Secrets on the Shore (Taylor and Rose mini adventure)

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It's a short story, of course, so there doesn't happen that much really. And the reader does already know that everything will turn out fine, because Sophie and Lil are just like we know them: Freakin' badass. So yes, they do solve the case. You can see the culprit coming from a mile off, but it's fun to see how the girls are ahead of him without him even realising it. And there are still some thrilling (I'm channelling Lil here) scenes in it. Her particular skills see her posted to London and then to her home area of Helford and her working with the special units preparing for a distant invasion of France. The teams she must work with are drawn from several nations and departments. It is part of Merry’s duties to help weld those different parts into a single functioning team. The teams themselves are engaged in long-range supply to forces in Brittany and the landing and evacuation of specialist personnel. This book centres around Dr Meredith Tremayne (Merry) who is an geographer and a beautiful young lady in a world of academics. Merry, or Dr Meredith Tremayne, is a career geographer who has chosen a career path rather than marriage and a family. She is happily ensconced in Oxford in her late twenties until the war breaks out and everyone’s world changes. I feel that the author's detailed descriptions of the Cornish countryside and the many, many, many rowing trips Merry undertook were intended to immerse the reader in her life and embed them in the historical time. Unfortunately it was wasted on me and I felt the plot suffered because of all the extraneous details, I just wanted the prose to hurry up and do something. Also, the great input that Merry had into the invasion of France just seemed to get lost in the wittering about mice and the myriad sub-plots which didn't seem to go anywhere (eg Fleming's love life and Merry's landlady's love life, there's a much bigger one but it's a bit of a spoiler so I won't mention it). Now I get that in real life there are multiple dramas going on which may or may not be relevant to your career or love life but did they really add anything to the story (other than length)?

The novel begins on mapping and ends on it, too, with the bookends of love holding it all together. This is a powerful story that clings to my mind as images, phrases and descriptions keep surfacing. I will never forget The Secret Shore, its touching characters and moving messages. For it has inspired my imagination, melted my heart and educated my mind on mapping and the women who carried out this valuable task—including the academics. They made great sacrifices, gave their best and were still forced to choose between love or a profession. Five cheers to Liz for her exceptional delivery of such a fascinating story that showcases an important war activity championed by women who deserve to be remembered. 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Thank you Liz for such a fabulous read, immersing you in the Cornish wartime era, with relatable, engaging characters.

He'd read stories about daring heroes hunting down foreign spies, but they'd never been in the least bit like the two young ladies. This is a story which is both heartwarming and tragic as Merry and Jake are living through a terrible war where no one’s future is certain. The Secret Shore was an incredible read. It awakened all my senses. It was a celebration of the women in war who were so very brave, whether on the home front or working. I am sad that it is now ended. Just when you think you have read every possible book about the Second World War and the role women played with it, you discover something you didn’t know anything about. Here is that book for me – mapmaking. Even better when it comes from an author who you love. War is a dangerous time to fall in love, and Merry is sure that the defences she has built up around her will hold strong, but in these perilous times, there is also a lot to be said for making the most fleeting moments. Merry is determined that her head will rule her heart...

I found it sad that an academic woman living in the 1940s would be forced to choose between her work as a lecturer and her personal life- if a woman married that was the end of her career and Merry was having to choose despite being every bit as intelligent as all the men around her.The Secret Shore is brimming with exceptional descriptions that whisked me away to the daisy heads peering through fields of long grass and the well-hidden smugglers’ path overgrown—all the beauty of the Cornish coastline. We are reminded of the tales of the boats hiding in the creek and how it may have inspired Du Maurier’s Frenchman’s Creek. There are other lovely literary references, too. And the Cornish people’s spirituality ‘that don’t require works or rituals but actions and belief’. Liz delivers not only unforgettable characters and a riveting plot, but the magic sprinkle of picturesque settings in stunning detail set my senses on high alert. I was drawn into the story and completely immersed to the point I forgot everything around me. There’s also the mystery of her missing mother. Another strong woman who puts her beliefs ahead of her safety. In fact, every character is interesting and easy to relate to.

This was my first book by this author but it certainly won’t be my last. It contained everything I like in a novel- romance, a plot set in World War 2 and a strong female protagonist.

Hartford, Connecticut

Cornwall was beautifully described and i recognised so many places of my beloved home county in this read , which always makes me happy .

I read an ARC of The Secret Shore over the New Year and early January (I’m a slow reader), and it’s still with me! I still muse over Merry’s story, how artfully the writer crafted it and revealed it. It’s not often you read a book that covers the role of women during WW2, and this book did it elegantly and without any moralising. It was an absolute pleasure to read, and as the summer rolls in I’ve a feeling I’ll be reading it again. Christina DeRosa plays Micha Caldwell, a young woman who comes looking for her missing sister in her hometown. The talented actress is best known for her performance as Virginia Rizzo in the TV series ‘Gravesend.’ Chelsea Vale plays Micha’s sister Maya, who suddenly disappears during a trip on the waters. Vale has done notable roles in the movies ‘Burial Ground Massacre’ and ‘Mr. Birthday.’However, all Merry’s skills are involved as the missions to France become more complicated and the intelligence gathering is needed far more to bring more knowledge to help end the war. Will the map give them men and Merry the answers or will it lead to her having to draw new maps and start again? We see how difficult life was for women, having to choose between love or career. Women had opportunities in war to excel but were returned to the lesser positions in peacetime. The war setting of the time era of this book was emotive and sad , and to see a different side of how Britain fought was very interesting .