The House at Angel’s Beach by Phillipa Nefri Clark

EXCERPT: One more summer here would be divine.
She could relive all the good memories and then create more to replace the bad ones. Spend her days watching the ocean change colour and walking and cooking and even try to write again. Growing up, Ivy had written stories almost as much as read books and later, part of her interest in managing Fairview was the opportunity to pursue her love of writing. Not poetry, like Dad, but sweeping sagas of family drama across generations.
Nobody understood why she gave up on her writing dream, but she knew. Having real-life tragedy forced upon a person will do that, let alone losing the chance to have a future with someone who might be your soulmate.

ABOUT ‘THE HOUSE AT ANGEL’S BEACH’: Ivy Ross left Rivers End ten years ago, vowing never to return. Her heart broken, her trust gone, the father she adored behind bars. But when her sister Jody begs Ivy to return to finalise their inheritance, the majestic Fairview House, she is drawn home. And when she finds a collection of heartfelt letters hidden in her father’s library, everything she thought she knew is called into question.

The anonymous letters reveal a heartbreaking love story that force Ivy to rethink the terrible night that tore her family apart. And when Ivy meets Leo, the man whose life was also devastated by her father’s crime, she realises that it’s time to uncover the truth. But that’s not the only secret waiting for them in Fairview. Can facing up to her shocking family history lead Ivy to a future she could never have imagined…?

MY THOUGHTS: The House at Angel’s Beach is a slow-moving family drama/mystery/romance with the emphasis firmly on the family drama and is told entirely from Ivy’s point of view with the assistance of flashbacks and a bundle of secreted letters.

The two sisters are very different. Ivy is a nurse, and lives alone in a small flat on a tight budget. Jody has married well and bears little resemblance to the woman Ivy knew ten years ago. She works for a charity organisation, mixes in high society, is polished, toned and buffed. She has ‘people’ to do everything for her. Ivy thinks she drinks too much and is far too thin.

Although this is a quick easy read, I failed to be fully engaged by it. Ivy’s flashbacks were annoying, the secret letters a disappointment, and the mystery easily seen through. I would have liked to have liked this more, but I just don’t. However, I am an outlier in my opinions on The House at Angel’s Beach by Phillipa Nefri Clark so please do check out the many more positive reviews.

⭐⭐.5

#TheHouseatAngelsBeach #NetGalley

THE AUTHOR: Phillipa lives just outside a beautiful town in country Victoria, Australia. She also lives in the many worlds of her imagination and stockpiles stories beside her laptop.

DISCLSOURE: Thank you to Storm Publishing via NetGalley for a digital ARC of The House at Angel’s Beach by Phillipa Nefri Clark for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

The House at Angel’s Beach by Phillips Nefri Clark was published 31 May 2024