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Spindrift
Siôn Ruston has fled to Rosewick Bay to recover from a breakdown which led him to attempt suicide. He needs the peace and tranquility of this lovely North Yorkshire seaside village to recover, but instead he is awoken by the ghost that walks across his bedroom at dawn. Seeking answers, Siôn finds Mattie, the ghost's descendant, working in the local museum (not to mention his other jobs in the local pub, at the ice cream stand, and on the local lifeboat crew). Mattie is everything Siôn isn’t—young, bold, and confident—but as they work together to discover the secret history of Rosewick Bay, Siôn falls for him anyway. But the ghosts which stalk the village are far from friendly, and soon Siôn and Mattie realise that not just their chance of love but their very lives are at stake.
208 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 12, 2016
9 people are currently reading
467 people want to read
About the author
Amy Rae Durreson
34 books388 followersAmy Rae Durreson is a quiet Brit with a degree in early English literature, which she blames for her somewhat medieval approach to spelling, and at various times has been fluent in Latin, Old English, Ancient Greek, and Old Icelandic, though these days she mostly uses this knowledge to bore her students. Amy started her first novel a quarter of a century ago and has been scribbling away ever since. Despite these long years of experience, she has yet to master the arcane art of the semicolon. She was a winner in the 2017 Rainbow Awards.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 111 reviews
August 3, 2016
~~BR with my girl Jewel~~
Amy Rae Durreson's A Frost of Cares is one of my favorite books of the year. This author knows how to tell a ghost story.
Spindrift is as creepy as A Frost of Cares, and perhaps more suspenseful. It's a good book, but it didn't enthrall me like A Frost of Cares did.
Siôn leaves London to recuperate. He paints but doesn't consider himself an artist. He's lonely and sad, and desperate for something to give his life spark. He finds that something in Mattie, a local boy full of charm and charisma.
Mattie is 21 to Siôn's 30. While Siôn is quiet and withdrawn, Mattie is affable, outgoing, and brimming with life. And he flirts with Siôn like crazy every chance he gets.
As Mattie and Siôn begin a tentative relationship, they realize something sinister is at work. Mattie's great-great-grandfather, Matthew, and his lover, Joshua, begin to haunt the men.
Matthew's ghost appears every morning apologizing to his dead wife and calling Joshua's name. Joshua's bloated body crawls out of the sea, stinking of seaweed, and with him comes the fog. Joshua stares through windows and writes Mattie's name over and over. Is it a warning or a threat?
The ghosts in this story are very much present; they have a history. They were men once too, full of lust and love and hope.
Mattie and Siôn's story runs parallel to that of Matthew and Joshua. Both MCs have secrets they hide. At one point, Mattie pulls away and runs. He acts like a child, and I was furious with him. Siôn doesn't lash out in anger, though; he loves Mattie, loves him so much he's not willing to walk away.
I liked the sense of community in this small Yorkshire town. Siôn realizes that to make friends, he needs to give others a chance. So he talks to people, paints landscapes and dogs. He hangs with the locals, and he likes it. Mattie's teenage cousin, Caitlyn, is one of the locals, and she's a great secondary character: smart and sassy.
I have to say that I was VERY disappointed by the lack of steam in this book. All the sex scenes are fade to black; there's one that begins on page, and then ends abruptly with a sigh and a murmur. I will never understand why authors who write romance shy away from steam. Sex is part of romance; it's part of life. It's human, and it's beautiful. Keeping it hidden makes it weirdly shameful, like it doesn't belong.
We are told Mattie and Siôn have so much passion, but I for one didn't really SEE that. I loved the tenderness between the men, the way Mattie's family just accepted Siôn, but I needed MORE.
The epilogue is set just a couple weeks down the road and feels fragile. The story ends with a strong HFN, maybe a tentative HEA if you're an optimist.
I wanted to believe in these MCs. They went through so much together: a near tragedy, two ghosts, Siôn's ennui, and Mattie's shame. I was rooting for them, and while the story made me shiver, it also made me smile.
Amy Rae Durreson writes brilliant prose. I was wrapped up in the plot. And for a few hours I believed in ghosts.
Amy Rae Durreson's A Frost of Cares is one of my favorite books of the year. This author knows how to tell a ghost story.
Spindrift is as creepy as A Frost of Cares, and perhaps more suspenseful. It's a good book, but it didn't enthrall me like A Frost of Cares did.
Siôn leaves London to recuperate. He paints but doesn't consider himself an artist. He's lonely and sad, and desperate for something to give his life spark. He finds that something in Mattie, a local boy full of charm and charisma.
Mattie is 21 to Siôn's 30. While Siôn is quiet and withdrawn, Mattie is affable, outgoing, and brimming with life. And he flirts with Siôn like crazy every chance he gets.
As Mattie and Siôn begin a tentative relationship, they realize something sinister is at work. Mattie's great-great-grandfather, Matthew, and his lover, Joshua, begin to haunt the men.
Matthew's ghost appears every morning apologizing to his dead wife and calling Joshua's name. Joshua's bloated body crawls out of the sea, stinking of seaweed, and with him comes the fog. Joshua stares through windows and writes Mattie's name over and over. Is it a warning or a threat?
The ghosts in this story are very much present; they have a history. They were men once too, full of lust and love and hope.
Mattie and Siôn's story runs parallel to that of Matthew and Joshua. Both MCs have secrets they hide. At one point, Mattie pulls away and runs. He acts like a child, and I was furious with him. Siôn doesn't lash out in anger, though; he loves Mattie, loves him so much he's not willing to walk away.
I liked the sense of community in this small Yorkshire town. Siôn realizes that to make friends, he needs to give others a chance. So he talks to people, paints landscapes and dogs. He hangs with the locals, and he likes it. Mattie's teenage cousin, Caitlyn, is one of the locals, and she's a great secondary character: smart and sassy.
I have to say that I was VERY disappointed by the lack of steam in this book. All the sex scenes are fade to black; there's one that begins on page, and then ends abruptly with a sigh and a murmur. I will never understand why authors who write romance shy away from steam. Sex is part of romance; it's part of life. It's human, and it's beautiful. Keeping it hidden makes it weirdly shameful, like it doesn't belong.
We are told Mattie and Siôn have so much passion, but I for one didn't really SEE that. I loved the tenderness between the men, the way Mattie's family just accepted Siôn, but I needed MORE.
The epilogue is set just a couple weeks down the road and feels fragile. The story ends with a strong HFN, maybe a tentative HEA if you're an optimist.
I wanted to believe in these MCs. They went through so much together: a near tragedy, two ghosts, Siôn's ennui, and Mattie's shame. I was rooting for them, and while the story made me shiver, it also made me smile.
Amy Rae Durreson writes brilliant prose. I was wrapped up in the plot. And for a few hours I believed in ghosts.
October 22, 2025
You ever pick a book up on a whim and get completely blindsided by the fact it feels written just for you? Cause that was this book for me. I was INCAPABLE of putting it down and was utterly unable to focus on anything in the real world that wasn’t this book.
Following a mental breakdown and attempt at suicide, Siôn Ruston, has relocated to the North Yorkshire coast to recuperate and now spends his days healing and painting peaceful coastal landscapes. Until one morning he is awoken at dawn by the ghost of a drowned man standing in his bedroom. Even more eerie is that the ghost is doppelgänger for the young, vibrant and handsome Mattie Jopling, the grandson of the owner of holiday let that Siôn is staying at over the summer. As Siôn and Mattie grow closer, the haunting becomes more menacing and intense and they find themselves needing to work together to uncover the mystery before its potentially too late…
Siôn and Mattie’s dynamic is absolutely my kryptonite; lonely and healing Siôn just staring at this beautiful sunshine boy and wondering what he did to deserve him, whilst Mattie, who is battling his own issues, is looking at Siôn and thinking the same thing? Tear my heart out- I adore them. This book features a bit of an age gap (Siôn is 30 and Mattie is 21) and there was a bit of a 3rd act break up, but I enjoyed their reconciliation so much that I let it slide. The flirting and yearning here made the tension between Siôn and Mattie so hot to me and their chemistry just jumped off the page.
Whilst the fictional setting of Rosewick Bay may not exist, the Authors note states that it is inspired by Straithes in North Yorkshire, and I am not going to lie, I have spent a bit of time now falling down a rabbit hole looking at pictures at how stunningly picturesque the town is. When I start googling the scenery of a place is when I know a book has done a beautiful job setting the scene and evoking that sense of really being there. I felt like I could hear the sounds of the coast, feel the sea spray and smell and taste the sea salt.
I loved ‘A Frost of Cares’ and hoped that this one would work for me too, however I didn’t expect this to blow past both it and my own expectations, but I can safely say that Durreson’s ghost stories have thoroughly got my number. Utterly loved it
“No flirting,” Siôn reminded him, but he couldn’t help smiling at it. He’d never met anyone who made him want to smile as much as Mattie did.
“I’ve changed my mind,” Mattie said, moving closer to the bed. He put the tube down on the bedside table and touched his knuckles to Siôn’s cheek very lightly. “I’ve decided that you need a little bit of flirting. Just a tiny bit to start, and then we’ll work from there.”
“Will we?” Siôn said. Although he had been aiming for sarcasm, it came out wistful. If only he could—if only he deserved this sunshine boy.
“Yes,” Mattie said and leaned forward to kiss Siôn’s cheek. It was a very light kiss, just the faintest brush of warmth, but it made Siôn shiver. He sighed, and Mattie said, voice much huskier, “Sweet dreams, Siôn.”
Following a mental breakdown and attempt at suicide, Siôn Ruston, has relocated to the North Yorkshire coast to recuperate and now spends his days healing and painting peaceful coastal landscapes. Until one morning he is awoken at dawn by the ghost of a drowned man standing in his bedroom. Even more eerie is that the ghost is doppelgänger for the young, vibrant and handsome Mattie Jopling, the grandson of the owner of holiday let that Siôn is staying at over the summer. As Siôn and Mattie grow closer, the haunting becomes more menacing and intense and they find themselves needing to work together to uncover the mystery before its potentially too late…
Siôn and Mattie’s dynamic is absolutely my kryptonite; lonely and healing Siôn just staring at this beautiful sunshine boy and wondering what he did to deserve him, whilst Mattie, who is battling his own issues, is looking at Siôn and thinking the same thing? Tear my heart out- I adore them. This book features a bit of an age gap (Siôn is 30 and Mattie is 21) and there was a bit of a 3rd act break up, but I enjoyed their reconciliation so much that I let it slide. The flirting and yearning here made the tension between Siôn and Mattie so hot to me and their chemistry just jumped off the page.
Whilst the fictional setting of Rosewick Bay may not exist, the Authors note states that it is inspired by Straithes in North Yorkshire, and I am not going to lie, I have spent a bit of time now falling down a rabbit hole looking at pictures at how stunningly picturesque the town is. When I start googling the scenery of a place is when I know a book has done a beautiful job setting the scene and evoking that sense of really being there. I felt like I could hear the sounds of the coast, feel the sea spray and smell and taste the sea salt.
I loved ‘A Frost of Cares’ and hoped that this one would work for me too, however I didn’t expect this to blow past both it and my own expectations, but I can safely say that Durreson’s ghost stories have thoroughly got my number. Utterly loved it
“No flirting,” Siôn reminded him, but he couldn’t help smiling at it. He’d never met anyone who made him want to smile as much as Mattie did.
“I’ve changed my mind,” Mattie said, moving closer to the bed. He put the tube down on the bedside table and touched his knuckles to Siôn’s cheek very lightly. “I’ve decided that you need a little bit of flirting. Just a tiny bit to start, and then we’ll work from there.”
“Will we?” Siôn said. Although he had been aiming for sarcasm, it came out wistful. If only he could—if only he deserved this sunshine boy.
“Yes,” Mattie said and leaned forward to kiss Siôn’s cheek. It was a very light kiss, just the faintest brush of warmth, but it made Siôn shiver. He sighed, and Mattie said, voice much huskier, “Sweet dreams, Siôn.”
December 8, 2025
I should preface this review that I’m just barely crawling out of...let’s say a reading slump, so the timing of my picking this up is generally a bit unfortunate. Maybe it would’ve worked better for me at a different time... but maybe not.
It honestly started incredibly well. Sion is a depressed thirty-year-old painter, intent on piecing himself back together after his attempted suicide, in a quaint coastal village in Yorkshire. I loved him instantly, even though reading about his struggles felt a bit like a gut punch. There, he meets Mattie, and his entire world changes, forcing him to put himself out in the world and actually fight for what he wants. To make things more interesting, the village is rife with ghost stories, and Sion soon learns that some ghosts are real, and can be very dangerous.
The setting was absolutely beautiful, and I’m itching to go and explore some coastal small towns of England to breathe in the atmosphere. The writing is descriptive and easy to read, though the flow and the dialogue could’ve used some work.
When it comes to the romance, that’s where things stopped working for me entirely. I admit, I didn’t like Mattie at all. Oh he’s sweet and young and extroverted and flirtatious...and at first, he simply made me slightly uncomfortable with his relentless badgering, but after knowing him better and finding out about his secret, I actually disliked him and wasn’t feeling very sympathetic to his situation.
(I’m definitely projecting here, but when someone tells you they’re not comfortable with being complimented on, the very last thing you should do is try to change their mind with more compliments. It made me want to crawl out of my skin.)
When it comes to age gap, I generally like it, but not if the younger person involved makes me so aware of it, especially of the lack of maturity. Their love being very insta also didn’t help matters.
On the other hand, the ghost story part was brilliant and kept me going; I would’ve DNFed otherwise. The parallels between Sion and Mattie, and the dead Joshua and Matthew, were very interesting, and the author kept me guessing till the very end. The resolution left me a bit disappointed (too much forgiveness for unforgivable things), but it remains my favourite part of the book.
At the end of the day, it was slightly spooky and...sweet. “Curing depression with love” kind of sweet, actually, and that’s my problem. Maybe it’s the length robbing the story of the depth certain issues deserve. Or maybe I’m just currently oversensitive to it, so take everything I said with a grain of salt. Still, I'm definitely interested in picking up more of the author's work.
Justice for Joshua 💔
It honestly started incredibly well. Sion is a depressed thirty-year-old painter, intent on piecing himself back together after his attempted suicide, in a quaint coastal village in Yorkshire. I loved him instantly, even though reading about his struggles felt a bit like a gut punch. There, he meets Mattie, and his entire world changes, forcing him to put himself out in the world and actually fight for what he wants. To make things more interesting, the village is rife with ghost stories, and Sion soon learns that some ghosts are real, and can be very dangerous.
The setting was absolutely beautiful, and I’m itching to go and explore some coastal small towns of England to breathe in the atmosphere. The writing is descriptive and easy to read, though the flow and the dialogue could’ve used some work.
When it comes to the romance, that’s where things stopped working for me entirely. I admit, I didn’t like Mattie at all. Oh he’s sweet and young and extroverted and flirtatious...and at first, he simply made me slightly uncomfortable with his relentless badgering, but after knowing him better and finding out about his secret, I actually disliked him and wasn’t feeling very sympathetic to his situation.
(I’m definitely projecting here, but when someone tells you they’re not comfortable with being complimented on, the very last thing you should do is try to change their mind with more compliments. It made me want to crawl out of my skin.)
When it comes to age gap, I generally like it, but not if the younger person involved makes me so aware of it, especially of the lack of maturity. Their love being very insta also didn’t help matters.
On the other hand, the ghost story part was brilliant and kept me going; I would’ve DNFed otherwise. The parallels between Sion and Mattie, and the dead Joshua and Matthew, were very interesting, and the author kept me guessing till the very end. The resolution left me a bit disappointed (too much forgiveness for unforgivable things), but it remains my favourite part of the book.
At the end of the day, it was slightly spooky and...sweet. “Curing depression with love” kind of sweet, actually, and that’s my problem. Maybe it’s the length robbing the story of the depth certain issues deserve. Or maybe I’m just currently oversensitive to it, so take everything I said with a grain of salt. Still, I'm definitely interested in picking up more of the author's work.
Justice for Joshua 💔
August 4, 2016
~~BR with the fabulous Dani!!!~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ghosts and secrets and regrets of the past. Both for the living, and those that should be long gone from this world.
A little creepy...a little scary...with some mystery thrown in the mix. Spindrift is a new ghost story by Amy Rae Durreson. I just finished A Frost of Cares, and loved it pretty hard, so when I found out she had a new one coming out, I grabbed it with both hands.
While Spindrift has a different feel than A Frost of Cares, I still found I quite enjoyed it. I enjoyed the history and the mystery and the stories of loves lost. And the ghosts, though slightly less of a metaphor, do still parallel some things where our MC's are concerned.
Siôn Ruston is a sad and lonely man whose dreams are bleak and grey. After being forced to take a break from London life, he heads to Rosewick Bay for some peace and quiet and, hopefully, to get a handle on his life again. He's an artist in his off time, so he figures, if nothing else, he can paint. And he does. One morning, at dawn, though, he sees what he - at first - assumes is a hallucination. But no, not so simple, really. And later, when he meets a young man who resembles that apparition so closely, he's sure he's lost his mind.
Mattie Jopling looks almost exactly like the apparition in Siôn's bedroom, but, thankfully, it wasn't he. No, the ghost would be Mattie's great-great grandfather, Matthew Jopling, who lost his life over a century ago.
Mattie, like most of the people in living in Rosewick Bay, spends some his time as a lifeboat volunteer. Seaside life does not come without danger and storms and bad decisions, alike, mean that rescue can be necessary. Mattie is young and bubbly and flirty and definitely sees in Siôn a man he wants to get to know better. On the surface, Mattie is everything Siôn isn't -- social, charming, happy, flirty. Young. But Mattie has secrets of his own that he has no desire to tell. He wants to be perfect for someone. And that is where his youth really shows. Because there is no perfect.
Siôn feels so much older than his 30 years, and that makes Mattie's youth (21) even more apparent. I felt really bad for Siôn because he honestly felt he wasn't deserving of someone like Mattie. Or happiness at all, really. Siôn tries so hard to resist Mattie, whom he tries to think of as too young, but Mattie is nothing if not tenacious and doesn't give up.
Entwined with their fledgling summer love affair, are the increased sightings of not just Mattie's great-great grandfather, but of another, as well. And stories of death and curses and affairs gone wrong. The mystery of the ghosts and why they are here and what they want is pretty front and center in Spindrift. The romance, while I did feel it, did seem secondary.
Spindrift is about two men learning to live with their pasts and learning from their mistakes. It's about life and living. Its about allowing oneself to love and be loved. The ending presents a strong-ish HFN that is meant to give hope for the future, without telling the story.
All in all I enjoyed Spindrift and would give it 4 stars.
-------------------------
ARC of Spindrift was generously provided by the publisher, in exchange for an honest review.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ghosts and secrets and regrets of the past. Both for the living, and those that should be long gone from this world.
A little creepy...a little scary...with some mystery thrown in the mix. Spindrift is a new ghost story by Amy Rae Durreson. I just finished A Frost of Cares, and loved it pretty hard, so when I found out she had a new one coming out, I grabbed it with both hands.
While Spindrift has a different feel than A Frost of Cares, I still found I quite enjoyed it. I enjoyed the history and the mystery and the stories of loves lost. And the ghosts, though slightly less of a metaphor, do still parallel some things where our MC's are concerned.
Siôn Ruston is a sad and lonely man whose dreams are bleak and grey. After being forced to take a break from London life, he heads to Rosewick Bay for some peace and quiet and, hopefully, to get a handle on his life again. He's an artist in his off time, so he figures, if nothing else, he can paint. And he does. One morning, at dawn, though, he sees what he - at first - assumes is a hallucination. But no, not so simple, really. And later, when he meets a young man who resembles that apparition so closely, he's sure he's lost his mind.
Mattie Jopling looks almost exactly like the apparition in Siôn's bedroom, but, thankfully, it wasn't he. No, the ghost would be Mattie's great-great grandfather, Matthew Jopling, who lost his life over a century ago.
Mattie, like most of the people in living in Rosewick Bay, spends some his time as a lifeboat volunteer. Seaside life does not come without danger and storms and bad decisions, alike, mean that rescue can be necessary. Mattie is young and bubbly and flirty and definitely sees in Siôn a man he wants to get to know better. On the surface, Mattie is everything Siôn isn't -- social, charming, happy, flirty. Young. But Mattie has secrets of his own that he has no desire to tell. He wants to be perfect for someone. And that is where his youth really shows. Because there is no perfect.
Siôn feels so much older than his 30 years, and that makes Mattie's youth (21) even more apparent. I felt really bad for Siôn because he honestly felt he wasn't deserving of someone like Mattie. Or happiness at all, really. Siôn tries so hard to resist Mattie, whom he tries to think of as too young, but Mattie is nothing if not tenacious and doesn't give up.
Entwined with their fledgling summer love affair, are the increased sightings of not just Mattie's great-great grandfather, but of another, as well. And stories of death and curses and affairs gone wrong. The mystery of the ghosts and why they are here and what they want is pretty front and center in Spindrift. The romance, while I did feel it, did seem secondary.
Spindrift is about two men learning to live with their pasts and learning from their mistakes. It's about life and living. Its about allowing oneself to love and be loved. The ending presents a strong-ish HFN that is meant to give hope for the future, without telling the story.
All in all I enjoyed Spindrift and would give it 4 stars.
-------------------------
ARC of Spindrift was generously provided by the publisher, in exchange for an honest review.
August 16, 2016
4 stars
I enjoyed the romance between Sion and Mattie and felt that they really worked well together. The first half seemed slow but the second half was very engaging. The ghost story was perhaps a little too unbelievable? Enjoyable overall but not at the same level as A Frost of Cares.
I enjoyed the romance between Sion and Mattie and felt that they really worked well together. The first half seemed slow but the second half was very engaging. The ghost story was perhaps a little too unbelievable? Enjoyable overall but not at the same level as A Frost of Cares.
August 19, 2016
BR with Ann!
Recovering from a suicide attempt, Sion Ruston is spending the summer in a small seaside Yorkshire village. He spends his days alone, painting, walking, and avoiding the locals. His routine hits a bump when Sion wakes up one morning to a strange man in his bedroom, who turns out to actually be a ghost.
Sion’s lonely existence is further disturbed when he meets Mattie, a descendent of the ghost. Mattie is the complete opposite of Sion - younger, out-going, and fun-loving. Mattie makes no secret of his attraction, but Sion doesn’t do casual, or any kind of relationship at all. But when the ghost keeps coming back, and another one begins to crawl out of the ocean, Sion turns to Mattie for help. As Sion and Mattie try to find out what’s going on, they find it hard to keep their distance from one another.
I really liked the setting of Rosewick Bay. It wasn’t hard to imagine the quaint village and its residents. The village’s atmosphere was a good backdrop to the story. I could easily understand why Sion would go to Rosewick Bay for peace and quiet.
Amy Rae Durreson’s writing, as always, was excellent. The prose was evocative without becoming purple. It was easy to feel the despondency that Sion felt early on, and later the hope that Mattie gave him. It was also easy to be sucked in by the genuinely creepy ghost plotline.
When we first meet Sion, he’s in a very bad place. Suffering from depression, he’s closed himself off from any human connection. He’s also a pretty grumpy person by default. It took me a few chapters to warm up to him, but I liked him.
Mattie, on the other hand, was immediately loveable. Flirty, charming, and always on the lookout for new friends, Mattie was the perfect yang to Sion’s yin. The two were complete opposites, but fit so well together. I loved how patient Mattie was with Sion, and how his understanding pushed Sion to work for a future together.
I’m a sucker for some comfort/healing, and that’s something this author does very well. Reading about Sion and Mattie fall for each other, and in the process help each other deal with their hurts, was a treat. This book is low on the steam, but I thought the sweet romance definitely made up for that.
The ghost story was kind of like a parallel romance, though with a very different, and unfortunate, outcome. While this book didn’t give me nightmares like Durreson’s A Frost of Cares, it still sent chills up my spine. The ghosts in this book were just as enthralling as the main couple.
‘Spindrift’ grew on me. It starts off slow, but by the halfway point I was hooked! If you’re looking for a low-steam sweet romance with a paranormal twist, I’d recommend this book.
Recovering from a suicide attempt, Sion Ruston is spending the summer in a small seaside Yorkshire village. He spends his days alone, painting, walking, and avoiding the locals. His routine hits a bump when Sion wakes up one morning to a strange man in his bedroom, who turns out to actually be a ghost.
Sion’s lonely existence is further disturbed when he meets Mattie, a descendent of the ghost. Mattie is the complete opposite of Sion - younger, out-going, and fun-loving. Mattie makes no secret of his attraction, but Sion doesn’t do casual, or any kind of relationship at all. But when the ghost keeps coming back, and another one begins to crawl out of the ocean, Sion turns to Mattie for help. As Sion and Mattie try to find out what’s going on, they find it hard to keep their distance from one another.
I really liked the setting of Rosewick Bay. It wasn’t hard to imagine the quaint village and its residents. The village’s atmosphere was a good backdrop to the story. I could easily understand why Sion would go to Rosewick Bay for peace and quiet.
Amy Rae Durreson’s writing, as always, was excellent. The prose was evocative without becoming purple. It was easy to feel the despondency that Sion felt early on, and later the hope that Mattie gave him. It was also easy to be sucked in by the genuinely creepy ghost plotline.
When we first meet Sion, he’s in a very bad place. Suffering from depression, he’s closed himself off from any human connection. He’s also a pretty grumpy person by default. It took me a few chapters to warm up to him, but I liked him.
Mattie, on the other hand, was immediately loveable. Flirty, charming, and always on the lookout for new friends, Mattie was the perfect yang to Sion’s yin. The two were complete opposites, but fit so well together. I loved how patient Mattie was with Sion, and how his understanding pushed Sion to work for a future together.
I’m a sucker for some comfort/healing, and that’s something this author does very well. Reading about Sion and Mattie fall for each other, and in the process help each other deal with their hurts, was a treat. This book is low on the steam, but I thought the sweet romance definitely made up for that.
The ghost story was kind of like a parallel romance, though with a very different, and unfortunate, outcome. While this book didn’t give me nightmares like Durreson’s A Frost of Cares, it still sent chills up my spine. The ghosts in this book were just as enthralling as the main couple.
‘Spindrift’ grew on me. It starts off slow, but by the halfway point I was hooked! If you’re looking for a low-steam sweet romance with a paranormal twist, I’d recommend this book.
August 21, 2016
Ok, here we go! Buddy read with Mr Love, Amy Spector, Al Stewart, Noah Homes, Wicked Jack and Debbie McGowan.
I come from a long line of lighthouse keepers and pilots of rescue boats, and this story really made me miss living by the sea. There is nothing quite like the salty storms, the terrifying roar of the crashing waves. It’s fright and freedom at the same time.
I loved the Yorkshire of this story, the seaside village was lovely with all its inhabitants—both the living and the dead. I like Durreson’s writing, I would however have loved to feel a bit more fear. Had I woken every morning to a ghost I might not have snuggled up next to my bed-partner while waiting for it to go away. The story build up nicely and Siôn was perfect for his role, if only he could’ve stopped nagging about thirty being so freaking old LOL.
I come from a long line of lighthouse keepers and pilots of rescue boats, and this story really made me miss living by the sea. There is nothing quite like the salty storms, the terrifying roar of the crashing waves. It’s fright and freedom at the same time.
I loved the Yorkshire of this story, the seaside village was lovely with all its inhabitants—both the living and the dead. I like Durreson’s writing, I would however have loved to feel a bit more fear. Had I woken every morning to a ghost I might not have snuggled up next to my bed-partner while waiting for it to go away. The story build up nicely and Siôn was perfect for his role, if only he could’ve stopped nagging about thirty being so freaking old LOL.
August 19, 2016
Nice low-level creepy read.
August 12th buddy read with Amy Spector, Ofelia Gränd, Debbie McGowan, Noah Homes, Wicked Jack and the extremely tall Al Stewart! :D
We're helping Amy Rae Durreson pay her mortgage.
Amy's getting impatient.
August 12th buddy read with Amy Spector, Ofelia Gränd, Debbie McGowan, Noah Homes, Wicked Jack and the extremely tall Al Stewart! :D
We're helping Amy Rae Durreson pay her mortgage.
Amy's getting impatient.
November 2, 2025
3,9 ⭐️ rounded up
This story is… nice? It feels easy and sweet even if it is a bit spooky, one of MCs struggles with mental health and loneliness and the other has had his own challenges. But the love, for all initial resistance of Siôn, is sweet and almost easy (make note, I said almost 😂).
I enjoyed reading it, but, those of you who know me, know that I like more challenging and complex love stories than that 🙈😀
The writing itself is good and gentle 🥹
“(..) his grief for the person he had thought he had been—that cool, logical, untouchable man who looked at the world and never lived in it.”
This story is… nice? It feels easy and sweet even if it is a bit spooky, one of MCs struggles with mental health and loneliness and the other has had his own challenges. But the love, for all initial resistance of Siôn, is sweet and almost easy (make note, I said almost 😂).
I enjoyed reading it, but, those of you who know me, know that I like more challenging and complex love stories than that 🙈😀
The writing itself is good and gentle 🥹
“(..) his grief for the person he had thought he had been—that cool, logical, untouchable man who looked at the world and never lived in it.”
February 6, 2017
Buddy read with Ofelia Gränd, Dante Love, Amy Spector and Al Stewart. Woo! Or Woooooooooooooo! in fact. :D
So, I finally finished it, and I really enjoyed it, but I'll tell you what. The editing really got on my nerves - not because it's bad overall, but to me, the publisher's mandatory decision to publish in US English is utterly ludicrous when a story is set in England with English characters, and much of the dialogue is in local dialect. I'm sure US readers would find it more authentic in UK English. To me, as a UK reader, the US English was a distraction. But I'm finnicky about stuff like that.
This story has a literary classic feel (references to popular culture notwithstanding), with many beautiful descriptions of the Yorkshire coastline. The scene-setting is perfect. The story is character-driven, which I love. Siôn's mental health is depicted sensitively but realistically. Mattie - seen from Siôn's perspective - is also believable, and I felt like I got to know him quite well. Mattie's family are supremely awesome. I especially loved Caitlin. The author portrayed female characters positively, which is a big plus.
Contrary to my buddies in this read, I thought it was plenty scary enough, and not because I'm a wuss. OK, partly because I'm a wuss, but I liked the way Siôn treated the ghosts (mostly) with the weary inevitability of one who had faced death.
The ending, whilst not a surprise, was lovely, and once I found the time to read, I did so until I fell, bleary-eyed, into my pillows and didn't dream of ghosts.
So, I finally finished it, and I really enjoyed it, but I'll tell you what. The editing really got on my nerves - not because it's bad overall, but to me, the publisher's mandatory decision to publish in US English is utterly ludicrous when a story is set in England with English characters, and much of the dialogue is in local dialect. I'm sure US readers would find it more authentic in UK English. To me, as a UK reader, the US English was a distraction. But I'm finnicky about stuff like that.
This story has a literary classic feel (references to popular culture notwithstanding), with many beautiful descriptions of the Yorkshire coastline. The scene-setting is perfect. The story is character-driven, which I love. Siôn's mental health is depicted sensitively but realistically. Mattie - seen from Siôn's perspective - is also believable, and I felt like I got to know him quite well. Mattie's family are supremely awesome. I especially loved Caitlin. The author portrayed female characters positively, which is a big plus.
Contrary to my buddies in this read, I thought it was plenty scary enough, and not because I'm a wuss. OK, partly because I'm a wuss, but I liked the way Siôn treated the ghosts (mostly) with the weary inevitability of one who had faced death.
The ending, whilst not a surprise, was lovely, and once I found the time to read, I did so until I fell, bleary-eyed, into my pillows and didn't dream of ghosts.
December 30, 2016
Buddy-read to-be, as soon as it's released ;)
- Renée Yes-I-know-I-read-too-damn-much
- ~✡~Dαni(ela) ♥ ♂♂ love & semi-colons~✡~'s
- Ele
And anyone else who feels like joining ;) just give a shout or jump on in.
- Renée Yes-I-know-I-read-too-damn-much
- ~✡~Dαni(ela) ♥ ♂♂ love & semi-colons~✡~'s
- Ele
And anyone else who feels like joining ;) just give a shout or jump on in.
August 22, 2016
Amy Rae Durreson can write the hell out of a ghost story!
It’s best to read a ghost story with a friend. They can hold your hand and you can squeeze the hell out of theirs when you get stressed out with the oogie boogies. Thankfully I had myself an Adam for Spindrift.
I fell in love with this author’s ghost story, A Frost of Cares, and so I was really excited to read this one. Spindrift delivers the moody atmosphere, the romance and the ghosties in spades.
Amy Rae Durreson is so good at settings, tone and characters that the story would stand alone even without the haunted souls that live by the sea in Yorkshire. Not that I would want to give them up at all, because I LOVE a good ghosting.
Sion has come to Yorkshire from London to recover from a suicide attempt and find some peace. He’s not an artist by trade, but his painting brings him satisfaction like nothing else has. He’s incredibly lonely and feels so much older than his chronological years. Reading his retelling of his tale and his life alone in the cottage is heartbreaking.
Sion is not there very long before he gets his first glimpse of one of the spirits. The fact that Sion is the one to see him is even more frightening given his mental health history. The tension is palpable and adds to the overall eeriness. When he decides to do a little investigating at the local museum he meets Mattie who is his opposite in just about every way. Sion is immediately attracted to Mattie’s vivacious nature and he almost doesn’t know what to do with the perfection that is Mattie.
Mattie has his own issues though and while Sion sees Mattie as all that is amazing, Mattie sees Sion in the same light. I loved reading the evolution of their relationship. Mattie has some moments he is completely humiliated by that brought him back to his small town that Sion doesn’t know about. At the same time, Mattie doesn’t know what brought Sion to the seemingly sleepy village. Being inside each of these MC’s heads and getting the impressions they had of one another was so incredibly romantic. What each saw in the other was exactly what the other needed. Of course it took time, UST and same angst but they worked their way together and they worked hard to convince each other of their worth, flaws and all.
In amongst all of the relationship growth and drama were a couple of ghosts with tragic lives and deaths of their own. The ghosts are legendary in town and because Mattie is the grandson of one of them, they are able to get some insight into what the motives might be behind the ghost’s appearances and if there is any truth to the legends of their sightings. The way the author gave just enough information about their history at Sion cracks the code of an old diary kept the mystery going up until the end. While the book started a little slowly, it fit with the introduction of the characters and as the mystery unravels the tension rachets up and by the time you hit the second half or so, there is no putting this one down.
Spindrift is a perfect balance of romance and mystery. The ghost story was balanced perfectly with the story of Sion and Mattie. I loved the resolution, the epilogue made me happy and was just warm and fuzzy enough without taking the story too far away from whence it came.
**a copy of Spindrift was provided to BMBR for an honest review**
It’s best to read a ghost story with a friend. They can hold your hand and you can squeeze the hell out of theirs when you get stressed out with the oogie boogies. Thankfully I had myself an Adam for Spindrift.
I fell in love with this author’s ghost story, A Frost of Cares, and so I was really excited to read this one. Spindrift delivers the moody atmosphere, the romance and the ghosties in spades.
Amy Rae Durreson is so good at settings, tone and characters that the story would stand alone even without the haunted souls that live by the sea in Yorkshire. Not that I would want to give them up at all, because I LOVE a good ghosting.
Sion has come to Yorkshire from London to recover from a suicide attempt and find some peace. He’s not an artist by trade, but his painting brings him satisfaction like nothing else has. He’s incredibly lonely and feels so much older than his chronological years. Reading his retelling of his tale and his life alone in the cottage is heartbreaking.
Sion is not there very long before he gets his first glimpse of one of the spirits. The fact that Sion is the one to see him is even more frightening given his mental health history. The tension is palpable and adds to the overall eeriness. When he decides to do a little investigating at the local museum he meets Mattie who is his opposite in just about every way. Sion is immediately attracted to Mattie’s vivacious nature and he almost doesn’t know what to do with the perfection that is Mattie.
Mattie has his own issues though and while Sion sees Mattie as all that is amazing, Mattie sees Sion in the same light. I loved reading the evolution of their relationship. Mattie has some moments he is completely humiliated by that brought him back to his small town that Sion doesn’t know about. At the same time, Mattie doesn’t know what brought Sion to the seemingly sleepy village. Being inside each of these MC’s heads and getting the impressions they had of one another was so incredibly romantic. What each saw in the other was exactly what the other needed. Of course it took time, UST and same angst but they worked their way together and they worked hard to convince each other of their worth, flaws and all.
In amongst all of the relationship growth and drama were a couple of ghosts with tragic lives and deaths of their own. The ghosts are legendary in town and because Mattie is the grandson of one of them, they are able to get some insight into what the motives might be behind the ghost’s appearances and if there is any truth to the legends of their sightings. The way the author gave just enough information about their history at Sion cracks the code of an old diary kept the mystery going up until the end. While the book started a little slowly, it fit with the introduction of the characters and as the mystery unravels the tension rachets up and by the time you hit the second half or so, there is no putting this one down.
Spindrift is a perfect balance of romance and mystery. The ghost story was balanced perfectly with the story of Sion and Mattie. I loved the resolution, the epilogue made me happy and was just warm and fuzzy enough without taking the story too far away from whence it came.
**a copy of Spindrift was provided to BMBR for an honest review**
September 23, 2016
So I ended up in this Amy Rae Durreson-hole, and I haven't emerged yet.
I loved A Frost of Cares, and thought I would give this a try since it had some of the same plot-points.
But this did not do the same for me as AFoC, which was too bad, since the bones were there.
So Siôn rents a house in Rosewick Bay, after he tried taking his own life and needed a change of pace and outlook on life. Siôn's an acctuary and a painter, so he's a quite diverse character. In Rosewick Bay he meets Mattie, who's the nephew of the owner of the house. Mattie is a sparkling character; he's very outgoing with lots of energy and humor, while Siôn is stoic, cool and awkward.
Siôn has not had a relationship in 8 years, and this dude is so so lonely, and so so awkward, you could not help but feel for him.
They start a tentative friendship+ (NO flirting, Mattie!) and slowly but surely Siôn is coming out of his shell. They are both, however, hiding things, and still both have the notion that the other is perfect!
While they're trying to navigate their 'relationship' and their lives, the ghosts are literally coming out of the woodworks.
Mattie's great-great-grandfather is haunting the house, and every time he appears he says his wife's name. Siôn sort of ignores the ghost (which I thought was quite brilliant) but the re-appearing ghost pushes Mattie and Siôn closer since they start investigating the story.
The ghost-part of the book was quite fun, and I loved the story of Matthew, Sarah and Joshua. It was quite creepy, and kept me entertained throughout.
This IS a good 'mystery' novel, and I loved the way the story and characters were put together. However I had some issues; first off the smexy times were sometimes fade-to-black and sometimes over in 10 sentences. I really thought that was too bad, since the chemistry was there, and the smexy times in AFoC were done really well.
Second this book was quite angsty! I get that Siôn was depressed and was struggling (thumbs up to Amy Rae for making him go to a therapist) but the back-and-forth between Siôn and Mattie was doing my head in. Especially when Mattie decides that they should not be together.
This was not the end of the relationship though, and they do get a HEA.
So yeah, this book had some entertaining points, but also some annoying parts, that meant I didn't love it as much as AFoC.
I loved A Frost of Cares, and thought I would give this a try since it had some of the same plot-points.
But this did not do the same for me as AFoC, which was too bad, since the bones were there.
So Siôn rents a house in Rosewick Bay, after he tried taking his own life and needed a change of pace and outlook on life. Siôn's an acctuary and a painter, so he's a quite diverse character. In Rosewick Bay he meets Mattie, who's the nephew of the owner of the house. Mattie is a sparkling character; he's very outgoing with lots of energy and humor, while Siôn is stoic, cool and awkward.
Siôn has not had a relationship in 8 years, and this dude is so so lonely, and so so awkward, you could not help but feel for him.
They start a tentative friendship+ (NO flirting, Mattie!) and slowly but surely Siôn is coming out of his shell. They are both, however, hiding things, and still both have the notion that the other is perfect!
While they're trying to navigate their 'relationship' and their lives, the ghosts are literally coming out of the woodworks.
Mattie's great-great-grandfather is haunting the house, and every time he appears he says his wife's name. Siôn sort of ignores the ghost (which I thought was quite brilliant) but the re-appearing ghost pushes Mattie and Siôn closer since they start investigating the story.
The ghost-part of the book was quite fun, and I loved the story of Matthew, Sarah and Joshua. It was quite creepy, and kept me entertained throughout.
This IS a good 'mystery' novel, and I loved the way the story and characters were put together. However I had some issues; first off the smexy times were sometimes fade-to-black and sometimes over in 10 sentences. I really thought that was too bad, since the chemistry was there, and the smexy times in AFoC were done really well.
Second this book was quite angsty! I get that Siôn was depressed and was struggling (thumbs up to Amy Rae for making him go to a therapist) but the back-and-forth between Siôn and Mattie was doing my head in. Especially when Mattie decides that they should not be together.
This was not the end of the relationship though, and they do get a HEA.
So yeah, this book had some entertaining points, but also some annoying parts, that meant I didn't love it as much as AFoC.
August 20, 2016
Buddy read with Mr. Love, Wick Jack, Debbie McGowan, Noah Homes, Al Stewart and, once she has pushed that skull off her reading chair, Ofelia Gränd.
Would anyone else like in?
Would anyone else like in?
August 23, 2016
Full reviewage on Prism Book Alliance®, yo
Siôn Ruston is a painter. Mattie Jopling is a local, in the town Siôn is spending some time, and works at the local museum, an ice cream stand, and volunteers with the lifeboat service.
They both have things from their past they’re wanting to keep from people, forever secret, including each other. The big question is, will this tactic work for either of them, especially as they begin to realize the feelings developing between them? Hmmmm…
As with most of the stories I’ve read by Durreson, her sense of place is a strength, and one she succeeds in demonstrating here from page one. Atmosphere, always laden with emotion by the way it physically and mentally impacts the characters, is always one of the things I enjoy most about her books. Same here. Well done.
Siôn is thirty years old, though his attitude and the way he carries himself would have you thinking he’s closer to 80. Well, not really, because he’s not fooling anyone, least of all Mattie. As for the man himself, he’s twenty one and trying to save money in order to complete his thesis and move on to graduate work. Don’t let their ages fool you, they each exhibit atypical traits regarding them… sometimes. ;)
Siôn is pessimistic (though, again, not really, just like his continual professing to being old – not really) and Mattie is an optimist. What’s interesting is, we slowly learn what is fueling their individual outlooks on life at the moment, and how complicated they really are, how the surface doesn’t always reflect what’s underneath.
I did feel like there was something missing, or a disconnect somewhere that rose to the surface of this story now and then. I still can’t quite put my finger on it. This is a contemporary story, while most of the others I’ve read by Durreson are not. It could very well be me and not the story, missing that extra indefinable magical something that usually accompanies and ups the enjoyment factor for me.
It is enjoyable, though, never you fear. Experiencing as Siôn and Mattie attempt to navigate something neither of them has legitimately done before: share in a relationship that is honest, expecting realism instead of perfection, and feeling those things that sometimes surprise us in how much someone will do for us when they love us.
Also as usual Durreson’s writing is so much fun to read. To touch. It’s tactile and interactive, making me feel like I’m in the mix, right inside the room when the ghosts are approaching and acting a fool, or trying to warn the living.
Oh. Did I not mention the ghosties yet? Yup, they’re here for the mystery, humor, fear, revenge, joy, heartbreak, suicide ideation, comic books, and ultimately love that make up this story and these characters. Durreson likes including the supernatural and I like that she does. :)
The heat between Siôn and Mattie builds just like the rest of the story, becoming unrestrainable like the tide and fog that barrel their way into the bay, wreaking havoc, reuniting old flames, as it were, and providing opportunity for resolution.
Siôn Ruston is a painter. Mattie Jopling is a local, in the town Siôn is spending some time, and works at the local museum, an ice cream stand, and volunteers with the lifeboat service.
They both have things from their past they’re wanting to keep from people, forever secret, including each other. The big question is, will this tactic work for either of them, especially as they begin to realize the feelings developing between them? Hmmmm…
As with most of the stories I’ve read by Durreson, her sense of place is a strength, and one she succeeds in demonstrating here from page one. Atmosphere, always laden with emotion by the way it physically and mentally impacts the characters, is always one of the things I enjoy most about her books. Same here. Well done.
Siôn is thirty years old, though his attitude and the way he carries himself would have you thinking he’s closer to 80. Well, not really, because he’s not fooling anyone, least of all Mattie. As for the man himself, he’s twenty one and trying to save money in order to complete his thesis and move on to graduate work. Don’t let their ages fool you, they each exhibit atypical traits regarding them… sometimes. ;)
Siôn is pessimistic (though, again, not really, just like his continual professing to being old – not really) and Mattie is an optimist. What’s interesting is, we slowly learn what is fueling their individual outlooks on life at the moment, and how complicated they really are, how the surface doesn’t always reflect what’s underneath.
I did feel like there was something missing, or a disconnect somewhere that rose to the surface of this story now and then. I still can’t quite put my finger on it. This is a contemporary story, while most of the others I’ve read by Durreson are not. It could very well be me and not the story, missing that extra indefinable magical something that usually accompanies and ups the enjoyment factor for me.
It is enjoyable, though, never you fear. Experiencing as Siôn and Mattie attempt to navigate something neither of them has legitimately done before: share in a relationship that is honest, expecting realism instead of perfection, and feeling those things that sometimes surprise us in how much someone will do for us when they love us.
Also as usual Durreson’s writing is so much fun to read. To touch. It’s tactile and interactive, making me feel like I’m in the mix, right inside the room when the ghosts are approaching and acting a fool, or trying to warn the living.
Oh. Did I not mention the ghosties yet? Yup, they’re here for the mystery, humor, fear, revenge, joy, heartbreak, suicide ideation, comic books, and ultimately love that make up this story and these characters. Durreson likes including the supernatural and I like that she does. :)
The heat between Siôn and Mattie builds just like the rest of the story, becoming unrestrainable like the tide and fog that barrel their way into the bay, wreaking havoc, reuniting old flames, as it were, and providing opportunity for resolution.
Read
August 16, 2016*3.5 stars*
June 14, 2018
A sweet M/M romance blended with a suspenseful ghost story about queer history, set in a seaside British village. Siôn Ruston is a gay actuary and amateur artist whose depression and insomnia led to a suicide attempt three months ago, so he's on medical leave and renting a cottage to recover and paint. It's going fairly well until the morning he sees a ghost in his bedroom.
At the village museum, he's shocked to see the ghost again... but it's not the ghost, it's his descendant, gay college student Mattie Jopling. Outgoing Mattie flirts like other people breathe and immediately takes a shine to Siôn. Siôn has no idea why young, vivacious Mattie would be interested in him and tries to resist so he won't get hurt later, but Mattie's irresistible, especially with the two spending all this time together researching the ghost. What they discover is a tragic secret from the past that threatens Siôn and Mattie's possible relationship, as well as their lives, because omg drama scary stuff no spoilers but y'all, Durreson knows how to creep me out.
She's also a darn good writer of people. Mattie is so young emotionally, not in a bad way, but this is so realistic in his perceptions and relationship skills. The characters are "only" nine years apart, but the contrast between them is striking, heightened by how isolated Siôn has been since college. Siôn's mental state is still a little shaky, but he has some tools, and Durreson writes his rough days with respect for the work he's done and without melodrama.
This is my favorite Amy Rae Durreson book so far, but after reading several, I can say that it's hard to go wrong with her work.
At the village museum, he's shocked to see the ghost again... but it's not the ghost, it's his descendant, gay college student Mattie Jopling. Outgoing Mattie flirts like other people breathe and immediately takes a shine to Siôn. Siôn has no idea why young, vivacious Mattie would be interested in him and tries to resist so he won't get hurt later, but Mattie's irresistible, especially with the two spending all this time together researching the ghost. What they discover is a tragic secret from the past that threatens Siôn and Mattie's possible relationship, as well as their lives, because omg drama scary stuff no spoilers but y'all, Durreson knows how to creep me out.
She's also a darn good writer of people. Mattie is so young emotionally, not in a bad way, but this is so realistic in his perceptions and relationship skills. The characters are "only" nine years apart, but the contrast between them is striking, heightened by how isolated Siôn has been since college. Siôn's mental state is still a little shaky, but he has some tools, and Durreson writes his rough days with respect for the work he's done and without melodrama.
This is my favorite Amy Rae Durreson book so far, but after reading several, I can say that it's hard to go wrong with her work.
August 23, 2016
This was exactly what it was offering up, a contemporary gothic tale that felt more period than it did modern much of the time.
When you think of gothic, you think seaside villages and haunted pasts, and there is always (always!) an old portrait of someone and the subjects attractive descendant. The ghosts in this one are real, as we expect in our modern tales, but quieter while still playing a major role. Siôn's past seemed perfect for the story, Mattie's maybe a little less so, but it helped give it that modern sensibility.
Creepy ghosts, a love story and overly poetic sex that seemed a perfect fit for the style.
I really enjoyed it.
Rounding up.
This was a buddy read with Dante, Amy Spector, Ofelia Gränd and a few others I have yet to meet. :)
When you think of gothic, you think seaside villages and haunted pasts, and there is always (always!) an old portrait of someone and the subjects attractive descendant. The ghosts in this one are real, as we expect in our modern tales, but quieter while still playing a major role. Siôn's past seemed perfect for the story, Mattie's maybe a little less so, but it helped give it that modern sensibility.
Creepy ghosts, a love story and overly poetic sex that seemed a perfect fit for the style.
I really enjoyed it.
Rounding up.
This was a buddy read with Dante, Amy Spector, Ofelia Gränd and a few others I have yet to meet. :)
August 7, 2023
3.5 rounded down
I enjoyed this one, but something prevented me from loving it. There was a great sense of atmosphere throughout, and I appreciated the twist on the 'letters from historical gays' trope quite a lot, as it's actually one that almost never works for me. I thought the characters and their connection was lovely, and I appreciated their different issues, but there were a lot of little things that never quite worked for me. It's sort of implied that I also found the sort of back and forth between them, particularly at the end, to be a little frustrating, and it was really confusing the way Sion kept going on about he was used up and ancient at 30 year's old. It was so patently ridiculous that it really threw off my whole impression of him and his relationships...
I enjoyed this one on the whole, but it needed a bit of massaging.
I enjoyed this one, but something prevented me from loving it. There was a great sense of atmosphere throughout, and I appreciated the twist on the 'letters from historical gays' trope quite a lot, as it's actually one that almost never works for me. I thought the characters and their connection was lovely, and I appreciated their different issues, but there were a lot of little things that never quite worked for me. It's sort of implied that I also found the sort of back and forth between them, particularly at the end, to be a little frustrating, and it was really confusing the way Sion kept going on about he was used up and ancient at 30 year's old. It was so patently ridiculous that it really threw off my whole impression of him and his relationships...
I enjoyed this one on the whole, but it needed a bit of massaging.
July 6, 2023
This autobuy author has written some truly scary stuff (for me - Something Wicked This Way Comes) and some absolutely swoon-cute novellas (The Lodestar of Ys). This paranormal romance combines the spook and squeee factors very nicely indeed, and thankfully, any concern for past lives/reincarnation did not eventuate. Both MCs were adorable.
January 15, 2020
“Spindrift from seas with passion erupts stinging the eyes, pouring down cheeks castles of sand, now all washed away by oceans of tears that flow through the pail. Tears in a bucket filled from above blurring the vision in sorrowful eyes spill their liquor as weeping clouds precipitation from rain filled skys."~ Howard Brace (Bucket of Tears)
Siôn Ruston, of 'Spindrift' by Amy Rae Durreson, goes to the village of Rosewick Bay to try to regain his sanity in, what he thinks, will be a small, uneventful place. Little does Siôn know, that Rosewick is the most hazardous and precarious place he could be.
For the first few weeks, Siôn tries to relax and busies himself taking photographs and painting. One morning he is awakened by a ghost walking through his bedroom moaning, stinking of death and sea water, and calling out for Sarah and Joshua. At first Siôn thinks he's completely lost his battle with regaining his sanity until he goes down to the village museum and meets a young man who is the spitting image of the ghost haunting him. Mattie turns out to be the ghost's great, great grandson and tells Siôn the story about Matthew's drowning and the curse attached to it; if the ghosts are seen then a young man will drown before the end of the summer. Mattie stirs up feelings Siôn has not felt for years, but his first thought is that at thirty, he's too old for the twenty-one-year-old bundle of energy and enthusiasm and that he has nothing to offer him. But Mattie lives downstairs from Siôn, making avoiding him almost impossible. Mattie begs to come up to Siôn's and “ghost watch” with him. Reluctantly, Siôn agrees. When Mattie witnesses the ghost firsthand, it frightens him more than he'd imagined it would. Despite Siôn's reservations, he and Mattie grow from friends into lovers.
When Siôn has more “ghostly” encounters with not only Matthew but also his lover, Joshua, things really get intense. Each event brings with it more information and Siôn is convinced that there is a great deal more to the tale than what he is learning from the research he's been doing. A big breakthrough is when he is able to contact a partner of one of the victims who drowned years ago. Another is when Mattie discovers a journal that belonged to Joshua but it is in code. Siôn works with the journal and is able to decode most of it, but the results still don't give them all the answers they need. The closer they get to the truth, the more complicated things become. Conclusions that Siôn and Mattie have come to about what happened between Matthew and Joshua seem to be completely wrong. Matthew is convinced that if Siôn stays, he will be the one on the bottom of the ocean floor and begs him to leave. Siôn is stubborn and feels that he's run away from too much in his life and is determined to stay and find a way to break the curse, once and for all.
This well written story quickly captured my imagination and had me on the edge of my seat throughout the book. Since it is written in first person, I discovered things at the same time as Siôn. I knew no more or no less than he did, which was fine except that I really would have liked to have known Mattie's side of the story as well. The ghosts were frightening and intriguing. Siôn and Mattie have to work hard to be able to untangle the confusing facts and get to the truth. Mattie's cousin, Caitlyn, was a great character, full of life, intelligent, and cheeky. She had an amazing impact on the story, to be a bridge between Mattie and Siôn as well as her role in helping them discover the truth about what happened between Matthew and Joshua. She absolutely won my respect.
The “search for the truth” was delightfully suspenseful and deliberately misleading, adding to the overall intensity of the tale and surprising me with an ending I didn't expect but that worked out perfectly. If you like tales about ghosts, secrets, curses, hot sensual encounters, and opposites attracting, you may enjoy this book. Thanks, Amy, for the unique, suspenseful tale.
NOTE: The first edition of this book was provided by the publisher for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
Siôn Ruston, of 'Spindrift' by Amy Rae Durreson, goes to the village of Rosewick Bay to try to regain his sanity in, what he thinks, will be a small, uneventful place. Little does Siôn know, that Rosewick is the most hazardous and precarious place he could be.
For the first few weeks, Siôn tries to relax and busies himself taking photographs and painting. One morning he is awakened by a ghost walking through his bedroom moaning, stinking of death and sea water, and calling out for Sarah and Joshua. At first Siôn thinks he's completely lost his battle with regaining his sanity until he goes down to the village museum and meets a young man who is the spitting image of the ghost haunting him. Mattie turns out to be the ghost's great, great grandson and tells Siôn the story about Matthew's drowning and the curse attached to it; if the ghosts are seen then a young man will drown before the end of the summer. Mattie stirs up feelings Siôn has not felt for years, but his first thought is that at thirty, he's too old for the twenty-one-year-old bundle of energy and enthusiasm and that he has nothing to offer him. But Mattie lives downstairs from Siôn, making avoiding him almost impossible. Mattie begs to come up to Siôn's and “ghost watch” with him. Reluctantly, Siôn agrees. When Mattie witnesses the ghost firsthand, it frightens him more than he'd imagined it would. Despite Siôn's reservations, he and Mattie grow from friends into lovers.
When Siôn has more “ghostly” encounters with not only Matthew but also his lover, Joshua, things really get intense. Each event brings with it more information and Siôn is convinced that there is a great deal more to the tale than what he is learning from the research he's been doing. A big breakthrough is when he is able to contact a partner of one of the victims who drowned years ago. Another is when Mattie discovers a journal that belonged to Joshua but it is in code. Siôn works with the journal and is able to decode most of it, but the results still don't give them all the answers they need. The closer they get to the truth, the more complicated things become. Conclusions that Siôn and Mattie have come to about what happened between Matthew and Joshua seem to be completely wrong. Matthew is convinced that if Siôn stays, he will be the one on the bottom of the ocean floor and begs him to leave. Siôn is stubborn and feels that he's run away from too much in his life and is determined to stay and find a way to break the curse, once and for all.
This well written story quickly captured my imagination and had me on the edge of my seat throughout the book. Since it is written in first person, I discovered things at the same time as Siôn. I knew no more or no less than he did, which was fine except that I really would have liked to have known Mattie's side of the story as well. The ghosts were frightening and intriguing. Siôn and Mattie have to work hard to be able to untangle the confusing facts and get to the truth. Mattie's cousin, Caitlyn, was a great character, full of life, intelligent, and cheeky. She had an amazing impact on the story, to be a bridge between Mattie and Siôn as well as her role in helping them discover the truth about what happened between Matthew and Joshua. She absolutely won my respect.
The “search for the truth” was delightfully suspenseful and deliberately misleading, adding to the overall intensity of the tale and surprising me with an ending I didn't expect but that worked out perfectly. If you like tales about ghosts, secrets, curses, hot sensual encounters, and opposites attracting, you may enjoy this book. Thanks, Amy, for the unique, suspenseful tale.
NOTE: The first edition of this book was provided by the publisher for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
September 21, 2016
Amy Rae Durreson has proved to me that she can write one hell of a creepy ghost story! After A Frost of Cares, which I loved, I was excited to get to this one.
This was wonderfully atmospheric. When the ghosts were on page or the MCs, Siôn Ruston and Mattie Jopling, were feeling unsettled, you felt it with them. I loved the small Yorkshire fishing village the story was set in, which was steeped in the traditions and history of the area. I also really liked Siôn and Mattie. They were real, believable people with with messy, difficult problems. The ghosts themselves are very much a part of the story here, seen and heard and disturbingly fixated on Siôn and Mattie.
What I didn't like so much was that I didn't get the sense of connection between the two guys that I would expect, and *never my favorite* almost all of the sex takes place off page. In AFoC, the story was strong enough that I really didn't miss it but here I think it would have helped that missing chemistry.
Still, I very much enjoyed this, it was a terrifically told ghost story. I'll be on the lookout for more from this author!
This was wonderfully atmospheric. When the ghosts were on page or the MCs, Siôn Ruston and Mattie Jopling, were feeling unsettled, you felt it with them. I loved the small Yorkshire fishing village the story was set in, which was steeped in the traditions and history of the area. I also really liked Siôn and Mattie. They were real, believable people with with messy, difficult problems. The ghosts themselves are very much a part of the story here, seen and heard and disturbingly fixated on Siôn and Mattie.
What I didn't like so much was that I didn't get the sense of connection between the two guys that I would expect, and *never my favorite* almost all of the sex takes place off page. In AFoC, the story was strong enough that I really didn't miss it but here I think it would have helped that missing chemistry.
Still, I very much enjoyed this, it was a terrifically told ghost story. I'll be on the lookout for more from this author!
April 2, 2017
Честно говоря, первые 70 процентов книги было скучно, еле дочитала. Проигрывает A Frost of Cares того же автора практически по всем статьям.
Призраки - совершенно безобидные, максимум, что делали, - это писали похабные словечки на окнах.
Любовная линия - пресная, с insta-lust, быстро перетекающей в любовь, что для меня большой минус.
Главный герой, от лица которого ведется повествование, страдает от депрессии и все время ноет, что он старый, уродливый и никому не нужный. Я сначала думала, что ему не меньше полтинника - нет, оказалось, всего тридцать лет. В целом, первые три четверти данного произведения напоминают своей меланхолией классические готические романы о призраках.
Ближе к концу главному герою надоело мучиться, изменился авторский стиль, появилась динамика, активизировались привидения – книга превратилась в бойкий триллер, вот тогда уже читалось с неослабевающим интересом. Жаль, что весь роман не был написан в том же духе.
Призраки - совершенно безобидные, максимум, что делали, - это писали похабные словечки на окнах.
Любовная линия - пресная, с insta-lust, быстро перетекающей в любовь, что для меня большой минус.
Главный герой, от лица которого ведется повествование, страдает от депрессии и все время ноет, что он старый, уродливый и никому не нужный. Я сначала думала, что ему не меньше полтинника - нет, оказалось, всего тридцать лет. В целом, первые три четверти данного произведения напоминают своей меланхолией классические готические романы о призраках.
Ближе к концу главному герою надоело мучиться, изменился авторский стиль, появилась динамика, активизировались привидения – книга превратилась в бойкий триллер, вот тогда уже читалось с неослабевающим интересом. Жаль, что весь роман не был написан в том же духе.
June 11, 2024
2024 re-read: still great. Still creepy, too. This is the first time I noticed the few typos, which is very funny to me. Usually I can't miss them.
2022 re-read: I first read this, good heavens, six years ago already. Below is the original review. This time was just as enjoyable if less poetic--by which I probably meant the way the author makes one feel right there in the little sea town, right there with ghosts. The ghosts part was every bit as tense. That surprised me. That's part of why I waited so long to re-read this. I'm glad it worked.
2016 original review:
This one needs a sixth star: poetry in the form of a novel. It is that beautifully written. Our protagonist is so broken, and you know just enough to really feel for him.
And then he meets Matty, the ray of sunshine.
Who looks just like the ghost.
That tension shifts and fades and gets sharp, but never leaves, and as more is learned, it becomes unnerving and even scary. I don't typically like ghost stories. But this one is exceptional.
2022 re-read: I first read this, good heavens, six years ago already. Below is the original review. This time was just as enjoyable if less poetic--by which I probably meant the way the author makes one feel right there in the little sea town, right there with ghosts. The ghosts part was every bit as tense. That surprised me. That's part of why I waited so long to re-read this. I'm glad it worked.
2016 original review:
This one needs a sixth star: poetry in the form of a novel. It is that beautifully written. Our protagonist is so broken, and you know just enough to really feel for him.
And then he meets Matty, the ray of sunshine.
Who looks just like the ghost.
That tension shifts and fades and gets sharp, but never leaves, and as more is learned, it becomes unnerving and even scary. I don't typically like ghost stories. But this one is exceptional.
October 10, 2025
Grim, sad, and joyful
in equal measures. Durreson's
becoming a fave.
I have no idea why this is listed as horror--to be honest, it's not even scary, much less horror (of the body, creepy, spiritual, whatever variety). It's a little spooky in places, and it's awfully sad, but... it's not horror.
What it is is a story of 2 men who take a pretty significant leap of faith to fall in love with each other. Sion, because he's been hurt and alone and felt worthless and Mattie because he's been betrayed. Neither one is completely honest at the beginning, and neither one is initially willing to admit the depth of their feelings. But they fall--hard--anyway. By the end, when Sion risks everything for Mattie (both his life and his comfortable solitude), I was convinced that the HEA could believably mean forever.
The ghost story has a very satisfying conclusion as well, and I loved that Caitlyn played a part (though I'm not sure that Mattie's post-graduate degree in art history will convince her family that education is a good bet).
in equal measures. Durreson's
becoming a fave.
I have no idea why this is listed as horror--to be honest, it's not even scary, much less horror (of the body, creepy, spiritual, whatever variety). It's a little spooky in places, and it's awfully sad, but... it's not horror.
What it is is a story of 2 men who take a pretty significant leap of faith to fall in love with each other. Sion, because he's been hurt and alone and felt worthless and Mattie because he's been betrayed. Neither one is completely honest at the beginning, and neither one is initially willing to admit the depth of their feelings. But they fall--hard--anyway. By the end, when Sion risks everything for Mattie (both his life and his comfortable solitude), I was convinced that the HEA could believably mean forever.
The ghost story has a very satisfying conclusion as well, and I loved that Caitlyn played a part (though I'm not sure that Mattie's post-graduate degree in art history will convince her family that education is a good bet).
August 17, 2023
I’m not one for ghost stories, but I quite enjoyed this one. Amy Rae Durreson is an author I really should be reading more of.
Minus one star, because the twist was evident very early on, and how the ghosts were dealt with was a bit meh for me.
I can’t really hold this against the author, because this was published prior to JKR revealing that she doesn’t have a soul… but the HP references did leave a bit of a bitter taste.
Minus one star, because the twist was evident very early on, and how the ghosts were dealt with was a bit meh for me.
I can’t really hold this against the author, because this was published prior to JKR revealing that she doesn’t have a soul… but the HP references did leave a bit of a bitter taste.
November 11, 2022
This was such a wonderful story! I adored the romance between Sion and Mattie, I loved how the author handled Sion's depression and the paranormal ghost plotline was really interesting and combined beautifully with the romance.
My favorite aspect of the story was definitely Sion and Mattie's romance. They're a classic case of opposites attract and Sion starts out being overwhelmed by Mattie's outgoing personality (he assumes it indicates Mattie being immature) but Mattie is instantly enthralled by Sion and adjusts his approach to make Sion more comfortable, which is when things took off between them. I also liked that Mattie was living in the basement apartment of the home that Sion was renting, which provided lots of opportunities for them to interact and get to know each other.
I also liked how Sion's depression was handled. The story starts several months after Sion had attempted suicide and he's been going to therapy and taking medication. He decides to spend the summer renting a home in a small coastal town but I liked that he quickly realized that changing his environment and doing the therapy/medication wasn't the magic fix that he was hoping for. His main issue is loneliness and none of the things he's done to deal with his depression are helping to address that specific problem. He comes to the realization that if he wants more friends and to be part of a community, he needs to step a little bit outside of his bubble and make the effort to achieve those goals, which he does. I really liked this because it was done in a subtle and realistic way. He's uncomfortable being social and being in crowds at first but he keeps at it and he slowly becomes more comfortable and starts making real connections with the people in town, which goes a long way to making him feel better.
Another thing I loved in this story was the way the ghost plotline was handled. In the author's other popular paranormal MM romance (A Frost Of Cares), I struggled because the romance and the paranormal plotlines had very little connection, which created a split focus. I also didn't enjoy that one of the MC's ex-boyfriends played an important role throughout the story which sidelined the other MC quite a bit. None of those problems existed here, which is why I liked this story a lot more.
Right from the start, Sion realizes he's living with a ghost and when he meets Mattie and realizes that the ghost looks like Mattie from the early 1900s, we learn that Sion is being haunted by Mattie's great-grandfather. But from there, the ghost mystery gets a lot more complex and interesting. Sion is actually being haunted by two ghosts and he and Mattie discover through research that these ghosts have been in this town since the early 1900s. Throughout the story, Mattie and Sion do research and combine what they learn with the behavior of the two ghosts and slowly, they (and readers) put the pieces together to figure out what's going on. And let me tell you - I LOVED how in depth and interesting the entire ghost situation was.
I especially appreciated that the author went above and beyond to include multiple parallels between the ghosts' lives and Mattie/Sion's lives, which kept my interest piqued and made me care about all four characters equally. Not only was it interesting, but the creep-factor was very well done as Sion and Mattie struggle to figure out why the ghosts are haunting them and every new clue made me question which of the ghosts has good intentions vs evil intentions. The final reveal left me stunned!
Giving any further details would spoil things and this is a mystery that's best enjoyed without knowing anything about the two ghosts, but I'll just say that I loved ALL the specific parallels that the author created between our ghosts from the 1900s and our MCs from 2020. Those parallels didn't only make the ghosts' situation more meaningful to me but it provided lots of opportunity for Sion and Mattie to address certain issues in their own lives and deal with them together, which helped develop their relationship. Overall, I loved the balance between the romance and the paranormal elements in this one and it's my favorite ghost-hunting MM romance so far.
Before ending the review, I do want to spoil one small element of the ghost situation because it's a topic that many readers don't want to read about and I feel it's fair to share it. The ghost situation heavily revolves around . The situation isn't as straight forward as you'd think and I liked how it was dealt with, but I know it's something some readers don't want to read.
My favorite aspect of the story was definitely Sion and Mattie's romance. They're a classic case of opposites attract and Sion starts out being overwhelmed by Mattie's outgoing personality (he assumes it indicates Mattie being immature) but Mattie is instantly enthralled by Sion and adjusts his approach to make Sion more comfortable, which is when things took off between them. I also liked that Mattie was living in the basement apartment of the home that Sion was renting, which provided lots of opportunities for them to interact and get to know each other.
I also liked how Sion's depression was handled. The story starts several months after Sion had attempted suicide and he's been going to therapy and taking medication. He decides to spend the summer renting a home in a small coastal town but I liked that he quickly realized that changing his environment and doing the therapy/medication wasn't the magic fix that he was hoping for. His main issue is loneliness and none of the things he's done to deal with his depression are helping to address that specific problem. He comes to the realization that if he wants more friends and to be part of a community, he needs to step a little bit outside of his bubble and make the effort to achieve those goals, which he does. I really liked this because it was done in a subtle and realistic way. He's uncomfortable being social and being in crowds at first but he keeps at it and he slowly becomes more comfortable and starts making real connections with the people in town, which goes a long way to making him feel better.
Another thing I loved in this story was the way the ghost plotline was handled. In the author's other popular paranormal MM romance (A Frost Of Cares), I struggled because the romance and the paranormal plotlines had very little connection, which created a split focus. I also didn't enjoy that one of the MC's ex-boyfriends played an important role throughout the story which sidelined the other MC quite a bit. None of those problems existed here, which is why I liked this story a lot more.
Right from the start, Sion realizes he's living with a ghost and when he meets Mattie and realizes that the ghost looks like Mattie from the early 1900s, we learn that Sion is being haunted by Mattie's great-grandfather. But from there, the ghost mystery gets a lot more complex and interesting. Sion is actually being haunted by two ghosts and he and Mattie discover through research that these ghosts have been in this town since the early 1900s. Throughout the story, Mattie and Sion do research and combine what they learn with the behavior of the two ghosts and slowly, they (and readers) put the pieces together to figure out what's going on. And let me tell you - I LOVED how in depth and interesting the entire ghost situation was.
I especially appreciated that the author went above and beyond to include multiple parallels between the ghosts' lives and Mattie/Sion's lives, which kept my interest piqued and made me care about all four characters equally. Not only was it interesting, but the creep-factor was very well done as Sion and Mattie struggle to figure out why the ghosts are haunting them and every new clue made me question which of the ghosts has good intentions vs evil intentions. The final reveal left me stunned!
Giving any further details would spoil things and this is a mystery that's best enjoyed without knowing anything about the two ghosts, but I'll just say that I loved ALL the specific parallels that the author created between our ghosts from the 1900s and our MCs from 2020. Those parallels didn't only make the ghosts' situation more meaningful to me but it provided lots of opportunity for Sion and Mattie to address certain issues in their own lives and deal with them together, which helped develop their relationship. Overall, I loved the balance between the romance and the paranormal elements in this one and it's my favorite ghost-hunting MM romance so far.
Before ending the review, I do want to spoil one small element of the ghost situation because it's a topic that many readers don't want to read about and I feel it's fair to share it. The ghost situation heavily revolves around . The situation isn't as straight forward as you'd think and I liked how it was dealt with, but I know it's something some readers don't want to read.
August 30, 2016
A Frost of Cares was the first true ghost story slash romance I'd ever read. And Amy Rae Durreson did it so well! So I was anxiously waiting for this book to come out.
Wow, did it ever live up to my expectations. Still the same combination of creepy, dangerous ghosts and romance, but the setting was phenomenal. The writing is lyrical and poetic, drawing the reader into the community of Rosewick Bay, the people, the history, the tourists, and of course, the sea. It was reminiscent of Harper Fox's descriptions in her books. The MCs are both utterly captivating -- Sion's brokenness and Mattie's vibrancy are the perfect foils for the other.
Another absolute winner for this author. And I'm looking forward to her next book!
Wow, did it ever live up to my expectations. Still the same combination of creepy, dangerous ghosts and romance, but the setting was phenomenal. The writing is lyrical and poetic, drawing the reader into the community of Rosewick Bay, the people, the history, the tourists, and of course, the sea. It was reminiscent of Harper Fox's descriptions in her books. The MCs are both utterly captivating -- Sion's brokenness and Mattie's vibrancy are the perfect foils for the other.
Another absolute winner for this author. And I'm looking forward to her next book!
October 2, 2016
I liked the combination of paranormal elements and romance. Both Siôn and Mattie are great characters and the building of their relationship didn't feel too rushed. Even though the mystery regarding the ghosts wasn't unexpected it still was sad.
Entertaining bittersweet read, would have finished earlier if had free time.
Entertaining bittersweet read, would have finished earlier if had free time.
July 18, 2020
Sion fled to Rosewick Bay in remote Yorkshire to heal after a suicide attempt. He spend his days painting, slowly but surely getting his way back to wellness, until he started to see ghosts. At first he is very worried for his mental health, then he met Mattie, a descendant of the ghost. Mattie sees them too, and while they are investigating the ghosts, they get closer to each other, and Sion started to be more hopeful about his future.But the sudden return of the ghosts is a portent of impending doom, and Sion is worried for his and Mattie's safety.
I adored this book, it was at turns bleak and melancholy, then hopeful and joyous, filled with warmth and laughter, just to be scary and horrifying next. This ghost story truly terrified me, there were parts that almost remind me of a Stephen King book. Only small parts, but still! The love between Sion and Mattie was also beautiful to see, two broken souls finding each other, finding healing in each other. The Yorkshire coast was as good as a secondary character, adding loads of atmosphere to the book. Other characters such as Caitlyn and Anneliese had small but memorable roles, and the ending satisfied. Truly a memorable book, recommended!
I adored this book, it was at turns bleak and melancholy, then hopeful and joyous, filled with warmth and laughter, just to be scary and horrifying next. This ghost story truly terrified me, there were parts that almost remind me of a Stephen King book. Only small parts, but still! The love between Sion and Mattie was also beautiful to see, two broken souls finding each other, finding healing in each other. The Yorkshire coast was as good as a secondary character, adding loads of atmosphere to the book. Other characters such as Caitlyn and Anneliese had small but memorable roles, and the ending satisfied. Truly a memorable book, recommended!
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