On the Scottish coast, in a village pretty much remote stands a lighthouse, in that lighthouse is a bookshop. The only bookshop for miles around. Owned by Cullen MacDonald and where Rachel found solace some years ago.

Tragedy is around the corner when Cullen suddenly dies and with no other living relatives who will inherit the bookshop and can they find someone other than local business woman Dora McCreedy. In the meantime, suddenly bereft and with the possiblity of having to move again Rachel continues to try and keep the place alive. But Cullen leaves a mystery to be solved and all of a sudden this place that Rachel has called home for five years has somes ecerets to tell. Can they find the true reason for the place before it is left to someone who doesn’t see the buildings beauity and the place it has in the community.

For not just being a bookshop, this place seems to gather locals to it’s hearth, to talk, to find books and even to play chess. It helped Rachel can it perhaps help someone else. Gilly is a teenager sleeping rough, Edie is an artist with a secret and an ongoing feud with Ezra her next door neighbour and then Toby, who has come to stay in the village to write his memoirs. His days of journalism are perhaps over, or are they? Does this mish mash of people, all brought together and the building they find themselves hold a story that needs telling.

Yet again, Sharon Gosling has created a book with a wealth of characters, ages and voices. She has set it in the wild landscapes of Scotland. It is a book with mystery, romance, new beginnings, history, second, even third chances and always with that sense of community woven throughout. Written so wonderfully that I did not want to put it down, nor did I want it to end. One of my new favourite authors.

This writing as such was fine, but for some reason this story just wasn't dor me. I fell for the lighthouse / bookshop angle, two things I love. I didn't mind all that much that it wasn't a real lighthouse by the sea. But none of the characters really drew me in. The various plot ideas felt disjointed to me and meandered along before they were all resolved way too easily.