Nothing about Hannah and Nathan Cardew’s life is normal. Living in Cornwall with son Alex, I felt Hannah’s life was unbearably sad. She’s kept a prisoner within her own home by her manipulative, controlling husband, denied access to a job, a car or even money. Hannah is literally at his mercy and has developed strategies over the years to cope with the enormity of such a depressing situation, her resilience humbling. Once an ordinary, sociable young woman, I wondered how on earth she’d ended up so miserable and isolated. Conversations and words are forever twisted by Nathan and she feels unable to escape. Fear of losing her son Alex (and of course having no means with which to escape) keeps her by Nathan’s side, firmly rooted in a very toxic relationship. Hannah is Alex’s safe harbour, stuck in the middle of a warring relationship between husband and son, desperately trying to keep the peace. I can only imagine how living with such a cowardly bully must be. Terrifying, demeaning and debilitating, constantly treading on eggshells, her life must be exhausting, her personality slowly eroded over time to fit her husband’s mould. Yet tiny glimpses of her true character shine through occasionally as evidenced by her snatched smoking opportunities and secret weekly meetings with best friend Vicky. Top marks to Vicky for sticking by her friend through thick and thin but when Alex suddenly disappears, it’s not clear whether Hannah’s life as she knows it is about to implode and whether anyone can help her. With her son’s disappearance acting as a catalyst for events that unfold, Hannah’s past is about to collide with her present.

One of the main themes of this psychological drama is jealousy and long held rivalry for Hannah’s affections. In her past life, a blossoming relationship with fisherman Cam Stewart looked promising with a faint hint of what her life could look like in the future. But then there was Nathan and how he wheedled his way into Hannah’s life, claiming her love is up for the reader to discover. It’s a slow reveal but it will keep you guessing. I desperately wanted to know why Hannah chose Nathan over Cam. I wanted to know where Cam was now, unsure whether he was dead or alive. Brief recollections of a happier past were obviously painful for Hannah to bring to mind so I couldn’t help thinking what had prompted her to exclude Cam from her life.

As the title suggests it’s a storm with a near fatal fishing trip for Cam and his fishermen buddies that sets in motion a tragic chain of events, steering Hannah’s life in a particular direction. Lies, guilt and shame all stem from this one night with an incident long buried that shouldn’t never have been covered up. Misjudgments and misunderstandings have led to years of wrongly made conclusions that beg to be challenged if Hannah is ever to experience happiness again.

The author makes is easy for the reader to despise Nathan as a character since coercive controlling behaviour is a much loved tool for muddying the waters in any psychological drama. Automatically my allegiance was with Hannah and Alex whilst also knowing that nothing is ever as black and white as it seems. I knew Hannah wouldn’t be entirely blameless but exactly why was the hook that reeled me in, turning the pages rapidly in search for answers to my questions. I had no doubt that Hannah believes the life she is living with Nathan is all she deserves, that it is punishment for some past misdemeanour. Whatever secret it is that she is trying to hide must have the potential to create huge repercussions for herself and Alex if her willingness to stay with Nathan is anything to go by.

I loved the nautical theme and the author’s descriptions of the life of a fisherman. The gruelling work, the long  hours, the time spent away from family together with the unforgiving and cruel nature of sea seemed to be an analogy for Hannah’s lonely miserable life imprisoned within her home at the mercy of a vindictive and manipulative bully. The banter between the fishermen provides some light relief from the more hazardous aspects of a fisherman’s life although the scenes at sea with the storm raging felt very real. (Not that I would know since I’ve only to step one toe onto a boat before I start throwing up!!) I most certainly don’t possess sea legs like Slim and Davy and Geren and Cam do but however much research was needed for this piece, I give credit to the author for convincing, heart pounding action aboard the Annamae.

With such a range of emotions provoked by the storyline and plenty of the less savoury aspects of human nature on show, I enjoyed reading The Storm and felt invested in the outcome. All too often storylines are concluded neatly with no ends left untied so I appreciated the ambiguity of the ending with the reader left to make up their own mind what the future might hold for Hannah. Intriguingly I felt that might not even be the end of her story.....Definitely worth a read and a solid 4 stars in my opinion. My thanks as always to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read.

"It's a storm glass... Seems there's always been a storm coming, right from when he gave it to me."

This beautifully written family drama was instantly intriguing and immersive. Questions swam in my head as I was transfixed by the mystery of what happened on ‘that night’ fifteen years ago. Just what is the secret still haunting Hannah and keeping her chained to a man she can’t stand?

Told in dual timelines from multiple points of view, The Storm is a story of secrets, lies and love set in Cornwall, one of my favourite parts of the world. But this isn’t a sunny summer tale, and the air is charged with something dark and foreboding, a powerful storm unleashing its fury, destroying lives in its wake. What will Hannah’s life look like once the storm has finally passed?  

"Nathan drains me. The way he twists everything and the mental gymnastics I have to perform in order to keep my head straight is exhausting. It doesn't matter how strong I feel when we begin a conversation, by the end I'm shattered."

The characters are real and relatable, with Hannah someone I connected with on a very deep and personal level. To the outside world, Hannah and Nathan have a picture-perfect marriage. But behind the facade is a marriage of abuse and fear. While the author avoids being graphic, the abuse is written in an authentic way; Nathan ruling the house through fear, threats, isolation and financial control. I hated him. He sent shivers down my spine and anger coursing through my veins. He was a typical bully who cycles between demands, playing the hero and then the victim. A man terrified of being unmasked. Just thinking about him is making my blood boil! 

Spectacularly written, absorbing and emotive, the malevolence and dread drip from the pages. I couldn’t put this down, compelled to keep reading late into the night as the truth is slowly revealed through clever twists and turns. The Storm is an outstanding mystery that I highly recommend.

To outsiders, Hannah and Nathan Cardew have the perfect family life and marriage. They have a lovely house, Nathan is a successful lawyer and a pillar of the community but looks are deceiving. Behind closed doors, life is very different. Hannah is a prisoner in her marriage, not having any money of her own and having to account for any time she spends away from the home. Nathan makes her account for every single penny she spends, even making her produce receipts. He says he loves her. Why on earth does she tolerate someone treating her in that way.

The story flits between past and present. The past being when Hannah was a confident young girl, fun-loving and working in her father’s bakery. She catches the eye of both Nathan and Cameron, a young fisherman. Despite Nathan’s money and posh restaurant dinners, its Cameron she really likes however tragedy looms and lives are changed.

This book invoked such strong emotions for me. I loathed Nathan with a passion and I felt angry with Hannah for going along with it and allowing him to treat her so badly. Nathan was an awful character and his manipulative, controlling, coercive treatment of Hannah in humiliating her, making her doubt herself was no less than psychological abuse. I couldn’t understand why she didn’t leave him. Of course she didn’t. She put up with everything because of her love for their son Alex.

This is not a straightforward tale of coercive control and manipulation. There is far more to the story and as the layers unfold, we see what has happened to lead to this situation and why Hannah chooses to stay. I was completely taken by surprise at the way events unfolded, not everything was as it seemed and things began to fall into place.

It’s called The Storm for a reason – part of the story focuses on a dramatic and traumatic event at sea and shows how fisherman are at the mercy of the weather and the dangers they face. The story is set in Cornwall and there is a tremendous sense of place with atmospheric and vivid description.

The Storm is an emotive and powerful story that begins slowly but gradually the pace increases as more is revealed. Written mainly from Hannah’s perspective but also with chapters told from the POV of Nathan and Cam, it is a powerful story of love, loss, actions and consequences. Whatever you may feel about the characters, they have been perfectly drawn in this gripping and totally engrossing domestic thriller that has a sinister undertone bubbling away underneath. Beautifully written, I love how the author pulled it all together at the end. Definitely recommended.

My thanks to HQ for the place on the tour and for providing the Netgalley copy to review.

The Storm is a dark, disturbing and exceptional story from the fabulous wordsmith, Amanda Jennings.  Not only is there a storm in the book of the same name, but it's almost as if a storm has been written into the book itself.  The atmosphere is so charged and the tension is palpable that you really do need to brace yourself for the inevitable boom of thunder that heralds the peak of the storm.  

Something terrible happened after the storm that saw a Cornish fishing boat lucky to return to port; sometimes it's more dangerous on land than at sea.  The storm caused more destruction than it planned as it changed Hannah's life forever and drove her into the arms of Nathan.  Nathan is an repulsive man; he's handsome, successful and rich on the outside but psychotic, controlling and completely unstable underneath.  Hannah is trapped in the marriage as Nathan holds something over her that he threatens to reveal when he thinks she has stepped out of line.  Hannah succumbs to Nathan's control to protect their son, Alex, but now he is a teenager he's starting to answer back and this causes Nathan's temper to flare even more.

Oh Hannah, what have you done?  I couldn't understand her marrying Nathan after such a short space of time but it all becomes clear through the flashbacks to that fateful night in 1998.  Nathan is a bully and an abuser, hiding it all under the banner of love in his twisted little mind.  My heart really went out to Hannah who was just about to start a relationship with fisherman, Cameron Stewart before the storm blew her into the path of rich lawyer, Nathan Cardew.  It really felt like Nathan was holding Hannah underwater and only letting her up for air now and again in order to keep her alive; that's no way to live and Hannah has no life to speak of.  I don't know how she didn't poison his hotpot, is all I can say!

The Storm is a dark and brooding tale from the immensely talented wordsmith, Amanda Jennings.  It's a compelling read and so very difficult to put down that you just need to ride the waves until the storm has unleashed its fury.  An absolutely outstanding novel and highly recommended.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

I could literally feel my pulse racing as I read this! I loved Amanda’s previous novel, The Cliff House when I read and review it last year and oh my does this latest offering not disappoint. The Storm is brilliant and definitely one of my books of the year.

There is something incredibly unnerving about abuse. It can come in many forms and is often not noticed by the outside world. What goes on behind closed doors can be far different from what the world sees. To his local community, Nathan is a hero. Loving father and husband, successful lawyer and yet he still has time to help out in the community. He is adored and respected by many. But behind the facade is a man who is controlling, manipulative and powerful. His perfect marriage is a sham but only his wife and son know the real Nathan. He is very careful of that.

Amanda is a master at creating atmosphere and building tension, it pulls you through the story as you watch the reality of Hannah’s marriage and what she endures on a day to day basis. Why won’t she leave!? Why doesn’t she just tell him where to go!? I could feel the emotion and anger building in me and I can quite honestly say I really hated Nathan Cardew. There is of course so much more to the story and Nathan it seems has a very powerful hold over his wife, one that she knows she’ll never excape from. But things have a habit of coming to a head eventually and oh my, what a ride it was indeed.

This was such a great read. Reading it after the recent period of lockdown, when my thoughts often went to women who may not feel safe in the homes they were now trapped in, it hit home just how destructive obsession, control and this psychological abuse can be.

The Storm is a beautifully written book with themes of obsession and loss that felt as oppressive as the air before a huge storm arrives. Set in the county of Cornwall, where the sea plays it’s part in the lives of those living there, I quickly became wrapped up in Hannah’s existence. I say existence because that is all she is really all she is doing. Her home life wasn’t easy but the more I read the more angry I became! Why on earth would Hannah allow herself to be so downtrodden by her controlling husband? And what is the secret she is hiding? I thought I knew but believe me, this storyline doesn’t go the way in which I had expected it to! 
Amanda Jennings creates her fictional world with expressive prose and a visually descriptive narrative that gradually cuts you off from reality with its tide of intensity. I became as wrapped up in and obsessed with Hannah’s world as her husband was, unable to put this darkly atmospheric book down until I uncovered the secrets of the past. And let me tell you that it takes a lot to be able to pull the wool over my eyes but Amanda Jennings managed it perfectly. Plus she left me chilled to the bone with an intelligently crafted ending that left me feeling very uncomfortable indeed! Those quiet moments, when the storm has passed and the sun comes out again, will never quite take away the fear of losing all you hold dear.

The Storm was a 5 star read for me and is already on my favourite books of the year list! A wonderfully crafted book from start to finish!

What a book!!! Sublimely atmospheric, dark, tense and suspenseful. Brilliant!! Such powerful characters that you doubt and love and doubt again. Stunning scenery and hugely engrossing descriptions. I loved everything about this book. It's a slow burner that will blow your socks off!

I think I was expecting a gentle Cornish romance, sun, sea, sand etc. But no, this book is so much darker than that. Fantastically gripping story.

I read this for a blog tour. 

Coercive control is often in the media at the moment as people understand how dangerous it can be, Hannah's quite frankly, insane, husband Nathan uses it, along with financial abuse, to keep Hannah trapped in an unhappy, and dangerous, marriage, constantly gaslighting and threatening her.

Hannah lives for her son Alex and dog Cass, her only real outlets, unable to drive, with no job or money of her own. She dwells on a terrible incident from her past, which gave Nathan his power, and when a figure from that past comes back into her life, is forced to deal with things that she's kept locked away.

Shocking, and terribly sad, Hannah's story is not unique but set amidst the scenic fishing villages of Cornwall, (shout out to Newlyn, home of the best crab!), it seems somehow magnified.

Jennings is a powerful and clever writer and this book gripped me, waiting for Hannah to finally take back control of her own life.

A Psychological Thriller that I thought I knew what had happened, but I didn’t. Kept me guessing right to the end. 

In The Storm we meet Hannah who from the outside has the perfect marriage to a successful lawyer, a loving teenage son and a beautiful home. As the story unfolds following the present day and a fateful few weeks in 1998 we discover Hannah’s husband is controlling and she is trapped in her marriage. 

You think you know where this is going, but you don’t. 

The writing was descriptive and made me think I was right there in Cornwall. This is a book you just have to read and experience for yourself. 

This is my first Amanda Jennings book, but definitely not my last. 

Thank you HQ books and Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book and found it a twisting and turning domestic thriller throughout. At times I wanted to shake Hannah to tell her to talk to someone and get out of that psychological abusive domineering marriage but I know that many people suffer in the same manner as Hannah. This was a story full of so much hatred but with an underlying love that held it all together so well. As well as the main story of the abusive marriage the story adds in Hannah’s son and her ex-boyfriend which made many more turns. The maintaining of the interspersed two parts of Hannah’s life was very well written. - the before and during Nathan - slowly developed  until all comes to a conclusion at the end.
This depicts life so well in a Cornish fishing village with well defined characters and setting the scenery and activities so pearly that they were easy to be there with the story.
I loved the addition of a ‘storm glass’, something that I had never heard about before but I went to research these objects out and there are so many different styles  available to purchase today.

I did not initially warm to the main character and found the first half of the novel, in particular, heavy going.  However, as I got further into the story, it became clearer and thus believable, and I started to enjoy it more.

The Storm by Amanda Jennings is a marvellous contemporary psychological read that will consume your thoughts.
The action alternates between 1998 and fifteen years later from various points of view. The reader becomes completely caught up in it all. We know that there was a defining moment but we do not know when or what. As we read we search for clues.
Guilt consumes. Guilt ruins lives. When guilt and lies are all you know, the truth is hard to find. We must tell the truth in order to live in freedom. Only then can a character shed the chains of the past and move forward.
First love never dies. The ties and the memories remain. The reader can sense the regret, the pain and the love. In contrast there is a twisted love that imposes rules and imprisoned. Love will never blossom when it is chained. Love needs to be free to fly.
The characters were well drawn and the plotline is cleverly executed. Amanda Jennings grabbed my attention from the start as I worked my way through the novel trying to decipher the clues.
I always enjoy Amanda Jennings novels. They are gripping, consuming reads.
I received this book for free. A favourable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.

This was one of those reads where I was disappointed but unfairly so. Wrongly I was expecting a mystery with plenty twists and turns, plenty of drama and plenty of suspense. But, this was more of a slow burn, domestic drama focused on the psychology of people's reactions to trauma. However, now having read up on the author that is exactly what she's known for so I completely my fault and not a reflection on this well-written story.

The story is told from the point-of-view of Hannah mainly but interspersed with some chapters from Nathan, her controlling husband, and Cam, an ex boyfriend. It also crosses two timeframes; the past where Hannah is a carefree, confident young women, and the present day where she is now a repressed, fearful wife and mother. I loved the contrast between the two and the gradual understanding of how and why Hannah chose such a life.

And, that's the brilliance of this author. At first glance you see a woman controlled by her husband but then realise through the depth of the characters and telling that Hannah is more of a willing 'victim' or player in this story than it would at first seem. She has chosen a path for a reason and uses her intelligence and wiles to control the situation herself as best she can.

So, like I said not quite what I was hoping for but a beautifully written dark drama nonetheless.

Well this was an unexpected surprise! Thank you hq for the digital copy of this book. I was intrigued by this, I love to read about controlling relationships and the sort of lives that people go through. It really makes you appreciate every tiny detail that is written with parts you wouldn’t even consider. I loved the way this played on your mind as you read how Nathan was towards Hannah and I was gripped throughout. 
I would highly recommend this book!

I was eager to read this book based on the synopsis. I mean who wouldn’t love a story of a  husband who controls every aspect of his wife’s life. A marriage with a dark past, full of secrets and consequences. However I struggled with this book. It flicked between last and present but I found the overall pace to be quite slow especially during the middle third of the book. I also wasn’t particularly enamoured with any of the characters and felt the book to be overly king. Sorry but this wasn’t one for me. Thank you to NetGalley, HQ and the author for the chance to review.

I've read almost all of Amanda Jennings' books and I can honestly say this is the best one yet. Quite frankly, it has everything you need for a fantastic story.

There is so much more to this than just domestic noir. Not only is there a chilling and very realistic storyline of coercive control, there's also a mystery to solve going back fifteen years. Using three viewpoints - married couple Hannah and Nathan in the past and present and Cameron in the past - the story unfolds but not as you'd expect. I could feel Hannah's trepidation whenever she had to confront Nathan and it was clear she had to choose her battles wisely. Nathan is twistier than a corkscrew. His chapters were very interesting as the reader gets to discover what lies behind Nathan's hateful ways. Although I regularly wanted to scream at Hannah to get out of the marriage, she had her own reasons for staying. This is certainly not a glib look at coercive control but an insightful, authentic and heart-breaking story.

But as I wrote, there is also a mystery to solve and it's in this part that Cornwall has the main role. Amanda Jennings' excels in making the location of Cornwall an integral part of the book, as she has done with her past novels - The Cliff House and In Her Wake. It's the life source of the sea that powers these chapters both with the living it provides to the fishermen and their families and the devastation it can cause. The sea takes as much as it gives. Although the title, The Storm, has more than one meaning here, there's an actual storm that happens. These chapters were fantastic and I felt as though I was there, facing the storm, the tension rising with the waves.

I wish I could say more about the ending but I'm not going to give any spoilers away. I'll just say that Amanda Jennings has been very clever and leave it at that. An outstanding book and one that will definitely be in my top ten reads of 2020.

The Storm by Amanda Jennings

Last year, Amanda Jennings book The Cliff House was one of books I’d most enjoyed for its wonderful sense of place, complex characters and gripping storyline. I was so excited to be offered the chance to read her new novel with NetGalley and I’ve spent the last two days utterly gripped by the story of Hannah. Hannah lives a life that a lot of people wish for: the big historic house; a handsome husband who’s in demand as a lawyer; enough money not to work, spending her hours walking her dog in the picturesque countryside and tend her garden. Her husband Nathan is attentive, and takes her to the best restaurants, brings her flowers and gifts of jewellery not because it’s her birthday, but ‘just because’. Yet, Hannah is deeply unhappy and plagued by memories of the past self she lost long ago. To get to the bottom of Hannah’s unhappiness we need to see behind the walls of her beautiful home and back to the late 1990s when she was carefree, working in her parent’s bakery and in love with a boy called Cam Stewart. 

The book is split into different viewpoints and timelines, so the story is drip fed slowly  with past events informing the present as we go along. The chapters are those pesky short ones that make you think ‘just one more’ until it’s 2am! This was definitely one of those situations when I had a good book and no respect for tomorrow. Through Hannah’s eyes we see the current state of her marriage to Nathan Cardew. What outsiders see as attentive, we can now see is control. Nathan’s family have lived in Cornwall for generations, but it is also the place where Nathan’s father committed suicide in his study by blowing his head off with a shotgun. This terrible incident could be the reason behind Nathan’s behaviour, but he is a classic insecure psychological abuser. Hannah and their son Alex are controlled down to the minute. Hannah does not drive, holds no credit cards or money in her own right and is not permitted to work. As far as Nathan is aware she has no friends, but behind his back she meets Vicky, her friend from their teenage years, just once a fortnight. They meet in the local cafe and Vicky brings Hannah the cigarettes she secretly smokes under a tree near her house. She has had to learn to cover her tracks well, because at teatime (at 5pm sharp) Nathan will ask for the return of his card and receipts for all the shopping she has done, down to the last penny. Nathan controls every area of Hannah’s life from her access to money and the outside world, to what she wears, and when they have sex. Yet Hannah tells the reader that she chose this, that marriage to Nathan was a choice and her own fault. 

Hannah’s narration slips back to 1998, and the small fishing port of Newlyn where her parents have a bakery. By day she works in the bakery and at night she goes out with Vicky, visits the local pub and falls in love with a boy who works on a trawler. Cam has lived with local couple Sheila and Martin and their son Davy for many years. Both Cam and Davy work as fishermen, but their relationship can be antagonistic because Davy feels that his parents favour Cam. He refers to him as a cuckoo in the nest. Through Cam’s narration we see how he falls in love with the beautiful girl from the bakery. We also see the tough life of the trawler man and the difficult choices he has to make daily between earning a decent wage and putting the men’s lives on the line, especially when he knows a storm is brewing. The men exchange banter and give Cam a good ribbing about his girlfriend, although Davy is perhaps hoping to hit home with his news that Hannah once had a fancy date with Nathan Cardew who is now away working in Paris. Cam doesn’t care, he knows he loves her and they spend cozy evenings tucked away on Cam’s boat on an old sleeping bag. We start to see that Hannah’s current life hinges on one day when a terrible storm threatens the trawler while still out at sea. Cam has a choice, to spend a bit longer out at sea while the catch is good and risk being hit by the storm on their way back to port, or to prioritise their safety and accept a lower payday. His decision leads to a terrible accident that affects the whole crew. Their return to Newlyn culminates in a night out at the pub, where a shocked Cam is in one space with a resentful Davy, Nathan Cardew who has just returned from Paris looking for Hannah, and finally Hannah herself. The emotional storm that unfolds on this evening is so powerful it shapes all of their lives until the present day and puts the storm they experienced at sea into the shade. 

Having been a victim of psychological abuse in a previous relationship, and managing to walk away after five years, I was desperate for Hannah to leave Nathan and walk away with her son Alex. It was the combination of wanting this escape, but also wondering how she got stuck in this relationship in the first place, that pushed me forward and kept me reading. I loved the way that past and present started colliding and Alex was the catalyst for that. Alex starts to question his dad’s behaviour and challenge his rules. Firstly he rebels in small ways such as coming in late for tea or drinking a can of coke in the house. Eventually, the tension comes to a head and having read his mum’s teenage diary Alex puts two and two together and goes looking for Cam. He can’t believe Nathan Is his father, and suspects his Mum has kept a secret from him. The truth is the only thing that can create healing in this situation, but it will have to tear apart the status quo before that healing can happen. 

Jennings has written another intense and believable psychological thriller, that’s gripping and full of twists and turns. Every character jumps off the page, and I love the detail of Cornwall, a place I love dearly. Hannah and Alex’s ending had a wisdom and integrity to it that I’m sure the author fought for above a more traditional ‘happy’ ending. It felt satisfying while still leaving the door open for what happens next. I have no doubt that this book will be as big a success as her last.

What a read! This was a gripping story - by halfway through I didn't want to put it down.  Lots of drama, twists and a young love to adulthood storyline - the past comes to haunt the main characters and it keeps you on the edge of your seat wanting to know who/why.... The ending is a good one.  I won't give anything away, as to how the story unfolds and ends, but although there is a finale to the story, it does leave you wondering what could happen next - and wanting to order the next installment if there is one to come!  Definitely worth a read!  I will look out for other books by this author, as it was the first book of hers that I have read.

This story of obsession and past romance was ok, but it did not blow me away.  I felt a bit bored in the middle of it.  Otherwise it was the  story of a jealous husband and a previous lover and the secrets from a young life.
I would have liked a bit more "Cornwall" and a bit less of the possessive husband, it all got a bit repetitive after a while.
However I read it all and hope that others like it.