Fiction

The Secret Path

The Secret Path

  • Downloads：9826
  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2021-06-27 00:51:45
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Karen Swan
  • ISBN：1529006260
  • Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
  • Download

Summary

An old flame。 A new spark。
Love can find you in the most unlikely places。

Sunday Times bestselling author Karen Swan returns with The Secret Path， taking us deep into the heart of the Costa Rican jungle – complete with her trademark romance， glamour， and jaw-dropping twists。

At only twenty， Tara Tremain has everything: she’s a trainee doctor， engaged to the man of her dreams – Alex， a passionate American biology student。 But just when life seems perfect， Alex betrays her in the worst way possible。

Ten years later， she’s moved on – with a successful career， good friends and a man who loves her。 But when she’s pulled back into her wealthy family’s orbit for a party in the heart of Costa Rica， she’s flung into a crisis: a child is desperately ill and the only treatment is several days’ trek away， deep in the jungle。

There's only one person who can help - but can she trust the man who broke her heart？

Your Costa Rican adventure awaits。

Praise for Karen Swan

‘Stylish and compelling’ - Woman & Home

‘Smart plots， brilliant characters and juicy romance’ - Heat

‘Enthralling and magical’ - Woman。

Download

Reviews

Jennyh ，

Although I have read and enjoyed previous books by Karen Swan， I found this one difficult to connect with。 Tara irritated me and her friends seemed fickle。Costa Rica was beautifully described， although rather long in places。Sorry but this title was not for me but I am sure others will enjoy it。

Lisa Goodmurphy ，

3。5 stars rounded up to 4For the past couple of years， Karen Swan has been one of my go-to authors when I'm looking for an easy， enjoyable read。 Her books are perfect for summer reading – contemporary romances with a bit of mystery/suspense and generally set in fabulous destinations！ I loved the setting of her most recent， The Secret Path， which takes place in Costa Rica – a destination that has been on my travel wish list forever！ 3。5 stars rounded up to 4For the past couple of years， Karen Swan has been one of my go-to authors when I'm looking for an easy， enjoyable read。 Her books are perfect for summer reading – contemporary romances with a bit of mystery/suspense and generally set in fabulous destinations！ I loved the setting of her most recent， The Secret Path， which takes place in Costa Rica – a destination that has been on my travel wish list forever！ 。。。more

Kathy Simmonds ，

Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read an ARC of this book in return for an honest review。This book took me by surprise！The more I read it， the more I was absorbed in the story of Tara and her family’s links to Costa Rica。There is so much more to this book than just romance: there is adventure， mystery and suspense。 The descriptions of Costa Rica， the allusions to possible abuse of the indigenous peoples of Costa Rica， the ignoring of conservation protocols， all make this book so very interesti Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read an ARC of this book in return for an honest review。This book took me by surprise！The more I read it， the more I was absorbed in the story of Tara and her family’s links to Costa Rica。There is so much more to this book than just romance: there is adventure， mystery and suspense。 The descriptions of Costa Rica， the allusions to possible abuse of the indigenous peoples of Costa Rica， the ignoring of conservation protocols， all make this book so very interesting。 It was a book I did not want to end。 It is another cracker from Karen Swan。 A thoroughly enjoyable and recommended book by an excellent author。 。。。more

Alison Hydes ，

I enjoyed this book。

Moira Pellerine ，

Such an awesome read。 Love Karen Swan - always an underlying romance but the forefront is always a mystery or puzzle。 Beautifully written describing the beautiful Costa Rica makes me want to jump in a plane and head there now。 Loved Tara， and her determination to do good。 Loved Holly， being a true friend through everything to Tara。 Also Miles and Zac were fun！ Alex we love。 Then hate。 Then like。 Then are confused 。 Then 。。。 you’ll have to read it。 Jed is also an incredible supporting character。 Such an awesome read。 Love Karen Swan - always an underlying romance but the forefront is always a mystery or puzzle。 Beautifully written describing the beautiful Costa Rica makes me want to jump in a plane and head there now。 Loved Tara， and her determination to do good。 Loved Holly， being a true friend through everything to Tara。 Also Miles and Zac were fun！ Alex we love。 Then hate。 Then like。 Then are confused 。 Then 。。。 you’ll have to read it。 Jed is also an incredible supporting character。 Great read！ 。。。more

Clare Moore ，

Thanks to netgalley for the chance to read this book。Tara has just been proposed to by Alex who she has only been with for 4 months but accepts as she feels it is the right decision。 Little does she know he is only with her to get her fathers money to fund a project to reestablish the rain forest in Costa Rica。 When she finds out her whole world falls apart。Fast forward 10 years and Tara takes a trip to Costa Rica to attend the handover ceremony of the rain forest back to the Costa Rica tribes。 Thanks to netgalley for the chance to read this book。Tara has just been proposed to by Alex who she has only been with for 4 months but accepts as she feels it is the right decision。 Little does she know he is only with her to get her fathers money to fund a project to reestablish the rain forest in Costa Rica。 When she finds out her whole world falls apart。Fast forward 10 years and Tara takes a trip to Costa Rica to attend the handover ceremony of the rain forest back to the Costa Rica tribes。 Little does she realise she will bump into Alex and her life will change forever。 Whilst there an old friends son is on the verge of dying and his family refuse conventional treatment and rely on herbal remedies。 The only remedy available is 2 days trek away from where Tara is staying and she embarks on the journey to retrieve the remedy so she can persuade the family that herbal remedies do not work and the boy needs to go to hospital。 Another good book from Karen。 。。。more

Helen Appleby ，

I absolutely love Karen swanBooks so was super excited to be approved for this。 As usual with this author the reader gets far more than just a romance story。 The secret path took the reader on a journey through Costa Rica and deep into the lives of the characters and their suffering。 The story intertwined love and life events with lots of twists and turns and the emotional and physical trials and tribulations of the characters which all came together into a heartwarming and enjoyable read。 Once I absolutely love Karen swanBooks so was super excited to be approved for this。 As usual with this author the reader gets far more than just a romance story。 The secret path took the reader on a journey through Costa Rica and deep into the lives of the characters and their suffering。 The story intertwined love and life events with lots of twists and turns and the emotional and physical trials and tribulations of the characters which all came together into a heartwarming and enjoyable read。 Once I had picked it up I couldn’t put it down。 This would be the perfect summer beach read。 。。。more

Janet ，

Date reviewed/posted: June 13， 2021 （USA）Date reviewed/posted: June 24， 2021 （UK）Publication date: May 3， 2021 （North America）July 8， 2021 （UK）I requested a DIGITAL Advance Reader Copy of this book from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review but I have yet to hear if I was approved。 I am reviewing the book anyway on Goodreads and Facebook as I already own/have read the book。From the publisher， as I do not repeat the contents or story of books in reviews， I let them do it as they do it bette Date reviewed/posted: June 13， 2021 （USA）Date reviewed/posted: June 24， 2021 （UK）Publication date: May 3， 2021 （North America）July 8， 2021 （UK）I requested a DIGITAL Advance Reader Copy of this book from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review but I have yet to hear if I was approved。 I am reviewing the book anyway on Goodreads and Facebook as I already own/have read the book。From the publisher， as I do not repeat the contents or story of books in reviews， I let them do it as they do it better than I do 😸。Another instantly addictive summer read from Canadian bestseller author Karen Swan， taking readers from the high pressure of a London hospital to the lush beaches and ancient towns of Costa Rica。In Costa Rica， amid startling white beaches and hot， dense rainforests， the luxurious world of the super-rich butts up against something darker， something sinister。Tara Tremain has worked hard to leave the controlling grasp of her extremely affluent family far behind。 With her own career in medicine， she doesn't need the Tremains' expectations weighing her down any more。 But pulled back into the family's orbit one last time for an unmissable party in the jungles of Costa Rica， she finds herself flung into action: a local boy is desperately ill and she must trek for days into the jungle to save his life。 What Tara could never have predicted is that the one person who can help her in this impossible journey is Alex Carter， the man who destroyed her life ten years ago。It is not Christmas without Karen Swan and it is not summer without a beach read from Karen Swan！ I read this book the day it came out in Canada and loved it。 When I saw it pop up on Netgalley UK I decided to look to see if it could be reviewed there。。。 am still waiting to hear。The characters were lovingly created and the story romantic but not too sappy or treacly。 The location made me want to go 。。。 well， anywhere but here。 I have zero respect for super-rich people and their egos but Tara fled them which was nice。。。but she let herself get sucked back in for a party？！？！？！？！？ She must be a freaking millennial then。 But she redeemed herself。。。good girl！！Take this book to the beach （or your back yard， porch or balcony） and enjoy it - just wear a tonne of SPF110 as you will lose track of time as you read this。 - If we are in the 5th or 6th wave/mutation of COVID19 by then， stay inside: no tan is worth dying for。 #maddogsandenglishmenAs always， I try to find a reason to not rate with stars as I simply adore emojis （outside of their incessant use by "🙏-ed Social Influencer Millennials/#BachelorNation survivors/Tik-Tok and YouTube Millionaires/snowflakes etc。 " on Instagram and Twitter。。。 Get a real job， people！） so let's give it 🏖️🏖️🏖️🏖️🏖️ This book is also cross reviewed at http://www。facebook。com/janetsbookcorner and https://janetcousineau。wixsite。com/we。。。 。。。more

Allyson ，

Thank you to NetGalley， the publishing house and the author for the opportunity to read an advance reader copy of this book in return for a review based upon my honest opinion。 This book was a wonderful escape into the jungles of Costa Rica。 In a time when travelIs not possible， reading a book that swept me away to the mystical rainforests was absorbing。 I loved Tara’s story， I was caught up in her tale following her from the depths of despair to the top of her field to the jungles loved from he Thank you to NetGalley， the publishing house and the author for the opportunity to read an advance reader copy of this book in return for a review based upon my honest opinion。 This book was a wonderful escape into the jungles of Costa Rica。 In a time when travelIs not possible， reading a book that swept me away to the mystical rainforests was absorbing。 I loved Tara’s story， I was caught up in her tale following her from the depths of despair to the top of her field to the jungles loved from her childhood。 I have to say when I started reading I initially didn’t really care for the story， I found it bland。 The beginning of the book is in 2011 and I found it a tad irritating but as I read I realized it was just the back story to the good part ten years later。 I liked the present part a lot and enjoyed the dynamics between the characters。 Great ending as well。 。。。more

Agi ，

Tara is happilly in love in Alex and he even asked her to marry him。 But then he betrays her in the worst possible way and Tara’s world turns on its head。10 years later， Dr。 Tara Tremain， her boyfriend Rory and her best friend with her family， travel to Costa Rica for a very important event involving Tara’s family。 They’re looking forward to some me – time， to unwind， especially Tara， as she’s just lost her first patient during operation。 However， fate has some other ideas – one of her father’s Tara is happilly in love in Alex and he even asked her to marry him。 But then he betrays her in the worst possible way and Tara’s world turns on its head。10 years later， Dr。 Tara Tremain， her boyfriend Rory and her best friend with her family， travel to Costa Rica for a very important event involving Tara’s family。 They’re looking forward to some me – time， to unwind， especially Tara， as she’s just lost her first patient during operation。 However， fate has some other ideas – one of her father’s employee’s son is very sick and the only remedy is to be found deep into the jungle。 Without thinking long， Tara and the boy’s father get on the road。 But after a random attack， Tara finds herself， looking for help， in the ranger’s hut and she can’t believe her eyes – there he is， the one person she never wanted to settle her eyes on。 But Alex is also the only one who can help her right now， and time is of the essence。 Will Tara be able to forget her broken heart and help the sick boy？It was an absorbing， captivating and thrilling read and Karen Swan has – again – took us on a journey to incredibly interesting country， in that case Costa Rica， writing not only a lovely story， but also touching upon so many important things， like the state of health care in countries not so well developed and environmental protection and tradition， showing the struggles between native tribes， landowners and conservationists， who all have their own reasons how to use the land。 It swept me away immediately， the descriptions of the Costa Rica’s wilderness were gorgeous and so vivid and I couldn’t have enough of them – the feel of the rainforest， of the wilderness， of fauna and flora was there， so beautiful and overwhelming。 The writing style is polished to perfection， it’s eloquent， vivid and rich but also incredibly approachable and runs smoothly and seamlessly。 It’s so easy not only to imagine all the things the author writes about， but to see all the sights through her eyes and feel the heat and humidity and the danger that lurks behind every corner。 I loved how atmosperic and well written it was。 I loved the twists and turns in the plot， each one was more unxecpected and more dangerous than the other and it truly captivated me and my all the time increasing heart rate。 This time the author has shifted the proportions in her story and while the romance was there， it was not as significant as the adventure and personal drama。 I absolutely enjoyed it， though I must also admit that this time the romance didn’t convince me so much。 Alex did the worst thing that Tara could have imagined and in my eyes he didn’t show any remorse， she said herself that she’s sure he would do the same over and over again， and for me it was a deal breaker to be honest。 I didn’t want them to end up together。 I couldn’t warm to this relationship and I had this feeling that Tara was happier with Rory。 She didn’t sell this relationship to me， sadly。 The characters are of course brilliantly written and developed。 They’re full of life and full of flaws， they make mistakes and I didn’t always agree with their decision but it’s only made the reading even more interesting。 I liked Tara and her determination and passion very， very much。 She has worked extremely hard to prove what she’s worth and didn’t want her father’s wealth get in her ways and when， then for good cause。 Her adventures were like watching „Indiana Jones“ somehow， what with the car chasing， flat tires， the threat of jaguars or monkeys throwing coconut at you and the boats going over waterfall。 I mean， wow。 I was wondering what’s going to happen and if there is an end to the troubles that Tara seems to put herself into – voluntarily or not。 But also， with this danger， the story was suspenseful and filled with tension and I really liked it。 I was scared of Holly at the beginning， to be honest， but the 10 – years – later Holly， even if still so blunt and to the point， showed that she also has heart in the right place。 I adored the background characters as well， we can’t forget the Indigenous people， with their traditions， they were so lovely captured by the author。 The only character that made me feel unsure and I didn’t trust him till the very end was Alex – sorry， but I simply couldn’t warm to him and his ways。 But， nevertheless， even those characters that were not our favourite ones， have depth to them and even though we may not agree with them， they all have their own， interesting and thought – provoking stories to tell – and what stories those are， with their beliefs and the many sacrifices they have to make， daily。Overall， „The Secret Path“ is another winner from Karen Swan。 It’s an adventurous， twisty and thought – provoking tale of love and hate， trust and betrayal， of family bonds and friendship， of deception and forgiveness。 It’s like a breath of fresh air， with unique setting and pacy plot， emotional and enticing。 You will quickly find yourself immersed in the characters’ lives and in the beautiful and wild setting and adoring the tantalizing adventures。 I loved it， from the start to finish， this atmospheric and riveting page – turner。 Highly recommended！Copy provided by the publisher in return for an honest review/ Paperback copy purchased 。。。more

Whovian_reads_books Kimberley ，

Sadly， this book just wasn’t for me。 I’ve never really liked romance in books， I don’t know why， and I just struggled with it。 The writing was inelegant - for me I felt it was too simple， too juvenile。 The characters were unlikeable - despite efforts to “commonise” Tara， she still came across like an entitled， whiny rich-kid stamping her feet when she can’t get her own way。 No spoilers， but the relationship with Alex just felt so fake。 And not in the “but it’s fiction！” sense。 There was no subst Sadly， this book just wasn’t for me。 I’ve never really liked romance in books， I don’t know why， and I just struggled with it。 The writing was inelegant - for me I felt it was too simple， too juvenile。 The characters were unlikeable - despite efforts to “commonise” Tara， she still came across like an entitled， whiny rich-kid stamping her feet when she can’t get her own way。 No spoilers， but the relationship with Alex just felt so fake。 And not in the “but it’s fiction！” sense。 There was no substance。 Even the moments of intimacy were dull。 It also felt like the author was trying to cram a whole TV series in the book too with the dramatic side-story。 I didn’t feel that it fit。 It was like the romance story got to a point and someone said “shit， we need like a other 150 pages to make this a book。。。 I know， let’s throw suspense， drama and action into the end”。 I know people won’t agree， and that’s absolutely fine。 This book wasn’t for me， but that’s not to say that others won’t enjoy it much more than I did。 。。。more

Linda ，

Linda/Vancouver/BC/Canada Another wonderful book by Canadian Karen Swan。Karen Swan is one of my favorite authors。 I have read nearly all of her books。 The books are not something I would ever give away。"Every Step Leads Me Back To You"I loved seeing that on the front cover of this book。 I wanted to believe that the love story in the book would work out。 The author writes with so much detail and I love that。 It is easy to visualize the characters in her books as well as getting attached to these Linda/Vancouver/BC/Canada Another wonderful book by Canadian Karen Swan。Karen Swan is one of my favorite authors。 I have read nearly all of her books。 The books are not something I would ever give away。"Every Step Leads Me Back To You"I loved seeing that on the front cover of this book。 I wanted to believe that the love story in the book would work out。 The author writes with so much detail and I love that。 It is easy to visualize the characters in her books as well as getting attached to these people。 The descriptive locations in the book make me feel like I am "right there"。 Author also has excellent vocabulary。 At times I have to look up words。 When the author writes a book I always get it even if it is not over 4 stars。 To me they are 5 stars books。 This had mystery in the book too。 Read it in 4 days as I loved everything about it。 。。。more

Amy （Amy_justonemorechapter） ，

Karen Swan is one of my go to authors so when I saw she released I new book I had to read it。 It did not disappoint。 Absolutely brilliantly written， I loved the characters - even when some of them weren’t very likeable！ I was transported to the beautiful Costa Rican jungle， the amount of detail included in this book was incredible。

Booksandchinooks （Laurie） ，

I love Karen Swan’s books。 With every one of them you know you will be immersed in the story with her wonderful and descriptive writing in a great setting。 This book takes place in Costa Rica and you feel you are right there with the characters。 Tara， a doctor， goes to Costa Rica to attend a family event and then finds herself in the jungle to help a sick boy。 Much to Tara’s chagrin she also has to deal with a man from her past。 I loved the detailed writing and the great characters。 This book is I love Karen Swan’s books。 With every one of them you know you will be immersed in the story with her wonderful and descriptive writing in a great setting。 This book takes place in Costa Rica and you feel you are right there with the characters。 Tara， a doctor， goes to Costa Rica to attend a family event and then finds herself in the jungle to help a sick boy。 Much to Tara’s chagrin she also has to deal with a man from her past。 I loved the detailed writing and the great characters。 This book is perfect for summer reading。 Thank you PGC Books for my free review copy。 。。。more

Rebecca Mallory ，

Not going to lie。。。 first impression was this book was cheesy。 However， it completely and utterly sucked me in and I 110% enjoyed every second of it。 Exactly what I needed in this moment。 Not the strongest writing but a quick eventful story that has everything you want！ Quick easy read to help me get back on my reading goal for the year！ I will be looking for other titles by this author。

Gemma Deary ，

Another unforgettable book by this fantastic author， I really have nothing but praise to say about this book， I honestly felt as though I was alongside Tara in that jungle feeling everything she was。 I love the exotic settings that all of Karen's books takes the reader to and this one was no exception。 As always the book has abit of everything， secrets， lies ， terror all twisted together nicely into a kind of love story。 Another five star book by an amazing lady。 Another unforgettable book by this fantastic author， I really have nothing but praise to say about this book， I honestly felt as though I was alongside Tara in that jungle feeling everything she was。 I love the exotic settings that all of Karen's books takes the reader to and this one was no exception。 As always the book has abit of everything， secrets， lies ， terror all twisted together nicely into a kind of love story。 Another five star book by an amazing lady。 。。。more

Susan ，

I am a huge fan of Karen Swan。 I buy all her books and tend to read them right when they are released。 I don’t even read the blurbs anymore-I see her name and know that I will enjoy the book。 I think I know what to expect。 Many have a dual timeline， one in the present and one in the past。 There will be a romance and after some drama there will be a HEA （Happily ever after） ending。 Her books are set all around the world and her evocative writing takes me to that place as if I am actually there。 D I am a huge fan of Karen Swan。 I buy all her books and tend to read them right when they are released。 I don’t even read the blurbs anymore-I see her name and know that I will enjoy the book。 I think I know what to expect。 Many have a dual timeline， one in the present and one in the past。 There will be a romance and after some drama there will be a HEA （Happily ever after） ending。 Her books are set all around the world and her evocative writing takes me to that place as if I am actually there。 During this time when we can’t travel books are my only way to visit these destinations。 “The Secret Path” promised a Costa Rica setting which coming out of a long Canadian winter sounds just about perfect。Although this book included many of the expected elements it also really surprised me。 There was no real historical timeline， just the story of one woman in her student years then again ten years later。 Reading of her youth and the doomed love affair I was hoping very strongly that the endgame romance wasn’t going to be with the same dreadful man from her student days。 He did her wrong in a way that I would never forgive， and I really didn’t want them to end up together。 Sadly， my fears were realized， and he was the love interest for the rest of the story。 There was a HEA ending but I admit that I never could get on board with their relationship， and it left me feeling a bit uneasy and not fully satisfied。 Luckily， the plot was not all about the romance。 I was shocked to see this was more of an adventure/survival story than exclusively a romance。 All the danger made it quite suspenseful and although some of it was over the top it kept me reading to see what crazy situation Tara would end up in next。 There was everything from car chases to runaway boats going over waterfalls to the threat of jaguars。 The trouble for Tara was never ending and her survival was often unbelievable， but I don’t expect fiction to always be realistic。 I feel like this was quite a departure for Swan。 I haven’t read some of her early books， but I think this is a new direction。 I admit that I missed the historical aspect as that is usually my favourite part of her books， but it was interesting to see her do something different。 Thank you to Pan Macmillan for providing an Electronic Advance Reader Copy via NetGalley for review。 。。。more

Agoston K ，

I am not entirely sure what the secret path in the title is - all natives know what is secret the to white people in Costa Rica。Having said that， I immensely enjoyed this book。 The truth is: Karen Swan never disappoints。 So - Costa Rica it was this time and it was so beatifully written， so immersive that I could feel the heat， see the dense forest。 This story about second chances - in love， in life - is haunting my thoughts even a day after having finished reading。 Tara is a phoenix - emerging a I am not entirely sure what the secret path in the title is - all natives know what is secret the to white people in Costa Rica。Having said that， I immensely enjoyed this book。 The truth is: Karen Swan never disappoints。 So - Costa Rica it was this time and it was so beatifully written， so immersive that I could feel the heat， see the dense forest。 This story about second chances - in love， in life - is haunting my thoughts even a day after having finished reading。 Tara is a phoenix - emerging after all what happened to her， all caused by somebody she loved so much。 Tara is the one going through the most character development in the book: opening up， seeing things differently， healing。 It would have been great to see some character improvement on the Alex's side， but all he can offer is his old self and his continuous love。 I also loved the pace of the book: starting slowly but definitely in anticipation of the disaster to come， and then speeding up （and moving to slo-mo really at some points） as the events unfold。 。。。more

Crystal ，

I blasted thru this book pretty quickly。 It’s an easy read and written in such a way that the description of the scenery pulls you in。 The actual storyline itself has enough twists and turns that it kept my attention。 A story about how life experiences shape the person you become and change your perspective on things you knew nothing about。

Veronica ⭐️ ，

I love Karen Swan's novels; there is romance， suspense， danger， beautifully described locations and strong intelligent women。 The Secret Path is no exception。We first meet Tara when she is twenty years old， madly in love with Alex， she is ready to throw in her medical degree to live a life of marital bliss。I think Karen Swan portrayed the young Tara and her friends skillfully。 They were all intelligent young women but there was still a naivety about them。 When Tara is betrayed by Alex she is hea I love Karen Swan's novels; there is romance， suspense， danger， beautifully described locations and strong intelligent women。 The Secret Path is no exception。We first meet Tara when she is twenty years old， madly in love with Alex， she is ready to throw in her medical degree to live a life of marital bliss。I think Karen Swan portrayed the young Tara and her friends skillfully。 They were all intelligent young women but there was still a naivety about them。 When Tara is betrayed by Alex she is heart broken and puts all her energy into her studies。Fast forward ten years and Tara is a surgeon in a busy London hospital。 Swan hasn't given her readers any clue to what happened during the previous ten years and I had plenty of unanswered questions。 This kept me turning the pages as I was invested in what Tara was doing now but I also wanted to desperately know what happened ten years ago。The story moves to the Costa Rican village of Puerto Viejo when Tara and friends go on a much deserved break。 The evocative descriptions of the small village and its surrounds brings it all to life on the page。Karen Swan introduces the theme of western medicine versus traditional herbal medicines that have been handed down through the generations when a small boy from the village is ill and his mother won't allow Tara to treat him as he is being treated by the local shaman。 Also highlighting people's rights over their own treatment or refusal。In a last bid to help the boy Tara agrees to trek through the jungle to find a rare plant that is believed to have healing powers。Through Tara's family's legacy project and move to eco tourism Swan explains the need to protect the wildlife habitats as well as the indigenous cultures， promote reforestation and reduce carbon emissions or we will lose these beautiful forests forever。Whilst reading The Secret Path I went through a roller coaster ride of emotions。 The danger was palpable and the suspense rose and fell time and time again which had me glued to the pages。The Secret Path is a story about love， betrayal and forgiveness。 It is filled with enthralling imagery and breath-holding suspense。*I received my copy from the publisher 。。。more

Marian ，

5+ StarsThis was a fantastic story to read， it sucked me in and kept me turning the pages， not wanting it to end。 I loved it from start to finish， my only problem with it was that I wanted more！ Karen Swan writes wonderful stories， not always perfect but this one is definitely one of the best and will be up there with my favourites of hers。 It is exciting， dramatic， atmospheric and a riveting read。 There is so much going on and with plenty of twists and turns it is definitely a page-turner。The c 5+ StarsThis was a fantastic story to read， it sucked me in and kept me turning the pages， not wanting it to end。 I loved it from start to finish， my only problem with it was that I wanted more！ Karen Swan writes wonderful stories， not always perfect but this one is definitely one of the best and will be up there with my favourites of hers。 It is exciting， dramatic， atmospheric and a riveting read。 There is so much going on and with plenty of twists and turns it is definitely a page-turner。The characters were well written and I really became involved in their lives; the sign of a great story。 Tara was lovely， I really liked and admired her。 Despite being from an extremely wealthy family she was determined to live a normal life and give something back to the world。 Alex， well despite everything I really loved Alex too， his passion and determination。 The secondary characters really add to this story making it come to life。Set in London and Costa Rica， it evoked the feel of the rainforest， the wonderful drama of the landscape， flora and fauna。 I thought the way it told the environmental aspect of the story， showing the struggle between conservationists， native tribes and landowners were very well done and made me even more passionate about the need for a solution。As you will have worked out I loved reading this story and I cannot recommend it highly enough。 It is one not to be missed！ 。。。more

Martin ，

When I’m not writing those wonderful reviews of mine I work in。。。https://sleaze-factor。blogspot。com/20。。。 When I’m not writing those wonderful reviews of mine I work in。。。https://sleaze-factor。blogspot。com/20。。。 。。。more

Lisa Day ，

Another great read by Karen Swan - great characters and another amazing location。

Hannah ，

Thank you to Pan Macmillan and Netgalley for giving me a copy of this book in return for an honest review。At 20， Tara had everything she wanted - she's training to be a doctor and engaged to the love of her life。 But when everything is going well， her fiancee betrays her。10 years later， Tara has moved on， but when she is pulled back into her wealthy family's party， she finds herself in a crisis - a child is desperately ill and the only remedy is in the heart of the Costa Rican jungle。Only her ol Thank you to Pan Macmillan and Netgalley for giving me a copy of this book in return for an honest review。At 20， Tara had everything she wanted - she's training to be a doctor and engaged to the love of her life。 But when everything is going well， her fiancee betrays her。10 years later， Tara has moved on， but when she is pulled back into her wealthy family's party， she finds herself in a crisis - a child is desperately ill and the only remedy is in the heart of the Costa Rican jungle。Only her old fiancee is able to help her - but how can she trust him？I felt very engaged in this book - the descriptions show Karen has done a lot of research for this book， to the point where I felt like I was there with the characters。Karen Swan is a strong author， and I don't feel as though this book is any less engaging and intriguing - and I would recommend this novel as much as her previous work！ 。。。more

Michelle ，

I was so looking forward to reading Karen Swan's latest book， but it was disappointing in terms of romance。 I like the adventure part， and the part about saving the planet。 The romance was lacking， and I couldn't imagine taking anyone back after being so betrayed！ There was also no reason other than attraction as to why the two main romantic leads got back together。 I just couldn't buy the romance and the fact that they would want to be together。 What Alex did was unforgiveable in my view and he I was so looking forward to reading Karen Swan's latest book， but it was disappointing in terms of romance。 I like the adventure part， and the part about saving the planet。 The romance was lacking， and I couldn't imagine taking anyone back after being so betrayed！ There was also no reason other than attraction as to why the two main romantic leads got back together。 I just couldn't buy the romance and the fact that they would want to be together。 What Alex did was unforgiveable in my view and he did nothing to redeem himself in Tara's eyes。 。。。more

Tractor Girl ，

Thanks to NetGalley ， Pan Macmillan for a preview of this book in return for an honest return A lovely escapism book to Costa RicaTara the daughter of a billionaire meets Alex while is she qualifying as a doctor and falls head of heels in love with him。。。Alex an eco warrior is more interested in utilising her fathers wealth to fund a project to re-establish the rain forest in Costa Rica 。Alex secures the funding ， Tara feels used and cheated 。11 years later， Tara， her boyfriend， brother and his Thanks to NetGalley ， Pan Macmillan for a preview of this book in return for an honest return A lovely escapism book to Costa RicaTara the daughter of a billionaire meets Alex while is she qualifying as a doctor and falls head of heels in love with him。。。Alex an eco warrior is more interested in utilising her fathers wealth to fund a project to re-establish the rain forest in Costa Rica 。Alex secures the funding ， Tara feels used and cheated 。11 years later， Tara， her boyfriend， brother and his husband and her best friend visit Costa Rica for a holiday and to attend the handing over ceremony of the national park to the government。Tara is involved in trying to help a young lad who is seriously ill 。。。。 adventures （sometimes a little far fetched but enjoyable to read） #karenswan #thesecretpath 。。。more

Joyce ，

Karen Swan hardly ever disappoints。 Especially not with this book。 Read it in 2 days including a late night。 I love her complete change of locations for her stories & her adding some suspense to them。 Can't wait for the next one！ Karen Swan hardly ever disappoints。 Especially not with this book。 Read it in 2 days including a late night。 I love her complete change of locations for her stories & her adding some suspense to them。 Can't wait for the next one！ 。。。more

Janine ，

Loved the setting in Costa Rica but found Tara a bit annoying。

Charlotte ，

No， just no。 Disappointment。

Tammy （tales。of。tammy） ，

Thank you to Netgalley， Karen Swan and Pan MacMillan for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review！！！！Wow！ Wow！ Wow！ Karen Swan has done it again！ Like wine， Swans writing gets better with more books！ Her last two have been my absolute favourite and the issues she is discussing are important and she treats them with such dignity and respect。The characters in this book are wonderful （well， not all of them， but the bad ones are written SO WELL！） I felt a connection to Tara and Thank you to Netgalley， Karen Swan and Pan MacMillan for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review！！！！Wow！ Wow！ Wow！ Karen Swan has done it again！ Like wine， Swans writing gets better with more books！ Her last two have been my absolute favourite and the issues she is discussing are important and she treats them with such dignity and respect。The characters in this book are wonderful （well， not all of them， but the bad ones are written SO WELL！） I felt a connection to Tara and feel there are aspects to this character that encompass so many parts of different women。 I also love her her bestie and while she can be blunt and to the point， she can easily wade through all the crap。 Even the characters we love to hate carry aspects of those who have made a seemingly selfish decision for some right reasons？ The character in mind is a complex mix of good and not so good， yet has a big heart。 And of course we cannot forget the Indigenous characters in this book。 Their beliefs， their way of life， the sacrifices they make on the daily - they make us look like utter wimps and are a great reminder that not all of us have it so bad。The setting。 THE SETTING！！！！！ First of all， I love London。 I have yet to get there thanks to covid， but that city holds a special place in my heart and I love all books set there。 And Costa Rica。 It reminded me of some hopes and dreams I had that got buried in a drawer and now want to see the light of day again。My heart fell so in love with this book。 I will absolutely be purchasing a copy for my shelf and envision myself reading it again and again。 I HIGHLY recommend this one and please let me know if you read it！！！！ 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Secret Path

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

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