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    Summary

    Amelia is a single mother, doing her very best to look after her young son, Charlie - but money is tight and times are tough. When she first hears that she is the last descendent of the Chesterford family and that she has inherited a Real-Life Castle by the sea, Amelia can't quite believe her ears. But it's true!

    She soon finds that owning a castle isn't quite the ticket to sorting out her money problems that she'd first hoped: she can't sell, because the terms of the ancient bequest state that any Chesterford who inherits the castle, must live there and work towards the upkeep and maintenance of the family home. So ever-practical Amelia decides to uproot her little family and move to this magnificent castle by the sea.

    Living in a castle on the beautiful Northumberland coast is fun at first, but organising the day-to-day running is a lot more complicated than Amelia first imagined. Luckily she has help from the small band of eccentric and unconventional staff that are already employed there - and a mysterious unseen hand that often gives her a push in the right direction just when she needs it most. It's only when she meets Tom, a furniture restorer who comes to the castle to help repair some antique furniture, that Amelia realises she might get the fairy-tale ending that she and Charlie truly deserve...

    Blog Tour: Secrets and Seashells at Rainbow Bay by Ali McNamara
    B

    I love Ali McNamara’s books and it was an absolute treat to be invited on her blog tour. This book sounded just as charming as her other ones and who wouldn’t absolutely love to inherit and live in a castle?!

    This book is just so easy to read, the characters are spot on, you can easily imagine them as real people and there was never a dull moment. As with Ali’s past few books, there was a mystical element to it, and I think this was the best incorporated one yet, I found it fascinating, mainly because of the historical aspect of it piquing my interest, I would love to find out about my ancestors. I loved the story with Clara’s diaries.

    Amelia was a relatable character, independent, but with a vulnerable streak where she could perhaps come across as quite stern, serious and maybe a little bit cold, until she let people in and opened up. I especially liked the scene where Amelia joined Tom at the pub, and let her hair down, she became a lot more fun, even before the drinking.I liked her determination, when she wanted to get something done, she did it.

    There was a brief moment though, that I wondered if she was losing her mind. I can’t reveal exactly what as it’s fairly late in the book, but in the same situation, I am sure I would have had so many more questions, and much more to say about it, so that left me wanting a bit more from that situation, but looking at the bigger picture, it’s a very small niggle.

    Charlie was adorable and I really liked all the staff at the castle, Tiffany and Joey were funny and I especially liked Arthur, no matter how gruff he appears at times.

    This book is the definition of comfort reading. Magical, and so full of heart, this book is guaranteed to make you smile.

    Published by: Sphere
    Received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

    View Book on: Goodreads
    Order on: Amazon UK | Amazon US | Book Depository
     

    Thank you Clara and Little Brown Book Group for inviting me to be part of this blog tour, make sure to check out everyone else’s posts!
     

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    Amelia is a single mother, doing her very best to look after her young son, Charlie - but money is tight and times are tough. When she first hears that she is the last descendent of the Chesterford family and that she has inherited a Real-Life Castle by the sea, Amelia can't quite believe her ears. But it's true! <br /><br />She soon finds that owning a castle isn't quite the ticket to sorting out her money problems that she'd first hoped: she can't sell, because the terms of the ancient bequest state that any Chesterford who inherits the castle, must live there and work towards the upkeep and maintenance of the family home. So ever-practical Amelia decides to uproot her little family and move to this magnificent castle by the sea.<br /><br /> Living in a castle on the beautiful Northumberland coast is fun at first, but organising the day-to-day running is a lot more complicated than Amelia first imagined. Luckily she has help from the small band of eccentric and unconventional staff that are already employed there - and a mysterious unseen hand that often gives her a push in the right direction just when she needs it most. It's only when she meets Tom, a furniture restorer who comes to the castle to help repair some antique furniture, that Amelia realises she might get the fairy-tale ending that she and Charlie truly deserve...Blog Tour: Secrets and Seashells at Rainbow Bay by Ali McNamara