This was a fun story about Jennifer and her trip to Europe. Her mom want's her to have a great trip before she is to marry. She stays with a childhood friend.. Jenny runs into surprises from her mothers past. Which makes Jennifer curious about the towns rumors about the past. I thought it was a delightful mysterious adventure. I liked that the author included discussion questions too!

Mysteries and romance abound in the English countryside...

I quickly became a fan of Melanie Dobson's after reading a couple of her wonderful time-split novels. Enchanted Isle was a delight to read, filled with Melanie Dobson's trademark attention to historical detail, multi-faceted characters, and rich descriptions of English life. The Lake District did indeed come to life and the amusement park was nearly a character in and of itself. Not to mention the touch of Gothic romance was perfectly delightful.

I'm not usually as quick of a reader when using my Kindle, finding it easier to be distracted by other things, but this time I had a hard time putting it down. Enchanted Isle is definitely an enchanted story and if you enjoy this author's stories as much as I do this is one book to put on your Must Read list!

(I received a copy of this book from the author/publisher. All opinions are entirely my own.)

Enchanted Isle by Melanie Dobson is the story of one family’s dream turned into a nightmare when one man is accused of murder. A mystery hovers over the family and the village as the decades pass. The story opens in Lakeland, England, 1935 as Gilbert Kemp high on his recent marriage proposal to his love, Liz. He heads to the island amusement park that his brother created and runs. He comes across a scene which shocks him. His brother, Simon, is standing over the dead body of his partner, Curtis Sloan. Fast forward, 1958, a young girl named Jenny Winter is staying with a family friend in the village. She is almost twenty one and having her last hurrah before heading home to marry the man her grandfather has chosen for her. She soon becomes fascinated with the Enchanted Isle, the amusement park which now lay in ruins and no one is allowed in. She soon befriends Adrian Kemp and his sister, Emma as she learns more and more about the mystery that the town tries hard to ignore. Can she discover the truth behind the murder of Curtis Sloan? Will the Enchanted Isle ever reveal its secrets?
Enchanted Isle is a wonderful story of a mystery whose truth can redeem a family’s past or continue to haunt their lives. This is the second book I’ve read of Ms. Dobson and she is an amazing storyteller who weaves an intriguing tale with self-discovery and the power in become who you are truly meant to be. I love Jenny’s story as she’s trying to discover her place in the world and find the strength to stand up to her grandfather’s life plan for her. I enjoyed Adrian and felt for him as he’s trying to overcome of the shadow and rumors of what his family’s past. I highly recommend Enchanted Isle for its mystery, its uplifting self-discovery story and a cast of great characters.

Enchanted Isle
is available in paperback, eBook, and audio CD

Enchanted Isle takes place in the 1950s in the lake district of England. Melanie Dobson is the author and personally invited me to review this book. I have read another of her novels and thoroughly enjoyed it. This novel is no exception, but it has a different tone and feel. Dobson is kind enough to include the facts upon which the story was formed and to let readers know which things she created in her own imagination.

The main characters are bogged down by events that occurred in the past and the characters are unable to move past them to achieve what they really want in life. Watching them change and grow and be able to stop defining themselves based on what others say is an interesting journey. It also draws the reader in emotionally. Readers will want to reach into the book and give characters hugs or smacks upside the head and sometimes both.

Melanie Dobson crafts a tale that allows readers to fall in love with her vision of England. It seems like such a picturesque setting, but there are things hidden underneath the beauty. The concept of the defunct amusement park holding secrets is unusual and interesting. Readers will find romance, mystery, and deception while accompanying the characters on a journey of maturation and understanding.

Just finished the ideal book for a book club. Filled with adventure, romance, relationships that we can
all identify with.
Melanie Dobson did it again with this new page turner!

Melanie Dobson takes her readers on a very descriptive visit to the Lake District in England in the 1930s and then the 1950s. A dose of intrigue thrown in make this a very readable novel.

Be ready to get lost in the late ‘50s in England in a quaint village in the lakeside district, and remnants of a past time of fun adventure.
Through the eyes of the author we are able to glimpse a place where magic happens in an island amusement park. We are transported back to pre WWII, and then fast-forward to 1958 and a new generation get a look at the ruins.
When a young woman comes from Cleveland to visit her mothers old friend in England, a new and wonderful time is about to begin, and it circles around and back to her mother.
There is a bit of everything here, and we get to enjoy the fells and the beautiful countryside through the eyes of a first time visitor Jenny. There is also a lot of guilt carried by several of the people we get to know, and a lot of it you won’t see coming. The unfolding of long held secrets, and finding forgiveness and allowing the acceptance to forgive, yes there seems to be a lot of blame for oneself here.
Come and help solve an old crime, relive an old love affair, and welcome new love.
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Waterfall Press, and was not required to give a positive review.

I was first introduced to Melanie Dobson when I read her book, "Catching the Wind" (Review here).  This was my first book from here and I fell in love not only with the story, but with the way that Melanie wrote.

Then I was invited to read this story, Enchanted Isle. My first inclination is that the cover art didn't draw me in. For such an accomplished writer, the cover art tended to sprinkle with a first time author trying to make her way into the self-publishing realm. I enjoyed the colorful frame, that bespoke of a carnival atmosphere, but the image of the, actually I'm not sure what it is, perhaps an island, is where my brain went into a tizzy. That said, if I saw this on a book store shelf I would walk right past it, unless I knew who the author was at the time

That said, I did enjoy the book. It didn't seem to have nearly the same magic the first book I read contained, but it was still a fun and delightful read.

Essentially the book is about a young girl, Jenny Winter, who gets the opportunity to visit a small village in England for two-months before she must return home to marry the man her grandfather has chosen for her. As it is, she doesn't have very much confidence with herself and we are able to pick that up within the first chapters of the book. So she arrives at the home of her mother's friend's with a camera in hand and ready to capture the beauty of the place. 

But then she meets Adrian Kemp, the son of the man who has created an island amusement park. But due to tragedy, was no longer in business and darkness hung over him and anything connected to the park.

I loved the premise of the story, the ending of the story. What I wasn't quite certain about was the first few chapters where it was spent focusing on the nitpicking of Jenny's difficulty in riding a bike, the color and type of shoes she was wearing. I nearly put the book down at this time, wondering what happened to the magic of my newly found author. But I stuck with it and ended up enjoying the book.

There were many things I liked about the book, such as the characters and the tension that built. But there were equally areas where I wish there had been more explanation as to why she was the way she was (such as not being able to read). It seems like there were certain pods of interest that were tossed in here and there, but yet had no way to tie together and really be a part of the story.

All in all I did enjoy the book, but could have loved it more.