Eve has always lived on Ennisfarne, an idyllic island just off the coast of Northumberland and only accessible when tides are low. There she runs a bar overlooking Darling Cove, a heavenly horseshoe-shaped beach named after her seafaring ancestors, whose links to the Farne Islands stretch back centuries.
Logan is a famous photographer desperate to evade the limelight after a difficult break-up. Renting a cottage from Eve, he chooses Ennisfarne in the hope of anonymity but is immediately spellbound by its natural beauty.
The pair don’t get off to the best start, butting heads over Eve’s adorable but boisterous Chocolate Labrador. But when Logan's true identity is revealed, Eve realises her new tenant isn’t quite the man she thought he was. Is it too late to start again or will Logan’s island escape be over almost before it’s begun?
After an absence of 6 months, which was longer than I initially expected my reading and reviewing slump to be, I'm pleased to be finally back reading. I have read a few other books in the last month or so which I still need to write reviews for which I'm hoping to catch up with over the next couple of weeks.
From the moment I first started reading Escape to Darling Cove I knew that this was going to be one of those books that made me forget everything that was going on around me and instead whisk me off to the remote coastline of Northumberland. And that's exactly what it did for the 48 hours it took me to read this book.
One of the things I love about reading a Holly Hepburn book is that she always gives us readers the perfect setting which almost becomes a character in its own right alongside a cast of interesting characters to fall in love with. And Escape to Darling Cove is no different set on Ennisfarne which is cut off daily from the mainland by the tide which is what attracted renowned photographer Logan Silk when he needed to escape from the stresses and pressure of his life in the limelight.
Logan's landlady Eve Darling is a force of nature, a young woman who isn't afraid to take on or do anything. As well as running a local bar alongside her brother, being landlady of Dune Cottage, and odd-jobs woman on call to anyone who needs her, she's also the organiser of many of the local events held throughout the year. Some may say that she does too much and doesn't allow herself time to relax and time take out for herself. For Eve herself, keeping busy means that she doesn't allow herself to feel any emotions especially in regards to her handsome tenant.
Ennisfarne couldn't be more different from the bright lights and glamour, instead Logan, or James as he rented the cottage as, finds himself with plenty of time on his hands to reflect and contemplate on what the next stage of his life entails. One thing's for sure, he doesn't want to go back to being constantly in the spotlight although it's not long before his previous life catches up with him. But thankfully for him, the residents of Ennisfarne have welcomed him as one of their own and set about to protect him.
The initial meeting between James/Logan and Eve was hilarious involving the boisterous puppy Huxley who is a wonderful character in his own right. Despite knocking James off his feet and destroying his camera, it's hard to stay mad with Huxley and he certainly has his fair share of moments in the spotlight throughout the book.
It's only over time as Logan and Eve spend time together that their impressions of one another begin to change and they realise that they have more in common than they initially thought. But both are reluctant to let their guards down especially when Logan is only on the island for a short period of time.
One of my favourite scenes was when they were scuba diving and Logan has an encounter with an inquisitive seal, I would so loved to have seen the photos that he took of that precious moment. I also wish that the exhibition of photos that Logan had taken during his stay on the island was real. I'll have to settle for looking on Google to see what that part of the country looks like as it's unlikely I'll be able to go in person anytime soon.
As I've mentioned in numerous reviews before, I love books that have a real sense of community and that was so evident throughout. From formidable Freda who is the eyes and ears of the community in the local shop but who also rallies the troops when support is needed to protect one of their own, to local fisherman George who is known for his particular smell but yet everyone who knows him doesn't have a bad word to say about him. Everyone plays their part to make this a magical read from start to finish.
No comments:
Post a Comment