Secrets of the Lighthouse

by Santa Montefiore

Ellen Trawton is running away from it all - quite literally. She is due to get married to a man she doesn't love, her job is dragging her down and her interfering mother is getting on her nerves. So she escapes to the one place she know her mother won't follow her - to her aunt's house in rural Ireland. Once there, she uncovers a dark family secret - and a future she never knew she might have.
Meanwhile, Caitlin Macausland is mourning the future she can never have. She died tragically in what the village thinks is suspicious circumstances, and now she is stuck in a limbo, unable to move on.
And between the two of them is an old lighthouse - the scene of so much tragedy. Can each woman find the peace she so desperately longs for? And can they find the way to live again?

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Ireland, Contemporary, Mystery, Audiobook

464 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Santa Montefiore is the number one bestselling author of over thirty novels and has sold over eight million copies worldwide. Her books have been translated into twenty-five languages and she won an RNA Award for The Temptation of Gracie in 2019, which is currently in development for film. Born in England in 1970, she grew up in Hampshire and now lives in London with her husband, writer Simon Sebag-Montefiore, their daughter, son, and dog Simba.

Shadows in the Moonlight is the first novel of a trilogy following the character Pixie Tate, with Secrets of the Starlit Sea following in summer 2025. Santa loves to hear from readers and you can find her at www.santamontefiore.co.uk.

Reviews

[Holly in Bookland · Rating 4 out of 5]

*4.5

I have to be honest, I didn't love this story because of the romance. That isn't what kept me up late reading. What I loved was the romance of Ireland. I thought Santa Montefiore did an excellent job creating the scenes taking place on the Connemara coast, I felt like I was there. I loved all the aspects of that little place; the ruins, the castle, the coast, the waves crashing against the lighthouse. I was there having a Guinness at the Pot of Gold and having conversations with my large Irish family. Very atmospheric! I also enjoyed the supernatural element to the story as well. But, once again, the romance didn't do it for me. I guess I have a problem with people having that instantaneous love. I like more to my romances than that. Plus, I didn't really feel anything for the main protagonist, Ellen. What I felt was all for the love of Ireland.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love. Mystery. Family Secrets. A beautiful setting.

We find Ellen escaping to her aunt's in Ireland in order to transform herself into a writer.

But, she isn't finding the time to do so, because...she meets Conor.

Still as a reader, I was wondering if I was truly invested in their romance.

There was also the backstory of Conor and his dead wife, Caitlyn. (She is more present than past.)

The beauty of the landscape of Ireland plays an important role in the story - and I enjoyed whenever the pets entered the pages.

But, I still felt something was still missing to make me fully engaged in their love story.

[Lori · Rating 1 out of 5]

I realize I'm very much in a minority regarding this book, but that's okay. While I also realize many will, and do, find this utterly romantic, I just couldn't. I found little to nothing to like. While the Irish setting is well done (an area I yearn to see again)and the cover is lovely--the rest left me wincing.

Initially, the "ghost" narration every few chapters is effective and spooky yet like most everything else, it falters as the novel progresses. What starts off as a very Gothic, spooky, obsessively jealous presence that keeps us wondering how it will manipulate the action--eventually crashes into the cliche-ridden cheesiness the rest of the story falls into. Big disappointment in that.

Secondly, the heroine, Ellen, strikes me as dumb as a box of hammers. With the emotional level of a 16 year old, (despite emphasizing being an adult of 33), she swings wildly (and I mean at the speed of sound)from "I'm running away to rebel" to "OMG he's so gorgeous; I can't think, eat, or sleep; I wonder if he likes me?!" to "I've been in Ireland a week and know I'm home forever, and besides, I wonder if he likes me?" to "He likes me! So I won't bother letting my family or fiance know I'm okay--and my fiance will figure out I don't want to marry him, so I won't bother to tell him" to "Wah, he's mad at me so I have to leave Ireland forever," to "Hmm wonder if he's still mad at me..." During this whining, she declares she's going to write a novel yet has no plot or idea of how to start one. Then she's going to write music, then she will work in a shop.... The supposed mystery of her family is grossly obvious from the first few chapters yet she cannot figure it out when it's literally staring her in the face. A subplot involving Edith Wharton's wonderful "Age of Innocence" seems especially contrived. Countess Olenska is intelligent, charming, complex,and tragic. This Ellen strikes me as tragically simple.

Finally, the Hot Guy love interest is a Byronic/Heathcliff wannabe who utters some cringe-worthy (I know many find this sexy, but I just thought 'eww') dialogue while seducing Ellen because, of course, she is the only one who can draw him out of his "my wife destroyed me; I'm a martyr" funk. This funk is demonstrated with continued references to his dark, brooding, quick to anger, nature along with hair like Daniel Day Lewis in 'Last of the Mohicans.' There is also a bit of 'Sense and Sensibility' allusion in the way they meet; all it did is make me yearn for Austen. And, while I may be overly sensitive, or maybe it's a result of my disliking the book, too many (not all but enough) of the female characters come across as weak, manipulative, dishonest--while noble and misunderstood men suffer in their wake. That depiction bothers me.

I always know I'm in a bad read when I hope the romance goes South. However, if you're interested in Ireland or, like me, hope to return, the scenery is appealing.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ellen Trawton desperately needed peace and solitude away from her pushy mother and a fiancée she didn't love, so she arranged to go and stay with her, Aunt Peg in rugged countryside of Connemara. Ellen's mother had not spoken to her sister for thirty years and if, Ellen hadn't been rummaging through some old letters of her mother's she still would not have known her aunt existed. Ellen left a note, but she never said where she was going as she knew her mother would only try and bring her back, but Ellen just needed time to herself and she also hoped this would be the place she would make a start on her novel.

Shortly after arriving at Aunt Peg's home it's easy for, Ellen to see that her mother and her aunt are like chalk and cheese not only in looks, but personalities as well. Peg's house is over run with a variety animals. Any stray, lost or injured animals all seem to find a home with, Peg as she can't say no to anyone. Ellen soon gets to know a few of the animals who all have all been named such as, Bertie the pig, Harry the IIama, Waffle the dog and Charlie the donkey just to name a few.

Within the next few days, Ellen is introduced to the rest of Peg's family whom have also been hidden away from her. Ellen also finds out about the murder mystery of, Caitlin Macausland which took place at the Lighthouse in the area many years ago. Caitlin's husband still lives in the area with his two children, but he tries to keep to himself that is until he meets, Ellen.

This is the first book I've read by this author and I really enjoyed it. An easy and enjoyable read with strong characters that I found very entertaining. Well worth reading and I have no hesitation in recommending it to anyone who enjoys a good story.

[Elaine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this is the third book I have read by this author and I have enjoyed all of them, although this one not quite so much as others. At just under 450 pages, that is a lot of reading for what turned out to be not as much as I would have liked in the way of a story. It didn’t seem to sweep from continent to continent and era to era in the same way.

At the start of the story Ellen Trawton has run away to Ireland to escape from her mother and fiancé, taking refuge at the home of her Aunt Peg, a relative that Ellen only knows about by accident, as her mother has kept any Irish roots well and truly secret. To her surprise, Ellen finds she has not only an aunt in Ireland, but numerous uncles and cousins, which begs the question – just why has her mother kept her family a secret all these years and why did she leave Ireland in the first place? There certainly seems to be some mystery about her mother’s past and unfortunately this was not as well hidden from the reader as I would have liked. I guessed the secret fairly early on in the book, and could only wonder why it took so long for Ellen to suss it out.

When Ellen meets Conor MacAusland there is mutual attraction between them but should she heed the warnings of her new found family and stay away from him? Five years ago Conor’s wife Caitlin, was killed in a mysterious fire, and local gossip says that he was responsible. What I did really enjoy about this read were the segments narrated by Caitlin as a ghost trying to haunt her widowed husband. I loved the way her take on events changed as the story moved on – hell hath no fury as a woman or ghost scorned it would seem. I would have liked the author to make more of this though – but she did leave it fairly understated. In addition, I really liked the way the author brought the Connemara area and countryside to life with her descriptions.

[Marguerite Kaye]

Oh dear, once again I seem to be at odds with all the other reviewers. This simply didn't work for me, and I finished it by skim reading at least a third of it. Once again, maybe it was me, because once again it was the main, female protagonist who really put me off.

Ellen is 33. She's beautiful, she's rich, she has loving parents, she's been brought up in a gilded cage. She's engaged to be married, she has a job, she has money, she has friends. Yet poor Ellen is miserable and feels trapped and squashed into playing a role - debutant, wife - that she doesn't want. Poor Ellen is 33!!!! Yet she feels obliged to run away leaving just a note for her mum, a text for her fiancé, and then cuts herself off entirely by throwing away her phone.

Cut to lovely Coonemara (that bit I agree with having been there, it's gorgeous) and Ellen discovering new family and lots of secrets and falling in love and...

I'm afraid I wanted to give her a good shake, and I pretty much guessed all the secrets early on. I bought this book in the supermarket, and forgot until I got it home that I'd read another of Santa Monefiore's books (The French Gardener) that hadn't worked for me either. So it's my own fault, and I really must find a book with a heroine who has a bit of gumption next.

[Bethany Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would like to thank Net Galley and Simon & Schuster for an Advanced Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What an amazing book! I don't know where to begin.

Ellen Trawton knows that she needs to get away, she doesn't know why and she doesn't know what she wants but she just knows she needs to be anywhere but London. It doesn't feel right to her. It doesn't feel like she belongs.
So she quits her job and leaves for Ireland because she knows that her family will not follow her there.
She stays with family and day by day learns more about her past that she never knew - things that her mother tried to bury in Ireland.
She reconnects with her family, meets new members of her extended family and falls in love with a man who has a past that was difficult as well.
The lighthouse is the piece that brings them all together, just as it is a beacon in the store for sailors at sea. It was also a beacon of hope for these family's of Connemara.

I can't wait to read more by this author and I recommend this book to everyone!

[Denisse · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Tú vida no es algo que puedas dejar atrás o de lo que puedas huir, porque tú vida eres tú.”

Ellen una inglesa sofisticada huye hacia Irlanda para escapar de su madre y de un compromiso matrimonial que no desea. En estas nuevas tierras, conoce a tíos que no imaginó tener y conoce el amor verdadero.

Conor es un hombre solitario y amargado desde la muerte de su esposa Caitlin. Muchos lo catalogan del asesinato de su esposa, por lo que huye hacia Dublín y solo visita Irlanda por las vacaciones de sus hijos.

Me gustó mucho la historia de la ciudad de Connemara y sus habitantes. Lo simple que son y cómo disfrutan con lo que tienen. A pesar de ser una historia romántica, se entrelazan los secretos de los familiares de Ellen y se descubre lo que verdaderamente pasó hace 5 años con la muerte de Caitlin.


“Por eso tengo que vivir la vida que quiero vivir, porque un día yo también desapareceré.”

[Amina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Knjiga je odlična, radnja mi se baš dopala ali je izadnje baš u skladu s cijenom. Ne znam da li vas to pomete dok čitate, ali mene greške toliko zbune dok čitam, pa onda i izgubim želju. Bezveze mi je što mi je trebalo 10 dana da pročitam knjigu koja stvarno ima dobru radnju, odlične opise i čak i ljubavnu priču ukomponovanu u sve to.
Irska mi je oduvijek bila primamljiva zemlja a ova knjiga je još više produbila moju želju da nekad ako budem u mogućnosti ju i posjetim.

Odlična za čitati u ove tmurne proljetne dane :)
ocjena je 4/5 samo zbog izadnja, inače suha petica :D

[Lydia Bailey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I finished this a couple of nights ago but struggled to decide how to rate it.....I’ve plumped for 3* though ideally I’d be giving it a 3.5.

I do enjoy Santa’s writing & she definitely weaves a good yarn. Lovely atmospheric descriptions of Ireland & an interesting tale of love, life and loss through the generations. Despite the good premise & interesting characters I don’t think It lives up to the others of hers I’ve read. This is partly because it was so long & parts of the story became repetitive - Ellen has moved to Ireland to find her long lost family & to write a novel. Simple enough to follow but a fact which is repeated time and time again. Also, so much happens in two weeks it pushes credibility a tad too far for me. The other slight irritation was that at times the dialogue & way Ellen & Conor’s relationship played out hit me as being a direct imitation of another famous novel. I’d happened to have read it recently and checked the dates of publication (this was 3 years later) Its really noticeable if you’ve read both but could just be a coincidence.

However it’s definitely a good read & I am nit-picking.
I miss it now I’ve finished it, always a good sign, and the inclusion of the deceased character, Caitlin, really raises the game & adds an interesting perspective.

[Emmy]

My dnf's are piling up this year so far, but I've pretty much completely checked out of this book.

I didn't really like Ellen and I was growing to actively dislike Caitlin. In the 100+ pages I read every conversation was either Ellen telling people about why she came to Ireland (I heard the same spiel at least 5 different times - when she meets Peg, her uncles, Dylan, Elana, and Connor - and she seemed pretentious every time) or about Caitlin's death - speculating if it was an accident or if Connor killed her. Why is everyone so obsessed with something that happened over 5 years ago? We get it, you're going to use it as "inspiration for your novel." Ugh.

[Kathy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very light story with stereotypical characterizations of "The Irish" - romance, I guess. Young woman from upper class runs away from her life in London to unknown relatives in Ireland in a town so small everyone knows everything about everyone. And then there are the ghosts.
Oh well, I gave it a try because of favorable reviews. It was ok to read on the train.

[Analia · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5 ⭐

"Llora un río y deja que éste se lleve tu tristeza (...) era mejor sacar el dolor que dejarlo adentro"

AMÉ ésta novela Y ME ENAMORÉ DE Connor. ¡Qué irlandés hermoso! Pero no sólo él sino toda la historia. Romántica, la viví a flor de piel, suspirando de amor y con una poesía que Santa cada vez más leo sus obras, más se convierte en mi autora favorita.
Es la historia de Ellen y Connor. Ella, inglesa "fina" en cuya familia materna hay demasiados secretos y cuya madre le pide que "se convierta" en un tipo de mujer en el que no encaja. Incluso obligada a casarse con un hombre que no ama. Entonces huye a Irlanda y allí conoce a su familia, ésa que su madre le negaba. Y él, un hombre oscuro, solitario y triste desde la muerte de su esposa. Incluso lo señalan como el causante del asesinato de su esposa pero son solo rumores. Su lucha consiste en centrase en vivir por y para sus hijos.
Es un libro maravilloso bajo el hermoso paisaje de Connemara, en Irlanda con un faro y un castillo que guardan secretos. La trama de la novela está rodeada por un misterio que solo hizo que me atrapara como lectora porque tiene mucho romanticismo. La narrativa de Santa es magia pura porque te transporta al lugar.
RECOMENDADISIMO.

[Aoife · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book though I do really enjoy Santa's novels. I have only read two other books of hers but I will be aiming to read them all eventually.

For someone who didn't grow up or as far as I know, spend a lot of time in Ireland, Santa really nailed the atmosphere that can be seen and felt in any small Irish town. The friendliness of locals, the big families, people who know everyone, the judgement, the curiosity, the gossip but all in all, a place full of big hearts and loud laughter.

Ellen comes to Connemara running away from situations at home in London she no longer wants to deal with. She begins to connect with a family she never knew she had in Ireland and finds an even spicer connection with mysterious widower Connor whose wife Caitlin died in a tragic and suspicious lighthouse accident. As Ellen and Connor fall in love, they are unaware that Caitlin's spirit is beginning to grow darker with envy and she will stop at nothing to tear them apart.

This is a good tale, full of love, laughter, irish spirit and even a little bit of fae magic. I would recommend it!!

[Eve · Rating 3 out of 5]

33-year-old Ellen Trawton has always felt like she doesn’t fit in with her posh mother and sisters. She is also unhappy about her upcoming wedding. So she decide to take time off and visit her mother's sister, Aunt Peg. When she arrive to beatiful Connemara, beautiful Irish town, she discover that her mother hasn't told her many things about her family nor her past. We also meet ghost [or spirit] of Caitlin, the wife of Conor Macausland, who tragically died 5 years ago and still keep an eye on her husband and children.

I really enjoyed listening to The Temptation of Gracie, both story and narrator were good. Sadly this book has different narrators. I disliked narrator who read Ellen's POV. She gave Ellen's aunt Peg annoyingly high pitched voice and the male characters weird gruffy voices. Ellen had odd breathy, little girl voice. Perhaps that is why I didn't much care for Ellen's character. She sounded immature and I didn't like that she started relationship with another man while still engaged to William. Listening to this audiobook was quite a chore, so perhaps that is part why I didn't enjoy this story as much as my first book by this author. Better avoid audiobook and read this story in print.

If you enjoyed this story, then you may also like The Great Escape (sorry, no ghost in this story but its really enjoyable book).

[ꕥ Ange_Lives_To_Read ꕥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shortly before her wedding to a man she is not sure she really loves, Ellen Trawton flees her pampered life in London to stay with the Aunt she's never met. Set in a charming Irish seaside village, this book has all the ingredients of a fun summer read: a mysterious death, a husband under suspicion, an old castle, romance, ghosts, and buried family secrets. A quick and lively read.

[Liriom_Land · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25/5 💖

No había leído nada de la autora y la verdad no será la última. Me ha gustado mucho su prosa.
Un libro de costumbres, de seguir tus sueños, segundas oportunidades y como el amor (con grandes letras) puede abarcar tanto. Las descripciones del paisaje costero irlandés te lleva directamente alli 😍.

[Oana Crâmpeie de suflet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Farul cu secrete este un roman numai bun de citit în perioada toamnei și, mai cu seamă, de Halloween, dacă nu te temi de poveștile cu fantome. Iar aici, recunosc, sunt extrem de multe spirite, unele pline de lumină, dar altele încă atașate de lumea pământească și destul de pline de mânie, fapt care le face să își continue nesăbuința din timpul vieții și dincolo de moarte. Și îți fac inima să bată puțin mai tare. Măcar pentru câteva secunde. Iar autorul reușete să te prindă în mrejele poveștii sale încă de la primele pagini:
„Mă îndrept spre locul în care se află moartea mea. Moartea mea, mă înțelegeți? Nu viața mea, pentru că eu sunt moartea mea și sunt eternă.”
Facem astfel cunoștință cu Caitlin, cea care a murit prematur, în circumstanțe care ni se relevă abia spre final, și care a pierdut totul: soț, copii, viața. Și încă nu se poate desprinde de el, așa că sălășluiește încă la castelul ce i-a fost casă. Are și locul special de a prinde viață: Irlanda, cu toate poveștile ei despre fantome, spiriduși și zâne. Și nu, nu este singurul spirit din zonă, doar motivația din spatele rămânerii atașate de această lume sunt diferite.
Iar dincolo de acest personaj, mai adăugăm unul, de care m-am atașat eu foarte tare, pentru că are exact vârsta la care și eu mi-am început căutările de sine: 33 de ani. Ellen Trawton e un fel de alter ego al meu și m-am bucurat să îl descopăr în cartea asta. Tare apropiată mi-a devenit, mi s-a cuibărit acolo în suflet, mai ales că fuge de lumea în care nu se mai regăsește, cochetează cu scrisul și își caută menirea în lume. Exact eu la 33 de ani!
Două povești împletite maiestuos printr-un singur bărbat: Conor. Un far de la marginea lumii. Irlanda cea dătătoare de putere. Legende, mituri, spirite. Și iubirea aceea ce rezistă în timp. Femei puternice, care încearcă să își croiască un drum în lume. Fiecare în felul ei. Toate acestea sunt ingredientele care transformă romanul lui Santa Montefiore într-unul extrem de cald și de adictiv. Căci, odată ce îl începi, vrei să afli mai multe, să vezi unde vor ajunge personajele. Și la un moment dat îți strângi tare pumnii și picioarele la piept, pentru că ai impresia că lucrurile nu se vor termina deloc pozitiv pentru personajele ce ți-au devenit deja dragi.

[Irene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Iba a ciegas con la autora y con el libro, la portada no me llamaba mucho, pero debo reconocer que me ha encantado, es un libro con mucho misterio, romance y que te engancha desde las primeras páginas.

[The Lit Bitch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Santa Montefiore is an author that has popped up on my radar on and off again over the last few years. I have seen her books popping up on my Goodreads recommendations and social media over the years and always plan on reading one of her books but she is a prolific writer and just wasn’t sure where to start.

I wanted something good that would captivate me right away but I just wasn’t sure where to begin. A few months ago, I nabbed this book from my local used book store—mostly for the cover. The cover is divine lets just all agree on that please!

But I shelved it and moved on to other books rather than cracking it open. So here I was six months later searching for a new audiobook to listen to while running errands. I belong to the Audible romance package where I can listen to select titles for free, so I started searching for books in their catalogue and what should pop up but this book! I immediately downloaded it and started listening.

I feel like this book was written for me. What a lovely and captivating book. I know a lot of Montefiore fans will argue that this is far from her best novel, but I absolutely adored it and couldn’t put it down! When I wasn’t in my car or doing house work, I would pull my printed copy down from the shelf and pick up where my audiobook left off.

This book had a paranormal element and while I wasn’t sure that it always worked, I didn’t hate it and found Caitlin’s perspective interesting. What hooked me in this book was the characters. Ellen, though a little silly at times, was heartwarming and open and I loved discovering her family history with her. Her family was absolutely nuts but exactly what I think of when I think of a traditional Irish Catholic family—big, nosey, and welcoming. I want to live in this family—it sounds like such a fun group and I wish I had a family like that.

I also loved the nostalgia and reflection in this book so much. One of the major themes is the long term ramifications of youthful choices, missed opportunities, and the power of love. It’s all the things that I love in a story. If felt sweeping, romantic, sad, and yet satisfying all together. I can’t say enough good things about the mood and atmosphere of this book.

The descriptions of Ireland were breathtaking. Normally I don’t care too much about things set in Ireland (I know I know….my mom crammed Ireland down my throat as a kid and I never recovered) but this book made me adore Ireland and want to visit in the worst way! Montefiore does an outstanding job incorporating the scenery into her story letting it take on a life of its own.

The romance between Connor and Ellen takes a back seat in my opinion to the other narratives and plot lines happening, but that doesn’t mean that it’s disappointing all. I loved the tension and chemistry between Ellen and Connor and enjoyed their moments together, but the romantic storyline that really intrigued me was that of Dylan and Maddie. I am a sucker for missed opportunity romances.

This book wrapped up so nicely and perfectly that while I was sad it was coming to an end, I was incredibly satisfied with how every one ended up. So where does that leave me now? Well now I am desperate for more Santa Montefiore books! I need to read everything she’s written but I just don’t know where to start now so if you have read her books please point me in the direction of another one of her outstanding novels!

See my full review here

[C. (Comment, never msg). · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoy uncanny authors like Santa Montefiore because a story brimmed outside her milieu. Romance incorporating a ghost is no longer plain. An interesting about-face is that the spirit in "Secrets Of The Lighthouse" is a secondary protagonist, using Ellen Trawton to apologize to her husband for unstable behaviour that precipitated her death. We notice Caitlin Macausland's demeanour grows lighter or darker, dependent on whether she urges Connor towards a fresh life, or provokes hurdles out of spite. She becomes able to perceive and communicate with light entities when she is lighter too. That stirs-up a major message for us to take under advisement.

Mystery is another axis that sparks keen interest for me and this novel infuses the best kind: non-crime! Nothing is more emotionally-charging than answering a riddle of one's own relatives! My time with Santa's novel was a complete pleasure, unhampered by a few details I might critique. Ellen fleeing instead of speaking her piece seems odd but I considered that anyone raised with preferences stifled might find it hard to burst out of that cycle, unless she gave her Mother no way to block her choices any longer. She was instantly glad to know her people, a fortuitous decision for every character. Dual-narration can break a groove. It needs to be meted out so you aren't slogging through a change of scene, when you had been glued to a heightened revelation or event.

Music, discovering our talents, choosing how to live are warm themes beautifying this book. This was no dry mystery. Having an Aunt (although oddly not vegetarian) who weeps over a missing wild bird as much as I would, was the trait I cherished most! I was glad to visualize the Connemara Coast at last, the title of a 1992 song by Chris DeBurgh.

[Bonnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Santa Montefiore has written a beguiling novel set in Connemara, Ireland where Ellen Trawton has fled from her home in London at the age of thirty-three to escape her job, the aristocratic man she is engaged to but doesn't love, and her controlling mother. Ellen flees to the one place her mother would never think to look for her, her aunt Peg's home in Ireland. The sisters have been estranged for thirty years following a family drama and Ellen knows she will be safe there while she sorts out her life.

The Prologue foreshadows the plot with the observations of the ghost of Conor's dead wife who has willingly foregone heaven to stay close and watch over her children. Peg has four sons and Ellen is welcomed into the large family. She tells everyone she is there to write a novel and garner inspiration from the wild Connemara coast. Much description is given of the wildness and beauty of the area and the acceptance into a family of cousins and aunt Ellen has never met.

Conor Macausland evokes a dark and lonely image after his young wife Caitlin, died tragically at the old lighthouse. He had lived in a castle, but moved to a smaller house after her death. While wandering near the castle, Ellen loses her way and is rescued by Conor who invites her for tea. She meets his children and a spark ignites between the two characters. Yet, Caitlin's restless spirit is determined that he should never love another. Ellen soon realizes Conor's past is not all the it seems, and there is also more to her family history than she knew. The key to happiness and love will be found in the secrets of the past, illuminated by the ruins of the lighthouse.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

SECRETS OF THE LIGHTHOUSE transported me to the magical coast of western Ireland, and I savored the journey. I also enjoyed the story, even though I wanted to throttle the heroine several times. Ellen is a 33-year old modern woman, so I had no idea why she felt she had to live with her parents and do as she's told. *scratches head* Thank goodness she ran away to Ireland to track down her mother's estranged family!

Ellen's time in Connemara with her Aunt Peg turned her world on end as secrets from her mother's past were discovered. I enjoyed seeing Ellen's character grow and mature throughout the book, though sometimes she was oblivious to the truth staring her in the face. I can't forget to mention Connor, the brooding widower that Ellen falls for. He has some heavy emotional baggage, including the ghost of his wife who died five years earlier. Caitlin is still obsessed with her husband, and she's none too pleased about him loving another woman. Other than Aunt Peg, Caitlin was probably my favorite character, and I loved seeing her transformation as well.

The audiobook was narrated by Susan Riddell, and she did well with the Irish and English accents, and the wide range of emotions the characters experienced. Anyone who loves Gothic romances, ghost stories, and Irish settings should give this book a read or listen.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Julie · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5*
This, for me, started off well but it just dragged out for far too long. Predictable ending. Loved the Irish setting and would like to have heard more about this. Would have liked a little more mystery. More romance than anything else.

[Maartje J. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ik had zin om als afwisseling een makkelijk leesbaar boek te pakken. Een boek waarin je je onderdompelt in het verhaal en dat vlot leest. Nou dat is dit boek, niet meer en niet minder.

Er zitten wel wat slordigheden in en helemaal geloofwaardig zijn de karakters niet. De sfeer spreekt wel aan en het verhaal kabbelt aangenaam voorbij.

[Dorine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rated 3.5 out of 5. Will also be posted at TBRMountainRange.com with other Gothic reviews and pictures from Ireland.

A fashionable Londoner casts aside her high society life to run off to the Connemara coast in search of the quiet to write her novel and get to know the family she never knew. Will the ghost that haunts the coast feel threatened when someone new draws the attention of her mourning family?

Caitlin Macausland dies, tragically, and remains earthbound as a ghost where she can watch over her family. Her love for them won't let her move onward to heaven, nor will the darkness that consumes her, either. Will she ever find the love and peace she craves?

Ellen Trawton needs to escape the pressures of her London life. Engaged to be married to the "right man," per her mother's tastes, Ellen can't continue living a life she isn't suited for. She has always felt different from her high society family, rebellious and out of place. Determined to run away where her family and friends won't think to look for her, Ellen quits her job and travels to her Aunt Peg's cottage along the Connemara coast near the village of Ballymaldoon, intent on writing a novel. Her mother has never spoken of her sister in Ireland, but the letters she kept buried in a drawer give Ellen what she requires to track them down.

Ellen's Aunt Peg is more than happy to welcome her niece for a visit. Her sister Madeline left Connemara when she ran off to marry an Englishman and never returned or stayed in contact. But will Ellen survive meeting, not just her mother's sister, but four uncles, a menagerie of pets and a slew of cousins in a working class family she never knew she had? Why has her mother kept them all a secret?

Conor Macausland and his two children are still grieving the loss of his wife and their mother. When Conor finds Ellen lost on his estate, wandering the hills near his home, he can't leave her to fend for herself when he knows she'll never make it back to her car unassisted. But it's Ellen's attention, given to Conor's children, that sparks his interest in more than a casual friendship and he can't seem to think of anyone else. Will Ellen's ray of light be exactly what Conor's darkness needs, or will it make the consequences of rumor even more apparent?

The ghost isn't the only one with secrets and when she meddles to get what she wants, a whole lot more than anyone expects is revealed. Will anyone in this small village escape the years of rumor and gossip when they finally fall onto the truth?

I'm not especially fond of heroines who run off and don't end things with their fiancé before they start up with someone else. Even if they think in their mind it's ended. It's not, until it's entirely clear to all parties involved. This kept me from connecting with Ellen and I became annoyed with her excuses. It all worked out in the end but she lost points for being selfish in the beginning and I just couldn't get past her deceptive behavior.

The beautiful Irish coastline is well-represented in this novel. I can't imagine anywhere more inspirational than Ireland and this book brought back cherished memories. The light-hearted, kind-loving, faithful, God-fearing and sometimes eccentric characters in this small village are what make this novel enjoyable. I loved the camaraderie of the pub scenes. The ghost is a petulant child at times, so I grew tired of her antics about halfway through the novel and hoped she would find her way to heaven before she caused any more trouble. Ellen's Aunt Peg is my favorite character in this novel. For all her loss, her faith in others allows her to shine, even on her darkest days. There's a happy-ever-after for Peg that's especially endearing and her eccentricities are quite charming.

SECRETS OF THE LIGHTHOUSE reminds me of the gothic romances of my teen years, full of mystery, rumor and betrayal, where eventually, true love endures. The descriptive style of author Santa Montefiore's storytelling creates an ethereal atmosphere that complements a good haunting. For those who adore Irish stories, you'll find plenty to love about this very large, engaging Irish family who not only regrets with deep fervor but loves with compassion and forgiveness.

Reviewed by Dorine, courtesy of Romance Junkies.

[Colleen Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I reviewed this book for www.luxuryreading.com.

When the demands of Ellen Trawton’s life in posh London become too much for her to handle she runs away from her overbearing mother and the fiancée she doesn’t love to the one place she knows no one will look for her: the Irish coastal village her mother grew up in and refused to ever discuss. Staying with her Aunt Peg under the guise of writing a book Ellen soon discovers a large and loving family she never knew she had. As she digs deeper into why her mother ran away from Ireland and kept her family a secret she begins to uncover old family wounds and hidden compartments within herself she never knew were missing. She also finds herself drawn to Conor Macausland, the withdrawn and secretive owner of the village’s castle who is still mourning the mysterious death of his wife five years prior, a death that some in the village blame him for. As Ellen struggles to discover what she really wants out of life and how to get it she also learns that it isn’t until everyone involved can be honest with themselves and those around them that any of them will be able to be truly happy and move on from the ghosts that haunt them.

Interspersed with Ellen’s story is that of Caitlin Macausland, Conor’s dead wife, who is trapped in a limbo of sorts watching her loved ones move on without her. I absolutely loved getting to see the world through Caitlin’s eyes as her pain, frustration and jealousy begins to bog her down into an unhappy, bitter place that is far from the light and love she would feel if she let go of her past and moved on. While it was hard to really feel much compassion for Caitlin given the selfish way we learn she lived her life and the cruel meddling she does to try and keep Connor and Ellen apart, it was fascinating getting to see everything that was occurring through her eyes as she views it from such a unique and interesting place. She also helps exemplify the idea that jealousy, resentment, fear and uncertainty can taint a life – and a death – something that hangs over the whole story and many of the secondary characters, as well as the concept that only love, compassion and forgiveness can heal their damaged souls and bring them back to the light of a happy life (or death in Caitlin’s situation).

The descriptions of the rural coast of Ireland are so vivid and awe inspiring that I had to look up actual pictures to see how they compared and Ms. Montefiore perfectly captured the real and raw beauty of this rugged yet breathtaking landscape. I’m not really sure how she does it but she truly does transport (figuratively) her readers to these distinct and unforgettable locations!

Secrets of the Lighthouse is the second book by Santa Montefiore I have read and both of these stories have been pure and delightful escapist reading. The reader is whisked to places both luxurious and commonplace and thrust into the lives of these characters that are going through many emotions – loss, love, anger, desperation – that anyone can relate to. It is the ending of Secrets of the Lighthouse that sets this book above the other for me and, without giving too much away, it was like a balm to my heart and left me with happy tears and a wonderful sense of being closer for the characters I so enjoyed spending time with. This will definitely not be the last book I read from this wonderfully entertaining writer.

[Carrie · Rating 2 out of 5]

The representations of Ireland, and finding a large loving family, and being a regular in the local pub and becoming part of the fabric of a community -- belonging -- really spoke to me. And the main character's dawning conviction that life is short, and we have to take a risk to follow our own hearts instead of just toiling away at a miserable job in a place we feel unconnected from...that really spoke to me in my current life situation.
But the negatives outweighed the positives with this book:
-The author did that thing I hate: there is a plot point that is SO OBVIOUS I won't even give credit for it being a "plot twist" after how long the author dragged it on and on, and the main character had people constantly laying all the facts out and practically saying "hint, hint" and she didn't even blink. Dumb as rocks.
-I lost all sympathy for, and interest in, the main character about halfway through. The author didn't successfully sell (to me, at least) Ellen's logic for making a stupid mistake, and therefore I had no tolerance for her whining and selfishness once she had to pay for her mistake.
-Every time a character needed to re-explain something to another character that happened/was discovered/the reader already knew, she literally would write it all out again. As though the reader were in the room having to listen to the story all over again. Which I was because I was listening to the audiobook and so couldn't skim past. Please, it's not a court transcript; find a way to cleverly write past one character recounting to another.
-The flaws in people that were driving the plot mysteriously vanished as soon as it was convenient for the author to wrap up the story: alcoholism, smoking, selfishness, emotionally abusive behavior -- all disappeared instantly and without another word. It's an easy way out, but not good writing to just have people act out of character when it suits the story arch, rather than actually dealing with how a group of people with these traits and in this situation would work.

[JoAnne Pulcino · Rating 4 out of 5]

SECRETS OF THE LIGHTHOUSE

Santa Montefiore

Because I’m so particular in my ideas about a good romance, I’m often disappointed with boy meets girl, boy loses girl, and boy gets girl back. Also very tired of a couple’s constant battling which is supposed to be an expression of their mutual attraction. That said I love a sweeping and romantic novel that is a true escape.

Santa Montefiore is a master at finding the magic combination in her books. I truly loved THE FRENCH GARDENER despite the overtones of LADY CHATTERLY’S LOVER. Her sweeping epic romances have lovely locales, fascinating main characters, a grand story and a cast of wonderful characters. In SECRETS OF THE LIGHTHOUSE the author develops a supernatural element to her tale. Any time you need a great escape Ms. Montefiore is the author to follow.

SECRETS OF THE LIGHTHOUSE is a hauntingly romantic novel set in Ireland on the ruggedly beautiful coast of Connemara. In England, Ellen Trawton is very unhappy with her fiancée, her controlling mother and her job. Ellen runs away to her aunt’s cottage in Connemara, and is immediately charmed by the warmth and beautiful country. One of the most compelling histories she discovers is the old ruins of a lighthouse where, Caitlin, a young mother died in a fire. Caitlin’s ghost haunts the castle and the lighthouse as she finds it impossible to leave her husband and children even in death. She hadn’t planned on her husband finding love. The colorful characters and relatives Ellen finds makes her feel like she has actually come home to where she belongs.

This is a poignant story of two women desperately seeking the love they need. The key may be found in the secrets of the past.

[Sneha Mary Henry · Rating 3 out of 5]

~3.5 stars~

I liked this book. It was good, still the reason why I gave this book 3.5 stars is because I felt it was too long and there were some parts that was kind of slow moving and boring. However, overall I liked it.

This book says about a woman named Ellen Trawton who runs away from London to a beautiful place called Connemara in Ireland where her maternal family resides.
Throughout her life, Ellen’s mother, Madeline Trawton had kept her past as a secret from her daughter. But, Ellen was determined to find out about her mother’s family and leaves for Ireland to live with them. This book tells about her life in Connemara with her Aunt Peg and other Uncle’s who are called as the Byrnes. During the course of the book, she also finds love, as she falls in love with a man named Conor Macausland who owns a castle in Connemara. Moreover, the story reveals more about the Byrnes family history and also about the secrets revolving around the lighthouse.

The most interesting factor about this book is that it is kind of paranormal. As the story is also told from the perspective of Caitlin who is Conor’s dead wife. However, the storyline from Caitlin’s point of view sometimes caused certain parts to be a bit unrealistic.

Still, what I really loved about this book is the good Irish vibe it gave throughout the entire plot. Apart from this, the author has given a vivid description about the beauty of the landscape and nature in Connemara which I found quite intriguing. It also gave me a summery and spring vibe which is something I really love to feel while reading a book. Altogether I enjoyed this book.😊