"Secrets of the Lighthouse" by Santa Montefiore

“Secrets of the Lighthouse” transports you from your favorite reading spot to beautiful Connemara, Ireland- a lush land of rolling hills where the mist rolls off the coast while the deceased watch over their loved ones longing to be with them again fueling the mystical stories of fairies and leprechauns.

Ellen Trawton had enough of her claustrophobic, aristocratic life in London and escapes to her mother’s homeland, a secret her mother thought she had carefully guarded, to break the chains of her past and embrace her future of writing and figuring out who she is, not who her mother wants her to be. As Ellen detoxes from city life and adjusts to life in the country, she discovers a family she never knew of and a lighthouse that guards Connemara and harbors deep intrigue. Ellen is drawn to the lighthouse’s past and the mystery of Caitlin, a young local who met her end at the lighthouse. Years later, the locals at the local pub, Pot of Gold, are still gossiping about whether or not Caitlin was murdered or if hers was an accidental death. If rumors can be trusted, her spirit still lingers, roaming over the hills between the lighthouse and her home watching over her husband and children.

Santa Montefiore uses descriptive, flowing language to paint a gorgeous story in “Secrets of the Lighthouse” full of heart-warming, tangible characters that make you want to meet and share a pint with at the Pot of Gold. Hearts that long for beautiful lands and romantic stories will find a treasure in “Secrets of the Lighthouse.”

Favorite Book by State

Earlier this month, Amazon released its list of favorite books by state since the beginning of this year.

Do you think this is an accurate representation? Have you read "The Fault in Our Stars" yet? What did you think?

"Sisters of Treason" by Elizabeth Fremantle

“Sisters of Treason” takes us back in time to the day of the Tudors’ reign in England and allows us to have a front-row seat to watch the horrors of history.

Elizabeth Fremantle takes English history and brings it to life with her own fictional rendition of history. She breathes life into a time full of death and fear of the throne as the reader immediately witnesses the beheading of Lady Jane Grey- the price of being heir to the throne. Fremantle then focuses on the reigns of Queen Mary, known as Bloody Mary to most, and her sister Queen Elizabeth, while their heirs, the Grey sisters, try to live out their lives as normally as possible without causing the Queens to fear for their throne and sentence them to the same fate that their sister met.

“Sisters of Treason” is detailed and emotional… and educational. I learned about Bloody Mary and the Grey family, mere fictional legends if you don’t know their true history. Readers who have a passion for historical fiction, particularly English historical fiction, will not be able to put “Sisters of Treason” down.