I was initially attracted to this book by the premise of estrangement and family secrets and I felt it was written in a way that was very believable and dealt with this still taboo subject sensitively and with depth. The narrative swaps between the present day with Lizzie trying to handle her grief and longstanding questions about what happened to her family aswell as her relationship with her boyfriend, then flashbacks to her childhood which initially seems so disjointed to the present she is in but as the memories continue you start to see the fracture lines beginning but also the changes in narrative to see all sides of the picture. I felt it was a wonderful story especially if you are interested in the history of buildings and villages. There are well developed characters with personal journeys which I found fascinating and there were many heart-gripping and emotional moments.

TW: estranged relationship with mother & father, death of loved ones, accidental injury (protentional drowning), anxiety, alcohol addiction and emotional abusive marriage.

I really enjoyed this book so much more than I was expecting! After seeing the reviews I had to request and after a while I finally got approved and devoured this book within one weekend.

Our main characters, Lizzy and Ben were just so cute, as this is a romance book and self discovery I appreciated this book for not having petty drama between the two characters and more of a focus on the plot of discovery whilst developing the bond between the two main characters. I learned a lot from the tattoo facts on every chapter which was nice as I love tattoos and always been interested in them. The village was also great, no stupid secrets put in which was great and really made me have more respect and love for the residents in the village.

However, the reason behind the estranged relationship of Lizzies mother and father was abit disappointing and I wished the consequences that happened to them didn't as I wished there was more development between them and Lizzie instead of being told through a series of flashbacks .

But everything was delightful and I recommend this book for a quick read that is fluffy with romance.

Great story about secrets, forgiveness, and finding yourself.
Elizabeth (Lizzie) has been estranged from her parents for six years when she hears the news that they tragically died in a swimming accident. During the reading of the will she learns that they owned a second home, Streamside Cottage, that she knew nothing about. The cottage was gifted to her aunt, who always seems to dislike Lizzie. Determined to unearth all the secrets surrounding the cottage, and the reasons her parents stayed mad at her all these years, Lizzie decides to rent the cottage for a month. The secrets she unearths and the answers she uncovers will change her life forever.
I enjoyed the story and the characters from the cottage. I was not a fan of her parents or Aunt Fiona. The story is told in different time frames, some chapters in the present, others at different points in the past. Each chapter of the past gives vague snips of things that happened and led up to the current situation. I don't mind when an author does this, but the first half of the book the information was too vague and seemed more confusing than building a story. The whole plot starts to come together half way and is wrapped up at the end,
Overall a good read, making you realize you should appreciate family and not put off things that need to be said.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Oh my gosh, just go read it. A fabulous story that drew me in and wouldn’t let me go.
Definitely not one to miss out on.
Tattooist Lizzie has been a bit of a disappointment to her parents, who were rich businesspeople. After a childhood of fabulous lavish overseas holidays, she doesn’t want to follow in her parent’s footsteps. She wants to study art.
Following her parent’s untimely deaths Lizzie learns of a secret property that’s been left to her Auntie, Streamside Cottage. Her Auntie is tight-lipped about the details and just wants it sold. It’s always been a rental property, so Lizzie moves from the city to the countryside and rents it for herself hoping to delve into why it was a secret that her parents never told her about.
The village setting where Streamside Cottage was located was beautiful. I visualised it so well I felt like I was there.
I loved the handsome neighbour Ben. They had a good connection from the first meeting.
She digs into the history of the cottage and learns family secrets from the past.
We learn of things that went on that explain quite a bit about why Lizzie wasn’t talking to her parents anymore. At the time I sided with Lizzie, but as I learned more throughout the story I began to understand her parents viewpoint.
It was actually quite a gritty story rather than a traditional romcom.
And I learned a lot about tattoos, even enough to consider one.
Thanks to Aria Fiction and NetGalley for the review copy in which I give my honest opinion.

I really enjoyed Summer Secrets at Streamside Cottage. Lizzie Lockhart hasn’t spoke to her parents for years. She always thought she knew everything about them but when she received the sad news of their passing, it seems she unlocked a whole load of family secrets. This included Streamside Cottage, a place she didn’t even know existed. Leaving London and her life at Kismet Tattoo Parlour, she heads off to the countryside. Although the tight knit community seem to have secrets of their own they’re unwilling to share, that is until handsome neighbour Ben steps in and slowly Lizzie starts to piece together the past.

This was such a lovely novel and I can highly recommend it. Thank you to NetGalley, Aria and the author for the chance to review.

I felt a significant change in the author’s writing ‘voice’, in this book. The style certainly resonated with me, and I simply had to finish it, which then left me feeling bereft. I loved everything about this story and know it will stay with me for some time.
As the synopsis explains, Lizzie has been estranged from her parents for several years, she has no understanding of the reason why they took a disagreement to heart; it seems a distorted reaction. Despite her attempts to reconcile being ignored, Lizzie is devastated to learn that they have both been killed in a tragic swimming accident.
When she learns of her huge inheritance, she is intrigued to discover that her parents have bequeathed a cottage to her aunt. A cottage that Lizzie knew nothing about, and that comes with a condition that Lizzie mustn’t ever learn about its existence.
After her bereavement, Lizzie separates from her boyfriend and takes a leave of absence from her job as a tattoo artist, and seeks out Streamside Cottage, determined to discover what secrets are held there.
As a book blogger, I am fortunate to read a large number of books; 50 so far this year and we haven’t even reached the end of March! It isn’t uncommon for me to enjoy a book, as I’m selective with my choices. What is unusual, is to be so completely floored by the story and the style. Samantha Tonge has just joined a rather elite club; a new preferred author, to add to my list.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

I finished this at 12 am last night. Lack of sleep.

It’s been a long time since Lizzie spoke to her parents. But she thought that at least she knew everything about their lives. At one time they were all so close, until the time came when they weren’t.
Receiving some heartbreaking news, she decides to uncover some secrets, find out did she really know her parents or not! The place she goes to uncover these secrets is Streamside Cottage, a place she never knew about, in the beautiful village of Leafton.
So, Lizzie leaves London, her job and the place she called home, the tattoo parlour.
The people of Leafton are not easy to find things out from, having things they want to hide themselves. Then there’s handsome Ben, who helps her in uncovering some truths.
In order to put the jigsaw together of the family history, Lizzie has to acknowledge the truth of the past too.

Have to say the ending was not what I was expecting.

Recommend it.

What a brilliant read, loved the setting at the cottage so much so I wished I could visit.
I liked lizzie's background of tattoos and her passion for anything artistic it was nice to read about an unusual occupation which I can relate to.
Loved the story and the mystery behind the cottage and couldn't put the book down until I had learnt the secret that Lizzie had unearthed

I absolutely adore this author so much! The books are always a perfect escape and this is my favourite book yet.

I really want to go to streamside cottage after reading this gorgeous book. However, Tonge has taken me on emotional rollercoaster with this one.

There have been moments of tears reading this book. It has been impossible to put down and I have been completely unwilling to put this down for any real life jobs.

Lizzie and Ben are gorgeous characters and have really made this book a great read for me. They have seemed real and I absolutely want to know them.

This is without a doubt a five star read which I have been completely captivated by. This is a book I absolutely recommend you get on the TBR and if you haven't read anything by Tonge- shame on you this is a must!!!

Brilliant! Easily my favourite from this author.

I love that we have a really unique main character, and not your standard run-of-the-mill rom com heroine, Lizzie is fabulous and amazingly creative. The book is full of intrigue, sentiment and memories, this story is one to tug on the old heart strings! Lizzie searches for answers, not knowing what or who she may find; this book brings everything you need in – mystery, romance, friendship, and a sense of community. We see the brilliant Lizzie evolve and connect with her past, in more ways than one!
I took great pleasure in losing myself in this book for a few hours. I was caught up in what was happening and just wanted the see how things would work out. Let me tell you, everything I expected, or thought didn’t quite work out as I imagined, which I love, I do enjoy being pleasantly surprised.
I often say how much I enjoy books set in rural, countryside, smaller communities with fun, locals and this book is exactly the type. Reading them makes me want to up sticks to a village somewhere everyone knows each other and welcomes you with open arms!
Pure escapism, what a happy couple of hours reading this book. I highly recommend.

I dont know what it is about books with idyllic country cottages but they just make me feel all warm and fluffy inside.

Couple that with a bit of mystery and we have this book.

I loved this book. I had to know what the secrets were that the cottage held and why hadn't Lizzies parents told her about it.

I flew through this in a couple of hours, it was an enjoyable easy read that kept me turning those pages quickly.
⭐⭐⭐⭐

I really enjoyed this book having never read anything by this author before. It was a fantastic mix of love story and intrigue which I wasn’t expecting. The characters were endearing and the plot was unusual and I will definitely be looking at other books by this author now

I’m a bit of a sucker for a novel with the word ‘secrets’ in the title – such an evocative word – and I love Samantha Tonge’s writing so I was pretty sure a combination of the two would be fabulous. And it was.

Our heroine is Lizzie Lockhart, a tattoo artist, who has been estranged from her parents for quite some time although we don’t initially know why. When she receives the news that they’ve both died, she’s full of regrets that they never made their peace and now it’s too late.

Lizzie is surprised to discover that her parents’ estate included a secret property: Streamside Cottage in the pretty village of Leafton. It’s been left to her auntie but when her auntie isn’t forthcoming with information, Lizzie takes out a summer rental in the hope of finding out why her parents owned the cottage … and why they kept it from her.

There were so many things I loved about this story. I loved Lizzie as a character, how she was willing to stand up for herself and be the person she wanted to be and how the cottage and village gradually got under her skin. I loved the gorgeous village of Leafton and the interesting cast of characters living there, some welcoming and some not so much. I loved the steady reveal of the back story. And I loved the secrets and mysteries that ran through the book. That was probably my favourite aspect. I think it’s natural to try and guess what might be coming and I couldn’t even begin to speculate at a couple of points and went down dead ends at others. The final reveal was strong and satisfying.

Another thing I loved about this book was that I learned a few things. There are short facts at the start of each chapter that I really enjoyed but the whole story made me pause to think about the many different reasons why people have tattoos and how very personal their stories can be.

A delicious story full of mystery, intrigue and hope with a gorgeous romantic thread running through it. Loved it.

I was granted access to an early review copy of this book via NetGalley which has not in any way influenced or biased my opinions.

The main character is a tattoo artist who is very involved in her work. She comes from a family where academia is quite important-- she has a big falling out with her parents who end up dying. The book captivates your attention and is a sweet story.

I'm a huge Samantha Tonge fan and loved The Winter We Met. Now I have to decide which one's my new favourite!

This book features a fabulously individual main character, a mystery-filled plot, and real, heart-felt emotion. I was absolutely gripped and whizzed through this book in record time desperate to know what the mystery was. At one point I actually made myself do some housework just so I wouldn't finish it too quickly! Trust me, that never happens. And when I thought I knew what was going to happen, I was wrong!

Summer Secrets at Streamside Cottage is an unputdownable read filled with family secrets and of course, romance. Definitely one not to be missed!

Lizzie is a tattoo artist who loves the artistry involved in her work. Coming from a family where academia is so important, she has fallen out with her parents. Her parents die & so much infornation comes to the surface about her past life that she wants to explore. Streamside cottage is a house her parents owned but Lizzie never knew. Follow her through voyage of discovery.
I like all the characters in this book, especailly Jill. Samantha Tonge writes about you, me & your neighbour & it's so easy to read. Great reading about the tattoo process & I'm definately having one for my next milestone birthday. Loose yourself in this lovely book & enjoy!

Well I think I've learnt more than I ever thought possible about tattoos over the course of the book, in part due to the really interesting snippets of information that have placed at the start of each chapter.

And the various artworks and reasons behind people getting tattoos was definitely food for thought, and I'm very relieved to say that for a book that features a tattoo artist as its main character, there is very little mention of needles, given I absolutely hate them.

From the moment Lizzie hears about and arrives at Streamside Cottage I had the feeling there was something being concealed. There is definitely a truth to discover and despite coming up with many half hearted theories I was completely surprised once the secrets were revealed.

And suddenly with them, it makes various character behaviours over the course of book make that little bit more sense.

Throughout the book we are treated to scenes from Lizzie's past, which explain her rather strict upbringing, and just why it is she had been estranged from her parents at the time of their death. They felt so very real, that I could completely believe everything they did in relation to Lizzie's upbringing.

I loved Leafton, what a gorgeous little village with a very friendly community. I felt right at home in this setting, and the story kept me reading and when I was taking a break from the book for real life things, I was thinking about Streamside Cottage and trying to puzzle out the truth.

Another excellent story from Samantha Tonge who just keeps on showing her versatility in recent years from the more romance / rom-com sorts of stories, to her wonderful darker grittier womens fiction titles, and this one which felt like far more of a middle ground and no less impressive as a result.

Thank you to Aria and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

This is a book to read curled up on the sofa, the story unfolds of what had secrets a family had hidden and blocked from their mind and how memories can be evoked by places and people.
A lovely book

Wow, what a wonderful book, totally kept me awake well into the night wanting to find out what happened next. Not having any experience of tattoos, if was great reading little facts about them. This story is written with such depth & emotion and will touch even the hardest heart. Lovely sounding location, some lovey characters, most of which add another piece to the puzzle with their part of the story. A total page turner.

I really liked the characters and the setting for this one. I'd yet to read a book with a female tattooist, so that was a cool change. The story was sweet and even though it was a bit predictable, there were some elements in there that surprised me. I also really enjoyed the tattoo fast facts at the top of each chapter. I usually get annoyed when there's something breaking up my reading flow, but this worked for the story.

Thank you to the author, Aria Fiction and Netgalley for the ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed this title.