Summer is not complete without a new novel from top ten bestelling author Santa MontefioreEllen Trawton is running away from it all - quite literally. She is due to get married to a man she doesn't love, her job is dragging her down and her interfering mother is getting on her nerves. So she escapes to the one place she know her mother won't follow her - to her aunt's house in rural Ireland. Once there, she uncovers a dark family secret - and a future she never knew she might have.
Meanwhile, Caitlin Macausland is mourning the future she can never have. She died tragically in what the village thinks is suspicious circumstances, and now she is stuck in a limbo, unable to move on.
And between the two of them is an old lighthouse - the scene of so much tragedy. Can each woman find the peace she so desperately longs for? And can they find the way to live again?
Review: I was drawn into this book right from the word go, the idea of someone running away to Ireland to escape what's going on in their life was really intriguing to me and then there were all the secrets. Family secrets, her secrets, secrets of what went on in the lighthouse, it was so compelling and I wanted to find out what was going on. The setting of the book was also great, roughest coastlines and quaint village feel, a roaring fire and a good old pub thrown in for good measure too, what's not to love?
In terms of the characters in this novel, I wasn't particularly drawn to any of them. Ellen was a good heroine in that she knew she didn't want to be in London and so had taken herself off to Ireland to escape. She was strong e nought o fright for this things she wanted, as big or as little as they were. I loved aunt Peg, she was a brilliant character and a real lynchpin to the story. Obviously I wasn't keen on the set Ellen had left behind in London, but neither was I that keen on the new love interest she fond in Ireland or the overprotective uncles and cousins that she had out there, they all seemed a bit bland or stereotypical for my liking. There were some crazy animals in the novel, characters in their own rights and they add up to a lot of funny events in the story!
Although the pace at the beginning was pretty fast and compelling, i did feel it dropped a bit towards the middle-end of the book. Whilst things were being revealed left right and centre at either end of the book, the middle was a wee bit pedestrian for my liking. This didn't spoil my enjoyment of it, it just meant that I didn't really feel driven to carry on turning the pages and so it might have taken me a bit longer to get through than it could have done. This book would be fabulous to read if you are holidaying in Britain this year because it will make you remember the true beauty and diversity of the country. If you are a fan of this author, or like me this is your first novel written by her, I am sure you will enjoy this book!
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