Beneath a tough and determined exterior, businessman Ashley Carstairs harbours a dark secret that threatens to destroy everything he holds dear. Although aware that he is heading for trouble, he finds himself increasingly drawn to the one woman he knows he should stay away from – for both their sakes.
As the autumn nights draw in and the trickling sands of time gather speed, emotions run higher than the tides and Mo finds herself unable to step away. What is Ashley hiding? Is there more to him that meets the eye? And will his secret destroy everything she now holds dear?"
Rating: 5/5
Available to buy now.
There's nothing quite like getting into a new book series, and feeling the excitement when the next instalment of that series is out! I was really excited to read the second in author Ruth Saberton's Polwenna Bay series, A Time for Living. The first book, Runaway Summer, had left us on a bit of a cliffhanger, so I couldn't wait to find out how things were going to pan out in this book. This time around, we're focussing on Morwenna Tremaine, Jake's sister from the first book, and I was curious to find out more about the horse-loving, Ashley Carstair's hating Tremaine woman!
Mo loves her job of running a stables, and loves nothing more than going for a ride with her beloved horses. When this was threatened by local millionaire and developer Ashley Carstairs, Morwenna fought to protect her precious Polwenna Bay and her horses. Now that Ashley is back on the scene, she is determined to suppress the feelings she has inside, determined that she won't fall in love, and especially not with Ashley. But Ashley is hiding a dark secret of his own, one that puts everything he loves at risk, especially his new home and lifestyle. Mo is determined to find out what Ashley's secret is, and what really makes him tick, as well as protecting her beloved Polwenna Bay...
The Tremaine family were easy to love in the first book, and that is certainly still the case in this book. Of course, all the Tremaine's appear in each of the books, but the focus shifts for each book - the third book in the series Winter Wishes (out this December) will focus on Jake and Mo's brother Danny, a character I have loved lots through both of these stories so I can't wait for his installment of the series! Mo, though, was a bit of a strange one for me. She is very passionate about what she loves, in particular her horses and her family, and has no patience for anyone who goes against those things. She seems quite abrasive but you get the sense she is hiding a softer side of herself, protecting herself the only way she knows how - to stop people getting too close to her.
Her relationship of sorts with Ashley was definitely my favourite of the book. There is most certainly an element of 'will they, won't they' between the two of them, and I was in the corner of wanting them to be a couple, I had a sense they would be a great couple if they could put their differences aside! As Ashley's secret is revealed, it changes your perspective of him entirely, and I just wished he would confide in Mo about what he was going through. It is quite a sensitive topic, but Saberton handles it really well, giving us enough detail to fully understand his perspective, and the tough decisions he has to make.
Once again, Saberton's writing is on point, and she describes Polwenna Bay perfectly, bringing the small Cornish fishing village to life in my mind once more. I liked spending more time at Mo's stables with her, it feels like a very calm place to be, and you could see why Mo feels most at home there. As well as writing about Mo and Ashley, Saberton puts across the closeness of the Tremaine family in this book perfectly again, and I loved this about this family. The Tremaine siblings are always there for each other, looking out for each other in their time of need, and their grandmother holds them altogether like glue. I love family-centric novels, and this is probably why I enjoyed Ruth's writing so much.
This was a fantastic second installment in this series, and it was fun to read much more about Mo and Ashley, and their love/hate relationship! With a perfect setting and a story that will definitely have you glued to it from beginning to end, Saberton's recipe for success continues to weave its magic throughout this novel. I now can't wait to read the third installment, coming 15th December called Winter Wishes, to catch up with Jake, Summer, Mo, Ashley and the rest of the Tremaine's for the festive season. You want a good read? Well, don't look much further than Ruth Saberton's books!
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