Growing up, Rosie couldn’t wait to leave her tiny home town of Heaven’s Cove. After years abroad, she returns home after her mother passes away unexpectedly. To add to her grief, she discovers Driftwood House, The Home she grew up in is being demolished. As Rosie fights to save her Home, she unearths family secrets, experiences betrayal and learns that Heaven’s Cove isn’t as bad as she thought. I really
Enjoyed this story and look forward to reading more from Liz.

Liz Eeles is back after what feels like ages since her last book. Secrets at the Last House Before the Sea is set in the Devon village of Heavens Cove. Liz really excels at creating brilliant settings for her books that leap off the page and you invite you in. Reading this book on a cold and dreary winter’s day I felt transported away to a small village where everybody knows everyone and in turn no one’s business or personal life is private. That’s what happens when you live in a small coastal village. Sometimes that can be a good thing more often than not it’s not the best situation to find yourself in if you have things going on that you think are best kept private.

Our main character Rosie Merchant has returned to the village after living abroad for many years. The reason for Rosie’s visit is not a happy one as her mother Sofia has passed away after suffering a stroke. From the outset we can see that Rosie is burdened by grief and loss but there is also something else eating away at her., that being guilt. Guilt that she never came home to visit her mother more often and the fact that she always seemed to be running away from Heaven’s Cove leaving people to form a bad impression of her. Nothing changes in the village, it’s the same old thing year after year in a never ending cycle and she thought she had escaped this. But on her return for the funeral and to deal with her mother’s house and belongings, old memories are stirred for Rosie.

The sense of claustrophobia the village stirs in her is still there and she tries her best to avoid people. Some in particular who perhaps didn’t give her the best of times growing up. But as we learn more about Rosie, maybe she chose to be the was growing up and perhaps liked the impression she gave off. That she wanted to stay that way and by leaving she could find a new sense of self yet she knew the cottage and her mother would always be there to return to permanently if she so wished. But now Sofia is gone and the future is uncertain She may not have chosen this point in time or this reason for her return but it’s clear a life changing experience is about to happen for her. Is she ready to embrace it or will the return call of Spain and her boyfriend Matt prove to strong? Especially as fleeing has always been her way of operating.

Rosie’s mother lived high above the clifftops in Driftwood House. It’s isolated and a bit ramshackle but yet the surrounding landscape and the views of the sea are good for the heart and mind. Liz creates such a vivid picture of the area with the moor and countryside and the house becoming like characters themselves. Rosie feels fragile and lost and the house is a source of comfort and security for her. So when a letter arrives from a solicitor on behalf of local landowner Charles Epping detailing that the house was not actually her mother’s and that the house will revert back to him. Well Rosie’s already tender state suffers even more? Yes, she mentions endless times how Heaven’s Cove has made her feel in the past and that she felt like she was a nerd and a loner and that was one of the primary reasons for her escaping. Yet when something you know is solid and staid in your life like her mother and Driftwood House well when it’s gone any opinions and feelings you previously had can alter and that’s natural.

The rug has been pulled out from under her and even more so upon discovering a box in the attic that will further change her perspective and have her questioning everything in her life. What she discovers I won’t go in to but it sets Rosie on a quest to make sure the house is not pulled down to make way for a hotel. I guessed fairly on what was going on with the mystery at the centre of the book. But that didn’t detract from my enjoyment of this story at all. Instead when the reveal came and connections were made I had rather a smug sense of satisfaction that I had guessed correctly. Still I was intrigued to discover the reason behind why certain things had happened. The way in which Rosie unravelled the secrets and joined the dots together came at a slow and steady pace.

Secrets retain their power until out in the open and I was keen to see how she would cope with what emerged. She has so many personal questions that need answering and as there are so many secrets and complications that surround her they threaten to overwhelm her. Not to mention she wants to save Driftwood House and sets about sprucing it up a bit in the hopes that Charles Epping will change his mind. But you wonder why is she going about this if she is so insistent on returning to her life in Spain? Could there be something or perhaps someone in Heaven’s Cove that might make her change her mind?

Of course there had to be some romance in this book. Yes, it’s not the main focus but it is an important strand none the less. This book didn’t need to be all about will they won’t they. The story surrounding the house and Rosie’s confronting her past, present and future was more than enough to sustain the entire plot. But still some romance although light in nature was welcome too. Liam Slatterley farms the land near Dirftwood House. He too has land that belongs to Charles Epping and the threat that he will lose that is always there in the back of his mind. Keeping things afloat is not easy. Growing up Liam was known as a jack the lad, an over-sexed man who more or less went through a lot of women and threw them to the curb when not needed.

Rosie still holds this memory of Liam but he has changed as he too has been deeply affected by a recent event in his past. The shoe is on the other foot now for him and he can see the way he acted beforehand was not right and his own heart has now been smashed to pieces. He wears an air of sadness about him. The burden of the farm and his personal life in tatters weighs heavily on him. He feels lonely and humiliated and once some people have formed opinions of you in the village they are very difficult to shake off. Through helping Rosie with some redecorating they get to know each other and discover maybe it’s better to get to know the real person instead of listening to rumours or becoming too entrenched in other people’s opinions. It was inevitable what was going to happen with this strand of the story as happens in most books in this genre still it was enjoyable to read about it.

I really enjoyed Secrets at the Last House Before the sea and feel it’s the best book that Liz Eeles has written since her Salt Bay series which I absolutely adored. There is a nice bit of mystery, some romance, stunning scenery, a wide variety of characters and a lot of soul searching for our main characters. Really there is plenty here to keep you turning the pages but also there were lots of people that featured briefly that I would love to get to know in much more depth. So I was delighted to discover at the end that there will be a return visit to Heaven’s Cove which I hope will be sooner rather than later.

Rosie returns to her Devon home following the death of her mother. Her grief is further heightened by the revelation that her mother didn't own their home and now it is set to be demolished. Rosie is detrmined to save her home in her mother's memory but discovers other family sercets along the way. Can she heal the past as well as her own heart and will local farmer Liam help...?
Secrets at the Last House Before the Sea is a gentle and warm romance and family drama novel. It centres around second chances and forgetting the impressions of the past. Rosie remembers Liam as a player and struggles to see past their school days together. The gossip of the village creates an illusion of people that they struggle to live up or live down to.
Rosie and Liam have both been through the wringer emotionally. I was almost yelling at Rosie to ditch her selfish boyfriend Matt and finally see Liam for the kind man he is. Liam has sadness in his backstory: fears for his family's financial future, worry about his father's forgetfulness and a broken heart from being dumped at the altar.
I had read a lot of darker crime novels prior to this one and it provided some light relief. There was a warmth to the writing and a hope despite the emotion of the plot. The setting of Devon evokes the majestic breadth of the British weather! The whole tone of the book is uplifting and positive, facing life's challenges and finding happiness in unexpected ways.
Secrets at the Last House Before the Sea is an enjoyable novel about love, hope and grief with a huge splash of family drama thrown in.

Another fabulous book from Liz Eeles. Likable characters to pull for and gorgeous descriptive phrases had me wanting to visit the area and stay to help with the house.

Rosie escaped from Heaven's Cove after high school, desperate to escape the gloomy Devon weather and the popular high school crowd that she never seemed to fit into. But when she returns to her hometown after her mother's sudden death, the gossip mill starts up again and she is filled with guilt for not visiting more often and not being there for her mother in her last days. All she wants is to pack up her mother's belongings, find a renter for the house, and return to her normal life with her boyfriend Matt in Spain. Her neighbor, Liam, runs his family farm and was one of the popular boys in high school that ignored her. He decides to help her remodel the house and move out her mother's things, and they become friends, with even a spark of attraction here and there. When her current boyfriend comes to visit with ulterior motives and secrets of his own, she realizes how perfect Liam is. Should she return to her former life in Spain or risk a better future tied to her past.
The beautiful setting of the countryside and the house by the sea with beautiful views had me wanting to visit. I was rooting for Rosie to get the house in shape to become a lovely B&B which she would of course stay and run. The family mystery was a surprise to me and I really thought her father would step up and be more loving in the end.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. The views and opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

I enjoyed this first book in the Heaven's Cove series. In this book we meet Rosie, who has returned to Heaven's cover after the death of her mother. She couldn't wait to leave when she was younger, but after ten years of gallivanting around the world, there is something in Heaven's Cove that brings her peace and a warm feeling. There are also secrets awaiting her, secrets that will change her life. She had returned home to the place she had grown up. Even though she planned to return to Spain, finding out that her mother did not own Driftwood House was devastating and then being told that it would be demolished to make way for a boutique hotel, she went a bit off the rails, showing up at the reclusive owners house to plead the case for turning it into a guest house instead. This buys her one month in Heaven's Cove.

Rose was a very sympathetic character, with a lot to deal with. I enjoyed the relationships that she revived, especially the one with Nessa. Everyone seemed to like her, except for Katrina, and were willing to help her where they could. Watching her relationships grow, especially the one with Liam had me rooting for her to stay in Heaven's Cove and scrap her jobs and boyfriend in Spain. She just seemed to belong there. The setting and its descriptions are vivid and had me feeling the wind off the sea and the mist rolling in. The characters were well developed and relatable, with the small village feel and that one busybody, quirky character that I always love. This was a story that had me smiling one minute, laughing another and feeling sad as well. There is a bit of a mystery, but the story is one of relationships, finding where you belong and who you belong with and new beginnings. I will watch for more stories about life in Heaven's Cove.

i was swept away for an afternoon in picturesque Devon by the sea and captivated by the author's atmospheric writing. The reader feels they are on the shores of Devon . Right away I like the main charcter who is reeling after her Mother's death and has returned home to clean out her Mother's home and re visit Devon and the seaside home. When a letter is reveled to Rosie she finds out that her house is in fact actually not hers and the owners want her out. She devises a way to save her home and use it for a way to appease the owners and the village. Her challenge is the home must be cleaned up and ready to present in a short amount of time. Enter local handyman Liam to help her with the house. Soon their close working relationship is a growing attraction and as they work to save the house they discover truths about themselves.

I loved this book. I look forward to further works by the author. Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the opportunity. My review opinions are my own. I loved the setting, the rich charcters and the story. . I highly recommend this book for your reading enjoyment.

In Secrets at the Last House Before the Sea, we meet Rosie who has returned from her home abroad to the seaside village of Heaven’s Cove in Devon after the sudden death of her mum. Whilst her homecoming hasn’t been pleasant it just got a little worse when it turns out her mother didn’t own the home she has lived in for most of her life and the owner wants the house back to knock it down and build a hotel on the land.

Rosie takes a punt on trying to get them to change their mind by convincing them that the house would be perfect for a guest house instead. She is a little shocked and relieved when they give her four weeks to do the house up and convince them it will work. However, Rosie needs some help, welcome local farmer Liam who agrees to help but renovating an old house comes at a cost, especially when Rosie discovers secrets that have been long buried of her mothers.

I adore Liz Eeles books so when I heard she had a new book releasing I jumped at the chance to grab an early copy and dove straight in. What I find makes her books stand out is that they always contain amazing characters that feel realistic, gorgeous settings that you can visualise perfectly, and plots that are effortless to read.

I was mesmerised by the drama and rushed through the book, wanting to know would Rosie be able to transform the house into a workable guest house, what implications did the secrets hold, and would there be some chemistry between Rosie and Liam who have known each other since they were kids but never particularly liked one another?

This is a story that keeps you guessing whilst has you relaxing in what sounds like a beautiful part of the world, especially Rosie’s old home, Driftwood House, which gave views of the land and sea and made me want to stay there as it sounded so idyllic.

Another fabulous book from Liz Eeles which is pure escapism, heart-warming, and left me with a smile on my face. I can’t wait to return to Heaven’s Cove in the future.

Sunshine and secrets. Liz Eeles whisked me away to small town Devin with her vivid and gorgeous storytelling. Rosie returns home from Spain after her mom passes away. Less than pleased to be back in the village where she grew up Rosie is determined to make this a quick turnaround. That is until she is informed that she needs to get her moms belongings out of the house stat. Reeling from the fact that her family home doesn’t belong to her family Rosie stumbles across even more secrets with bigger implications. What follows is an engaging story filled with family secrets, a gorgeous setting and a sprinkling of romance.

First of all there was such an amazing sense of place in this book. The setting usually is the last thing I focus on in a story but the descriptive writing painted such a stunning picture. The exceptional writing also brought the characters to life. I really liked Rosie and wanted the romance between Liam and her to work out. The secondary characters were wonderful and added so much color to the story. Looking forward to what Liz has in store for her next book in this delightful series.

*** Big thank you to Bookouture for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***

This is one beautiful cover which is why I was excited to start reading this.

This is book 1 in the heaven cove series. We meet Rosie and Liam in the first book.

Rosie loves in Spain and came back to her childhood home when her mother died. Liam is a farmer.

The story and setting is amazing. It had me hooked from the first page to the last.

This is my first book by this author. The cover drew me in at the start - and the fact the book is set in Devon. I spent 6 very happy years living in Devon and this book ha made me want to return for a visit hen we can.
I loved the setting as I said but also the developing friendship between Rosie and Liam. Of course we know they will end up together but the path of true love is never a smooth one. Some little hiccups thrown in along the way to try and upset the applecart. Some cracking characters in the village which made me laugh out loud.
I was looking for a bit of lighthearted escapism to take my mind off hat is going on in the country just now - and this book was the perfect answer. An idyllic setting, bit of sunshine and a story of hope and triumph. So glad this is the start of a new series of books as I need to know more. I will most certainly be reading more books by this author.

Rosie returning to Devon from her job in Andalusia is filled with remorse. Her mother has passed away and she feels she has let her mother down. Driftwood House a living memory of her mother remains but she discovers that her mother was not actually the owner of the property and that it reverts to the Eppings who have given her a month to clear the property.

Clearing out her mother's effects, Rosie comes across documents which now throw up a greater mystery. Who was the mysterious J in her mother's life who was obviously the great love of her life. Rosie now feels that she hardly knew her mother, and now even her father seems a rather distant figure for her.

Unravelling the mystery of her mother's past and her future, Rosie is also faced with the unravelling of her love life with her boyfriend returning to Devon only with an eye to the main chance of cashing in on her inheritance!

The setting of Devon was glorious. It adds so much to the story when the setting is so very well described.

I enjoyed the story and the setting very much.

Having read two books from Liz Eeles' Cozy Kettle series, I was super excited when I saw she had written Secrets at the Last House Before the Sea, the first novel in her Heaven's Cove series.

Rosie Merchant is desperate to return to her life in Spain. She came back to her childhood home in the seaside village of Heaven's Cove, Devon to sort out her dead mother's affairs. The family home, Driftwood House is to be rented out, but first, it needs clearing, as well as a lick of paint and a few repairs. When the handsome boot-clad farmer Liam Satterley of Meadowsweet Farm offers his assistance Rosie willingly accepts and remembers what a lovely place her home is. But then she finds a photograph that reveals how her mother came to be living at Driftwood House...

As Rosie starts to look through her mum's accumulation of photos and documents, the pull to remain in the last house before the sea becomes stronger. Liz Eeles' characterisation in this novel is as strong as in her previous ones. Rosie was sweet and very determined in her desperation to hang on to Driftwood House. Lovely Liam was considerate, though he had a few ulterior motives to consider. The plethora of secondary characters was certainly a mixed bag, including the Eppings, gossipy Belinda, catty Katrina, and friendly Nessa. The author captured the typical village lifestyle perfectly and I loved the beautiful descriptions of the seaside locale. Secrets at the Last House Before the Sea is a lovely story eliciting plenty of smiles, titters and sadness.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Bookouture via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

I received an ARC from Bookoutire through NetGalley for an honest review. Rosie went back to her childhood home to take care of her mother's funeral and was planning on renting out her childhood home and then going back to Spain.
When she got there she discovered her mother had a lot of secrets. She started with the first clue and as she worked on unraveling the clue, she discovered other secrets. One part said, when it is out in the open, you don't have to fear it, hide from it, it is out there. As the secrets of her mothers life started coming out, Rosie also discovered that her life wasn't as she thought it was.
This kept me reading, as the secrets were revealed, I not only found out the secrets but what it does to try to live with secrets. Rosie faced the harsh reality of who her mother was, she also found the strength and courage to follow it all the way through. She then could see what had been going on in her life that she was unaware of and had the courage to choose she wanted a better life and was able to walk away.

Book #1 in the Heavens Cove Series is a wonderfully warm and comforting read. Atmospheric and beautifully written, I was completely drawn in from the first page.
Rosie Merchant is leaving Spain, her boyfriend and returning to Heaven’s Cove following the unexpected death of her mother. Never feeling at home in this seaside village, Rosie is anxious to settle her mother’s affairs. Shockingly Rosie learns that her childhood home never belonged to her family and that Driftwood House is filled with uncovered, life altering secrets.
Liz Eeles has provided the reader with a glorious plot, wonderful characters and book so easy to get lost in.
Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and Liz Eeles for an ARC in exchange for an honest book review.

Liz Eeles is back with a new book and I’m just hoping it turns into a series because it is so easy to fall in love with her books, as she writes with such breathtaking description that you can almost feel the seaspray upon your face!

Rosie is back for the first time in what has been years, but for Rosie, it’s not a joyful homecoming, as she was back from Spain to bury her Mother and to sort out the house. But from the first moment, she finds out that the house is not her mother’s, and then the shots keep coming from there, and by the end of it, nothing is what it seems or will ever be again.

Secrets at the Last House Before the Sea is absolutely breathtaking! From the first chapter, I was hooked and loved every moment. When it comes to the characters, you can’t help but love Rosie, Liam, and Nessa, I even didn’t mind the Epping's, but oh my goodness Katrina got on my very last nerve! But this book is truly a beautiful tale. And as with other books by the author, the book and plot are outstanding and flows beautifully.

I was initially drawn to the book by the promise of visiting the last house before the sea which is so beautifully captured in this colourful cover that I was quickly immersed in Rosie's story as she tries to make sense of what has happened at Driftwood House during her late mother's life there. Having to deal with the aftermath of her mother's untimely death, Rosie also has to try and come to terms not just with her grief but also her guilt at being away from Devon for such a long time. When she discovers that the place she calls home is under threat, Rosie knows that she must do all she can to keep Driftwood House safe.

This is a lovely, heartwarming story which tugs away at the heartstrings for not only is Driftwood House so beautifully captured that you quickly start to care about what happens to it, but also Rosie is such a lovely character, and is so filled with doubts and indecision, that I wanted to put my arms around her to give her a hug. The people who live in Heaven's Cove are a great bunch of characters, there's the village gossip who knows everyone's business, the village flirt who has her beady eye firmly fixed on the village's eligible bachelor, and the lovely friend who remembers Rosie from school and who offers support in a practical way. However, it is in Rosie's burgeoning relationship with local farmer, Liam, where the heart and soul of the story lies and their friendship is filled with warmth, wit and the occasional angst ridden moment.

Beautifully written, Secrets at the Last House before the Sea is a lovely, heartwarming story about finding love, coping with loss and uncovering family secrets. As this is the first book in a proposed series about Heaven's Cove I am sure that these lovely characters will have more to say in future stories.

2 stars
Wow, this started so well. It went downhill so fast. I gave up and did not even finish it. I had such high hopes for the book.

Liz Eeles is a new author to me and I can highly recommend.

The book is beautifully written and provides a lovely escapism to Devon and I had no problem connecting with the characters as they brought the story to life.

An excellent page turner which had me gripped from the beginning until the end. I found it incredibly difficult to pit down and was disappointed when I had finished it. I cannot wait for the next in the series and in the meantime will be looking out for more of Liz's books.

Definitely a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Many thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture and Liz for the opportunity to read this.

Liz's books are heart warming read and this one is no exception. Set in Devon, you could visualise being in the place yourself. As the title says, there are secrets, some which are a surprise and some which you can work out for yourself.