Historical

The River Between Us

The River Between Us

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  • Create Date：2021-06-09 00:51:41
  • Update Date：2025-09-07
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Liz Fenwick
  • ISBN：0008290571
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Summary

A forgotten house and a secret hidden for a century…

'Wonderfully evocative’ Judy Finnigan


'An absolute delight！' Hazel Gaynor


‘Wonderful escapism’ Tracy Rees


’A lovely story' Erica James


‘Gloriously rich’ Rachel Hore


‘Sublime storytelling’ Cathy Bramley


‘Emotional’ Kate Ryder



Following the breakdown of her marriage， Theo has bought a tumbledown cottage on the banks of the river Tamar which divides Cornwall and Devon。 The peace and tranquillity of Boatman’s Cottage， nestled by the water， is just what she needs to heal。


Yet soon after her arrival， Theo discovers a stash of hidden letters tied with a ribbon， untouched for more than a century。 The letters – sent from the battlefields of France during WW1 – tell of a young servant from the nearby manor house， Abbotswood， and his love for a woman he was destined to lose。


As she begins to bring Boatman’s Cottage and its gardens back to life， Theo pieces together a story of star-crossed lovers played out against the river， while finding her own new path to happiness。


The River Between Us beautifully explores the mystery and secrets of a long-forgotten love affair， and will be loved by fans of Kate Morton。



Praise for The River Between Us:



'Wonderfully evocative’ Judy Finnigan


'Full of delicious atmosphere and intrigue， and with a compelling mystery flowing through its pages … an absolute delight！' Hazel Gaynor


‘Wonderful escapism … a relaxing， evocative read’ Tracy Rees


'A lovely story that blends the past and the present beautifully' Erica James


‘I enjoyed sinking into this gloriously rich novel， so laced with secrets。 What a vivid cast of characters！’ Rachel Hore


‘Sublime storytelling’ Cathy Bramley


‘A compellingly atmospheric and emotional roller-coaster of a read’ Kate Ryder


‘Beautifully descriptive， unashamedly romantic and evocative’ Veronica Henry


‘A captivating and romantic Cornish story that explores the tangle of relationships connecting us through time’ Susanna Kearsley


‘Captures the magical atmosphere of Devon and Cornwall’ Rosanna Ley


‘I had THAT feeling when you've been away to a lovely place for a while and don't want to come back’ Nicola Cornick

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Reviews

Anne ，

Review to follow on publication day。。。

Joanne ，

Liz Fenwick writes so beautifully and I was quickly immersed in this story of secret love and long buried mysteries。 There's intrigue right from the start with the unidentified remains of soldiers killed in WW1 found in a field in France。 Who were they and what would be their significance to the the story？ The search to identify these men by tracing relatives of soldiers known to be lost at that time and using DNA continues throughout the story。 Although those particular parts make up a relative Liz Fenwick writes so beautifully and I was quickly immersed in this story of secret love and long buried mysteries。 There's intrigue right from the start with the unidentified remains of soldiers killed in WW1 found in a field in France。 Who were they and what would be their significance to the the story？ The search to identify these men by tracing relatives of soldiers known to be lost at that time and using DNA continues throughout the story。 Although those particular parts make up a relatively small proportion of the story， I found it fascinating especially as we start to find out possible connections to the story。I love a dual timeline story and this one was told so well。 In the present， we have Theo who has bought Boatman's Cottage on the banks of the Tamar without even seeing it， as she moves on from a marriage breakdown。 The cottage was dilapidated and as she starts to clean and renovate it， she finds a stash of letters from a century before， letters which tell of a great love。 A hundred years before， we follow the story of Lady Alice， sent to the countryside in disgrace after speaking out about women's suffrage， and Zach， the young gillie on the estate。 The way the stories were woven together was done so well and made for a really immersive reading experience for me。 I was equally caught up with both stories。 The great romance and secrets from the past were balanced out well by Theo investigating the past and the history of the cottage。 Theo had some secrets of her own which also come to light。 I thought that Liz Fenwick wrote about the two stories and the connections between them in such a clever way。 I loved trying to work out all the links between the different storylines and the characters。And I have to mention the gorgeous setting on the banks of the beautiful River Tamar， the boundary between Cornwall and Devon。 There's a river between the counties and a metaphorical river separating Alice and Zach。 Very near the beginning， we read the estate agent's particulars for Boatman's Cottage， a 19th Century on the banks of the river and in ten acres of woodland - you can read those in the first chapter of the book here: Chapter One。 As I said， Theo bought it without even going to see it and I can understand why。 I think I'd want to do the same。 Admittedly it was in need of a great deal of renovation but it sounded just wonderful， a real bolthole and refuge for Theo after the end of her marriage， a place of safety and a new start。 It was just as much a place of safety for Alice and Zach a hundred years before。The River Between Us is a book to settle yourself down with this summer and you'll soon become lost in its pages。 It's such a gorgeous， evocative story and I loved it！ 。。。more

Felicity Butler ，

Wow！！！ What a fantastic book！！I was drawn into this story quickly， finding myself completely immersed in the relationships and the years of 1914 and 2019 for the last few days。 The characters staying with me long after finishing this novel。 I smiled， I cried。 Just wow！！Theo is newly divorced and has bought an old cottage near the river Tamar on the borders of Devon and Cornwall to begin a new life。 She has a deep love of gardening and has many plans and plants in her car， but first she must make Wow！！！ What a fantastic book！！I was drawn into this story quickly， finding myself completely immersed in the relationships and the years of 1914 and 2019 for the last few days。 The characters staying with me long after finishing this novel。 I smiled， I cried。 Just wow！！Theo is newly divorced and has bought an old cottage near the river Tamar on the borders of Devon and Cornwall to begin a new life。 She has a deep love of gardening and has many plans and plants in her car， but first she must make the cottage more habitable。 Whilst cleaning she discovers a stash of old letters。。。。。。。。no spoilers here！The depths of love， the very real limitations that relationships have experienced over the last hundred years are particularly well depicted。 The story is brilliantly researched and very believable。 The River Between Us has touched me deeply。Liz Fenwick is a master of her craft。 Beautifully written， deep with meaning and wisdom。 Warm and wise， hard and sad。 This book is a must read， not just for Cornish lovers but for anyone with spirit and soul。 I felt some fleeting reverberations or perhaps reminders of Downton Abbey and Poldark here， but this was so different。 Highly recommended！ This book has moved me deeply。 Huge thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity for the early read。 。。。more

Emma L ，

The River Between Us is a duel time novel set in the present day， and the early 1900’s。 It is essentially a story about love and relationships， and how things have changed over time。 Theo is recently divorced and has moved to a ramshackle house in the south west of England。 She finds some old letters hidden there and starts to patch together the story of a doomed love affair from before the First World War。 This involves Alice and Zak， who found true love but could never be together。 All the rel The River Between Us is a duel time novel set in the present day， and the early 1900’s。 It is essentially a story about love and relationships， and how things have changed over time。 Theo is recently divorced and has moved to a ramshackle house in the south west of England。 She finds some old letters hidden there and starts to patch together the story of a doomed love affair from before the First World War。 This involves Alice and Zak， who found true love but could never be together。 All the relationships within the book are somehow linked together and the story moves between the two eras。 A great read for anyone who enjoys this genre。 The narrator was engaging and added to the enjoyment of the book。 。。。more

Becky Geary ，

I love the cover of this book it is so eye catching and made me want to delve into reading it。 The story is a dual timeline set on the Tamar River on the Devon/Cornwall border， in the present day you have recently divorced Theo who has bought a run down cottage called Boatmans Cottage on the banks of the Tamar and little does she know how this cottage has so many hidden secrets。 In 1914 Lady Alice is a very determined young lady who enters the London season and is most certain she does not need I love the cover of this book it is so eye catching and made me want to delve into reading it。 The story is a dual timeline set on the Tamar River on the Devon/Cornwall border， in the present day you have recently divorced Theo who has bought a run down cottage called Boatmans Cottage on the banks of the Tamar and little does she know how this cottage has so many hidden secrets。 In 1914 Lady Alice is a very determined young lady who enters the London season and is most certain she does not need a husband and wants votes for woman， after making a spectacle of herself she is banished to the country home on the banks of the Tamar。 Where her family think she is out of the way and not able to cause anymore trouble， but little did they know how wrong they were。 The book is captivating and I found it hard to put down， I wanted to know what the next twist and turn would be。 It is a great read and I am grateful to have received a copy from NetGalley in return for an independent review。 。。。more

Kate ，

Another beautifully written （and stunningly-located） novel from Liz Fenwick。 There's romance， a mystery dating to the First World War and a fabulous central figure in Theo， who is building a new life for herself in the Boatman's Cottage on the river Tamar， on the border of Devon and Cornwall。 As usual， there is such a strong sense of place and love。 I can certainly recommend the audiobook。 Review to follow shortly on For Winter Nights。 Another beautifully written （and stunningly-located） novel from Liz Fenwick。 There's romance， a mystery dating to the First World War and a fabulous central figure in Theo， who is building a new life for herself in the Boatman's Cottage on the river Tamar， on the border of Devon and Cornwall。 As usual， there is such a strong sense of place and love。 I can certainly recommend the audiobook。 Review to follow shortly on For Winter Nights。 。。。more

Sue ，

I very quickly got caught up in this book。 The writing was exquisite and flowed so well which is something I notice with this author。 I enjoy her books。 Class distinction， love， romance and all in reflection too。 I found that a superb touch which I thoroughly enjoyed。Theo’s marriage has come to an end。 So she moved into a quaint cottage on the banks of the river Tamar。 Cornwall and Devon is such a lovely area so it was easy to imagine her living there。I loved how all that surrounded her and her I very quickly got caught up in this book。 The writing was exquisite and flowed so well which is something I notice with this author。 I enjoy her books。 Class distinction， love， romance and all in reflection too。 I found that a superb touch which I thoroughly enjoyed。Theo’s marriage has come to an end。 So she moved into a quaint cottage on the banks of the river Tamar。 Cornwall and Devon is such a lovely area so it was easy to imagine her living there。I loved how all that surrounded her and her trying to now live an independent life was making good progress for her。She finds letters in the cottage that turn out to be such an exciting， sometimes tragic part of a love lost。 I was so taken into these letters the story of the past being peeled away bit by bit。These letters have never been open。 They’ve also been sent from a Battlefield。 Love letters？A love lived and lost？She just had to read them。 Wouldn’t you？It’s such a great story that I was drawn in hook， line and sinker。If you like stories of love and lost。 Intense reads。 A well written and well thought out book， starting over， finding happiness， then this is your book。 。。。more

Janet ，

A compelling story of forbidden love， secrets， and new beginnings told over a dual timeline between 1914 and 2019。 All the elements required for a fantastic story and Liz does not disappoint！When Theo and her husband divorce she moves to a little cottage by a river which separates Devon and Cornwall。 She has bought it without viewing so is a little disappointed when she arrives to find it so run down she has to sleep in her car the first night。 She soon becomes friendly with the local hotel mana A compelling story of forbidden love， secrets， and new beginnings told over a dual timeline between 1914 and 2019。 All the elements required for a fantastic story and Liz does not disappoint！When Theo and her husband divorce she moves to a little cottage by a river which separates Devon and Cornwall。 She has bought it without viewing so is a little disappointed when she arrives to find it so run down she has to sleep in her car the first night。 She soon becomes friendly with the local hotel manager and his acquaintances who help get the run down cottage habitable。 Whilst cleaning， Theo finds a box in a hidden compartment in the bedroom containing letters dating back to the great war。 She sends them to an archivist to help uncover the identities and the stories of the addressee and the writer - ‘Z’ We also have the earlier storyline in which Lady Alice is being prepared for her first debutant ball。 Her aunt is desperate to find her a husband but Alice is not interested in marriage。 She is too focused on being an independent woman and votes for women。 When she speaks up to the King and Queen about women’s votes， she is quickly sent away to Abbotswood with her nanny and cousin under a cloud of shame。 She surprisingly falls head over heels for a young gillie， Zach， who is teaching her fly fishing， but they would never be allowed to marry。 Alice is expected to marry at her own level or above if possible。 When war breaks out， Zach goes to enlist along with all the other men， not knowing Alice is expecting his child。 I thoroughly enjoyed this book， and as usual with dual timeline books I preferred the ‘past’ story as the history is so interesting。 There are many secrets to be uncovered and surprises along the way which will keep you turning those pages！ I highly recommend this book and will be reading more from this author。Thank you to NetGalley and HQ for an advance copy of the book for an honest review。 。。。more

Cheryl ，

Review to follow

Yvonne ，

What an amazing and beautiful book The River Between Us is。 The title is also quite clever as it provides not only a geological divide but also one that shows the divide between the classes。This is a dual timeline story that is so easy to follow。 Theo is the present-day character and it is through her unseen purchase of an old cottage on the River Tamar that gives the introduction to the tale from the past。Theo discovers old letters that had been hidden， they tell a tale of forbidden love， of sa What an amazing and beautiful book The River Between Us is。 The title is also quite clever as it provides not only a geological divide but also one that shows the divide between the classes。This is a dual timeline story that is so easy to follow。 Theo is the present-day character and it is through her unseen purchase of an old cottage on the River Tamar that gives the introduction to the tale from the past。Theo discovers old letters that had been hidden， they tell a tale of forbidden love， of sacrifice， and of times just before and through the first world war。 This is a time when women's suffrage is being spoken about more。 When the country and the world is changing as are peoples attitudes。 Some attitudes can never be changed and when it comes to having the right marriage then that is what matters。 This is the case for Lady Alice。The author uses her knowledge of the South West to create a mesmerising and beautifully written story。 It is mainly set in the earlier timeline of Lady Alice， this is something that worked so well as some events of the past become quite relevant to the present day。I do adore the author's descriptions and this time gardening， flowers and wildlife play a good part。 Using the flora and fauna to great effect in expressing emotions is wonderful。 The days Lady Alice spent fishing and her time on and around the river are gorgeous。The present-day timeline is also quite emotional， but for very different reasons。 Theo's move and purchase of a cottage open up a mystery and one that has many links to the past。 So， while this story is very much contemporary fiction it is also a mystery。 It delves into family， secrets long forgotten and hidden things。 The author paces this book wonderfully， it makes the reading extremely addictive and so effortless。 I found myself transported with her descriptions。 It was emotional and heartbreaking with the revealing of the past through the earlier timeline and also through the forgotten letters。 It was a wonderful book to read。 Mesmerising， beautiful and I adored it very much。 It is one I would definitely recommend。 。。。more

Alayne Emmett ，

I loved this wonderful book。 Set in the South West of England it had all the elements I love in a book。 It was interesting and sometimes creepy but I throughly enjoyed it。 The characters were very likeable and I warmed to them。 This was a first read of this author and I’ve seen she’s written lots with a Cornish theme so， I’ll be reading those in the future。 My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review。

Louise Wilson ，

3。5 stars rounded up to 4Following the breakdown of her marriage， Theo had bought a tumbledown cottage on the banks of the river Tamar which divides Cornwall and Devon。 The peace and tranquillity of Boatman's Cottage， nestled by the water， is just what she needs to heal。 Theo soon discovers a stash of hidden letters tied with a ribbon， untouched for more than century。 The letters have been sent from the battlefields of France during WW1- tell of a young servant from the nearby manor house。 Abbot 3。5 stars rounded up to 4Following the breakdown of her marriage， Theo had bought a tumbledown cottage on the banks of the river Tamar which divides Cornwall and Devon。 The peace and tranquillity of Boatman's Cottage， nestled by the water， is just what she needs to heal。 Theo soon discovers a stash of hidden letters tied with a ribbon， untouched for more than century。 The letters have been sent from the battlefields of France during WW1- tell of a young servant from the nearby manor house。 Abbotswood， and his love for a woman he was destined to loose。This is a descriptively written book and i got quickly caught in Theo， Alice and Claire's lives。 A story of forbidden love set in Cornwall and Devon。 Alice and Zach's story was heart-breaking。 Written in the present day and 1914， both parts of the story were intriguing but there was a lot of characters/relationships to keep up with。 A story of love and loss that will mess with your emotions。I would like to thank #NetGalley #HQ and the author #LizFenwick for my ARC of #TheRiverBetweenUs in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Sarah ，

**review to come**

Julia ，

The River Between Us by Liz Fenwick is a powerful dual timeline novel about life， love and loss。 The love found within its pages radiates outwards to encompass the reader。The novel is set in present day and mainly in 1914 and up to 1921。 As the dates suggest， this is a time of loss。 A whole generation of young men were lost as cannon fodder to the battle fields of France。Love is the main theme。 There are many different sorts of love – that of a mother， of children towards their parents， of a nan The River Between Us by Liz Fenwick is a powerful dual timeline novel about life， love and loss。 The love found within its pages radiates outwards to encompass the reader。The novel is set in present day and mainly in 1914 and up to 1921。 As the dates suggest， this is a time of loss。 A whole generation of young men were lost as cannon fodder to the battle fields of France。Love is the main theme。 There are many different sorts of love – that of a mother， of children towards their parents， of a nanny towards her charges and between couples。 In 1914 some of this love was forbidden。This links to the theme of identity。 Some characters had to hide who they were for fear of judgment and/or incarceration。1914 was a frustrating time for women。 They were seeking the vote， marriage alliances were for wealth and power and not for love， love matches between the different social classes were a no-no。It is against this background that the leading lady tries to break free from all constraints。 She is brave， gutsy and forward thinking but then war intervenes and all she can do is to pray for her loved ones at the Front。The two time periods are linked by the Cornish setting where a discovery of a century old pile of letters prompts those in present day to learn the stories of the past。There are the themes of truth and secrets。 Some secrets needed to be kept in 1914 for fear of what others said or worse。 In present day secrets are unearthed and the truth is revealed。I could not get enough of The River Between Us and greedily devoured it on an otherwise gloomy afternoon。 It brightened my day as I learned about lives， losses and deep love。 True love does not die but remains down the years。 It was a powerful， beautiful book。I received a free copy from Harper Collins via Net Galley。 A favourable review was not required。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more

Thebooktrail ，

Visit the locations in the novelI love this author and her writing。 She really makes me want to live in Cornwall。 Everytime I go and read one of her books， I'm taken there， meet some lovely people and really explored the landscape and history of the area。 The author says her heart is in Cornwall and you can definately tell。 I don't want to say anything about the plot otherwise to say you will go on quite the journey and drift along the river Tamar as you go， visiting new friends， a lovely cottag Visit the locations in the novelI love this author and her writing。 She really makes me want to live in Cornwall。 Everytime I go and read one of her books， I'm taken there， meet some lovely people and really explored the landscape and history of the area。 The author says her heart is in Cornwall and you can definately tell。 I don't want to say anything about the plot otherwise to say you will go on quite the journey and drift along the river Tamar as you go， visiting new friends， a lovely cottage on the banks of a beach and feel yourself float into the book and away。。。。 。。。more

Story ，

This is a book to savour， It is beautifully written， with such vivid descriptions of the setting that it almost becomes a character in itself。 As a genealogist myself， I was hooked from the very first page and was utterly captivated by the parallels between Alice， Claire and Theo’s lives。 Without a doubt this is the most emotional book I have read in years and I was in tears several times。 The themes of love， loss and how the impact of one’s choices can impact generations to come really resonate This is a book to savour， It is beautifully written， with such vivid descriptions of the setting that it almost becomes a character in itself。 As a genealogist myself， I was hooked from the very first page and was utterly captivated by the parallels between Alice， Claire and Theo’s lives。 Without a doubt this is the most emotional book I have read in years and I was in tears several times。 The themes of love， loss and how the impact of one’s choices can impact generations to come really resonated with me and I know these characters will be in my thoughts for a long time。 。。。more

Sandie McCormack ，

Sorry but this was not my cup of tea I couldn’t keep up with everything it was too involved I’m sure a lot of people would like it as very well written thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an early copy

Suzanne Rogerson ，

This was a different type of romance story that I enjoyed reading very much。 Liz Fenwick weaves a complex family history into the story and the two timelines tie in wonderfully together。 In a more in depth review to follow。Review update 25/5/21I’ve read a few of Liz Fenwick’s books and enjoy her style of storytelling。 I really liked how The River Between Us is split between modern day and goes back to a historical love affair set around the time of WW1。 Reading the book it often felt as much a m This was a different type of romance story that I enjoyed reading very much。 Liz Fenwick weaves a complex family history into the story and the two timelines tie in wonderfully together。 In a more in depth review to follow。Review update 25/5/21I’ve read a few of Liz Fenwick’s books and enjoy her style of storytelling。 I really liked how The River Between Us is split between modern day and goes back to a historical love affair set around the time of WW1。 Reading the book it often felt as much a mystery as a romance。 Both timelines are captured beautifully on the page。 I found myself drawn to the modern day heroine， Theo， and the characters from the past。 It was so interesting to unravel the story and see how people and events have some bearing on Theo’s life。At times it did feel strange that the love element was firmly in the past。 However， Theo has plenty going on in her life including a horrible ex and a mystery love affair in her own distant past。This was a very enjoyable read。 I recommend this book to those who’ve enjoyed Liz Fenwick’s unique storytelling style of mixing past and present， and those who love to unravel a mystery or two alongside their romance。I received an ARC from netgalley。 。。。more

Chrissie ，

The River Between Us is such an excellent and heartwarming read。The story is about Theo recently divorced who moves to the derelict Boatmans Cottage near the River Tamar and Lady Alice a hundred years before also has a great attachement for the same cottage 。Love letters are found which tell a story of forbidden love and intrigue，set in Cornwall and Devon and so well written I could imagine the setting and characters so well 。An Intriguing story of love ，loss ，determination and strength，plenty o The River Between Us is such an excellent and heartwarming read。The story is about Theo recently divorced who moves to the derelict Boatmans Cottage near the River Tamar and Lady Alice a hundred years before also has a great attachement for the same cottage 。Love letters are found which tell a story of forbidden love and intrigue，set in Cornwall and Devon and so well written I could imagine the setting and characters so well 。An Intriguing story of love ，loss ，determination and strength，plenty of surprises but the ending was very satisfactory 。Many thanks to the Publisher ，the Author and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest review 。 。。。more

Margaret Richardson ，

This is the first book I have read by this author， having read the blurb it was my type of book。 I do enjoy the 'Then & Now' books I found the first part of Alice story very slow going， obviously the dialog is different because of the time early 1900's It covers a lot of issues Votes for Women is one。 It also includes the love between men and is written in such a way you do not really notice， as in those days it was illegal。The Today part of the story has its own problems。 Plenty of Surprises， t This is the first book I have read by this author， having read the blurb it was my type of book。 I do enjoy the 'Then & Now' books I found the first part of Alice story very slow going， obviously the dialog is different because of the time early 1900's It covers a lot of issues Votes for Women is one。 It also includes the love between men and is written in such a way you do not really notice， as in those days it was illegal。The Today part of the story has its own problems。 Plenty of Surprises， twists and turns before the story comes to a conclusion。I enjoyed this book and Highly recommend。 Thankyou to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review which I freely giveAs a footnote， I have read some reviews where writers are complaining about coincidences to the relationship of people。 Apart from reading another hobby of mine is tracing my family tree。 I found that I was related to someone I had worked with a good 15 years before and also someone else who still worked at the same place I was also related。 So coincidences do happen in real life 。。。more

Christine D ，

DNA meets Downton Abbey！ This modern story with reflections of the past brings the reader to Cornwall and Devon showing its beauty and estate history。 The tale reflects back on World War I through the eyes of the world today。 Leaving the implications of family name， titles and love affairs that impact decades ahead。Once I got introduced to the characters， I was in love with the story wanting to see what happened next。 The house， the people and the land all have stories of their own。 I took a dee DNA meets Downton Abbey！ This modern story with reflections of the past brings the reader to Cornwall and Devon showing its beauty and estate history。 The tale reflects back on World War I through the eyes of the world today。 Leaving the implications of family name， titles and love affairs that impact decades ahead。Once I got introduced to the characters， I was in love with the story wanting to see what happened next。 The house， the people and the land all have stories of their own。 I took a deep dive and finished it in two days。 What a treat！ And the story lingered in my mind for over a week - always the sign of a well woven tale in my mind。Now， I want to visit that exact spot and enjoy a cup of English tea！ 。。。more

Helen White ，

When Theo's marriage dissolves due to her husband's affairs she sets out for independence by buying a ramshackle cottage on the banks of the river Tamar。 With the help of new friends she begins to rebuild the cottage and her life。 Finding a box of love letters leads her to discover the history of Boatman's cottage。 Did Zach one of the previous residents have a relationship with Lady Alice from the estate where he worked？ The letters reveal a distraught man fighting during the first world war tor When Theo's marriage dissolves due to her husband's affairs she sets out for independence by buying a ramshackle cottage on the banks of the river Tamar。 With the help of new friends she begins to rebuild the cottage and her life。 Finding a box of love letters leads her to discover the history of Boatman's cottage。 Did Zach one of the previous residents have a relationship with Lady Alice from the estate where he worked？ The letters reveal a distraught man fighting during the first world war tormented by his lost love。 Can Theo weave all of the strands of history back together？ Firstly this book is really good。 For once with a dual narrative book both stories are equally interesting。 Theo's present day relationships and discoveries are page turners。 In 1914 Lady Alice's story is one of hopes and passion and destroyed dreams。 So why only three stars？ There are way too many coincidences。 There's a lot going on and so many relationships （by blood or love） and the number of coincidences really pushing the limit of what is believable。 Which is a real shame。 It's still a thoroughly enjoyable book， with its Cornwall/Devon setting。 Thanks to netgalley and the publishers for the review copy。 。。。more

Tracey Edges ，

I was lucky to be able to read an advance copy of The River Between Us by Liz Fenwick and it was the perfect novel to get absorbed in。 I found it really hard to put down and it was full of characters whom you really would like to know what happened， in their lives， after the final page。 Multi-layered in both time and themes it shone with the Author's usual copious research and attention to detail。 It would be a perfect read for a book club as lots to debate and discuss; from the main theme of Lo I was lucky to be able to read an advance copy of The River Between Us by Liz Fenwick and it was the perfect novel to get absorbed in。 I found it really hard to put down and it was full of characters whom you really would like to know what happened， in their lives， after the final page。 Multi-layered in both time and themes it shone with the Author's usual copious research and attention to detail。 It would be a perfect read for a book club as lots to debate and discuss; from the main theme of Love， in all its many forms， to women's politics and their place， restrictions， freedoms and choices to be made， in 'polite society'。 The main women， of different generations， Theo （present） and Alice （past）， were equally， beautifully drawn with similarities and differences - also good to discuss。 As per usual， Liz's descriptive talents truly evoke the sense of place - whether the landscape or the bricks and mortar。 There are several narrative threads which are woven throughout and come together in a very satisfactory ending。 I really enjoyed this novel which was absorbing and thought-provoking as well as a really good read。 。。。more

Rachel ，

Well written and plotted， the story weaves between the turn of the century and the two World Wars to the current day， tracing affairs of the heart。 In a nutshell it’s a family saga concerned with finding out who you are and from where you came。 DNA findings really add to stories such as these; it’s no longer all about resemblance to some Great Lady in a portrait。。。。 The inspiration for the setting and story is described by the author at the end。 I found it all quite involved and found keeping a Well written and plotted， the story weaves between the turn of the century and the two World Wars to the current day， tracing affairs of the heart。 In a nutshell it’s a family saga concerned with finding out who you are and from where you came。 DNA findings really add to stories such as these; it’s no longer all about resemblance to some Great Lady in a portrait。。。。 The inspiration for the setting and story is described by the author at the end。 I found it all quite involved and found keeping a note of the names， relationships and a time-scale of events very， very useful。 I read all up to around a third and skimmed the rest。 I wasn’t interested enough in the characters to plough through the rest。 The dialogue was rather stilted and the characters mostly all sounded too much like each other。 There’s nothing wrong with this novel and it seems other early readers have really enjoyed it， but it wasn’t for me。Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an ARC。 。。。more

Alison ，

Theo is in her mid-50s， divorced from a highly successful man she is nevertheless fairly destitute （because she couldn't be bothered to fight for half of what she helped him to build） and has bought a small derelict Boatman's cottage on the banks of the river Tamar， which divides Cornwall and Devon， sight unseen。 As she restores the cottage and gardens she discovers a pile of unopened love letters dating from World War 1 from a male servant who was spurned by his lover。Gradually Theo pieces toge Theo is in her mid-50s， divorced from a highly successful man she is nevertheless fairly destitute （because she couldn't be bothered to fight for half of what she helped him to build） and has bought a small derelict Boatman's cottage on the banks of the river Tamar， which divides Cornwall and Devon， sight unseen。 As she restores the cottage and gardens she discovers a pile of unopened love letters dating from World War 1 from a male servant who was spurned by his lover。Gradually Theo pieces together the story of forbidden love and secrets of one hundred years earlier， centred on the cottage and the nearby manor house， Abbotswood。I enjoyed reading this very much， but now I have finished the novel I am struck by the ridiculous number of similarities that link three separate generations and the amazing coincidences necessary to bring it all together it has just kind of fallen apart in my hands。 Also the inter-relationships are so convoluted that I am left with the sneaking suspicion that someone might be their own father （well you know what I mean）。Strangely this is the second book in a few weeks which reminds me of those family sagas we used to read in the 1980s， where generation after generation made the same mistakes in love。 Maybe its just that this book is set mostly in the present day and in the 1910s but also partially in World War II and the 1980s。Overall， an enjoyable read， provided you can suspend disbelief。I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review。 。。。more

Emma Hardy ，

A twisting of two tales that intertwine so carefully as the book progresses。Theo， newly moved in a cottage that's falling apart takes centre stage at the start settles into life at the Cornwall/Devon border。Alice and Zach take the second stage as their love story before and during the war story untangles and unfolds throughout the narrative。At first I loved Theo's story and was more interested in hers， by the end the complete reverse。Alice and Zach's story is heartbreakingly beautiful as so much A twisting of two tales that intertwine so carefully as the book progresses。Theo， newly moved in a cottage that's falling apart takes centre stage at the start settles into life at the Cornwall/Devon border。Alice and Zach take the second stage as their love story before and during the war story untangles and unfolds throughout the narrative。At first I loved Theo's story and was more interested in hers， by the end the complete reverse。Alice and Zach's story is heartbreakingly beautiful as so much in society is against them。Loved the Alice in Wonderland quotes throughout the book， definitely added to it。Liz has done it again with this escapism Cornish （and Devon） read。 。。。more

Louise Beech ，

Once again， Liz Fenwick has proved she is the mistress of pure escapism。 Spanning generations， with a beautiful love story and unearthed secrets about ancestry at its core， this book is just what the world needs right now。 This will be a gorgeous summer read， and definitely one to look out for in 2021。

Pernille Hughes ，

Simply beautiful。 The story， the setting， the vivid writing， Fenwick takes you right to the balmy banks of the Tamar， with an expert telling of love and loss， heartbreak and newfound joy。

Susan in Perthshire ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 I received this book as an ARC from Netgalley in return for an honest review。 There can be no greater tribute to a writer than to say that her characters are so real you want to argue， challenge， debate their actions with them。 The author certainly managed that with her main characters。 Alice was so real that O could not understand why she didn’t respond to my comments and arguments。 Her behaviour was imperfect and her actions unfair at times but they were always authentic。 Very， very real！ I fo I received this book as an ARC from Netgalley in return for an honest review。 There can be no greater tribute to a writer than to say that her characters are so real you want to argue， challenge， debate their actions with them。 The author certainly managed that with her main characters。 Alice was so real that O could not understand why she didn’t respond to my comments and arguments。 Her behaviour was imperfect and her actions unfair at times but they were always authentic。 Very， very real！ I found Theo’s story equally involving although many of the events and actions annoyed me。 However it is again a tribute to the skilled writing of Liz Fenwick。 that this character became real。 I thought there were too many characters and found it difficult to keep track of them。 However Alice and Theo were brilliantly observed and nuanced characters。 I thought the plot somewhat convoluted， repetitive and heavily reliant on coincidences。 There were also so many tropes in here， secret brothers， class divide， marriage of convenience， hidden homosexuality， swapped identities， illegitimate children， hidden treasure， revolting unfaithful husband etc etc。 I found it difficult to believe Theo would allow her husband to keep everything despite his infidelity and simply walk away from her home of so many years。 I could not stop reading this - it is very well written but I think it over long， over complex and repetitive。 Still 4 stars though。 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The River Between Us

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The River Between Us&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The River Between Us&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0