Cover Image: The Lifeboat Sisters

The Lifeboat Sisters

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Member Reviews

I loved escaping with the Lifeboat Sisters in this first book of their series. I’ve loved all I’ve read by #TillyTennant. She’s got another gem here & y’re setting is gorgeous as always. I enjoyed learning about lifeboat volunteers. I’d never given thought to their dangerous & important roles. Ava’s story is tragic & heartwarming, one I adored. I can’t wait for the stories of her sisters!

Thank you, Tilly Tennant, Bookouture, & netgalley for my copy! All opinions are my own.

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The first in a new series by Tilly Tennant and features the youngest sister Ava in the Morrow family. They live in Port promise and sadly lose their father Jack, who is a volunteer in the RNLI. Have your tissues ready, and I loved how the story of the life boats, the village and the personal life of the Morrows was woven together. Great read.

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The Lifeboat Sisters by Tilly Tennant was fantastic. I have yet to read a book by Tilly that I have not loved, I am always captivated by the start and this book was no exception. In this book Jack the father of the three lifeboat sisters is killed at sea and Ava decides she wants to walk in her father’s footsteps and join the crew but her family do not agree. This book is Ava’s story. Will she keep her dreams alive or will she do what her family want and not join the crew.

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A wonderful new series. Ava trains to be a lifeboat volunteer when they lose their dad in a tragedy. She faces family opposition. At times heartbreaking and others really absorbing with getting to know the characters and Ava's best friend Harry. I really enjoyed every page and can't wait to read more.

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Thanks to netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Jack Morrow was killed on his lifeboat at sea int he Cornish village of Port Promise. His daughter Ava wants to follow in his footsteps. She quits her job and starts her training to become a lifeboat volunteer. Her best friend Harry is also a lifeboat volunteer and was onboard the night her father died. Her family initially don’t agree with Ava’s decision but Harry understands that she needs to do this. Whilst in the process of training she begins to look at Harry in a different light, she pushes her feelings aside so as not to damage their friendship.

One evening Ava discovers a secret about the night that her dad died they turns her world upside down. Will the secret drive her away from him, the job and life she loves.

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What a wonderful start into the Lifeboat sisters series of books by Tilly Tennant! I am always excited to read a book by Tilly Tennant and so I picked up this book thinking that I would love it. Well... I LOVED it! oh yes! Even though I scared myself a little by not finding the first chapters so appealing. I almost thought that I would give up on this book , but then after a couple of chapters, the story really begins and there it goes, I found the magic of Tilly Tennant again! Lovely read with lovely story, lovely characters, lovely settings and lots going on! I am giving this book a 4 stars out of 5 and can't wait to read the second book in the series!!!

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Tilly Tennant’s The Lifeboat Sisters is a gorgeous friends-to-lovers romance that will make readers laugh and cry.

The Cornish village of Port Promise is grief-stricken and heartbroken when one of their own dies tragically at sea. Jack Morrow was loved and respected by everyone and nobody will feel his loss more keenly than his daughter, Ava. Determined that her father’s legacy will live on, Ava quits her job and decides to follow in his footsteps by becoming a lifeboat volunteer. Helping her along will be her best friend, Harry, who had been with Jack on that fateful night when he had died.

Together, the two friends begin to spend a lot of time together and Ava begins to see her best friend in a completely different light. Not prepared to lose Harry’s friendship, Ava is not going to run the risk of ruining things by telling him how she really feels about him – even if with each passing day she feels as if she is losing yet another piece of her heart to Harry. Ava doesn’t know how she is going to stand to be so close to Harry and yet so far – until he reveals a shocking secret about the night her father died that turns her world upside down all over again.

Will Harry’s secret drive Ava away from Port Promise for good? Or will the two of them find a way to make things work?

Tilly Tennant’s The Lifeboat Sisters is such a lovely read. A gorgeous summertime escape that is simply enchanting, this wonderful story of healing, second chances and falling in love when you least expect it is perfectly pitched and guaranteed to satisfy and enchant romantics everywhere.

Tilly Tennant’s The Lifeboat Sisters is the perfect book to lose yourself into this summer – don’t miss it.

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What a fantastic read. Loved how the characters developed and hearing all about the life boats Am looking forward to reading the next one in this series.

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The story of Ava and Harry. She wants to join the lifeboat after losing her father at sea, and Harry struggles with the fact he couldn't save him. An introduction to the rest of the family, setting the scene for the rest of this series.

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The Lifeboat Sisters is the first book in a wonderful new series by Tennant.

I enjoyed getting to know the Morrow sisters and loved spending time in Cornwall. The Cornish coast is gorgeous and Port Promise sounds idyllic.

Ava is at the centre of the story - having recently lost her father to a tragic accident whilst out on a lifeboat shout, she makes a monumentous decision that she wants to follow in her father's footsteps and wants to work on the lifeboats too.

It takes you on a roller-coaster of emotions and also covers some important topics including mental health, loss and grief.

The characters are warm, wonderful and I easily became invested in them and their story.

I applaud anyone who undertakes a voluntary position with the RNLI as the sea can be a treacherous place.

Definitely my favourite new series - loved it!

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I really enjoyed reading this book. It is the first book in a new series from Tilly Tennant.
After the loss of their Father, Jack at sea, his daughters are finding it hard to come to terms with his death. Ava decides to join the RNLI to feel closer to her Father.
This book shows how different people cope with their grief in different ways. It was an enjoyable but emotional read I enjoyed reading about the family history and also about the RNLI and how they work. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for my ARC.

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The Lifeboat Sisters is the first book in a new series by Tilly Tenant. After the passing away of their father, Ava, Gaby and Clara are devastated and are trying to move forward alongwith their mother Jill. Ava, the youngest wants to follow in her father's footsteps and decides to become a lifeboat volunteer against the wishes of her mother and eldest sister Gaby. She is happy to join the crew alongside her brother in law and Harry, her childhood friend.

The book is set in a small village of Port Promise on the Cornish Coast.
I was completely invested in the characters, the story and the author's vivid descriptions of the village. Overall a heartwarming read of love, grief, family bonds and chasing dreams.

Thank you @bookouture for having me on the books on tour and @netgalley for providing me with a digital copy to read and review.

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There is just so much to love about this book! Like many other books that I have loved, this takes place in a small town with a wonderful cast of characters. I really enjoy these books where the towns sound wonderful, as do all the people that are in the town. Tennant painted such a picture that I want to move into this town! It is very easy to root for Ava, especially after the tragedy she has endured. I enjoyed that this book is multi-faceted: it takes on grief and how each person handles it differently, it takes on family dynamics, friendships, love, and life choices. There are many takeaways from this book because of the layers within. I don’t want to say to much because I don’t want to give anything away, but I highly suggest you read this book!

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There's one thing being aware of what lifeboat volunteers do, and there's another thing actually KNOWING what they do and, believe it or not, there is a difference. Reading this book was definitely an eye opener in terms of just how dangerous that role can be, especially when things can be so uncertain and lives are at stake. Once again Tilly Tennant approached a delicate situation with tender loving care and a lot of knowledge. Even though there were hard hitting moments in the story, there were also a lot of laughs, heart warming anecdotes, and characters who definitely left their mark.

I loved finding out more about lifeboat volunteers, but I also loved being transported into yet another one of Tilly Tennant's captivating novels. I loved it.

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I LOVED this book, it was an absolutely brilliant story!

The story was very well written, and I loved the author’s writing style, this author has always been one of my favourites in her genre and this was probably my favourite I have read of hers so far, and as she has some amazing books out there, that is really saying something about how good this one was.

The pace of the book was perfect and the length of the chapters was spot on and I really went through the emotions with the characters, I wad delighted by the ending after such a sad and tragic start to the book.

The way that the story was told was great, I loved the mix of characters and the different personalities from the three sisters and how they all worked together.

It is 5 stars from me for this one, I loved the setting, the characters and the story was superb – very highly recommended and I can’t wait to get started on the next book in the series!

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BLOG TOUR REVIEW


Review for 'The Lifeboat Sisters'' by Tilly Tennant.


Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Tilly Tennant, Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous


Publication date 14th July 2023.


This is the fifth book I have read by this author. It is also the first book in 'The Lifeboat Sisters' series. I have previously read 'The Hotel At Honeymoon Station', 'The Cafe At Marigold Marina', 'My Best Friend's Wedding' and 'A Home At Cornflower Cottage' which I would also highly recommend!!


This novel consists of 24 chapters. The chapters are short to medium in length so easy to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!


Congratulations Tilly on yet another absolutely stunning page turning read!!!


Yet another absolutely stunning escapism page turner by the extremely talented Tilly!!! Her fantastic and evocative writing skills will pick you up and sweep you away to the stunning Cornish village of Port Promise leaving you smelling the sea air, feeling the waves splash on your skin and warm your heart throughout!!! I was completely invested and immersed in the storyline and was absolutely devastated when I came to the end and realised I had to unpack my suitcase and return to rainy Wales. The scenery, atmosphere, village and characters all came to life around me and I am absolutely landed that this book is just the first in what promises to be a gorgeous series!!! What an absolutely explosive beginning to a series it is too!!! An absolute emotional rollercoaster coaster ride of emotions from laughter to heartbreak, joy to devastation, anger to bliss and everything in between!!! The storyline is filled with tragedy, romance, friendship, family, guilt, bravery and everything you could ever ask for in an amazing page turner!!! I gave up counting how many times I told myself one more chapter just to HAVE to know what happened next as this happened over and over until I ended up devouring the whole book in one sitting!!! I loved learning more about the RNLI and the amazing work that they do. The fact that Tilly has done her research absolutely shone through in each of the pages which Tilly did an amazing job of weaving into a beautiful storyline. A huge congrats to Tilly!!!! There is nothing worse than a book littered with mistakes as the author hasn't don't their research but you've done a fantastic job! This would make an absolutely gorgeous movie that I would love to see made!!! This book is a stunning page turner which will have you feeling warm and fuzzy inside at times and yet screaming and shouting at certain people at other times. The atmosphere was gorgeous and I loved the setting. It made this book a perfect fire place read anywhere and anytime from on the beach in the middle of the day or curled up in fire in the middle of the night. The characters were are well defined, strong and realistic. I became completely invested in each and every one of them and I cannot wait to meet them all again in the next book in this series which is called 'Second Chances For The Lifeboat Sisters' which I am off to read as soon as I have finished this so keep your eyes peeled for my review of that coming soon!!!


Well done Tilly on yet another stunning book!!! This is exactly why you are one of my favourite authors and here's to your next success 🥂!!!


Overall a stunning emotional romance that will sweep you off your feet and take you on a gorgeous break away.



425 pages.


This book is just £1.99 to purchase on kindle, free with kindle unlimited and £9.99 in paperback (at time of review) via Amazon which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!


Rated 5/5 (I LOVED it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.


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A new series by Tilly Tennant and it looks to be another great one. A father dies in a lifeboat mission so his daughter decides to follow in his footsteps. Follow her story and that of a friend to see what happens. I can't wait for the next book to be published. Well worth 5 stars. Great read from cover to cover.

Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for this ARC

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The Lifeboat Sisters by Tilly Tennant is the first in a new trilogy and I adored it from beginning to end. First of all, the fabulous cover can’t but fail to draw you in and then once you start you are enchanted by the fabulous setting of Port Promise. Instantly, you find the characters interesting and engaging and you are keen to know more about them as you can sense that they all have a story to share. The books centre around the Morrow sisters with the specific focus of this story on Ava, the youngest of the three. The two other sisters, Gaby and Clara, do feature and we get to know a little about them but their individual stories will be revealed in future books. Although, I did enjoy picking up on certain little things that gave a hint as to what their storylines could be.

We begin with a very dramatic opening which highlights the important, vital and dangerous work the RNLI do and all voluntarily. This is further highlighted throughout the book with impeccable research having been done. Jack Morrow has just retired from the lifeboat crew as he failed his most recently medical. Now he is manager of the station but when a call comes through that well known fisherman Robin is in need of help, he throws caution to the wind and sets off with the crew. Alongside him are Kas, Killian, his son-in law, and Harry a long term friend of Ava’s. Disaster strikes and Jack is lost at sea leaving the lives of the Morrow sisters and their mother Jill shattered forever.

Fast forward six months later and a memorial is being held for Jack. It’s a tough day for all the family. They are attempting to mend but when the anchor of your family as gone it is very hard to do. There has always been a male Morrow serving the community despite the dangerous, demanding, physical and unpredictable work involved in rescue. The story of Iziah Morrow explains all this so it’s easy for the reader to see how important the family are to the community and what a part the lifeboat service has played in the family also.

Jill is not the same person she once was and Ava, the youngest of the sisters, is deeply worried about her. Jill’s fire has gone out, her lust for life and her gardening work has evaporated and she is not functioning as she once was. Seaspray Cottage, the family home, echoes with memories of Jack that will long linger but physically they can’t have him back. Ava was a person who always went out of the way to do things that people didn’t expect her to do but the death of her father has made her realise her true calling. ’Her destiny was to follow in his footsteps, to save lives as he did, no matter what it took no matter the personal risks or costs’. She enjoys her work teaching water sports but deep down the lifeboat rescue is calling her and despite knowing it will further tear her family apart she is insistent that she will volunteer.

Ava faces stiff opposition from her family although Clara was the most supportive. I felt Clara really understood Ava and would back her up when needed. Gaby, being the eldest and full of confidence and assertiveness, had no qualms telling Ava how she felt about her decision and if she had her way husband Killian would no longer be volunteering either. As for Jill, I completely understood her viewpoint. She didn’t want to lose another family member to the seas as she didn’t think she could ever recover from another loss having barely survived what she has been through. In fact, I could understand all points of view relating to what Ava wanted to do and in my mind there was no clear cut answer as to what decision she should make. I was interested to see how it would all play out? Could a satisfactory outcome be reached for all concerned? Would Ava be able to follow her dreams, or would she have to put her calling aside and continue on the way she had been in her life?

Ava is stubborn and obstinate but in a good way. She knew her own mind and what she wanted and she was determined to reach that goal in some way despite the challenges thrown in her direction. ’I want to live my life, not the one my mum or you or anyone else wants for me’. She is resolute in her choices and I think because she was this way because there was an aspect of unfulfillment in her life which slowly started to emerge as the chapters passed by. She always did her best not to allow emotions to cloud her judgement and this trait is certainly needed in the lifeboat service. She provides everyone with a strong argument for joining the crew but I felt that she had so many things to consider that at times she wasn’t looking at the entire picture and considering other people’s opinions which like Ava’s were all valid. ’I’ve being coasting along not feeling like the whole version of myself and not understanding why until now. I need to do this. I have to this’. Really, she was caught between a rock and a hard place. Alienate, frustrate and anger her family if she joins but on the other hand when there is a longing deep inside you and the sea has always been part of your life and it needs you and you need it. Then perhaps she should trust her instincts and just go for it. I hoped the decision she made would be the right one for all involved.

There are lots of characters apart from the sisters that make an appearance who all add to the community feel in Port Promise. Marina is best friends with Jill and runs a hardware ship with her husband. Betty runs the café/tea tooms and Cormac is not that long in the village and runs the fish shack. I hope that Cormac features even dominantly in book two as I got a strong sense that he has an important role to play. But it’s Harry who is the main male character in this book. He runs a cider press business with his father Sandy and was there on the boat the night Jack was lost. He hasn’t been out on any rescues since the accident staying on land doing office work. He is haunted by what he witnessed and feels he is to blame for what happened. Should he have been more insistent that Jack remain on land? Should he have been the one to jump into the sea?

So many questions and what if’s haunt him and it affects how he interacts with Ava. They had been good friends since school and deep down you just knew that he had feelings for her but guilt, anxiety and pain were eating away at him and he needed help to battle through his emotions and issues. Harry struggles along silently and I could see how frustrated Ava was with him. His confidence is gone in more ways than one and I didn’t like how he treated Ava when she was only trying to help him as she knew how much he was suffering. Theirs was a difficult path to thread given their two differing personalities and with so much at stake the right steps needed to be taken.

The Lifeboat Sisters was a fantastic read and a brilliant introduction to the series. The book should come with a warning that you won’t get any work done because once I started it I found it increasingly hard to put down. So do yourself a favour and set aside time when you can read uninterrupted because Ava and co get under your skin and won’t let go until you have reached the final page. It was obvious that Tilly Tennant thoroughly enjoyed writing this book as such love, care, detail and attention was poured into every aspect of the story. I couldn’t find one fault with it, not that I went searching but if there was something wrong or something I didn’t like, trust me I would have said it.

Death and grief are challenging subjects to navigate but Tilly did this so well with great empathy and compassion and you feel for each of the sisters and Jill as they weather the storm of loss and try to rebuild their lives. I could easily identify with them and felt such an affinity and understanding with each of them. This was a book that I got totally lost in and I really didn’t want it to end but knowing that book two, Second Chances for the Lifeboat Sisters is already available to read made reading the final sentence that much more bearable. It won’t be long before I dive into it but in the meantime I suggest you read book one as it’s an enjoyable read with difficult subjects dealt with very well and of course the prerequisite dash of romance is there too.

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I do enjoy a book by this author and have read so many of her previous books. This is the first book in a new series and we are introduced to the Morrow sisters - Ava, Clara and Gaby, This first instalment focusses on Ava and the devastation of the family following the death of their father Jack. Their stories revolve around the Lifeboat service as Jack died whilst out working on his lifeboat, and we get to see Ava become a lifeboat volunteer.

The story was delightful and whilst so sad at times, it was also filled with such feel good moments throughout. I loved all the characters, and with Ava being the main character it was lovely to watch her character evolve as her story moved on. I loved the relationship she had with Harry and enjoyed his story equally. The little Cornish village of Port Promise was described beautifully and I could picture myself there amongst the villagers as I read. Whilst there were light hearted moments which brought smiles to my face, the grief you feel at the loss of Jack was wonderfully written and reduced me to tears in parts.

This was a fabulous start to a new series and one which I shall be enjoying through the other sisters stories. The location is perfect and the story very topical with Lifeboat week being celebrated in lots of seaside towns around the UK in the forthcoming weeks - what wonderful work all the Lifeboat volunteers do! If you're looking for a heart-warming story with lots of fun, family, friendship and love, then look no further! This is the perfect summer read and I would definitely recommend it!

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The first few parts of the story was gripping. The story starts with Ava's father being killed while in the sea and Ava wanted to follow her father's footsteps. However when one of her childhood best friends reveal a secret, Ava's life seemed to have turned upside down.

I really enjoy reading Tilly Tennant's books and so far, this book is one of my favorites. I do like the bond that was shared between Ava and her sisters and so it was interesting to read about their sisterly bond with each other. This was a long book but nonetheless you can read it in one sitting. You can actually feel sorry for Ava and I liked reading about Ava's relationship with Henry. I do like the descriptions of the village and that made me as a reader feel like I was a part of the story. Overall, thi book worth five stars!

Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

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