secrets and seashells at rainbow bay ♥ a book review

 

Amelia is a single mother, doing her very best to look after her young son, Charlie - but money is tight and times are tough. When she first hears that she is the last descendent of the Chesterford family and that she has inherited a Real-Life Castle by the sea, Amelia can't quite believe her ears. But it's true!

She soon finds that owning a castle isn't quite the ticket to sorting out her money problems that she'd first hoped: she can't sell, because the terms of the ancient bequest state that any Chesterford who inherits the castle, must live there and work towards the upkeep and maintenance of the family home. So ever-practical Amelia decides to uproot her little family and move to this magnificent castle by the sea.

Living in a castle on the beautiful Northumberland coast is fun at first, but organising the day-to-day running is a lot more complicated than Amelia first imagined. Luckily she has help from the small band of eccentric and unconventional staff that are already employed there - and a mysterious unseen hand that often gives her a push in the right direction just when she needs it most.

It's only when she meets Tom, a furniture restorer who comes to the castle to help repair some antique furniture, that Amelia realises she might get the fairy-tale ending that she and Charlie truly deserve...

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My thoughts on this book need to be divided into two parts.

Firstly, let me begin by saying that this story was so good. I was drawn into the story immediately; it didn't take more than just a few pages for me to be "in" the story of Amelia. This was my first novel by Ali McNamara and I was incredibly impressed with her writing style. She wrote in a way that made you feel as though you were right there with the characters. At times, it felt as though you were reading a true memoir about a woman who inherited a castle. It was so fun! And a huge plus for me was that there wasn't a single character that you didn't love. 

This book was filled with magic, mystery, ghosts, secrets, love and romance, family ties, and it took place at a gorgeous castle on the coast. In many ways this story had Downton Abbey vibes and the castle's overall manager reminded me so much of Mr. Carson. It was such a fun read! And on top of that, there was no explicit or suggestive content.

But, the second part of my review is, unfortunately, not as positive. Throughout the book, there were several homosexual side characters. That I did not have a problem with. It wasn't until I got well into the book, towards the end, that it became an issue. Instead of including a gay character or two and just having them be a part of the cast of characters like all the rest, it was very clear that the author had an agenda with the message she wanted to get across. There were nasty remarks made towards and about those who do not believe in homosexuality and same-sex relationships. It was quite uncalled for, and it happened so suddenly, it was like being ambushed by a social justice activist. It did absolutely nothing to add to the story, and in my opinion, it greatly took away from just how good the story was. 

I do not have a problem with a gay side character being in a book. One of my most favorite books has an older gay man as one of the side characters. He is hilarious, caring, protective of his friends, and a true asset to the story. The characters in this story who were gay were much the same...funny, incredibly caring and protective of their friends. They genuinely added something great to the story. The difference is that in Ali McNamara's book, she had a clear agenda in her writing. In the other book that I dearly love, the author was just writing a story and one of the characters happened to be gay. She was not obviously trying to get a message across. Major difference.

I do not believe in homosexuality or in same-sex relationships. I believe in one-man, one-woman relationships and marriages. But that doesn't mean that I won't read a book where a side character is gay. The problem I have is when a book is obviously trying to get an agenda across about something that I firmly believe to be wrong. Today we are constantly fed messages full of propaganda and hidden agendas regarding sexuality and gender and I just won't stand for it. I am reading a book for enjoyment, not for some agenda to be shoved down my throat.

With all that said, I loved the story. I did not appreciate the message that was sometimes subtly, and other times not so subtly sent through the book. As this was my first novel by Ali McNamara, I am willing to give her another chance. But she has one strike against her in my book...I will try one more of her books and she how it goes. If it wasn't for all that propaganda and such, this would have been a 5-star read. However, I am giving it 3.5 stars. Unfortunate, but I stand by my morals and convictions. 

This is my honest review of Secrets and Seashells at Rainbow Bay. I want to be honest and crystal clear in my reviews of books and share thoughts about the things that don't sit well with me, as well as the things I absolutely love about a story. I appreciate when other readers are that way with books I may be interested in reading.

Until next week, dear reader friends,

may your week be a delightful beauty!