This is a harrowing story about a tragic event which tears apart two families previously close to each other. It’s very well written but the subject matter makes it difficult to read. It is possible to see where the story is going from the start and each fateful decision creates a butterfly effect which compounds the tragedy, making it the book equivalent of watching a horror film from behind your fingers.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy.

This was an emotional rollercoaster of a book. Andrew and Sophie are looking after their friends Chris and Linda’s son and take him to the beach with their daughter. With the adults momentarily distracted the kids are swept out to sea, but only one comes back.
What follows is a harrowing journey through grief and how it affects everyone.
There are trigger warnings as there are some emotive topics written about.

The prologue sets the emotional tone and intensity for the story that follows. The initial chapters show everyday family life, but the reader waits for something catastrophic. The storm scenes are dramatic and terrible and engender many emotions as you read. The aftermath is claustrophobic, poignant and toxic as accusations are rife, families and friendships are destroyed. A detailed police investigation connects the story's dramatic and emotional elements; the fallout for the professionals of such a tragic case is authentic and compelling. I like the characterisation, the sensory imagery that brings events to life and the balance of intensity and reflection as the story progresses.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

I don’t know what made me request this, it might have been the blurb. I’m so glad that I did.

What a first novel to publish. This had me hooked from the get go. Two children go into the sea. A parent goes in after them but only one child comes out. What happened in the water?

The characters were amazing. They were carefully crafted and very realistic, especially as a few of them had specialist jobs.

It’s a hard hitting book, I’m not going to lie. Reading this just after having a baby probably wasn’t the best idea but it still had me devouring every page.

There are many trigger topics in this, so look them up to decide if this book is for you. But I was fully invested in every second of this emotional book.

And the twist at the end? Very clever!

A harrowing story about the loss of a child made worse when you have entrusted someone else with their care. Why had they taken Joe to the beach and allowed him to go into the sea in such dreadful weather and why did their own child survive yet theirs died? Two couples, once friends are now estranged with emotions running high. Another tragedy ensues and it takes many twists and turns before the truth begins to be known. Not till the very last pages do we discover the whole tragic incident. A gripping, turbulent read

I found this book to be a difficult read, not because of the writing (which I felt was good), but the story was so very emotional I almost had to abandon it part-way through as I felt totally wrung out and depressed by it. I have to say that this story seemed well-plotted and very well written for a debut novel and I hope to read more from this author .
Certainly a good, but emotional read, parents of young children would be advised to avoid it.

efore I get in to the negatives, I just want to start with a positive, the writing was great and I will definitely pick up another book by this author but unfortunately I didn't enjoy this.

What sort of irresponsible people take their children to the beach to play in the storm?! That just wasn't believable to me and I don't feel like the author was going for a 'suspend your disbelief' type of story. However I'm not a parent so how can I comment, and that's how I felt for a lot of the book.

Maria was the most annoying child to ever exist. I didn't believe Chris could be that angry over an actual accident.

An exceptionally disturbing and horrific book which left me shattered. It was excellent throughout with the unpredictable storyline. The knock on effect the tragedy had on both families was palpable.

What a compelling and emotional read.

A Brilliant thriller, written superbly. I should imagine the death of a child must be the worst thing that could ever happen. When the child was in the care of best friends it must be even harder to comprehend. Will the truth ever come out? It left me reeling.

A novel rich with emotion of every kind grief coming from happiness and hate coming from friendship follow the drowning of Joe the only child of Chris, a police officer and Linda a paramedic. Joe has died while on a beach trip with his young friend Maria and her parents. Things continue to go downhill for both families and Joe’s parents are racked with a grief so strong it takes over their lives completely. T his is a desperately sad story with family loyalties at its heart. Not a book to be taken lightly and one which will play with the emotions from the outset to its climactic ending. Not one for the fainthearted. A very good debut novel.

Very emotional page turner. Two families both destroyed by one tragic event. Will either family ever find a way forward. This book really does pull everything from you. So well written.

An emotional fast paced book with twists. Keeps you hooked till the end. An excellent debut and author to look out for. The aftermath of a tragedy is well written and the emotions drip from the pages. Thanks to Avon books and Netgalley for this review ARC.

Although this isn’t my usual kind of thriller, it was so intense I had to keep reading.
Had me on the edge of my seat! If you’re an avid thriller reader I highly recommend

An emotional, tragic and dramatic read that I found hard to put down. It's a hard subject matter for a parent to read but you just have to keep reading to the end.

It will take me a while to get over this amazing storyline. I don’t think I have ever cried so much reading a book. Superbly written with characters that it was possible to relate to and even comprehend their actions and feel empathy for the situation they found themselves in. It is a book that will stay with me.

After the Storm is a compelling exploration of resilience and the complexities of human emotions in the aftermath of personal tragedy. The novel masterfully weaves together the stories of several characters whose lives are upended by a devastating storm, both literal and metaphorical. The storm serves as a powerful metaphor for the chaos and unpredictability of life, with the author skillfully exploring themes of grief, forgiveness, and the search for meaning in the face of overwhelming odds. A beautifully written and emotionally resonant book that offers a profound look at the aftermath of disaster and the enduring strength of the human spirit. Highly recommended for readers who appreciate character-driven stories with emotional depth.

I really liked the premise of this book but unfortunately it didn't live up to expectations.

I liked the multiple POV narrative and felt like it added to the tension as every time something was close to being revealed, it switched POV at the next chapter adding more detail to the plot.

I didn't particularly connect with any of the characters and found some of them really unlikeable but I guess that was the point.

The writing itself felt a little flat for me and descriptive language that I found effective lost it's impact when the same phrase/word was repeated several times within a chapter. I've never seen the word insidious used so many times in a single book.

The book wasn't an unenjoyable read but I predicted most of the plot twists fairly early on which took away from the fun of the book.

This was a difficult book to read, given the subject matter it deals with. That said it was a compelling read, the emotion was very well written and the twist at the end very unexpected.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book. It took me a while to process this book in order to write a review. This book is very heavy and there are trigger warnings. The biggest trigger warning is death of a child. This was so well written that my heart literally broke and the characters felt so real that I wanted to reach through the pages and hug them. You get a front row seat into a parents extreme grief over the loss of their child and the affect it has on every aspect of their life. This is not a happy or feel good book, but it’s so well done you shouldn’t miss out. I will not forget this book or these characters for a very long time.

Well written and compelling but a really hard read, and an uncomfortable one. Deals with a lot of themes which some readers may not enjoy.