Sea of Lost Love

by Santa Montefiore, Juanita McMahon (Narrator)

A stunning story of loss, love and the summer that changed everything from the number one best-selling author of Songs of Love and War.

1958. Celestria, the charismatic daughter of an aristocratic family, lives in Pendrift Hall, a pale stone mansion with gardens that tumble down to the Cornish sea. It is summer, and the weeks ahead hold the promise of self-discovery and the thrilling possibility of illicit love affairs.

Yet tragedy erupts in paradise when one of the family vanishes. A mysterious note is left behind with the ‘Forgive Me’. Soon Celestria is pulled along a trail of deception, masquerades and mirrors. It will lead her from her idyllic life on the English coast to the orange groves of Southern Italy. It will also lead her to love....

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Roman, Mystery, Italy, Chick Lit

Audible Audio

First published March 8, 2007

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

[Natasa · Rating 3 out of 5]

It took time for me to become interested in this story. I felt too many of the characters were flat, uninteresting, and unreal. However, I found the second half of the book very interesting.

[Noella · Rating 3 out of 5]

Boek vol emotionaliteit, mooie beschrijvingen van de Italiaanse streek, en een mysterie. Niet direct een boek om te koesteren, maar gewoon, wat ik verwacht van een boek van Santa Montefiore. Aangename lectuur, een tikkeltje meeslepend, maar behalve de plot van het mysterie, wel zeer voorspelbaar.

[Hallie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little hard to get into at the beginning, but I liked the twist in this book.

[Leo · Rating 2 out of 5]

I just didn't gel with the story, didn't find it compelling or moving. The characters wasn't fully fleshed out and the plot very slow.

[Krystal · Rating 2 out of 5]

So this started as a 4 and finished as a 2. What a load of rubbish. The mystery was the best part but instead of using it as the glue to give the story purpose it was used as some wishy-washy, barely-there metaphor patched together when it was convenient. There were so many threads that this story could have done without- Father D and the bits concerning religion, Archie & Julia's side story, even the extent of the relationship with her grandather - so much needed to be cut out and/or trimmed. The love theme was easy enough (though an overdone theme to begin with) but there were so many cliches that by the end of it I was rolling my eyes and skipping big chunks to avoid further cringing. Ultimately a disappointment, which I should have just known from the instant I knew the main character's name was Celestria. Gag.

[Bent.viena.puslapi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Knyga išlaikė intrigą iki pat galo. Lengva ir įdomi istorija 👍

[Rhian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book, it is my favourite that I have read in a long time. I didn't have any expectation of what the book would be like when I picked it up but was captured throughout, it was definitely a page turner. I found myself thinking about the characters and the situation long after I had put the book down and even after I had finished the book. I often find myself frustrated with how books end but I really liked this one.

[Laurie · Rating 2 out of 5]

The plot sounds great on the cover, but ultimately it was a disappointment. The characters, including the main heroine, are pretty shallow. The story of her searching for her father sounds like it should be engrossing, but oddly wasn't. The hero she falls in love with is pretty stereotypical and underwhelming. My advice: don't waste your time.

[Sven · Rating 3 out of 5]

Santa Montefiore is een auteur die wel zal gekend zijn bij vele lezers. Montefiore die getrouwd is met Simon Sebag Montefiore, die eveneens auteur is. Samen wonen ze in London maar in de jaren negentig woonde Santa in Buenos Aires. De plaats waar haar moeder geboren was. Daar schreef ze dan ook haar debuutboek Onder De Ombu-Boom.
Deze recensie gaat over een ander boek van haar. Namelijk Het Geheim Van Montague.
Het verhaal?
De familie Montague geniet van een vakantie en van elkaar. Jammer genoeg wordt het geluk verstoord door een mysterieus sterfgeval. Celestria Montague is er aangedaan. Het sterfgeval breekt niet enkel haar hart maar maakt ook een einde aan haar dromen.
Haar grootvader moedigt haar aan om op onderzoek uit te gaan. Ze vertrekt naar Zuid-Italië waar haar geloof in de familie sterk op de proef gesteld wordt en waar ze de liefde vind bij iemand waarvan ze het nooit verwacht had.
Mijn gedacht
Een verhaal over familie en vooral over betrouwbaarheid. Een verhaal die wat kalm start. Je leert eerst de familie kennen en wat over hun achtergrond. Dit is niet slecht want dit help om mee te leven met Celestria in haar zoektocht naar de waarheid.
De schrijfstijl is zoals we gewoon zijn van Montefiore. Ze schetst de omgevingen met woorden op een zodanig mooie manier dat je het gewoon voor uw ogen tot leven ziet komen.
De personages zijn divers qua karakters. Sommige personages leren naarmate het boek vordert zichzelf meer kennen. Het meeleven is er vooral met Celestria. Dit komt voornamelijk omdat ze echt op de voorgrond staat in dit boek.
Het einde brengt nog verschillende verrassingen met zicht mee. Ergens was het wel te verwachtten hoe het ging eindigen maar dit doet niets af aan dit boek.
Conclusie
Een mooi verhaal dat een wat trage verkennende start kent maar naarmate het verhaal vordert meer en meer aan snelheid toeneemt. Personages om van te houden door hun diversiteit in karakters. Terug een mooi boek van Montefiore in haar o zo gekende schrijfstijl.

[Princess78 · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Svaka knjiga je kao mali svijet za sebe. Možeš da je nosiš u ruci, a ipak, prostor koji stvara u tebi je beskonačan" - citat kojeg sam izdvojila i kojeg bi voljela zapamtiti 😊Veoma neobična knjiga, neobični likovi, zapleti... posebno sam uživala u opisima Apulije na jugu Italije. Možda mi je u nekim dijelovima bilo malo dosadno pratiti uzburkane emocije glavne junakinje, koja se na početku zaljubila u svećenika, poslije u umjetnika, između toga imala još jednu vezu i sve to dok se borila s tugom izazvanom misterioznim nestankom svog oca... no, sve u svemu, za jedan ljubić više nego dobra knjiga ;)

[Kirstie · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a bit twee...posh young girl realises that money isnt everything and love conquers all. But nicely written and not too predictable

[Nicola L · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good girly read (3.5 stars)

I’ve only read one of Montefiore’s books before (‘The French Gardener’), which I quite enjoyed, so I didn’t really have any preconceptions about this novel either way. I was in the mood for a relaxed, girly romantic read though and the cover and summary suggested that this might fit my requirements- it just screams tranquil days on a beach.

The novel starts in summer in Cornwall in the late 1950’s at the home of the wealthy Montague family. We meet various characters, including spoiled Celestria, her American mother Pamela and her larger than life, loveable father ‘Monty.’ Celestria seems to have absolutely everything going for her- not only is her family wealthy but she is also very beautiful. Despite this though, she remains a rather shallow and fickle character- until the apparent suicide of her father. Celestria is convinced that Monty never would have killed himself and sets out to unravel the mystery of what really happened, on a journey that takes her from Cornwall to London to remote Southern Italy.

I found this to be quite an engaging read. The descriptions were good, if perhaps a little bit flowery in places and the characters were fairly well drawn. I appreciated the journey that Celestria made through the novel as she remains the main protagonist and the reader gets to know her the best. I also loved Mrs Waynebridge (Waynie). I felt that the settings of Cornwall and Italy were well-depicted, though this book has made me long for a holiday! I also liked how preconceptions of some of the other characters were turned on their heads as the story progressed.

Overall, though this was a good read, as an atheist I did find some of the religious overtones and constant references to Catholicism and the church to be a bit much. This is down to personal preference though, so don’t let this put you off! Also, some bits of the plot were admittedly a bit contrived for my liking and I did find that the romantic aspect of the story seemed a bit rushed- again, down to personal preference more than anything else.

Nevertheless, if you are looking for a good girly read to curl up with and while away a few hours and you are a fan of Cathy Kelly or Erica James, then you could certainly do a lot worse than give this book a go too. I think this would make a great holiday book- especially if you are fortunate enough to be sat in the sun whilst reading it!

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked up an advanced reader copy of this at work. It's not my normal thing, which I could tell right away, but Ipushed on anyway. It wasn't awful, necessarily -- just very predictable. Whether it was the fate of the main character's father, the love stories, the twists, what-have-you; every plot point was quite easy to guess.

I thought the style was Noel Barber-lite; it lacked the historical depth and epic quality, but it there was something about it which felt similar. The romance of this book was extremely cringe-worthy, in my opinion, but not off-putting enough to make me stop reading it.

I did like the female characters though. They were flawed, not the complete caricatures they could've been, yet you empathized with them. That helped the book, in my opinion. Also, for as much as it wasn't my normal thing, I could not help but get sucked into it.

Overall, it's something to read if you just want something extremely light.

[Dark-Draco · Rating 3 out of 5]

I actually quite liked this, considering this is not me favourite genre, but I did find myself quite happily becoming distracted by the goings on in the book.

Yes, the plot twists weren't exactly original and you could see them coming a mile off - yes, you knew everyone would have a happy ending - and yes, the main character learned a rather obvious life lesson. But it was a nice, light, entertaining read.

My only niggles was Celestria's sudden falling in love - that's the only thing that wasn't really set up well ahead of time (except by the conventions of the genre!). To me, there was no real justification given for her sudden change of mind - it just felt odd.

And I also thought they let Monty get away with too mush - without giving the plot away, I would never have ended the investigation there and the reason given was a bit weak.

But apart from that, a relatively good read and an author I will probably return to again in the future.

[Amanda Robnson · Rating 2 out of 5]

The plot of this kept me reading but it reads as if it was written by an overly-romantic teenager. The action takes place in England and Italy after WWII but really could have been any time in the 20th century so little detail is there, apart from fulsome descriptions of the idyllic Cornwall country house and Puglian convent settings. Some of the plot twists are so heavily foreshadowed you can practically hear the machinery clanking behind the scenes and the author finds the device of having one character loudly criticise another, unaware they are being overheard in next room so clever, she employs this several times. Romantic fluff for those who find Rosamund Pilcher too taxing.

[gabi · Rating 1 out of 5]

a story of a rich upper-class british family who’s father ‘supposedly’ commits suicide; the characters were flat and uninteresting, anytime the priest from Cornwall was mentioned it was also mentioned how sexually aroused he was by the daughter of said family, and frankly it was a struggle to get through this book.

the twist was uninteresting and in my eyes predictable and there was absolutely no mystery nor suspence within this novel. It was more of a romance than a murder mystery if anything but even that is a stretch.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some decent prose but I agree that this book could have been set anywhere and anytime in the 20th Century as the historic references and descriptions lacked any depth. Did anyone else notice that Celestria wore blue, like most of the time? And, like all the characters, was very lightly developed. I also agree that the plot "twists" were totally predictable. Still, I don't necessarily wish I had those hours back that I spent reading. It does hold your interest. Nice, light beach read.

[Anita · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book should have been called the Sea of found love! It tells the story of one man's selfishness and how his acts impact all those around him- his daughter, wife, siblings, and many more. The daughter that he thought was spoiled and demanding evolves into a woman who learns what is truly important in life.

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I nearly always like Santa Montifiore novels, the way they move from one era to another or to another country and back, and I did like this one very much but I do find with her books that they are a bit "gentle" and nice and almost cosy even with the intrigues and way the story unfolds. but nevertheless they are a good read

[Lisa M · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite not liking the main character, Celestria, I found myself enjoying this book. It had some drama, mystery and romance and was hugely descriptive of beautiful Cornwall and Puglia. I haven't read any of Santa's stories for years and forgot how much I appreciate them - I'm looking forward to reading more of her work now I'm reacquainted with it!

[Tiffany · Rating 1 out of 5]

Tried to read it, but could not get intrested in it, and finally gave up.

[Janet Ford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book by Santa

This book gripped me from the very beginning all the way to the end. Excellent. I can't wait to read another one!

[Anja Pribojac · Rating 4 out of 5]

Malo zbrzana na kraju ali sve u svemu zanimljiva i laka knjiga za čitanje.

[Amina Hujdur · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zanimljiva priča. Živopisni opisi Italije.

[Alicewillett112 · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
Based on the blurb i thought a lot more of this book was going to be set in Italy than it was. It really did take a while to get going but the second part was quite enjoyable. Also for a romance book the romance part felt quite sudden, I definitely think that could have been built on more and made more of a slow burn.

[Anna · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is for you if you like Harlequinesque fairy tales where the out-of-this-world stunningly gorgeous, thin heroine is also unimaginably rich, and spoiled, yet amazingly well read/spoken at the age of 21. At the outset, I thought I might like this book,as the first paragraph caught my attention and of course, the cover art was attractive. The first half of the book wasn’t too bad, but once daddy died, the story became fantastical and even absurd.i found the main character’s Celestria( even the name was 🙄 )personality was not at all likeable, and when I don’t like the main character, I rarely lIke the book. The writing itself seemed to deteriorate as the book went on, and I found myself rolling my eyes on more than one occasion.
What did I like about the book, allowing me to allot two stars instead of one? The scenery was well described, both in Cornwall, and in Italy. What also bothered me was when I looked Puglia up on my map app, I found two towns by that name in Italy, neither of the in the “heel of the boot”, nor on a coast. Also there seemed to be several characters who were described as being “wide-hipped” as though that was reason enough for the reader to view them askance. The love scenes were cliche’d, and the Scottish love interest was a predictable stereotype whom the main character of course hated before knowing he was meant to be her partner for life. Like I said my eyes got lots of rolling exercise. I suspect this book was written for a younger readership than myself, and instead of being filed under general fiction at the library should have been in the romance section, which I avoid. Disappointing read, a waste of time really, in my opinion.

[Hannie Snels · Rating 5 out of 5]

Het geheim van Montagne. van Santa Montefiore.

Voor mij is dit het allereerste boek dat ik van deze bekende auteur gelezen heb. Wat schrijft zij toch fantastisch en op een erg prettige manier.

Santa Montefiore is in 1970 geboren en een Britse schrijfster en geboren onder de naam Santa Palmer - Tomkinson.

De cover van dit boek ziet er dromerig uit en echt iets wat men wil gaan lezen.
Hier een korte samenvatting van het verhaal:
Zomer 1958. Een rijke, aristocratische familie geniet in Cornwall van een idyllische vakantie. Hun geluk wordt echter verstoord door een bizar sterfgeval. De tragische gebeurtenis breekt het hart van de jonge Celestria Montague – en maakt bovendien een abrupt einde aan haar dromen.

Er worden schoenen met losse veters gevonden aan de kust en verderop in zee drijft het bootje van Monty. Heeft hij zelfmoord gepleegd en waar is dan zijn stoffelijk overschot, of is hij soms ontvoerd?
Een inspecteur komt erbij en men gaat op onderzoek uit. De hele familie blijft diep verslagen achter.

Het is een prachtig verhaal waar ook de nodige spanning inzit. Erg prettig om te lezen en ik zal dan ook zeker nog de andere boeken van Santa Montefiore gaan lezen. Zij heeft nog veel andere geschreven.
Ik geef voor dit boek 5 sterren.

[Dana Gabriela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Celestria, își petrece vacanța de vară, a anului 1958 împreună cu familia la reșidința din Pendrift Hall, un conac străvechi din Cornwall, care fusese căminul familiei Montague timp de generații întregi.
Archie Montague urmează să-și sărbătorească a cinzecea aniversare, un eveniment fastuos ce trebuia să fie cel mai important din acea vară, care a curmat însă cu dispariția ui Robert Montague, tatăl Celstriei.
În timp ce toată familia este îndoliată crezând că acesta s-a lăsat pradă valurilor mării, pentru a nu suporta rușinea de a-i lăsa faliți, Celestria crede cu tărie că tatăl său nu ar fi făcut așa ceva. Încurajată de bunicul său s-o facă pe detectiva, ancheta o poartă în ținuturile Pugliei, undeva în sudul Italiei, unde află adevăruri care o vor schimba.

[Christiana · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am finding this Extremely slow going and not necessarily in my current theme of happy and light things only, but at over 150 pages in and nothing better to read, I'll muddle through.

Oh boy where to begin ... this book was bad, just bad.

I found myself thinking -well at least the author got the Italian sentences right. :-)

[Lois · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ugh. We were fated to loathe each other, the prose and characters didn't help.
Since I have a low pain threshold, gave up on early - I can like some bloody awful chicklit, as long as it has a fun spark, but I find these type of plodding chick lit dire.