Many thanks to Noelle Holten and publisher Bookouture for my spot on this Blog Tour.
“If it hurts when it’s over, then it must have been good.”
A line from the book was exactly how I felt when I came to the last page. The emotions hidden in the pages told me the present with the force of the past, a story about the lost sister, so far untold, left in the unsaid words of half-truths.
The waves hitting the rocks of Eilean Shiel had nothing on them compared to the force of the feelings I was left with. There was an inner pain knowing what I knew now. Lauren Westwood brought this all out when she wrote this book, a tale of 3 women bound by love and connected by secrets.
Ginny died 15 years ago. Skye was the twin left behind in more ways than one. A road accident left her with amnesia, her mother’s whispered accusation left her with guilt, and a need to escape her pain all the way to America left her with a lie. Skye came back when her mum wasn’t well. And decided to get to the truth of what happened that night.
Lauren Westwood has smashed it out of the park with a roaring whack!! Her writing was muted, but the power behind behind it ravaged my soul. There were moments I was angry, irritated with the to and fro of Skye’s emotions, the way she wanted to know the truth, yet didn’t really want to. But that’s true for all of us. We are the same. Skye was one of us.
Her relationship with her mum had so many layers that it was extremely bittersweet when each came up. I liked how they found the strength in knowing the truth. There was a depth to the story, more than the half-truths that were told by the witnesses. There was something hushed in between the lines, as if they wanted me to listen to its silent words.
Silence speaks, and this book spoke to me.
This book affected me in a lot of ways telling me a story not only of the written words but a hidden one behind the unstated ones. I was left with a pain deep inside me, pain of the unshed tears for the mother and daughter who had lost so much but found each other.
I could write pages, but I have to stop here with a tear rolling down my cheek.
I received a free ARC from NetGalley and publisher, and this is my journey into its pages, straight from the heart!! STRICTLY HONEST AND UNBIASED.
All my reviews can be read here
Some things you can never escape. I should know. I’ve been running away for fifteen years, and now I’m right back where I started…
Skye Turner’s family fell apart the day her twin sister Ginny died. Everyone in their tiny community in the Scottish Highlands accepted it was an accident, but more than one person in town is haunted by a secret from that night…
Skye left after the funeral, believing her mother blamed her for Ginny’s death. Skye should have taken care of Ginny, should have been there to stop her falling from the cliffs that night. Over the years, she’s barely spoken to her mother, until the day she receives a phone call asking her to return home.
As soon as Skye arrives in her childhood home, she knows something isn’t right. Her mother has kept the bedroom she shared with her sister like a shrine, Ginny’s clothes and diaries gathering dust, as though her mother thinks Ginny might come back. And there are whispers in town that Ginny wasn’t alone when she died…
Skye is desperate to find out the truth, but her mother just wants her family back together. As Skye begins to unravel everyone’s lies, she realises the truth might tear her family apart for good…
Publication Date: 11th November 2019
Publisher: Bookouture
19 Responses
You nailed it! I was riveted to this book while reading.
It was wonderful, wasn’t it?
Beautiful review Shalini! This book has immediately caught my attention, it sounds so deeply moving and the title grabs.
1Thank you so much, it was wonderful I loved it
Nice five star review. Thank you Shalini
Thank you so much ❤️
You are welcome Shalini. It’s always a pleasure
I’ve skipped by this book when I’ve seen it online but your review has really made me want to read it. It sounds like an emotional read but such a good one at the same time.
It was beautiful. I simply loved it. Wow
It is a wonderful thing to read a book and be so moved. Great review.
Thank you so much ir was so wonderful. I loved it
Sounds like a real tear-jerker. I read a book a few months ago that made me cry and stayed with me for days afterwards, but that’s extremely rare for me. It shows how talented the author is if she can bring out your emotions like that. Lovely review, as always. 🙂 Enjoy your weekend!
Thank you so much ❤️ expect a mail from me
What a magnificent review! You clearly experienced a lot of different emotions while reading this book and you have discussed them so well, Shalini.
Mother daughter relationships are always difficult. Glad this book showed a successful reconciliation.
This was wonderful. The style of writing emotions pulled me in ❤️
I love how you expressed it: “the mother and daughter who had lost so much but found each other.” I am looking forward to reading it and at the same time fearful of such a great emotional impact.
It was wonderful. I got absolutely hooked into this
Hope you love it too. It is emotional