by Liz Eeles
Publication Date May 19, 2021
Published by Bookouture
Goodreads
Genres: Contemporary, Fiction, Holiday, Romance, Romantic Comedy, Women
Pages: 311
High on the clifftops, Lettie takes a deep breath of salty air and opens the letter. There is no signature, and the old-fashioned handwriting is faint against the yellowed paper. The message, and the tiny gold key inside, will turn her life upside down…
Lettie Starcross makes her way along the cobbled streets of Heaven’s Cove, clutching a little key and searching for answers about her kind, twinkly-eyed Great Aunt Iris, whom she misses terribly. With no job back home, and no-one in her family understanding how adrift she feels, Lettie wonders if her aunt was lonely just like her – is that why she fled this pretty seaside village years ago and never returned?
Staying at Driftwood House where Iris lived, now a cosy B&B, Lettie can almost hear Iris’s laughter on the breeze. And when she locks eyes with brooding fisherman Corey as he’s singing a haunting sea shanty in the local tavern, the sparks that fly between them are a welcome distraction from her grief.
But everything changes when Lettie meets Corey’s grandmother. Hearing the name ‘Iris Starcross’, her wrinkled face turns pale. Then she tells Lettie a devastating secret: seventy years ago, a choice Iris made tore apart this tight-knit community.
Heartbroken, Lettie questions if she ever really understood her beloved aunt – and if Corey knew about this shocking rift all along. So when her sister calls begging her to come home, Lettie is torn. If she stays to find what the key unlocks, can she discover the truth about what Iris did – and fight for her own fresh start? Or will she be the next Starcross woman to run from Heaven’s Cove forever?
An absolutely gorgeous read that will whisk you away to the stunning Devon coast, about family secrets, long-lost love and coming home. Perfect for fans of Debbie Macomber, Rosanna Ley and Sheila O’Flanagan.
My Review:
I really did enjoy this book! It has everything, humor, drama, lost love, adorable village and complex characters.
Lettie Starcross is still grieving her great aunt’s death when she was fired from a job she didn’t much like anyway. She decides to go to the small village of Heaven’s Cove in Devon to find answers to her great aunt’s past. Away from her needy family, she finds herself in the quaint little village, complete with quirky characters and picturesque views.
From the very beginning, I was drawn into the story. The mystery of Great Aunt Iris’s key necklace, and her last words to Lettie telling her to “Go find out for me, darling girl.” She also finds a letter addressed to Iris sewn into the purses lining. Without a job, Lettie finds she has the time to go back to Iris’s childhood home and find out what happened to her that forced Iris to leave and never return.
What Lettie didn’t expect was to be drawn into the village and find it to be charming, welcoming and full of unforgettable characters.
This book was fun, sad, happy, charming, heartwarming, and emotional. I was rooting for all the characters and felt like I lived in Heaven’s Cove along with them all. This book pulled me in and made me feel for each of the characters and root for them all to find their own happiness. Long lost love, reconciliation, new love, and overcoming the past are all themes in this wonderful book.
I highly recommend this book to everyone. This review is based on NetGalley ARC provided in exchange for an honest, unbiased opinion.
This sounds like a lovely book and one I would definitely like to read. Great review!
Thank you, Jodie! This one surprised me with how good it is.
This looks good. I could see myself slipping into the tale and unlocking its secrets. Wonderful review.
Thank you!