I loved this book. It was packed with emotion due to family issues that are easy to relate to. I really enjoy these type of books that are fairly slow paced, building the characters and the plot without ever getting boring. Sophie and Celia are two estranged sisters thrown together to clear out their inherited grandmother’s house. Both sisters are very different, leading polar opposite lives. Secrets remain that push the sisters apart but as the house clearance gets under way those secrets emerge. A wonderful tale of sibling rivalry, family secrets and forgiveness with a touch of romance thrown in for good measure. Can’t recommend enough.

I loved reading this one. I just love this kind of books.
4 stars read for me. I love this author snd her writing style.
Thanks to netgally for this arc.

The House On Rockaway Beach by Emma Burstall

A gripping tale of family secrets, sibling rivalry and summer romance., set against the backdrop of bNew York’s sizzling urban beach.

I enjoyed this book. Good character base. Well-written. About two sisters who hated each other. Before its end, we did
Find out the secrets that the family had harbored for many years

Thanks to Net Galley for sending me an advanced reader’s copy for my review..

A brilliant read and one I really enjoyed. The characters are loveable and varied, the plot is one that is engaging and medium paced. I found myself completely drawn into the story and enjoyed the writing style.

Beautiful, tantalising and full of sunshine!
I have only read one other Emma Burstall book previously to this, but I knew that this was going to be magical as I loved other, so I was thrilled to be reading this one and I am pleased to say that I was not disappointed, The House on Rockaway Beach is beautiful.
I loved the setting, I have a secret love of New York set stories so to pick one up which shows that city in a different light this time via an idyllic beach not too far away then I was hooked. The descriptions are wonderful, you feel as though you are standing there on the shore watching the waves rippling across the sand, take a deep breath and you may even breathe in the summery sunshine.
I liked the plot of the estranged sisters coming together with family secrets circling around in the background, I don't have siblings but even I could understand and feel the tension and slight awkwardness between them and I think it's beautifully written it captures each emotion with sensitivity and realism.
I thought it was a little slow in pacing for my liking but I think this particular story needed that more relaxed pacing.
Overall, a heartwarming story of family and it the complex relationship between the people within the family circle, which as we all know is fraught with so many hidden emotions, a well-written and enjoyable read!

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Emma Burstall’s The House on Rockaway Beach is a beguiling, engrossing and escapist tale that is an absolute joy to curl up with,

Sophie and Celia might be sisters, but they haven’t spoken in years, so the siblings are shocked when they discover that they’ve inherited their grandmother’s old house in Rockaway Beach, New York. As children, the two sisters had spent many an idyllic summer swimming in crystal blue waters, playing in the sand and making up stories about the day-trippers who would come to their little slice of paradise. But their visits had stopped when Sophie’s mother and grandmother had a falling out for some unknown reason and they hadn’t set foot on Rockaway Beach since – until now!

As Sophie and Celia arrive at their grandmother’s house, sparks immediately begin to fly. The two sisters cannot seem to agree on anything. Sophie wants to keep the house while Celia wants to sell it. With tensions at an all-time high and any hope of a compromise impossible, Sophie and Celia seem destined to remain at loggerheads – until they make a shocking discovery that could just end up shaking the foundation of their entire lives!

What was the argument from decades ago about? Why are the two sisters’ recollections about their grandmother so wildly different? Who is the mysterious old woman watching them from afar? Will the two sisters get to the bottom of their family’s shocking secrets? Can they ever draw a line under the past and forge forward into the future as a family? Or has too much water flown under the bridge for the two sisters to ever have any kind of relationship?

Emma Burstall has got another winner on her hands with her latest surefire hit, The House on Rockaway Beach. A layered, emotional and uplifting tale about family secrets, second chances, healing from the past and falling in love, The House on Rockaway Beach is a compulsively readable page-turner that will keep readers up way past their bedtime.

Emma Burstall writes so well about the complexities of relationships, the intricacies of the ties that bind families together and the power of forgiveness that readers will find themselves completely and utterly absorbed by her fabulous new novel, The House on Rockaway Beach.

I really liked this book and was a nice easy read.

Sophie & Celia are sisters who have inherited the house they went on holiday from their Grandmother they have not always seen eye to eye. They want different things for the house and don’t really agree on what they want. There are things they keep secret from each other.

This book is about how secrets are best out in the open and how each of the sister’s were jealous of each other.. There were other characters that were nice in the book.

It kept you wondering what was going to happen and liked how the book flowed.

Two warring sisters are left Piping Plover House at Rockaway Beach by their maternal grandmother. Whilst the house, the area and their grandmother was very much part of their childhood, suddenly the visits stopped and it is many many years since they have been at the house or even visited their grandmother before she dies. Why would they be left the house now?

Flying out, Sophie and Celia turn up to clear everything out and put the house on the market to sell, splitting the money and going their separate ways. Celia wants the money to set her sons up in homes. Sophie is just looking for that something to help her settle. Celia it seems has the perfect life.

Nothing is as it seems between the two sisters, the house they are emptying or even the local residents of Rockaway Beach who welcome them albeit temporarily. When Sophie discovers a letter and then Celia drops her own bombshell and then promptly returns to the UK. Sophie is left stranded not knowing where to turn to find out the truth or if she even wants to know it.

Each sister seems to have different memories of their childhood and the events that took place, and it has perhaps formed their actions in their adult lives. Interactions between siblings are always a fascinating read when you are an only child, this book was no different. I did not warm at the beginning to either sister, one seemed to highly string, the other too wishy washy to stick at anything. However as the book progresses, along with the reader the main characters see their failings and also their strengths and how they can all perhaps start again.

Having read all of this authors books and delight at how they are all so different, the focus o the turbulence of friendships and relationships whether that be with family or not is at the centre of all her writing. She is not afraid to show the reality of such relationships and that not all of life can be wrapped up in a happy ending.

A great book to be swept away with.

I was captivated by this thoughtful book right from the very first page. It was a beautiful story exploring family relationships. I'd highly recommend it (and I already have to my friends and family!)

Simply beautiful.It was a gripping tale of family secrets, sibling rivalry and summer romance, set against the backdrop of New York's sizzling urban beach.

I’ve read and greatly enjoyed Emma Burstall’s previous novels but this one was different. I found it difficult to become absorbed but did persevere and found I enjoyed it more as I went on. The secrets affecting the family came very late and I feel I may have more easily understood some of the behaviour if they had been revealed earlier. 3.5 overall.

I love to read books that have a strong family dynamic, and I loved the way in which I felt instantly transported into the middle of the issues between Sophie and her younger sister Celia. The location sounded wonderful, and I liked seeing how Sophie and Celia as British women, fitted into the American landscape that they had known so well as young children.

Celia was very difficult to like, but as the story developed it was easier to see why she was so damaged and fixated on controlling every aspect of her life and the lives of the people around her. By the end of the story I felt that I understood her better, and liked her more.

Sophie was a lovely character, very chilled and optimistic, although she has always had a very complicated childhood with her sister Celia. When Sophie and Celia are trying to clear out Piping Plover House in order to sell (which Celia is demanding, and Sophie cannot afford to buy her out), they clash which results in a massive argument in which they both say things they will later regret. I loved the way in which Sophie took a pragmatic view of the shocking news that Celia threw at her during their argument. She took the time to think it through before deciding whether and how to take it further.

I loved the friends that Sophie met whilst living in the house especially Gigi and Joe, and I found Sophie’s interactions with Gigi’s tearaway children was an entertaining distraction from the more serious issues within the story.

The house was central to the story and sprang vividly from the pages, bringing with it the scent of the sea, a breeze moving the porch swing, and the creak of weather-worn wood.

This book was a wonderful study of family dynamics, and the way in which estrangements, separations and love can be reclaimed with some effort. I really hope there are further stories to tell of Rockaway Beach.

Two estranged sisters, Sophie and Celia, reunite after their maternal grandmother passes away and leaves them her beach home in Long Island, New York. Sophie is the elder sister and has always been a rebellious, free spirit. She struggles to succeed in relationships or the workplace, and has a daughter also struggling. Celia is hyper-focused and driven, and is a doctor, married to a successful man with two striving sons. They travel to Rockaway Beach to go through their grandmother's house and of course have differing ideas about how to proceed. Sophie wants to find out what happened to drive their mother apart from the grandmother. Celia drops a bombshell on Sophie that changes what Sophie thought she knew about her family. This is an engaging women's fiction novel about the way family secrets reverberate through generations.

The House on Rockaway Beach by Emma Burstall, a NetGalley read. Sister Sophie and Celia are left their grandmothers house on Rockaway Beach after she dies. The sisters don’t have the greatest relationship, Sophie being somewhat of a free spirit and Celia being her fathers favourite and trying to live up to his expectations. When the return to Rockaway Beach secrets are revealed and new relationships are form and old ones are repaired. I am a huge fan of this author, having read the Tremarnock Series (which I highly recommend) however haven’t read anything by her in a long while, so I was excited to see what this new book had to offer. Sadly I don’t think this is the authors greatest book, it’s a nice story, the setting is beautiful and the characters are strong willed. Celia is not always likeable, however as the story moves on you realise that there is a deeper side to her, where she is struggling with her mental health and has been for sometime. Sophie is really where the heart of this book belongs, even though she comes across as quite confident, she is somewhat of a lost soul, looking for her place in the world, trying to figure out who she is and the secrets that are revealed go some way towards her finding that inner peace. For me this story is missing something, it has great potential but it’s really hard to put into words what that missing something is. Even though some parts of the characters are endearing, I felt it was hard to make a connection with them and the story, I felt that the main secret should have perhaps been revealed earlier, maybe exploring more of that side of the story. The secret I felt is a significant part however it comes very late in the book and to a certain extent it e free my like it was brushed over slightly. This is very different to the authors other books, however in previous books it was easy to make a connection with the characters. I do feel like, there maybe more from this book and even though i didn’t particularly enjoy this book, I would be interested enough to see what comes next, if there is a next! I wouldn’t recommend this book unfortunately, simply because I believe the author has written better. ⭐️⭐️

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I really enjoyed this story and all the nuances it brought. Thoroughly easy to ready and enrapturing with the different parts to the plot.

Great read from an author I’ve followed for years with the tremarnock series.
This book is different, found it hard to get into but then it all seemed to come together. Great insight into hoe sisters can just be sisters, but how feelings of past hurts can raise up and how they are overcome.

Fantastic author at her best
Highly recommended

This is the first book I have read, written by this author and it won’t be the last. Great characters, a really thought provoking plot set in an area I have not previously known. The story skipped along and I did not want it to end. Thoroughly recommended.

“A gripping tale of family secrets, sibling rivalry and summer romance”


Sometimes, when a combination of the summer heatwave and the stresses and strains of everyday life get me down, even I might be persuaded that a ‘comfort blanket’ story might be exactly what I am secretly craving. I really appreciated this lovely story, which although I was surprised I had finished in just a couple of average length sittings, seemed like such a much needed, leisurely paced, feel-good interlude, which cleared my mind and fed my soul.

Here is a brief overview of the story, so as not to give away too many spoilers...

...

Sophie and Celia are two middle-aged sisters, who were born and raised in England by parents of mixed heritage, their father Paul being English and their mother Teresa having Irish/American roots, although they both died young. It seems as though that’s all the girls have in common however, as they are completely unalike in all other respects and there has never really been any love lost between them. The elder sister, Sophie was never anything but troubled and rebellious as a child, didn’t achieve educationally, hasn’t been able to hold down a decent job, can’t make a relationship last and is a single parent to a young adult daughter, who although having benefitted from her mother’s unswerving love, has never really had a life role model to look up to. Celia has the seemingly perfect life, she a successful family doctor, married to a wealthy financial businessman, living in the perfect dream home with their two aspiring sons who have succeeded educationally and never brought any trouble to the door. She thrives on success, control and achievement, whether it be her own or someone else’s in her family.

Not having spoken, much less seen each other, for several years, the sisters find themselves making a transatlantic crossing to their mother, Teresa’s, family home at Rockaway Beach, where their grandmother has recently died and in her will has left her home to her two granddaughters. When they were young children, the trip to Long Island was an annual holiday event, however a family falling out with her devoutly Catholic father, meant that Teresa was no longer welcome to visit with her family. Celia wants nothing more than to get the place cleared out and sold, as for her the property holds no memories. However, Sophie remembers the house and her grandmother with much more affection, ideals she somehow needs to cling to, and would like to put down roots, renovate the place and turn it into an artist’s retreat.

With absence definitely not having made the heart grow fonder, the two are at each other’s throats from the word go. It is obvious that Celia has massive mental health problems she is trying to deal with alone and has been hiding from her family for years, or at least she thinks she has. Meanwhile Sophie finds an old letter in amongst her grandmother’s things which draws into question all the niggling doubts she has long harboured about her past. Just to add fuel to the fire, Local artist, Joe, seems to have the eye for Sophie, which doesn’t sit well with Celia, who although not really contemplating an extra-marital fling, does everything in her power to distract Joe’s attention from Sophie. When tempers finally flare, Celia drops a bombshell which rocks Sophie’s world to the core and leaves her desolate with the realisation that everything she had ever been brought up to believe, was in fact, based on lies and half-truths. For Sophie. much of her father’s cool, non-committal behaviour towards her over the years, is suddenly explained. But even then, Celia has to make it all about her, saying that Sophie has no idea just how difficult it was always being in the spotlight, having to live up to the high expectations her father had set for her and how under-achieving was never an option in his eyes.

Having delivered such a devastating blow, Celia calmly packs her bags and heads off home, leaving a distraught Sophie to complete the clear-out alone. True to form, she embarks on yet another disastrous relationship, although the new quirky friends she makes, on whom she knows she can totally rely, help to set her on the straight and narrow before she gets hurt. Without Celia around to muddy the waters, Sophie and Joe are able to set their own pace for whatever happens between them and together they manage to open contact with a part of Sophie’s past, who will hopefully fill in some of the missing pieces of her life and give her the chance to build some of the childhood memories which have so far eluded her. Celia has also been doing some serious soul-searching and has concluded that keeping such a secret for her father for all those years, has damaged so many lives, including her own. She has a frank discussion with her husband about all her problems and together they decide on a plan of action, which includes Celia having that same difficult conversation with Sophie’s daughter Layla.

The steps they all take next may not be an instant fix solution for anybody, but can it show the way forwards to a new understanding, the building of bonds and dreams and the forging of new aspirations and challenges?

...

Whilst on the whole, yes, this was quite a predictable and formulaic storyline and I knew exactly how everything was all meant to end, there were one or two twists which added extra unique and intriguing layers, which didn’t fully work themselves out until the end of the story, keeping me avidly turning the pages and engaged throughout. Author Emma Burstall has a fluent, compelling and evocative style of storytelling, whilst managing to create a truly beguiling and immersive experience, which is rich in atmosphere and beautifully textured.

This is a story of new beginnings, accepting your own failings without the need to punish yourself for them; whilst also accepting the failures of others, without feeling the need to pass judgement or admonishment. Of the true meaning of family, taking into account the damage keeping secrets from one another can do, when well-meaning motives go awry. Chasing a dream if it is at all attainable and you don’t damage anyone else in the process and maybe being generous enough to help someone else to fulfil their own aspirations along the way, if you are able to. Learning how good life in a relationship can be if both people are singing from the same song sheet and the giving isn’t all one sided. It also highlights the long-term misunderstandings and indeed damage, which can be done in crisis, when children are not treated with the honesty and respect they deserve as small adults, as half heard and imagined truths, seen and heard by a child, will often be remembered completely out of context. But most importantly of all, after the love of family are the lasting and enduring friendships we make along our way through life.

The story was narrated in short, seamless chapters, which kept everything moving forward towards its conclusion at a steady pace, whilst some lyrically descriptive passages were seamlessly woven in, bringing to life the charming coastal location of this lovely oasis, so close to the skyscrapers and concrete walkways of Manhattan. Despite the undoubted hustle and bustle of the summer rush to escape from the mainland, everything managed to exude a calming aura of peace and serenity, a soothing balm, conducive to the healing of a damaged spirit. This together with places names which were real and enabled me to track my journey, meant that my ‘armchair traveller’ needs, were more than satisfied.

A quite large cast of engaging and well-developed characters are reliable, authentic, easy to connect with and relate to, despite their complex individual idiosyncrasies and vulnerabilities, sharing some great dynamics, energy and synergy between them. I guess the one person who bucked the trend was Terrell, who might possibly be considered a distraction in the overall storyline, although he did highlight how easily one determined and scheming person can so easily take advantage of someone in a more vulnerable state of mind. He was simply a self-centred individual, full of his own importance and ego, who felt that by clicking his fingers and saying all the right words, he would have Sophie begging for his favours, until he tired of her.

I really enjoyed author Emma Burstall’s seemingly effortless, relaxed style of writing and although this is the first of her books to date, I have read, I shall most definitely be adding some of her previously published stories into my schedule. I read for a whole range of reasons, but amongst them are enjoyment, entertainment, escapism and emotion. This story soundly ticked all those boxes and more besides, and I thoroughly enjoyed my journey.

Two sisters Sophie and Celia inherit their grandmother’s rundown house in a lovely setting on Rockaway Beach. Never having been close or in agreement on anything, Celia wants to sell the house and Sophie wants to rehab and keep it as an artist’s retreat.

As the women attempt to work at cleaning out the house, getting it ready for sale, they argue and cannot get along. While they are there they make new friends with some neighbors and re-acquaint themselves with some old neighbors. Sophie tries very hard to figure out their family history.

Sophie discovers the answers to some family secrets. Through some sleuthing, she finds information about her family ties that she previously had not known.

The sisters have a chance to make amends and heal their relationship. Will they do so? This book is worth looking into, especially if you are a sister.

Thank you NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the opportunity to read and give an honest review of this book.

This was a surprise to me i liked the plot and read fast and really enjoyable and very likable. I wish it was longer for sure. It was different and i really needed it