But I Smile Anyway…

Another timeless, beautiful read by Rachel Burton!

The Blurb

914: Anticipating a long summer of freedom at her friend’s family estate in Cambridge, Grace Villiers is disappointed by an unexpected addition to their party. Then the new arrival offers to teach Grace to swim, and she is forced to see there is more to Algernon Lake than his reputation. But, with war brewing across Europe, this will be a summer that changes everything.

1997: Following her father’s sudden death, Barbara finds herself living with her mother in a house that is, literally, falling down around them. As she tries to put their new home in order, she discovers a photograph of her grandfather as a young man with his friend – two soldiers at the start of the First World War. Setting aside her grief, Barbara becomes determined to uncover their story, hoping it will bring her closer to the family she feels slipping away.

But when her search for answers opens up truths she isn’t prepared for, Barbara will come to realise that some secrets may be best left alone.

My Review

The House at River’s Edge by Rachel Burton
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A beautifully told dual timeline story by the fantastic Rachel Burton!
Set in both 1914, before WW1 started, and in 1997, The House at River’s Edge tells the story of a family and unearths secrets that rock and could shatter many.
In 1997, Barbara is helping her mother deal with her father’s death and coming to terms with her own premature widowhood. They end up moving into her mother’s ancestral home in Cambridge, and along with Barbara’s daughter, Penny, they find subsidence that threatens to cut their stay short, and a trunk filled with paperwork that could prove all they know about their lives was built upon lies.
In 1914, we meet Grace, who is summering at her friend’s house in Cambridge, not wanting to go back to France where her mother is continually trying to marry her off to one eligible bachelor or another. Here, she enjoys a blissful summer, filled with an innocence that is snatched away as the announcement of war is made.
The earlier story spans six years, and each section drips more information about Barbara and her mother’s heritage as the more modern timeline entwines perfectly with the discoveries.
I was engrossed in this book and loved the subtle romances within.
Burton dealt with the way young people must have felt as they either signed up during the Great War, or if they were a person sat at home, anxiously waiting for news of a loved one who had been called up with great sensitivity.
Themes of sexuality, hiding your own self, and suicide feature within.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an ARC.

Purchase Link – https://mybook.to/houseatriversedge

About The Author

Rachel Burton is the bestselling author of historical timeslip novels and romantic comedies. Rachel was born in Cambridge and studied Classics and English Literature before starting a career in law. She lives in Yorkshire with her husband, a variety of cats and far too many books.

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