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Reflections
'Riveting, moving and utterly feel-good' Daily MailCara, Cosmo and Sam learn that for everything lost, there is something to be gained . . .After her husband dies, Cara no longer wishes to live in their London home. On impulse, she sells it and goes to stay with her brother in Salcombe, Devon, while she plans her next move. There, she begins to look back at her life and reflect on the choices that have led her to this moment.Cosmo has also escaped – temporarily – from his life in the city, finding the south-west a relaxing and appealing fit, especially when he meets local girl, Amy. But is he being entirely truthful about what he’s left behind?Just out of uni, Sam has passed the Admiralty Interview Board and is set to follow in his naval father’s footsteps. His future is secure – but he feels cast adrift. With doubts and loosening family connections worrying him, an impartial new friend could be just the thing he needs. Forging a bond across the generations, can he and Cara help each other find the way to a new, happy chapter?Praise for Marcia 'A beautifully woven tale of families and their secrets...' Liz Fenwick, bestselling author of The Cornish House'Sweeping powers of description transport her readers to another time and place' Rosanna Ley
265 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 2, 2019
144 people are currently reading
142 people want to read
About the author
Marcia Willett
66 books356 followersMarcia Willett began her career as a novelist when she was fifty years old. Since that first novel Marcia has written twenty more under her own name as well as a number of short stories. She has also written four books under the pseudonym "Willa Marsh", and is published in more than sixteen countries.
Marcia Willett's early life was devoted to the ballet, but her dreams of becoming a ballerina ended when she grew out of the classical proportions required. She had always loved books, and a family crisis made her take up a new career as a novelist - a decision she had never regretted.
Marcia Willett's early life was devoted to the ballet, but her dreams of becoming a ballerina ended when she grew out of the classical proportions required. She had always loved books, and a family crisis made her take up a new career as a novelist - a decision she had never regretted.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
August 21, 2023
Sweet read. Comfort read.
Believable and loveable characters.
I want to belong to the people in this story as they seemed to belong to me.
Believable and loveable characters.
I want to belong to the people in this story as they seemed to belong to me.
August 25, 2021
Such a sweet, comforting read. I loved the writing and lovable characters. It certainly not great literature but just what I needed.
4.5*
4.5*
May 21, 2022
Marcia Willett is my comfort read. Like comfort food, her books may not be great literature but they are satisfying stories. I enjoy her characters and the fact that they recur in different books. Her stories are distracting and soothing. One thing I find curious about modern British fiction is the acceptance of casual sex and adultery. But it is never explicit in Willett's books, or I would not read them. Perhaps modern American fiction is the same, but I rarely read those. LOL
February 24, 2025
A return to the Chadwick family, this story shows possible negative consequences of keeping secrets, being duplicitous, and being manipulative and positive results from friendliness and honesty. I had a difficult time connecting with the characters until over halfway through, but then I felt completely invested.
May 28, 2019
Loved this book with its collection of believable and lovable characters. Really enjoyed reeconnecting with Fliss, Hal and young Sam again. The Chadwick trilogy was my introduction to Marcia Willett books and I love how she brings back old friends in subsequent books.
January 30, 2022
A good three and a half stars, but maybe not a four. I enjoyed this comfort read set in Salcombe, a harbor town on an estuary in Devon, England. (Google it to see lovely photos of this idyllic spot.) Cara, who has recently lost her husband and sold her home in London without knowing where she wants to resettle, comes to stay with her brother Max. Fortunately her disagreeable sister-in-law Judith is away, so Max and Cara, who have been close since their difficult childhoods, can enjoy each other's company. Cara's grief is still fresh, but she also harbors secrets that have shadowed her entire adult life. Max was also a close friend of Cara's late husband and both had served as officers in the Navy. Max's godson Sam, who was orphaned as a child and raised by his aunt and uncle, also comes to visit. He is about to embark on a naval career as well. Sam and Cara strike up a friendship and he ferries her around the area to house hunt. Cosmo, a young, handsome, and successful Londoner, takes a sabbatical from work to house and dog sit in Salcombe, and is entranced by the natural beauty and the friendliness of the locals. He meets Amy, a young painter/decorator, and they are each charmed by the other, but Cosmo has neglected to mention he's involved with a woman in London.
Cara enjoys the camaraderie of Max's local friends, including Jack, Amy's father, but she is not any closer on deciding whether to settle in Salcombe or not. Sam takes her to visit his large family home, where his aunt and uncle, Fliss and Hal, reside and love to welcome family and visitors. Cara immediately warms to Fliss, who is kind and sympathetic. Hal is another retired naval officer, and they all understand the life in the service often spent abroad.
This is a gentle, romantic story about families and relationships. There is the secret of Cara's past and the questions about her future, as well as some incipient romances, but not a lot of drama. The characters all seem to be closely tuned in to each other in a rather extraordinary way, reading the others' emotions and knowing things are being left unsaid, and so on. They are all very perspicacious! The characters of Fliss and Hal will be familiar to readers of Willett's trilogy about the Chadwick family, which was only published in the U.K. (but which I had special ordered and read). Willett's worldview is rather centered on the officer class of the British Royal Navy, one which she knows personally, and it would be more appealing if her range of characters was a bit broader. The character of Jack, a former teacher but now a house painter along with his daughter Amy, is viewed almost as another class, though he enjoys opera and so perhaps highbrow enough to fit in. The characters, except for Max's wife Judith, do not behave snobbishly, but the inherent prejudices are there because a point is made about Max and Jack being friends. It's those understated British assumptions about class that can be jarring. This is a pleasant read for those who enjoy lovely English settings and a romantic atmosphere in the vein of Rosamunde Pilcher.
Cara enjoys the camaraderie of Max's local friends, including Jack, Amy's father, but she is not any closer on deciding whether to settle in Salcombe or not. Sam takes her to visit his large family home, where his aunt and uncle, Fliss and Hal, reside and love to welcome family and visitors. Cara immediately warms to Fliss, who is kind and sympathetic. Hal is another retired naval officer, and they all understand the life in the service often spent abroad.
This is a gentle, romantic story about families and relationships. There is the secret of Cara's past and the questions about her future, as well as some incipient romances, but not a lot of drama. The characters all seem to be closely tuned in to each other in a rather extraordinary way, reading the others' emotions and knowing things are being left unsaid, and so on. They are all very perspicacious! The characters of Fliss and Hal will be familiar to readers of Willett's trilogy about the Chadwick family, which was only published in the U.K. (but which I had special ordered and read). Willett's worldview is rather centered on the officer class of the British Royal Navy, one which she knows personally, and it would be more appealing if her range of characters was a bit broader. The character of Jack, a former teacher but now a house painter along with his daughter Amy, is viewed almost as another class, though he enjoys opera and so perhaps highbrow enough to fit in. The characters, except for Max's wife Judith, do not behave snobbishly, but the inherent prejudices are there because a point is made about Max and Jack being friends. It's those understated British assumptions about class that can be jarring. This is a pleasant read for those who enjoy lovely English settings and a romantic atmosphere in the vein of Rosamunde Pilcher.
January 28, 2025
"Lovely story. Excellent proofreading. Great descriptions." is what I wrote in the front.
Bewildering number of related or linked characters but worth the trouble! Really easy to read.
Great descriptions, e.g.: "the mouth of the estuary where the silvery, silken skin of the sea stretches towards the misty, indistinct horizon."; "the sun rises slowly out of huge grey pillows of cloud"; "the autumn face of the moor, a patchwork of rusting bracken, bleached grasslands and tall stands of golden gorse"; "Lights twinkle in the dusk, the water is so smooth and grey that the jetties and the little boats seem to be balancing on sheet metal."
Unusual words, e.g.: grockle, dislimns
Nameless "Parts" and "Chapters"; no obvious reason for the division into Parts.
No noticed poor punctuation/grammar except that page 18 has an awkward sentence "It's probably because ...": the comma after "smart" might be better as a semicolon, but that could leave the rest referring to the other woman, so maybe improve the syntax by changing the following two "her" to "whose".
Other proofreader quibbles:
Page 108: continuity? She lifts her glass in response - to what? When?
Page 147: "disinterested" should be "uninterested"
Page 247: "on to" should be "onto"
Bewildering number of related or linked characters but worth the trouble! Really easy to read.
Great descriptions, e.g.: "the mouth of the estuary where the silvery, silken skin of the sea stretches towards the misty, indistinct horizon."; "the sun rises slowly out of huge grey pillows of cloud"; "the autumn face of the moor, a patchwork of rusting bracken, bleached grasslands and tall stands of golden gorse"; "Lights twinkle in the dusk, the water is so smooth and grey that the jetties and the little boats seem to be balancing on sheet metal."
Unusual words, e.g.: grockle, dislimns
Nameless "Parts" and "Chapters"; no obvious reason for the division into Parts.
No noticed poor punctuation/grammar except that page 18 has an awkward sentence "It's probably because ...": the comma after "smart" might be better as a semicolon, but that could leave the rest referring to the other woman, so maybe improve the syntax by changing the following two "her" to "whose".
Other proofreader quibbles:
Page 108: continuity? She lifts her glass in response - to what? When?
Page 147: "disinterested" should be "uninterested"
Page 247: "on to" should be "onto"
May 4, 2022
A pleasant, character-based novel, as I expect with Marcia Willett, featuring some new characters who meet in a small seaside town. Some have secrets, and the interactions are all quite believable.
I was particularly pleased to discover that the Chadwick family re-appear, albeit mostly in a supporting role, with some scenes set at 'The Keep'. This is because Sam, who hadn't had much of a part in earlier novels, is one of the main characters in this; he visits his godfather Max as he has a difficult decision to work through.
Definitely better to read after the four 'Chadwick' books (Looking Forward, Holding On, Winning Through and The Prodigal Wife) but as with all Willett's books, it stands alone.
Recommended if you like gentle character-based women's fiction.
Longer review here: https://suesbookreviews.blogspot.com/...
I was particularly pleased to discover that the Chadwick family re-appear, albeit mostly in a supporting role, with some scenes set at 'The Keep'. This is because Sam, who hadn't had much of a part in earlier novels, is one of the main characters in this; he visits his godfather Max as he has a difficult decision to work through.
Definitely better to read after the four 'Chadwick' books (Looking Forward, Holding On, Winning Through and The Prodigal Wife) but as with all Willett's books, it stands alone.
Recommended if you like gentle character-based women's fiction.
Longer review here: https://suesbookreviews.blogspot.com/...
June 15, 2024
The perfect summer easy read! Following an eclectic mix of characters from the high-flying London data analyst Cosmo, to the down to earth painter decorator Salcombe local Jack this was really easy to follow despite the frequently changing POV. I loved the descriptive nature of the writing and the characters were all believable. Nothing groundbreaking but I enjoyed the themes, the multi-generational friendships and of course a happy ending!
June 20, 2019
Quintessential Marcia Willett, which is why I return to her books again and again. This one is particularly soothing with its rich characterization of people and descriptive passages of the beautiful West Country in England. A Marcia Willett book has enriched my reading experience time and time again.
July 24, 2019
I have read all of her wonderful books. I love them and this one is really a great one— the title is so accurate. Love how the author brings characters from previous books into this story as memories of the current characters. Family is so important in her stories and I really enjoy how varied they all are. I hope Ms Willett has many more to share.
August 12, 2021
So many characters and I loved them all.
Usually a book with more than a few characters causes confusion but I easily kept track of and loved every one of them. They became like family to me and I hated for this story to end. I want to belong to the people in this story as they seemed to belong to me.
Usually a book with more than a few characters causes confusion but I easily kept track of and loved every one of them. They became like family to me and I hated for this story to end. I want to belong to the people in this story as they seemed to belong to me.
May 9, 2019
As alwAys I enjoy following the family saga know them all well
Well written good description and pace. Interesting characters are believable reassuring that there is emotions well dealt with .G oo d use of language
Well written good description and pace. Interesting characters are believable reassuring that there is emotions well dealt with .G oo d use of language
September 3, 2019
Cara's husband, Phillip dies and she is left all alone. She sells her house and decides to go and visit her brother in Salcombe, Devon. While there she meets up with some extraordinary people who help her change her way of thinking and brings forth some old memories that need to be resolved.
September 29, 2020
Very good, as always excellent descriptions of places, characters and behaviour, very good storyline with believable characters. Writing style takes a bit to get into, but soon engrossed in the story and don't notice it.
November 30, 2020
This is only the second book I’ve read from this author but it won’t be the last. She has a gentle way of writing as she weaves her story around the delightful and interesting characters. A lovely read.
March 11, 2021
The descriptions of the scenery in these books is wonderful! Also, some of the characters from the Chadwick series pop up in this book and it was good to read about their lives after the ending of the third book in that series.
September 2, 2022
Great author, I will read all of her books. Endearing, well-developed characters in beautifully described English settings. Fluid, balanced character descriptions and interactions, detailed backstories with realistic story arc. Recommended comfort reading.
June 8, 2019
Enjoy her books .
June 21, 2019
Enjoyable story but I did not get as much of the sense of the place as in some of her other books.
July 21, 2019
Loved it from the first page, you feel as though you are one of the characters
August 5, 2019
Four and three quarters ☺️
September 14, 2019
I thought it was about time I read a Marcia Willet book especially as she lives in Devon! I really enjoyed this book, the storyline and the characters.
May 23, 2020
Good read
Good book enjoyable read. Think there could be a sequel easily would thoroughly recommend to family and friends. Easy summer read.
Good book enjoyable read. Think there could be a sequel easily would thoroughly recommend to family and friends. Easy summer read.
September 22, 2020
Well written, lives, their secrets and dealing with their own demons, an enjoyable read
January 21, 2021
I enjoyed this delightful book, so descriptive I could visualise the location easily. This book has characters with believable flaws, and a satisfying conclusion.
July 29, 2021
My first Marcia Willett book but it definitely won't be my last. Beautiful descriptive writing to be savoured. Really enjoyed it.
Read
August 19, 2021This was a satisfying read, with thoughtful characters and enough twists and turns along the way to keep the rather ordinary lives depicted interesting for the reader.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 21, 2021
Very enjoyable, Marcia Willet always makes me feel part of the story. Love this part of the country and have visited many places she mentions ☺️
September 14, 2021
I love her books! Descriptions of villages and old homes make me want to visit them and I love the characters. I want them to meet me at the coffee shop!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews