A really great read. A fantastic story that grips you from the beginning,set mostly in the rainforest in Costa Rico and that's where the adventure really begins, with lots of action that will make you want to keep reading the story. Tara and Alex journey is a bumpy one but they are inevitably drawn together again even after he had betrayed her ten years previously .The first book I have read by this author but would certainly recommend it

I usually devour Karen Swan's books, but sadly I failed to complete this title, I just couldn't get into the story, it's characters or content

Aaahh Karen Swan has done it again! That perfect blend of suspense, drama, romance and humour never fails to disappoint!
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Set in Costa Rica, and so well researched I was literally transported there, The Secret Path is the story of Tara Tremain. 20 years old, a trainee doctor and engaged to the enigmatic Alex, it would be fair to say that she has everything. But then, he betrays her beyond repair.
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We catch up with Tara 10 years later. She's a qualified surgeon (I got major Grey's Anatomy vibes at the swap in time, which is no bad thing!) and about to head to Costa Rica with her family. But then the child of an old friend needs help, putting an end to her relaxing holiday. Currently being treated by a shaman using herbal and plant based remedies, Tara's scientific brain isn't convinced. Can she convince the family that modern medicine is the way forward? Well I'm not going to answer that, but what I will tell you is she inevitably ends up crossing paths with Alex again and as it turns out he's the only one that can help her save the little boy.
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This one takes you on such an adventure - and like with all of Karen's books, I'm sat wondering how on earth it's all pulled together and how she gets from A to B. But of course, it's done beautifully and doesn't feel beyond the realms of possibility (we all know that's my biggest bug bear 🤣)
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Anyway - if you're a Karen Swan fan, you'll love it, obviously. And if you're not, take a chance. You're probably about to find your newest 'auto-buy' author!

I wanted to save this book tol my holiday, so I could really devour it like I have with all previous books by Karen Swan. It pains me to say but I found this one a little disappointing. I found the story quite repetitive and felt not much really happened in the story. The descriptions of the costa Rican landscape where as always incredible but I would have liked more substance. This hasn't put me off reading further books by Karen Swan and she will remain one of my top authors but this book goes to the bottom of the pile.

Love Karen Swan books and this didn't disappoint. This was a real page turner with highs and lows, just one more chapter, haha. A recommend from me, great staycation reading

I adore Karen’s writing style which creates the perfect recipe for contemporary fiction; a sprinkle of romance, a dash of suspense, a hint of scandal with an underlying taste for adventure. This book did not disappoint. I enjoyed the sensory descriptions of the setting in Costa Rica and the moral dilemmas surrounding Tara’s love life. I was sceptical about the ending but Tara’s choices encourage us to think about the complexity of love and the mountains we may need to climb to get our ‘happy ending’, with many falls along the way. I can’t wait for the next book but for now, I’ll make my way through her other summer reads.

Just finished this book after staying up well past midnight to finish it! It’s the first book I’ve read by this author and it had me completely hooked. This is certainly not your run of the mill, average love story. There were so many twists and turns that had me literally sat on the edge of my seat at times! Such a gorgeous story and beautifully written. I adored Tara as a character and could really feel her emotional pain at times, as a character she certainly went through a lot. I would definitely recommend this book.

My Thanks to Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for an ARC of this novel in return for an honest review. Having read “Together by Christmas” I was sure that I had found a new favourite author. I read a few more books which were very good but none to match the first, However I was excited to be gifted Karen Swan’s latest book. Huge disappointment. I found it tedious and I didn’t bond with the main characters. When I read I expect to be engaged from the outset. The first chapter, consisting of the two leading characters conversation in bed, didn’t do it for me. I thought that it was meant to be set in Costa Rica. Drab London, however well the author describes Hyde Park, with the Household Cavalry clattering through, didn’t cut it for me. Karen Swan always takes her readers to some far flung exotic place with her brilliant descriptions.. Before I was a quarter of the way through, I put the book aside in favour of something else. I wondered if I was going to be able to give it three stars - - - - just.. But having promised a review I had to return to it. I’m so glad that I did.

Shortly after, the action did move on to Costa Rica, ten years later. Wow ! ! We were in the very best of the authors signature settings. Who wouldn’t want to be on that beach holiday. And the huge amount of dense jungle settings were amazing. You just know that the author had been there, but hopefully not experienced the trauma she puts her main characters through in the depth of the jungle. You felt the steaming heat, the struggle to get through the overgrown vegetation, the vast tree canopies blotting out the sky, the swiftly flowing rivers and the unseen dangers all around. This author has the ability to take her readers with her into whatever far-flung setting she is using. I’ll leave it to others to outline the story, which is a great one, even if you do have to stretch credulity a little. This is Karen Swan at her best, despite the dreary beginning. Don’t be put off. As you get into the book it becomes obvious why this had to be written. But I just wish that she had found a different way to include this ten year earlier part. Perhaps as a flashback when she had already grabbed her readers attention with the Costa Rica setting. Never the less this is a highly recommended book.

Another book by Karen Swan that I enjoyed reading! There are many twists and turns in the book; some gripping parts and times of happiness. All of these things kept me reading right until the very end.

When a child dies on the operating table Dr Tara Tremain escapes to the Costa Rican jungle for a holiday with her friends. With her Father the benefactor of a multi million pound conservation project that is about to be completed Tara is flung headlong into the jungle and the face of the man she has been avoiding for 10 years. With plenty of twists and turns, romance, a sick child and a terrifying trek this is a page turner that kept me enthralled.

I love Karen Swan's books, so grateful to be able to read this one.

This one felt very different. I love that the settings were all very original and not predictable at all - from Tara's student days, to a hospital, to Costa Rica...

Tara has a very interesting background, and doesn't want that background to change the way people see her. In the early part of the book, the relationship between Tara and Alex is set up... and then a 10 year gap leaving the reader guessing introduces them again... and you understand why she keeps her family secret.

There were so many twists and turns to this book, and you had no idea where it was going.

I would highly recommend this to anyone and think it's my favourite so far (albeit itching a bit thinking of the leeches!).

I enjoyed the story of The Secret Path and after all the events that unfold in the book, it was a relief to settle in a peaceful end. I loved the atmosphere of the rain forest and enjoyed the writing about it with all sounds, sensations and scents. I also liked the idea of bringing into the novel elements on environmental protection, as well as respect for traditional medicine and customs. Although the events were sometimes a bit stretched, it contributed to taking the reader into a different world, travel to this extraordinary place, and I enjoyed the journey, as I always do when reading a novel by Karen Swan.

I've now read three of Karen Swan's novels, including this one and I really enjoyed The Secret Path as much as the other two.

In The Secret Path, the story kicks off in 2011 when Tara Tremain is twenty years old and Alex Carter has just asked for her hand in marriage. She is very much in love and is prepared the drop out of her medical classes for him. But then Alex betrays Tara, so she carries on with her medical degree. Ten years later, Tara is in Costa Rica on holiday with friends and to meet up with her family as they are attending a ceremony for the handover of the rain forest legacy project her father bought years ago back to the government. Whilst there, Tara tries to help a young child who needs urgent medical treatment to live, so ends up trekking through the rain forest and for various reasons meets up with Alex again.

There was a great deal going on in The Secret Path and I desperately didn't want to put this novel down. The tale was so intriguing and I wasn't fully sure which characters I could trust. Karen Swan's descriptive prose of the rain forest was delightful and the ending was neat. This is another great story from a fabulous author that readers will adore.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Pan Macmillan via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

Omg that was amazing. Actually amazing doesn't quite do justice to Karen Swans latest and my new favourite book from her.

With romance, adventure, hair raising moments, revisiting your past, drama and the most impressive setting, I couldn't help but devour this book.

I went to this with only knowing its part set in Costa Rica, and was hooked on all elements of the story.

The amount of research that must have gone into this book, of the indigenous tribes of the jungle, their customs and believes, which all felt rather authentic.

I literally could barely put it down and even very almost missed a tube stop, because of the action.

And after a few summer releases from this author that were dual timelines and featuring more history than I prefer (but that I still really enjoyed), I'm so happy to see this is back to her normal writing style and for me so much the better for it.

I just couldn't get enough of this story and would have happily read another few hundred pages, had they existed. I was enjoying it that much.

A wonderful story to lose yourself in, and to learn the perils of the Costa Rican jungle. Just wow.

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

This was a really good read. Easy story to follow, charming setting and great characters. Really enjoyed it.

At only twenty, Tara Tremain has everything: she's a trainee doctor, engaged to the man of her dreams - Alex, a passionate American biology student. But just when life seems perfect, Alex betrays her in the worst way possible.
Ten years later, she's moved on - with a successful career, good friends and a man who loves her. But when she's pulled back into her wealthy family's orbit for a party in the heart of Costa Rica, she's flung into a crisis: a child is desperately ill and the only treatment is several days' trek away, deep in the jungle.
There's only one person who can help - but can she trust the man who broke her heart?
A twisty, glamorous read Karen Swan at her best.

Loved this book, it was gripping, i loved the characters and following their story. Kept me reading right till the end. Lots of unexpected twists. loved it

Thoroughly enjoyed this story and it felt so much more than a romance novel. The adventure and questioning about what was going on was fantastic and kept me on my toes.

When I first started reading I thought this was just another chick-lit romance, but it soon developed something with much more depth. Starting in London, but moving to the jungles of Costa Rica testing Doctor Tara Tremain's strength and resolve to the limit, both physically and emotionally. It highlights some of the serious environmental issues facing countries such as Costa Rica illustrating conflicts between environmentalist, indigenous people and developers. With thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review

Another great book by Karen Swan. It’s full of drama and will they won’t they moments and it keeps you guessing to the end. A story based in London and Costa Rica follows a Doctor, her wealthy family and a few men so you’ll have to read to see which one gets her!! Great writing and loveable characters that led me to read and keep reading past my bedtime. Thanks Karen, her publisher and NetGalley.