Unfortunately I had to DNF this book at around 20%. It started off interesting but then it just turned out boring. I wasn't really engaged in the story enough to continue. It was too slow and flat.

Thank you NetGalley, Knopf and the author for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The layers and complexities of this book are unforgetable! I want to go to Maine. I love how the house is a character and the stronghold for the setting of the stories. The ending was wrapped up so very well!

I really liked The Cliffs. I’ve read all of J. Courtney Sullivan’s novels and have been a fan since day one with Maine. She’s one of those authors I trust to deliver smart, emotional stories with layered characters and a strong sense of place—and this one definitely delivered. The story follows Jane, a ghostwriter grieving a loss, who escapes to a residency on the Maine coast. While there, she becomes drawn into the story of Eleanor, a woman who lived in the same house decades earlier. The more Jane learns, the more their lives start to mirror each other in unexpected and emotional ways.
The dual timeline structure reminded me a bit of The Engagements, which is also by Sullivan and one of my all-time favorites. This one has a quieter, more haunting tone but the same emotional depth. A little mystery, a lot of heart. One of my favorite authors has delivered another great novel. Thank you to #netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.

Jane Flanagan has had a rough upbringing. An alcoholic mother, non-existent father, and a sister that the mother adores. In her teen years, while wondering her small town, she comes upon an old Victorian house, abandoned, at the top of the cliff. The unusual color, purple with the gingerbread trim, draws her in. She spends a lot of time there, reading, thinking, and just being.

Years later, she returns to the small hometown after a scandal at work that has threatened her job and marriage. She returns home to help her sister empty out their childhood home after their mother dies from lung cancer. Jane goes to visit the purple house only to find it has been purchased and completely changed. The new owner has done a complete remodel to everything allowed since the house does sit on the historic registry. As an archivist, Jane is appalled to see this and wonders about the items inside the house she used to see that could be someone's history. While researching, several stories emerged that weave back and forth in time to show that everything is connected and history is worth learning about and trying not to repeat it.

A stunning, atmospheric novel that masterfully weaves together themes of family, memories, loss, and the undeniable pull of home. Set against the hauntingly beautiful backdrop of the Maine coastline, where the past crashes into the present, forcing the characters to confront long-buried secrets.

What stands out most in The Cliffs is the author's ability to explore the intricacies of familial love and the weight of unspoken truths. The characters are deeply flawed, yet entirely relatable. Their struggles, with love, loss, and the burden of legacy, feel real and raw. As they are forced to return to their roots, they each find themselves reckoning with the ghosts of their pasts and the truths of their present.

The pacing is measured, building tension slowly but steadily, and the way she unravels the family's secrets is both captivating and heartbreaking. The novel doesn’t shy away from the complexities of family dynamics—the way resentment can fester, love can be twisted, and forgiveness can feel impossible. Yet, through it all, there is a quiet optimism that suggests redemption is possible, even for those who feel most lost.

In conclusion, The Cliffs is a poignant and beautifully written novel that lingers long after the final page. It is a rich exploration of home, inheritance, and the weight of the past, set against the dramatic backdrop of Maine's rugged coastline. Fans of family sagas with a strong dose of drama will find themselves swept up in the haunting, evocative world Sullivan creates.

I am grateful to Knopf Publishing for the opportunity to read a digital copy of this suspense filled book through Netgalley. All opinions throughout this review are my own.

I’ll read anything J Courtney Sullivan writes and this didn’t disappoint. I love that a home was at the center of the story and the people were what came and went. I enjoyed the back and forth and figuring out how the puzzle all went together.

I thought this story was interesting enough but it was so long that I kind of lost steam toward the end. I liked the mystery aspect and I thought the fortune teller was a great way to help Jane learn more about her past.

I've been a fan of J. Courtney Sullivan's books ever since she pubilshed Commencement. I've read all but one to date and always thoroughly enjoy her books. While I enjoyed The Cliffs and the over all story, it felt quite long and drawn out in parts. What I did love was how at the core of The Cliffs was the story of Maine's indigenous people. I also loved, as she does with most of her books, that it's all centered in areas I know around New England. I liked the characters and I enjoyed seeing Jane's journey, but at times it felt like it didn't need to be mentioned again.

Overall, it was a good book and I would recommend any of her books.

Thanks Knopf Publishing and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

While I enjoyed this enough, it wasn't my favorite. Slow moving at moments and just didn't grab and hold my attention.

This was an engrossing and thought provoking book that was a wonderfully rich and vivid work of women's fiction. It was intriguing to follow the life of a single home through the lives of the generations of women who lived there. I will admit that this is a slow burn book for me and I found I needed that time to truly fall I to the story, but once I did I found the authors style of writing to draw me deeper into the story. I think it is important to noted that this story covers many heavy topics that may disturb a reader if they are looking at this as a light beach read. I will be looking for more works by Sullivan because I still am thinking about this book.

This is a good one! Combines a ghost story with a mystery with a bit of history and women’s literature. I really found myself rooting for all these women.

*The Cliffs* by J. Courtney Sullivan, chosen for Reese’s Book Club, is a powerful exploration of relationships, personal growth, and how the places we inhabit shape our lives. Set in a coastal town, the story follows the intertwining journeys of its characters, revealing how their pasts influence their present. Sullivan’s writing is engaging and heartfelt, blending the serene beauty of the setting with the emotional complexity of the characters. The novel touches on the idea that to truly understand yourself, you often have to confront your past. It’s a great choice for readers who enjoy rich, character-focused stories with a lot of depth.

I started this one with high hopes, but was unfortunately let down. It started out great, but went all over the place and it became hard to follow or know where it was going. I found it very hard to pick back up but powered through. 2 stars.

I had read differing reviews about this book, but I loved it. There is heartbreak and loss for the main character, Jane, but there is also redemption and she finds her way. A beautiful, coastal town in Maine is the setting for this multiple timeline story. As a teenager, Jane found an abandoned house and felt drawn to it. The house and the land it is on is the touchstone for multiple women through time and their stories are all woven together in a wonderful way. I am so glad to have read this book and I am adding this region of Maine to my want to visit list.

Thank you to Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own.

I'm a J Courtney Sullivan fan for awhile now. I absolutely love her romance/women's fiction. Maybe because this one is a different genre. I'm not sure. But I absolutely could not get into it and it didn't even feel like her "voice" to me. I'll absolutely pick up her next one, and always remain a fan. This foray into a new genre though just didn't work for me.

🌟🌟🌟/5

Thank you to #NetGalley for this book.

One of the tags on this book on Goodreads was Gothic and I'm thinking uh oh since I don't read gothic but being a favorite author, I knew I had to try to read it. People like reading their favorite authors for the similarity in books but I like authors with diversity in their writing and this is her first in this genre.

Take an old Victorian home, renovate it, and of course there are ghosts. It starts off in 1995 with Jane who lives in Maine and visits this dilapidated, crumbling house when she's in her teens and then it segues into the present which was 2015 where Paul and Genevieve are using it as their Summer home.

I hate giving negative reviews especially for a favorite author but when an author switches genres sometimes it just doesn't work. I even saw a 1 star review and other not so good reviews so I'm not in the minority this time.

I couldn't get to page 100 even. It was too slow for me.

Enjoyed this multi layered and atmospheric novel. A bit of a mystery mixed with an historical element.

A bit choppy, this book was hard to get into and soon lost my interest. Some suspense and twists and turns but I felt it was just okay. It seems like this storyline has been saturated lately in the thriller genre so nothing new. Not sure why it was chosen for Reese's Book Club. Again, it was okay, but I DNF after 2/3 in. Thanks to #netgalley #thecliffs for the chance to read and review this book.

This book was a pleasant surprise.
I thoroughly enjoyed it, as it was a quick read and a good time.

J. Courtney Sullivan is an auto-read author for me, and this is no exception! I was waiting eagerly since her last book, "Friends and Strangers" (which I LOVED) and "The Cliffs" delivered. Beyond the amazing wring about the coastal setting, Sullivan's excellent character work is on display again here, as she weaves together the past and present storylines. The plot is a bit slow to get going, but since I've read everything else the author has written I knew to settle in and trust her, and I'm so glad I did.