This was my first book of Ali McNamara's, and I really enjoyed it. A cosy and lovely cast of characters. I love stories with castle settings so if you do also this is the right book for you.

Another great read by Ali. This is the fourth book I’ve read by her and it was just as good as the others. I love that each of her books has something magical about it, which wouldn’t usually be my sort of thing, but it just works so beautifully in her books! I really liked the fact that a romance blossomed without either party causing drama, that’s rare to find in a story, and I loved all the friendships equally just as drama free. The characters in the book were all great and I loved how they all came together. Can’t wait to read to Ali’s next book!

A truly fabulous Ali McNamara book! It has humour, depth, romance and some fabulously crafted twists and turns that keep you enthralled from start to finish!

Really enjoyable read. Good characters and a Good story. Well worth a read. Think others will enjoy.

Another winner from Ali McNamara. I've read every one of her books and never been disappointed. Some light hearted far fetched fun with great characters and an interesting plot. 5/5

I love Ali McNamara books but have to say I actually started this book twice and put it down. It has a little bit of a slow start and I think that was my issue initially. However, putting it down and coming back to it was the best thing to do. Once I came back to it I started again and it was an easy read. I think I needed to be in the right frame of mind (anyone else get that?).

Amelia is a single mum who is struggling to make ends meet. She receives a call from a solicitor who tells her that she is the last descendent of the Chesterford family and that she has inherited a Castle by the sea. When she finally realises this is an opportunity she needs to take she finally makes the move and her and her son Charlie take the chance and move to Chesterford Castle.

The additional characters that appear in this story absolutely make it and they include Dorothy and Arthur who live there as Castle staff along with Joey and Tiffany. As Amelia and Charlie settle, Amelia begins to realise that living in the castle although great, also comes with the responsibility of ensuring the castle stays in tip top shape and that people still come to visit.

As a reader you are definitely taken along for the journey and although there is also a ‘ghost’ element to this story (not normally something I like) it was done fantastically and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Tom arrives at the castle and becomes the restorer as well as builders who start t covert outbuildings and as time goes on more and more things start to happen which cause Amelia to wonder whether she has made the right choice.

This story although slow to start (for me anyway) ended up being a book I thoroughly enjoyed. Although it seems to be a slight step away from what McNamara normally does it still has her signature style of writing and characters you love. In the end I wondered why I had waited so long to read this and would definitely recommend.

Ali always gives us more than a normal romance read and book ten does not differ.

Secrets and Seashells at Rainbow Bay is a beautiful read. It’s exciting and funny and dramatic and over the top. Everything you want in escapism.

For me though the best thing about the read is the honesty and love that comes from it. The love between the characters and the constant reminder of equality and how much for granted we should not be taking anything in life.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4/5

I loved the enticing cover.

Let Single Mum Amelia take you on a life changing adventure with her son Charlie as they move from a flat in a less desirable location, as Amelia becomes heir and moves into Chesterfiled Castle!

There are some great characters that become part of Amelia’s and Charlie’s journey in life.

Are castles haunted ?

Will Furniture restorer Tom give Amelia her fairy tale ending?

You will have to buy and read the book to find out!

Ps keep looking for that pot of gold at the end of the rainbow! #netgalley #alimcnamara


I really enjoyed this book by Ali McNamara pure escapism. #netgalley #alimcnamara

An unbelievable premise of a story really, but that didn’t hold it back in any way. Nice characters and moved along at a good pace.

Believe it or not but it was the first time I was reading a book from Ali McNamara and I haven't been disappointed! I loved this book so much that I gave it a 5 stars out of 5!!!! This book is the perfect chicklit read, it has all the ingredients to make it a perfect book! It's full of events, it has some romance, it has some mystery to it and even some paranormal with a story of possible ghosts haunting the castle! I just couldn't put this book down! I wanted to know what will happen to Amelia and her son! This book is perfection, it's so entertaining! If you need a book to take away from the everyday stress, I recommend you to pick up this book! you will have a lot of fun reading it!

I just love all of Ali McNamara’s books and Secrets and Seashells at Rainbow Bay was one of these. I was hooked from the first few pages and read it in a day as I just had to keep on reading. Loved the twist about who the heir to the castle and enjoyed finding out who all the ghosts were. I just loved this book.

Absolutely enchanting and thoroughly enjoyable. I loved this book from the very first page. Charlie and Amelia’s story with some spiritual input is amazing. The setting and warm family vibe made this tale lost compelling. I found it very difficult to put down. The story as a whole is captivating. Most definitely recommended.

Oh I do love an Ali McNamara book and this is no exception. I went into this blind, possibly never having read the blurb and was curious to see what sort of unexplainable happenings may occur this time.

Was shocked to discover for my second in the past 3 books I've read, that there was a hint of the otherworldly, of potentially ghosts. Not a huge believer in them but having read both this and Rowan Coleman's latest, I may be mega scared next time someone tries to get me into a haunted house!

Amelia was down on her luck, struggling financially to bring up her son Charlie, when a piece of post start a chain or events that led to her getting an inheritance from a distant relative she had never heard of.

And wow Chesterford Castle is some inheritance, given its huge, was already open to the public, and came with four members of staff who just wanted to call her M'aam or Lady Amelia.

Amelia's knack of drawing people together leads to a growing sense of community and family at the castle as they try to modernise it.

I loved getting to know the other residents of Chesterford Castle, including the ones that it appear that only Charlie may be able to see.

There are all manner of secrets to be uncovered, and all written in such a heartwarming and lovely style that you can't help be hooked on the book.

The pages were flying by, as I took in every last details and by the end I was convinced I had visited the castle myself, such were the descriptions.

A truly enjoyable and another fabulous story from an author that I can't get enough of.

Thank you to Sphere and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

I absolutely adore all books written by this author and she has excelled herself once again
This book will make you smile. It brings to you a warmth of happiness.
A must read for summer

This is the first Ali McNamara book I have read, but won't be the last. I found the story really heart-warming, a proper rags to riches tales, and I loved all of the characters within the book, especially Amellia. She is a strong woman who is not going to let anything stop her from achieving what she wants. She brings love and hope to the residents and villagers when she moves to the castle, and cares about winning them round and doing good by everyone. There are a few twists and turns along the way, especially at the end. I found it quite gripping, a real page-turner as I needed to know how it ended!

What an absolute treat! Amelia is now a struggling single mother to Charlie, well that is until she’s told she’s inherited a castle (of all things!) Obviously at first she’s a bit skeptical to say the least but soon she warms to the idea of running a castle. Being from the North East myself I was thrilled this beautiful story was set in Northumberland. I was invested in her story from the get go and wanted her and Charlie to get the happy ending they so desperately deserved, of course you will have to read the book to see what happens exactly.

Amelia certainly comes up against some challenging obstacles but I was glad she would try her hardest to overcome these. Charlie is such a caring boy, especially towards his mother. He’s quite protective of her feelings which I thought was so sweet. I found all of the different characters of this story charming in their own ways. They all brought a different vibe to the story and I applaud Ali’s writing style. Also because of Ali’s writing I could vividly imagine the story playing out in my mind so ‘Secrets and Seashells at Rainbow Bay’ was escapism at its finest! ❤️

This story is about never giving up trying to achieve what you want to achieve. The element of family is strong to this story, also meaning that you don’t have to be blood relatives to be classed as family 😊

‘Secrets and Seashells at Rainbow Bay’ has to be one of my favourite reads of the year so far and I highly recommend you also escape into this moving rollercoaster of a read. I give ‘Secrets and Seashells at Rainbow Bay’ 5*/5*

This was an unbelievable tale and one I adored reading.
What I love best about Ali McNamara's is the magical element she adds to her stories that make them that extra bit special and you never really no whats going to happen. Secrets and Seashells at Rainbow Bay is one such books which has twists and turns just like the castle featured has so many secrets passage ways and rooms.
Another brilliant story.

I really enjoyed this book. I adored the story line and loved the main characters. I read this book in one sitting and would highly recommend this book.

Another 5 star book by Ali McNamara. I loved every minute of this book and can’t recommend it highly enough.

Amelia and her son Charlie haven fallen on hard times and are living hand to mouth in a run down Council estate. Every day brings another heap of bills and demands and Amelia is understandably becoming increasingly worried by it. One day while dumping another load of post with the others she hasn’t sorted, Amelia sees an official looking letter which informs her that she is being sought in conjunction with an inheritance she is due. She is a bit apprehensive and initially thinks it is a scam but after meeting Benji realises that it’s true and she has inherited a castle in Northumberland!!!

From there we meet Arthur, Dorothy, Tiffany, Joey and Tom as Amelia and Charlie work hard to restore the castle to its former glory.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced read copy of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

I’m a great fan of Ali McNamara magical feel good books. Amelia and her son Charlie are very close to rock bottom when she finds that she has inherited a castle in Northumberland. Can she make the change and turn the castles fortunes around. With the help of a few members of staff they try to turn the castle into a home and tourist attraction. But the castle is holding onto a few secrets that Amelia needs to find out and then maybe the rainbow will shine over the castle and the bay. Fabulous read