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It's 2014. Sensible Nora has always taken success for granted until suddenly her life begins to fall apart. Troubled by anxiety and nightmares, she finds herself drawn to the sweeping beaches of Tenby, a place she's been only once before. Together with a local girl, she rents a beautiful townhouse and slowly begins to settle in to her new life. But Tenby hides a secret, and Nora will soon discover that this little town by the sea has the power to heal even the most painful memories.
Three women linked by their blood, their dreams...and their sins. From Leningrad in the '70s to America and London in the present day, Kimberley Freeman's new novel follows the lives of two sisters, Lena and Natalia, and their cousin, Sofi, as they move away from Russia and all they have known. Despite promising to always take care of each other, a pact to meet every winter is shattered as their lives change and long-held resentments begin to surface. Can that resentment turn to hatred? To murder?
Louisa Clark is an ordinary girl living an exceedingly ordinary life - steady boyfriend, close family - who has never been farther afield than her tiny village. She takes a badly needed job working for ex-Master of the Universe Will Traynor, who is wheelchair bound after an accident. Will has always lived a huge life - big deals, extreme sports, worldwide travel - and now he's pretty sure he cannot live the way he is. Will is acerbic, moody, bossy - but Lou refuses to treat him with kid gloves, and soon his happiness means more to her than she expected.
Maia D'Apliése and her five sisters gather together at their childhood home, Atlantis - a fabulous, secluded castle situated on the shores of Lake Geneva - having been told that their beloved father, the elusive billionaire they call Pa Salt, has died. Maia and her sisters were all adopted by him as babies, and, discovering he has already been buried at sea, each of them is handed a tantalizing clue to their true heritage - a clue that takes Maia across the world to a crumbling mansion in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. Once there she begins to put together the pieces of where her story began.
Hardworking London governess Helen Davenport longs for a family of her own but knows the prospect of finding a suitable husband grows dimmer each year. Then she spots an advertisement seeking wives for the churchgoing bachelors of colonial New Zealand and begins an affectionate correspondence with a gentleman farmer.Meanwhile, not far away in Wales, society life bores Gwyneira Silkham, beautiful, daring daughter of a wealthy sheep breeder.
In the chaotic aftermath of World War II, American college girl Charlie St. Clair is pregnant, unmarried, and on the verge of being thrown out of her very proper family. She's also nursing a desperate hope that her beloved cousin Rose, who disappeared in Nazi-occupied France during the war, might still be alive.
It's 2014. Sensible Nora has always taken success for granted until suddenly her life begins to fall apart. Troubled by anxiety and nightmares, she finds herself drawn to the sweeping beaches of Tenby, a place she's been only once before. Together with a local girl, she rents a beautiful townhouse and slowly begins to settle in to her new life. But Tenby hides a secret, and Nora will soon discover that this little town by the sea has the power to heal even the most painful memories.
Three women linked by their blood, their dreams...and their sins. From Leningrad in the '70s to America and London in the present day, Kimberley Freeman's new novel follows the lives of two sisters, Lena and Natalia, and their cousin, Sofi, as they move away from Russia and all they have known. Despite promising to always take care of each other, a pact to meet every winter is shattered as their lives change and long-held resentments begin to surface. Can that resentment turn to hatred? To murder?
Louisa Clark is an ordinary girl living an exceedingly ordinary life - steady boyfriend, close family - who has never been farther afield than her tiny village. She takes a badly needed job working for ex-Master of the Universe Will Traynor, who is wheelchair bound after an accident. Will has always lived a huge life - big deals, extreme sports, worldwide travel - and now he's pretty sure he cannot live the way he is. Will is acerbic, moody, bossy - but Lou refuses to treat him with kid gloves, and soon his happiness means more to her than she expected.
Maia D'Apliése and her five sisters gather together at their childhood home, Atlantis - a fabulous, secluded castle situated on the shores of Lake Geneva - having been told that their beloved father, the elusive billionaire they call Pa Salt, has died. Maia and her sisters were all adopted by him as babies, and, discovering he has already been buried at sea, each of them is handed a tantalizing clue to their true heritage - a clue that takes Maia across the world to a crumbling mansion in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. Once there she begins to put together the pieces of where her story began.
Hardworking London governess Helen Davenport longs for a family of her own but knows the prospect of finding a suitable husband grows dimmer each year. Then she spots an advertisement seeking wives for the churchgoing bachelors of colonial New Zealand and begins an affectionate correspondence with a gentleman farmer.Meanwhile, not far away in Wales, society life bores Gwyneira Silkham, beautiful, daring daughter of a wealthy sheep breeder.
In the chaotic aftermath of World War II, American college girl Charlie St. Clair is pregnant, unmarried, and on the verge of being thrown out of her very proper family. She's also nursing a desperate hope that her beloved cousin Rose, who disappeared in Nazi-occupied France during the war, might still be alive.
Ten-year-old Floriana is captivated by the magnificent Tuscan villa near her village. When the owner’s son invites her inside, Floriana knows that her destiny is there, with him. But as they grow up, things begin to change. Miles away on the Devon coastline, Marina’s hotel has fallen on hard times. The arrival of Rafael Santoro, artist-in-residence, seems to bring peace in Marina’s family. But Rafa is not who he seems....
This is a lovely gentle novel that starts as 2 separate stories which build throughout the book to be all pieced together at the end like a jigsaw puzzle. The character descriptions are very good pulling you into the story. I like the narrator too and she managed to do the male voices very well. A couple of twists at the end to make it a very satisfying read.
6 of 6 people found this review helpful
What made the experience of listening to The House by the Sea the most enjoyable?
Nicely narrated and a lovely story to listen to.
What did you like best about this story?
The writer is very descriptive and you can imagine yourself actually watching things unfold before your eyes.
Have you listened to any of Juanita McMahon’s other performances? How does this one compare?
I haven't but I will be looking for some more.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
Santa Montefiore is one of my favourite authors and I thoroughly enjoyed this story. The characters are so real they seem like friends and the poetic description of the scenery and places transports me there. This book has all the elements I love, romance, a touch of mystery and intrigue, beautiful settings, lovely descriptions. And the voice artist deserves special mention--she enhanced the story with her narration. All in all an excellent listen that my husband enjoyed as well.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
Would you recommend The House by the Sea to your friends? Why or why not?
I certainly would recommend this book. It was a good escape and I made friends with the characters.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
On long journeys we have started to listen to audible books and get totally engrossed in them. This one is no exception. Lovely to listen to life stories unfold in a soothing voice.
This book had it all. Highly Recommended. beautifully written and narrated. interesting characters. story telling at its best.
I loved it and found it very moving. The characters are believable and I did not want it to end
I loved this story. It's beautifully written and narrated. I really felt I knew the characters personally. I would thoroughly recommend this book. I didn't want it to end.
Would you ever listen to anything by Santa Montefiore again?
Please, no more!
What character would you cut from The House by the Sea?
All of them!
Any additional comments?
This book has nothing! I am more than half way through and absolutely nothing has happened and the reader labours every word! Lovely diction but thats about all I can say.
0 of 1 people found this review helpful
The plot is reminiscent of a cross between Barbara Cartland and Mills and Boon. I couldn't decide whether it was the narrator or the purple prose that I found more irritating.
0 of 2 people found this review helpful