Merrow meets Amir, who has been sent from New York, by way of India, to live with her family. Amir is not affected by Bear’s nastiness, and Merrow admires his strength of spirit. Merrow is a young child living in Horseshoe Cliff with her older brother and her father. She has always loved the sea and that’s where she spends most of her time running away from reality. Her mother passed away but no one will tell her how it happened. Bear, her older brother, is extremely abusive when her dad is not around, so Merrow decides to spend her time exploring the cliff and the beach. Rachel is a Norfolk lass and already the author is creating a credible setting (mention of Jarrold Bookshop/Store chain and the Happisburg (pronounced Hazeburgh) Lighthouse really anchor the city). She then clearly has immersed herself in the setting of the Isle of Must, which is a bird sanctuary and it certainly attracts many birders. Rachel is appointed to look after the visitors in the small and basic hostel. She cooks and cleans and changes the bedding.

So obviously when this book popped up on my Goodreads feed and advertised itself as a retelling of Emily Bronte’s only novel, I shrieked like a banshee and immediately included it on my never ending TBR.

APARTMENTS

Amir & Merrow’s relationship is not healthy & I cannot believe the author thought this was path to go with. On and on we hear how these two were part of each other and it’s just....no, these two characters were traumatized as children by the same abuser who was their older brother/adopted brother and all three were poorly cared for by the father/guardian & other adults in their lives. That’s not a healthy foundation for a relationship. Also they were adoptive siblings, no matter how much they say they’re not brother & sister.

I don’t normally read love stories, romance or books without dead bodies, so this was completely out of my comfort zone, but within the first few chapters I was so intrigued and captivated by the characters and the Isle of Must that I became totally immersed in the story. She discovers that a young man called Lefty also resides there and it seems that he can ignite Fraser’s wrath at the drop of a hat. Why is he there? Rachel is a natural peace maker but cannot seem to bring about a truce between the two men.When they’re around fourteen years old and bored with their monotonous lives, they decide to break into the houses of wealthy people. They want to imagine how rich people live and how would it be to have all this money and freedom to do whatever you want. One of their break-in attempts doesn’t go as planned and they meet the Langford family. The family instantly shows some curiosity and interest in the two kids, especially in Merrow. Will, a law student who is a few years older than them, doesn’t hide how much he likes Merrow. Merrow’s childhood is mostly a happy one, but her mother passes away under mysterious circumstances, so of course that lingers and haunts. Her brother, Bear, is outright mean and cruel, so that’s a blemish on her otherwise idyllic childhood as well. Then, like sea glass carried from a distant land, Amir arrives in Merrow’s life. He’s been tossed about from India to New York City and now to Horseshoe Cliff, to stay with her family. Merrow is immediately drawn to his spirit, his passion, and his resilience in the face of Bear’s viciousness. Together they embrace their love of the sea, and their growing love for each other. No one had ever spoken to me as Rosalie had— and yet, what exactly had she been trying to tell me? Her words were a gift that I could hold but not yet unwrap.