Carrie Adams is excited as she believes she is about to be promoted as a partner in her PR firm but her ex fiancé Mark, who has moved on with Paloma, is promoted. Carrie is devastated and on advice from her flat mate she takes a short holiday to the Isle of Wight. She needs time to heal and decide what she will do with her life. She arrives at Hideaway House and immediately feels at peace.
There is a wonderful cast of characters: Rita, the warm hearted neighbour; the stiff upper lip and dignified Major; the good looking very kind gardener, Guy; as well as the spirits - ‘Eliza and Isaac’ who ‘look after’ the guests of Hideaway Cottage.
The Sanctuary Keepers is lovely weekend read; a story of second chances and finding where you truly belong.
I look forward to the next book in the series to continue the enchanting tale of Hideaway House and its wonderful cast of characters.

This book was a lovely mix of romance, betrayal, and hope. The story starts with a conversation between Eliza and Isaac and their connection to Hideaway Cottage on the Isle of Wight. The story then moves on to Carrie and the betrayal done to her by her ex-fiancé Mark and the company she worked for. I really felt Carrie’s pain as she left the office that day. Fortunately for her, her best friend Jules had arranged a getaway for her to the Hideaway Cottage and she soon became involved in the community.

The people in the community are warm and welcoming to her—Rita, who is her contact to the cottage and has her own struggles with her farm and son and daughter-in-law, Guy, who is a landscaper for the cottage and the major’s estate, Cressie, a mother of newborn twins and is struggling with an absentee husband, and other women who come into the story.

I loved how Carrie took the time to evaluate her life and figure out what she wants to do next and how she blended in so well with the community. Hopefully there will be more stories about the Isle of Wight because there are stories to uncover about Isaac and Eliza, the tea caddy under the floor, Rita and her farm/family situation, Cressie and her absentee husband, Jo’s future, and if the beginning love between Carrie and Guy has a future.

Even though almost everyone in the community is going through something, you come away knowing that everything will work out in the end. It truly seems like a magical village that is wrapped in love and hope. I rarely read a book in one sitting, but this was one that I just couldn’t put it down!

Thank you NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to the publishers for sharing this arc with me! I really enjoyed this book and could resonate with the fmc, Carrie. It’s pivotal when trying to rebuild your life that you have the time and space to heal, and being in a different setting can help that process. The side characters are well-developed and you can understand clearly the connection and emotion between them and the fmc. We love a love story that’s got some trauma mixed in because that is the experience many of us have before we ideally arrive in a healthier and happier place! I would absolutely read again!

Starts with an interesting concept, but the story quickly loses momentum. The plot feels scattered, and the characters lack depth, making it hard to stay invested. The paced dragged. While there are flashes of creativity, the execution just doesn’t deliver.

When Carrie's world is turned upside down, she ends up on the Isle of Wight. Through the people she encounters, she learns a lot about herself and reevaluates what she thought was important. There is a marvellous array of characters in this book, and more stories to be told. I hope to read more about Rita and Irene, Eliza and Isaac, the back story of Guy, and find out the significance of the baby box under the floorboards. This was a very heart warming story and one that I think many readers will enjoy. Thanks to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for my copy of this book.

Thank you to the publisher and author for this ARC copy of The Sanctuary Keepers. What a wonderful book. I liked the Characters Carrie and Guy and the added mystery of the keepers and how they were intertwined in the story.
Carrie is trying to move on and Hideaway Cottage is just the place to do that and discover what she really wants and deserves.
I can’t wait for a follow up book to see where her journey goes.

This is a perfect summer read when there is action all around..

A romantic setting with romantic characters. Carrie Adams is what every young adult woman has dreamed of doing. She goes on an adventure when life treats her wrong.

This books characters engaged lightly touches on good morals and empathy. I thoroughly enjoyed all the characters. I need a Rita in my life. Who doesn’t want pie every day!

I look forward to reading about Carrie’s next step in life.

Thank you Storm Publishing for this copy of The Sanctuary Keepers by Alexandra Barber!

A beautiful, feel good story about Carrie, who heads to the Isle of Wight for an impromptu break when her life takes a sudden turn for the worse. She meets some interesting characters who immediately make her feel very welcome. However her holiday cottage may contain some uninvited guests who meddle and interfere to ensure she stays around for longer. Really enjoyable and heartwarming.

After a disappointing breakup with her boyfriend, Carrie flees to the Isle of Wight. Hoping to find healing in the beautiful Hideaway House, Carrie also discovers the people of the island. The very warm and welcoming Rita, the prickly Major and the quiet gardener Guy.

The house holds its own secrets. Under the floorboards Carrie discovers a rusty tea caddy of memories of a previous owners, she hears whispers and as she pieces the past together, Carrie finds it could connect to her present.

This is a delightful story with a very picture perfect background. I loved it and the only reason I gave it a 4 instead of a 5 is because I didn't realise this story is part one of a series. I was expecting an ending but it seems I will need to wait for that. Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this story prior to publication.

What a beautiful read. I'm so happy to know there will be a follow-up. This captivated me from the very first page with the a0dded bonus of being set on the beautiful Isle of Wight.

This book is a gentle yet powerful nudge to step outside our comfort zones. It invites readers to confront the challenges and decisions that shape who we become, and it paints vivid pictures of the futures we dream about. The author’s lush descriptions made me long for a well-earned retreat of my own—reason enough to pick up the novel.

Not everything worked seamlessly, though. A few characters felt more like convenient plot devices than fully realized people, as if some external hand were moving them into place. At times this pulled me out of the story, which might have unfolded just as well without them.

Even so, the book’s central message—embracing change and letting go—lingers long after the final page.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #Storm Publishing for my copy of #The Sanctuary Keepers by #Alexandra Barber.

If you are looking for a book to get lost in for a few hours, this is the one.
Alexandra weaves a mysterious tale around Carrie Adams who takes refuge in a small cottage on the Isle of White after a disastrous last three months of her life.
Can she find new hope in this small community.
There is mystery, intrigue and love all wrapped together in this book.
A magical read.

This is the story of Carrie who needs to get away from her quickly dissolving life in Manchester. Her recent break up from her longtime partner with whom she still works with and the promotion to partner that he is given when it should have been hers. The cottage on the Isle of Wight is the right place for her for peace and quiet to give her time to think and find herself again. The Hideaway House seems to have other ideas for her, she mets some lovely people and of course the lovely Wilbur and Guy.
Such a lovely read and look forward to reading other books by this author when released.

I loved the sound of this book and I really enjoyed it. Carrie has gone to live in the Isle of Wight, there are some things she needs to escape from and she wants to settle herself somewhere new and different. As Carrie starts to meet the locals, there are some interesting characters that she meets, I liked the sound of Guy who has his own problems he is trying to deal with. Can Carrie and him help each other heal? the place where Carrie is staying has it own secrets can she figure them out/ overall I really enjoyed it this book however I did feel as though the ending was a little slow and drawn out. I did like reading about the Isle of Wight though as it is a place I have been to before and now want to return to.

This book is one of those feel good stories (imagine midday movie format) where you know all will end well. The FMC, recently single, escapes to find herself, lands in a tiny community that take her in and help her decide on her future. There was romance, but not really romance, and mystery, but not really mystery, and if they both had been expanded on a bit it would have made for a more engaging story. There are a few references to religion too which add to the cozy, comforting themes. I did enjoy the book and all the characters, just wish there was a bit more.

Thanks to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to review it. All opinions are my own.

Carrie goes to Isle of wright to find out what comes next in her life, she meets new friends in the village. I enjoyed the story very much.

Trying to get her life back after a series of painful life, altering events, Carrie moves to a little house on the coast. Afraid to hope, afraid to heal, she soon finds support and understanding in the colorful characters in her small village. This is a lovely, hopeful novel, that helped soothe my divorce, sore soul

The Sanctuary Keepers by Alexandra Barber, is a quintessential, feel-good story. This book is a perfect lazy summer beach read. It touches on self-esteem and self-awareness as well as emotional growth.

Carrie is at one of the lowest points in her life and is seeking a quiet place to come to terms with her losses and figure out what comes next. She sets off to the Isle of Wight to rediscover herself and heal her heart. The cottage she stays at is quaint and the perfect spot for some soul searching. The people she meets along her journey are warm and friendly, and she finds herself settling in despite the fact that the cottage seems to have a presence there. In the short time she is there, she lets go of her burdens and finds happiness and peace.

This was a quick read that I really connected with. Carrie's grief quickly turns to acceptance and hope with the help of her new island friends. I loved Carrie and all the other characters as well. They were all well written and were very likable. If you're looking for a story of hope and inspiration, this is for you.

Thanks to Netgalley and Storm Publishing for the advanced copy

If a Hallmark movie was a book with all the warmth but more maturity, this is it. Barber’s endearing narrative style is a comforting hug in its relatability. The story opens with the FMC at the lowest point of her life and escapes to the Isle of Wight. There, she meets an eclectic group of locals. Romance is secondary in this book to self-discovery and healing. So when the romance finally materialized, it felt rushed. Barber touched upon several compelling issues but didn’t go into depth on them, which I think would’ve elevated the story further. I loved the vivid description of the coastal village setting.

Thank you so much for Storm Publishing, Alexandra Barber, and NetGalley for this ARC!

Some places don’t just offer shelter—they offer healing. When Carrie Adams escapes to the quiet charm of the Isle of Wight after her life unravels, all she wants is quiet time alone. But what she finds at Hideaway House is something far deeper. A charming cottage with a thatched roof and inviting turquoise door, the cottage feels almost sentient—like it’s been waiting just for her.

As Carrie begins to settle in, the island slowly wraps her in warmth: from Rita, the kind-hearted neighbor who instantly feels like family, to the gruff but endearing Major, and Guy—the soft-spoken gardener whose gentle presence begins to thaw something inside her. But the house holds its own secrets. Whispers in the walls, a forgotten tea caddy filled with memories, and the lingering traces of a family long gone all pull Carrie into a story from the past—one filled with love, loss, and promises left undone.

This novel beautifully blends cozy atmosphere with poignant emotional depth. The themes of grief, hope, and second chances are tenderly explored, and the slow-burn connection between Carrie and Guy is as heartwarming as it is healing. Both carry wounds, both are guarding truths, but within the walls of Hideaway House, they just might find the courage to begin again.

I absolutely adored this story. Eliza and Isaac’s past is deeply moving, and watching Carrie and Guy slowly open up to one another felt so authentic and earned. If you’re looking for a romantic escape with just the right touch of mystery and emotional depth, The Sanctuary Keepers is your next perfect read. Curl up with a cup of tea and prepare to be transported—I read this in one sitting and didn’t want to leave.