Searching for solace

by Tessy Braun

At twenty-seven, surf loving Morgan Pryce prides herself on her independence. Living in the rugged beauty of Wales, she’s carved out a simple life for herself, but an unshakable sense of incompleteness lingers - an emptiness she can’t quite explain.

When an unexpected gift - a battered, secondhand metal detector - falls into her hands, Morgan falls in love and as she roams windswept beaches and ancient fields, the treasures she unearths pull her into a journey far deeper than she ever anticipated.

Morgan’s finds lead her to confront her past, embrace her spirituality, and discover the missing pieces of herself she never knew she was searching for.

329 pages, Paperback

Published May 18, 2025

Reviews

[Emma Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

🩵 Blurb-
At twenty-seven, surf loving Morgan Pryce prides herself on her independence. Living in the rugged beauty of Wales, she’s carved out a simple life for herself, but an unshakable sense of incompleteness lingers - an emptiness she can’t quite explain.
When an unexpected gift - a battered, secondhand metal detector - falls into her hands, Morgan falls in love and as she roams windswept beaches and ancient fields, the treasures she unearths pull her into a journey far deeper than she ever anticipated.
Morgan’s finds lead her to confront her past, embrace her spirituality, and discover the missing pieces of herself she never knew she was searching for.
💜 This was such a beautiful and well written novel. From the very first page I was hooked and I kept reading until the end as I wanted to know what happened. I loved the author's writing style and I will definitely be reading more by them. I loved the great mix of characters and the place settings in the story sounded beautiful. I highly recommend it and I look forward to reading more by the author.
💝 Thank you to the author, Tessy Braun for the free download of the book.

[Lis McDermott · Rating 5 out of 5]

A magical story set in the Gower peninsula, Wales, following the life of Morgan, who knows something is missing in her life, but doesn’t know what.
Tessy writes believable, flawed characters, and I was totally drawn in by Morgan’s story.
I loved the relationship between her and her Mamgu (Grandma) and her very real friendship with her best friend Polly. The shocking surprises, twists and turns bringing sad memories of her past, means Morgan has to untangle them, to try to move forward; something she finds hard.
At times I found her both annoying and likeable. Annoyed at times by the way she treated others’, but that’s the sign of good writing – I believed in her, and none of us are perfect!
I took my time reading this book, as I often tend to skim read, and I didn’t want to miss the care that had gone into writing this story. For the last few chapters, I stayed up late and woke up early, reading the book to find out what Morgan chose in her life!

[Author · Rating 5 out of 5]

A truly fantastic read. Finished in just two days, Searching from Solace by Tessy Braun was a cleverly woven story with complex threads. Set in the Gower Peninsula, it follows the story of Morgan Pryce, a twenty-seven year old Welsh woman who has suffered her fair share of tragedy. When she takes possession of a metal-detector offered free to a good home, her life begins to evolve, leading to treasures in land and love. Under the guidance of her mamgu (grandmother), she learns to navigate loss, friendship, and relationships, old and new. The writing carries you effortlessly through a world filled with spirituality, divination, and a search for something missing in life. As the story unfolds and the characters get under your skin, you can't help but root for hinted outcomes. In the end, as all the threads are pulled together, it's easy to align with the choices and outcomes. A truly spellbinding read and highly recommended.

[Kelly Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely captivating.
I was hooked reading this book I just couldn’t put TJ down.
The twists and turns of Morgans life just wow and a happy ending at the end.
Tessy just writes so beautifully
Thank you!!
Can’t wait for another one

[Lee Coates · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although this isn't my usual genre, I absolutely devoured this book. It was such a joy to read. The main character is very relatable, still reeling from a few tragedies in her past, but not giving up hope on her future. She knows something is missing in her life and is determined to find it. The metal detecting serves as a nice metaphor throughout the book. The writing is very nice indeed and the backdrops of the Gower Peninsula and the lush Lancashire countryside really come alive. My only negative is that South Wales and oop North are two areas very close to my heart, I would have preferred the latter to take place in Yorshire rather than Lancashire! :-) A great read.

[Richard Frost · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s rare for me to start reading a book and not wanting to put it down. With Searching for Solace, Tessy Braun brings a compelling and enjoyable story of life with its ups and downs. The characters are relatable and the storylines touch on love and loss in all the ways those emotions are experienced. Tessy neatly and carefully weaves together the various threads, leaving none undone but certainly enough for a sequel on how Morgan’s life continues. There are neat touches relating to food and the different locations as well as the intricacies of metal detecting and treasure hunting. The characters search for solace and in this book they find what they are looking for. A very worthwhile read.

[Sophie Bowns · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice summery read set in The Gower. Tessy writes really well and it’s the perfect read now that the summer holidays have started. The characters are pleasant and the story itself had me hooked.

[Sharon Andrews · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely book. The author excels in creating real characters that you care about. Highly recommended.