A brilliant read from Carmel. The reader is brought on a journey from 1951 to 2023 with a story of three families whose loved ones work as lightkeepers on Ballycotton Island. It starts with Mollie who is the grandaughter of Beth and travels to Cork with her father from the USA. The story mainly features Kathleen, Ellen, Mary and Beth.. it shows Ireland a very different time in 1951. Thank god times have changed.

My first book by this author and what a way to start.
Set in Ballycotton Ireland between 1951 and 2023 it’s told in a dual timeline. In 1951 four women agree to keep a secret which has changed their life’s forever. In 2023 one of them receives a letter telling it’s no longer a secret.
Kathleen, Ellen and Mary are lighthouse keepers wife’s and this is their story of how loyal the keepers wife’s are to each other. Also involved in the secret is Kathleen’s daughter Beth. This will impact on her future forever.
Carmel describes Ballycotton beautifully and makes me feel I’d like to be there to see exactly where these women shared their secret.
In the present day Mollie Beth’s granddaughter is running to Ballycotton to escape facing up to her future with her husband Nolan back in Maine. The sisterhood she learns about gives her the strength to face up to her reality and what she wants in life.
A truly magical book of love and loyalty.
Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

Let me start by saying I love the cover of this book, and I am a fan of the author after reading one of her previous books. Sadly, I didn't enjoy this book quite so much. I think on seeing the cover and reading the title, I expected the story to take place in a lighthouse. This is not actually the case. The lighthouse isn't even really involved in the story other than the ladies in the book are married to lighthouse keepers.

The book is told in two different timelines. We start on the Ballycotton, Coast of Cork, Ireland in 1951. We meet the lighthouse keepers wives who have formed a firm friendship and look after one another whilst their husbands are away for weeks at a time on the island. Kathleen, Ellen, and Mary all have a close bond. They have responsibilities to their own families and jobs to do around the town and keep the place going whilst their husbands are away. Both Kathleen and Ellen both have children trying to make their own way in the world, with different ideas of how life should be. When Ellens husband is killed on duty the girls stick together and do whatever they have to, to ensure her and the children have a roof over their heads.

In present day Maine, we are introduced to Mollie, her Grandmother Betty is very poorly in hospital and starts to reminisce about the past. Her Mum is one of the ladies told in the 1950's timeline and a secret they left buried is about to be revealed.

As I said, I am already a fan of the authors other works and I really wanted to love this book but sadly I just felt that the pace really slow and I just couldn't gel with any of the characters. Whilst there was lots going on and various plot twists I just wasn't invested in the characters at all. I found it a little too predictable. I do however love how the author writes about these small communities living and surviving together through all life throws at them.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Another awesome read from Carmel Harrington, I really enjoyed this and I also learnt so much too. I never realised that the Lighthouse Keepers were such a community and so well respected. Loved it, big 5 star recommendation from me.

Carmel Harrington - The Lighthouse Secret.

It’s once again that time of year, when the world is treated to a new book from one of my favourite authors, Carmel Harrington.

I was caught in the spell of The Lighthouse Secret by the end of the prologue.

It’s 1951 and four women wait at the harbour of Ballycotton, for the safe return of the lighthouse keepers who are their husbands, boyfriends, fathers and friends.
These women have a secret that they hope they will never have to speak of again.
Fast forward to the present day and it seems that the past is coming to call on the surviving women and their descendants.

Told over a dual timeline story, we meet several generations of women from a small Irish seaside village. These women all had courage and spark. They understood the value of friendships and were loyal to one another.

The story raced along at a good pace. And I was gripped!
I wanted to know what these feisty ladies had done and who knew their secret.
I was not disappointed with the outcome.

As always, Carmel Harrington writes with words that flow effortlessly and are full of Irish charm.

As well as reading a bloomin good story, this book also seamlessly blends some fascinating history about lighthouse keepers. I found it all very interesting, especially how their role and that of their family extended into the community.

It was also a treat to learn that Ballycotton is a real place. I spent an enjoyable hour exploring it on google maps. (Other maps are available!) and I was thrilled that Carmel Harrington had so realistically brought it to life in this book.

#TheLighthouseSecret is another outstanding read from Carmel Harrington.
It’s intriguing, big hearted and completely unputdownable.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

With thanks to
Netgalley and Harper Collins Uk for a digital arc of this title.

📣THE LIGHTHOUSE SECRET - CARMEL HARRINGTON: MY REVIEW 📰

This book is out now,and my suggestion..get it and read it. I could leave it there but I won't of course..
The book alternates between present day in America and Ireland,and back to Ireland in 1951. Molly, visiting her father for a break(her marriage is stressed right now) learns he's going to Ireland for 2 weeks to visit his elderly mum Beth. What better way for Molly to clear her head than to go with him!

Off to Ireland and things are off to a bad start when Beth takes ill. Then come the notes. Something happened back in 1951 that Beth was at the heart of...a huge secret that only she and her closest friends/family knew about. They swore they'd never speak of it again.
Whomever is leaving these notes knows, and is not staying quiet. Is it time to come clean about that day,or will a confession rip this family apart?

There's so much to this book. From the story of a lighthouse keepers duties,to young love and wanting to break from what's expected of you and see the world.
Whether you're reading about 1951 Beth or today's Beth,..you're totally emersed in her story. Carmel writes such strong female characters,you cannot help but admire their resilience in the face of loss and uncertainty. I read this book in a day because I was on this journey with these ladies and couldn't wait to see where they'd bring me. They did not disappoint.
I seldom like all the characters in any book,but I'm having a hard time saying I didnt here. They're not without flaws,but have redeeming qualities too,and this makes them human and likeable. Carmel I don't know how you write such deep characters every time,without me feeling like 'here we go again'..its a talent,and an absolute joy to read any of your books.
I highly recommend The Lighthouse Secret to everyone.
BOOKWORMS RATING: 📗📗📗📗📗
Thank you to Carmel,Patricia,Courtney and all @harperCollins publishers for a copy to enjoy.

* I completely related to her infatuation with Christian,as I had a 'Christian' back in my teens,not from the circus,but the funfair. 🙈So that brought me way back.*

3.5 Stars
One Liner: Love the setting; the story doesn't have to be this complicated

1951 Ballycotton Coast
Four women wait and watch for their husbands to return from duty. They swear to keep the secret buried forever, no matter what. As the wives of lighthouse keepers, they have much to take care of.
2023 Maine
Mollie is in her father’s place, recovering from certain issues. As the granddaughter of one of these women, she gets a threatening note about buried secrets. However, Mollie’s grandmother (one of the four women) isn’t in a position to share the details due to health concerns.
However, there’s someone out there intent on revealing it all. What is the secret? How can it affect Mollie and her family after all these years?
The story comes in the third-person POV of Mollie (contemporary track), Beth, Katheleen, Mary, and Ellen, with a couple of short chapters in the first-person POV from the stalker/ blackmailer.

My Thoughts:
The book starts with a prologue from the past and moves on to the present timeline to establish the story. Then, we go back and forth with more chapters in the past. Thankfully, there isn’t much repetition, except for the prologue (which also could have been avoided).
The setting is beautiful, with a dose of darkness to suit the circumstances. However, the lighthouse doesn’t play a central role in the story. It is in the background and a presence that cannot be forgotten. Still, there is no scene in the lighthouse. Moreover, the title should have been The Keepers’ Wives or The Secret of the Lighthouse Keepers’ Wives. The story is about these women and not the lighthouse.
The lives of the lighthouse keepers’ wives can be hard, and this comes across clearly as we see Kathleen, Ellen, and Mary adjust to the absence of their husbands for weeks at a time and how they also have social responsibilities in the village.
All characters are flawed, some more than others. They also have redeeming qualities, some more than others. This creates a mixed blend of realistic characters. However, it also makes it hard to root for a single character. Still, I liked Kathleen’s arc more than others.
Beth’s character is a teenager (17+) in the historical timeline. Her actions and reactions don’t always make her endearing, but readers can see her point to an extent.
Since this is women’s fiction, the male characters are not as developed as the women. However, not all of them are bad, so that’s a relief. I think I liked Albie (Mollie’s dad) the most.
My issue with the book comes with the complicated plotline. Even though everything ties up at the end and comes together well, there’s no ignoring the numerous elements to track. This weighs down the plot and the pacing, making it seem longer than a 384-page book. Keeping it simple would have maintained the focus on the core theme(s).
Moreover, there’s a conflict in the present timeline for Mollie, which pales compared to the past track. I’d have preferred if this wasn’t complex, allowing readers to explore the past secrets and stuff. I couldn’t connect with this track, which meant the ending didn’t work for me.

To summarize, The Lighthouse Secret would make a good book club read and offer a lot for discussion. It will work well for those who like drama and complex plots in women’s fiction.
Thank you, NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, for eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
***
Other links will be updated soon.

This book transported me to Ballycotton in Cork. I read of the lives of the lighthouse keepers who spent three out of four weeks on lighthouse island leaving behind their wives and families.

This is a dual timeline novel set in 1951 and 2023. Mollie has returned to stay with her grandmother Beth to sort out her own problems. Little does she realise that a Pandora box is about to open which threatens to expose secrets from the past which will impact her family.

The strong female characters who not only held their families together but also supported each other with loyalty friendship and sisterhood really added to the story for me.

The family stories and secrets made this a pageturner for me. A lovely read which explores a time not so long ago but one which seems a like a different world!! If you like strong family based historical fiction you will love this one .

4.5 stars

For one delightful day, while reading this book, I was flung into a Maeve Binchy-1950s-Ireland vibe and I was there for it. It only lasted a day because once I started this book I found it impossible to put it down.

I loved and admired the strong female characters, the wives and daughters of the lighthouse keepers in Ballycotton in Cork. While the men spend three weeks out of every four keeping watch on the lighthouse island, the women keep everything going at home. They display resilience, kinship and courage in the face of adversity and I admired them all so much.

I enjoyed the secrets that wove through the book making it a page turner, and I genuinely cared the various dilemmas they faced. The relationships between them felt authentic and heartfelt, they added depth and pulled on my heartstrings.

I’m always fascinated about lighthouses and this snippet of what the families lives might have been like captured my imagination. The lighthouse shone a bright beacon to warn sailors of danger, but the women had no warning of the darkness surrounding them. However, together they were a force to be reckoned with and I thoroughly enjoyed the mystery, drama and friendship between them.

Highly recommended if you enjoy books with emotional themes, books with a strong sense of setting, and characters that forge their own destinies.

The Lighthouse Secret is a dual-timeline novel set in 1951 & 2023. I loved it.
Carmel Harrington has composed a beautiful tale of friendship, determination, empathy and love. A wonderful story that will capture many a heart.

Beautiful written book with a dual timeline. Lovely characters and setting. This one ticks all the boxes for me and didn't disappoint.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for my copy on The Lighthouse Secret by Carmel Harrington.
Mollie is receiving anonymous notes about her family’s past and the secrets they are hiding.
They only way she can get to the truth is to go to Ireland and ask her grandmother what happened in 1951.
A dual timeline story set in the fifties and present day, about the love, strength and loyalty of women.

In the Prologue we find a few women, some seemingly injured, at the harbour of Ballycotton, Co Cork, looking out to the Lighthouse. 'If anyone finds out, we'll hang for what we've done'.

Well, obviously, I needed to know more. And Carmel Harrington has done it again. What a beautifully written book about friendship, overcoming and empathy.

A book from Carmel Harrington is always a treat and I think this is one of her best yet. I devoured it because I was so engrossed in the lives of the characters. I particularly liked the setting, being somewhat local to me, and I thought she created the sense of both isolation and community really well. The story itself is brilliant, one which will keep you reading and guessing. She has such skill bringing all the threads together. And the characters are beautifully drawn. They're all so different and so believable. I couldn't pick out a favourite but I enjoyed following all of their stories. Each of them had a history that fed into their decisions and as a reader, I understood all of them. A great read.

Once again Carmel has us sitting on the edge of our seats in anticipation,
I couldn't read fast enough at times, the keepers wives really were a breed of there own living harsh lives but 100% looking out for each other, I totally adored this amazing book.

I’m sorry to say that I just couldn’t get into this book. I’ve read other books by this author and have really enjoyed them; this one, though, I found a bit predictable and slow.

Thanks to the Publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book by Carmel Harrington.

From the beginning, I was hooked by the story of the women, their way of living and whatever happened back in 1951.

The present timeline in the book was just as engrossing, this was about the relationship between Mollie and Beth, the secret that was kept by the women years ago finally revealed.

I highly recommend this book.

This was my first time reading a book from the author but I am delighted to say I thoroughly enjoyed the story and I look forward to reading more books from the writer in the future

The Lighthouse Secret by Carmel Harrington

First time read by this author , and I realise what I've been missing.

Family secrets never stay buried…
1951, Ireland

On the windswept Cork coast, the lighthouse-keepers’ wives wait, watching the sea. Their husbands are coming home. But one secret can never be revealed.

2023, Maine

Decades later, Mollie Kenefick receives an anonymous note: Family secrets never stay buried. The only person she can ask is her grandmother – however, Beth made a vow that she swore never to break.

But someone knows what happened that summer in 1951, and it seems they’re not happy keeping silent and

A great plot and love the characters from both timelines . I've read a few books in the past where a lighthouse played a big part in the story , but this one with the strong women at the heart of the story made it extra special.

I think this will be one of Carmel Harringtons best books yet ,wonderful story about the women of the lighthouse keepers and the lives they led in rural ireland .