A beautiful, well written book with relateable, believable characters with a romantic and spiritual thread all with a Cornish backdrop, this is the perfect summer holiday read.

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

I loved this story.

Rosa wants to carry out the dying wish of Jocelyn, her grandmother on her trip to Tintagel in Cornwall.

But in carrying out the wish, she finds out more about herself as well as her grandmother’s past life.

I loved the setting and reading about the myths and legends of the place.

I recommend this book.

Set mostly in Cornwall in the present. Rosa’s grandmother is dying and she askes Rosa to travel to Tintagel on the Cornwall coast to fulfill a dying wish.
Rosa’s grandmother had visited Tintagel in 1968 and had a brief romance with Jory.
While Rosa is at Tintagel she discovers she has psychic abilities and receives a message for Jory’s daughter.
This was supernatural romance set in a historic place. I loved the descriptions of ruins and historic stories. The descriptions of landscape and views was well written. This was about friendships and family relationships and historic sites and secrets.

Journalist Rosa Fernley has always loved her Gran Jocelyn and is sad that she is very poorly and near to her death. She sets off from her London home to see her one weekend, knowing that this visit may be her last. She is surprised to find that her Gran wants to pass on a secret that she has kept for a very long time, but only for Rosa’s ears. Her Gran is exhausted by telling her story of a love that could never bloom, but adamant that Rosa is the only person who can free her from the guilt she felt and put matters she is worrying about to rest so that her Gran can pass away in peace. She insists that Rosa must go to Tintagel in Cornwall just like Jocelyn did as a young lady. Rosa knows her Gran is relying on her and promises she will follow her Gran’s wishes. She arranges leave from her workplace and packs her bag.
She sets off to picturesque Tintagel and books herself into a local hotel. She explores the area including the castle and the little local church. It is so full of history and the beach is so inviting. It is lush but wild, beautiful with stirring scenery and Rosa feels free and happy. The locals are very friendly and helpful. Rosa can see why her Gran fell in love with this atmospheric place so much. During this visit Rosa became aware of herself in a way she had never known before. She walked the old routes Jocelyn had taken and felt aware of the past her Gran was so upset about. She discovered the truth of a romance her Gran had kept a secret about from when she first met the love of her life there in Tintagel and her regrets that she could not stay with her true love. Her self-awareness became a blessing that she knew would grant Jocelyn peace and joy on her return and would also help Rosa throughout the rest of her life.
This book was previously published in 1916 as ‘Summer in Tintagel’. The story is filled with love, romance, emotion and hope for the future. The storytelling is good and the characters well envisaged. There are two romances; one in the past and a fledgling romance in the present. I have read most of the novels written by Amanda James and I enjoyed them all, but this one is not amongst my favourites unfortunately. The nuances of extrasensory perception are quite a lot stronger in this novel than in any of her other stories and I found myself unable to totally believe in this part of the story.
I received a complimentary copy of this novel from publisher One More Chapter through my membership of NetGalley. Thank you for my copy sent in return for an honest and unbiased review. It is a 3.5* review from me.

I loved this story.. Rosa was great main character. She had special powers which her father had denied her. It all came to a head when her grand mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer. There was old and new love. Forgiveness and part of the story Beas set in Cornwall. I absolutely loved it. Eleven out of ten. Fab

Rosa Fernley’s grandmother is dying but she has a secret. She wants Rosa to go to Tintangel to find answers and to put her mind to rest.
Rosa sets off on a journey which will end up shaping her future and understanding her grandmother.

Amanda James writes with warmth and has the talent to transport her readers to the setting of her books. I loved leaving the wind and rain behind and travelling to sunny Cornwall in this her latest novel.

Rosa’s journey to Cornwall is not just a holiday but a request from her grandmother to fulfil her last wish. The bond between Rosa and her grandmother is evident and when Rosa is entrusted with the story of her grandmothers lost love and her desire to find out the truth about the tragedy which occurred after they parted, she has no hesitation in trying to find out the answers to all the unanswered questions.

The plot of this book was well thought out and the setting was beautifully portrayed. Many difficult subjects were intertwined into the storyline , family, destiny, history, loyalty, domestic abuse and love, all tied up in mystery and suspense.

This book was a slow burner for me but once I got familiar with the characters and opened my mind to the storyline I found myself page turning and I really loved it. A book to curl up with and enjoy.

I loved this story. As with Amanda James’ other recent titles, this has a touch of otherworldliness, a poignancy and lots of positivity and hope.

Rosa Fernley is keen to fulfil her grandmother, Jocelyn’s dying wish and that is what she sets out to do on her visit to Tintagel in Cornwall, but along the way she not only discovers more about the past, but also a lot about herself.

I had a fascination with Tintagel as a child and enjoyed revisiting the location of so many myths and legends. The story carried me along and was thought provoking and well written.

This was a magical story with characters that you could fall in love with or simply not like, The clarity of the descriptions of the area were excellent and it was easy to feel that as the reader you were there with them in the lovely countryside visiting the local tourist spots, especially the Castle and Merlins cave.
Rosa is asked by her gran to go to Tintagel But only given a very weird brief. The story. Is well paced and I had to keep reading as I just wanted to know how Amanda James was going to finish the story.
I do not read romance books but this was more like a mystery involving romance.

What a wonderful book! This was not at all the story I was expecting from the blurb but so much more. The descriptive writing was so lovely and I travelled to Cornwall with all the characters, I could smell the sea and feel the spring breeze. Rosa was a wonderful character and goes on a mission to right a wrong for her grandmother Jocelyn where she meets Talan and the story takes another turn. Definitely one to read and would make a perfect beach read

I was drawn to the cover of this book. Initially, I was expecting a cosy mystery, or historical fiction. What I read was different from both of these, but I really liked it.

My favourite thing about this book was the escapism of it. The Cornish setting was something that was captured and brought to life. I felt really drawn into it. I liked the characters and felt connected to them, and there were some moments that warmed my heart. I haven't read any books by this author previously, but after finishing this one, I think I would be interested in reading more.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a free copy to review.

Reading books set in the UK, is always magical, so it was fun to visit Cornwall in this story. Rosa’s gran is dying and she imparts a secret to her favorite granddaughter about a lost love. She weaves a bit of a tale about ghosts and magic found in Tintagel and wants Rosa to go there to find out what happened to her lost love. Not knowing what to expect, but loving her gran, Rosa sets out on this adventure to give her grandma piece of mind. Although Rosa believes more in science that in folklore and magic, Rosa discovers she has a gift of seeing spirits. While in Tintagel, she encounters a man with eyes so blue, just like her gran stated about her lost love, and love blooms. But then she also meets the ghost of her lost love and a white witch who becomes Rosa’s main support and helps her in her task. Some conflict and misunderstandings as it progresses, but lots of warm fuzzy moments. The descriptions of the area make me want to grab my passport because who doesn’t love everything with castles, ghosts, lost loves, and mysteries. Although predictable at the end, it still was enjoyable to read.

Many thanks to #netgalley, #thesecretkeeper #amandajames for the opportunity to read and review this book.

There's a surprise waiting for Rosa in TIntagel. She has come to Cornwall to find out what happened to her gran Jocelyn's lost love but there's more than she could have expected,. James makes good use of her Cornwall setting in this tale of love that's infused with a bit of magical realism. It's the sort of read that can make you forget the present for a while. Thanks to netgalley for the arc. A good read.

3.5 stars rounded up

When journalist Rosa Fernley's ailing gran, Jocelyn, passes on a long-held secret of her past in her dying days, Rosa embarks on a quest to Cornwall to find answers and resolution to free her grandmother from guilt and pain as she leaves this earth. But the wild, beautiful landscape of Tintagel, rosa encounters something she could never imagine as the past comes to life and walk the beaches once more. Unravelling the truth of what happened to the man her grandmother had once loved and left, leads Rosa on an unexpected journey.

This book was previously published as Summer in Tintagel. This is a bit of a slow burner. Rosa Fernley has been asked to fulfil her grandmothers dying wish. I do like a book that's set in Cornwall. There's a psychic element to this story. The characters are well rounded and believable. This is a well written and atmospheric read. A story of past regrets and trying to make them right. Not a book I would normally read, but I'm glad I did.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #HarperCollinsUK #OneMoreChapter and the author #AmandaJames for my ARC of #TheSecretKeeper in exchange for an honest review.

The Secret Keeper by Amanda James is a wonderful contemporary romantic mystery which I loved.
Set mainly in Tintagel, the scenery comes alive with Amanda James vivid descriptions. The reader 'walks' through the action, fully involved rather than a passive participant.
Cornwall is a place 'of mystery and magic." The reader 'experiences' this air of mystery as they become immersed in the novel.
Skipton is another setting. As I am familiar with 'the gateway to the dales,' it was wonderful to 'see' the town.
The novel has the difficult topic of domestic abuse. This is sensitively and accurately portrayed, right down to the stiff upper lip attitude of 1968.
Two time periods occur in the novel as a mystery from the past needs to be unravelled.
Major themes are the need to be yourself and a search for identity. Forced to deny who you are, only works for so long. We all need to be who we were created to be.
Family is important. Family bonds are beautifully portrayed and the reader can 'feel' the bond between grandmother and granddaughter which is wonderful to witness.
There was a bedroom scene in the novel which I was uncomfortable with, so I skipped over it. This did not detract from my overall enjoyment of the book.
A cleverly constructed story which I really enjoyed.
I received this book for free. A favourable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.

This was a lovely and veery emotional story, being set in Cornwal is the icing on the cake. There was a great cast of characters, that seemed very real and a touch of the fairie. to add a bit of spice. Once I started reading, I couldn't stop.

A magical, mystical read set in Tintagel. I loved this book, the characters were believable and well drawn. Rosa goes to Cornwall on a quest for her dying grandmother and gets more than she's bargained for. It illustrates that the path of true love rarely runs smoothly....
Highly recommend. Will be looking out for more by Amanda James for sure.

Gosh where do I start to review this fabulous book. I loved the characters and the beautiful descriptive writing about Tintagel. I also loved the close bond between Rosa and her grandmother Jocelyn. Jocelyn is dying and as she tells Rosa a secret from her past she begs her to go to Tintagel on her behalf.

I loved everything about this book, the people, the setting and how Rosa came to understand the part of herself her father had tried to squash. I need to read more books by Amanda James because I enjoyed her style of writing so much.

A real gem of a story atmospheric and full of wonderful characters. There were sad moments, but these were outweighed by the warm, touching happy moments with lots of love in the air. Rosa is asked by her dying grandmother to go to Tintagel, Cornwall to help her with events that happened years ago. In doing so Rosa uncovers something about herself.

This is such a beautiful story which brings you a journey with Rosa but also with Jocelyn. It has it's heart breaking moments but just stunning!