In 1976, Alice Kenzie meets Tristan Somers at the Cambridge University Library and soon begins their whirlwind romance, resulting in the birth of their daughter Olivia. Yet Tristan is killed in a car accident and Alice flees, leaving Olivia in the care of Tristan's parents. In a dual storyline, Olivia is grieving the death of her grandmother in 2018. When she discovers a bundle of letters in Summer House, she begins to question the whereabouts of her mother.

This was a compelling story, filled with secrets and so much sadness. Both Alice and Olivia seem faced with so many challenges, with Alice losing Tristan and Olivia, realising that her grandmother hid such devastating secrets.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley and Head of Zeus. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

What a wonderful story, I have loved my trip to Summer House. Set over a 40 year period we meet Olivia who is now an adult and has many unanswered questions following the death of her beloved Grandmother and also Olivia's parents who she tragically lost as a baby.

This story was full of stories of the past and the hopes for the future for Tristan & Alice before everything began to unravel. I loved the location and the references to the boat races and commune. As I read I could feel the descriptions jumping from the page, making it easy to bring the story to life.

A wonderful story full of strong women and amazing friendships, I loved this beginning to end and absolutely love the ending for this story

A Touching Journey to the Truth

Another enjoyable book by this author. She always manages to transport me into her stories.

It is funny how families will tell one tale and somehow the truth is revealed later. In this case, it is done in a dual timeline grandmother to granddaughter through a discovery of letters and their secrets. I appreciate Olivia’s tenacity for the truth and being included in her journey.

Thank you to NetGalley and Head of Zeus, Aria for the advanced copy; this is my voluntary review.

This book was a miss for me. I could not develop an interest in the plot or any of the characters. It sounded so promising, but it didn’t work for me. I did like the cover.

“I have always believed that houses have stories to tell, that if you put your hand against their walls and listen quietly, you will hear the voices of the past, of the people who have lived there, of the homes that have come before.”

If houses have stories to tell, then Summer House is a library of history, love, heartbreak, and redemption. Dual timelines come together in a book that looks at love and grief and longing and family through multiple lenses.

As much as it’s a fictional tale of a lovely (but made up) house, this book also acts as a love letter to the very real city of Cambridge. The house and the city are almost characters in themselves, rather than mere backdrops in this family saga.

I wish we’d gotten a bit more of the side characters, as I wanted to know more about a few of them and to understand the rift between the protagonist and her husband to a deeper extent. Those small things aside, though, I enjoyed the story of this house and the people who have lived in it.

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

I loved reading this book.

From the beginning you feel yourself being a part of their lives, what they do and they were well developed. There’s secrets that are kept hidden, moments of loves lost.

I loved the setting and how Summer House was described, once again making you feel like you’re there in the story. It didn’t have a villain or characters pointing out those In the wrong.

It’s a page- turner until you reach the last page and wish it carried on.

I highly recommend this book.

#netgalley #headofzeus publication date 21 April 2022
This one was a bit of a slow start but by the middle I was into the characters and the mysterious storyline. I liked the past and present ways of telling the story 2/5 stars

Alice Kenzie, and undergrad meets the love of her life, Tristan Somers outside of the library where her bicycle has a flat tire. Tristan is a PhD student and he sweeps Alice off of her feet into a life full of love.
Tristan and Alice become parents and are married without his parents blessing. They survive daily struggles that life throws at them and finally decide to give his parents another chance. A tragic accident occurs and Alice is left with her daughter and an immense amount of grief for all that is lost.
She decides to move into Summer House where Tristan’s parents live and will help her with Olivia.
Olivia is unable to get past the postpartum and grief and leaves Olivia at Summer House. Olivia is brought up thinking that both her parents died in a tragic car accident.
This beautiful story takes place in both 1976 and 2018. An amazing read, thanks to Net Galley for the ARC.

Huge praise for Rachel Burton and her latest novel!
Set within two timelines of 1976 and 2018 in Cambridge and Suffolk, this is the story of Olivia Somers, her parents who met whilst at university, and her grandparents who raised her at The Summer House.
The two eras are depicted brilliantly, totally in keeping, and a fascinating reflection of then and now. Beautifully written, this book is a total joy to read. Great characters, a heartfelt storyline bridging across the decades, throughout their lives, a good old fashioned proper tale of love and books!!
A modern classic, highly recommended for all ages!!
Huge thanks to NetGalley for the early read, really enjoyed this!!

Thank you to #NetGalley for my advance copy of #TheSecretsOfSummerHouse by #RahelBurton

I loved the way this story interwove the story’s of two couples 40 years apart.
Tristan and Alice met at Cambridge as did Jacob and Olivia, and the story unfolds in a beguiling tale that says just one more chapter, every time you go to put the book down. But I found the ending something of an anticlimax and the book ended very tamely.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

When Olivia was growing up she believed both her parents died in a car crash but now after discovering a stash of letters she she finds out that is untrue. Now her whole life is called into question. Is she able to forgive the people who lied to her.

Told via dual timelines this story is about grief and new beginnings.

A brilliant book that touches on some sensitive issues such as mental health, postnatal depression, and grief. This is a very emotional read.

I absolutely loved Rachel Burton’s latest novel The Secrets of Summer House.

Two stories entwined to one another, giving you a glimpse of what happens when your history isn’t what it seemed to be for so many years.

In 1976 Alice Kenzie bumps into the love of her life Tristan Somers, parents of Olivia. In 2018 Olivia’s grandmother passes away, leaving an envelope for Olivia with photographs that make her world rock. Together with her husband Jacob they search for truth about Olivia’s history.

A story of grief and new beginnings, with a little mystery on the side. I enjoyed the dual timeline, and the characters interesting and very likeable. And I absolutely love that like all Rachel books, this one has a playlist too. Giving me a chance to listen to some fantastic golden oldies like ‘Kashmir’ by Led Zeppelin whilst writing my review- it’s a very personal touch by the writer.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for my eARC in exchange for my honest unedited review.

What a beautiful book!

The dual timeline worked so well in bringing this story together. I was happily immersed in 1976 and Cambridge in the stifling heat of that summer, but also wanting desperately to get back to Olivia in present day and check in on how much of her past she'd uncovered.

A lovely story full of mystery, romance and emotion, with the wonderful Summer House right at its heart.

This is my first Rachel Burton read, but it won't be the last!

Thank you to NetGalley and to Head of Zeus, Aria for the opportunity to read this advanced copy.

The Secrets of Summer House by Rachel Burton is a well crafted historical fiction narrative. I always enjoy a good dual timeline and in this story we are alternating between the late 70’s and present day.

What I appreciated most is that the characters are relatable and the struggles they face and how they come to terms with the past are authentic. In the end this, this book is about love and forgiveness, about struggles with motherhood and what it means to be a family and about loyalty, friendship and second chances.

I also love stories about old houses and the secrets they keep which adds a little mystery!

I liked it from the from the start. Well written and kept my interest.
I didn't see the ending it was a complete surprise...
I'm not one to rehash a book and tell you what it's about....you can read the author's synopsis for that
I will tell you that the story is well written and the characters are relatable. I found myself right in the middle of the family mystery and hoping for a good outcome.
Go to your nearest library, bookstore or online to get a truly good story.
Highly recommend

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advanced digital copy for an honest review. All opinions are mine and mine alone

Olivia always thought her parents died together in a car accident but now in 2018, she's discovered that's not true. This moves between the 1970s and 2018 to tell the story of a family and a heartbroken woman who made a choice that reverberates down through time. Alice and Tristan met at Cambridge but when he dies,, she's overwhelmed, so much so that she leaves baby Olivia with Tristan's parents, who raise her with love. Something never felt entirely right, though. Olivia and her husband Jacob are struggling a bit but that's less important than her search for Alice. I liked the 1970s part of this more than the 2018 section but the two work well together. Good characters and fine storytelling. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

I discovered Rachel Burton books during lockdown and they provided me a lot of comfort with their engaging characters, lovely romantic plots and food referenced. I was so excited to be approved by @netgalley for her latest offering, one that was written during lockdown and a change of direction for the author to one of my other favourite genres.

This one drew me in immediately with different characters. I enjoyed seeing the mystery unfold over dual timelines. I particularly enjoyed meeting Alice and Tristan in the historical timeline and getting to know them and their relationship. Very well researched I felt I got a for life during the 70’s- in particular the class differences and their university life. I found these characters well fleshed out out and had a good connection to them.

I also enjoyed the modern timeline and getting to know Olivia, her family and her reactions to the death of her grandmother and learning more about her parents life. There were a few times I found the relations between Olivia and her husband confusing and would have liked to have seen it explored a little more.

I loved the Summer House and learning more about the history and seeing its plans for the future. It definitely provided an atmospheric setting. This novel packed a lot in and I enjoyed its explorations of mental health, postnatal depression, social standings and grief. Rachel Burton has definitely found a place on my auto buy author list.

Thanks to Head of Zeus, Aria and Netgalley for an eArc of this book.

I loved it. Simple as that. Loved everything about it!
Written beautifully in two storylines, I have loved the present and the past. As we progressed it has gripped me, and pulled my heartstrings left and right. Family, mystery, loss, grief, abandonment, humility and vulnerability are everywhere in this book. So if you are looking for an emotional and captivating book to dive into, this is the one. Simply beautify!

What were her parents like? This is a dual timeline story that has Olivia finding out about her parents after her grandmother Mary dies. The second timeline is set in the 70s, sharing Alice and Tristan's relationship.

I liked Olivia uncovering the secrets that were held by Mary for many years, but the build up in the story seemed a bit slow. I really had hoped that there had been some small hints to what the secrets may be earlier in the book.

I enjoyed the book overall, but was hoping a little bit more for that spark that pushed me to not want to put the book down.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me a copy of this ARC for my honest review.

Well at least this was short. None of the characters here really clicked with me. The back and forth timeline story was a bit much too. Overall everything was predictable and not very entertaining. Alice and Olivia both were a bit annoying. The ending was a big let down with the supposed reveal.