It was lovely to return to Lindisfarne and the fabulous characters that this author has introduced us to throughout the last couple of books. Once again, the primary focus revolves around the love between Ellie and Zen. Their romance has gone from strength to strength as they have overcome an array of obstacles that could have broken lesser couples. However, their love is built on more solid ground and has withstood numerous challenges, emerging much stronger for the experience.
As the story unfolds, we are reminded that Bert and Meg rarely leave their roles as custodians of the island’s livestock, remaining a driving force behind all the island’s activities. However, in honour of their anniversary, they have agreed to take a short break and leave their menagerie in the more than capable hands of Ellie and Zen, supported by their small army of willing volunteers. The animals feature strongly, and their numbers increase as a result of a mercy mission led by Zen and a few other residents.
The main story revolves around the arrival of Kitti, who feels drawn to the island after her mother's death. Finding her sanctuary with Ellie and Zen, she soon finds her place and an opportunity to work with animals, which fuels her ambition to pursue a career veterinary medicine.
All of this unfolds against the backdrop of new arrivals and familiar faces returning. It was a pleasure to get to know the new characters, and Inigo was easy to imagine, although it was a challenge not to hear the infamous line from the Princess Bride!
The story is very busy, but I managed to keep up to speed and not lose track of anyone, although I can think of at least one character that I couldn’t have cared less about.
The main message that I took from this book reminded me of the strength in friendships and that blood isn’t always thicker than water. Packed with some of the best characters you could imagine, this story should warm the cockles of your heart.