What a truly amazing read. Once again Heidi Swain has made me visualize a holiday spot on the North Norfolk coast. I found the characters believable and whilst reading it I became involved as if they were my friends. The novel is set in Norfolk. Tess Tyler works in the family business with her father. She is working flat out until she stumbled on a secret. With the need to get away she finds a cottage in Wynmouth, a seaside town where she had made such happy memories as a child. Without telling anyone where she is going she heads off to a superb cottage. The one thing she remembers most is her first kiss. Does the young boy she liked then, still living there? As the plot unfolds more secrets come to light. Relax and unwind as you imagine the wind in your hair looking at rock pools wondering what is coming next. This is a must read . Congratulations to Heidi Swain and thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to get the latest novel in exchange for n honest review.

Definitely one of the best feel good authors out there. This story is so charming and the characters are all loveable. I hope there is a series to come from the village! I would definitely read them.

Set within a small seaside community, dealing with the after effects of a tragedy from some 20 years ago, 'The Secret Seaside Escape', provides Tess with the ideal opportunity to escape from the stress of daily life while working for the family firm. She hopes that returning to a place full of happy memories will help her to accept her own recent discovery about her family. But as Tess plunges headfirst into village life, she quickly realises that you cannot escape the past, especially when you are unwilling to face upto it.
'The Secret Seaside Escape' is an enjoyable read and set in such a wonderfully picturesque location that is encouraged the reader to dream of a holiday in Norfolk for themselves.
The characters are not always likeable and sometimes, Tess's inability to think properly before acting can be infuriating but yet, I couldn't help but cheer her on and was delighted by the family related twist towards the end of the story.
A wonderful feel good story.
I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley in return for an honest review.

We have broken away from Wynbridge (I am sure we will return at some point) and we have pitched up on the Norfolk coast in Wynmouth.

The rock pools, the sea, the sand, the beach huts, shared experiences and loves of family holidays are just distant memories to Tess, but Wynmouth is where she feels she had the best parts of her life.

When it all feels like it has come to much at her high pressured job working for her very demanding and exacting father in the family firm and still reeling from the death of her mother, Tess decides to step away from it all.

Not telling anyone, she rents a cottage next to a pub in Wynmouth. Shutting all technology in a drawer and taking only herself and a recent discovery with her, Tess intends to hole up in Wynmouth until she feels ready to go back.

Trouble is Tess, cannot switch off that easily and she soon becomes involved in this lovely seaside town and the community.

Tess forms a bond with Sophie who runs the local cafe and her daughter Hope. Tess can see the potential in the cafe, once in PR, always in PR and helps Sophie spread the word a bit more.

Meddling a bit more, she branches out at the pub and becomes close to Sam, the landlord of the her rental cottage as well. Sam is slightly aloof and seems he is running away from something too.

When a familiar face returns to Wynmouth it doesn't just upset the locals, it upsets Tess too. It seems that by running away she has run into something else from her past.

Tess is about to learn a few lessons in nothing being as it seems.

This is yet again a five star read from Heidi Swain (as have all her previous novels). Instantly I was taken to the seaside, not so much of a problem when you live near one, but to have it jump off the page was wonderful. The characters were just as good as they always are. Fully formed, even those that merely played a small part in the story. I took an instant like and dislike to many of them only to find my prejudices and assumptions were sometimes wrong as I did not know the full story.

If you cannot get to a seaside, this is the perfect way to escape - but you might need to provide your own ice cream!

I’m a #swainette through and through... this fantastic new book from Heidi Swain is perfect for a mental break away. After reading I just wanted to go and escape to the seaside myself, I’d love to fall into a community with characters like Heidi creates.
All of Heidi’s books have such wonderful communities – as you may know if you’ve read any of Heidi’s other books – but this is a brand new one with wonderful new people who feel like friends by the end.
Tess is fed up working hard for her father and not getting the appreciation she needs. She takes herself away to the seaside, Wynmouth, the place she spent so much time growing up. Awakening old memories and secrets, Tess has decisions to make about her future but will the heart rule the head, especially when she realises her feelings for a certain local.
I love Tess. She’s sweet, kind and gets involved in the community straight away which I like. She soon settles into place and its clear she feels at home there with some brilliant friendships made early on. A great character!
There is a whole host of supporting characters who add to the fun, George and his meddling, Sophie, Hope, Joe and of course, Sam.
Easy to be charmed by the amazing writing and descriptions, you will feel like you are part of the idyllic seaside. I loved the development, the twists that were unexpected but interesting. It’s a fantastic tale of friendships, community spirit, forgiving the past and learning to accept what is meant to be.
Romance is a theme running throughout the book, but it isn’t the main focus, personal development and fixing relationships is in my opinion – although the romance is great.
I cannot recommend this enough, as I would any Heidi Swain book. A feel good, cosy read that will entice you in and leave you wanting more. Treat yourself to a trip to Wynmouth, you won’t be disappointed.
Fingers crossed for a return trip.

Heidi Swain takes us to the little coastal town of Wynmouth where Tess Tyler has escaped the daily rat-race for some me-time, and what place better than the one which holds many of her fondest childhood memories. Including her first kiss.

“...it’s impossible to feel anything but at home in Wynmouth, isn’t it?”

Filled with likeable characters, I enjoyed this which was largely down to Swain’s engaging style of writing, however I didn’t exactly feel the chemistry between Sam and Tess thanks to their lack communication skills leading to misunderstandings and wrong assumptions—something which also can be said for to several other characters.

“This has been like a Shakespearean comedy.”

But with a satisfying ending tying everything up, overall The Secret Seaside Escape ticks the feel-good summer read boxes.

3.5 stars.

More twists and turns than a rollercoaster. Loved the seaside setting and the characters. Dreamed so many times over the years about escaping to a little cottage at the seaside, so I could easily imagine myself in the heroine’s shoes. Heidi Swain delivers a five-star read yet again.

I always look forward to a new book from Heidi Swain and with The Secret Seaside Escape I was not disappointed. The new location of Wynmouth in Norfolk and a new set of endearing characters to get to know and love made the reading experience a joy.

Tess Tyler is a hard working town girl who is giving her all working for her Dad’s PR business where she excels but this comes at a price of taking up all her time and energy. Desperate for some R & R Tess decides to switch off her phone and head off to her happy place, Wynmouth where she spent so many childhood happy times with her parents. Tess quickly becomes part of the community along with its dramas and tribulations. Presumptions and hostilities are rife and Tess experiences her own quandaries as she decides that going back to her hectic lifestyle is not an option.

The Secret Seaside Escape is a breath of fresh air that left me yearning for summer. My thanks to Net Galley for the ARC.

Highlight of my year receiving the latest Heidi Swain book and I had to get stuck straight in as soon as I could. Firstly just look at that stunning cover! Wow it is just so summery and really inviting!
The location this book is set in is the most perfect like village I really wish it was a real place because if it was id be moving straight there. The community are so kind and caring and everyone looks out for each other, and it just seems like a really happy place.
The characters are fantastic, I honestly loved them all!
You know when you read a book and you know what way it is going to go and end like its predictable well what I loved is how this story didn’t end the way I thought and things happened that I didn’t see coming.
For me this is one of the best books I have read to date this year and I believe this Heidi Swain’s best book yet! Seriously her books just get better and better.
Pure perfection!

Heidi Swain has done it again. Another amazing book from this amazing author. Even though I haven’t been reading her books for very long I have read them all and loved each one. The Secret Seaside Escape sees us move away from Wynbridge and Nightingale Square into the beautiful seaside town of Wynmouth and we meet a whole new cast of characters, but as we have seen from Heidi’s other books there is a sense of community here too. An absolutely delightful read and I hope this is the first of many visits to the beautiful seaside town.

Tess Tyler is at the end if her tether. She works as a busy PR executive in her father's firm. Working too many hours for a boss who thinks she should be available at all hours if the day and night mean that Tess is worn out. So she runs away to the place that has such happy memories of family holidays when she was young and before her father's business took off.
Tess doesn't tell anyone where she is going and decides to eschew all communication with her father and her colleagues. However she quickly falls for Sam who runs the local pub and she can't help getting involved in village life.
Needless to say the path of true love does not run smoothly and there are misunderstandings and complications aplenty during the course of this book.
This is a warm hearted story, with lots of likeable characters and enough twists and turns to keep the reader entertained.

The Secret Seaside escape by Heidi Swain is my first book from the author and it won’t be my last.
As a child, Tess Tyler used to holiday in the idyllic seaside town Weymouth with her Mum and dad. That’s when her family were happy. Now grown up, Tess is a high – flyer in the family’s PR business. Her dad is her boss. Her mother died years previously and Tess still hasn’t come to terms with her death. With the stress of her job, and the discovery of her mother’s diary which some of the details leaves her reeling. Tess decides to take a break and without letting her dad know of her plans she finds herself heading to Weymouth. She decides to have a relaxing time while she is there. But circumstances change for the better and she gets close to the locals she shows her skills by helping them find ways to bring more business to the town. Whilst she there she meets past loves and finds things that changes her life forever.
This is a beautiful written heart-warming story set in Weymouth. I love the setting of this story the characters, the surprising storyline. It not the usual story of this type. I was engaged throughout. I loved it so much I will be looking to read more from this author. 5 stars from me.

Yet again Heidi has wonderfully transported us into the lives of her all engrossing characters.

The relationship between Tess and her Dad seems on the surface to be purely business, with his dismissive attitude with regards to her being on the verge of a breakdown. Then with her discovery of the letter she finds in her Mother's chest sends her into a full tailspin.

When Tess arrives in Wynmouth, Heidi's brilliantly deep description of the place makes you feel like you know it like the back of your hand and immersed within the lives of all the people there.

As the story progresses the in's and out's of the local resident's lives are greatly enriched by Tess's time there.
When things to all come to a head in more than just Tess's life, the fabulous relationships Heidi has embroiled us in leave us feeling all warm and fuzzy inside.

I can't wait to read more (hopefully!) about Tess and her new friends and family.

A good read When Tess finally decides to take a break from her stressful job working in her father's buisness she decides to go to where she was happiest as a child where she had lovely memories of her recently deceased mother But things don't always go as planned and she finds out lots of secrets from the past that change her life forever and when she finds herself falling for Sam who owns the local pub they face lots of challenges before they can finally be together

Imagine working flat out in a company that your Father owns with absolutely no work / life balance. It’s just work work work & mega stress. Well that’s what it was like for Tess Tyler; all work & no play & when she makes a shocking discovery she knows she needs to get away from it all & quickly to save her sanity & recharge her soul.

As a child, Tess used to holiday with her family in a seaside town called Wynmouth in Norfolk so that’s where her heart tells her to go, to escape the world, to revisit fond memories & to find some solice.

From the minute Tess arrives in Wynmouth it’s almost like you as the reader can feel yourself take a deep breath & pull your ears down from your shoulders as you find yourself amongst sandy beaches & a welcoming community.

Tess finds herself renting Crow’s nest, a cosy hygge cottage, right next to a pub called the Smugglers.
She turns her phone off, chucks it in the drawer & makes a decision to immerse herself in her new surroundings. Life in Wynmouth soon occupies all her time as she quickly starts to feel like one of the locals & makes a big impact on them all.

It’s not long before she discovers some village secrets & some massive family secrets but with many misunderstandings along the way things get complicated. All the while she becomes increasingly closer to the barman Sam, there’s something familiar about him but he’s out of reach; isn’t he?

This is a real heart warming, feel good romance which is released on 30th April 2020.

The author is a lovely lady called Heidi Swain, who is a Sunday Times bestselling author. As a Swainette I think this is one book you’re going to want to pre-order!

Devoured!

I raced as fast as possible to NetGalley when Heidi Swain posted on social media that review copies were up for grabs. I kept my cool and held off reading for a good few weeks to try and wait for some brighter weather to help transport me to the seaside, however I don't think I needed to bother waiting as Heidi's beautiful writing took me right there.

What a fantastic story this was - Tess is burning out in her high pressured job role and makes a snap decision to take a leave of absence and go to the seaside resort of Wynnouth, the place of so many happy childhood memories for her, to recharge herself. What a breathtakingly beautiful place it sounds, Heidi writes descriptions so well I felt envious of anyone who lives in such a resort!

Whilst there Tess meets an array of characters, all ridiculously lovely - young and old - and forges many friendships whilst she keeps extending her stay. I like the fact that she doesn't sit idle and feel sorry for herself and throws herself into the community spirit and assisting friends with their own woes and businesses.

Along the way, Tess has matters of the heart and head of her own to contend with too. I was rooting for her, such a likeable character. I thought I had it all sussed out but there was a twist or 2 at the end I did not see coming!

An absolute corker, I'd give it 4.5 stars if I could and would absolutely recommend.
My many thanks to Simon & Schuster via NetGalley for providing me with this advanced reading copy in exchange for an honest review.

First of all, isn't the cover gorgeous? A lovely, cozy seaside story with intriguing and well-developed characters, I found the ending too cookie-cutter for me but there were some interesting twists and turns in the story. Perfect for your weekend reading.

A fabulous read to get stuck into whilst we get soaked by the weather.
This is another brilliant book wrote by Heidi swain, love ALL of her books and this is no different.
The main character is the over worked Tess who decides to take a trip to where her family used to frequent when she was a child. She takes a diary with her to read but it sets out a family secret and she cant look at her dad so stays in the norfolk village so he cant find her.
Tess stays on longer than expected and there one man she likes who is the landlord, sam and one man who likes her joe who is sam ls enemy or so it seems.
Joe and sam do not speak and theres a story between then as to why not. Theres also a twist in the novel about the truth but it all comes out and it was NOT what o expected so 10 stars for that. Relationships blossom, new friendships occur but new family members turn up that had no idea who each other were.
Tess's father turns up to reveal all. The truth comes out in one day, and tess is overwhelmed. All is well though because theres a man who wants to kiss her and believe her that love hashe deserves.
Great setting great characters and a great book.

Another fantastic novel from Heidi Swain and one that I have been very excited to read. Engaging from the very first page, through to the last, this is another Swain novel that I just did not want to put down. (Having children meant I had to, very reluctantly, but as soon as I had a spare moment my head was right back in it, dreaming of the beach.)

We meet Tess Tyler who works at her fathers PR firm and has worked her way up through the business, forgoing her holiday entitlement to get to the top. The recent death of her mother and her workaholic father, Tess is full of grief and not coping very well. After helping clear out her mum’s clothes Tess is reminded of her childhood and fond memories holidaying at Wynmouth on the Norfolk coast. So much so she googles a cottage that she always used to dream about to see if it is available for a holiday let.
Tess disappears to Wynmouth ready to relax and take the time out she needs to grieve her mother properly and also to read some very interesting diary entries she discovered in amongst her mums belongings.
Tess falls readily back in love with Wynmouth and also the people there. Sam, the holiday cottage Owner and landlord of the bar has her falling head over heels. Joe, a kiss she fondly remembers from her teenage years arrives to confuse the situation. Hope, a BFF she didn’t know she needed and her mother Sophie, who becomes a sort of guide for Tess and a shoulder to cry on.

Swain adds delectable twists and turns to this romance story, it all ended up how I wished it would but it got there in a way I never imagined. It really is packed full of very clever story telling and some of the smallest moments hint at the big reveal at the end. I am hoping that we can return to Wynmouth as it seems such an idyllic place I would be interested to see how it evolves, perhaps with other village characters coming to the forefront.
I love that this book is set somewhere completely different. There are many novels set on the beachfront on the market nowadays but this really catches my imagination because it’s somewhere new and unknown. Swain’s description of Wynmouth is perfect and is subtly sewn into her chapters to give a richness and depth to it and it leaves us longing for more.
She also cleverly weaves in important subjects of the day such as the environment and I was overjoyed to see a beach clean and the residents of Wynmouth taking it up as a monthly gathering to keep their beach safe and tidy. A very honest way of pointing out that we should be looking after our beaches.

Swainettes will be falling head over heels with this novel. Another fantastic book from Heidi Swain delivering not only an amazing location but also true to life emotions and a novel that doesn’t concentrate on romance, but instead focuses on the emotional growth of the main character through a turbulent time of her life. I simply cannot wait for her next one!

What a fabulous book The Secret Seaside Escape is, Heidi Swain is a favourite author of mine and I enjoyed every moment of the journey reading this new book, from start to finish! Wynmouth is such a lovely place to visit in a book - with the fresh sea air, sand beneath your feet, you can imagine you are there with Tess, the main character.
As with all of Heidi's books there is romance, handsome chaps and twists and turns you don't see coming. Settle down with a cuppa and get yourself (virtually) down to the beach, pub or café with Tess, you'll be glad you did! There's also a thing or two to be learnt from this book too, for many I would say - but I won't spoil the surprises in store for you, they're a treat! You don't need to have read Heidi's previous books to dip into this one as your first by this author - but if this is your first, you will likely want to check out and read Heidi's other books too... I'm already looking forward to Heidi's next book when it is ready to read and look forward to re-visiting Wynmouth again in the future.