To begin, I should say that I'm a bit of a realist in life - not given to excitement by floating feathers etc. I don't read fantasy / sci-fi, although I do dabble in light paranormal reads .. more for the entertainment value than any notions of setting myself up as a fortune teller, haha. Daniela Sacerdoti, however, has a magical quality to her books. An indefinable essence which makes it hard NOT to believe what you are reading. I loved that this, the first book in a new series, made mention of her Glen Avich series. For me, this tied in to something I already believed in and gave the realism I seem to need.

Anna has known what it is to be an ignored and uncared for child and is determined that her daughter, Ava, will only ever feel love and happiness. It's not always easy to protect a six year old from life events and their little family implodes when Ava's father decides to leave with no prior warning.

This is a book of love, happiness, heartbreak and life decisions and is an enchanting read which will consume your waking and sleeping hours until all the decisions are made and you find out what life holds in store for not only Anna and Ava but so many other character who you cannot help but care for.

A thoroughly satisfying read which answers all the questions it throws up, and a book which I have relished reading.

I received an arc via Net Galley in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

The story begins with something strange happening to Ava and the knock on effect to her mother Anna. The author has very sympathetically captured the emotions of all the characters. The story is well developed with the right amount of progression to make it almost seem lifelike. The only reason that I did not give that extra star was because I considered that the ending was very predictable. I love the supernatural theme throughout. A good holiday type read involving no real concentration.

Absolute gripping read... ending was not expected. Have the tissues to hand.. highly recommended

“Keep Me Safe” by Daniela Sacerdoti is one of those rare books that left me speechless. It took a while before I could gather my thoughts and make some sense out of them.
Let me start by saying, that “Keep Me Safe” isn't at all in the genre that I would normally choose to read. I much prefer crime fiction and thrillers. Yet, something drew me to this book. It must've been the magic of Seal...
I don't usually read romance novels. I don't normally read books that make me cry. I like mysteries. In a way, “Keep Me Safe” isn't any of those things... or perhaps it's all of them. It isn't one of those books that make you cry just so you can tell others how much the book has moved you. This story pulls at your heart and whatever you feel is so much deeper than that. Even the sadness there is filled with hope and meaning. It makes you look at life from a different perspective. I've never thought this book would do this to me. I have never suspected the kind of power it held.
And I loved the supernatural aspects of the book! I had shivers running down my body more than once. If there are any more books about Seal after this one, I sincerely hope that the mysterious atmosphere, coincidences and fate will play a role in them, too. I will never grow tired of it!
And the last thing that I would like to mention, is that I have just found a new favourite author. Daniela Sacerdoti's talent must be given by God. I refuse to believe that anyone could simply learn to write the way she does. Her words are like magic. In a way, the whole book is like a long, beautiful poem... even though, of course, it is not a poem.
Before I let myself get completely carried away, I would like to say thank you to NetGalley, the author and a publisher for an ARC of this beautiful, stunning book!!!

I was hooked from page one. An easy read that just keeps you turning the pages. I fell in love straight away with 6 year old Ava and her "previous life". Excellent writing. Thank you.

This review is written with thanks to Headline and Netgalley for my copy of Keep Me Safe,
Anna's partner, Toby, has left her to live in Australia and she is now a single mother to their six year old daughter, Ava. Anna and Toby's separation is devastating for Ava, and for a period, she refuses to eat or speak. When she speaks again, her first words to Anna are "Where is my mum?" In a bid to understand what Ava means, Anna takes her daughter to Seal, an island off the west coast of Scotland. What will Anna and Ava find there, and will they be able to start a new life on Seal?
Seal is an incredibly picturesque place, and from the prologue, I was captivated by the landscape that Sacerdoti creates. Her imagery uses all the senses and I was immediately transported to Seal and could imagine myself living there.
The narration in Keep Me Safe alternates between a range of characters: mostly Anna and Sorren, but also supporting characters, such as Catriona and Fraser. This gave me greater insight into the characters' lives, and their thoughts and feelings, which helped me to connect with them. The inhabitants of Seal form a very close knit community, and my ability to connect with the characters helped me to immerse myself in their way of life and become enchanted by the novel.
There are elements of the supernatural in Keep Me Safe, and when these were introduced, I felt a little apprehensive that they would give the novel an unrealistic tone. However, in this case, the supernatural elements enhance the plot and create an additional layer to the atmosphere to make Keep Me Safe a compelling novel.
As I read Keep Me Safe in just under two days, it is clear that I found the novel enjoyable, although it was slightly predictable in places.

A totally different read to my usual crime thrillers and I absolutely loved it. When Anna's husband Toby up's and leaves for Australia her little daughter Ava is devastated and refuses to talk or eat for three days. When she does return to some sort of normality she starts talking of a different mum and a totally different life. Anna takes Ava to the doctors and he thinks it's just a reaction to loosing her dad but when things don't improve Anna decides to try and find the place that Ava is describing. The search leads to a remote Scottish island and Anna decides to take Ava to see the places that she is describing and to try and get to the bottom of the strange behaviour. This is just the beginning

I absolutely loved this book by Daniela, I want to go to Seal island it sounds divine! Poor Anna hasn't had much of a life, mostly neglected by her mother as a child she falls into a relationship as a young woman that turned into mental and emotional abuse , the only star on the horizon of her life is her daughter Ava. The trauma of her father leaving them has a terribly profound effect on Ava, and after three days of complete and utter silence and a refusal or inability to communicate in any way while Anna fears for her child , she emerges from the quiet place of her mind but not, it seems, as the same girl. The writing is superb, the characters fascinating and the storyline is intriguing. This is the first book I've read by Daniela Sacerdoti but it most definitely won't be the last.

Mixed feelings about this book which I read basically on a Sunday afternoon. Why mixed? Because it is relatively well written, the start is promising but it ends up being a bit too predictable.

Anna, after her partner walks out, is a single mother with a 6 year old daughter called Ava. When her father leaves, Ava does not talk for three days and when she starts speaking again she asks for her mother. Not Anna, her real mother.

After some probing and Googling, Anna discovers that Ava is talking about her life in a Scottish island called Seal. She decides to go to Seal on Holiday with Anna. There she meets and befriends Shuna who lost a daughter in the sea 15 years earlier.

The supernatural topic is actually quite interesting, it is the chick lit romantic side which is too predictable. But this is my personal opinion, I am not a fan of chick lit and romantic novels have to be particularly original to capture my attention. But if you are looking for a light romantic read with an original paranormal subplot, you will like this

Thank you to the publisher and net galley for the arc of this book in return for an honest review.

I'll start by saying that this is not the type of book I would usually read, so my 2 star rating needs to be taken with that in mind.

This book is my equivalent of cosy Sunday evening pre-watershed tv. There's nothing challenging or confrontational to deal with, just a nice plot where everyone ends up exactly where he or she should be. It's the sort of book I will have forgotten about by the end of the week.

There's is a touch of supernatural which I thought added an intriguing element, but everything else felt a little romance by numbers for my liking.

The descriptions of the island of Seal see gorgeous, and I could picture an idyllic rural spot where a really welcoming community existed. ( although I suspect that the reality of such a place would be very different. )

I think this would be a perfect holiday read for those that like neat endings, unfortunately that's not me.

Beautiful and emotional story from this wonderful author. I enjoyed it so much.

This is two hours of pure escapism A romantic novel with a twist of mystery, all set in the gorgeous Hebrides. Nothing to dislike and a lot to help you relax. Nicely written if a little far-fetched.

Imagine your six year old daughter tells you that she remembers living on the island of Seal with her mum? Her other mum? She draws pictures of that island, the sea, the water....

Wouldn’t you want to go there to see what she is on about and how on earth she is suddenly talking about a place you’ve never taken her to with her ‘other mum’? Children have imaginary friends burt imaginary parents?

This chilled from the off and there was a creepy visit to the island to find out more. I was keen to unravel the mystery of Ava’s drawings and felt sorry for Anna who must have been terrified of what she might find and how her daughter knew all this!

Not surprisingly there are themes of the supernatural and second sight but it’s done with skill that draws you in and the whole eerie, mist covered island in Scotland is the perfect setting for a story like this. These islands are well known for its myths and folklore and Selkie appearances......seals in disguise....

AT the heart of the story, a lyrical message can be heard...

A beautifully written story set in a beautiful picturesque Scottish Island. The setting seems to add magic to the story. Whether or not you believe in everything written it is still a lovely story about family, love and loss and what matters in life.

Anna and her daughter Ava have just been left by her partner. Ava stops speaking for three days and when she starts to talk again she asks Anna to take her to see her “other mother.” It appears Ava needs to go to Seal Island on the coast of Scotland, a place they have never visited, because she has memories from there.

Anna sets off on a journey to Seal to try to discover what it is that Ava needs. They meet Sorren and his parents who are still suffering from a tragedy that happened fifteen years earlier. Somehow Ava recognises them and Anna needs to find what the connection is between Sorren’s mum, Shuna, and Ava.

This was a compelling story with good characters. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, the plot was interesting and the connection between Ava and Seal Island was unexpected. I am definitely anticipating more from this author.

I really enjoyed this book, not one I would have normally chosen but found it well-written and intriguing.

Loved this heartwarming tale, felt straight in love with the characters - one question, is there a next installement??

A fairly whimsical but enjoyable book, that was gentle but gripping at the same time.

Well written and cleverly put together I enjoyed this story and hope there is a follow up.

I've taken some time to write this review, mulling over my varied reactions to it. The beginning was wonderful, engrossing reading with a fascinating premise. Anna and Ava were great characters and their relationship well portrayed. I really enjoyed it! But, unfortunately, once they got to Seal Island, my interests waned. Too many characters with their own stories (why was the very unlikely story of Caty'and Fraser included?) muddied the waters for me. What a pity - I thought the story of Ava/Isla had such potential.

This is a feel-good, romantic story that is a quick and enjoyable read. I did think that some of the happy endings were slightly too quick to be believable, but it was an enjoyable read.