Summer at the Highland Coral Beach
by Kiley Dunbar
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Pub Date 27 Mar 2020 | Archive Date 10 Mar 2020
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Description
Escape to the Highland Coral Beach – where broken hearts can be healed
Beatrice Halliday needs a break from life. Booking a trip to the Highlands on a whim, Beatrice hopes learning Gaelic in a beautiful Scottish village might help her heal her grief after losing her baby, her husband and her much loved job in a space of months.
But Port Willow Bay isn’t exactly as the website promised. Instead of learning a new language, she’s booked in to learn the ancient skill of willow weaving, her hotel room is Princess and the Pea themed (with a stack of mattresses for her bed!) and worse still, her tutor is Atholl Fergusson, grumpy landlord of the hotel where Beatrice is staying – and she’s the only one doing the course.
But as Beatrice finds herself falling in love with Port Willow Bay and its people, and as she discovers the kind heart beneath Atholl’s stony exterior, can she really leave?
Escape to the beautiful Scottish Highlands with this utterly romantic, feelgood book; one visit to Port Willow Bay and you’ll want to come back!
Fans of Sarah Morgan, Carole Matthews and Holly Martin will be captivated.
Available Editions
EDITION | Ebook |
ISBN | 9781912973248 |
PRICE | £1.99 (GBP) |
Featured Reviews
What a lovely read this was. Kiley Dunbar’s writing flows naturally and smoothly making all of her imagined characters dance off the page and come to life.
I love a good cosy escapism romance. Beatrice’s reason for needing an escape is surely a sad one but there is a lot of hope and growth in this little story. The town, characters, and setting will all warm your heart. I cannot wait to read more stories set in this lovely Highland setting.
I loved Christmas at Frozen Falls, so I jumped on the chance to read Summer at the Highland Coral Beach. This is more of an emotional book than Frozen Falls, as it deals with miscarriage and the resultant grief. I enjoyed this story, and I thought the balance of Beatrice learning to cope with her grief, and the romance, was handled well. The characters were all interesting, and had their own stories and motivations. The sense of place was great, and I loved Port Willow. I’ll definitely be looking to read the next book, which I believe is also set in Port Willow.
If you can cope with the sadness as well as the romance, this is a lovely book, with a warm sense of place.
I was given a free copy of this book. My opinions are my own.
Beatrice needed a getaway, perhaps not one fueled by three glasses of wine, a nine hour train journey and a Princess and the Pea styled 4 poster bed in the strange little village of Port Willow Bay. But she’s here, and not quite herself: prone to bursting into tears or turning a sharp tongue on anyone’s path she crosses. But she’s here and ‘stuck’ at least until Monday when the trains run again.
Atholl and his brother Eugene run the inn/pub, and Atholl has worked to bring “craft tourism” to the bay in the hopes of increasing tourism and bringing new life to the little town. For years, the population has dwindled, and the regular residents are far more male than female. While Beatrice thought she had enrolled in a Gaelic class, she discovers with the rather questionable help from Gene, that she is, in fact, there to learn willow weaving. Not happy with any of it, she’s determined NOT to stay, and not to get involved.
But this little town and it’s people – both residents and visitors are engaging, adding a bit of quirky to the mix, not to mention her own recognition of stuffing down her history and her words, all compounding her grief. From discovering stories of the residents’ lives and marriages (or dissolution of same) as well as her knack for organizing and bringing people together, a bit of good natured meddling and some growth allow her to open up to Atholl, and get some much needed confidence, acceptance and perhaps even a way to move on from the loss of her child and her marriage. With good humor, plenty of scenery, a bit of confusion and several communications gone awry, the story is a wonderfully told and emotional escapist tale that brings plenty of smiles and happiness to all in the end.
I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.
Review first appeared at <a href=” https://wp.me/p3OmRo-aEl/” > <a> I am, Indeed </a>
Wow what a book, from the moment i started reading i could not stop......
Praise for Kiley Dunbar.
When Beatrice runs away from daily life to the Scottish Highlands, can Beatrice clear her mind and find some inner peace. What Beatrice booked doesn't quite go to plan. Whilst making friends along the way, what does the future hold for her?
Easy reading, well written and left me with the want to learn a new craft.
Another absolutely stunning book from Kiley, that allowed me to jump in to the pages and embrace the gorgeous Highland setting's and the lovely people surrounding it. I really admired Kiley tackling miscarriage within Beatrice's story, as many people don't ever consider the emotional and mental impact losing a child can cause for a woman and I think Kiley did a great job of showing that throughout Beatrice's road to recovery. When we first meet Beatrice, she is very angry and not very pleasant to those who are only there to do their job, including the very handsome red-head, Atholl Fergusson. As the story flows, you understand more and more, the anger within Beatrice and when she finally allows herself to let the Scottish folk in and show her their world, she begins to relax and feel right at home with the locals.
Beatrice and Atholl's friendship was so endearing once they both got over their stubbornness, it was just a shame that there was a lot of baggage stopping them from exploring more. You could tell from the get-go how extremely fond they were of one another, to the point where Beatrice found herself getting involved with a bit of match-making, gardening, party planning, etc to help Atholl and everybody else who had been nothing but kind to her. She may have felt out of place to start off with, but she couldn't have belonged there more. She just had to open her eyes and heart to see it for herself.
This a great and cosy escapism romance, focusing on hope, growth and a whole lot of healing. I really hope this isn't the end for these characters because I completely fell in love with them!
Enjoyed reading this book. The story of Beatrice. After losing her baby and feeling low, heads to the highlands for a break.
She meets the owners of the Inn and starts to enjoy being there. But some situations get too much for her and she finds herself opening up to one of the brothers, telling him everything that’s happened and why she’s there.
Slowly she begins to feel herself and then feelings start to grow.
A twist follows and she’s heading back home. Book of heartache, loss and love.
I absolutely adored this book. The characters were so real that it sucked you in and made you feel a part of the story. You didn't want it to end!
As someone who has never gotten to travel a lot, I can tell you that there's something about reading books that take place in areas that I'm just dying to visit! And so, when I get to read about one of my 'bucket list countries', I can't help but get really happy. Summer at the Highland Coral Beach is a lovely tale of a woman who needs to reset her life after loss. One of the most horrible losses anyone could ever experience.
Pacing
From page one I felt immersed in this story. I didn't feel the need or desire to skip over anything that was unnecessary or slow. This read was pretty quick for me and I feel like each chapter held important key elements to the narrative. Getting to know Beatrice in the beginning and then her blossoming friendship was done beautifully. Nothing about this story felt rushed even though it felt like it went by so quickly.
Characters
Beatrice was a very heartfelt heroine. She was feisty, brave, and so strong after going through the loss that she experienced. In the beginning, I'll admit, she was a bit rough when she met Atholl... But, I firmly believe that just enriched the story and made it more realistic.
Speaking of Atholl, I LOVED him as a lead character. He was also pretty gruff in the beginning but that was just a cover over his mushy interior. Besides these two characters, there wasn't much fleshing out...
The side characters were wonderful, just a little more one-dimensional. But, instead of taking away from the story, it honestly just made me wish for a sequel featuring some of these lovely side-characters.
Writing
Kiley Dunbar is a wonderful author! She knows how to spin a tale in a way that'll break your heart but make you stay for the happily-ever-after. She writes an intelligent romance that has you rooting for perfectly-imperfect characters that deserve one another. And the town of Port Willow Bay seems to real to me! I honestly hope to read more from her very soon!
This was my first Kiley Dunbar novel but it definitely won’t be my last. I devoured this book in one sitting; unable to put it down. Great setting and really lovely characters that you’d love to meet in real life. Atholl was a compelling hero but even the more minor characters like Seth were rounded likeable oeopje. I really liked the emotional angle that set this apart from your usual chick lit - Beatrice’s situation was handled beautifully and my heart ached for her at times but there were some really lovely romantic moments too. I’ve never been to Scotland but this book made me want to go. Great read.
I think that Atholl and Beatrice fell in love too fast in this book. They only knew each other for not even 10 days. Otherwise it's a feel good story about Beatrice getting over a miscarriage and her husband moving out of their home by going on vacation to Scotland and getting involved in the lives of the innkeepers and friends. I enjoyed the story and felt good that Beatrice found herself at the end. #SummerattheHighlandCoralBeach #NetGalley
This fits well into the genre of heroines leaving their problems behind to go to some remote village where they get caught up in the small-town customs and quirky people while finding a new romantic interest.
Beatrice has suffered a heartbreaking loss and decides, on a whim, to travel to a small town in the Highlands where the inn has the intriguing offer of craft classes to entice new customers. There Beatrice encounters the hunky brother of the inn’s manager. Soon she’ll have to decide if she can heal her heart by leaving her old life behind and embrace a new love interest and some good new friends.
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.
Beatrice has suffered a terrible tragedy. First, losing her baby, then her husband walking out on her. In a grief stricken moment, she decides to enroll in a Gaelic language lesson in the Scottish Highlands. However, when she gets to the Inn, the guy at the front desk had put her in willow weaving instead, and couldn't find the key to her room. In frustration, she becomes more and more stressed and wants to leave, but there is no way out until the next day. When hunky but grumpy Atholl, the brother of the owner, show up, the sparks fly. A sweet and great story, and one I had a hard time putting down. Highly recommend this one.
Scotland has been at the top of my travel wishlist for ages, so on the day of the cover reveal for Summer at the Highland Coral Beach, my first thought - before even seeing the cover or reading the synopsis - was ‘you had me at Scotland’. Then I saw the gorgeous cover and I knew I had to read this book. After reading Kiley’s sophomore novel, Christmas at Frozen Falls, I knew she had a knack for transporting the reader to the setting of the book, and Summer at the Highland Coral Beach was no different. I felt like I made the journey with Beatrice to Port Willow Bay with its coral beach, turquoise waters, and the charming Princess and the Pea Inn.
I really liked Beatrice. She’d been dealt a difficult hand between losing her mum, losing her job, a rocky patch in her marriage, finally getting pregnant and then losing the baby, and then her husband leaving her when he couldn’t handle how she was dealing with her grief. Desperately needing an escape, she booked a holiday to the Highlands on a whim. Port Willow Bay was beautiful, but the Princess and the Pea Inn didn’t exactly live up to what its website promised. Beatrice quickly realized her whim wasn’t the smartest idea and she decided to return home, but circumstances kept her in Port Willow, where she began falling in love with the inn, the charming town, and its people...especially one person in particular, a hot Scot named Atholl.
While this book packed an emotional punch with its talk of grief and loss, it was also funny and charming. The characters were wonderfully quirky and the setting was gorgeous (my desire to visit the Highlands has increased exponentially). I enjoyed watching Beatrice’s growth and seeing her figure out you can’t outrun your problems - they go with you wherever you go and stay with you until you confront them head on. She learned how to begin the healing process after loss, and how to move on while still honouring the ones you loved and lost. I also really appreciated that Beatrice was older than your typical romance heroine (just about to turn 40).
Sweet, funny, and emotional, Summer at the Highland Coral Beach was the perfect escape.
A great read, the story of Beatrice and Atholl.
Beatrice is heartbroken and made a snap decision to holiday in the hghlands. She doesn't get off to the best of starts with Atholl and his brother Gene, but the longer she stays there the more she begins to relax. As she spends more time with Atholl she starts to fall for him, but he is so far away from her life back home do they have a chance.
A great setting for the book - makes me want to go on holiday there too!
I really enjoyed this book. A beautiful highland seaside village provides the perfect back drop for this story. We follow Beatrice as she tries to cope with, and begin to come to terms with, so many devastating losses in her life in a short period of time: her job, a missed miscarriage, her marriage and her family home. Beatrice tries to ignore the emotional impact of all of this and finally decides to escape to the village of Port Willow on the west coast of Scotland. Initially booked into the Princess and Pea hotel for Gaelic lessons, after a long and arduous journey Beatrice discovers that she will be neither learning Gaelic or staying in the type of accommodation she was expecting. Beatrice and the hotel owners, Gene and Atholl get off to a very rocky start but she is is soon befriended by Gaelic teacher, Kitty and discovers that all is not what it seems at the coral beach - the beautiful white beach is actually made of sharp coral and the hard exterior of willow artist Atholl hides a deeply caring and loving man.
I thoroughly enjoyed following the ups and downs of the relationships between Beatrice & Atholl and Kitty & Gene, surrounded by the stunning scenery of the highland setting. Miscarriage, and the subsequent emotional impact, is sensitively handled by the author and I commend her for this.
A 5 star rating is well deserved, highland romance at its best.
I really enjoyed reading this book, the
location in the Scottish Highlands was stunning. The Scottish Dialect was written beautifully in my opinion. You could really hear the residents voices when they spoke, this gave the story more character.
I liked the character of Beatrice, she had been through loss of her Mother, and a Miscarriage, and was trying to get away from it all. Miscarriage affects a lot of people, but it is often hidden, and not talked about. It is admirable to have Miscarriage as a main storyline as it is a difficult subject to talk about. I felt that it was written about sympathetically.
There is a lot of romance in this book, a lot of things seemed to happen in a very short period of time, just over ten days. However this is often a recurring theme in Romantic Fiction, and it doesn't matter to me, I still enjoyed the book.
I have read and enjoyed Kiley Dunbar's other books. I enjoyed reading this book a lot, and I highly recommend it. Thank you to Netgalley and Hera for my advance copy of this book. I am looking forward to reading more books by this author.
I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
You can preorder get your copy here:https://www.amazon.com/dp/B084P4SJRT
This book will be available on March 27, 2020, hopefully my sanity from being sequestered will also return at that time, if not, you can enjoy a great book while stuck home. What better to do while stuck home, but download a good kindle book and curl up on the couch or in a park socially away from people and enjoy a good book?
I received this book just in time to save me from boredom! This was not my typical light and fluffy read that I normally like. This was intense!
We begin the book with Beatrice getting the results from a pregnancy test, two pink lines meaning she is pregnant! Beatrice has had a long 12 months, she lost her job, her mom from cancer and her 30s. Quite the year, if you ask me. Pregnant after three months of trying when a woman is that age is a miracle! She hadn’t even told her husband, Rich about the pregnancy and she was already ordering a Your Pregnancy; Week by Week book online, along with an overly expensive baby hat and blanket with little clouds and rainbows all over it.
We are then fast forwarded to seven months later to the middle of nowhere. Beatrice has signed up for Gaelic lessons. She was very frustrated, as apparently the online brochure guaranteed a, “warm highland welcome guarantee and a sweet summer escape”. So far, her time in Scotland has been disappointing to say the least. After denying the first room that they try to give Beatrice, she goes for the Princess room. One that is stacked with a tower of mattresses and quilts stacked one on top of the other, hence the name of the Inn. We are then taken on Beatrice’s journey through Scotland. A Scottish adventure was on her mom’s bucket list, one that never was crossed off. Beatrice reminisces about her time with Richard from the time they started dating until the altercation with her father in law. We soon find out the events that have led Beatrice to travel all the way to the Highlands for a getaway all by herself.
This is the first book that I have read by this author, but fully enjoyed this book, despite the sadness and the heaviness of this book.
This is the perfect escapist story I needed.
It's well written, the plot flows and the characters are likeable.
It's an engrossing and heartwarming read, highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
Kiley Dunbar is an author who I have come to love, having read her first two releases swiftly in 2019.
Summer at the Highland Coral Beach most definitely didn't disappoint my expectations.
A feel-good story, with a touch of sadness, but filled with positivity and hope.
Beatrice finds herself in a rickety old pub hotel in Port Willow, a tiny village in Scotland after the devastation of a miscarriage and separation.
A drunken decision to get away, at first, seems like a great idea, but after arriving, Beatrice has second thoughts.
A place in the back of beyond, with gruff, rude landlords, a tiny room, and to top it, the activity she'd booked, hadn't been.
The story unfolds as Beatrice begins to get to know characters in the village, despite promising herself to leave and go back t the Midlands, and her woeful life back home.
The landlords, brothers Eugene and Atholl reveal softer sides, and yearnings of their own,
Ever the problem solver, Beatrice gets sucked into their lives, and soon finds herself having feelings for someone she hadn't been expecting.
There's matchmaking, romance, a broody Scotsman, laughter, celebration and acceptance.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and look forward to more from this author.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Hera Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. A tale of escape and of course romance in a lovely setting with endearing characters. Perfect cosy read.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story and the gentle way that it unfolded. Frequent references to my idol, Gene Kelly, mixed with mentions of Brigadoon were the perfect way to set the scene!
I genuinely didn’t know which way this story was going to go as the friendship between Beatrice and Atholl started to develop. After all, Beatrice was still holding bittersweet memories of her husband and the way he left.
Kitty, Eugene and Seth may have been supporting characters in this enchanting tale but, knowing it was book one in a series about Port Willow leads me to hope that their stories will follow.
If you enjoy romantic fiction and, perhaps have an eye for Jamie in Outlander, this is the book for you. No time travel but, there’s a strong and rugged Scot to get your heart around.
Kiley Dunbar has set the stage for her series in excellent style and I can’t wait to read more.
I thought that this was an excellent book and it would really brighten your day – it is a genuine heartfelt romantic story!
I thought that the characters were very good, they were well developed, laid back and they were genuine, they were well developed and their interaction was perfect!
The writing style was perfect for me, I thought that the author did an excellent job with the story, it was full of longing and special thought.
It is 5 stars from me for this one, it is a fabulous book to read at this time to escape from the news too – very highly recommended!!
Beautiful and uplifting read, exactly what is needed right now ! I loved Bea and Atholl, they were adorable as are all the characters, I loved Seth so much ! This was an emotional read for me, there were plenty of tears along with Bea over the loss of her baby, it’s so well handled and beautifully written, a heartwarming and also heartbreaking read, but with a lovely happy end. A truly lovely read and one I thoroughly recommend I’d love for the author to return to these characters so much and if she does she’s got a definite buyer. But this is my first book my Kiley but I’m definitely off to read her others now. Thoroughly recommended to make you smile (with some tears) and make your heart full.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion
I absolutely loved this story! Beatrice has some major life changes in her life and finds herself at an inn in the middle of nowhere, small-town Scotland. A story of finding yourself, healing, and moving forward.
This is my second Dunbar novel and I am a fan! Her stories seem to have a heavier aspect to them, but they are beautifully written, the characters are so easy to fall in love with, and you find yourself cheering them in and mentally pushing them in the right direction.
There were moments of anguish, humour (although the characters might not always agree haha), and just real-life-genuine-stuff. Beatrice is not unlike a lot of people in that age wants to just bury her head in the sand and not deal with her issues.
I am so excited this is a series as I cannot wait to be reunited with the characters!
What an amazingly beautifully moving book.
This was my first book by this author and I was totally blown away. Right from the very start I was captivated. I was drawn to Beatrice and needed to know her story. The time jump from first to second chapter kept me wondering what really did happen, and kept me guessing what her next step was going to be. The way Beatrices story slowly unfolds was beautiful and so very moving at times. Atholl was an amazing character, the only one to truly see Beatrices pain, and without even knowing the full story he was able to give her everything she didn’t even know she needed. All the characters in this book were wonderful and very real, I really really enjoyed reading the Scottish dialect, it really helped to bring the story alive and made me feel like I was really there in Port Willow.
At times, reading this book I sat with tears running down my face, it was so deeply touching. This author certainly has a gift and I will be searching out all past and future books.
Favorite Quotes:
‘He and his wife didn’t get on, and she moved to the other side of the island once their son was at the high school. And every day he’d ride his bicycle over to visit her, and on Fridays he’d take a posy of flowers to her. They got on like a house on fire once they’d separated. It was quite the love affair, apparently.’ ‘And they never moved back in together?’ ‘And risk spoiling their romance? Goodness, no.’
I have a theory that nice, available Highland blokes who aren’t out grafting twenty-four-seven are like Brigadoon; one rises from the mists every one hundred years.
‘So, it’s manicure, facial, manscaping those brows and taming that chest wig that’s escaping his shirt?’ Beatrice whispered. Cheryl laughed. ‘Eee, I thought it was going to jump out and run up someone’s trouser leg when I first caught sight of that fuzz.’
Scottish tablet… A whole bag of sugar, large can o’ condensed milk, wee scrape o’ vanilla and a splash of whole milk. Then you boil it up until it looks like a raging furnace in the pan… You only know the stuff’s ready when the bubbles have risen to the top o’ the pan, your eyebrows are singed clean awf and you truly fear for your life… I’ve known folk lose fingers making the stuff. Melted, they were!
The girls at the Hub used to show me their dating profiles and the men they were matched to. They were a gruesome crop of middle managers with hairy backs, halitosis and three mobile phones and ten women on the go at once. Half of them have wives!
My Review:
Scotland is the land of my forbearers, so I do loves me a Scottish burr and this tale had lots of thick and juicy ones with an especially tasty one from a sexy redheaded knightly willow weaver. Atholl was divine!
I wasn’t sure if I was going to appreciate the main female character of Bea as at times she had been curt, critical, impatient, arrogant, and outright rude toward her Scottish hosts, and I was disappointed with her annoying and thoughtless behaviors. I didn’t seem to have that problem with the sexy Scotsman, he was a tender heart and a kind soul - and I adored him. The storylines and writing style were engaging, active, insightfully written, well-paced, and often cleverly amusing with unusual activities and misadventures by a cast of quirky and original characters.
I collected several fun new Scottish words to add to my British Isles Word List with ceilidh – a traditional Scottish social gathering usually with dancing, braw – fine, and birling – spinning around like the logs in their Highland games.
Loved this book, I was into it from the very first page, loved the way it flowed back and forth with twists here and there.. Set in a small seaside coastal town in the highlands of Scotland where things are set to change. I am sure you will enjoy this as much as I have done. I recommend this and give it 5 stars.
Kiley Dunbar is an author I have heard numerous wonderful things about from other bloggers but until now, had yet to experience for myself. Well, I can finally say I am a convert to Kiley's writing and I immensely enjoyed Beatrice's story in Port Willow.
At the very beginning of the novel we meet Beatrice who has just found out she is pregnant, and over the moon about it. The reader is then transported 7 months down the line where things look very different for Beatrice although it takes a bit further into the plot to discover why. I love that I was kept guessing for a while.
The setting of Highland Coral Beach is a hidden gem. First impressions of Port Willow are pretty unimpressive but the more Beatrice integrates into life there, the more the reader sees the beauty and warmth of the place and the wonderful community who inhabit it. The vivid and cosy description of Port Willow completely sucks you in. As it began to reveal it's splendor to Beatrice, it does the same to the reader, allowing us to join in on the discovery of this place through surprising moments and fresh eyes.
Atholl and Eugene are fabulous characters and as we get to know them better, alongside Beatrice, they make a wonderful trio of friends. It turns our Beatrice isn't the only one who needed some help and guidance. Eugene is the softer and more sensitive of the brothers and Atholl has a stonier and more abrupt manner. I enjoyed seeing the brothers change as much as Beatrice to be honest.
This is a novel about love, friendship, fresh starts and moving forward and it's simply wonderful.
I cannot wait to visit Port Willow again!
4.5 stars.
Kiley Dunbar whisks us off to Port Willow Bay for the first in her series of the same name and with quirky residents and beautiful scenery, it welcomes you with open arms.
“Well it takes one grumpy sort to know another...”
Real, relatable and flawed, I loved Atholl and Beatrice, both are a little prickly on the outside but pretty much like many of us either the wrong side of 40 or fast approaching it, they’ve lived, loved and lost. With heartache slowly making way for new friendships and humour, Bea slowly realises she’s not alone and there are worst places to re-evaluate her life than in the Scottish highlands, and not only is the gentle path towards true love hers and Atholl’s, but his older brother Gene’s and childhood friend, Kitty’s.
“ ...there’s no other place like this on earth.”
Summer at the Highland Coral Beach is one of those reads which simply leaves your heart happy and I’m looking forward to returning to see what the futures holds for these characters and their prospective visitors. I didn’t realise just how much I take my visits to the highlands for granted until now, but for a little while everything we’re all going through was forgotten and I was there, surrounded by the mountains, muirs and midges. And I needed that.
A well written and entertaining book of loss, changes and second chances. I received an arc from the publisher and this is my unbiased review.
A delightful read which kept me quite engrossed in the story. The hero pulled at my heartstrings with his tenderness. The author knew how to make me fall in love with the sexy Scotsman.
An emotional read, the author brought the Scottish Highlands alive with the magic of her writing. Her words were precisely chosen to transport me to the beautiful landscapes.
Beatrice was strong, my heart too broke at her losses. The emotions seeped through the lines and into my heart. The author was a great storyteller who kept me completely captivated with humor and romance. A charming read.
Summer at the Highland Coral Beach by Kiley Dunbar
Beatrice is at crisis point in her life and she packs her bags and has a solo holiday in the highlands of Scotland. On arriving the place is in a storm and the proprietor is rather unwelcoming. Once there she is going to leave but many things transpired to make her stay for the duration of her holiday . She crosses some very strange but welcoming people . Beatrice must come to terms with her life to set her free and be happy. She learns to love herself and the people and the ways of the highlands.
Beautiful book in every way. It has love, loss, great tragedy and laughter. Laughed, cried and every emotion under the sun. Fabulous book it has the of making more stories of life in Port Willow.
If there were to be I wait with baited breath. Well done Kiley!
Loved this book. Great characters, easy read, uplifting, funny, romantic and charming. A really nice story that is the perfect escapist read.
This is a book about grieving, about finding peace again, about love and friendship. It takes place in beautiful Scotland. I had a hard time to get into the story at first, but once I was in, I really enjoyed this book! It looks like it's a first part of a serie and I cannot wait to read the second book! I give this book a 4 stars out of 5!
This is a lovely story. Beatrice books a trip to the highland after suffering turmoil. The trip doesn't pan out as she expected- but it's great to hear about the classes she takes. The area is described so beautifully, you really think you are taking a trip to the beach.
A tale of grief, healing with a beautiful setting as a bonus
When Beatrice turns up at Port Willow Bay she realises she has made a huge mistake. Booking her holiday on a wine infused whim she is disappointed with everything presented to her. However this village and its people get into her heart and she is able to move on and start believing in herself again.
I adored Christmas at Frozen Falls and was thrilled to read this one too. It deals with loss and grief so beautifully and it was brilliant to read about characters who were in my age range, with some life experiences and losses behind them.
I would like to thank NetGalley and the publishers for asking me to read and review.
This story was a wonderful read.
It is well written with some great characters and as a reader you feel you are right there with them. The plot draws you in and keeps you turning those pages.
A brilliant, heartwarming read.
Summer at the Highland Coral Beach is just what I needed to read last weekend. It is a lovely, enthralling, uplifting romantic book. Whilst it is funny and lighthearted it does have depth and cover serious issues (separation and miscarriage) which are what bring the main character to the Highlands in the first place. These issues are dealt with sensitively and so realistically.
The main character is Beatrice. She is strong and feisty. On a whim (and under the influence of a white wine) she books a last minute break in the Highlands, near the Isle of Skye, where she believes she has enrolled in a short course, learning Gaelic. She arrives at the small hotel and is curt to the owners of the hotel and wants to leave immediately. She has accidentally enrolled on a course for willow weaving instead of Gaelic, the bedroom is too small and she does not like the attitude of the owners nor their disorganised key cabinet!
Will Beatrice leave the hotel and return home with her issues unresolved? Will she stay and grow to like the peace and tranquillity of her new surrounds? Will the Highlands be the place for Beatrice to heal her wounds? Will romance blossom at Port Willow Bay?
A very good book, would recommend.
Thanks to NetGalley, Hera Books and the author, Kilroy Dunbar, for a Kindle copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
A very enjoyable and uplifting book by Kiley Dunbar that definitely helped to lift my mood and make me smile!
Set on the beautiful and scenic Highlands we follow Beatrice who on a drunken whim enrols on what she thinks is a Gaelic class. However when she arrives at her hotel in the middle of nowhere she is told by one of thenfruff owners that she is actually enrolled on a willow weaving class!
I really liked this book and reading about the different chapters from all walks of life.
Looking forward to reading more by the author.
A very fun (and slightly disastrous) trip to Scotland.
Many thanks to the author, the publishers, and NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
Marvelous.... You know a book is a winner when you devour it in one afternoon.
Many thanks to Hera Books and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.
Beatrice is at the lowest point in her life after losing her mother, the job that she loved, her baby and then her husband.... how can one person cope with so much grief! On a whim she books into a hotel in the Scottish highlands to have Gaelic lessons but her arrival is a disaster, the hotel its not what she expects at all, she has been booked on a willow weaving course rather than Gaelic and she has a big falling out with hotel owners and so is determined to return home the next day. When there is no train the next day she has to stay another day so will things improve and will she find some comfort at last so far from home?
A lovely story, I loved the way Beatrice became part of the community so quickly and the brothers were such great characters, I loved the way they tried to pay her back for her stroppiness by their directions to the beach and what a lovely kind man Atholl turned out to be. I will look out for other books by this writer
I read this so fast. I loved every inch of it and have already put an order in for my own paperback!
I finally was able to obtain a copy of this book as I was so glad I was able to. This feel good book was heartwarming and I loved Beatrice's character. Her story was heartbreaking with the loss of her husband and baby, but she was able to preserve by traveling and giving herself a chance to heal.
I lovely romantic story that makes you smile.
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Children's Fiction, LGBTQIAP+, Parenting & Families