Starry, Starry Night: The escapist, feel-good summer read about family secrets

Description

The night she shared her secret . . . The night he'll always remember. This delightful new novel from Marcia Willett is perfect for fans of Katie Fforde and Fern Britton. 'We'll always be together, won't we?' Childhood friends and cousins Leo and Alice had imagined their whole lives playing out on their beloved Devon beach. But one night when they are teens, sitting on the sand beneath the stars, Alice tells Leo a secret that must never be shared with anybody else . . . then packs her bag and flees. Leo is left to build his own life - without Alice. He surrounds himself with other family and friends and on the whole is content and fulfilled. But he is left with a sense of what - or who - is missing. So decades later, when he receives a note from Alice asking if she can come home, he doesn't hesitate to agree. But as the stars align and their reunion draws near, Leo is left to consider their separation and what so many years apart means for a relationship solidified in youth and a secret which could affect the whole family.

Marcia Willett's early life was devoted to the ballet, but her dreams of becoming a ballerina ended when she grew out of the classical proportions required. She had always loved books, and a family crisis made her take up a new career as a novelist - a decision she never regretted. She lived in a beautiful and wild part of Devon, and her surroundings inspired many of her novels. Marcia passed away in June 2022. She leaves behind a son and two grandchildren.

Warm summer reading. * Choice Magazine * Warm and engaging. * Trisha Ashley * Sweeping powers of description transport her readers to another time and place. * Rosanna Ley * Lovely . . . Made me long for a long hot summer by the sea with friends and family. I loved that new beginnings turn up when you least expect them. * Jo Thomas, author of Escape to the French Farmhouse * Riveting, moving and utterly feel-good. * Daily Mail *