To find out the truth, you must be brave and spontaneous

Synopsis

One photo and a handful of letters can change everything.

Emmie Brown has always known she was adopted. Nellie Brown sacrificed everything to make their life together comfortable and, while not the most demonstrative or warm woman, Emmie never doubted her devotion. But, when Emmie finds a stash of letters and a hidden photo after her mother’s death, everything she has believed changes in an instant. And she won’t be able to rest until she finds the mysterious ‘G’ who sent the letters.

Emmie’s quest takes her to the breathtakingly beautiful Isle of Siskin and into the home of the gregarious, fiercely loyal Hawkins family. After an isolated and introverted life, the burst of colour and noise is overwhelming. But soon Emmie feels her heart begin to open, her mind begin to dream. And as her friendship with kind and gorgeous islander Pip Hawkins gets closer, endless possible futures draw into focus.

But the discovery of ‘G’s true identity will mean Emmie has to choose. One of her choices would mean revealing secrets hidden for decades, one could lead to happiness, but both will need Emmie to be braver than she’s ever been…

A truly uplifting, unputdownable, heart-warming and unforgettable read guaranteed to make you smile, read longer than you planned and punch the air with happiness at its beautiful ending. Perfect for all fans of Shari Low, Jill Mansell and Lucy Diamond.

My review

Emmie Brown always knew that her aunt Nellie adopted her. Growing up with Nellie hasn’t always been easy, but Emmie knew that Nellie truly loved her and sacrificed a lot in order to raise Emmie. After Nellie’s death, Emmie finds it difficult to continue what Nellie started and Emmie does not know with her future. And then she finds some hidden letters written to Nellie, and old photos of Nellie. As all the letters are signed by ‘G’, Emmie want to discover who ‘G’ is. Her search brings her to the Isle of Siskin, where she hopes she can find all the answers. For some cheer chance, the Isle of Siskin is the same place where her secret crush Pip lives. And because of a twist of fate, it is his family, the Hawkins family, that may give her all the answers she is looking for. However, the closer Emmie gets to the truth, the more imminent the time to make a choice comes. Because some secrets can jeopardize everything as only being brave  can bring Emmie happiness.

Whenever I pick up a book written by Beth Moran, I know that the characters haven’t had an easy time, or aren’t having an easy time. I also know that the main character in each book is going through a journey, not only a journey to self – discovery but also a journey that hopefully leads to happiness.

When the story takes off, I didn’t know what to actually think and feel about Emmie. Not because she is a person to dislike, but because her life has been and still is very complicated.

Her life has always been strict. She had to follow her mother’s rules, always be focusing on the job and never let anything distract her. And since Nellie has gone, Emmie is clearly lost. Each day she is preparing the pasties to be sold at the airport. But being on her own, makes her wonder what life has in store for her, and if she truly is alone.

Because it is a sad situation, as Emmie knows she has been adopted by her aunt (which is admirable of Nellie, let there be no doubt about that, and she for sure did her best…). But Emmie now feels truly alone and lonely, as she has no contact with any other family member, she doesn’t even know who her biological father is… And it’s not that there are constantly ringing friends at her door. The people also working at the airport feel more like the family and friends she has been missing…

I could understand Emmie’s shock at finding those secret letters and photos of her aunt. As they raised many questions from my side, I could understand the confusion it has with Emmie. Because not only does she question now everything she thought she knew, but she also starts to feel like her mother Nellie gave up a lot for Emmie’s sake.

It was a bit funny to see how Emmie acts out of character, how one act of kindness makes her just take off to the Isle of Siskin, without any kind of preparation at all. For sure that is not something that I could or would ever do, as I need some kind of mental preparation too. Luckily, just before freaking out, Emmie learns that she may have more friends and allies that she may think.

As Emmie has a tender spot for Pip, it may seem like she is following him to his wonderful home. Emmie even knows how strange it may look, but her reasons are genuine, and even if she truly likes Pip, this has nothing to do with him. But of course it’s a nice extra that she now has the chance to get to know Pip better.

And it needs to be said, that Pip and his family are just amazing people. They welcome Emmie with open arms. Even if some are a bit wary of her, they approve of her, as she clearly matters to Pip too. And being surrounded by such amazing people, helps Emmie too. She opens up more, and it feels that Emmie has found a place where she can not only understand who she truly is herself, but also that those strangers around her, people she never knew before, accept her for who she is, and are happy with having her around.

We also see more and more the kind and helpful side of Emmie emerge. Even if she is just a guest of the Hawkins family, she doesn’t hesitate to help out when needed, and offer her cooking skills when needed. Even when some members ask her to do some perhaps odd jobs, she doesn’t hesitate and she isn’t scared to get her hands dirty.

Obviously there is the mystery to be solved around Nellie, and her past. And how exactly that is linked with Pip and his family. It saddened me to read how Nellie sacrificed a lot for her family, and it made me understand her so much better. Yet at the same time it angered me also a bit, as when it’s all out in the open, it’s clear that the outcome could have been totally different, if there wouldn’t have been some selfish interferences… Interferences that even now haven’t completely disappeared…

What I liked the most in this book, is the natural growth that Emmie has. Stepping out of her comfort zone, getting out of her safe bubble, Emmie starts to see the person she is, and what her own dreams and passions are. As Emmie is a rather closed person initially and an introvert, seeing doing her so many ‘first times’ (like flying, going to a family dinner etc.) and those being real eye – openers for her, was truly amazing. We see Emmie evolve to this woman ready to chase her dreams, to do even things she would never think of doing. She finds the courage to be brave the more the story evolves.

And the braver Emmie gets, the more she learns and realizes that there are many people in her corner. People that she has known, but also brand new and unexpected arrivals. Arrivals that are linked with some characters that we as loyal readers already know, so that for sure was a nice extra!

Now, I need to get something off my chest, and I hope that Beth Moran won’t take it all too badly… As Emmie can make amazing pasties in this book, and is even able to come up with great adaptations, I found myself being hungry and longing to taste her creations. And as that is clearly impossible, I am left with a craving that cannot be fulfilled. And that is just not done, do you hear me Beth Moran? 😊

But let it be clear, this was a wonderful story to read, a story with several heartbreaks, but most important, it is an inspiration story, about being brave, about finding yourself, and about love. Lost love, new love, family love, self-love and even love for a place that starts to feel like home. Beth Moran managed to capture so much in this book that she just keep leaving me in awe!