And Then There Were None meets Gone Girl in Wendy Clarke’s chilling and claustrophobic new thriller, Childhood Sweetheart.

Ailsa gets a blast from the past when her childhood sweetheart Jonah returns to the remote Scottish island she calls home. It’s been eleven years since Ailsa had last clapped eyes on Jonah and although it feels like old times to have Jonah living next door, a lot has changed in the intervening years. Ailsa no longer has fantasies about spending the rest of her life by Jonah’s side as he has changed a lot since the death of his brother eleven years ago. He is moody, erratic, unstable and there is something about him that is making Ailsa feel uneasy and unsettled – and then somebody starts knocking on her window in the middle of the night.

Ailsa is positive that Jonah is the one knocking on her window. But why? What does he want? And what does he hope to achieve by terrifying her like this in the middle of night? Ailsa’s trepidation continues to increase as she remembers the secrets she had told Jonah all those years ago when she had been young and in love. As she delves into the past, Ailsa finds herself wondering, might Jonah have been responsible for his brother’s death? Had Jonah’s secrets driven him to cold-blooded murder? And could she be his next victim?

Wendy Clarke’s Childhood Sweet is a gripping spine-chiller that will leave readers reeling from shocking twist after shocking twist. Wendy Clarke has written a gripping thriller dripping with menace, tension and foreboding that effortlessly draws readers into an eerie world where nothing is what it initially seems.

A nail-biting tale that will keep readers on the edge of their seats until the very end, Childhood Sweetheart is the latest unmissable thriller by Wendy Clarke.

A dark and gripping physcological thriller. I loved every minute of this and I was gobsmacked by a shocking suprise twist that I didn't see coming. I will definitely be reading more of Wendy Clarke books.

I was lucky to receive an advance copy of Childhood Sweetheart by Wendy Clarke from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review and opinion. Lots of twists and turns that keep building until the very end. I did not see the ending coming in this one. WOW! Loved it.

I received a complimentary copy of Childhood Sweetheart by Wendy Clarke in exchange for my honest review.
This was an excellent book with an ending that was shocking and unforeseen! The twists and turns leave you wanting more and turning pages far into the night. If you love psychological thrillers that draw you in, then you simply must read this!
Alisa, and her friend Jonah and Jonah's brother Callum grew up on a Scottish Island. One night tragedy strikes, leaving Callum dead, and Jonah leaves the island vowing never to return. Alisa always thought that she and Jonah would grow up together, grow old together, share their lives together, but it was not to be. It's been eleven long years since Jonah has been gone.
Alisa has made a home for herself and her autistic son Kyle, on the island, helping Moira, Jonah's mother, run a vacation lodge. Life is hard, but good, and Alisa is happy.
Then, Moira tells Alisa that she has invited Jonah to come back to the island to help celebrate Moira's birthday. When Jonah returns, he is not the same person who left the island, he is moody, impatient and unpredictable. When Alisa tries to talk with Jonah he is distant and cool. Then Jonah starts knocking on the window, he wants in, but should Alisa let him? Alisa is starting to understand the secrets that were kept that summer night. Secrets that they swore they would never tell, are they secrets worth dying for? Was his brother's death accidental or did Jonah have secrets worth killing for? Alisa will do whatever it takes to keep her son safe on this remote, isolated island.

I absolutely adore Wendy Clarke. I can safely say, every book gets better and better. I always know I’ll need a couple of free hours because I’ll be unwilling to put this down.

Childhood Sweetheart is every bit as tense and suspenseful as I had hoped it was going to be. I love a trip to the dark side with Clarke.

Jonah is a bit of a douche and you really can’t help but dislike him. He’s unstable and unpredictable. I have loved finding out the secrets between the pair in this one. I have felt my heart pounding and been completely captivated.

Clarke has managed to transport me to the pages of this one. I feel as though I’ve know lJ the setting and been watching the events play out. This is a book that will completely hold you hostage until the very last page.

This is every bit as dark and twisty as I had hoped. I adore Wendy Clarke books and this is another gem to add to the collection. I can say nothing negative about this book. It’s a book worthy of all the stars and a definite recommendation from me.

A slow-burn with multiple POVs (in 3rd person) - I guess that's the reason this one did not work out for me as much as I wanted it to.
The plot otherwise was thrilling and the twists at the end really threw me off-guard.

Lots of fun twists and turns! Fell in love with the characters. Looking forward to seeing more from this author.

Firstly let me just say, that yes this story is a bit of a slow burner, slow start but in my opinion it has to be, so as to build up the characters to really get a feel for them, and for us to see said characters background, history of them growing up, as it all forms part of the bigger picture for where the story takes you.

So despite the slow burner of a start, I really did enjoy this story, I liked getting to know the important characters of Alisa, Jonah, Callum and Moria, seeing how they interact with each other and each of their behaviours/characteristics which gives you insight into the story.

I also liked the character of Kyle, the young boy who has autism and how that played an intricate part in the story. It also gives the reader an insight in to what it’s really like for a person/child to have autism if they don’t already know.

The author has definitely written this story well, creating lots of intrigue, plot twists, shocking moments, leaves us guessing and sitting on seat in eager anticipation of what might happen next.

Most of us have a childhood sweetheart and this was a great play on that theme. Alisa hasn’t seen her first love Jonah in years when he appears in her life again. Sweet Jonah isn’t the same though. This started off slow but it got really good as the secrets from their childhood began to be revealed and you get to see exactly who these two really are. Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for this ARC!

I enjoyed this book, it was easy to read and held my attention. I will be reading more from this author :)

This book had a lot of back and forth such as then and now. It was a good book I just wish it had a lot less of the then and now, and focused more on the now.

Wow ! Creepy , shocking and just plain outstanding ! Loved this book ! Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read and review this book ! Opinions are solely my own ! #Netgalley #Bookouture #ChildhoodSweetheart

🌼BOOK REVIEW🌼

Childhood Sweetheart by Wendy Clarke
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Meet Ailsa, a single mother to her young son, Kyle, and housekeeper at the picturesque resort at Loch Briona. Ailsa grew up here on the loch, and 11 years ago, her world was turned upside down.

Now, meet Jonah, the son of Norah, the owner of the resort at Loch Briona. He is returning to his childhood home for the first time since the accident that took his brothers life. Back to the home where his abusive father ran rampant for years before disappearing himself.

Ailsa once loved Jonah and thought the world of him, but the Jonah that returns isn’t the same sweet, caring boy that she fell in love with all those years ago.

Follow Ailsa and Jonah as they face the dark past whose memory lingers there at the loch. Will these two finally find the peace they have so long desired or will they only find more darkness.

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This book was a wild ride. It is multiple POV, which at times got tedious, but man, when that twist starts to unravel, you get HOOKED because you just cannot believe the author is taking it there! When all of the loose ends start to come together and the big picture begins to reveal itself, you will be left stunned. If i have said this once i have said it a thousand times, i like to pride myself on being able to guess the endings and the twists, and what i thought i knew, i was dead wrong. You wont see it coming. I will say this book can be a little slow at times, but i think it is very very worth sticking it out to see what happens!

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Thank you to @netgalley for the advanced copy!

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Childhood Sweetheart by Wendy Clarke was a very good psychological thriller. However, it did start off very slow, but stick with it you will not be disappointed. It then has lots of good twists and turns and very dark secrets that the main characters are hiding.........I found it hard to out this book down. once these secrets started to come out! Hence why I said stick with it

I recommend this book and great for a holiday read

Big Thank you to Bookouture, Wendy Clarke and NetGalley for the ARC. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review

Really amazing book loved it so much plenty plenty of twists and turns in nearly every chapter well worth a read

*Thank you to Bookouture, Wendy Clarke, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review*

Previously published at https://www.mysteryandsuspense.com/childhood-sweetheart/

“And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places.”

― Roald Dahl

Eleven Years ago a tragedy occurred that would change the course of so many lives. In this atmospheric and beautifully written novel, Wendy Clarke has described the pure love of childhood friends, a horrible tragedy, and the endurance of one woman who has been dealt a terrible fate. Ailsa, a single mother living with her autistic son, has not seen her best friend Jonah in eleven years. She thought they would always be friends but then tragedy happened and he disappeared.

Ailsa and her son, Kyle now live in a cabin on a Scottish island, where Jonah and his brother, Callum lived while growing up. Moira, their mother, has taken care of Ailsa and her son Kyle, while Ailsa helps her to run the vacation homes. They are very close, and despite Kyle’s issues, their lives are peaceful and happy. Until Moira decides she would like to invite Jonah back to celebrate her birthday. Unfortunately, the Jonah that comes back is not the same one that left 11 years ago. They are strangers and Ailsa cannot figure out what has changed about him. But he is not the same person she knew and loved.

There is a big secret that Jonah is keeping from Ailsa and Moira, and sometimes secrets bring you closer together when they are revealed. Not in this book. These secrets have been kept for such a long time that they break the fragile exterior that kept this family together. What happens when Moira and Ailsa find out what Jonah has been hiding.

Childhood Sweetheart is so much more than the title, as Jonah and Ailsa never become “sweethearts” because of a secret he told her so many years ago. Told in dual timelines and from dual points of view; Ailsa and Jonah, this amazing book is rich in atmosphere and tension, drawing me in from the very first chapter. I knew there were secrets, and I was ready and invested in learning what they might be. When Jonah arrives from the mainland, the reader has already had a visit inside his psyche and knows he is not quite “right”. We can feel the tension flow throughout the book, as Moira and Ailsa expect him to be one way, but he does not live up to those expectations. As secrets from the past come to light, we can see the emotional pain Jonah is in and the enormous secret he has been carrying all of these years. When Kyle’s paternity becomes known, it changes the course of their lives as it forces Jonah to show them who he really is.

Clarke has done a fantastic breaking down the relationship between two brothers who could not be more different. She has created characters that had a lot of depth, even the town’s outcast, Seth. The plot leaves you breathless and is well executed. Even though we are given tiny plot twists along the way, the ending is shocking. There is also a unique and thrilling plot that is executed marvelously. The conclusion really floored me as there were some amazing twists that led to a shocking ending.

This was a solid four star read for me.

The synopsis intrigued me and the questions and twists throughout the story kept me hooked. It did feel a bit long in the beginning, some repetitive information that didn’t really drive the story forward. The last 20% really picked up the pace and suspense.

The characters were complex enough to make you wonder if they were good or bad or just unlucky. Loved the complex relationships between the characters too.

Thanks to Bookouture, Wendy Clarke, and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

A slow start to this book but it did speed up to be a very good book. Great description of Scottish island .
Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC

I loved the setting of this book - so dark and atmospheric, and beautifully depicted by the author. This story is a slow burning thriller, and I particularly enjoyed the development of the relationship between Aisla and her son, who is haunted by the untimely death of his brother. Past and present collide in a denouement that doesn't disappoint. Highly recommend, and look forward to reading this author's future work.

This is my first dark mystery romance book. I can honestly say that I enjoyed most of it. I did feel as though it was too drawn out at times, but as soon as I felt like it was taking too long to get to the point, something major happened and I needed to know the answers to all the mysteries.

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.