Saskia is building a home for herself out of the ruins of an old castle. Surrounded by forest, hidden away from everyone and everything, the place is special - it’s the only connection she has left to her father and it’s a hard-won chance to escape from her difficult past and create a new future. She’s spent her whole life trying to find a way to make this project work and finding someone to help her realise her dream has been almost impossible.
When local builder Owen finally signs up to manage the construction, things get off to a very bad start. But forced to find a way to work together, both realise that first impressions aren’t always the right ones, and when Owen discovers the forest is hiding a secret that could bring work to a halt, he realises he’s much more invested in the project – and Saskia – than he thought . . .
Review: I have been an avid reader of Sharon Gosling’s books since reading her compelling story The House Beneath the Cliffs, enjoying each of her novels since then. Her well-written stories feature family, community and romance in stunning settings. This latest book is set in a remote part of Cumbria and sounds to contain an element of mystery.
The story centres on Saskia Tilbury-Martin’s attempts to fulfil her ambition to restore ruined Gair Castle, located in an isolated part of Cumbria, into a home. She has loved the castle and surrounding forest since visiting there as a child with her father and experiencing the area’s magical quality. Having followed in her father’s footsteps and qualified as an architect, she has made plans for the castle ruins that are sympathetic to its surroundings. The problem is finding a builder who will agree to undertake the ambitious project. Finally, she meets Owen Elliott who, despite misgivings, takes on the contract. Unfortunately, their relationship gets off to a very rocky start, adding to the difficulties she has encountered due to local opposition to her plans. Both of them are surprised when, once the work begins, they discover a secret that the surrounding forest has been hiding for years. Owen also finds himself surprised to find that he would be disappointed to leave the project, and Saskia, behind if work has to stop as a consequence of their discovery.
This was a really interesting book. The two main characters showed admirable amounts of perseverance in pushing forward with Saskia’s plans for the ruined castle. As the book progressed, details of her history and reasons for her desire to restore the site were revealed. I loved the idea that Saskia had even designed a special bespoke mini-home to allow her and her gorgeous dog to live on site while the work was completed. Owen became more sympathetic towards Saskia as he learned more of her background and romance began to creep gently into their story. Although there were clues as to mysterious and magical events reported historically in the area, I was still not ready for the discoveries Saskia and Owen made. This book was a little different from other books I have read from this author, but no less enjoyable for that. Readers who like some mystery and even magic with their romance will certainly enjoy this book.
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