Review of 'The Guest House By The Sea' by Faith Hogan

Review of 'The Guest House By The Sea' by Faith Hogan

Release Date: June 8th, 2023

Publisher: Aria

☘️ ☘️ ☘️ ☘️ ☘️

REVIEW

What an uplifting beautiful story! It quietly wrapped around my heart and tugged on my emotions through its kind and caring atmosphere and messages. I could not help but fall in love with the Irish setting and characters. After reading The Guest House By The Sea, even I wanted to run off and stay in the charming Ballycove accommodation to experience the breathtaking natural beauty, soak up the warm community spirit and enjoy the friendships that abound! This haven is more than just fresh air and Atlantic sea views. It is a place where broken souls can go in need of contemplation, healing, direction and support. It also offers a chance to start again.

Esme, the hostess, provides sincere insight for the guests who casually seek her advice. They may not know what they need but after a chat with her, things fall into place and questions get answered. These gentle nudges are more about giving her guests courage to follow their hearts, and to do what is right for them—rather than making decisions to please others. Esme’s advice always seems correct and her words flow naturally from one incident to another: through the stories she shares—based often on her own experiences or that of others she has known. Then she tops it off with suggesting the guest to randomly open the guestbook to a page that offers a phrase for the day. Each line always seems appropriate. Is it coincidence or spiritual revelation? Maybe a bit of both but there is an interesting story behind these sayings and how they came to be.

The Guest House by The Sea is not only told by Esme the hostess but also through Cora, the wife who has lost passion in her marriage. She arrives after a quarrel with her husband who is stunned by her announced grievances. Cora needs space so goes to the guest house to think about what to do next. Then there is Niamh, the city professional in a forbidden relationship that is disrupted by an unexpected discovery. She retreats to make a tough decision—one that will radically alter her life. Then there is Phyllis, the best friend of Esme. Her husband has received a bad mental health report. She returns to a place of happiness to make more lasting memories before too much slips away.

I was completely engrossed in the happenings of these characters. To see each one grow and find their feet and fulfill their dreams was satisfying. There is true depth and meaning in this story. Friendship, love, self-worth and self- achievement are just a few enriching themes that develop. The advice freely given by Esme is available to all who stay at Willow’s Guest House. She is like a wisdom wizard with the ability to see what others cannot. She reminds us all of the rewards of sharing burdens, the need to be honest with others and ourselves, and the belief that things that are meant to be will work out and people will return to where they belong. These clever truths are all boldly visible on the pages and eventually realised by the characters who were once strangers until they came together through grief, confusion and loss to find joy, clarity and life. The gift of connectedness comes through, once they each have the courage to be vulnerable at the right moment with the right people.

Faith Hogan paints a vivid and heart-warming picture in The Guest House by The Sea. A clear message is: releasing your burdens can be easy if you have good friends to share with. And that sometimes a little escape to a haven can put things into perspective. And like these guests, we can let the worries roll away on the waves of the shore under a bright luna sky and be free to live again. 5 Healing Stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Many thanks to publisher Aria and Netgalley for my review copy.