I felt like I’d stepped into a little oasis when I picked up this ARC. I had been reading a very bloody crime novel just before so this was like a balm for the soul! Cassandra appears to have everything she could want in life. She lives in an incredible refurbished farmhouse on the South Downs with attached stables. Her long term partner, David, is a successful businessman who just happens to be charming and good looking. They have money and she can spend her time schooling horses then dressing for dinner from her beautiful walk-in wardrobe. David calls her Sandie and they’ve been together over ten years - in fact ever since she was involved in a car crash that killed both of her parents. David was first on scene and helped her out of the wreckage. They’ve never been apart since. He was attentive in the days following the accident, there for her therapies and as she was wheeled out of the hospital it seemed only sensible to stay with him - there being nowhere else to go. So why is she feeling dissatisfied and as if she’s drifting?

He catalyst comes as she’s out riding one morning and stops for a breather in one of the top fields behind the house. As she looks down to the farmhouse she sees David, who is working from home, and their cleaner Melanie coming to sit outside with a cup of coffee. She wonders to herself about the last time David paused his day to have a moment with her. Then she sees Melanie rest her hand on his arm, in a familiar way and she starts to sense that there’s more going on she realised. The incident brings to the forefront of her mind many things about her life that she’s unhappy with. David is all about appearances, so the house must be kept tidy at all times. She’s almost trained to wash a cup or plate immediately after she’s used it. He likes to come in and find the house immaculate. He calls her Sandie or Sandra when her full name is Cassandra and he likes her to dress well especially if they’re going to a party or function for work. Even then she can’t let loose, no dancing or drinking excessively, nothing that might show him or the business in a bad light. Yet, that very evening at a barbecue, she sees him exiting a private bit of the house, again with Melanie in tow. When she finds an earring in their bedroom, she can’t ignore things any longer. It’s not just the obvious infidelity. She needs something different.

On impulse she picks up The Lady magazine, drawn in by the cover photo of a man walking from a tunnel of trees. The man is a writer, Hunter Harcourt, and his article about ancient byways and the magic they possess. Within the adverts though she finds an advert that catches her eye; a family in a Manor House in Cornwall need help with the stable yard and a growing family for six months. This might be just the breathing space she needs. With David seemingly unrepentant about his affair, Cassandra finally asks him the one thing she has always wanted to know - will he ever be willing to have the children she has always wanted? David is adamant, children are not in his future. So, early one morning Cass hitches the horse box to her Range Rover and takes a leap of faith. She drives to Cornwall, only stopping at Melanie’s home to return the earring. What she finds in Cornwall is space enough to think, but activity enough not to dwell on what has happened. She falls in with the Kinsman family and their gorgeous children very easily. The Manor House and grounds are beautiful and Caspian soon finds his feet with the other horses. Cass finds solace in the rugged Atlantic coastline and the time spent with the children. She is shocked when, on her day off, she is looking for something to fill the hours when she happens on a talk on local history by a local author, Hunter Harcourt, otherwise known as Luke. Their meeting begins a friendship that seems so natural, almost as if they’d met before.

There was so much to like about this book. I love Cornwall and I felt as though I was there, with the descriptions of the villages, the beaches and those ancient places that seem to hold magic. I loved watching Cass unfurl in her new environment as she fits in so beautifully with the Kinsman family, the landscape and the new friends she makes such as surfer Robin. This is about someone awakening and finding their authentic self, something she’s never been able to do before, having been so busy fitting around David’s standards and timetable. Cass went straight from her parent’s household to David’s with no gap between. This is the first time she has stood on her own two feet and her confidence grows. The relationship with Luke seems so predestined that it was a huge disappointment to find out he’s married to the feisty Amanda. We soon see the cracks in their marriage though, not just her infidelity, but their differing views on where to live seem insurmountable. The natural way Luke and Cass seem to fit together seems to be pre-ordained - this is where I felt more could have been made of the supernatural aspect of the story.

Soon after arriving Cass finds that the manor is haunted by several ghosts, but the one she seems to see most is the young girl who had fallen in love with the gamekeeper. Cass feels that, just like the ancient byways, there are spaces within the fabric of time at the manor, where ghosts may appear. Cass has an affinity with the the young woman in her peacock blue dress, but could it be more than that. It felt like the author was flirting with the idea of Cass and Luke being a reincarnation of the couple - the references to her gypsy soul, the sense they have of meeting before, the apparition Cass sees and hears. I think this could have been explored even more than it was. Cass clearly has some psychic ability; she experiences the ghost of a maid, has vivid dreams about places and people from another time, and at one point hears a ghost ship. I found myself wanting more of this and would have loved to know more about the daughter of the house and the gamekeeper, possibly in another time frame. Luke is a dream of a man, gentle, intelligent, loves the outdoors and animals and seems to know himself very well. His marriage seems to be one made when young, when differences in outlook seem to matter less and we think love can overcome anything. Sadly, Luke finds as he gets older, the more he needs the pace of life in the country whereas Amanda is a city girl who needs the bustle and the noise.

Of course I wanted David to get some sort of comeuppance for his awful behaviour. Even in absence he tries to push Cass’s buttons by ordering her home, then pleading that he loves and misses her while mentioning someone he’s having casual sex with in the next breath. He is arrogant, fussy and I couldn’t think of a single reason Cass should return to him at the end - other than habit and conditioning. I won’t ruin the end, but it does keep you hooked to the final pages when a terrible secret emerges. This was a gentle romance, set in a beautiful part of the world and is as much about Cass falling back in love with herself as it is anyone else. It’s a voyage of self-discovery, where slowly she heals and finds her authentic self. I found it thoroughly enjoyable and a little oasis of calm in a busy month.

I want to live in in Morwenstow right now!!!!! I thought I wanted to move to the Sussex Downs, until reading later in the book!!!!!
To be rescued by an extremely handsome man after being in a car accident, then marrying him later on, living what was supposed to be an idyllic life, which turns out not so!!!!! Ending up in Cornwall, was the best move Cass makes!!!!!!
I was in heaven reading this book, such wonderful scenery, (imagined in my head of course) and a wonderful, although sad, (at a point), then joyful!!!!
Made me very angry sometimes but also very happy!!!!
A fabulous story, thank you!!

This book is a woman’s journey into freedom and empowerment and true love. She leaves behind the only life and boyfriend she’s known as an adult when she realizes she is little more than a trophy in a gilded cage and replies to an ad for a “superhuman” nanny/horsewoman/home manager in a historic Cornish Manor. The description of the local area, unique in it’s environment of cliffs and spooky woods and underground paths is fascinating. Cass, the heroine, finds herself falling for the down to earth neighbor of the Manor, a world apart from the man she’s fled, but also a world that seems more like her true home. I loved this book! I truly felt like I was immersed in the Cornish countryside. The romance brews under the surface and is very “sweet,” no spicy scenes—not a criticism as it all felt extremely appropriate for the story. I did feel the POVs of Amanda and Luke were a little jarring to suddenly appear mid-book and I don’t think they added that much to the story, but I still give this book 5 stars. In addition to the research on the natural and supernatural history of the area, the characters were all very well done, including Ginny and her children and even the horses. A welcome escape to the Historic small town charm of Cornwall.

With thanks to netgalley for an early copy in return for an honest opinion.

Really good storyline. And characters throughly enjoyed

I received an advance copy of, Beneath Cornish Skies, by Kate Ryder. This book is good. I did not like the character of David at all. I liked watching Cassie grow stronger as the book went on.

This book starts with a dream that is so vividly and lyrically written that it immediately drew me into the story. The evocative writing and sense of mystery and magic is present throughout the book but is drawn with a light touch, hinting at the supernatural in a number of different ways. At the emotional heart of the book is Cass's discovery of her true self and this is wrapped about with layers of history and legend. It's an intriguing reading experience, haunting and magical.

A thoroughly enjoyable way to lose yourself for an afternoon. This is an addictive read blending the past and present through the present day protagonists . You never know which direction the author is taking you in , there are multiple plot options interweaving supernatural and mystical with the historical and natural world and leaves the way for future storylines too.
Cassandra was a likeable character and it was great to see her blossom and become more outgoing. She was someone to easily empathise with , I'm sure we all second guess ourselves sometimes and it makes her situation relatable. Luke was an interesting character and the rapport that builds between him and Cass as their friendship grows and blossoms into attraction was very slowburn and sweet. You were constantly wondering will they or won't they. Amanda and David were both characters you love to hate, every book needs at least one!
The descriptive writing encapsulates the beauty of the rugged Cornish coast and the mystical energy attached to these ancient places.
I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy Timeslip and Susanna kearsley, I found it very reminiscent of Mariana in both style and premise .

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. What a great read, good characters, beautiful location and a terrific location. I really enjoyed it.

I don’t usually read romantic fiction but it was a nice easy read, well written with interesting research into the Cornish location. The landscape and history was the highlight for me and the whimsical ‘ghostliness’ a satisfying sub-plot. It was predictable, but aren’t books like this meant to be? It simply meant it all tied up very neatly at the end and wouldn’t be great if real life were like that!
The other aspect I enjoyed was the insight into horsemanship, especially as Cassandra has a natural approach rather than the traditional. Not being horsey, this is not something I knew of and was interested to learn about.
Overall it was a nice bit of escapism. Who wouldn’t want to be walking the Cornish coast right now with the excitement of a blossoming new romance on the horizon? Thank you to netgalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book was such a beautiful romance novel!
I loved the character. They story behind this book.
The writing was awesome.
Thus was a quick read! I found myself not wanting to put this one down.

I have really mixed feelings about this book, whilst it started of slowly, the story became captivating but the second part of the book felt really rushed, it was if the author ran out of time or word count. The ending was so sudden and there was wee sneaks in to peoples lives, like the scene with Amanda and the flowers that were never really made sense or explained. The prologue didn’t fit with the story, and the ghostly stories didn’t really come to anything. It could of been such a good book, but just didn’t seem complete

This is a wonderfully engrossing and romantic story, with a fragile heroine who has been dominated by her rich and powerful partner for years and therefore can’t see her own worth. I very much enjoyed seeing her blossom, her confidence growing as she found her true self with a little help from friends, ancient magic and spirits in the landscape. The story is set against the backdrop of the dramatic north Cornish coast and now I long to go there again. The author makes you feel as though you are exploring it together with the hero and heroine, learning its history and secrets. A lovely, uplifting tale and perfect for anyone who loves Cornwall with a little magic and thrown in!

A magnificent story, taking the reader from the beautiful South Downs in Sussex to the magical North East coast of Cornwall. Both counties are described so vividly, I was immediately transported there.
Cassandra is in a relationship with a man who is controlling and egotistical, but finds it hard to escape, until she finds an ad in a magazine which will change her life.
The author incorporates romance, magic, historical fact and her love of horses into a magnificently woven story of indecision, discovery and learning of one's true self.
I was drawn into this well written story from the very beginning, and found it hard to put down; I cannot recommend it highly enough.
Thanks to NetGalley for my advance copy of this wonderful book in exchange for an honest review.