My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Many Thanks to Net Galley, Avon Books UK and Lorna Cook for a chance to review this book.

Invermoray House in Scotland, oh how beautifully did the author bring alive the beauty of this place in Scotland. The loch, the mountains, the highland air, never have I wished so much to be physically present and walk in the shoes of the characters.

In 1940, the war is raging on and Constance has escaped the party hosted for her 21st birthday when she sees an aircraft crashing into the loch and she jumps in to save the pilot. She takes the pilot Mathew to the empty ghillie’s cottage in her property where she is requested to keep his presence a secret. Out of the goodness of her heart and fearing his mental stability, Constance agrees to keep the promise which has far reaching repercussions and never imagined consequences.

In the present day 2019, Kate a successful PR has had trouble at her work and to escape the belittling and embarrassment, searches for a new job and gets appointed by Liz the owner of Invermoray House to convert it into a B&B. James, Liz’s son who is also in the house trying to save the roof from collapsing is not keen about Kate’s presence and is hostile initially.

The story is enchanting and captivating as along with Kate who wonders about the heirs to Invermoray house Constance and her brother Douglas, we can’t help but turn the pages to know about the fateful night in September 1940 and to know what destiny had in store for Mathew. I loved how the author has developed the romance in a slow and sweet manner that one can’t help but fall in love with both the couples. The Invermoray village and its friendly inhabitants induces warmth and there’s a mellow feeling at the end of final chapter in the book.

For all fans of Kate Morton who love dilapidated houses, dual time story lines, with family mysteries and romance should definitely check this book out.Recommended!

Blurb

The stunning new story of love and secrets from the Number One bestselling author of The Forgotten Village

Scotland, 1940:
War rages across Europe, but Invermoray House is at peace. Until the night of Constance’s twenty-first birthday, when she’s the only person to see a Spitfire crash into the loch. Constance has been longing for adventure – but when she promises to keep the pilot hidden, what will it cost her?

2020:
Kate arrives in the Highlands to turn Invermoray into a luxury bed-and-breakfast, only to find that the estate is more troubled than she’d imagined. But when Kate discovers the house has a murky history, with Constance McLay’s name struck from its records, she knows she can’t leave until the mystery is solved…

How will one promise change the fate of two women, decades apart?

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