Childhood Sweetheart is a slow burner of a read which builds the tension leading to a shocker of an ending.

From the stunning scenery of Scotland to the isolation of Bray Island, the settings were perfect adding an atmospheric feel; chilling and a sense of foreboding.

All of the characters were well sketched and credible, some likeable, some not.

Along with many twists and turns we were treated to not one, but three fantastic plot twists!

I found Childhood Sweetheart to be a highly enjoyable and engaging read which I would highly recommend.

Many thanks to Bookouture for my tour spot.

Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫

I was first drawn in by the setting of this book, a remote Scottish Island. I found it to be a slow burner to begin with but once it gets going there are plenty of twists and turns which kept me on the edge of my seat and meant I could not put it down.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for my ARC.

My Review:
Enjoyed!!!! This one was definitely a slow starter but once it got going I couldn’t put it down. It had one heck of an ending that I never saw coming, not in a million years. I just couldn’t believe it and was in total shock. I had to read it twice. If you read my blog then you know I’m a sucker for any book with a twisted ending and this one definitely had that. This author is no stranger to me and I have liked everything I’ve read by her so far. I can’t wait for her next book to come out and totally recommend this author to anyone that enjoys a good mystery.

In conclusion, the plot, the characters and all the twists in this book made this book an enjoyable read. I would definitely recommend it and happily give it 4 Hearts❤️❤️❤️❤️

Ooooh what a thriller!

In this story the surviving twin returns home to be with his mother before her death. A childhood friend and once love still lives in the resort her mother runs…and so does this woman’s son.

After the death of his mother, will they see eye to eye about the future of the resort? Or will their past and secrets make this impossible?

When a big reveal hit mid-book I was worried that would be all there was to it. But nope! The twists and turns kept coming. Well done!

Atmospheric, moody, and a tense and dark storyline, this book had it all
Slow to start but once the story builds up, I was hooked. Totally recommend this book
Thank You NetGalley and Bookouture for an advance copy

This one totally messed with my head and was slow going, at times confusing, for me and didn't really pick up until somewhere in the 60% area. From there on it grabbed me and I was really interested in how it would all play out. I was mostly happy with the conclusion, but the last chapter ending before the epilogue was a little odd, rushed maybe?

Told in multiple 3rd person by Ailsa, Jonah and Callum in the present with some 'then' flashbacks. I think the fact that it was written this way made for some nice twists that I didn't see coming, but also some repetitiveness. My mama heart was thumping real hard on some pages.

I can't say I really liked many of the characters, especially the mean girls from high school. I really felt bad for Seth too. I enjoyed Kyle's fun facts about dogs ~ such as "their noses have a special pattern, and no two dogs have the same."

Overall, after it picked up and I got used to the Scottish terms it was a thrilling ride. First, but not my last time reading this authors work.

CW ~ parental physical abuse (off page), reference to rape (off page)

This book starts slow but drags you in fairly quickly. After you think you have it figured out...wrong! I couldn't put this down and will definitely recommend this as a must read

Atmospheric, deep, dark secrets and twists all add up to an interesting thriller! Wendy Clarke brings the Scottish coast to life with her descriptions and inhabitants. Good read!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC!

This was my first book by Wendy Clarke, and I will definitely read more from her!
The book was definitely a slow-burner for me at the start, but certainly picks up so it's worth moving past it and persevering. I prefer my thrillers to be gripping from the outset, but this made up for lost time in the second half!
The secrets and lies tagline in the blurb promises twists aplenty, and I was so shocked with some of the reveals!
The characters and writing style really help to add to the tension, but I think the high point for me is the Scottish setting. The atmosphere of the book really shone through the pages!

This ended up being a bit long for my taste. It was somewhat hard to get into with too many characters and didn't upfront explain who they all were. I just didn't care for the writing style and unfortunately couldn't get into it. I think I will try the audio upon release because the premise still interests me.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-arc. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I absolutely loved the book and the plot. Kept me on edge till the last. I can't wait to read the other books by the author.

This book for me started off quite slowly and I admit to wondering if it was for me as I like my books to be fast paced from the start. However even though this was a slow start after nearly half way through the pace picked up immensely and I was completely absorbed in the story, There were a few very unexpected reveals that at times rendered me speechless, In spite of the slow start this book turned out to be a complete page turner,

I’ve read a number of books by this author and always enjoyed them so I was looking forward to reading this one. Set on the Isle of Bray I found this quite a slow burner and initially I was convinced that I’d worked it all out way before any reveals. I might have got a few things right but oh my goodness there are some massive reveals in this book that hadn’t even crossed my mind. Well written story with a great plot and some fascinating characters. Written from the points of view of the main protagonists, Ailsa, Jonah and Callum, and in the past (then) and present, it’s a story that raises a lot of issues: autism, bullying, alcoholism, verbal and physical abuse just for starters.

Briefly, Ailsa was brought up alongside Jonah and his brother Callum but they were two very different boys and her friendship was with Jonah. Callum always had his fathers nasty temper whereas Jonah was the quieter and kinder boy. When Callum dies in an accident Jonah can’t forgive himself and leaves the island only returning 11 years later when his mother Moira asks him to come back for her birthday. But his return stirs up old secrets and emotions.

I loved how Ailsa’s sons autism is dealt with, I felt that the author must’ve had some dealings with autism herself, it’s actually made me feel like I wanted to give Ryan a hug, when I knew I couldn’t! I also felt extremely sorry for Seth and the things he had to endure. The climax is a real shocker and I adored how it played out, and as for the last few lines of the book it said it all. A really good read.

Wao… just wao… this book was spectacular!

The story is about Ailsa, a single mother taking care of her son who had special needs in a remote island in Scotland, a childhood friend is back to the island and with him all the secrets of the past.

This is the first psychological thriller who got me on my toes the whole time. I’ve never been on Scotland but I feel there reading this book, the descriptions, the beautiful landscape, the island, just awesome.

Love every character of this book, the flashbacks, the differents POV, the dual timeline, THE PLOT TWIST, one after the other… i was at 2 am awake, thinking… omg lol.

If you love thrillers this one is for you. Is filled with mystery, secrets, lies and drama.

Thanks you NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Twists were dark, gripping novel. Didn't grab my interest right away, but held it as time went on I HAD to know what happened.

Netgalley, thank you for making sure I got my hands on this beauty which engulfed me. I was intrigued and so glued because the author keep me interested, Wendy integrated the past and present so well, I felt the cliff hanger moments.

I had a hard time getting into this one, I made myself finish however and was glad I did. I would definitely try more from the author.

Wendy Clarke's novels have a way of reeling you in, and this one is no exception. A psychological thriller packed full of mystery and intrigue, it kept me up into the wee hours of the morning. And as always, there were plenty of twists and turns to keep me guessing. Another stellar book from this author!

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC to read and review.

Publication date for Childhood Sweetheart is 23/8/22.

Childhood Sweetheart by Wendy Clarke was well written and kept you coming back for more.
This story was about Ailsa and how she reconnected with someone from her past. But does the past stay in the past? This book will keep you guessing about what happened and why it happened.
Loved this book and how nothing was as it seems

A little slow starting off..it did pick up but the ending seemed rushed then. Was overall a interesting read.
Nothing stood out that I loved or hated.

Thanks to the author ,the publisher and NetGalley for an early release of this book.