I have been a huge fan of Phillipa Ashley’s writing for some time and consider her to be one of my favourite authors. Her books give me escapes to Cornwall and now the Scilly Isles, each summer. There’s also a lovely trip to the Lakes each Christmas. If you’d like to read a couple of my earlier reviews, you can follow these links: A Secret Cornish Summer and Four Weddings and a Christmas.
Synopsis
From the million-copy, Sunday Times bestselling author comes a heart-warming story of hope, love and second chances, set on the gorgeous Isles of Scilly
From the moment Lily Harper arrives at a remote retreat on the breath-taking Scilly Isles, she is itching to get back to civilisation – and her thriving business.
Slowing down simply isn’t in her vocabulary, and so she quickly clashes with the gorgeous but dour Sam who runs the retreat.
Just as Lily is about to give up and leave, disaster strikes, and she is involved in an incident that changes her perspective on everything.
Lily is no longer sure she wants to return to the life she thought she loved. But will she have the courage to give the retreat, and Sam, a second chance?
‘Sheer joy!’
Katie Fforde
‘With a glorious setting, this delightful novel is about finding the courage to change and being true to yourself. It’s gorgeous descriptions, lovable characters and page turning plot make it the perfect summer read’
Veronica Henry
‘Joyous escapism! Full of sunshine, romance and community spirit. This summer’s essential read’
Milly Johnson
‘A perfect summer read … It’s obvious that Phillipa knows the Isles of Scilly intimately, because she describes the landscape in all its beauty. This book is like a warm summer breeze, refreshing and uplifting too’
Kate Rhodes
‘A fantastic setting and intriguing premise, all bound together by Phillipa Ashley’s storytelling talent’
Sue Moorcroft
Published on 6th June ’24 and available as an eBook, paperback and on Audio
Review
I have never visited the Scilly Isles or even thought about them for more than a moment, and now I would love to visit. I’m aware that the terrain would be a challenge for my reduced mobility, but a girl can dream.
When we meet Lily, we get a clear insight into her controlling and micromanaging nature. Determined to succeed, she has taken on more and more responsibility within her business, all to the detriment of her personal life. Her work has even caused her to neglect her nieces, whom she adores and are the last connection to her sister, who died tragically. Agreeing to a two-week break in a retreat in the Scilly Isles seems like something she can get on board with until she endures the commute and then the underwhelming hospitality of her host.
I think we’ve all met women like Lily, whose focus on success has become all-consuming and impossible to relinquish their hold of. However, Lily doesn’t recognise this flaw in herself and struggles to delegate. Despite her depth of focus, I hoped that she would find her way back to a more balanced life and loosen her grip on her control. Lily’s character was perfectly developed, and with each chapter, I gained a greater understanding of what was driving her forward.
A special mention has to be made to her loyal assistant, who listeners to Radio2 may find familiar.
Sam, on the other hand, is an open book. After stepping in when his brother moved to America, he’s been left raising a moody teen. He’s also nursing a broken heart since his girlfriend emigrated to Australia without an invite for him to follow. He certainly deserves better than to deal with Lily’s sharp tongue and spoiled behaviour. I was immediately drawn to him, and he was everything that I would hope for in a romantic lead.
As well as her excellent storytelling and character development, what Phillipa Ashley really excels at is her ability to paint a landscape with her words. I could absolutely imagine the setting and practically feel the wind against my skin whilst tasting the salt in the air. The descriptions of the disaster mentioned in the synopsis had my pulse racing, and I was almost gasping for breath.
An absolutely wonderful book that I can recommend wholly.
Author Bio
Phillipa Ashley is a Sunday Times, Amazon and Audible best-selling author of uplifting romantic fiction. After studying English at Oxford University, she worked as a copywriter and journalist before turning her hand to writing. Since then, her novels have sold well over a million copies and have been translated into numerous languages. Phillipa lives in an English village with her husband, has a grown-up daughter and loves nothing better than walking the Lake District hills and swimming in Cornish coves.
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