REVIEW
The Little House By The Sea is a beautiful uplifting character driven novel that is brimming with depth, heart, secrets and treasures. To echo one character’s words, the reading of this story left me ‘wild with hope and longing!’ It is divinely memorable and carries a touch of finding the extraordinary in the ordinary.
The main setting, Pennystrand, is a fictional coastal village in Wales. I suspect the name may have a strong connection to the ‘little house by the sea’ and its fascinating historical activities. Tracy has painted a vivid picture with her descriptions of this magical place where the weather is as temperamental as some of the characters.
I instantly warmed to the main character Kitty who has had some unfortunate circumstances rise unexpectedly in her life. Her relationship with her long-time boyfriend and her dreams of having her own home are shaken and abruptly altered at the same time. She is also in a job she does not particularly like and when her whole world implodes, she decides it is time to get away and figure out what she wants to do. So, through an unusual means, she is directed to re-visit a quaint Welsh village that is connected to her past. Once there, she takes up a six month residence. And through a series of events and meetings, her life begins to change rapidly. There’s lots of excitement, self-discovery and secrets to uncover. Plus, a new job in real estate that allows her to meet new people and to indulge in her passion for houses and design. And even more importantly, it allows her to help buyers find their dream home, which is rightly compared to the beginnings of a lasting romance.
There are many other wonderful characters in this novel such as Kitty’s first village friend, Cherry. Plus, others she gets to know through listing and selling their homes. Then there is Cory the famous handsome surfer she bumps into in a most humorous way. Their relationship is in its early days but I expect we may see more of him in the series. Kitty’s sister, Cooper, has a good support role and their parents were also intriguing. I enjoyed learning about their lives and past experiences and how it affected their directions and decisions. In fact, we get to know all characters quite well and can see what has made them who they are. Most are not static, though, and there are definite obvious changes in many of them which could continue in future books.
I must admit, I had great difficulty putting this novel down once starting it. Tracy had me hook, line and sinker from the title, cover, first page, characters and plot! I wanted to know what would become of Kitty and the others in the novel. It was easy to care about them and harder to let go when the book ended. The Little House By The Sea is also truly a delicious feast for the senses. The beauty of the landscape comes through, the atmosphere, the smells, the sounds of the sea.
This novel expresses the movements of life - like the surf on the sand and how it is always changing: pulling and drawing us backwards and forwards. When a wave of disappointment comes, these challenges can either destroy a person or offer growth. (Surfing is an apt activity and analogy in this novel.) Falling from a moving board into the waves can waken us from the monotony of complacency and inspire us to go in directions we may not have considered or thought possible. The Little House By The Sea shines with this message: follow your dream, find yourself and have the courage to make it happen for this is where true happiness lies. Kitty loved design, homes and helping people connect with the places right for them. The kind of love affair you feel when you walk into a place or town, and know it is right— for it speaks to you and provides a spiritual connection.
Another message in The Little House By the Sea is that happiness does not rely upon another. You can be whole on your own but if you enter a relationship, it shouldn’t be a needy one. Partners can be equals – you can be yourselves and maintain a healthy independence (so if things fall through, you still have you!).
The Little House By the Sea is about dealing with disappointments, starting over, finding and caring about yourself, learning when to let go of expectations, learning to make decisions that are best for you. It is about lost things that need to be found— including a sense of belonging— of connecting to a land/seascape. It is also about growth, forgiveness, respecting the other’s differences—especially in family. With Kitty, there are some pretty big family secrets that come to the surface that help her heal and move forward with her dream and happiness. I cannot help but think of what Socrates said: “The secret of change is to focus all of your energy not on fighting the old, but on building the new.” This story shines with this thought.
This is my second book of Tracy’s I have read and only within the past two weeks. As soon as I discovered her work through Bookouture, after reading her Christmas one, I needed to read more. I am so glad I requested the ARC and that I squeezed it in my reviewing schedule as I absolutely loved The Little House By The Sea. I adored Kitty and her courage to start a new life in a village she had not been to since she was a child and the fact she is drawn back through mysterious, cryptic leadings. This series is off to a flying start and I am dying to read more in the next instalment. I highly recommend this novel and have become an overnight huge fan of Tracy Rees. 5 Sea-Filled Stars!
Huge thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for a copy to review.
