Book Review: Somewhere Beyond the Sea by Miranda Dickinson


Miranda Dickinson's new novel, Somewhere Beyond the Sea, is a sparkling tale of love, life and finding magic where you least expect it. Here are my thoughts on it:

Title: Somewhere Beyond the Sea
Author: Miranda Dickinson
Published: June 14th 2018 by Pan

Blurb: Can you fall in love with someone before you’ve even met?

Seren MacArthur is living a life she never intended. Trying to save the Cornish seaside business her late father built – while grieving for his loss – she has put her own dreams on hold and is struggling. Until she discovers a half-finished seaglass star on her favourite beach during an early morning walk. When she completes the star, she sets into motion a chain of events that will steal her heart and challenge everything she believes.

Jack Dixon is trying to secure a better life for daughter Nessie and himself. Left a widower and homeless when his wife died, he’s just about keeping their heads above water. Finding seaglass stars completed on Gwithian beach is a bright spark that slowly rekindles his hope.

Seren and Jack are searching for their missing pieces. But when they meet in real life, it’s on the opposing sides of a battle. Jack is managing the redevelopment of a local landmark, and Seren is leading the community campaign to save it.

Both have reason to fight – Seren for the cause her father believed in, Jack for his livelihood. But only one can win. With so much at stake, will they ever find what they are really looking for?

Review: Somewhere Beyond the Sea is a gorgeous story about love, family and hope. But it's also a very real portrayal of loss and grief. Both main characters, Seren and Jack, have lost someone and are trying to re-build their lives again. It's impossible not to warm up to such good-hearted and inspiring characters and soon you find yourself rooting for them and sharing both their joys and disappointments.

I fell a bit in love with Jack myself. He was such a fantastic dad to Nessie. You could tell his world orbited around this little girl and he managed to make every little thing magical for her. I enjoyed immensely following them to the beach, while they built their unfinished sea glass stars for the mermaids. 

This story really reminded me how to appreciate the little things and the joy they bring. For Seren, finding those unfinished stars gave her hope in a very dark moment of her life. In fact, every time I pick a book by Miranda Dickinson I end up feeling happier and really hopeful about the future. 

I really liked how the story unfolded and the direction it took. It was a real treat to see these characters and their families and friends touched by the magic of this story. Definitely a highly recommended story to enjoy this summer. Small warning, I'm pretty sure you'll want to book a holiday in St Ives as soon as you've finished reading it!

Rating: 5 stars

I would like to thank the publishers for sending me a copy of this book. This is my honest opinion.

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2 comentaris

  1. I enjoyed this one too Alba (my first Miranda Dickinson!). We had part of our honeymoon at St Ives and it brought back memories.
    Thanks for linking #TalkoftheTown

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  2. Cornwall is one, if not, my favourite place to visit and I'm very lucky to have friends that live there.
    I've read a couple of Miranda Dickinson books, and have had the pleasure to meet her, so I really should get a copy of this one too! :)
    #TalkoftheTown

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