Secrets on the Shore (Taylor and Rose mini adventure)

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I found Merry’s job as a mapmaker fascinating. I’ve never read a book with a mapmaker as a protagonist, and I thought it added an entire extra element to the already brilliant story. I love how Merry was presented as a strong female character, but also had flaws which made her relatable even as a historic character. Her views on the world were sometimes a little conflicting with her personality, but most of the time I admired her as a character. Moreover, according to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System, as of January 2022, there are around 21, 518 open cases of missing persons in the US. The Lifetime movie highlights the plight of the families and loved ones of those who have gone missing through Micha’s agony of losing her sister. In addition, it depicts the lengths a person can go to save their siblings. It further explores the themes of complicated family dynamics and rivalries that lead someone to harm their own kin. To reinstate, ‘Drowning in Secrets’ is a fictional but compelling depiction of all the above-mentioned issues. Meredith's brother is convinced that their mother is dead after her bicycle and artists paint box are found .... and then a few weeks later loses his life when his plane is shot down .

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. Dr Merry Tremayne has been drafted from Oxford to work at the War Office. Her skills make her one of the Navy's most skilled map makers, but as an attractive woman, it is a constant battle for her to convince her male colleagues that she is so much more than just a pretty face. However, Merry knows she can make a difference to the lives of the men fighting far away, and she is no shrinking violet. She is fortunate to be working for Commander Fleming, a man who knows only too well how brilliant and fierce she can be, and how to make the most of her skills. Meredith’s mother is French and she has great knowledge of the Normandy coast.this is invaluable to the National Intelligence Division and the flotillas which ran from Cornwall to Brittany.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. Besides family and a mystery, Liz’s stories always have a fiery romance and this one is no exception. Merry meets Jake, a journalist American officer, working in secret operations. He is also a romantic and son of a fisherman. While Merry works along-side of him, a relationship blooms—even though she often denies it and fights hard against the attraction. But events will alter her and even break her heart. Has she been right all along to remain single, unattached and love-free? I loved these few lines where Merry explains the importance of maps to her—even in the domain of love. Other cast members of ‘Drowning in Secrets’ include Alec Nevin (Peyton Brown), Laura Poe (Emma Caldwell), David Chokachi (Stanton), D.C. Douglas (Caleb Brown), Jason London (Mayor Peter Sullivan), Forest Quaglia (Brayden), and Hannah Dannelly (Bree). Is Drowning in Secrets a True Story? I would have enjoyed this book far more if I hadn't found Merry to be an extremely irritating character. She was both devastatingly beautiful and incredibly talented, with an irritating habit of repeating herself over and over again about how we don't read maps, we read into them - and no, I still have no idea what that means. Also, Merry frequently tells herself and everyone around her that she will never fall in love or get married or have children which is frankly laughable when all she does is moon about Jake.

Meredith's French widowed mother suddenly goes missing from the family home in Cornwall, just as Meredith is about to be deployed there. When her widowed French mother goes missing from their Cornwall home, Fleming sends Merry down to the coast to investigate and also to look into a group of his men who are performing missions transporting goods and people to and from Brittany from Cornwall. Merry wants some field experience and this seems the perfect opportunity. 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. 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.The story develops romantically when Merry meets the handsome American officer, Jake, and using the Virginia Woolf quote ‘passions are uncharted’ 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 is a really well-crafted, pacy and absorbing read. I loved it and would unhesitatingly recommend it to readers of any age or gender. The author's portrayal of Ian Fleming was so intriguing , a bit of a mystery man until you get glimpse of who he is at a sad time . I found that having him as an important character added so Thank you Liz for such a fabulous read, immersing you in the Cornish wartime era, with relatable, engaging characters.

But Merry is the sum of two strong parents with ‘one foot on the land and one on the sea.’ Her father said she was a strange mix of them, loving land as he did and the sea as her mother had. Merry learned a lot from her parents, particularly to never give up. The influence of family is evident in The Secret Shore including from a devoted sibling relationship. Merry and her brother, Ollie, are very close. It was he who inspired her to take up mapmaking. This bright and cheery airman has so much to offer but like others, becomes caught in the battle—doing his part in the war. Heartache will visit Merry again. And her moving statement will forever haunt my heart. ‘I already knew what it was like to love what death touched.’ She has diverse skills (there’s much more to Merry than mapmaking) that surprise others. She has to prove herself but does it without even thinking about it – loved how perceptions were turned on their head and led to respect. I thought her actions show the true meaning of courage and bravery (can you tell I’m a little in love with her 🙂 ). She’s a positive role model for our contemporary world. 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.’ Merry finds herself drawn to an American officer and although she tries to resist the chemistry between them she finds it more difficult than she anticipated.The only thing I wasn’t so keen on was that the rowing trips got a little repetitive. Perhaps there was just a couple too many. 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 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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. Through the investigation process, Merry takes us on a journey of memories through her childhood and home experiences spent with her brother and parents, while she explores her mother’s correspondence, favourite locations and belongings. Discoveries are made that lead to more questions. It is a breadcrumb trail that keeps us all (including Merry) wondering the whereabouts of Elise. Sifting through her mother’s belongings is tough: especially knowing she may never see her again. But Merry clings to hope and many happy memories when ‘everything was certain and love came in the form of a steaming bowl of soup.’ We learn a lot about Elise: where she is from, her use of floriography, her work in World War I as a nurse, how she met Merry’s father and how she saved his life. Merry consistently uses her mapping terms while describing her relationship with her mother. In one beautiful analogy she shares that her mother is her ‘legend’ on a map, the key to her life and she does not want to think about navigating this world without her. 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.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. Life was difficult for homosexuals. We follow a couple of ladies who have to behave very differently outside their home. They have to deny who they really are. 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 .