A twisty and atmospheric Cornish tale full of secrets and lies!

Hannah has pretended that she is in love with her husband Nathan for years now. Day after day, she plays the perfect housewife, preparing his favourite meals and keeping the house tidy, as well as looking after their son. She attends Nathans work events as the dutiful wife and never moans that she is not allowed her own bank account, credit card, or even allowed to learn to drive.

Why does she put up with his gaslighting ways? Why does she stay with him, when she’s never really liked him, let alone loved him? These are questions that plagued me throughout this book, but ones that are answered as the story progresses.

The chapters are mainly written from Hannah’s perspective, but some chapters are told from the POV of Nathan and also Cam, who is someone from Hannah’s past. I found the pace quite slow, to begin with, but it soon picks up and I found myself wanting to read on, needing to know what had happened in Hannah’s past and what led her to lead such a sad life with a mentally abusive husband.

This is a very good domestic thriller and what I most loved about it was the description used. It was so atmospheric I could literally smell the sea salt in the air and the storm scenes on the boat played out in my head like a movie. I was almost seasick! What a talent to be able to write so well that you are able to draw your readers right into the story. It probably helps that I lived my teenage years in Cornwall, so it was easy to use my imagination throughout this book.

I really loved the references to a Storm Glass in this story. Something that was quite sentimental to Hannah. I’d not heard of one before but have since enjoyed looking online at different ones you can get. I have even come across a bird-shaped one like in the book, that I think I’m going to buy. Every time I look at it, it will remind me of this book 😊

I guessed part of the outcome but found other bits shocking and surprising, and I loved the way the story was left at the end.

Thank you very much to Amanda Jennings, HQ & NetGalley for my advanced copy of his book.

I really enjoyed this book!

The Storm is about Hannah. She lives with her husband Nathan and their son Alex. Nathan controls everything. She is very much in her husbands control. She doesn’t have access to a bank account, when he gives her cash he demands the receipts to account for every penny.......Anything for a quiet life, because of her guilty secret!
The story is told from a few characters points of view and sucks you in from the beginning.
I despised Nathan, I felt sorry for Alex with all of his pent up teenage rage, I both felt sorry for, and wanted to shake Hannah (wake up! You are allowing Nathan to control you) and I could see the beautiful Cornish coat with how the author described the area.
I am not going to lie and tell you I didn’t see the “big reveal” coming because I did but it didn’t take anything away from this book.
If you are looking for a story that will keep you awake, promising yourself “just one more chapter” you won’t go wrong with The Storm!

Thank you to the Author, Publisher and NetGalley for gifting me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A complex tale of a triangle of hate more than love that I almost really enjoyed
The story centres around Cam and Nathan and Hannah, for reasons that eventually become apparent Hannah is married to Nathan, Cam resurfaces into Hannah’s life years later ( ie now )
Nathan is an abuser, not physically but manipulatively and with severe controlling, even up to making Hannah show her receipts and show the change left from the daily allowance he gives her, he demands his favourite meals on rotation and tbh he is abhorrent, even more scary he is convinced he loves Hannah and is treating her well......it takes a long, a very long time for Hannah to ‘fight back’ and this waa frustrating, frustrating for her, her son Alex and for me as a reader but when she did as the story progressed she did!
The story goes from present to the past and basically explains why Hannah is in the life she is and what terrible event caused her to be in this predicament
Based in Cornwall, the scenic descriptions were mouth wateringly good and I love there is a place called Mousehole, as you know I love stories that include villages and local bakeries and coffee shops and places you are a stranger even after 50 years, this is all in abundance and gave me a break from the dark subject matter
There is a lot of talk of the seas and fishing, Cam was a fisherman, and this, including ‘The Storm’ was riveting reading and not a subject I would have thought would find so interesting, that of course is kudos to the author for making it so
What I did find a bit off putting, and this isent the only book by far it happens in, is where a phrase and sometimes a word was over used, and in quick succession so for instance one character flushed pink then the next did and then all seemed to be flushing pink every other page, I hope that makes sense?
But thats nit picking really and this is a thought provoking and involving read that needs concentration and a clear head but is on the whole made worthwhile

8/10
4 Stars

Parts of this story were good but parts were predictable. Nathan’s treatment of Hannah and Alex was hard to read. I nearly gave up on this book a few times due to the domestic abuse and predictability.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

Really enjoyed The Storm by Amanda Jennings – a chilling, atmospheric and addictive tale of secrets, lies, and the abuse simmering within a seemingly perfect marriage I was blown away by its brilliance. It's full of clutch-you-by-the-throat menace, fantastically drawn characters and a twist that made me swear out loud.
Simply couldn’t put it down!

Well written and easy to read.
A well written plot line, with unexpected twists. This book packed in plenty, without being too much.
The characters were well thought out and intertwined in various ways, leading to a suspense filled read.
The setting was realistic enough that I could almost smell the sea, giving the perfect backdrop.
I enjoyed it immensely

This story is set in Cornwall, where my family is from, so I was looking forward to reading it as I have stayed in many of the places it mentioned.

I felt slight frustration with Hannah for various reasons none I will say why. Nathan was a detestable character and I just wanted to protect Alex and Cass.

There was one scene that annoyed me which was of the men at sea, fishing and how one of the wives had made Cornish Pasties for them to enjoy and it said it had carrots in it, well no Cornish person would ever put carrots in a Cornish Pasty. I was surprised how little research was done into this small but important detail.

This wasn’t a book that I found easy to read. Even when I got to the end I felt a bit disappointed in the story and that the outcome was what I had predicted

I would like to thank HQ Stories/Harper Collins and Netgalley for an advance copy of this book in return for my honest review.

A domestic noir, a deep dark secret, I must admit this was not my usual genre but I was hooked. Powerful, emotive and beautifully written. When the truth was revealed I was shocked. Told in two time periods you get tiny glimpses of what happened. The story of the ultimate sacrifice a woman makes to keep the ones she loves safe. Brilliant and will definitely be reading more of this authors work.
Thanks to HQ and Netgalley for the ARC.

Brilliant!! The way the author covers topics such as domestic abuse, emotional blackmail, and motherly love is spot on. I love the way that in the beginning we know there is a tragic secret but we don't find out til the end, building the suspense and drawing the reader further in. Definitely a love conquers all tale. I would love to see another book where Nathan gets his come- uppance but also finds love himself leaving Hannah to get on with her life in peace.

A good story and very well told. I did find that the flashback fishing boat scenes dragged on a bit and could have been shorter, great twist at the end though! All in all a decent read. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC.

I've never read any of Amanda Jennings' novels before, but I really enjoyed this one.

'The Storm' is told through the multiple POV of Hannah, her husband, Nathan, and her first true love, Cam, and flits between present day and 1998.

Hannah is trapped in a loveless marriage with her controlling husband, who monitors everywhere she goes and everything she buys, even asking for receipts at the end of every day. What isn't clear to the reader is why she is still married to him, especially now that their son is well into his teens. However, the real reason is slowly revealed as the story goes on.

I found the story to be gripping, and definitely felt strong emotions (positive and negative) towards several characters, which is rare for me!

Hannah is in a toxic marriage with a twist. Nathan is a “hotshot” lawyer who rules his wife’s life with an iron fist.
I liked the idea of the story and while it was engaging enough that I finished it fairly quickly, I found some parts dragged a little and held the pacing of the story back. I didn’t particularly like any of the characters so I wasn’t super invested in what was happening however I was interested to see where the story went, I wasn’t a fan of the ending...

Hannah is married to Nathan her VERY controlling husband. He controls everything from what she wears, how much she spends, she even needs to produce the pennies change from the supermarket and provide receipts to prove she has bought what she says she has. They live in Cornwall in an old Manor House with large grounds. Nathan is a lawyer known for his work in the community. He is handsome, successful and rich. From the outside, their marriage and lifestyle appears idyllic. No-one knows about his numerous affairs. They have a teenage son, Alex who is becoming rebellious and has a fractured relationship with his father.

Stepping back, Hannah introduces us to people from her 22 year-old past. Vicky, her best friend who she still secretly meets on a Tuesday morning. Cam Stewart her ex-boyfriend and first real love of her life.

Cam was a fisherman with a crew on board The Annamae, setting off from Newlyn. Times had been hard for them so they were desperate to get out to sea and catch their trawl in order to make their money again. Cam had only just met Hannah but knew that it was love.

They set off in high spirits with a young deckhand on board. One or two weren’t too kind to him but Cam took him under his wing. The trawl was going brilliantly until “The Storm” hit and it was all that the crew could do to hang on. The accident that took place was life changing and devastating.

The book flits between the past and present which was easy to follow. I enjoyed the book initially and couldn’t put it down. I was actually totally invested in Hannah and her life with Nathan. However, I found the story dragged in the middle with the fishing trip and the past. Part of me felt like saying “just move on now”.

I also felt irritated with Hannah’s actions and thought this seemed out of character compared to the way she’d been described. I don’t think she would have missed Cam for two weeks at sea then preferred to have got drunk in the pub flirting with the crew, rather than leave with him. Secondly, knowing Nathan’s possessiveness, would she really lie and spend a night away with another man? This made the book lose credibility for me sadly.

I rate it 3 stars due to these anomalies 🌟🌟🌟

Thanks to the author and publishers HQ for this ARC in exchange for an independent review.

Set in Cornwall with the sea’s seemingly demure nature in contrast with its sudden life threatening violence acts as a backdrop to the lives of Hannah and her husband Nathan. The Storm gradually builds up, rumbling away in the background, encircling the lives of Hannah, her husband Nathan, their son Alex and Hannah’s friends, in-particularly Cam with Increasingly threatening overtones until it reaches final release. Moving from past to present, from one character to another intriguing insights are gained gradually about each of them. Mysteries reveal themselves but the big mystery surround them remains tantalisingly just out of reach until the end. There are many layers to this story and one wonders how we all to a certain point manipulate one another? I found Nathan fascinating but repellent in his machiavellian machinations and was frustrated by Hannah's acceptance of his behaviour towards her despite her awareness.

This was a gripping book from the first page to the last . It held my interest all the way through. I just couldn’t put it down and wanted to fund out what happens next that I could have read it in one sitting. I loved the fact that it had a dual time line and I was really gunning for the wife to get away from her controlling husband or just stand up to him for once. At times I was irritated by her meek attitude but that didn’t spoil the story for me at all.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book, lots of twists and turns which keep you gripped and wanting to find out more. Didn't expect the ending, and loved how the story is left at the end......another book would be great?
Will be recommending to friends to read. Brilliant

Hannah is married to Nathan with a son, Alex. But is all it seems to the outside world? Nathan is a control freak and Hannah isn't allowed anything but who would believe her against a successful lawyer. Nathan knows Hannah's secret as well and he will not let her forget it.
But everything is going to catch up with them and what will the consequences be for everyone?
Read this over two days as couldn't put down - brilliant!

Thank you to NetGalley and HQ for the arc of The Storm by Amanda Jennings.

Thank you to Amanda Jennings for writing this book which I couldn't put down.

This follows a woman who is called Hannah and she is the wife of Nathan, they have a son called Alex. Her husband is very controlling and a control freak in which is because she always wants to know where she is every single minute of the day... he watches her spending habits and she has to keep receipts when she buys something and she is not even allowed her own bank card or even her own passport... like what? who even does that?....

People in the real world thinks she is a very lucky woman as she is married to a good looking lawyer for a husband who's living in a great huge house, as her husband has won an award which is for "Citizen Of The Year". He got this for his involvement with a lot of charity work with Charities. Nobody knows what really happens behind closed doors... he is like a bomb waiting to explode.... as you'll never know in which mood he may be in.. and he is very verbally abusive towards her so when he says things it has the effect in which being hit would...

Then it goes back to 1998 when Hannah was in love with a fisherman whose name was Cam and something horrific and tragic happens... so they end up splitting and go seperate ways.

This was set in sunny Cornwall and this was told in dual narratives and perspectives of Hannah, Nathan and even Cam alternating from each of them and from past to present which i love so well done Amanda Jennings for such an amazing gripping, captivating book

Definitely Recommend
5 Stars⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Incredible read!

This book has a dual narrative with characters that are truly compelling, whether you love or hate them.
This is a great book in the psychological thriller genre.

The three main characters had me so invested i could hardly put this book down.

Set in Cornwall you will also be pulled in by the atmosphere.

Definitely recommended

is in an abusive relationship, her husband Nathan, controls everything she does. He has taken her passport, doles out money that she has to account for down to the last penny and chooses her clothes. However it appears that Hannah is hiding a secret and this is the price she is willing to pay. She has put up with the situation for fifteen years but suddenly things change and her deepest secret is about to be exposed. Hannah will do anything to protect their son but he is now struggling with life at home - things are about to change.
Dark and atmospheric this book is gripping, it gives a sensitive insight into a coercive and controlling marriage.