The Castle in the Bay by Margaret Amatt #Review #BarraSeriesBook1

 

We are travelling to the beautiful island of Barra for Margaret Amatt's new Barra Series, The Castle in the Bay. The first in this new series was published on 12th April by Leannan Press.

 
What if the castle has the key to mend their broken hearts?

After a miserable few years, fun-loving Iona McKenzie tossed her corporate job to the wind, swore off long-term relationships, and escaped to the Hebridean island of Barra to teach water sports.

Recently dumped by an ex who labelled him 'boring', Monty MacNeil is having a tough time. When he's tasked with carrying out his late father’s last request to scatter his ashes at Kisimul Castle – the famous castle in the bay – he doesn't expect his trip to Barra to begin by running smack bang into a feisty and gorgeous woman, knocking her off her bike, and almost dropping his father’s urn into the sea.

Iona turns out to be the person he needs to take him over to the castle, but Monty soon sees another way she can help him. A few paddleboarding lessons would make him look more adventurous and give him a way back to his ex when his holiday’s done. But an unexpected attraction begins, despite both Monty and Iona fighting it, and the lessons soon develop from boarding and snorkelling to ‘love lessons’. Suddenly it’s harder to separate real from pretend.

True love may be closer than they think, but if they want it, both must take a chance – and soon – before Monty returns to his life on the mainland.

My Thoughts

 

At first sight, Iona and Monty seem like complete opposites. Iona has escaped from her career in the Civil Service to live a freer existence on the Isle of Barra where she runs a water Sports School and spends her days in the open air, relishing the environment. Monty has a different reason for coming to the remote island. A banker, he loves his life of spreadsheets and order. He has an emotional journey, having undertaken to scatter his father's ashes on the nearby Castle.  The islanders are scathing about the tourists who come to claim allegiance with the ancient family of the MacNeils. Monty has not been interested in the family tree investigations of his father, but once on the island, recognises  that he feels a link with the place.

    Wary of commitment, Iona has led a life without long term relationships. Monty is pining for an ex-girlfriend. There are plenty of lively characters who I expect to meet in future books. What does emerge is the family and community support they have for each other and the love of the Island.  

In short:  strangers on the shore

 

About the Author

 

Margaret is a bestselling Scottish author and chocolate lover who has been writing stories for over twenty years (possibly more if you count her primary school efforts). Her early works will never see the light of day and are locked in dusty vaults on some old floppy disks. But after all those years of practise, Margaret released her first novel in 2021. It was the first of a ten-book series set on the gorgeous Scottish Isle of Mull.

Margaret is also the author of the acclaimed Glenbriar Series, based in the fictional Scottish town of Glenbriar. This is an ongoing series with more books coming in 2025.

More Scottish island books –this time set on the Isle of Barra –are also planned. The first of these is The Castle in the Bay, which will be out this spring.

All Margaret’s stories are unashamedly romantic with lots of drama, banter, and an eclectic mix of characters. Each book can be read as a standalone, but followers of the series will enjoy catching up with the characters.

You can follow Margaret here:  Facebook  |  Instagram  |  Twitter 

                                                  Website

 Purchase links  |   

 Thanks to Margaret Amatt, Leannan Publishers and Rachel of Rachel's Random Resources for a copy of the book and a place on the tour.

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