Tenderness: From the lauded author of The Divorcees, a story of love, liars and secrets, set on an island over a wedding weekend

<p><b>&#39;A story of love, liars and secrets . . . Shady, sexy, suspicious - perfect summer holiday reading&#39; </b><b><i>The Times</i>, 2026 Must-Read round-up</b><br><b><br><i>Shay was no longer in the cult, but still, it made her wedding guests nervous that she was bringing them to an island . . .</i><br></b><br>Just a few months after leaving the mysterious and dangerous cult Synanon, Shay is finally marrying her fianc&#233; Andrew. Although their relationship has been rocky since Shay got involved with Synanon, Andrew, wealthy and loyal, has stuck by her.<br><br>As the wedding party arrives on a small island off the coast of Virginia, where Andrew&#39;s family has vacationed for generations, rumors are swirling about the couple. Shay&#39;s former college flame, Joel, has brought his new girlfriend, but it&#39;s clear he&#39;s still not over Shay. Shay&#39;s brother, William, is deeply uncomfortable with the wealth Shay is marrying into and is hiding a tragic secret from his family.<br><br>When a strange woman is spotted around the island, and a series of near-disasters begin to escalate, it becomes clear that Shay has not fully cut her ties to Synanon.<br><br><b>Beguiling and propulsive, Rowan Beaird&#39;s </b><i>TENDERNESS</i><b> is a story about family, love, belief, about how much we&#39;re ever able to outrun the darker parts of our past.</b><br><br>&#39;INTOXICATING. You&#39;ll find yourself turning page after page, utterly swept up in the heady spell it casts, and the emotional heft that rises to an astonishing crescendo&#39; Megan Abbott</p>

Book details

• Publication date: 6 August 2026
• Page count: 320
• Dimensions: Height 243 mm; Width 163 mm; Thickness 30 mm
• Publisher: Bonnier Books Ltd
• Format: Hardback
• ISBN-13: 9781786587770