Hvor lyset falder

by Mary Ellen Taylor, Camilla Qvistgaard Dyssel (Narrator)

Ivy Neale vender tilbage sin hjemby Nags Head i North Carolina, da hun arver sin bedstemors hytte ved havet. Hun elsker stedet, men hjemkomsten betyder også et gensyn med hendes tidligere bedste veninde og den kæreste, som svigtede hende for mange år siden.

Men der er andre skeletter i skabet end hendes egne. Da hun rydder op i sin bedstemors ting, dukker der skæbnesvangre oplysninger op om en hændelse, der fandt sted på det helt vidunderlige strandhotel, hendes familie ejede i sin tid...

Mens Ivy forsøger at komme overens med fortiden, kommer der en ny mand ind i hendes liv. Kan hun finde harmoni på dette sted, som rummer så mange følelsesladede minder?

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance, Mystery, Historical, Chick Lit, Contemporary

Audible Audio

First published June 7, 2022

About the author

A southerner by birth, Mary Ellen Taylor’s love of her home state of Virginia and its past is evident in her contemporary women's fiction novels, from her first THE UNION STREET BAKERY to her latest, THE WORDS WE WHISPER, which debuts July 20, 2021. Her novels explore issues of family, home and belonging and entwine the past and present.
Richmond born, Mary Ellen has lived there most of her life. Alongside writing, cooking and baking are important creative outlets for Mary Ellen, who's been known to name recipes in honor of her characters. Just a few years ago, she earned her Baking and Pastry Arts Certificate at the University of Richmond's Culinary Arts Program. "In some ways, I liken baking to my efforts as a writer. You need to learn the basic tools of the trade before you can push the limits and create a distinctive sweet dessert or savory novel.”
Mary Ellen is also known nationally as New York Times and USA Today bestselling suspense novelist Mary Burton. Together, they have published forty-five novels, with Mary Burton’s latest, NEAR YOU, debuting April 13, 2021.
When not traveling or holed up writing, she and her husband spend time alternately enjoying their empty nest and spoiling their miniature dachshunds, Buddy, Bella and Tiki.

Reviews

[Irene · Rating 3 out of 5]

Confusing family lines. Wish I found the family tree at the start.

[Dona's Books]

This book has *no* conflict. Everyone sits around and eats and feels things, but nothing ever actually happens!

For example, THE BRIGHTER THE LIGHT is supposed to be at least in part a romance, but I'm halfway through and I'm really not sure who the objects d'amor even are supposed to be.

Ruth (or is it Ivy?) is very difficult to connect with as a protagonist because she keeps changing ages, and unfortunately Taylor doesn't handle the transitions deftly. As a result, these two "characters" read like two different characters.

I really think this book needs a plot.

*edit I'm aware things occur in the storyline of this book that I did not read because I quit at the halfway mark. Thank you to my fellow readers who continue to point this out. When I say the book has no conflict, I mean that Taylor doesn't utilize the tension these events create in the earlier pages of the book to build interest. She doesn't indicate where everything is heading. There's no shape to this story, the narrative arc is flat for too long before she introduces the good stuff. That is what I mean when I say "no conflict."

I understand lots of people love this book! I'm a stickler for form, so I didn't. But I'm seriously happy for those who did. All my bookish joy to you!📚🍎

DNF 50% Closed July 2022
Recommended for fans of contemporary women's fiction (who don't care about proper conflict, narrative arc, or form in general)

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story

There's alot of family history thrown in here and it gets just a bit confusing at times but the writing is good and it is worth sticking around for the story.

[Constantine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ ½
Genre: Historical Fiction

Ivy needs to go back to Nags Head, North Carolina, to claim her inheritance. She inherits her family's beachfront property after her grandmother passes away. What Ivy is uncomfortable with is that she will have to confront her closest friend and the lover who deceived her years ago. Once there, she will learn about her grandmother’s past in the 1950s and how the arrival of a singer was a life changer for her.

This was an interesting story told in a dual timeline. This is a trope I usually do not enjoy. I liked the 1950s story more than the 2022 one. The continuous jumping between the two timeframes was tedious for me. If I knew this was written in such a format, I would have avoided it completely.

Despite not enjoying the format, I did enjoy the past timeframe. I think the author captured the atmosphere of the 1950s beautifully, and the characters in that time frame were interesting and well developed. Ruth was a more vibrant character, and her story appealed to me more. I did not care for Ivy and her story. If you enjoy stories with dual timelines, I think you will like this one. To me, the 2022 storyline was just a slog that lowered the entertainment value of the book.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

This dual time line novel gives us Ruth's story in 1950 and her granddaughter Ivy's story in 2022 and they center around the Seaside Resort in Nags Head, North Carolina. Both time lines are very interesting and well written and blended together perfectly.

Ruth is 12 years old and living in Nags Head. Her parents own a small motel and she works hard to keep the rooms clean and the renters happy. She's an only child and lonely but this summer, her 14 year old cousin, Tally, has come from the mountains to help out at the Seaside Resort and they become friends. That summer of 1950 was totally booked at the Seaside resort and even though Ruth and Tally work hard, they always find time for adventure. This summer is different from previous years - an old shipwreck appeared on the beach after a big storm. Plus a beautiful singer, Carlotta comes to the hotel to be the entertainer for a few weeks.

Ivy has returned to the Outer Banks after the death of her grandmother, Ruth. Her plan is to clean out Ruth's house, sell the cottage and go back to New York. She had lefts Nags head right after high school graduation and left behind her two best friends with no explanations of why she was leaving. They haven't forgiven her for leaving them and she knows that she'll need to face them.. After a large storm, the same shipwreck is washed up on the beach and creates a lot of interest for people in the area. As Ruth goes through her grandmothers piles of junk, she finds some gems that help her understand the mystery of her grandmother's early life.

Both Ruth and Ivy were braver and more tenacious than they realized. They both spent their childhoods working at the Seaside Resort and they are both trying to uncover secrets from past generations. Ruth wants to find out who her birth mother is and thinks it may be Carlotta. Ivy wants to find out about her grandmother's life and finds that Ruth has left her some hints in the stacks of stuff that she had in her home. Ivy also has to contend with two old friends and a potential romance when she is forced to decide whether to go back to NYC or stay in the Outer Banks.

What can be better than a southern fiction novel to read during a cold and dreary winter day. Southern fiction is my favorite genre and somehow I missed Mary Ellen Taylor's books. She's now on my list of favorite southern authors and I won't miss another one of her books in the future and plan to order some of her earlier books. This book is full of secrets, family, lost friends and missed opportunities over two generations of the same family. If you enjoy a great book with likable characters, you don't want to miss this book!

Thanks to the author for a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just meh. Too formulaic, predictable Hallmark Channel type story for me. And yet another in a long, long line of overdone, tired dual story lines. I am so OVER these dual story lines. If I wanted to read two books at once, I would read two books. And there’s a reason I DON’T - it’s hard enough to keep one story line straight!

Lots of characters who seem to be confusingly connected, and their connection is revealed at the end with a family tree. Why at the end, you ask? Because it would spoil the whole book of it were at the beginning.

I also don’t care for books where a group of 30 somethings are still fixated on what happened in high school. It’s TWELVE+ years ago. Move on, people.

[Carolyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Whenever I give less than 3 stars, I feel I need an explanation. I could’ve used an explanation myself, about 1/2 way through the book. When you need to provide a family tree in an epilogue to clarify what happened over the course of the book, there’s been a muddled narrative. Providing that tree at the outset, of course, would’ve spoiled the whole thing. I think that the author was trying to cram too many different yet interwoven stories in at once - tangling the threads and dangling a few.

It held my attention, and was an otherwise pleasant dual timeline coming of age tale(s) so there’s that. I always enjoy a Hallmark-y story with a seaside setting as a diversion now and again.

[Linda Langford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story. Many unexpected twists and turns. Timeline switches back and forth from the 1950’s to present time; however, I found it easy to keep focus on what happened in the past, and what was happening in the present. I highly recommend this story.

[Lynda Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oooh, my Kindle First choice this month, and a good one but it lost itself a star with a couple of real spelling howlers, one which made me gasp aloud !! Sorry, but it's not good enough and ought to have been picked up. Simple as that.
A lovely cover on my copy.....it is a pretty good story but take it from me, you need to REALLY concentrate as there are a lot of characters and differing timelines and trying to figure out who was related to who and remembering who lived where in which timeline is hard work, so you do have to pay attention. I did and still had to flick back 'n' forth quite a few times to remember who was who and who they were married to, etc....Also, some secrets never did get resolved, which I guess you can choose to do yourself, but I'd prefer the author tied up all the loose ends.
But the errors I happened upon really should have been tidied up by any decent editor. She writes french not French, more than once, venders not vendors (my gasping moment) and cord not chord.
She wrote about a rearview mirror in a car catching a nervous smile but the other person wasn't sitting in the back, as all their worldly possessions were there, we were already told. The dialogue on the same car journey from a 4 year old didn't ring true, either. I don't have kids but I don't know any child that young who is that voluble but makes sense !! A couple of characters, such as Ivy's mum, didn't even get a namecheck till we were quite a ways in (255 pages), which also irritated me a little.
I needed to Google sticker shock as I'd not heard of it. It sounds a lovely area, the Outer Banks and she certainly described it well to us and took us along for the ride. The sea-wreck was fascinating, in that it often disappeared for decades. We have one on my local beach but it only disappears beneath a high tide, and is always there at low !!
I think I'd read another by her but not again if I happened upon howlers like I saw here.

[Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

I almost quit this Amazon Prime freebie many times. I was just too lazy to find another book to read. Too many clichés, confusing characters, and tiresome dialogue made the first half slow-going, although it got better in the second half. As the story begins, Ivy, 29, inherits the Seaside Resort in South Carolina, where she grew up. That’s not so much of a gift because it has been trashed by a hurricane. She plans to clean out her grandmother’s cabin, sell it, and go back to her life as a chef in New York. But the ties of home pull on her. Plus some of the keepsakes she finds raise questions she needs to answer, and there’s this handsome man who also might be a good reason to stay. Didn’t we see this on the Hallmark channel? Suddenly we switch to 1950 and enter the point of view of Ivy’s grandmother, Ruth, when she was 12 years old. Ruth was adopted by Edna and Jake, who owned the resort back then. Mysteries, secrets about parentage, a shipwreck, and a murder ensue. There’s a lot going on, and I keep getting confused between Ivy’s story and Ruth’s story. Halfway through, chapters in other characters’ points of view appear. In the end, all the beans are spilled, and Ivy makes the obvious choice. Maybe it’s just me, but this is not Taylor’s best.

[Jeanne Adamek · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like Mary Ellen Taylor usually but this book felt messy.

[Janet · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unfortunately, I paid for this book. I should have waited for the Hallmark movie as I wouldn't have spent time finding typos, poor editing and one of the worst family trees I've come across in the BACK of the book. War and Peace was easier and faster to read than this dual storyline.
This book wasn't the light and breezy summer read I had hoped for. My rating isn't based on my personal taste but on inconsistencies, poor editing, that damn family tree and Ivy's need for some grit.

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book just didn’t do it for me. It has a lot of potential but the dialogue was stilted and the characters were really lacking in emotion. Their relationships with each other and through time were so confusing that it was almost impossible to understand the family secrets. Kinda had to slog my way through this one to finish it.

[Judy Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

New York Times bestselling southern author delights with this captivating summertime escape set in Nags Head, NC where a woman searches for clues to her family's hidden past.

THE BRIGHTER THE LIGHT is luminous, evocative, and full of hidden secrets of the past to sweep you away. MET's books continue to draw you in with delectable delights, well-developed characters, and vivid settings that will warm your heart. I resonated with Ruth going back to my teen years, and this one checked all the boxes for me, exceeding all expectations.

What is NOT to LOVE? You will savor and treasure this one.

Nags Head, North Carolina 1950s, dual timelines, with nostalgic summer vacations, shipwrecks, and mysteries of the past. A story of strong independent women, mothers, daughters, sisters, and female friendships with a bit of romance. I am a gal from the 50s and I was in heaven reading this beautifully rendered and thought-provoking tale of love, forgiveness, and sacrifice.

In depression-era families, our parents and grandparent notoriously kept things close to their belts and were avid secret keepers. They were also keepers of special things. Typically, they will die, taking their secrets with them and the families have no clue often about the juicy secrets or their scandalous intriguing pasts.

Ruth Wheeler grew up working at her parents' Seaside Resort in Nags Head in the 1950s. Her parents, Edna and Jake, were forthcoming as they could be when some woman had delivered a baby at the resort, and they adopted her.

So who is the biological mom?

Ruth had a burning desire to know more about each woman who came to the resort year after year—could this be her mom? She and her cousin, Talley visiting for the summer from Asheville, NC loved working there and visiting with the enigmatic beautiful cruise singer, Carlotta who happened to stay at the resort and she dreamed this may be her mom.

Ivy, Ruth's granddaughter, grew up working in the resort and left for New York after school and has been a successful chef in New York. She now has inherited the cottage after Ruth's death. She left her two best friends to start a life in New York and things were not left on the best of terms.

She returns to clean out the house and prepares to sell it to get on with her future. However, when emptying out the house she discovers an old camera, photos that had been taken, and that Ruth was a talented artist, plus many more hidden secrets. Did she really know her grandmother?

In her quest to learn more about her grandmother, she uncovers people that were important to her grandmother. She also mends some fences with her past friends, the possibility of a new career and life, and develops a romance/friendship with an old friend.

How far will we go to protect those we love?

Told from a twelve-year-old Ruth and current-day Ivy's perspectives, we learn about actual events from the summer of 1950 that significantly impacted Ivy's life. From legendary fascinating shipwrecks, hurricanes, ghosts from the past, and intriguing summer people with secrets— a story of family, the importance of home, and the ties that bind.

This magical tale captures the women's resilience and hopeful desire for new beginnings.

Taylor's evocative tale is a love letter to Nag's Head and the coastal Carolina summers, past and present. I LOVED IT! This perfect beach read escape will transcend you—an ideal choice for book clubs and further discussions.

For fans of authors— Viola Shipman, Mary Kay Andrews, Kristy Woodson Harvey, Dorothea Benton Frank, Mary Alice Monroe, Karen White, and Wendy Wax. I enjoyed the family tree diagram at the end of the book.

A long-time fan of this incredibly talented southern storyteller, Mary Ellen Taylor, and one of my favorite authors, I have read all her books under MET and most of the thriller suspense books under her Mary Burton title. Every book is top-notch.

A Must Read! If you have not read her books, you are missing out! If you like thrillers, look for Mary Burton's The Lies I Told, coming August 2, 2022.

Blog Review Posted @
www.JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: July 1, 2022
My Rating: 5 STARS
Top June/July Must-Read Books
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[Grey's Books · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eh

I usually like that first reads gets me to read books outside my favorite genres, but I read this and I still have no idea what the whole point of the story was. I thought it was going to be a 'finding yourself' story from the description, but if the heroine found her place in the world, which is debatable, it occurred in the epilogue not the actual book. I guess I would classify this book as a women's fiction book with concurrent stories set in 2022 with 29-year-old Ivy Neale as a heroine, and set in 1950 with her grandmother, Ruth Wheeler as a 12-year-old. Both stories are told from multiple viewpoints and family secrets are revealed. I'm just kind of left there thinking so what. Also, I found the current day heroine too wishy washy. I didn't feel I knew, understood, or believed her character at all. Overall, partly not my cup of tea, partly objective issues with the book.





*****Spoiler Alert*****
This Book Includes
Violence. Attempted rape thwarted, domestic abuse, murder by drowning.
Sex. None - brief reference to losing virginity, after kisses a guy he leaves in morning.

[aPriL does feral sometimes · Rating 2 out of 5]

‘The Brighter the Light’ by Mary Elle Taylor is a domestic cozy which ultimately bored me to death. I really really tried to like this because it IS so well-written! I read (well, occasionally skimmed) to the end, ever hopeful that in resolving the mystery of who was Ruth’s mother, which ultimately was the only reason I continued, I would feel pleased at finishing. No, not. This novel is simply not of a type I enjoy much. Why and how did I pick it up? Because it was one of the “kindle unlimited” books Amazon offered for its Epic Summer Challenge. It popped up as a suggested read.

If you read an ebook every day for a month, starting in July, Kindle members unlock achievements. Ok, ok, I bought in, mostly because as those of you who follow me are aware, I read at least a chapter of a book every day normally. Plus, the cover blurb indicated a mystery was involved. And, there was a mystery, but it was thoroughly buried under layers of seemingly millions of pages (to me) of detailed family domesticity.

I have copied the book blurb:

”From the bestselling author of Honeysuckle Season comes an evocative dual-timeline novel detailing one woman’s journey to discover the hidden stories of her family’s seaside resort.

When a shipwreck surfaces, old secrets are sure to follow.

Or so goes the lore in Ivy Neale’s hometown of Nags Head, North Carolina. When Ivy inherits her family’s beachfront cottage upon her grandmother’s death, she knows returning to Nags Head means facing the best friend and the boyfriend who betrayed her years ago.

But then a winter gale uncovers the shipwreck of local legend—and Ivy soon begins to stumble across more skeletons in the closet than just her own. Amid the cottage’s clutter are clues from her grandmother’s past at the enchanting seaside resort her family once owned. One fateful summer in 1950, the arrival of a dazzling singer shook the staff and guests alike—and not everyone made it to fall.

As Ivy contends with broken relationships and a burgeoning romance in the present, the past threatens to sweep her away. But as she uncovers the strength of her grandmother and the women who came before her, she realizes she is like the legendary shipwreck: the sands may shift around her, but she has found her home here by the sea.”


Ivy Neale spent twelve years learning how to be a chef by cooking for the owners of a New York restaurant. When her grandmother Ruth dies from natural causes - she was 84 years old, Ivy moves back to North Carolina to clean up Ruth’s cottage and sell the land where Ruth’s seaside resort had been. A hurricane had completely blown the resort away, and only the cottage had been left standing. Ivy hopes to sell her grandmother’s cottage and start at some new job somewhere away from Nag’s Head.

Ivy had left Nag’s Head after graduation from high school. She left behind two childhood friends, Dani Manchester and Matthew Peterson. Ivy had agreed to go into some sort of business with Dani and Matthew after high school. Matthew was her boyfriend. At the last minute, Ivy decided she did not want to spend the rest of her life in Nag’s Head, never seeing big cities or traveling. She broke the news to Dani and Matthew who got very angry, but Dani left despite the disappointment of her friends. One of the things she needed to do when she returned to Nag’s Head was smooth over her relationships with Dani and Matthew.

Ruth had been adopted by Edna and Jacob Wheeler, the original owners of Seaside Resort. They had loved her very much. From her earliest memory, Ruth lived and worked at Seaside Resort with her adoptive parents. Life was ordinary except for the work Ruth needed to do to help her parents run the hotel. One summer, 1950, a singer came, hired by Edna and Jacob to entertain their tourists. The singer, Carlotta DiSalvo, was beautiful and talented. Ruth, being twelve years old, sort of wanted Carlotta to be her birth mother, and so she never forgot her. But Ruth and Talley, Ruth’s cousin, worked at the resort, met interesting tourists, and enjoyed the beach, having fun, too.

The book changes narration from Ivy to Ruth to Edna to Carlotta. The plot moves back and forth from 1950 to 2022. A wrecked ship that foundered in the 1800’s makes its appearance on the beach in 1950 and in 2022, apparently the wind and erosion exposes it every once and awhile. It fascinates everyone. People tell ghost stories about the people who drowned when the ship was wrecked. The stories amuse the listeners, especially the children. The ship seems to cause some people to wonder if its appearance is mystically important, a message.

Ivy notices one of the construction workers is quite handsome. But she has no intention of staying. She will leave as soon as she wraps up her grandmother’s legal affairs.

It is a pure domestic cozy, gentle reader. So. No character will really be at all discomfited by anything they find out.

Hmmm. I like chic-lit which features feisty or funny characters. This book has none of that. These are serious-minded characters who keep busy at making a living, doing house maintenance, running their businesses and raising children. They work at minimizing emotions, trying to be decent to each other. I do like mysteries, and there is a mystery, but it was diluted by everyday homemaking, cooking, kids being kids, and everyone working hard to restore friendly relationships. The Big Reveal is more of a slightly interesting development that helps the characters decide on certain paths they will take as a result of becoming closer to each other. I’m sure many of you will love this, very reminiscent of 1950 southern Americana (I suppose), story of small-town family history and relationships. Quite calming.

[Rennetta · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was poorly written. Dialogue was stilted. Somehow, the editor let errors through. For example, the litter of puppies contained one male and two females. However, at one point, someone picked up "the largest male" puppy. He was the only male. Some phrases were repetitive. We heard multiple times that the funeral was a blur of faces, and that Dalton was a man in command of his environment. The plot was fairly interesting, but the characters were flat and lifeless. I enjoyed the notion of imperfect people loving each other anyway, but as delivered, I wasn't sure who actually cared for eachother or why.

[Vickie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Told in a dual timeline with multiple points of view, this book included one revelation after another about family secrets, heritage and friendships. Ivy is the granddaughter featured in the present (2022) and her grandmother Ruth is the narrator for the part of the story set in the 1950’s. In her story, Ruth was a pre-teen, helping her mom Edna run the Seaside Resort, a beach inn on the OBX. When Ruth dies, Ivy returns home from NYC to sort through her things and to sell her cottage. All of the gamut of emotions are part of the storyline, beginning when Ivy reflects back on her leaving Nags Head and her return to say farewell again. Meanwhile, there are many characters involved in making the story work and tug at heart strings. My favorite was Talley, a no-nonsense cousin who counts it a blessing to be working at the beach alongside Ruth. Of course, I enjoyed all of the characters and how well-rounded they were. As a child of the 50’s, I could relate to the small town feel and how Edna, Ruth’s mother, had so much influence in the little beach town. The relationships were complicated, with a lot of forgiveness necessary in order for the people to move on in their lives. I was amazed at how quickly Dani forgave Ivy for leaving her behind. Matthew, Ivy’s love interest at one time, was the most shallow character and did not seem to add a lot to the story except for the conflict about Ivy’s choices in the past and what her choice will be for the future. That was fine because he played only a minor role in unraveling the web of the tale. Ruth, the most interesting character, was multi-layers, hiding secrets from the people closest to her and dealing with a secret past of her own. I enjoyed this character-driven story set in an idyllic place, perfect for a vacation read to let your mind imagine those characters living where you are staying. My mind was actively engaged from beginning to end, engrossed in the lives of each character and invested in their making good decisions for the future. Oh, and the puppies! Ivy found a mama dog, named her Libby and adopted her. An adorable addition to the story and a welcome intermission from the human drama that unfolded rapidly and unceasingly. With the fast pace of the plot and the human qualities of the characters, this is a wonderful story to read, enjoy and discuss in a book group.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was yet another "first read" selection from Amazon's prime member program. I never do enjoy the books but somehow I made it through to the end on this one. The long slog through memories and uncovering of secrets goes on until finally wrapped in a bow.

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am afraid I did not think the writing itself was very good. And the same for the dialogue. It didn't feel real, but contrived. As to the story it was a bit convoluted but okay.

[Shari Ring Wolf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice…but loose ends

I just forced myself to stay up to finish this story, and for that reason I want to give the book 5 stars. It was a nice read about family lineage, the distaff side, amongst women who didn’t know they were related. Probably. Maybe? I’m not sure, so for that reason I’m going with 4 stars. I don’t know if it’s because I’m very tired, or if the story got too convoluted towards it’s end. The wrap up seemed very disorganized, and there were questions left unanswered that I thought were important. As usual, to pose those questions in a review would create spoilers. If I missed the explanations I’m looking for, then I wonder if it’s me needing sleep, or was it the author not being clear? I do know the dialogue was difficult to follow. I had to back up and re read several conversations to determine who was speaking; that drove me crazy!

However, the setting for the story is beautiful and amazing. It’s set on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, in the Atlantic Ocean, during the summer of 1950, and also present day— earlier this year (2022). The characters were were beautifully developed, particularly the characters in the 1950’s. I loved the dynamics at play between the preteen cousins, and the stoic but loving Edna and her adopted daughter, Ruth. The story celebrates the value of hard work and loyalty to those you love. The story was written with beautiful prose, I thought, for the first half of the book. I felt like this dropped away some as the story progressed. In some ways it felt rushed, the way the last reveals were made. Initially, the author used a unique way of revealing to the reader before the main characters knew the story’s secrets. It seemed the story was unfolding beautifully and naturally, then was suddenly forced to hurry it up, leaving some loose ends.

Still, a nice story, and worth staying up late for.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

I always get drawn right into Mary Ellen Taylor's writing and this book was no different. I loved the OBX setting of this story; the seaside feeling, the tourist season from the townie pov, etc. All of it evoked lovely memories of spending summer vacations by the shore. I guess there were townies who probably thought I was annoying!

What I really enjoyed about this was the relationships between the women both in the modern day timeline and in the past. They weren't perfect or anything close. But they were portrayed in a very realistic and relatable way; ultimately, they conveyed that true friendship sometimes demands unapologetic fierceness and that was something I found refreshing in the days when it seems like much of what's considered "women's literature" revolves around a man.

I also enjoyed the gentle and behind the scenes romance between the modern day heroine and her guy. Some might've found it a little too understated, but I went into this having read almost all of MET's dual timeline fiction stories, and I was expecting it. I appreciated that the hero was a very decent man and didn't seem like man about town. The heroine also had her own past and wasn't some virginal saint waiting for her prince charming. Again, the realism was refreshing.

So why not more stars? I guess I found the historical premise to be a little sad. I also did want just a tad more backstory and page time between the modern MCs. Overall, this was an enjoyable read.

[Kathryn Canan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh, my. How many abandoned babies and/or orphans did this plot need? Did the author manage to avoid a single Hallmark movie cliche? Young woman returns from big city to wrap up her grandmother's affairs, learns about her past, falls in love with someone from high school who is now a hunk, decides to stay. Dizzying time warping with multiple narrators. Mysterious shipwreck that keeps reappearing. Perhaps the side plot about the artist going blind would have been interesting, if the author had followed through on that story at all.

[Brooke796 ☼ · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have one word for this author and her editor: TRANSITIONS!

I can't believe how many times this book went from one scene to the next with no transitions. And then there was the really confusing family tangle.

Besides that, the pacing was horrible. It was way too slow, and it couldn't decide what it wanted to be: a romance, a mystery, a coming of age? A bit of all, but not enough of any.

[BookAddict · Rating 5 out of 5]

Depression era families were excellent secret keepers, and the smaller, more closely knit the community, the greater the chance of those secrets never seeing the light of day. But when the grandmother who raised Ivy Neale leaves her seaside cottage to Ivy, generations of family's secrets are slowly revealed.

Ruth Wheeler grew up working at her parents' Seaside Resort in Nags Head, NC. Edna and Jake were always honest with Ruth about how they came to be her parents – thanks to a woman leaving a baby wrapped in a pink blanket at one of the resort’s cottages in the dark of night.

Ivy Neale left Seaside Resort and Nags Head the day after her high school graduation. Only after her grandmother, Ruth, dies does Ivy return home. Ruth's cottage is cluttered with decades of jetsam from the closed Seaside Resort and personal effects collected over a lifetime. As Ivy sorts through the remains of a bygone era, the secrets of her family’s past begin to unravel, binding Ivy to the home she abandoned in ways she never could have imagined.

Told primarily from a twelve-year-old Ruth and current-day Ivy's perspectives, we learn about pivotal events from the summer of 1950 that significantly impact Ivy's life. With shipwrecks, ghosts, and summer tourists, we find that family will go to greater lengths than we could ever imagine in the name of supporting and protecting each other.

Once again, this masterful storyteller lures the reader in with a laid-back, comfortable style while doling out bits of information that leave the reader hanging on every word. She makes us long for simpler times while illuminating the importance of keeping family history alive for generations to come. Poignant, mesmerizing, and full of heart, this extraordinary saga of family, legacy, and home makes for an enticing reading escape and will be one of your absolute favorite reads this year.

[Foxy Vixen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This takes place in the NC Outer Banks in the present day and in the 1950’s.
This is a book that you want to read at one time, and not put down and come back to.
There are lots of characters that are all interrelated, and the challenge is trying to keep them all straight!
I kept thinking all thru the book, man, I wish there was a Family Tree, and alas, on the very last page, after the Epilogue there is one! NO CHEATING, don’t go look at it.
What a story of very strong women doing what they have to do to protect those that they love!
You know it’s a good book when you have a Mother Dog and 3 puppies… love you Libby.
So… you tell me, is there ghost spirits or not!
My heart goes out to Dani…. Been there doing that… just one day at a time.
Very good read and fast, so grab a cup of coffee or glass of wine and get to reading.
Oh… one last thing! Have to love Ol’ Henry!

[Helga Cohen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Brighter the Light is a dual-time line story set in the Outer Banks of NC. It revolves around the Seaside Resort on Nags Head. It is told from the narratives of Ruth in the 1950’s and her granddaughter, Ivy in 2022. Ivy inherits her grandmother’s cottage after her years away in New York City as a chef. She sorts through the cottage and finds family secrets from the 1950’s that stirs her interest as does the local shipwreck that reappears offshore after a major storm. Ivy’s intention was to salvage what she wants to save and start a new beginning. Ivy finds herself looking into her family history through things Ruth left behind. We learn what happens through the 1950 timeline from Ruth’s viewpoint.

There are a lot of characters and different timelines to figure out who is related to who and who lived where. The family tree at the end of the book was helpful. Ivy discovers aspects about her grandmother she never knew and strength she didn’t know she had. The mysterious shipwreck appearance both in 1950 and 2022 made an interesting backdrop. This is a good book if you enjoy stories about family secrets and discovery of inner strength, hopes and dreams. It’s a good summer read that entices you to visit the beautiful Nags Head.

[Karen J · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my third book I have read by the author Mary Ellen Taylor. I have absolutely enjoyed all three of her books and looking forward to reading more.

[Janet Jackson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I can't say this is the worst book I ever read, but it was certainly among the slowest. I was wondering when I was going to get past the intro part of it, when I looked down at my Kindle and realized I had already finished over 60 percent of it. The imagery in the book is well written and it's almost just a nice flowing narrative, but I have to say there is no story there whatsoever. Giving it two stars was kind, if I was just into character development and plot - as I said, if I was 10 percent of the way through the book at this point, the characters were starting to develop and I was even starting to (just barely) care for a couple of them - but over sixty percent? Nah. I just closed it down and decided the other 40 percent wasn't worth my time.

[Julie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Amazon first reads and again just not a great read. 2.5 stars really. I was interested in the premise and have gone to the Outer Banks many times, but it just didn’t live up to it. I think I know what she was trying to do but it didn’t work. The shipwreck was supposed to be the common element tying the two timelines together. Ruth’s story was more interesting than her granddaughter Ivy’s. I had a hard time liking Ivy. There was a ton of repetitive explanations and yet I don’t feel like I understood what made any of the characters tick.