The Sea Gate

I received an ARC of this book through the Goodreads Giveaway program in exchange for an honest review.

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE. I finished this book in only a few sittings, and found it to be a captivating piece of historical fiction sprinkled with romance and female empowerment. I was skeptical at first that it would follow in much the same vein as other WW2-era female-centred historical fiction pieces, which seem to be very popular in the last few years, but was very pleasantly surprised that things are not at all as they seemed in the early chapters.

I don't want to share more details because the mystery is such a vital part of the magic of 'The Sea Gate', but suffice it to say it is NOT just like any other recent historical fiction novel. show more The book has already been eagerly handed off to my fellow bookworms to spread the love show less

The Sea Gate by Jane Johnson is a historical fiction story that once again uses the dreaded dual time-line format. In this case I actually liked how the story was told as many of the same people appeared in both story lines, one set in WW II while the other is set today. The story unfolds in Cornwall and the isolated cliffs and beaches play an important role in the story.

The story deals with a broken family, and the secrets that they kept. Rebecca’s mother has died and while going through her things she finds letters from a cousin asking for help. As her life is going nowhere at the moment, Becky heads off to Cornwall to help this elderly cousin, Olivia. The plot jumps back and forth between Becky and how she is won over by the show more curmudgeonly old woman as she builds a new life in Cornwall and Olivia as a young woman during the war and the dramatic events that were to change her life.

While there were some aspects of the story that I found a little hard to swallow, I did fall in love with Olivia’s grey parrot, Gabriel, who was featured in both story-lines. Overall, The Sea Gate was an absorbing story that included love, adventure, murder and courage. show less

Rebecca is cleaning out her mother’s flat after her death. She comes across an old letter from Olivia, an elderly relative she did not know she had. Olivia is in dire need of help so Rebecca decides she needs to be there. She has no idea what to expect. And it turns out to be much more than expected!

The house is falling apart, literally, when Rebecca arrives. She also discovers that Olivia is in the hospital and cannot return until her house is fixed. Rebecca takes this on and discovers quite a few buried secrets and dangers.

I love Olivia. You talk about cantankerous and a tough old nut to crack…she is it! She has lived a tough life as Rebecca slowly discovers.

Then there is Rebecca. She is actually running away from home and Olivia show more is just a fabulous excuse to do so. She and Olivia slowly develop a like and a trust for each other. Rebecca also discovers she may have bitten off more than she can chew.

I enjoyed so many parts to this story. The mystery and the hidden secrets really captivated me. I did feel the flash backs to Olivia’s life during WWII slowed down the story. It is a necessary part of the novel. I just did not enjoy it as much as the present day portion.

The characters, the setting and the mystery really work so well together and I would love to have a sequel. show less

While this novel had a lovely front cover, the story was ho-hum and was a chore to get through. I enjoyed the dual timeline but I felt that both plots were drawn out and became unbelievable. Unfortunately, I couldn't feel any warmth toward the two main protagonists, Rebecca and Olivia. Neither of their stories grabbed me and I was happy to let them go when I reached the last page. Other than the front cover, the only thing I loved about "The Sea Gate" was the beautiful descriptions of Cornwall.

The Sea Gate by Jane Johnson is Historical Fiction with romance, mystery and thrills. It is told in two time periods 1940’s and modern day Cornwall with detailed descriptions of the place, time and people. The characters are complex and some have behaviors that are difficult to understand until the end of the book. I especially loved the Parrot. I am always captivated by each new book by Johnson and Sea Gate is exceptional.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. I appreciate the opportunity and thank the author and publisher for allowing me to read, enjoy and review this book. 5 Stars

Who is cousin Olivia? Rebecca remembered visiting her a few times when she was a child, but her mother didn’t mention her too often.

Finding letters from cousin Olivia addressed to her mother pleading for help had Rebecca on her way to Olivia’s house.

What a mess she found. The house was in shambles, Olivia wasn’t there, her finances were very bad, and Rebecca finds a hidden tunnel in the basement which had been used during the war along with other secrets from WWII.

We go back and forth from present day to 1943 and find out about Olivia...she is some character. The bird she has is even more upsetting than what Rebecca found out about Olivia.

It took a few chapters to get into the book, but it’s worth the wait.

I loved all the show more secrets of the house and Olivia’s life, and I loved Rebecca’s perseverance.

THE SEA GATE has great characters, pull-you-in writing, and a story line that will keep you turning the pages to a marvelous revelation of the secrets and an unraveling of Olivia and her life. 4/5

This book was given to me by the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. show less

The Sea Gate by Jane Johnson takes readers to Cornwall where Becky Young sets out to help her elderly relative, Olivia Kitto. It is a dual timeline novel that takes readers from the present day back to World War II. I thought The Sea Gate was well-written with developed characters and a complex storyline. The author is extremely detailed in her descriptions. While this allows readers to visualize the scenes, I did find it to be too much information because it greatly slowed down the pacing of the story (needed a better balance). I liked how the past storyline provided details on Olivia and what happened in the house. World War II was a dangerous time in Cornwall. There was fear that the Germans would try to invade and there was the show more constant threat of bombings. The mystery was quite intriguing and multifaceted. There were some unique characters in this story. Olivia is a cantankerous woman who has been shaped by the past. She is quite a character along with her parrot, Gabriel. I liked seeing Becky develop as the book progressed. The ending nicely wrapped up the novel. There is foul language as well as intimate situations in the novel. The Sea Gate has a mysterious artist, beautiful paintings, a lovely bracelet, a hidden tunnel, and much more. A few little tweaks, and The Sea Gate would have been a home run for me. The Sea Gate is a fascinating story about courage, secrets, war, forbidden love, danger, and perilous secrets. show less