Publication day for The Girl on the Cliff by Lucinda Riley

Blogging has introduced me to so many wonderful authors across many genres of fiction. Some have been excellent, some good and some have been pretty much awful! Lucinda Riley falls into the excellent category, I read her book Hothouse Flower last year and simply loved it, you can read my review here. I have just read and reviewed her book The Girl on the Cliff and I just wanted to take the time to highlight that it is published TODAY! Hothouse Flower received a lot of hype and press as it was included in the Richard and Judy book club, I know of several other bloggers who enjoyed that book and were  not aware that Lucinda had a new book coming out today so I thought I would do a little post and share my review with you again.

I really loved Lucinda Riley's last book Hothouse Flower so I was very excited to receive her latest book to review. In my opinion, The Girl on the Cliff is even better and I have struggled to put it down over the last couple of days.
At 543 pages long, there is a lot packed into this book; it covers both the First and Second World Wars and the story flits from Ireland to London, Switzerland and New York.
Grania Ryan returns home to Ireland from New York. Her life is in turmoil and she is seeking the comfort of her family. Grania meets Aurora who is the girl on the cliff, she is a lonely young girl and the two become incredibly close. Aurora lost her mother in tragic circumstances at a young age so when her father, Alexander asks Grania to care for his daughter while he's away, Grania feels compelled to say yes plus it gives her an excuse to ignore her own problems for a while longer.
Grania feels a strong connection to Aurora and soon learns that their families are inextricably linked. Is this why Grania's mother, Kathleen is reluctant to get involved? She warns her daughter to steer clear and initially has no interest in even meeting Aurora. What happened in the past that has caused such bad feeling between the two families and what impact will this have on Aurora's future? As Grania delves into the past we learn of the many secrets and lies, sacrifices and wrong-doings committed by both the Ryans and the Lisles. Grania can't change the past but can she bring some peace to the future through her relationship with Aurora?
Lucinda Riley expertly weaves several stories together, I was completely engrossed from start to finish. As with Hothouse Flower, the author's writing is beautifully vivid and it is easy to conjure up images of the people and places that are described. I really enjoy books about relationships and the sacrifices that people will make for each other. There are heartbreaking moments in each family's past and as a reader, you want  more than anything for Grania and Aurora to find some kind of peace that other members of their families have been deprived of.
The Girl on the Cliff has so much to offer, I don't want to spoil the plot for anyone but it is so richly layered that you will not be able to stop turning the pages and beginning another chapter and then another one. Lucinda Riley's books are great in that they appeal to so many readers, obviously you can tell that I have enjoyed it and I know that my mother-in-law and grandmother would love it too.
I can't recommend this book enough, I shall be buying several copies as Christmas presents and I really can't wait to see what Lucinda writes next.


As I said, The Girl on the Cliff is published today, check out Lucinda's website here or you can follow her on twitter where she is @lucindariley