I really enjoyed this book, the first I’ve read by Heidi Swain but it won’t be the last. A fun and fast paced book in a lovely location. 
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for letting me read this book in exchange for a review. I will be putting this review on Amazon too.

How much did I love this book.

I have been a fan of Heidi Swain for a long time so when given the chance to review this book for Netgalley I was delighted.

Tess is struggling, she is working too hard and not taking enough time for herself, after a fraught exchange with her father she takes an impromptu long holiday return to Wynmouth to give herself time to reflect on what she is doing with her life.

When she gets there she discovers all her memories not quite as she remembers them and sometimes things are not always as clear as they seem especially if you have things in the wrong order.

I have always loved Heidi's books, the characters are always so wonderful, the four main characters Tess, Sam, Hope and Joe are well written and you get to care about what is happening to them, I loved Bruce and could almost picture him from the way he was written.

I didn't see the twist in the story coming and in the end I think the happy ever afters suited everyone involved.

If you want some escapism and a trip to the seaside I highly recommend this as a book for you.

I love Heidi’s books and have read them all, but have to say this was my favourite so far.
A completely different place and new people, I loved it.
Tess works for her father in his successful PR business, where he has immersed himself since the untimely death of Tess’ mother.
Tess dreams of happier times on family holiday in Wynmouth with her parents, exploring the beach and rock pools, and her first ever kiss behind the beach huts.
Deciding she needs a long overdue holiday, she head off to Wynmouth for two weeks and switches off her phone.
Tess rents the cottage she dreamed of owning as a child and soon gets to meet the locals, making use of her PR planning skills to bring the community together.
She makes some wonderful friends but looming at the back of her mind is the thought that she needs to speak to her father and face going back to reality.
Then a whole series of events puts everything in a spin. I won’t add anymore for fear of spoiling the story, but o really hope we get to go back and visits Wynmouth and it’s residents again soon. I’m sad to have finished the book!

Another delightful story. I really enjoy stories when the author makes the characters seem like friends. I makes you so invested in the story. An enjoyable story line with strong characters and lots of dilemmas. A thoroughly enjoyable read.

I loved the beautiful setting of Wynmouth with its wonderful characters and it had many great twists and turns.

Whilst reading I was reminded of holidays spent at the beach as a child and the solace it gives me as an adult.


It was a ray of sunshine to read during lockdown and will now daydream of a time when I can visit my local beach again.
Another wonderful story by Heidi.


ThankYou to Simon and Schuster UK for the approval and Netgalley.

I very much enjoyed this book.  It has a good story and excellent main characters.  I would definately recommend this book.

The Secret Seaside Escape by Heidi Swain

The story follows Tess who is basically having a meltdown from stress and overwork in her senior position in her fathers company, Tyler PR. It all comes to a head when she is helping her father to clear some of her dead mother’s possessions . Tess decides she will take a break in Norfolk where they all had happy times as a family . 

This is a beautifully written book featuring a wealth of characters and there are many twists as things aren’t always what they seem. Much enjoyed.

I must sound like a broken record with every review of Heidi's books but I loved it and i can't wait for the next visit to this place! Wynmouth is a beautiful little place that she's created and yet again she's made me want to visit a fiction place! I was drawn in and could barely manage to put the book down. 5* as always

I greatly enjoyed this book, thank you for giving me a preview copy. The plot was interesting and fast paced and I sympathised with the characters. This is the first novel I have read by this author but I hope it will not be the last!

I enjoyed this book a lot.  The book is about a woman called Tess Tyler who is very stressed while she is working full time for her father.  She is in need of a break, especially after finding out some shocking news about her recently departed mother.  She goes to Wynmouth for a holiday, which is a seaside town she loved to visit when she was a child.  Here she finds beautiful scenery, relaxation, some wonderful friends and some romance too.  Will she be able to leave this stunning place?  I loved reading about the seaside and the characters.  The story was a bit predictable, but it was still very enjoyable.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review.

‘A delightfully sunny read with added intrigue and secrets’

Comment / Quote provided direct to publisher.

Really enjoyed this. Only the second of Heidi's books that I had read. Enjoyed the relationship with her father and the revelations - the many revelations towards the end, several which I hadn't seen coming. Loved the rapport she built with the locals and the two love interests. Loved her helping out the locals with their businesses even when she was on holiday., and the friction between the various characters. All in all a great book. Great subplots. Recommend!

A warm brilliant read, the characters brought a smile to my face. The plot had a few twists but it was Heidi's talent as a storyteller brought out the richness of the tale.
A feel good book, a perfect route to escape.

OMG I absolutely loved this story.
Heidi has a wonderful way of telling a story, she sucks you right in.
Tess needs a break from her hectic job and working for her father so she books a cottage in Wynmouth the seaside town that brings back wonderful childhood memories.
She meets Sam the pub owner who also owns the cottage she has rented.
Lots of twists and turns, but so many times I escaped to Wynmouth and have to say was so sad when the story ended.

I've read a few of the authors books previously so had high hopes for this one and wasn't disappointed. As the blurb says we follow Tess as she realises that she needs to have a break and look after herself and also, gets a shock about her past. These two events make her head to Wynmouth for a break to reassess what she thought she knew and to take stock of her life.

Much as I enjoyed the whole book it was the little things that really made it work for me. The cottage Heidi rents was lovely and I could see myself staying in it, the fact that she holed up for a few days when she didn't feel like meeting people was so realistic to me as that's what I do and it was nice to see that reflected in a book. She also rediscovered her what she had previously enjoyed like rock pools, and made the effort to spend time just watching them. It was good to see a character who had decided they needed to escape from their life, actually do that. Tess couldn't seem to resist getting involved in the town and helping out but it was good to see that that didn't overtake everything and she actually spent time reflecting and reacting as a real person would. It irritates me to see people in films and books decide to change their lives and then all of a sudden do it and it's a complete success with little effort. That is so far removed from reality it's ridiculous and that's why I really liked that in this book we saw Tess's struggles and doubts about things.

The town was lovely, it made me want to go and stay and spend some time wandering along the beach and visiting the coffee shop. The descriptions of the place, the people and everything else were spot on and although it's actually been a little while since I read it, writing this is making me want to go back and read it again.  This story is focused on Tess and what she is doing but along the way we meet a few other important characters and learn that not everything in Wynmouth is as picture postcard perfect as it looks, however, that again makes it more realistic and just adds another layer of depth to the story.

If you want a summer, or anytime of year, read that is realistic but also an escape from the world then this is definitely a good choice. Equally if you've read any of Heidi Swain's other books then you'll love this one. More please!

This is such a lovely book - the perfect antidote to the crazy goings on in the world at the moment!

I really loved the setting, Heidi Swain builds a gorgeous picture of Wynmouth - from the small village amenities and the beach to the rugged coastal farm.

The characters are really well developed and likeable, again from the main characters to the villagers such as George. 

The storyline itself has plenty twists and turns, of course the path of true love never runs smoothly, but there are deeper revelations than just romantic ones. Some of the plot twists I saw coming, but there was still plenty to keep me hooked. I also really liked the wee eco angle of a beach clean and the discussions that raised. 

Can't wait to read more of Heidi's books. 

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this fab book.

Wow! This was my first Heidi Swain book and certainly won't be the last! I fell in love with the seaside town and all of the characters too, definitely a must read. Thank you for the opportunity to review this amazing book :)

Ooh, there's such a lot going on in this story. It starts of gently enough, but the pace and the complexity of the plot ramps up until it's positively racing and tangled as the end grows near. I didn't see some of it coming (quite a bit of it, actually), so for me it was full of jaw-dropping surprises.  Excellent plotting, and some deeper issues touched upon with gave the book an added depth.

I knew I was going to enjoy this before I started it (I always do when it comes to Ms Swain's stories) and this one certainly didn't disappoint.

3.5 stars
I'm a big Heidi Swain fan – a total sucker for her style of escapism – so I was delighted to receive an e-copy in exchange for an honest review. And while this was good, and I enjoyed it, it definitely wasn't my favourite of her work and I would recommend new readers start with one of her other books first. I'm sure other fans will love it.
I look forward to her next book.

Loved this book! Well written, great characters, plenty of twists and turns to the story that the reader cannot guess. The location makes you want to go there on holiday! 
This book draws the reader in from the start and you don’t want to put it down , 
A fantastic read, I didn’t want it to end !  And I would recommend this book to anyone 
Thank you to Netgalley, Simon and Schuster, and Heidi Swain for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review