This is the first book by the author, Amanda James, that I have read and not enjoyed. I typically really love her stories and the characters. But this one fell flat for me. First of all, I am not a fan of magical realism. I did not realize that was a focus of the book until I was about halfway through. There were some factors I appreciated, though. I loved the scenery and especially the area of Cornwell. The focus on past regrets and attempts to right those was touching. But there were too many aspects that distracted from that one positive to allow me to enjoy the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and One More Chapter for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

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Amanda James - The Secret Keeper.

(Previously published as Summer In Tintagel)

Following her grandmother’s requests from her death bed. Rosa heads off to Cornwall on a mission to discover answers to the secrets from her grandma’s past.
As she digs into what has gone before, Rosa finds new directions for her own future.

Amanda James takes us on an spellbinding journey to the rugged and mystical Cornish coast.

Beautifully set, and equally beautifully written.
#TheSecretKeeper is a charming love story. It’s full of Cornish myth and magic.

A thoroughly gorgeous read.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Amanda James weaves a mesmerizing tale in 'The Secret Keeper,' where journalist Rosa Fernley's quest for answers becomes a poignant exploration of family secrets and self-discovery.

Set against the captivating backdrop of Cornwall's Tintagel, the novel unfolds with a perfect blend of mystery and emotion. Rosa's journey to unravel her grandmother Jocelyn's past takes unexpected turns, revealing a world where the past breathes life into the present.

James skillfully crafts a narrative that not only delves into the intricate details of a love story lost in time but also explores the profound impact of secrets on identity. 'The Secret Keeper' is a beautifully written, emotionally resonant novel that keeps you captivated from start to finish.

Amanda James invites readers into a world of secrets, love, and self-realization with a skillful touch. A must-read for those who appreciate a perfect blend of mystery, romance, and family drama.

This was an intriguing and interesting story. I loved the setting in Cornwall and I really wanted to find out what the secret was. It was slow in places, but this helped to build up the intrigue. This was an enjoyable read

Tintagel sounds like such a beautiful place and there is nothing better than a family secret to keep me flipping the pages.
Many thanks to HarperCollins UK and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

What a wonderful escape to perfect Cornwall…Be prepared to put your life on hold! Taut and draws you in from the first page to the closing paragraphs……loved it! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book isn't for me, I expected a different story I thought it'd be like a Kate Morton book with a secret you discover at the end. But the secret was discovered far too quickly. And the story didn't hold my interest, at times it rambled along I just couldn't get into the story.

The negative views of the character didn't help: Most of the people she meets when she arrives in Tintagel seem horrible, that wasn't my experience of the people in the gift shop! And surly they wouldn't act like they do whilst working?

She thinks people could've spent their money on better things than a tourist towel and criticises the items in the shop. I understand about tourism and some stuff is tatt but does this author like Tintagel? As all the character seems to do is criticise. Some of the ideas were very cheesy and outdated/done before e.g. psychic called Morgana in Tintagel for example. Nothing original.

The wrong book for me or maybe the wrong time for me to read it but I just couldn't continue. So didn't find out if the story improved.

Cornwall is always a beautiful and atmospheric setting and the story doesn't let down the environment. The intricate and moving story is filled with emotion and characters you fall in love with from the get-go.

Thanks to netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Rosa’s grandmother is dying and she wants Rosa to fulfil her dying wish. She embarks on a journey to Tintagel, Cornwall to do this. Along the way she discovers more about the past and a lot about herself. She also meets Talen who is tangled into her grandmother’s past.

A beautiful love story that tangles the past with the present.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishing house and the author for the opportunity to read a complimentary copy of this book in return for a review based upon my honest opinion.

This was a lovely read, it had lovely scenery and made me very much want to travel to Cornwalll and visit the Tintagel ruins. Rosa's grandmother, Jocelyn, is dying but wants to confess a secret to Rosa and only her. She is very cryptic about the secret but tells Rosa of her true love, Jory and the sacrifices she made in spite of their love. Jocelyn asks Rosa to go to Cornwall to the Tintagel ruins and try to solve the mystery and bring peace to Jory. Rosa is hesitant, but does as her grandmother asks. Upon arriving in the small village, she makes her way to the ruins and feels a sense of calm she has never felt before and through the rain she thinks she sees a ghost. she waves away the notion as she has been brought up not to belive in pyschic abilities. As the days go by Rosa is drawn into village life more and more and find herself falling for a tall handomse man, Talan who has eyes like the sea. Rosa finds more than she bargained on her adventure and not only brings peace to Jory and her grandmother, but also finds a piece of herself she had been missing.

I would defintely read more books by this author.

I love reading Amanda James books as they tend to be set in lovely settings and with great characters.
This book was everything I was expecting, love the slightly supernatural take as well.

Such a lovely story. A little woo woo with spirits and being psychic but a really enjoyable love story and also a connection between a grandmother and her granddaughter whilst slowly failing in health.
Recommended for a different kind of read

Secrets kept. Secrets buried. Secrets hidden. Secrets forgotten. In The Secret keeper, Rosa heads off to Tintegel to fulfill her grandmother's last wish. To uncover the secrets of the past, her grandmothers and her own. In doing so, reopens the door to her past and, opens the door to her future. This is a lovely book set in a lovely setting. It combines a bit of history with mystery, romance with paranormal, and family and friendship dynamics with a bit of a travelog and wonderful characters that I thoroughly enjoyed! I've read a couple of Amanda James books and this book makes me want to read even more!

Well I don't know where to start, I pick up an Amanda James book and can't put it down, this one was no exception took less than 24 hours, a lovely story with some wonderful characters that were easy to get to know

This was an intriguing and interesting story. I loved the setting in Cornwall and I really wanted to find out what the secret was. It was slow in places, but this helped to build up the intrigue. This was an enjoyable read.
Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for my ARC.

This is a wonderfully woven blend of contemporary romance and mystery genres. Rosas gran shares with her a long hidden secret in her dying days and she takes it upon herself to resolve said mystery so her gran can rest in peace. Its a bit slow early on, but is worth the time to find a resolution. The writing is quite lovely and descriptive so much so that you feel as if you’ve visited many of the places Rosa visits along her journey of discovery.

Quite an enjoyable paranormal romance. Rosa’s ailing grandmother holds a lifelong secret. Or, perhaps, many secrets. When she sends her granddaughter in a trip requested by a ghost, Rosa’s life will never again be the same.

A slow burn and not necessarily my normal type of read, I did enjoy it. If I disliked anything it would be the pace. Some of the filler could have been left out as I don’t think it did much for the novel.

Oh what a wonderful book and set in |Cornwall, what more do you need. You must grab this fantastic novel for your self and enjoy it as much as I have done. 5 stars, I wish it could have been more.

Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for this ARC

Just an interesting read. I have read a lot of women’s fiction lately and this one is definitely a top of my list and most assuredly into the re-read pile it goes. I hope to read more by this author as soon as possible.

When Rosa's grandmother is dying she is asked to visit Cornwall to find out about the man that her grandmother loved and left. A poignant and emotional journey with a tale of sadness but also hope and new beginnings. Not what I expected but I absolutely loved it.