It took a little while for me to get into this novel. However I appreciate how it was written in order to try to cover so many characters over different time spams.
But it was a little too much for a reader. Plus, at times throughout some chapters I am constantly finding myself wondering who’s point of view are we reading? Even during the chapters the way it was written, talking about Josie or Meg or Rik at times then switching to other characters so I could never know who’s point of view I was actually reading from.

What makes me love a book is if they are relatable. I think that is what makes a person love, hate, find the book alright with one.

With there being so many characters and you decide to read this let me break it down from what I can remember:

Senara - Comes across as the main character, 17 years old. Her mum is Jenna, and her best friend is Josie.
Josie - Went out with Gareth, relationship issues. Her mum is Angie. She has an interest in Meg.
Jenna - One of the mums. Back in the old days she was besties with Felicity and went out with her brother, Alex.
Felicity - Her granny is Martha who owns the Cliff house and cottage. When they were young, Felicity, Jenna, Alex and Rachel were besties. Felicity has a daughter called Clementine who is a stuck up rich bitch.
Rachel - Went ‘missing’ back then, and was going out with a creepy man named Andy who creeped on girls, ew. Has a sister called Lucy? (I think that’s her name, her and Angie are a bit confusing from my reading)
Andy - Creepy dude who seems to have went to Thailand as his sister is Josie’s mum.
Martha - The wonderful lady who resides in Cliff house and leaves the story with a wonderful mystery.

Okay I think that covers all the characters.
Apart from the confusing timelines it was interesting. This journey we went on, we are learning along with Senara for the most part.

It was a mystery read full of secrets and turns on every page that completely took my attention.

This book makes a great summer read, full of intrigue and secrets. I felt the characters were well written and relatable and the plot kept me coming back for more.

I did find the hopping between different time periods a bit confusing in the beginning but once I got to know the characters it was easier to keep track of, and I loved how it all came together.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. This was a really good read, great storyline and great characters. I really enjoyed it.

Cliff House stands empty for most of the year and has a reputation with the locals for being a ghostly place inhabited only by an old witch.
Following an escapade in the gardens to rescue a drone, Senara is surprised to find herself forming an unlikely friendship with Martha who it turns out is not a witch, just a lonely old lady.
The story unfolds over three different decades: the 1940's, the 1980's and the present day. Each time frame covers a generation of the family living at Cliff House. The one constant across the whole span of time is Martha who came to Cliff House as an evacuee in 1940 and now in her nineties still remains as the sole inhabitant apart from the family if they decide to visit for the summer.
Against a backdrop of wealth and privilege, decades of buried secrets and lies gradually emerge, impacting on the current generation who unwittingly stumble into forbidden territory. There are very likeable characters as well as some really unpleasant ones, class conflict and regrettable decisions made at desperate times. I found this book to be a really engaging read and I enjoyed all the smaller stories intertwining with the main plot.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This was a bit slow to start and I did find it hard to get into and fully understand what was happening; however once I did I really enjoyed this. I loved being immersed into this sun-soaked lifestyle whilst also seeing the darkness lying beneath as more secrets get unravelled. This does have a slow pace but it is worth sticking with for love, secrets and family drama as you get swept away along with Senara.

This book took a little while getting into and found myself a little lost to start with.

The author gives you kind of like background stories with time jumps and charter chapters.

It's a little confusing to start with, but once it gets going, it gets good.

Emily Barr takes us on a journey with Senara, who I feel like I couldn't relate to. We learn things at the same time she does or kind of figure it just before she does. She feels a little two-dimensional, but eventually, we learn to love her.

Overall, it was a good read with secrets and on every page. And that prologue completely drew me in.

This is such a well written rollercoaster. Taking place over different narratives and twisting to keep the pace and the enjoyment up.

Brilliant read

"The Summer's Secrets" by Emily Barr is a captivating novel that takes readers on a journey of love, secrets, and uncovering the truth. Senara, who has never experienced love or excitement in her life, finds herself drawn into the world of Cliff House, a summer retreat for wealthy Londoners in Cornwall. As she becomes enamored with the sun-soaked lifestyle and falls in love for the first time, Senara soon realizes that the owners of Cliff House, as well as her own friends and family, are harboring deep-seated secrets.

Barr's writing is evocative and immersive, painting vivid pictures of the luxurious setting of Cliff House and the emotions of the characters. Senara's transformation from a sidekick to a protagonist who uncovers the buried lies of the past is compelling and keeps readers engaged throughout the story. The author deftly weaves together the elements of romance, mystery, and family drama, creating a layered and intriguing plot that unfolds with each turn of the page.

The novel touches on themes of love, loyalty, and the consequences of keeping secrets, making it a thought-provoking read. The pacing is well-paced, with just the right amount of tension and surprises to keep readers guessing until the end. Overall, "The Summer's Secrets" is a captivating and beautifully written novel that will resonate with readers who enjoy stories of love, family, and uncovering the truth. Highly recommended for fans of contemporary fiction and mystery with a touch of romance.

Nobody understands why Senara visits Martha up in cliff house. Everyone in town says she’s an old witch, the Mrs Havisham of Cornwall. But since they started talking the one night she and her friends broke in to search for ghosts, they’ve made a friendship she can’t shake.

Then one summer, Martha’s family comes to visit and the ghostly Cliff House becomes a summery paradise, luring Senara into a world of sunshine, wealth and excitement she’d never imagined.

Although Senara didn’t find any; there are plenty of ghosts at Cliff House. Generations of secrets, lies, and skeletons in closets that have started to rise the surface and will not be buried again.

"Some secrets needed the stay in the ground."

A sweeping story full of secrets and hidden things set against a backdrop of unsuspecting backdrop of wealth, privilege and sunshine.

Fans of We Were Liars and How to Kill Your Family will absolutely love this book — it’s quiet, calm and unassuming in its storytelling but in that silence comes an intense sense of anxiety and intrigue as the buried secrets and lies slowly emerge from the ground and come into focus.

Senara is a strange narrator, finding herself privy to the world of the elite and wealthy despite her own difficult life — but this family she knew long ago aren’t telling her everything, neither are her own. She’s just floating through the story for a while, not really doing anything, sometimes doing the wrong thing and waiting to find her moment to speak. We hear her as she struggles with her new and old friends and first loves, but also journey back to many summers in the past when secrets were buried but not deep enough. All the smaller stories creep along, characters becoming murky and not really knowing who to trust until they all merge together — hearing from her friends who find themselves wrapped up in this journey with her who develop their own distinct voices, have their own stories hidden from sight and become so familiar and endearing page by pages; with beautiful characters and stunningly complex friendships.

The setting was vivid and mesmerising; a sweaty, suffocating heat and bright sun accompanied by waves of nostalgia for our teen years and easier days. Electrifyingly exciting with an intoxicating setting and questionable characters, this is one of the must-reads for the summer!

A twisty and well-written tale set across three separate lifetimes, all intertwined in a modern tale of long hot summer, rich vs poor, friendships, and coming of age (in more ways than one!)

I did find parts of the story confusing as there was so many names, narrators, and family members to rememeber, and the time jumps were sometimes a bit out of place. But it all came together beautifully in the end.

I really enjoyed this YA mystery with hints of romance (or romance with hints of mystery?). The three timelines - summer 2023, 1988, and the wart 1940s - worked well, and I found Martha’s 1940s timeline particularly compelling. I also loved how the book dealt with class, privilege and second homes.

4 ⭐️- the perfect summer read.

I have enjoyed Emily Barr's books before so was looking forward to this. This Summer's Secrets was a good read - I especially enjoyed the different time lines that we get to experience.

Heart pounding thriller that left me on the edge of my seat. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one. Definitely one of the best books this year.

A great summer read which kept me intrigued right the way through with the shifts in the time frame between the 1940’s, 1980’s and modern day. I would recommend this to my students from Year 9 upwards. Many thanks for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy.

I've read a lot of Emily Barr books, both her adult and more recent YA ones. This is the sixth in the latter category and I enjoyed it a lot. It's set in Cornwall and centres around a house, Cliff House, overlooking the sea.

There are three time frames - the present day, the 1980s and the 1940s - and three main characters in the present - teenagers Senara, Josie and Clementine - and I did get mixed up at times, although this settled down as the book progressed. In 1988 we see events affecting the girls' mothers, while the wartime storyline follows evacuee Martha who goes to stay at Cliff House with Violet Roberts and her shellshocked brother, Aubrey. (Martha, a presence throughout, was probably my favourite character.)

There's plenty of class conflict between the family at the Big House - who only visit occasionally - and the local people, but rich girl Clementine befriends Senara, Josie and their friends over the course of the summer. Cliff House has its secrets, though, and so do several characters... will everyone survive the summer?

An enjoyable read with some likeable (and some distinctly dislikeable) characters. Many thanks for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy.

A great concept and I do usually love Emily's books but this one fell a little short for me and I just couldn't commit myself to the book which was a bit of a shame.

I usually love Emily Barr's books, but I just couldn't get into this one and sadly had to dnf it. I may come back to it in the future and try again, as it sounds like an amazing book!

This would be a great summer read. Fast paced. Three timelines, potentially three sets of secrets. Great reading time to be had.