Reviewed by Emma Crowley
Tara Ballantyne hasn’t been home to Loch Cameron since her childhood sweetheart and fiancĂ© Ramsay Fraser suddenly broke her heart. She’s certain the secret she’s kept ever since is why he left without saying goodbye. But when her mother Dotty has a fall, Tara knows she must return to help her family with their guesthouse.
Dotty has never been able to understand why Tara left the village in the first place. And on an errand for her mother at the local farmer’s market after another row, Tara is stunned when she runs into Ramsay. His deep, achingly familiar voice sends butterflies spinning through her stomach as they make plans to catch up. Could now be the moment to tell him her secret?
Then Tara sees Ramsay holding the hand of a little girl with a crooked smile just like his. Even if Ramsay still holds on to the other half of Tara’s gold pendant, it looks like he’s moved on for good. And she still can’t confess what she did all those years ago…
But seeing Ramsay again makes her mother light up, and Tara realises Dotty has missed him too. And as she comes to understand her mother more than ever before, Tara wonders if she’s been running away for all the wrong reasons. Will Ramsay always be the one who got away? Or if Tara finally opens up, will she find happiness in the village?