Love and Loss at the Beach Hotel

The Beach Hotel #4

by Francesca Capaldi

Can true love win the day?

Hetty Affleck is working as a maid at the prestigious Beach Hotel in Littlehampton. Her beau, Lorcan, is away at war and has recently stopped replying to her letters but she is determined to keep her spirits up. When she meets wealthy shipbuilder’s son Victor Perryman, they pass the time of day and they both feel a connection but she can’t allow herself to think anything more of it - not only does she have Lorcan to think of, but she and Victor are divided by wealth and class.

Yet they meet again and Hetty is charmed and intrigued by Victor and his openness towards her. It becomes harder to ignore the attachment growing between them.

When Lorcan comes back on leave, Hetty is forced to face her true feelings. Who does she really love, and can that love conquer everything in its path?

An uplifting, emotional WW1 saga perfect for fans of Ginny Bell and Jean Fullerton

Readers adore the Beach Hotel

‘Oh wow this story was…amazing and heartfelt…I hope there will be more in this series’⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review

‘Had me turning the pages well into the night… A five-star, well-written beach caper. A page turner from beginning to end.’⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review

‘I have enjoyed all three books in this series but this one was the best! I think that is because it is Helen’s story and Helen is the very heart of the hotel…I really enjoyed it.’⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review

‘The strong thread that runs through this series is friendship, that’s exactly what Helen Bygrove needs when things get difficult! I know it was third in series but I’m sure there’s room for a follow up! I live in hope.’⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review

‘Another brilliant book by this brilliant author’ Reader Review

‘Brilliant storyline, brilliant book. Couldn’t put it down. Family saga at its best’⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review

‘I loved this enchanting read…could not put it down…’⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review

‘Well, what a start to a new series! There are many secrets to be uncovered…I loved this book.’⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review

‘Charming…this book felt like an escape…The story was heartwarming’⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review

‘I thoroughly enjoyed this book…I’m glad there is more to come from the Beach Hotel.’⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review

Genres: Historical Fiction, World War I, Womens Fiction

362 pages, Paperback

Published November 21, 2024

About the author

Several years ago, Francesca Capaldi pursued a childhood dream and joined a creative writing class. Lots of published short stories, a serial, and three pocket novels later, she’s now explored her mother’s ancestral history for a novel set in a Welsh colliery village.

A history graduate and former teacher, she hails from the Sussex coast but now lives in Kent with her family and a cat called Lando Calrissian.

Social Media
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FrancescaCap...
Blog: www.writemindswriteplace.wordpress.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/FCapaldiBurgess
Instagram:francesca.capaldi.burgess

Reviews

[StinaStaffymum · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can true love win the day...?

What a delight it is to return to the prestigious Beach Hotel in Littlehampton and the flurry of staff and guests there! And who doesn't love to be by the seaside? Even in a storm?

I have delighted in this series since it began following the stories of first Edie, then Lili, then Helen herself and now Hetty. I also enjoyed seeing some of the regulars continue to pop up such as the Major, a resident at the hotel, as well as much of the staff and those guests who pop in from time to time.

The focus of this fourth installment is Hetty Affleck who works as head stillroom maid (I was most interested in what that actually entailed, having never heard of it before). She and one of the other staff members, Irish lad Lorcan Foley, had only just begun stepping out together when he enlisted thus joining the fight at the front. Their relationship had barely begun but Hetty agreed to write to him and he her.

After three long years, despite early forecasts predicting it would be over by Christmas, Hetty began to wonder if she was merely writing to keep his spirits up as what they had barely constituted as anything but friendship. Besides, any leave he had he'd returned home to Ireland rather than return to the Beach Hotel to see her. Didn't that say something about their relationship, such as it was?

Then his letters seemed to have stopped. Even on her birthday he failed to send her something as he usually did. Did that mean something had happened to him? Or had he simply decided to end their friendship? Hetty isn't sure how she feels.

When she meets wealthy shipbuilder's son Victor Perryman, they exchange greetings and pass the time of day but nothing more. And yet she feels a connection to him, like a bolt of electricity every time she is in his company. But she is just a maid serving him and his family whilst he is upper middle class, certainly not for the likes of her. Besides, she has Lorcan to think of. But the more she sees of Victor, the more she is charmed and intrigued by the handsome young man. And the more time they spend together the more the pair realise how alike they are and it soon becomes difficult to deny the growing attachment between them.

And then Lorcan returns suddenly on leave and Hetty is forced to face her true feelings. Who does she truly love? And can love conquer all the obstacles thrown in their path?

A truly delightful, heartwarming and emotional wartime saga that is such a wonderful read that I devoured it in one sitting, not wanting to leave Littlehampton and its inhabitants for one minute. I can't wait to see whose story we get to follow next and what the author has in store for us.

A heartwarming 5 stars!

I would like to thank #FrancescaCapaldi, #Netgalley and #HeraBooks for an ARC of #LoveAndLossAtTheBeachHotel in exchange for an honest review.

This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.

[Vivien Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read and enjoyed all the novels in the Beach Hotel series but perhaps enjoyed this one the most. With no big mystery or crime this time, I felt able to just sit back and sink myself into Hetty's story and wallow in the romance. With the hotel and its staff as the backdrop to the story, it was great to revisit characters from the earlier books and find out what they were all doing, while following the slowly growing love between Hetty and Victor, crossing the class divide. The authenticity of the storm and the flood, the position of women, the food shortages and the news from the war (I had no idea you could hear the guns from across the channel) added a touch of history that highlighted the daily lives and problems of ordinary people during the First World War. A lovely read that I devoured in a couple of days.

[virginia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed several novels from Francesca Capaldi’s Beach Hotel series, and this one didn’t disappoint. What a believable and enjoyable love story. It was a book I got lost inside from the very first page. As much as I enjoyed catching up with all the hotel staff, I thoroughly enjoyed the developing romance between Hetty and Victor. This tale will have you keeping the kettle ready and reading deep into the night. I felt as if I had leaped inside a time portal, able to walk side-by-side with Hetty, the hotel staff, and guests, with a first-row seat to the electric attraction between Hetty and Victor, an almost impossible love between a working-class girl and an upper-class man, unheard of in WWI England.

The entire setting pulled me in, transporting me to the era as if I knew all the characters personally. I couldn’t put this tale down. As Hetty worries about Lorcan, a soldier she met briefly at the start of the war, she feels responsible for remaining beside him. However, Lorcan doesn’t spend his leaves at the hotel with her, making her question her feelings for him. While Hetty grows closer to Victor, Lorcan’s letters cease, and she worries the slaughter across the channel may have claimed him. As she listens to the big guns from the distant battlefields across the channel, Lorcan suddenly returns, throwing a blanket at her increasing feelings for Victor.

This is a love story set during the horrors of WWI. It is a book with a tale that enlightened me in an era I wanted to learn more about, all the while rooting for the love affair between Hetty and Victor, hoping the war would tear those class restrictions down once and for all.

So, put on the kettle, cozy up in your favorite chair in your PJs, and read from dusk until dawn. It is a 5-star read from one of my favorite new authors, well,… new to me. Enjoy!

I want to thank Net Galley, Francesca Capaldi, and the publisher for the opportunity to read this as a free ARC. My review is voluntary and mine alone.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Award-winning author Francesca Capaldi is back with another poignant and emotional saga, Love and Loss at the Beach Hotel.

Hetty Affleck works as a maid at the renowned Beach Hotel in Littlehampton. The work keeps her busy and she could certainly do with the distraction at the moment as her beau Lorcan is away at war. Hetty always looks forward to his letters, but he hasn’t replied to her in a very long time and she cannot help but worry and wonder about his well-being – and their relationship. Hetty is not looking for romance, but when she crosses paths with Victor Perryman, the son of a wealthy shipbuilder, she quickly begins to feel drawn to him.

Hetty knows that nothing other than a tentative friendship can come of her connection with Victor. Not only is Hetty still tied to Lorcan, but she and Victor are from two completely different worlds. Even as she falls more and more in love with Victor, Hetty knows that they cannot ever have a future together as she is far removed from his wealthy family’s idea of a bride. While Hetty’s head is telling her to keep her distance from Victor, her heart is telling her a completely different story…

When Lorcan returns from leave, Hetty realises that she needs to come to a decision. and face up to her feelings. Will she ever find the happiness she seeks? Or will she be forced to take a path that will lead to heartbreak and disappointment?

Francesca Capaldi’s Love and Loss at the Beach Hotel is a heart-warming romantic read perfect for readers who enjoy the novels of Anna Jacobs and Katie Flynn. Emotional, dramatic and immensely enjoyable, Love and Loss at the Beach Hotel is a tale of forbidden attraction, illicit feelings and impossible choices from Francesca Capaldi saga fans will be completely captivated by.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Sharon Rimmelzwaan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Beach Hotel series is one that I have followed since the very first book was published. Now it's the fourth book, Love and Loss at the Beach Hotel. There was no question I wanted to read this one. I do enjoy Francesca Capaldi's writing. She has the ability to bring a setting to vivid life so easily.

This particular book tells the story of Hetty Affleck. A headmaster's daughter who takes a job as a maid at the Beach Hotel. She has no need to work, but she is a girl who wants more from life.

Lorcan, her beau is away at war but hasn't been replying to her letters. She does her best not to let it get her down. Victor Perryman is the son of
a wealthy shipbuilders son. When they meet, Hetty knows there is something there for her, but she can't allow herself to do anything, not just because of Lorcan but also because Victor is from a different class than her.

Love and Loss at the Beach Hotel explores the divides of class and how it affects the lives of the people then. Again, this is an excellently researched and written book. Francesca Capaldi can weave a tale that transports me immediately back in time. Revisiting all the characters makes me feel like I'm back with old friends. The interweaving of fact and fiction is always cleverly done. I really can't tell where one ends and the other begins.

Another engrossing historical fiction novel that's a worthy addition to this series. A highly recommended read. Thanks to Rachel's Random Resources and the publisher for the gifted book to write my honest review.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm reviewing this as part of a tour with Rachel's Random Resources.

This is a historical saga set during WWI. It's the fourth book in the series, and I am familiar with this series, but this is my first time reviewing one for a book tour.

I've read two of the previous instalments in the series, and I really enjoyed them. To begin with, I wondered if it may have been better to revisit the previous books in their entirety, before reading this one. When I started reading, though, I found it didn't make any real difference to me.

I was really happy to visit the Beach Hotel again, and I enjoyed the atmosphere as I escaped into the story. The author brought the characters to life and made them likeable. I connected with Hetty, and Victor made me smile. I became invested in the story, and it left me with a warm, comforting feeling. I look forward to the next instalment in the series.

Thank you to Rachel's Random Resources, and to the author and publisher, for the opportunity to read and review this.

[Becca McCulloch · Rating 4 out of 5]

I deeply enjoy a Francesca Capaldi historical fiction novel. She has a gift for setting characters squarely in the scenery of the day. They feel accessible and real no matter the era. I haven’t explored the realities of World War I as much as World War II, so I was so excited to spend time during this turning point in history.

The book tells the story of Hetty and Lorcan at the dawn of England’s involvement in a war no one expects to last. As it drags on into the third year, the young lovers struggle to maintain their enthusiasm for the war and each other. The war has hastened changes in culture, courting and customs, which have made love and loss more certain than ever.

Francesca Capaldi is a captivating writer who is guaranteed to bring both characters and time period to life. This lovely story isn’t too heavy to be pleasant. Instead, it’s an excellent tale that reminds us all that connection is the basic building block of humanity, no matter the era.

[Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series’s of books from Francesca Capaldi is fantastic this is the 4th book and can’t wait for the next one to come out in 2025
All the books have been fantastic following the lives of the staff of The Beach Hotel including the owners wife and that of her husband
Through the war years while most of the men went to war and the female staff took over the men’s rolls and did a fantastic job
A must read series

[Bernie · Rating 5 out of 5]

another great read the Beach Hotel series. I can hardly wait for the 5th

[Pat Brackenbury · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another in the series finished. Took a few chapters to get into but once I did I throughly enjoyed. It's nice to get to know each character in detail with each book.