Nikki finally owns the coastguard cottage of her dreams – and it’s just a few steps away from the hidden beach that means so much to her…
But when a handwritten note lands on her doorstep, she realises it’s only a matter of time before the heartbreaking truth about her past is uncovered.
Twenty years ago, her world was turned upside-down when a terrible storm rolled into the tiny Cornish town of Speedwell.
Ever since that night, Nikki has been keeping a secret. One she knows has the power to destroy the lives of those she loves most.
Because as sure as the tide turns, there are no secrets in a small town…
This book sort of broke my heart and put it back together again.
I love the sound of Speedwell, a slow-moving (most of the time) coastal town that was hit by a horrible tragedy 20 years before.
So many people were affected by the night that changed everything, especially Nikki, who has a connection with it that causes her emotional conflict. Not only did she lose her father, but the man she loved beyond measure. His identity and the links he has to others in her family cause grief and guilt to battle for priority whenever she thinks about what happened.
The relationship that Nikki has with her whole family is incredible. She has proved so often that, despite any resentment that may simmer under the surface, she would do anything for any of them. Of course, there is the possibility that some of this is connected with the guilt she continues to hold close and, unable to confide in her loved ones, it’s clear it eats at her. We get a chance to see so much evidence of her sacrificing nature, especially as it relates to her sister Jess, who manipulates her sister to get what she wants when she is younger, and when she is older uses her widowhood as a weapon to ensure that people continue to allow her far more leeway than perhaps they should.
Though this is only the second book I have read by Veronica Henry, there is one thing that makes them so different from many other books where the central character is a divorcee…no bitterness! Nikki has a healthy relationship with her ex, Woody. They just fell out of love. There was no infidelity, anger, or rivalry and even when they do meet someone else (in the case of Nikki, her widower neighbour Adam) the ex-couple remains friends.
I will admit that, occasionally, I like to read how the ‘ex done me dirty’ or there is something else done that justifies the separation, but sometimes it’s nice to find a relationship where everything ends amicably.
The secret that Nikki has been holding on to has been discovered and she is getting awful notes, but revealing the truth could possibly destroy everything.
I really enjoyed the way that Veronica Henry moulded this story together so carefully. She made me care for the characters and root for them to get the happy endings they ALL deserved (which makes a hearty change, normally I hope for someone to get their just desserts in a bad way).
