Written by Anne Allen
Highly
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| Published by | Sarnia Press (14 May 2024) |
| Genre | Paranormal Ghost Romance Psychological Fiction |
| Pages | 280 |
| ASIN | B0CW9YPSVD |
| BN ID | 2940179538325 |
| ISBN-10 | 0992711282 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-0992711283 |
I was delighted to hear from Anne Allen recently that she had a new novel coming out in May 2024 and wondered if I'd be interested in an advanced copy to review. I read the blurb and immediately knew this was a novel I would enjoy. Whilst I cannot remember seeing the film, I do remember being an avid viewer of the TV series The Ghost and Mrs Muir starring Edward Mulhare and Hope Lange.
My appetite for this novel whetted, I started reading it the day after it arrived.
My appetite for this novel whetted, I started reading it the day after it arrived.
The blurb:
A haunting tale of love, loss and finding one’s place in the worldWidowed artist Annabel returns to Guernsey seeking a fresh start for herself and her young daughter away from her late husband’s controlling family. Seagull Cottage appears perfect, by the sea and with a low rent. The snag is it comes with a resident ghost, Daniel, a sea captain who died 70 years ago in 1946. He built the cottage and objects to anyone not family living there. He and Annabel have to come to terms with sharing what he still considers to be his home.
After a difficult start they begin to share their pasts and an unlikely friendship blooms, becoming deeper as they spend more time together. Annabel realises she’s falling for him but would she truly prefer a ghost to a real live man?
Blending elements of romance, mystery and the supernatural into a compelling tale about the power of human connection and presenting a modern twist on R.A. Dick's novel The Ghost and Mrs Muir and the classic movie of the same name.
Paranormal Ghost Romance
Psychological Fiction
A Guernsey Novel
My thoughts:
The Ghost of Seagull Cottage is the fourth novel that I have read in this enthralling series which reveals pieces of the island’s history with each story. However, it is the first that I have read which does not involve a dual time-line to impart that history, but rather has its own ghost.Set in the present day, we see Annabel Easton returning to Guernsey, the place of her birth, with her daughter Emilia, following the recent death of her husband, and with a need to escape his controlling family in Manchester. Annabel is an artist who is making ends meet by selling her work, but hardly able to afford the costly rents on the island. However, there is one cottage which the agent is struggling to rent. It is very affordable and in a good condition, having been recently renovated. Annabel falls in love with it as soon as she steps inside. The problem is that it is haunted by Captain Daniel Gallienne, the original owner, who died some seventy years earlier. He seems to be a surly character who does not take kindly to having strangers in his home.
Annabel quickly wins the Captain round and they agree to share the cottage, with the Captain restricted to certain rooms and under no circumstances to reveal himself to Emilia.
How the friendship blooms and Annabel is able to create the life she wanted for herself and her daughter is elegantly told in this well-written, romantic and captivating story.
Although time-poor these days, I chewed through this novel in three sessions. I was hooked from the moment Annabel encounters the ghost. I quickly became very fond of the two main characters and hoped that Annabel would achieve her dream and be able to buy Seagull Cottage.
I loved Annabel’s close friendship with the ghost and how he becomes very protective of her. I could feel their attraction to each other, and it was with a lump in my throat that I read the penultimate chapter.
The Ghost of Seagull Cottage is the ninth book in Allen's Guernsey Novels series, but as with all the others, it is easily read as a standalone.
| Author Bio – Anne Allen |
|---|
 Anne Allen lives in Devon in the UK but originates from Rugby, the home of Rugby football. Finding early on in life that she loved the sea she has spent most of her adult years moving from one coast to another, the furthest being the Spanish coast of Costa Blanca. Her happiest time was spent in Guernsey where she lived for nearly 14 years and her books are all set on this beautiful island. By profession Anne was a psychotherapist but has now retired and fills her time with writing and painting. To date she has published eight standalone stories in The Guernsey Novels series, focusing on love, mystery, drama and relationships, and with a touch of historical influence. Some titles are dual-time or time-slip. The ninth in the series, The Ghost of Seagull Cottage, is due to be published in May 2024 and was inspired by the classic movie, “The Ghost and Mrs Muir”, itself based on the book by R A Dick. |
| Social Media Links: | |
| Web site | https://anneallen.co.uk/ |
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| Anne Allen | |
Hi, Deborah, thank you so much for reading my latest book and for such a lovely review. Remember you still have 5 books to read in the series! Best wishes, Annex
ReplyDeleteHi Anne. I actually have Books 1-3 on my kindle and to my shame, I have not yet found time to read them, but my interest in the Guernsey Novels has been reignited, and I'll move them up my TBR list.
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