I love Santa Montefiore's books, particularly when I just want to read something lovely, with a gripping plot that I know will ultimately have romance and a happy ending.
Ellen Trawton, the main character, runs away to Ireland. She wants to get away from her stuffy, aristocratic London life, particularly one that will see her get married in five months. Her mother, who is very secretive about her past, kept letters from her sister that Ellen ultimately discovers and uses them to track down a family who she never knew existed.
She tells everyone she is in Ireland for space and to write a novel, but she is hiding more than that, which her Aunt Peg eventually discovers. However, Ellen isn't the only one holding secrets. The whole of the town seem to be, in different ways.
Not least Connor Macausland, a man whose wife, Caitlin, tragically died at the lighthouse five years previously. Ellen is quickly drawn to him and they start up a quiet relationship, worried about reactions from people in the town, some of whom think that Connor murdered his wife.
Some of the opposition comes from Caitlin herself, who appears in this novel from beyond the grave. She keeps watch over Connor and her chilren, and becomes intensely jealous when Connor and Caitlin start dating. Though she can't affect the material world as much as she wants to, her actions lead to Ellen's mother discovering her in Ireland, which has (at first) destructive repercussions.
Santa Monterfiore's descriptions of Ireland are intensely beautiful, and I adored the place she was building almost as much as the characters themselves. There was such depth and warm - and plenty of romance - in this story that made me sad to end it, although the conclusion was so lovely I'm glad i did. This is definitely one for a fan of a happy ending.
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