A message from the past. A chance for a new beginning ✉️✨
Angie Ansah is standing at a crossroads. Her marriage has changed, her heart feels uncertain, and for the first time in years, she is beginning to ask what she truly wants…
Then a message appears.
From an old school crush she never quite forgot.
As long-buried feelings resurface, Angie is caught between her loyalty to her husband, love for her teenage daughter, and the intoxicating possibility of something more.
What happens when the life you built no longer fits?
Seahaven Bay has always been a place where the sparkling tides bring laughter, love and a lot of fun. But when Rita Jory’s beloved husband Archie dies in a tragic accident, she’s left alone on their failing Cornish farm with nothing but her grieving heart, a mountain of debt and some very badly behaved goats. Faced with selling the home she loves or finding a way to make it pay, Rita has a moment of desperate inspiration. She decides to transform her beloved Seahaven Farm into a place where broken souls can heal by the sea.
With help from her sharp-tongued mother-in-law, loyal best friend, daughter and new friends, the rundown farm soon blossoms into a haven of healing, creativity and community. Rita dares to believe her future might still shimmer with possibility – and even admits her growing attraction to Jago, the gorgeous neighbouring farmer with whom the Jorys had a decades-long feud.
But just as Rita begins to find peace, long-buried secrets about Archie’s past begin to surface, forcing her to question everything she believed about the life they built together.
Rita must discover the truth and decide if she’s ready to open her heart again – to love, to hope, and to the possibility that even after loss, life can still be full of surprises.
This book is about starting over after loss and having the courage to choose yourself, even when it means changing everything you’ve ever known. This book follows Rita, who is grieving the death of her beloved husband Archie while struggling to keep hold of the family farmhouse that is rapidly draining her finances and spirit.
Nicola May beautifully captures Rita’s emotional crossroads as she reflects on a life shaped by her husband’s dreams and begins to question what she wants next. Seahaven Bay, a place that has always brought her peace, becomes a refuge once more, offering warmth, friendship, and a close-knit community that rallies together in times of need. The setting is comforting and vivid, making it easy to imagine yourself there alongside Rita.
What really shines is Rita’s journey of self-discovery. Her willingness to follow her heart, even when it risks upsetting her children, feels honest and relatable. Along the way, she meets a cast of engaging characters who arrive at just the right moments, helping her move forward. Through supporting others, Rita finds renewed purpose, healing, and the strength to face unexpected and shocking family revelations. It’s an uplifting, tender story about grief, hope, and second chances.
My Sanctuary 