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3.54 AVERAGE
3.54 AVERAGE
Automatic five stars for having a llama and being set in Ireland. Legitimate five stars for being so engrossing and lovely and wonderful. I had a feeling about some of the surprises but was very pleased to see how everything worked out. I'd move to Connemara in a minute after her depiction!! Oh, and "I love you more than yesterday" "And I love you less than tomorrow"... Ahhh, perfection!
I really liked this book! It was a tad predictable and the naivety of the characters was a little irritating, but I was willing to overlook that bc the story was good.
My complete review was originally published on my blog: Fictionophile
Ellen Trawton is overcome with a feeling of being trapped. Trapped by her well-to-do family’s expectations, and trapped by her impending marriage to a man she doesn’t love. So, in an impetuous moment of defiance, she runs away. She quits her job and without a word to anyone except her friend Emily, she escapes her hectic life in London to the one place she know her domineering mother won’t suspect – to her aunt’s house in rural Ireland. Her mother never speaks of her family or her past in Ireland and of course this has always made Ellen curious. Once there, she discovers an extended family she never knew about, a feeling of homecoming and belonging – and a future with possibilities beyond her expectations.
Caitlin Macausland has died tragically under suspicious circumstances. She died five years earlier in a fall from the local lighthouse as she jumped to her death to escape the fire that was consuming it. Now, according to her own wishes, she is stuck in a limbo. She wants to stay near her husband Conor and her two beautiful children. The mystery of her death is the subject of village gossip and speculation. Her widower, Conor -who many of the villagers believe is to blame for her death – is wracked by grief.
One day, while out on a walk exploring the beautiful and rugged Irish countryside, Ellen meets Conor, and both their lives are irrevocably changed. Over time, family secrets and “The secrets of the lighthouse” are revealed.
Told in alternate chapters, by two young women, one dead and one very much alive, “The secrets of the lighthouse” is a love story both metaphorically and in the traditional sense...
Ellen Trawton is overcome with a feeling of being trapped. Trapped by her well-to-do family’s expectations, and trapped by her impending marriage to a man she doesn’t love. So, in an impetuous moment of defiance, she runs away. She quits her job and without a word to anyone except her friend Emily, she escapes her hectic life in London to the one place she know her domineering mother won’t suspect – to her aunt’s house in rural Ireland. Her mother never speaks of her family or her past in Ireland and of course this has always made Ellen curious. Once there, she discovers an extended family she never knew about, a feeling of homecoming and belonging – and a future with possibilities beyond her expectations.
Caitlin Macausland has died tragically under suspicious circumstances. She died five years earlier in a fall from the local lighthouse as she jumped to her death to escape the fire that was consuming it. Now, according to her own wishes, she is stuck in a limbo. She wants to stay near her husband Conor and her two beautiful children. The mystery of her death is the subject of village gossip and speculation. Her widower, Conor -who many of the villagers believe is to blame for her death – is wracked by grief.
One day, while out on a walk exploring the beautiful and rugged Irish countryside, Ellen meets Conor, and both their lives are irrevocably changed. Over time, family secrets and “The secrets of the lighthouse” are revealed.
Told in alternate chapters, by two young women, one dead and one very much alive, “The secrets of the lighthouse” is a love story both metaphorically and in the traditional sense...
I love Ireland. I went for the first time (hopefully the first of many) in 2017, and it was absolutely in the top five experiences of my life (possibly top three).
I didn't realize when I picked this book up that it takes place primarily in Ireland. It'd been sitting on my shelves for so long I had no clue what it was even about when I started it.
The passages talking about Ireland were so beautiful and touched my heart. There was some really lovely prose that mirrored my own feelings about Ireland.
Perhaps that's why this book was so disappointing to me. It is obvious that the author has a way with words. But the story itself is seriously lacking.
First of all, there is an egregious case of insta-love here. The characters meet and are making out within a couple of hours. Within a week they're in love, and he's transformed from a moody alcoholic to a totally stable guy. OOKAYYY... There was no foundation to their relationship. They didn't earn their romance. So everything that happens regarding them after that feels hollow and unrealistic.
Secondly, the level of melodrama in this book is out of control. Think of every soap opera trope you can and throw it together. That is this book.
There is a ghost story in here that could've been good. It could've been twisty and dark. But it ended on such a lukewarm note. It was almost as if the author chickened out at the last minute and decided to turn it into some sort of redemption arc.
There are several 'reveals' throughout this book that are so incredibly obvious. I don't know how anyone is actually surprised by anything that happens in this book. Yet, we are forced to slog through hundreds of pages of inanity before anything comes to light. One of my biggest reading pet peeves is when the reader knows something is going on and the characters are completely clueless when the truth is obvious AF.
Another gripe I have is that everything was solved so quickly, with both Ellen and her mother and her mother and aunt. It was one of those situations where if the two characters had just used their words, there wouldn't be a story. Another trope I despise. If a simple conversation negates your entire book, it's a weak book.
I don't mind character-driven stories, but damn. This book had no plot whatsoever. And the characters weren't particularly deep either. So really, it was all about the setting. And that is where the second star comes from. I freaking love Ireland.
I didn't realize when I picked this book up that it takes place primarily in Ireland. It'd been sitting on my shelves for so long I had no clue what it was even about when I started it.
The passages talking about Ireland were so beautiful and touched my heart. There was some really lovely prose that mirrored my own feelings about Ireland.
Perhaps that's why this book was so disappointing to me. It is obvious that the author has a way with words. But the story itself is seriously lacking.
First of all, there is an egregious case of insta-love here. The characters meet and are making out within a couple of hours. Within a week they're in love, and he's transformed from a moody alcoholic to a totally stable guy. OOKAYYY... There was no foundation to their relationship. They didn't earn their romance. So everything that happens regarding them after that feels hollow and unrealistic.
Secondly, the level of melodrama in this book is out of control. Think of every soap opera trope you can and throw it together. That is this book.
There is a ghost story in here that could've been good. It could've been twisty and dark. But it ended on such a lukewarm note. It was almost as if the author chickened out at the last minute and decided to turn it into some sort of redemption arc.
There are several 'reveals' throughout this book that are so incredibly obvious. I don't know how anyone is actually surprised by anything that happens in this book. Yet, we are forced to slog through hundreds of pages of inanity before anything comes to light. One of my biggest reading pet peeves is when the reader knows something is going on and the characters are completely clueless when the truth is obvious AF.
Another gripe I have is that everything was solved so quickly, with both Ellen and her mother and her mother and aunt. It was one of those situations where if the two characters had just used their words, there wouldn't be a story. Another trope I despise. If a simple conversation negates your entire book, it's a weak book.
I don't mind character-driven stories, but damn. This book had no plot whatsoever. And the characters weren't particularly deep either. So really, it was all about the setting. And that is where the second star comes from. I freaking love Ireland.
There are many contradictions within Secrets of the Lighthouse that may prove too distracting to readers. For example, even though Ellen does not act like a spoiled rich girl, she is still a thirty-year-old woman living at home and following the path her parents set for her. While most women her age are worrying about careers, paying bills, and finding that special someone, her biggest problem is having to tell her fiancé and her parents that she does not want to get married. As such, her life of privilege makes it difficult to fully embrace her flight to freedom. It is not so much that she is not worthy of finding happiness but more that her problems are so much less vital than most readers will ever experience.
Then there is the presence of Caitlin’s ghost. Her story is very poignant and surprising in the twists and turns it takes. However, nothing about Secrets of the Lighthouse feels appropriate for a ghost story. The fit is just not correct. Ellen’s problems are so frivolous compared to Caitlin’s death that reading the two women’s stories as they weave around each other is mildly disconcerting. Also affecting the story’s effectiveness as a ghost story is the fact that Ellen and Caitlin are essentially pitted against each other even though Ellen is not aware of this. When the protagonist is not aware that she has an antagonist, it makes for rather uninspired reading, for Ellen cannot fight something about which she has no knowledge.
The best thing about Secrets of the Lighthouse is its atmospheric setting. Connemara is a balm for the soul as much for the reader as it is for Ellen. The rugged coast, the village life, its charmingly quirky inhabitants – everything exudes a sense of calm and safety that is much like a well-loved blanket on a cold and blustery day. Even the threat of Caitlin’s ghostly revenge is not enough to sway a reader from believing in the healing properties of the Irish coast.
On the surface, there is much to enjoy within the pages of Secrets of the Lighthouse. The setting alone is glorious. Ellen is likable in her own fashion, while Caitlin is appropriately tragic. However, there is much about their stories which require a bit too much suspension of disbelief. The coincidences are fast and furious, and the story ends is the only way it can. For, this is not a tragic love story between unrequited lovers. Rather, Secrets of the Lighthouse is a traditional love story that just so happens to have a ghost as the antagonist. On one hand, it is a truly lovely story, well-written and exquisitely detailed. On the other hand, it is a bit too unbelievable for comfort. Unfortunately, for this reader, the unbelievability wins out, making this a story that is too uncomfortable for thorough enjoyment.
Then there is the presence of Caitlin’s ghost. Her story is very poignant and surprising in the twists and turns it takes. However, nothing about Secrets of the Lighthouse feels appropriate for a ghost story. The fit is just not correct. Ellen’s problems are so frivolous compared to Caitlin’s death that reading the two women’s stories as they weave around each other is mildly disconcerting. Also affecting the story’s effectiveness as a ghost story is the fact that Ellen and Caitlin are essentially pitted against each other even though Ellen is not aware of this. When the protagonist is not aware that she has an antagonist, it makes for rather uninspired reading, for Ellen cannot fight something about which she has no knowledge.
The best thing about Secrets of the Lighthouse is its atmospheric setting. Connemara is a balm for the soul as much for the reader as it is for Ellen. The rugged coast, the village life, its charmingly quirky inhabitants – everything exudes a sense of calm and safety that is much like a well-loved blanket on a cold and blustery day. Even the threat of Caitlin’s ghostly revenge is not enough to sway a reader from believing in the healing properties of the Irish coast.
On the surface, there is much to enjoy within the pages of Secrets of the Lighthouse. The setting alone is glorious. Ellen is likable in her own fashion, while Caitlin is appropriately tragic. However, there is much about their stories which require a bit too much suspension of disbelief. The coincidences are fast and furious, and the story ends is the only way it can. For, this is not a tragic love story between unrequited lovers. Rather, Secrets of the Lighthouse is a traditional love story that just so happens to have a ghost as the antagonist. On one hand, it is a truly lovely story, well-written and exquisitely detailed. On the other hand, it is a bit too unbelievable for comfort. Unfortunately, for this reader, the unbelievability wins out, making this a story that is too uncomfortable for thorough enjoyment.
I really enjoyed this book though I do really enjoy Santa's novels. I have only read two other books of hers but I will be aiming to read them all eventually.
For someone who didn't grow up or as far as I know, spend a lot of time in Ireland, Santa really nailed the atmosphere that can be seen and felt in any small Irish town. The friendliness of locals, the big families, people who know everyone, the judgement, the curiosity, the gossip but all in all, a place full of big hearts and loud laughter.
Ellen comes to Connemara running away from situations at home in London she no longer wants to deal with. She begins to connect with a family she never knew she had in Ireland and finds an even spicer connection with mysterious widower Connor whose wife Caitlin died in a tragic and suspicious lighthouse accident. As Ellen and Connor fall in love, they are unaware that Caitlin's spirit is beginning to grow darker with envy and she will stop at nothing to tear them apart.
This is a good tale, full of love, laughter, irish spirit and even a little bit of fae magic. I would recommend it!!
For someone who didn't grow up or as far as I know, spend a lot of time in Ireland, Santa really nailed the atmosphere that can be seen and felt in any small Irish town. The friendliness of locals, the big families, people who know everyone, the judgement, the curiosity, the gossip but all in all, a place full of big hearts and loud laughter.
Ellen comes to Connemara running away from situations at home in London she no longer wants to deal with. She begins to connect with a family she never knew she had in Ireland and finds an even spicer connection with mysterious widower Connor whose wife Caitlin died in a tragic and suspicious lighthouse accident. As Ellen and Connor fall in love, they are unaware that Caitlin's spirit is beginning to grow darker with envy and she will stop at nothing to tear them apart.
This is a good tale, full of love, laughter, irish spirit and even a little bit of fae magic. I would recommend it!!
One of the few books I took my sweet time reading. It was good. I liked the mystery and the romance. I was able to ignore the few mistakes in the plot because they didn't influence the storytelling that much.