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Welcome to Anglesey #3
Coming Home to the Windmill by the Sea: Welcome to Anglesey, Book 3
An utterly emotional and inspiring tale of old secrets and new beginnings
From the windswept beaches of Anglesey, an unforgettable story of love, forgiveness and rediscovered hope.
When her father dies unexpectedly, Beth Macintosh rushes home to the island of Anglesey to be by her mother’s side. Stepping into the converted windmill she once called home, Beth is flooded with memories of her childhood spent on the island.
Then she encounters Megan Williams, her estranged best friend. Fifteen years of silence and secrets have kept them apart, with Beth pursuing city life while Megan remained on the island, isolated and weighed down by painful regrets.
As Beth rediscovers her roots, the women cautiously rebuild their friendship. When Megan confesses the truth about their falling out, a fragile new bond grows between the women. Can they overcome their pasts to find the happiness they both deserve?
An uplifting and emotional story about second chances and the healing power of friendship, set against the backdrop of Anglesey's rugged beauty. Perfect for fans of Susanne O'Leary, Liz Eeles and Amanda Prowse.
From the windswept beaches of Anglesey, an unforgettable story of love, forgiveness and rediscovered hope.
When her father dies unexpectedly, Beth Macintosh rushes home to the island of Anglesey to be by her mother’s side. Stepping into the converted windmill she once called home, Beth is flooded with memories of her childhood spent on the island.
Then she encounters Megan Williams, her estranged best friend. Fifteen years of silence and secrets have kept them apart, with Beth pursuing city life while Megan remained on the island, isolated and weighed down by painful regrets.
As Beth rediscovers her roots, the women cautiously rebuild their friendship. When Megan confesses the truth about their falling out, a fragile new bond grows between the women. Can they overcome their pasts to find the happiness they both deserve?
An uplifting and emotional story about second chances and the healing power of friendship, set against the backdrop of Anglesey's rugged beauty. Perfect for fans of Susanne O'Leary, Liz Eeles and Amanda Prowse.
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Published September 25, 2024
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About the author
Caroline Young
126 books29 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads data base.
Caroline Young read English at Cambridge University and taught English in Greece and the UK before joining Usborne as a writer and editor. She has written books about a huge variety of subjects, for all ages, and believes it's one of the best jobs in the world. Caroline lives and works on Anglesey in North Wales.
Caroline Young read English at Cambridge University and taught English in Greece and the UK before joining Usborne as a writer and editor. She has written books about a huge variety of subjects, for all ages, and believes it's one of the best jobs in the world. Caroline lives and works on Anglesey in North Wales.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
September 29, 2024
Beth Macintosh had left Anglesey to go to university, and had never returned permanently. When her father died and her mother asked her to come home, Beth took some leave from her job, locked up her apartment and headed home. The windmill she'd always called home was much the same, just older and in need of TLC. But it was in her mother that Beth noticed the biggest change - distraught, grieving and not eating, she withdrew into herself. Ziggy, Beth's brother, had done his best caring for his parents - it was Beth's turn now. When Beth picked her son Lewis up from university and brought him to Anglesey, it wasn't long before she saw a change in the son she loved, but hadn't done the right thing by. He and his Uncle Ziggy formed a close friendship, bonding over fishing among other things.
Megan and Beth had been best friends when they were younger - until a man came between them. Now, Beth knew she'd bump into her old friend - but could they renew their friendship? Megan had been alone for so long, with just her dog for company, while her brother Ioan lived with his two young children nearby. Ioan was grieving the wife he'd loved, who had left him for another; working at the hospital, and trying to care for his children as well - aging before his time, Ioan wasn't sure how to keep going. Would Beth help his sister and make a new life in Anglesey for her and her son?
Coming Home to the Windmill by the Sea is the 3rd in the Welcome to Anglesey series by Caroline Young and I loved it! 10 stars if I could! Fabulous, well written characters, plenty of ambience, with the descriptions of sea, shore, cliff walks and more, making me wish I was there! Highly recommended.
With thanks to NetGalley & Storm Publishing for my digital ARC to read and review.
Megan and Beth had been best friends when they were younger - until a man came between them. Now, Beth knew she'd bump into her old friend - but could they renew their friendship? Megan had been alone for so long, with just her dog for company, while her brother Ioan lived with his two young children nearby. Ioan was grieving the wife he'd loved, who had left him for another; working at the hospital, and trying to care for his children as well - aging before his time, Ioan wasn't sure how to keep going. Would Beth help his sister and make a new life in Anglesey for her and her son?
Coming Home to the Windmill by the Sea is the 3rd in the Welcome to Anglesey series by Caroline Young and I loved it! 10 stars if I could! Fabulous, well written characters, plenty of ambience, with the descriptions of sea, shore, cliff walks and more, making me wish I was there! Highly recommended.
With thanks to NetGalley & Storm Publishing for my digital ARC to read and review.
September 30, 2024
Coming Home to the Windmill by the Sea by Caroline Young was the third book in the Welcome to Anglesey series. I had previously read and enjoyed the second book in this series, The Cottage by the Sea. When I saw that Caroline Young had written Coming Home to the Windmill by the Sea I was excited to read it. Each book in the series so far can be read as a stand-alone book. In each of the books in this series, author, Carolyn Young, included a specific person that had chosen to return to the island of Anglesey located in North Wales. Each person that Caroline Young chose had unique reasons for returning and their experiences varied but they all embraced Anglesey in a warm hug and made it their home. The characters in Coming Home to the Windmill by the Sea were all well developed, likable and engaging. By the conclusion of the book, I felt almost like I had known them for a very long time. I enjoyed the detailed descriptions of the sea and the landscape. If I closed my eyes I was almost able to picture that I was there with the characters.
Beth Macintosh and Meagan Williams grew up on the island of Anglesey and were best friends until something happened at the end of their senior year in high school. As far back as Beth could remember, she had vowed that she would leave the island as soon as she was able to. When it was time to attend university, Beth left Anglesey and never looked back. Beth had married, had a son named Lewis and had made her home in London. Unfortunately, Beth’s marriage didn’t work out and ended in divorce. Beth had a very successful career though. Her career took priority over everything, even her role in raising her son. Then one day, after arriving at her office, Beth received two pieces of news that would change her life completely. Beth found out that she was being fired from her job and that her father had died. She knew that she had to return to Anglesey for her father’s funeral even though she vowed that she would never return. It was time for Beth to step up and help her mother. For so long, Beth had left that responsibility to her younger brother, Ziggy, but not anymore. Would Beth be able to mend her friendship with Meagan? Would Meagan forgive Beth for the terrible thing she did all those years ago? How would Beth feel when she saw Meagan’s brother, Ioan, again? How would she feel about returning to Anglesey?
Coming Home to the Windmill by the Sea by Caroline Young was such an enjoyable book. Caroline Young proved once again that she is a masterful storyteller. I really enjoy being transported back to Anglesey in each new book she writes and meeting the new characters that have decided to make Anglesey their home. Coming Home to the Windmill by the Sea was about friendship, family, values, trust, forgiveness, second chances and a rekindled love. I look forward to reading the next book in this series and I highly recommend this one.
Thank you to Storm Publishing for allowing me to read Coming Home to the Windmill by the Sea by Caroline Young through Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.
Beth Macintosh and Meagan Williams grew up on the island of Anglesey and were best friends until something happened at the end of their senior year in high school. As far back as Beth could remember, she had vowed that she would leave the island as soon as she was able to. When it was time to attend university, Beth left Anglesey and never looked back. Beth had married, had a son named Lewis and had made her home in London. Unfortunately, Beth’s marriage didn’t work out and ended in divorce. Beth had a very successful career though. Her career took priority over everything, even her role in raising her son. Then one day, after arriving at her office, Beth received two pieces of news that would change her life completely. Beth found out that she was being fired from her job and that her father had died. She knew that she had to return to Anglesey for her father’s funeral even though she vowed that she would never return. It was time for Beth to step up and help her mother. For so long, Beth had left that responsibility to her younger brother, Ziggy, but not anymore. Would Beth be able to mend her friendship with Meagan? Would Meagan forgive Beth for the terrible thing she did all those years ago? How would Beth feel when she saw Meagan’s brother, Ioan, again? How would she feel about returning to Anglesey?
Coming Home to the Windmill by the Sea by Caroline Young was such an enjoyable book. Caroline Young proved once again that she is a masterful storyteller. I really enjoy being transported back to Anglesey in each new book she writes and meeting the new characters that have decided to make Anglesey their home. Coming Home to the Windmill by the Sea was about friendship, family, values, trust, forgiveness, second chances and a rekindled love. I look forward to reading the next book in this series and I highly recommend this one.
Thank you to Storm Publishing for allowing me to read Coming Home to the Windmill by the Sea by Caroline Young through Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.
September 29, 2024
Coming Home to the Windmill by the Sea is the third book in the Anglesey series. However, any of these books can be read as a stand alone. I had previously read Secrets by the Cottage by the Sea, and really looked forward to reading this book.
Beth and Megan had been best friends since childhood, growing up in Anglesey, up in North Wales. In their senior year, something happens and the friendship seems to be over. Beth goes to Oxford, then marries Hugo and becomes very successful in her field in London. They also have a son. Lewis. Beth rarely comes back to the island. Meanwhile, Megan has become almost a shut in, living in a little cottage having never married. Her brother Ioan, recently separated from his wife, and his 2 children are the only people she interacts with on a regular basis.
One night Beth gets a call from her mother that her father has passed away. She is struggling with her job, and decides to go home and help her mother, and her brother Ziggy who has stayed and helps his parents and others around the island. She is nervous to go back, but also hopeful that she can reconnect with Megan and Ioan. We learn that Beth's parents had an interesting marriage, they loved each other but were very different. Her father was a musician and singer, and her mother was very proper. Beth and her brother Ziggy know very little about their parents pasts. This comes into play in the rest of the novel. There are secrets to be discovered about her mother's past, as they soon discover that she has Alzheimers, and keeps talking about a place that they know nothing about.
Caroline Young writes stories that are propelled forward through a deep exploration and development of characters and relationships. We see all the characters strengths and flaws that have caused tension, and this is what carries the story and makes it so relatable. Through the friendship, innocence and confusion of the two girls in their youth, to the heartache, anxiety, loneliness, and even hope in their present lives of the experiences they have had as older women, the author writes a book that is thought provoking and engaging. It is through each characters exploration of their own preconceptions and experiences that drive the story.
The author also does an amazing job of describing Anglesey and the tone of the story wraps tightly around the setting. I love it when authors craft their book and the setting is an important part of the story- a visceral, physical element that adds to the tone and atmosphere.
This is not an quick read rom-com where everything is light. This is a very honest portrayal of more mature characters coming together and working as a community to encourage, support, love and heal with each other. It is not dark, but it is honest.
My only problem, thus the 4 star rating, is that there were quite a few plotlines. They were tied together and in the end, worked well. However, I felt that in this story everything wrapped up perfectly. After what we went through with the characters, it was almost too tidy. however, I still loved it. I was invested in these people's lives, and was rooting for them all the way. I eagerly look forward to reading the author's next book!
If you like well thought out books, with great insight into mature characters and seeing them grow, and a magical setting that takes center stage, and a book filled with love, forgiveness and hope, then this is the book for you!!
Thank you NetGalle and Storm Publishing. This is my honest and voluntary review!
Beth and Megan had been best friends since childhood, growing up in Anglesey, up in North Wales. In their senior year, something happens and the friendship seems to be over. Beth goes to Oxford, then marries Hugo and becomes very successful in her field in London. They also have a son. Lewis. Beth rarely comes back to the island. Meanwhile, Megan has become almost a shut in, living in a little cottage having never married. Her brother Ioan, recently separated from his wife, and his 2 children are the only people she interacts with on a regular basis.
One night Beth gets a call from her mother that her father has passed away. She is struggling with her job, and decides to go home and help her mother, and her brother Ziggy who has stayed and helps his parents and others around the island. She is nervous to go back, but also hopeful that she can reconnect with Megan and Ioan. We learn that Beth's parents had an interesting marriage, they loved each other but were very different. Her father was a musician and singer, and her mother was very proper. Beth and her brother Ziggy know very little about their parents pasts. This comes into play in the rest of the novel. There are secrets to be discovered about her mother's past, as they soon discover that she has Alzheimers, and keeps talking about a place that they know nothing about.
Caroline Young writes stories that are propelled forward through a deep exploration and development of characters and relationships. We see all the characters strengths and flaws that have caused tension, and this is what carries the story and makes it so relatable. Through the friendship, innocence and confusion of the two girls in their youth, to the heartache, anxiety, loneliness, and even hope in their present lives of the experiences they have had as older women, the author writes a book that is thought provoking and engaging. It is through each characters exploration of their own preconceptions and experiences that drive the story.
The author also does an amazing job of describing Anglesey and the tone of the story wraps tightly around the setting. I love it when authors craft their book and the setting is an important part of the story- a visceral, physical element that adds to the tone and atmosphere.
This is not an quick read rom-com where everything is light. This is a very honest portrayal of more mature characters coming together and working as a community to encourage, support, love and heal with each other. It is not dark, but it is honest.
My only problem, thus the 4 star rating, is that there were quite a few plotlines. They were tied together and in the end, worked well. However, I felt that in this story everything wrapped up perfectly. After what we went through with the characters, it was almost too tidy. however, I still loved it. I was invested in these people's lives, and was rooting for them all the way. I eagerly look forward to reading the author's next book!
If you like well thought out books, with great insight into mature characters and seeing them grow, and a magical setting that takes center stage, and a book filled with love, forgiveness and hope, then this is the book for you!!
Thank you NetGalle and Storm Publishing. This is my honest and voluntary review!
September 3, 2024
Coming Home to the Windmill by the Sea by Caroline Young is such a beautiful story of friendship, forgiveness, second chances and following your heart so that you live your best life. Many secrets and regrets have kept two friends, Megan and Beth, apart. Distance, too. Megan remained on the island and has been somewhat isolated for the past fifteen years. Beth on the other hand moved to the city to pursue her ambitions. When a chance arises to put things right, Beth grabs it. It all begins to happen when she returns to quaint Anglesey in Wales upon the death of her father. After she helps her mother sort affairs, nervously and with caution she meets up with her friend. She does not know how Megan will react, but Beth begins the slow waltz towards making things right. And part of that includes confessing or admitting her faults and bad behaviour when she was young. A man was in the centre of their friction. Sadly, youthful ignorance got in the way of common sense. But these ladies are older and wiser now and it is time to bury the hatchet.
Being away from the hustle and bustle of a busy city environment, the natural land and seascape begin to work its healing magic on Beth. Memories come flooding back as she enters the windmill and its surroundings: the world of her childhood. But this time she is able to see clearly with age and experience on her side: the importance of family and friends and making others happy. This begins with Beth’s son. He is miserable at Oxford and wants to go down a different path than what she planned for him. His unhappiness is a wake up call for Beth. After conversations, she invites him to join her in the country seaside location. It is there he finds his true passion. This part of the story was quite moving as it is an honest portrayal of how sometimes parents don’t get things right. In Beth’s zealousness to create a perfect life for her son, she misses a major ingredient and overlooks his individuality. But healing begins at Anglesey when her son’s joy returns in exercising his overlooked talents.
There were so many lovely characters in Coming Home to the Windmill By the Sea and so much to enjoy about this heart-warming story. Once the two friends reunite, Beth decides to help her friend achieve her greatest dream. I thought this was a tender selfless act that showed how much Beth cared about her friend’s well-being and fulfilment. She tried hard to set things right. This little lovingly stitched mystery in the plot, unfolds beautifully. This, along with other events, allowed these two ladies to heal and move forward and to finally receive the rewards they deserved. I also loved the ‘roots’ sublot with her mother’s origins. That was quite a fun mystery to pursue, too! And I must mention I LOVED all the references to Emily Bronte’s writing and Emily Dickinson. So many of the lines quoted fit perfectly with the plot.
This is an emotional story and its exceptional delivery kept my eyes filled with tears (both in sadness and happiness). Out of the chaos of the past, wonderful order is born. Friendships and loves are restored. Once confused and lonely hearts find their place and purpose. So the novel ends on a high note of satisfaction and joy. I loved Coming Home to the Windmill by the Sea and truly felt I had escaped to the rugged shores of Anglesey. I enjoyed joining the characters on their journeys to wholeness. In fact, they became like friends I did not want to say good-bye to! I highly recommend this tender and uplifting novel. 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thanks to Storm Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Being away from the hustle and bustle of a busy city environment, the natural land and seascape begin to work its healing magic on Beth. Memories come flooding back as she enters the windmill and its surroundings: the world of her childhood. But this time she is able to see clearly with age and experience on her side: the importance of family and friends and making others happy. This begins with Beth’s son. He is miserable at Oxford and wants to go down a different path than what she planned for him. His unhappiness is a wake up call for Beth. After conversations, she invites him to join her in the country seaside location. It is there he finds his true passion. This part of the story was quite moving as it is an honest portrayal of how sometimes parents don’t get things right. In Beth’s zealousness to create a perfect life for her son, she misses a major ingredient and overlooks his individuality. But healing begins at Anglesey when her son’s joy returns in exercising his overlooked talents.
There were so many lovely characters in Coming Home to the Windmill By the Sea and so much to enjoy about this heart-warming story. Once the two friends reunite, Beth decides to help her friend achieve her greatest dream. I thought this was a tender selfless act that showed how much Beth cared about her friend’s well-being and fulfilment. She tried hard to set things right. This little lovingly stitched mystery in the plot, unfolds beautifully. This, along with other events, allowed these two ladies to heal and move forward and to finally receive the rewards they deserved. I also loved the ‘roots’ sublot with her mother’s origins. That was quite a fun mystery to pursue, too! And I must mention I LOVED all the references to Emily Bronte’s writing and Emily Dickinson. So many of the lines quoted fit perfectly with the plot.
This is an emotional story and its exceptional delivery kept my eyes filled with tears (both in sadness and happiness). Out of the chaos of the past, wonderful order is born. Friendships and loves are restored. Once confused and lonely hearts find their place and purpose. So the novel ends on a high note of satisfaction and joy. I loved Coming Home to the Windmill by the Sea and truly felt I had escaped to the rugged shores of Anglesey. I enjoyed joining the characters on their journeys to wholeness. In fact, they became like friends I did not want to say good-bye to! I highly recommend this tender and uplifting novel. 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thanks to Storm Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
October 16, 2024
This title is the third in a trilogy, which I was drawn to read because of the Anglesey setting. Having not read the previous two first I was concerned it might not stand alone. However I need not have worried as it did and is a delightful read hinging around the importance of friendship and family in our lives.
Beth and Megan were best friends back in 1999 and living on Anglesey but around this time their lives took very different directions when Beth left the island. Thanks to the breakdown of their friendship it was to be over twenty years before they were to meet again. Can the mistakes of the past be forgiven and will they be able to rekindle their friendship?
With well written realistic characters and wonderful descriptions of Anglesey this heart warming story is one I recommend.
Thanks to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review 'Coming Home to the Windmill'
https://lindyloumacbookreviews.blogsp...
Beth and Megan were best friends back in 1999 and living on Anglesey but around this time their lives took very different directions when Beth left the island. Thanks to the breakdown of their friendship it was to be over twenty years before they were to meet again. Can the mistakes of the past be forgiven and will they be able to rekindle their friendship?
With well written realistic characters and wonderful descriptions of Anglesey this heart warming story is one I recommend.
Thanks to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review 'Coming Home to the Windmill'
https://lindyloumacbookreviews.blogsp...
September 23, 2024
4⭐️ Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for an advanced copy of Coming Home To The Windmill By The Sea.
Beth and Megan have been friends since they were little girls but now Beth is heading away to college and Megan is staying with the boy she loves to write poetry. Fast forward twenty years and Beth is newly divorced with a son heading to college and Megan is a recluse living in a dilapidated home in their hometown and they have not spoken to each other in many years. But when Beth’s father passes away she returns to her hometown to take care of her mother. She also wants to make amends with Megan for betraying her all those years ago and ruining their friendship. But the longer Beth stays in town the more she wonders if this is where she belongs.
This is the third book in the series and I enjoyed the book. The characters were easy to identify with and the story had my attention from the beginning.
Beth and Megan have been friends since they were little girls but now Beth is heading away to college and Megan is staying with the boy she loves to write poetry. Fast forward twenty years and Beth is newly divorced with a son heading to college and Megan is a recluse living in a dilapidated home in their hometown and they have not spoken to each other in many years. But when Beth’s father passes away she returns to her hometown to take care of her mother. She also wants to make amends with Megan for betraying her all those years ago and ruining their friendship. But the longer Beth stays in town the more she wonders if this is where she belongs.
This is the third book in the series and I enjoyed the book. The characters were easy to identify with and the story had my attention from the beginning.
September 26, 2024
Coming Home to the Windmill by the Sea was written by Caroline Young and I’m giving it a 4⭐️. This was my first read by the author and the story was centered around two women that lost their friendship over a boy. It’s fifteen years later Beth has to come home for her father’s funeral and this and many other things will bring Megan and her family full circle.
It was a coming of age sort of book and had in some ways the feel of Amanda Prowse. I did enjoy it.
Thanks Storm Publishing via NetGalley.
It was a coming of age sort of book and had in some ways the feel of Amanda Prowse. I did enjoy it.
Thanks Storm Publishing via NetGalley.
February 15, 2026
Another beautifully written story bringing Anglesey to life, the vivid descriptions of the island paint a beautiful image of the wild windswept beaches and fields. I can picture the windmill and the laughter of the family enjoying each others company
September 25, 2024
This was such a good book! It’s about family, friendship and old/new love. You won’t be able to put it down and might even stay up late to finish it.
September 26, 2024
Many thanks to NetGalley and to Storm Publishing for letting me see an advance copy of COMING HOME TO THE WINDMILL BY THE SEA by Caroline Young.
This is Book 3 in the WELCOME TO ANGLESEY series, but it was my first literary trip to the island.
Beth and Megan were best friends once. Soul mates, even. Then Beth betrayed her friend and ran away to England, where she remained for the next 20+ years. When she finally returned home, the prodigal daughter she was not. Could she build bridges, repair deep wounds, or, more importantly, get her friend back? Only time and circumstances would tell.
This was a BIG story. A very big story. And one I felt was not given adequate space in which to unfold. There's a lot of narrative, a LOT, and it reads more like an overview, or a precis, an outline, than an actual novel, and I was chomping at the bit for more.
For example, I didn't want to be TOLD that Ioan (pronounced Yo-Wan, I think) took his 'small watercolour palette and...sketchpad' out with them to paint 'whatever was laid out before them...' I wanted to SEE him do it, experience it with him, be SHOWN the colours he used or how he applied paint to paper.
The sights and sounds of the island were so beautifully described, but I wanted to experience it all with the characters that peopled the book.
There was too much telling and not enough showing for me, and I do feel that if the story had been given the time and space it deserved, then it might have made 4 to 6 lovely books and one gorgeous omnibus rather than one 6-part book. It deserved more, so much more.
I found the constant Welsh language interruptions just that – interruptions, that got so tedious I ended up skipping them. And I felt the book relied a bit too heavily on the classic poetry and literature quoted throughout. The amount quoted would have been disguised a lot more in a bigger book, but this book was too short for the percentage actually quoted.
There was some sloppy editing too, and some repetition in places, all of which could have been tidied up in a thorough proof-read.
Saying that, it was an intriguing story that spanned around 18 months, it is very well written, and the setting truly was beautiful. A lot of work clearly went into the writing of the story. I just think the book should have been longer, a lot longer, with more action and more detailed scenes rather than the solid narrative I also ended up skipping.
Four stars.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
This is Book 3 in the WELCOME TO ANGLESEY series, but it was my first literary trip to the island.
Beth and Megan were best friends once. Soul mates, even. Then Beth betrayed her friend and ran away to England, where she remained for the next 20+ years. When she finally returned home, the prodigal daughter she was not. Could she build bridges, repair deep wounds, or, more importantly, get her friend back? Only time and circumstances would tell.
This was a BIG story. A very big story. And one I felt was not given adequate space in which to unfold. There's a lot of narrative, a LOT, and it reads more like an overview, or a precis, an outline, than an actual novel, and I was chomping at the bit for more.
For example, I didn't want to be TOLD that Ioan (pronounced Yo-Wan, I think) took his 'small watercolour palette and...sketchpad' out with them to paint 'whatever was laid out before them...' I wanted to SEE him do it, experience it with him, be SHOWN the colours he used or how he applied paint to paper.
The sights and sounds of the island were so beautifully described, but I wanted to experience it all with the characters that peopled the book.
There was too much telling and not enough showing for me, and I do feel that if the story had been given the time and space it deserved, then it might have made 4 to 6 lovely books and one gorgeous omnibus rather than one 6-part book. It deserved more, so much more.
I found the constant Welsh language interruptions just that – interruptions, that got so tedious I ended up skipping them. And I felt the book relied a bit too heavily on the classic poetry and literature quoted throughout. The amount quoted would have been disguised a lot more in a bigger book, but this book was too short for the percentage actually quoted.
There was some sloppy editing too, and some repetition in places, all of which could have been tidied up in a thorough proof-read.
Saying that, it was an intriguing story that spanned around 18 months, it is very well written, and the setting truly was beautiful. A lot of work clearly went into the writing of the story. I just think the book should have been longer, a lot longer, with more action and more detailed scenes rather than the solid narrative I also ended up skipping.
Four stars.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
November 2, 2024
Coming Home to the Windmill by the Sea (Welcome to Anglesey #3) by Caroline Young is a wonderful read. So much so that I went and read the two prior books. I am in awe of the beautiful writing of Caroline Young and her portrayal of characters. The Island of Anglesey is off the coast of Wales and sounds like a difficult place to plant roots and grow because of the isolation and the battering of storms, however in each of the three books that is exactly what happens. People move to Anglesey for various reasons and find a life by staying on the island.
In the novel Coming Home to the Windmill by the Sea, we meet Beth Macintosh. She has come home to Anglesey from her high powered job in the city to help take care of her mother with her brother Ziggy. Beth’s return comes with some struggles, refinding herself, her family and her friends. Beth’s son leaves college and joins her, living at the Windmill. Between Beth, Ziggy and Lewis working together, a new life becomes possible to all of them.
Beth needs to rekindle friendship with Megan Williams and Megan’s brother Ioan (who loved her). She is tapped by the small town to help the local store. She learns about the truths in her family and her world. For Beth it is like tearing back the cobwebs from her past and helping her walk toward her future.
I do not have the words to adequately share how much I enjoyed reading Coming Home to the Windmill by the Sea. Caroline Young is a wonderful author. I love how she highlights one woman as the main character and as her world grows on Anglesey more characters that are just the salt of the earth, each struggling in their own way join her. Sometimes, we have to come home to find ourselves and sometimes we have to look at the world in a new way. Coming Home to the Windmill by the Sea by Caroline Young is a wonderful read that I would highly encourage others to read.
In the novel Coming Home to the Windmill by the Sea, we meet Beth Macintosh. She has come home to Anglesey from her high powered job in the city to help take care of her mother with her brother Ziggy. Beth’s return comes with some struggles, refinding herself, her family and her friends. Beth’s son leaves college and joins her, living at the Windmill. Between Beth, Ziggy and Lewis working together, a new life becomes possible to all of them.
Beth needs to rekindle friendship with Megan Williams and Megan’s brother Ioan (who loved her). She is tapped by the small town to help the local store. She learns about the truths in her family and her world. For Beth it is like tearing back the cobwebs from her past and helping her walk toward her future.
I do not have the words to adequately share how much I enjoyed reading Coming Home to the Windmill by the Sea. Caroline Young is a wonderful author. I love how she highlights one woman as the main character and as her world grows on Anglesey more characters that are just the salt of the earth, each struggling in their own way join her. Sometimes, we have to come home to find ourselves and sometimes we have to look at the world in a new way. Coming Home to the Windmill by the Sea by Caroline Young is a wonderful read that I would highly encourage others to read.
September 9, 2024
Beth MacIntosh is busy living her successful life in London when she is suddenly called back to her childhood home of Anglesey on the coast of Wales. She left long ago for college and has seldom returned, preferring instead to lead her busy business life even after her divorce from her wealthy, businessman husband, Hugo. Her son, Lewis, is away at Oxford, much to his dismay, and Beth is becoming a bit worried about how he is since he just doesn't fit in there ... or basically anywhere. Beth is having a tough time fitting in back at home as well and is dreading reconnecting with her former closest friend, Megan Williams, after their terrible falling out, and also with Megan's brother, Ioan, with whom she has a complicated past. Can she manage to help her family and find herself again in this small close knit coastal community? Can time, trials, and God's good fortune all play a role in life turning around for all those involved? Take a journey to the beautiful windswept home where Beth grew up in an old windmill and now finds herself again and find out what the present and future holds for all of them in Anglesey.
This book was especially touching and meaningful for me due to a part of Megan's storyline that I know personally all too well. The author wrote this portion so incredibly accurately that I was moved to tears several times.
The characters and storyline were equally wonderful ... very realistic, filled with good, bad, trials, triumphs, longing, heartbreak, and joy. If I could give more stars for this thoughtful, touching, and real, book, I would.
I received a digital arc of this book from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
This book was especially touching and meaningful for me due to a part of Megan's storyline that I know personally all too well. The author wrote this portion so incredibly accurately that I was moved to tears several times.
The characters and storyline were equally wonderful ... very realistic, filled with good, bad, trials, triumphs, longing, heartbreak, and joy. If I could give more stars for this thoughtful, touching, and real, book, I would.
I received a digital arc of this book from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
September 29, 2024
Beth and Megan had grown up together in a small village on Anglesey but after an incident she deeply regretted, Beth left to find a place for herself as far away as she could get. When her father dies, she returns home, and knows she has to face her friends, family and the villagers, who are never slow to show what they think of her actions.
This is part of a series but easily a standalone read. It’s about family, regrets, acceptance, and the realisation that nobody’s perfect. We all make mistakes, and that the best way forward is to own up to your mistakes and get on with your life. It’s easy to think that people are talking about you, know what you’ve done and how you’ve behaved. But really most people are just trying to get through their own lives
The characters felt real, as did the problems that came up, the sense of community was good and I liked the use of Welsh with its translations too. There were several storylines, again as there are in real life, and the epilogue rounded things off nicely, while still leaving an opening for another in this series. A really good read, dealing with some dark themes but with a sense of fun too, I loved Ziggy and would be interested in what happens to him next. Recommended.
This is part of a series but easily a standalone read. It’s about family, regrets, acceptance, and the realisation that nobody’s perfect. We all make mistakes, and that the best way forward is to own up to your mistakes and get on with your life. It’s easy to think that people are talking about you, know what you’ve done and how you’ve behaved. But really most people are just trying to get through their own lives
The characters felt real, as did the problems that came up, the sense of community was good and I liked the use of Welsh with its translations too. There were several storylines, again as there are in real life, and the epilogue rounded things off nicely, while still leaving an opening for another in this series. A really good read, dealing with some dark themes but with a sense of fun too, I loved Ziggy and would be interested in what happens to him next. Recommended.
October 8, 2024
This was a really lovely read, that centred around the art of forgiveness and moving on - putting those things in the past behind you and finding your happy.
Set on Anglesey, we get a glimpse of 1999 where best friends Beth & Megan are set to take different paths and we then catch up with then in 2023 in their new lives.
Beth leads a very successful life in London, divorced with a son at University. But Uni life isn't working out well for him - he wants to lead his own creative life, not the academic one his Dad would prefer. And then tragedy strikes for Beth, and she's returning to Anglesey to help her Mum who isn't coping well. So that puts Beth back in reminscing mode and also brings her back into the life of Megan....
And Megan lives a very solitary life, her brother and his kids live nearby and she seems stuck and unable to move on - once you get to know more about what happened in the path you can totally understand her frame of mind.
This is a story that looks if can the past ever be forgotten, or forgiven! Seeing the break down of a friendship and the impact it causes can really send out shockwaves and I think the author did a wonderful job of building up to the twists and turns of the past, and showing how time changes perspective.
Set on Anglesey, we get a glimpse of 1999 where best friends Beth & Megan are set to take different paths and we then catch up with then in 2023 in their new lives.
Beth leads a very successful life in London, divorced with a son at University. But Uni life isn't working out well for him - he wants to lead his own creative life, not the academic one his Dad would prefer. And then tragedy strikes for Beth, and she's returning to Anglesey to help her Mum who isn't coping well. So that puts Beth back in reminscing mode and also brings her back into the life of Megan....
And Megan lives a very solitary life, her brother and his kids live nearby and she seems stuck and unable to move on - once you get to know more about what happened in the path you can totally understand her frame of mind.
This is a story that looks if can the past ever be forgotten, or forgiven! Seeing the break down of a friendship and the impact it causes can really send out shockwaves and I think the author did a wonderful job of building up to the twists and turns of the past, and showing how time changes perspective.
September 7, 2024
Such a beautiful story. Growing up on Angelsey all Beth wanted was to leave, get a big career, make her parents take notice of her. But before she manages to leave, she has a huge falling out with her closest friend, Megan, and ends up leaving part of herself behind. Sometimes the path you choose might feel right for a while but its not always the path you need to stay on and it takes a bit of a wake-up call to knock the blinders off and make you realise you need to take a new path and your current path is not actually what you expected or wanted. Beth returns to Angelsey for her father's funeral and has this realisation. Slowly, she learns to give and receive forgiveness, creating new friendships and rebuilding old ones. She opens herself up to new possibilities and opportunites with great results. Beautifully written and very touching.
Thanks to Netgalley, Storm Publishing, and Caroline Storm for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Thanks to Netgalley, Storm Publishing, and Caroline Storm for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.
September 29, 2024
Beth Macintosh is a high powered executive type with a well paying career in London. She was raised on a small Welsh island called Anglesey with her parents and brother, living inside a windmill of all places!
After receiving the news her father died, she leaves everything on hold to support her mother. And upon returning home, her childhood comes flooding back to her - particularly how she misses her best friend Megan. After a falling out at 18, they haven't kept in touch. The development of their storylines - both together and independently was well done, and I found myself rooting for them.
While helping her mom, who seems to be developing some health issues (this one hit home personally and elicited some tears), Beth receives startling news from both her employer and her son off at college - both change the trajectory of her future.
Well done!
Thanks to NetGalley, Storm Publishing and Caroline Young for the eARC.
After receiving the news her father died, she leaves everything on hold to support her mother. And upon returning home, her childhood comes flooding back to her - particularly how she misses her best friend Megan. After a falling out at 18, they haven't kept in touch. The development of their storylines - both together and independently was well done, and I found myself rooting for them.
While helping her mom, who seems to be developing some health issues (this one hit home personally and elicited some tears), Beth receives startling news from both her employer and her son off at college - both change the trajectory of her future.
Well done!
Thanks to NetGalley, Storm Publishing and Caroline Young for the eARC.
December 30, 2025
Megan and Beth grew up together on the Isle of Anglesey. They were best friends until the end of high school when Beth betrayed their friendship and then took off to university. She vowed never to return, but then she and her husband divorce, she starts to find her job difficult, and her father dies. She decides that it is time to relieve her younger brother of some of the responsibilities that she had landed on him when she left, and return to help her mother, but will Megan be able to forgive her?
This is the third book in the welcome to Anglesey series. It is the first that I have read, and it can be read as a standalone. It is about friendship, family and forgiveness, and coming together as a community to pick up the pieces and support each other in rebuilding relationships.
A very enjoyable, well written book.
Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and author for letting me read a copy of this book in return for my honest review.
This is the third book in the welcome to Anglesey series. It is the first that I have read, and it can be read as a standalone. It is about friendship, family and forgiveness, and coming together as a community to pick up the pieces and support each other in rebuilding relationships.
A very enjoyable, well written book.
Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and author for letting me read a copy of this book in return for my honest review.
August 26, 2024
I was invited by the publisher to review this book. This book is part of an established series that I have not read before, but I was glad to learn through the text that I did not need to read the prior books in order to understand this book. The book follows Beth, who returns home after her father dies, and gets swept up in memories of her life on an island before she left to pursue the city and her dreams. While there, Beth crosses path with her former best friend, Megan, and Megan's brother, Ioan (who had feelings for Beth long ago). Beth winds up confronting her past, wrongs, and misunderstandings, but also relationships and the island itself.
This was a well-paced book that discussed our mistakes, but also hope and healing after time. Also, I enjoyed that the island was a character.
Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This was a well-paced book that discussed our mistakes, but also hope and healing after time. Also, I enjoyed that the island was a character.
Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
September 8, 2024
I really enjoyed this book and very grateful to have been given the opportunity to read an advanced copy.
I loved the opening chapter where we met Beth and Megan initially and found out their background before jumping forward to present day and the crux of the novel.
When we first meet Beth, the London version, she is not the nicest version of herself. She gets a call to have to deal with the death of her father, and consequences following this, and come back to her childhood home at the last minute. She is met with hostility initially by her ex-neighbours and childhood friends.
This is both a family tale and a love story for Beth herself personally and getting to know and fall in love with Anglesey again, dealing with mistakes and gaining forgiveness from friends and family, along with learning family history. Beth has to learn about herself and deal with her, and her family's past, for a new start - for herself, her friends and the village.
I loved the opening chapter where we met Beth and Megan initially and found out their background before jumping forward to present day and the crux of the novel.
When we first meet Beth, the London version, she is not the nicest version of herself. She gets a call to have to deal with the death of her father, and consequences following this, and come back to her childhood home at the last minute. She is met with hostility initially by her ex-neighbours and childhood friends.
This is both a family tale and a love story for Beth herself personally and getting to know and fall in love with Anglesey again, dealing with mistakes and gaining forgiveness from friends and family, along with learning family history. Beth has to learn about herself and deal with her, and her family's past, for a new start - for herself, her friends and the village.
September 11, 2024
Beth's father dies unexpectedly, so she returns from her high-powered job in London to the remote, island windmill where she grew up to help out with her mother's care. During her time in London, she lost touch with her childhood best friend, whom she hurt deeply before escaping to the big city. Now that she has returned home, she hopes that her friend will forgive her and that they can find a path forward to a renewed friendship.
This is an easy, enjoyable read about complex, island-dwelling people and the sometimes inhospitable, but beautiful place that they call home. The characters relate to one another in believable ways, and though the story unfolds predictably, it does so in a smooth and flowing way, just like one season into another on the island.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
This is an easy, enjoyable read about complex, island-dwelling people and the sometimes inhospitable, but beautiful place that they call home. The characters relate to one another in believable ways, and though the story unfolds predictably, it does so in a smooth and flowing way, just like one season into another on the island.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
August 27, 2024
Thank you to Storm Publishing and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this great book about friendship, family and second chances. I hadn’t realised that it was part of a series but this can definitely be read as a standalone book. I absolutely loved the characters in this and thought that their individualities came through really well. The main character is Beth who leaves the small Welsh village where she grew up to go to university and eventually work in London. She returns when her father dies but in doing so will need to confront some painful memories from the past. This is beautifully written and has a real sense of community. I really liked how there was an epilogue so that you don’t have any loose ends but how there is also an opening for another book.
September 17, 2024
Beth and Megan lived on a small island in Northern Wales. They were the best of friends - until a boy got between them. Beth went on to college and had a great career. When her mother called her back, when Megan's father died, Megan rediscovers what she had left behind. She also begins to learn deeply held secrets - and that some of her secrets were no secret in this tiny town.
Circumstances cause Megan to decide to stay. There, she begins to spread her wings and grow her roots by reconnecting.
This is a great story of rebirth, regenerating a friendship, finding yourself and your family.
It's a wonderful read. Anytime a Welsh term is used, the English translation immediately follows.
Circumstances cause Megan to decide to stay. There, she begins to spread her wings and grow her roots by reconnecting.
This is a great story of rebirth, regenerating a friendship, finding yourself and your family.
It's a wonderful read. Anytime a Welsh term is used, the English translation immediately follows.
November 12, 2024
This is a new author for me and one that I will be reading more of her books. This is a story of 2 women who were once best friends but separated by misunderstanding and being young. Beth has come home to Anglesey after the death of her father and finds that her mother is deteriorating from the lose. Beth decides to stay on the Island to help her brother Ziggy with their mother, knowing that eventually she will have to face her ex best friend Megan. When the two finally meet, it is strained but they try to find the friendship they once had and find a way to come to terms with the past. This book covers a wide range of topics from friends finding each other to mother/son relationships to new love. It is a book that I highly recommend and plan to read the other books in this series.
August 22, 2024
This is a truly heartwarming book, about teenage mistakes, lost loves, being yourself and second chances. When Beth returns home reluctantly after her father dies, her life changes in so many ways. After she loses her high flying job, she learns along the way what is important to her and her family and friends. Set in Wales in a small community, there's the beauty, the isolation, the knowing of everyone's business and also the support. I particularly enjoyed the re-establishing of Beth’s and Megan's friendship. Thanks to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for an opportunity to read and review this book.
September 4, 2024
I'd read both of the previous entries in this series, and loved them. I liked this; I didn't love it. Yes, it tugged at my emotions, and people showed how good and positive they could be, and the Welsh setting was the unsung star of the show. I loved the way the author included the Welsh and English versions of phrases -- is there any chance that we could hear the pronunciation of the Welsh in an e book? That would be wonderful.
Anyway, the book is a feel-good story with characters you will care about. Mission accomplished.
I received a complimentary copy of the novel from the publisher and Net Galley, and my review is being left freely.
Anyway, the book is a feel-good story with characters you will care about. Mission accomplished.
I received a complimentary copy of the novel from the publisher and Net Galley, and my review is being left freely.
September 28, 2024
This is the first book I've read by Caroline Young and I absolutely adored it. I will certainly be adding her other books to my tbr list.
The characters Caroline has created are so believable, as are their stories.
I love how real they are. Beth and Megan, best friends since childhood, driven apart by jealousy over a boy. How they find their way back to each other, learning to forgive both each other and themselves.
I laughed and cried along with them and their families and friends as they experienced life's ups and downs.
Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the digital ARC. All opinions are my own.
The characters Caroline has created are so believable, as are their stories.
I love how real they are. Beth and Megan, best friends since childhood, driven apart by jealousy over a boy. How they find their way back to each other, learning to forgive both each other and themselves.
I laughed and cried along with them and their families and friends as they experienced life's ups and downs.
Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the digital ARC. All opinions are my own.
February 3, 2025
A truly inspiring tale of self-discovery and growth. Growing up on Anglesey, Beth's aspirations seemed clear-cut: leave, build a successful career, and earn her parents' recognition. However, a painful rift with her closest friend Megan and an unexpected return to her roots for her father's funeral set her on a transformative journey. As Beth navigates the complexities of forgiveness, renewed friendships, and newfound opportunities, she comes to realize that sometimes, the path we choose may not be the one we truly need. With courage and resilience, Beth opens herself up to new possibilities, embracing a brighter, more fulfilling future. Beautifully written and deeply moving.
September 15, 2024
This was book three in this series set in Anglesey, Beth left years ago, it has come home after her father has died. Beth’s son follows soon after dropping out of University. Beth crosses paths with friends that she’s not seen since she’s been eighteen.
This book offers a beautiful exploration of friendship, relationships, and the mixed nature of family. With its relatable characters and emotional richness, it is a compelling read that leaves a lasting impression. An emotional 5 star read.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for a copy.
This book offers a beautiful exploration of friendship, relationships, and the mixed nature of family. With its relatable characters and emotional richness, it is a compelling read that leaves a lasting impression. An emotional 5 star read.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for a copy.
September 1, 2024
This lovely story set in Wales is about two friends seprated for years by a misunderstanding . Beth and Megan are each other best friends; an unfortunated event leads them to be estranged and Beth leaving to pursue a career in England. Years later, returning to be with her mother after her father's death, Beth is reunited with her best friend and strives to regain the friendship that they both had. Beautiful descriptions of Wales and a feel good story that readers will enjoy.
October 28, 2024
Coming home to the Windmill by the Sea is book 3 in the Welcome to Anglesey series. I didn't read they other books yet but they can be read as stand alone books. This book is sweet, sad, and written beautifully. I care for my husband's grandma with dementia and I feel like one of the characters description is relatable. I just really enjoyed this story and would recommend adding it to your TBR.
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