discoveries. What this story does have going for it is the beautifully descriptive writing and enough twists to keep it interesting.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada and Netgalley for an egalley of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Jane Johnson is a magician in story telling. For fans of Kate Morton, Krisitn Hannah and Diane Setterfield you would do yourself a favour by picking up one of Jane's books. Having first read The Tenth Gift many years ago, Jane has solidified herself as one of my all time favourite authors. And The Sea Gate does not disappoint. Her vivid imagery makes you feel as those you are a part of the story, almost as though a memory is being awakened. The subtle way she weaves an element of mystery into her stories keeps you intrigued all the way through...I never want her books to end.

I adored this brilliantly crafted tale! The storylines were highly engaging, emotively written, colorfully and effusively detailed, insightfully observant, staggeringly eventful, and cleverly paced while hitting all the feels with a powerful punch and taunting my curiosity with a constant itch. The cast of characters was vastly diverse and well-drawn with despicable villains and endearingly flawed protagonists, but my favorite was the highly astute and humorously profane parrot. This was an epic tale that intrigued, squeezed my heart, amused me, and kept me well entertained and actively engaged while reading. This sly missive was my introduction to the wily Jane Johnson and has me greedy for more.

I LOVED this novel. This was my first Jane Johnson book, and I am prepared to deep-dive into her backlist. This was an absolutely enchanting novel with poignant and lovely passages, a strong sense of place and atmosphere, and complex characters, told over a dual storyline (present day and WW2). THE SEA GATE is an enthralling historical read perfect for anyone looking for complicated and courageous female characters and spellbinding writing.

While cleaning out her mother's apartment after her death, Rebecca comes across letters from Olivia, her mother's elderly cousin. Injured from a fall, Olivia is in the hospital and can't be released until her home is made habitable. Wanting to put some distance between her and grief for her mother, and dealing with a potential health scare and a difficult romantic relationship, Rebecca travels to Cornwall to help Olivia. As she begins the enormous task of updating the house, Rebecca uncovers a number of family secrets, that time and clutter can no longer keep hidden.

Slow to start, I almost gave up less than halfway through. But since I am generally reluctant to DNF any book I pushed through and was very pleasantly surprised by a wonderfully poignant second half. The writing is lovely and the descriptions of the house and Cornwall itself are so vivid and add to the atmospheric nature of the book. I especially enjoyed reading about young Olivia during WWII.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for providing a digital copy in return for an honest, unbiased review.

Loved this book. I actually received a tangible copy and read that. Sorry for the late response. Trying to clean up my netgalley. I have previously shared my loved on my instagram page and didn't realize that I was forgetting to leave reviews on netgalley itself, My apologies.

Read this as a Book Club and it got a unanimous rave review by each member. Oh the heartache. This loss and the suspense. So well crafted and a pleasure to read.

Historical fiction with a bit of romance at its finest. Love this one. Set in dual time lines (which is my favorite characteristic of historical fiction. There is a lot of life messages and I just became a huge fan of this author. Her ability to weave a story with accuracy and grace. I couldn't put it down.

This was an absolutely gorgeous book, full of family secrets and romance. Running away from a reality she isn’t sure she wants to face, Rebecca goes down to Cornwall to visit a distant elderly relative who has written Rebecca’s recently deceased mother, asking for help. What follows is a delightful but heart-breaking struggle, alternating between Rebecca’s trials in the present, and her relative Olivias experiences in WWII Cornwall. This book was humorous (Olivia is a hoot), devastating and kept me reading up past my bedtime to finish.

I enjoyed this book. It was well written and grabbed my attention quickly. I enjoy books of this nature, that deal with WW2. I liked the main characters and found them sympathetic. The author did their research and I enjoyed the story.

This is the story of two women whose lives become intertwined in an attempt to save the dilapidated home of the older feisty and eccentric Olivia. The younger woman, Becky, grows to love and admire her older cousin as she discovers her life story and her artwork. The story is told in a non-linear style, shifting between Olivia’s past in WWII Cornwall and the present.

I preferred reading about Olivia’s past because she was such a strong-willed young woman living in dangerous times compared to Becky whose life was pretty mundane. The story hits most of the right notes for me: history, murder, love, mystery and intrigue. My one criticism is that the story does drag a bit in the middle of the book. Aside from that it is an enjoyable read.

One of my favorite things in books is how it goes from present time to the past. As well as strong female characters. And this book had both of those things.

Another novel told in two timelines - present day,Rebecca, who has recently lost her mother and WW2 and Olivia, her mother's elderly cousin. Set in Cornwall England both women are strong and resilient and must overcome secrets, love and loss.
Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Good read, rich writing with an interesting story. Just wasn't what I was looking for to include in my subscription box.

This was a pleasant read with an interesting premise. Rebecca finds an envelope while cleaning out her mother's house which leads her to her mother's elderly cousin, Olive, She goes to meet Olive and in the end discovers Olive's story and helps her save her home. This is mostly historical fiction as Olive's story is set in World War II. I did have some trouble relating to the characters as they were a bit formulaic to me.

The Sea Gate was an enjoyable novel with strong female characters.

I enjoyed how this story went back and forth between the past and present to help develop the characters.

This is a very enjoyable read.

After losing her mother, Rebecca finds a letter from a forgotten cousin, Olivia, in need of help. Traveling to a house full of secrets by the sea, Rebecca finds out the truth about herself, her cousin, and the evil lurking within both their lives. This book hit every note: ghost story, romance, history, and mystery. The pace is perfect- deftly moving the reader back and forth, between the horrors of war-time to the ease of present-day Cornwall. A excellent escape from the everyday.

A WW2 novel told in dual storytelling, this is a book about discovery and secrets and is a truly atmospheric read. While there’s been lots of WW2 books written, this one stands alone and is definitely worth the read!

Told in alternating perspectives from the present day, when Rebecca goes to help her Mum’s cousin, Olivia, get discharged from hospital and back to her own home on the Cornish coast; and during the Second World War when Olivia was a child growing up in the same house.

The timelines weave together as we discover the secrets that both Olivia and the house are holding.

Olivia was such a wonderful character (I knew there was a soft heart hiding under that tough exterior) and finding out about everything she had been through was just heartbreaking. I adored the relationship that formed between Rebecca and Olivia and I think I’ve realised recently that a female friendship across generations is my favourite type of relationship to read about.

This book had a much slower pace to it than some of the other historical fiction books that I’ve read recently but I actually really enjoyed that. I also loved the setting of the beautiful Cornish coast and the imagery that that brought with it. A really beautiful book.