Second read 2018: Found the ending much more emotionally sweet than the first time I read it. Seemed a little redundant in places this time but didn't affect how much I enjoyed Elfrida's and Oscar's lovely story. Note: Pilcher paints these two people as very old. They're 62 and 68. That's my age. That's not old! A book in which very little actually happened. Hours of listening before the inciting incident, which happens offstage anyway, and then everybody for one reason or the other finds themself heading off to Scotland, where things happen slowly amid a ton of description of pretty landscapes and lots of tea-making. With Oscar in mourning, Edith had to steer the boat and stay levelheaded for both of them. As fate would have it, her nephew's daughter, Carrie, pitched up with his 14-year-old granddaughter, and then the stranger, Sam Howard, appeared out of the icy snow storm one night. They were suddenly surrounded by people who all needed a new perspective and directions in their lives, including herself and Oscar.

Well, Birdie," he said, "last night when you arrived I thought you looked very tired. You had these blue rings around your eyes. I was actully concerned for you. But this morning, you still have those rings around your eyes, and they're now even bigger!" This is not a book to be rushed through. Don't read it in bits and pieces, wedged into stolen moments during lunch breaks or while waiting for your 11-year-old to finish soccer practice. Savor it. Sit in a comfy chair with a good reading light, have a nice restoring cup of tea and some biscuits at hand. (Okay, so here in the States we don't really have those kinds of biscuits - a good butter cookie will do.) Pace be damned. In fact, that's the whole thrust of the book - that these people are thrown together in a place and time that's out of their everyday world. They're forced to slow down, to wait, to exist in the here and now. And, by consequence, the few days they spend together make all the difference in their lives.An] evocative sense of place and watercolorist's eye for muted detail... the enduringly popular Pilcher holds fast to a theme that has all but disappeared from American fiction: the healing comforts of domesticity and companionship.” — Kirkus

How many times in the book did really complicated things get sorted by 'a phone call?' I mean, even legal details like next-of-kin (the guy isn't even related!) get arranged via a phone call. Easy-peasy. Ditto the details of a will (as yet unoffically 'read') get divulged to the beneficiary via a phone call to a lawyer? I don't think so. An antiques assessor is conveniently 'found' living not far away from the characters in a supposedly remote northern Scottish location? And etc. Everything is so convenient. There is an architect around the corner, just when one is needed. And etc. Of course I did expect a 'happy ending,' but not one that was achieved so easily. She did leave a few things dangling, which is good. The implication that there will still be problems ahead for the characters to solve is realistic. But I wish there had been more emphasis placed on the characters themselves actually solving their problems, rather than just waiting for a fortuitious coincidence to rescue them from difficulty. The Inverness Tours admin team are frequently complimented on responsiveness, flexibility and care. Our Environment Usually nothing overly unbelievable happens: the characters are fairly close to normal everyday people, and their stories are told in a straightforward but vibrant way that makes me feel very much a part of their world. The novel changes perspective with each chapter so the reader gets to know the characters slowly, learning what is important to each as they go about their lives. There are a few coincidences that are just too good to be true, but they add to the joy and the promise of a happy ending.Of course I'm sure, Atticus, what's up with you this morning?" she asked, annoyance was creeping into her chirpy voice. The audio was impeccable. Supremely British, cozy and captivating. If you were within ear shot you would have heard my repeated sighs of contentment. The author of The Shell Seekers has penned another romance sure to give fans the warm fuzzies.” — Publishers Weekly I find that Rosamunde Pilcher seems to get inside of her characters and brings them to life! I can see What a charmingly told story. I grew to love these characters. Elfrida is practical, giving, generous and compassionate. Oscar is reeling from loss, struggling to come to grips with his guilt and grief, and hesitant to take a chance. Sam is trying to find a new path in life and return to his home from years spent abroad. Carrie is stubbornly independen