This was a sweet happy ending book. If you are looking for a good book with a happy nice ending that is tied up nice in a big bow, this is your book. It is cute and sweet and it is heartwarming. It was well written and kept me entertained throughout the whole book

Thank you to NetGalley, to the author, and to the publisher for this complementary ARC in exchange for my honest review!!!

Emmie runs what was her mothers pasty kiosk in her local airport, something she has done for years. Unfortunately this is all consuming and doesn't leave her any time for herself. Her friend Blessing is doing her best to move Emmie out of the staid clothes and shoes she wears, let alone have some down time or even some fun. A frequent flyer visits Emmie to get pastries and Blessing senses there is possibly more to this. Emmie loves Pip’s visits but hasn't time to do anything about it- especially when he lives on a small island and is committed to looking after the family farm- something he has been studying to do. When a chance encounter with a stranger gives Emmie a win, she takes life in both hands and flies for the first time. She also has a mission - to find out more about some letters of her late mothers that don’t quite make sense to her. Can Emmie solve the puzzle and at the same time find the real Emmie?

Oh wow! A book I quickly got into and loved, one I devoured. Beth has a skill of immersing the reader into the heart of the story and not letting go. As Emmie sorts one thing, another takes its place. I loved Emmie and Pip, and Blessing is, well… a Blessing in Emmie’s life. A book that restores faith in human nature and one that had several messages that I took to heart in a very good way- for example- Don't let the opportunities pass you by, grab life by both boot laces and if you don’t try, you’ll perhaps never know what you are capable of. Be you. A stunningly brilliant read. 10* if I could

Emmie has always done the same things each week, but suddenly that changes. This was a fun story of how she finally allowed herself some freedom, friendships, and fun! Enjoyed this, although it really seemed to drag toward the end.

Get your cozy socks and warm blankets, you will be settled in for the duration. Cute and warm with plenty of self discovery, found family, and family secrets to keep things interesting, and of course a bit of rocky romance to round things out.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this ARC.

Emmaline (Emmie) Brown, 26, is adopted and has been working with her mother Nell in their pasty shop at a small Nottinghamshire airport since she was 13. Two years after Nell suddenly died, she's continued with the shop on her own but has become increasingly unhappy and wants to find what else is out there.

She has a crush on Pip Hawkins, an agricultural student from the Isle of Siskin which must be fictional as Google gave me nothing. He comes through the airport quite often and always buys one of her pasties.

While looking through her mother's things, she finds letters from a "G" who seems to have been her husband and linked to that island - a fact that Emmie was entirely unaware of. She decides to find out more and buys an open end ticket to the Isle of Siskin, on the same flight as Pip - her first flight ever.

While there, "Pasty Girl" gets drawn into Pip's big family straight away (there are three sisters and all the women have flower names), stays at his sister Lily's B&B and helps organise her wedding, while falling more and more in love with Pip. But not everybody is happy to see her - in fact there is one person trying to actively get her in trouble and leave the island. Will she overcome the hostility and find out the secrets from her mother's past?

I didn't like how the islanders, both in the past and present, are described as hostile and insular and being prejudiced against island/mainland relationships. I found those scenes quite upsetting.

However, as suffocating as I would find it having everyone in my business, the description of the landscape and food was enticing, and both Emmie and Pip were great characters. I loved how she courageously tried new things and that after her return to the mainland she didn't wallow in self pity but spent time looking for her mother's family and finding out what she wanted to do with her life, drawing up a plan together with BFF Blessing.

This is an uplifting story of self-discovery, family secrets, loss, friendship and second chances that resonated deeply with me and had a heartwarming ending. I also loved the gorgeous cover. Recommended if you love uncovering old secrets and enjoying new challenges.

I enjoyed this book not for the romance, but for the way these women (mostly) stood together. Like Lily, but especially Blessing having Emmie's back, and even Flora being a wise, young woman :) It was nice to see how Nellie seemed a bit rigid, set in her ways, but with finding out her history it is clear she did all she could to give Emmie a stable home and family life - even if it was just the two of them.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the book.

Thank you NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the eARC.
This was a heartwarming book, I enjoyed it a lot.
The protagonist is such a likeable character, I was rooting for her the whole way. The island setting is beautiful, although I would find it claustrophobic.
The topic of pasties had me scouring recipes ... I'm going to try making the vegan ones with !lentils, yum!
Definitely recommended.

Great book!!!! Great plot development. Character and setting were well developed. This book doesn’t disappoint.

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…

loved it. Will recommend to others.

This heartwarming and emotional novel takes readers on a journey through the ups and downs of Emmie's life. From moments of laughter to tears, Emmie's brave choices and personal growth are at the heart of this captivating story.

Moran’s writing strikes a delicate balance between heart-wrenching and heartwarming, just when you think the weight of Emmie’s journey is too much, she finds beauty in unexpected places. The island setting provides such an atmospheric backdrop, and the characters, especially Pip, feel like the warm embrace you didn’t know you needed. The tension between Emmie’s past and the uncertain future ahead kept me hooked until the very last page. It’s a book that will have you laughing, crying, and cheering for the brave choices Emmie makes.