Synopsis
Christmas has a way of bringing family secrets to the surface …
Christmas is a bittersweet time for Pippa Freeman. There are good memories, of course – but some painful ones too.
Then her mother is implicated in a mysterious occurrence in their home town of Borteen, and Pippa wonders if she’ll ever experience a happy Christmas again – especially when a family secret is revealed.
But when police officer and old school friend Ethan Gibson offers his support, Pippa begins to realise that even though her life has been turned upside down, a happy and hopeful Christmas isn’t impossible …
Borteen Secrets. Books in series – The Girl on the Beach and The Truth Lies Buried. All books set in Morton’s fictional village of Borteen Bay. Can be read as standalone.
Morton S. Gray
Morton S. Gray lives with her husband, sons and Lily, the tiny dog, in Worcestershire, U.K.
She has been reading and writing fiction for as long as she can remember, penning her first attempt at a novel aged fourteen, the plot of which closely resembled an Errol Flynn film.
Life got in the way of writing for many years, until she won a short story competition and the spark for writing was well and truly reignited. She carries a notebook everywhere as inspiration strikes in the most unlikely places.
She studied creative writing with the Open College of the Arts and joined the Romantic Novelists’ Association New Writers’ Scheme in 2012.
Previous ‘incarnations’ were in committee services, staff development and training. Morton has a Business Studies degree and is a fully qualified Clinical Hypnotherapist and Reiki Master. She has diplomas in Tuina Acupressure Massage and Energy Field Therapy.
She enjoys history, loves tracing family trees and discovering new crafts. Having a hunger for learning is a bonus for the research required for her books.
The Girl on the Beach was her debut novel with Choc Lit and winner of the 2016 Search for a Star competition.
 |
 |
 |
 |
|---|
Morton S Gray
….and boom …. right back at one of my favourite in book holiday beaches Loved it.
This is just as intriguring as ever.
A body is found on the beach – Ethan – the on duty police officer is first on the scene having been alerted to it by Pippa – high school sweetheart. Neither have spoken for years.
Investigations commence and Pippa finds her Mum at the centre of enquiries – her Mum (?!) What could she possibly know. How is she connected?
But as the story unravels Pippa and Ethan find themselves on a rollercoaster of emotions, sorrow, togetherness and denial. Will their friendship survive the truth unravelling – the truth that made their parents fall out so many many years ago.
Will Pippa stay in Borteen or run away as she has previously done before.
There are family rifts, romance, emotions, Christmas shops decked out in all their glory and carol singers a plenty. It is an encapsulatimg syoryline with christmas cheer sprinked on top.
Another great read from Morton
#borteenbeach
#chicklit
#choclit
#romance
#heartache
#familysecrets
#dna
#christmasshopping
#christmascarols
#carolsinging
#drama
#ivejustreadthis
#ebook
#googleplayreads
#kindle
#amazonkindle
#goodreads
#kobobooks
#eplatforms
Morton has a real gift in the way she quickly paints a picture of each character leaving the reader wanting more. Christmas at Borteen is a deliciously light-hearted love story, with undertones of forgiveness and understanding, a pleasure to read.
It was like returning home, being back in Borteen, so Morton’s latest book was a real treat. When Pippa Freeman discovers a body on the beach it is Ethan she turns to. Ethan has always had a crush on Pippa, but she remembers the school Christmas party. Morton once again creates a beautifully readable story with great characters and plot, a real Christmas treat. Ethan and Pippa have to deal with not only their pasts, but also family differences if they are to have any future together. Can both families bury the hatchet in time for Christmas?
This latest offering from Morton S Gray is another of her romantic mystery stories. Set in Borteen Bay, a place we have become familiar with since The Girl on the Beach was published, we meet new characters Ethan Gibson and Pippa Freeman. Pippa has given up her career in order to return home and help her widowed mother run the Rose Court Guesthouse. An incident on the beach brings her back into contact with Ethan, now the local policeman. Romance blossoms, but before Pippa gets her happy ever after, first she has deal with the discovery of a shocking family secret. Ethan easily takes on the mantle of Choc Lit Hero. He’s strong, kind and everything Pippa needs to help her get through the current upheaval in her life. A thoroughly enjoyable read – one you’ll be reluctant to put down until you’ve reached the last page.
Ethan, the local Policeman of Borteen Bay has loved Pippa, who helps her Mum run the guesthouse, since he was a Teenager and regrets the fact that they got so close to becoming a couple when they were younger and then something happened that drove them apart, with Pippa avoiding Ethan since.
Pippa however has no option but to talk to Ethan when there is an incident in Borteen Bay and this leads to them growing closer again, but will circumstances tear them apart again or will they have a wonderful Christmas.
This is the third story based in Borteen Bay however you don’t have to have read all of them as this is a fabulous stand alone story. Once you read this however I’m sure you’ll want to read the other books by Morton.
Although only a short read it was packed with great characters, each with flaws but loveable nevertheless. I could imagine myself on the promenade, listening to the choir singing carols with the sea lapping nearby as the descriptive writing took me away to a festive Borteen Bay.
A feel good, heart-warming novella, perfect as a stocking filler for book lovers.
I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know Ethan and Pippa. This was a sweet story that is just the right length. This is the perfect story to ease you into the holiday season.
I was provided a free advance copy of this book in return for an honest review.
This was a pleasant little interlude of a story – I read it in one sitting with no effort at all.
Pippa lives with her widowed mum and helps to run the B&B they own. Ethan is the local bobby, who has always had a thing for Pippa, but never done anything about it – they were both bullied at school for different reasons. Pippa spots a body on the beach from her window and catches Ethan to go to deal with it. The story describes Pippa’s reactions to the waves created by the find, her developing relationship with Ethan, and all the events then leading up to Christmas. I can recommend the book for a cosy evening’s read – and you can catch up with a couple of other inhabitants of Borteen too!
This Christmas story is a little bit of a tear jerked as you follow Pippa and Ethan on their journey to love. As children they were friends united by being bullied. A later reunion by dint of a dead body shows up how much they have changed, both having grown up and physically changed. Their romance is tempered by the dead man, their mothers and local Christmas customs. The tribulations they encounter and overcome keep you turning the pages to the very end and the happy ending.
A lighthearted romantic novella containing a mystery for the reader to unravel. The countdown of days towards Christmas bring more and more problems for Pippa and her Mother to face while running their seaside bed and breakfast. When Ethan, a local policeman and also an old friend, investigates a crime her mother might be implicated in, he offers Pippa the support of his friendship and hopes Pippa will eventually realise he could be more than only a friend. An entertaining read.
The author takes us back to Borteen for the third time. I have read all the books and they were are very good reads. A very nice mixture between romance and suspense and this time the festive season is the setting.
Borteen really is a small seaside town that hides quite a lot of secrets. People might fear to reveal them because they don’t know how loved one might react, but just because they are loved ones, they will always have you back and form some kind of safety net around you. They might be shocked at first, but they will never let you down.
Only when you are able to let go, you will find happiness again and you will look back wondering why you did not speak up before.
A very good story that would make a very good Christmas present for a fellow reader or why not treat yourself? 4 stars.
Thank you, Morton S. Gray and Choc Lit.