‘The Secret Seaside Escape’ by Heidi Swain is a jolly-jaunt of a novel, marvellously uplifting & joyfully warm, much in-keeping with the previous books by this author I’ve had the pleasure of reading. Combining friendship & relationships, family & self-discovery, dreams and hopes and wishes, this is an inspiring story, encouraging readers to take control of their lives and go after whatever it is that makes their hearts happy, no matter how hard the decisions that need to be made along the way.
In Swain’s ‘The Secret Seaside Escape’, readers are introduced to Tess Tyler, a bonafide workaholic, with the most abysmal work and life balance known to man. Since the sudden death of her mother, Tess has found that the only way to cope is to work, work, work, and then some. Her boss is no other than her very own father, a man who, Tess feels, has changed immeasurably in the years since their shared loss. Following by her father’s example, Tess knows of no other way of life besides the Tyler way, which is to work tirelessly until the job is done, and then repeat once more.
“You’re a Tyler, Tess. We don’t give up, remember? We thrive on stress. Our ability to power through is what keeps us one step ahead of the competition.”
What quickly becomes apparent is that Tess Tyler needs a break, and sharpish. There’s a place she holds dear in her memory and has done since she was younger. A seaside town where she remembers being completely and utterly content, where life moved at a snail’s pace yet everyday still felt full of love and joy. It’s a place that Tess Tyler thinks about often, and it might just be the place that will help Tess to figure out what it really is that she wants from life, and what it is that makes her truly happy.
Swain truly takes her readers away with her latest novel, and it was a gloriously charming and most-welcome break from real life. From the moment Tess arrives in Wynmouth and settles down to enjoy her new, if only temporary, life in Crow’s Nest Cottage at a slower, more easy-going pace, I was more than ready to settle down beside her and figure out how we were going to spend our time while in the seaside town.
This isn’t simply a lovely little trip to the seaside for Tess, though. There are far deeper, more personal reasons for Tess’s escape to Wynmouth, and it’s not only to be rid of the hold that her job has over her every hour of every day. Although Tess is more than aware that she mentally and physically deserves a break, after discovering the pages of her late mother’s diary while going through her mother’s things, this time away is also time to read and absorb the secrets within the pages, to find out what was going on in her mother’s head before she passed away, and to figure out if there was anything else going on within her parents’ marriage. She needs space and time, to figure out who she is, and what she wants.
I found this tale to be one of those which was incredibly easy to become lost in. Swain’s leading lady, Tess, felt rather relatable. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know her, and what it was that made her tick. Swain creates such lovable and friendly characters, people who you’d feel very lucky to know, from all walks of life. During her time in Wynmouth, Tess meets Sophie and Hope, Sam and Joe, each of them unique and important to the lessons that Tess will learn before her time in the town is up.
From the first page to the very last, Tess is taken on a whirlwind adventure and I loved every moment of it. There was so much going on in this book, I was constantly entertained and kept wondering what would happen next. With so many gorgeous characters to get to know, so many exciting events to be witness to, and plenty of surprises in Tess’s journey towards self-discovery, ‘The Secret Seaside Escape’ was absolutely bloody lovely and left me feeling the same way Heidi’s previous books have left me feeling once finished, and that is simply happy.
If you’re partial to quaint seaside getaways, sprinkled with the most warm and welcoming of characters, and family-focused stories with a whole lot of heart and warmth, then ‘The Secret Seaside Escape’ by Heidi Swain is perfect for you. If you enjoy novels based around tight-knit communities and people each other out in their time of need then, again, this will be right up your street. Heidi Swain writes straight from the heart and it shows within her books. I already can’t wait for the next one.
This was a very welcome escape from reality amid the chaos we are experiencing at the moment, and I’m sure it will give many readers the same much-needed escape as it gifted me. The Book Babe is giving ‘The Secret Seaside Escape’ by Heidi Swain a rating of four out of five. I’d like to thank Simon & Schuster UK for the advanced reading copy of this book, that of which has no reflection my giving a fair and honest review.
Tess Tyler needs a break. Weighed down by her high-pressure job and her demanding father, she’s left little time to take care of herself. But after a shocking discovery sends her spiralling, she flees to Wynmouth, the seaside town she fell in love with as a child, to escape it all… With its sandy beaches, stunning rock pools and welcoming community, Tess feels like she can finally breathe again. And as she grows ever closer to local barman Sam, she dares to dream that she might never return to her real life. But when a familiar face returns to town, Tess realises that there are secrets in Wynmouth too, and that her own past may be about to catch up with her…
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