Heaven’s Cove and Driftwood House, the B & B was first introduced to use in a previous book by this author. And we are swept back to this house, almost at the edge of the world, the sea power below as the world carries on even when everything else seems to be changing.
For Lettie Starcross, Driftwood House is the right place to escape to and perhaps she can get some answers to not just her late great aunts previous life in Heaven’s Cove but also some answers for herself. Portrayed as the Starcross Family’s resident drudge – she is there for the convenience of them all and none of it is helping her. I was immediately struck at how callous and ignorant her family were in treating Lettie, it made me want to spit! When Lettie up sticks to Heaven’s Cove it was clearly going to do more than just Lettie some good.
Great Aunt Iris leaves clues to her previous life in Heaven’s Cove but never spoke of why she left and what she left behind. Lettie, grieving for this lost stability in her life she seeks to find out about Iris past. Driftwood House it turns out was Iris previous home and her name still makes some of the older residents blanch when it is heard. Some memories run deep and history has a way of still affecting the present.
As Lettie learns more about her aunt and what happened, she also learns about the village and it’s villagers and finds herself drawn into someone else’s past which somehow makes her connect to Heaven’s Cove stronger and the pull seems greater than her previous life in London, with her family close by.
Events unfold and secrets are shared and the truth is finally known about a previous Starcross at the Last House by the Sea but will the past make the newer one finally find a place in the world.
A book whose backdrop of the rugged landscape and the weather is as prominent feature in these stories about Heaven’s Cove as much as the character’s. It gives it a sense of importance and reflects on how its powerful and beauty can be seen in the actions of those who live close by.
I really hope to go back to Heaven’s Cove…..if only I could stay in Driftwood House…..do find the time for a break away there.
Thank you to the publisher via netgalley for the opportunity to read this book.
A Letter to the Last House Before the Sea is out now.
The Book Jotter 