Publisher: Bookouture
Format: ebook
Genre: Historical Fiction
Synopsis
From bestselling author Ella Carey comes an utterly gripping and sweeping historical novel about terrible choices and heartbreaking family mysteries. The past holds more secrets than we can ever imagine…
1946. Young, beautiful artist Rebecca survived the devastating war that claimed the lives of so many of the men and women she grew up with. Her friends have returned as empty shells or not at all. But although peace has been declared, Rebecca is still fighting at home. Her controlling mother will stop at nothing to prevent Rebecca from following her dream to become a painter.
When Rebecca meets dashing young Edward, a pilot during the war, she discovers both love and an escape. Edward makes her feel truly loved, alive and excited about her future and art. But when Edward takes Rebecca to visit his childhood home on the sweeping coast, their trip ends in tragedy. Edward’s father commits suicide and, consumed by grief, Edward is faced with a terrible choice: love or family?
Utterly distraught, Rebecca goes out to the shore by moonlight to paint. Under the stars, she stares into the waves, thinking about her life. The next morning she has disappeared without a trace, leaving behind only a pencil on the sand. Finding the truth will change everything for those who were left behind…
Fans of My Name is Eva, Rhys Bowen and Lucinda Riley will fall head over heels in love with Secret Shores.
My Thoughts
In 1987 Tess Miller works for a prestigious publishing company. An author she has nurtured for three years to success is being handed over to another editor, James Cooper, the golden boy of publishing. She takes this badly, feeling cheated and betrayed, and is reluctant to trust anyone again, especially James Cooper. She also resents being handed an unknown author, Edward Russell, to work with. However, after reading part of Edward's novel, she is intrigued by the love story that reads like a memoir. She believes it will be a best seller if only she can persuade the publicity shy Edward to open up and stop resisting her proposals on how to present his novel to the world. Their professional relationship is in danger of breaking down until Tess is given a helping hand by James, a book of Edward's poems to read, through which she gains a better understanding of Edward and his relationship to the woman in his novel.
In 1946, Edward Russell, from a wealthy landed family, is at Melbourne University studying English Literature. At a lecture on Modernism, Edward is invited to a party, a gathering of painters, writers and left-wing intellectuals, where he meets Rebecca Swift, an aspiring young artist. They become part of the Heide circle, a group of artists and writers living and working at Heide, the home of John and Sunday Reed. Despite family disapproval, Edward and Rebecca plan a life together embracing the tenets of Modernism. Unfortunately,on a visit to his family home with Rebecca, tragedy strikes and Edward must decide between the woman he loves or duty to his family.
Since reading her Paris Apartment trilogy, I have become a fan of Ella Carey and her dual time narratives. This time it is the post World War II Modernist movement in Australia that provides the interesting backdrop to a romance in the past which has similarities to the one forty years later between James and Tess. I didn't particularly like Tess and so her relationship with James didn't engage me as much as Edward and Rebecca's. This is just a minor criticism as I did enjoy Tess' tenacity in uncovering what happened to Rebecca, thus providing a happy ending for the elderly Edward.
Secret Shores is another excellent novel from Ella Carey.
Where to Purchase
Amazon
Meet the Author
Ella loves to connect with her readers regularly through her facebook page and on her website.
http://www.ellacarey.com/
https://www.facebook.com/ellacareyauthor/
https://twitter.com/Ella_Carey
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