Some people buried their fears in food, she knew, and some in booze, and some in planning elaborate engagements and weddings and other life events that took up every spare moment of their time, in case unpleasant thoughts intruded. But for Nina, whenever reality, or the grimmer side of reality, threatened to invade, she always turned to a book. Books had been her solace when she was sad; her friends when she was lonely. They had mended her heart when it was broken, and encouraged her to hope when she was down. Yet.

When you look at things the same way you’ve always done, nothing changes. When you change perspective, everything changes.

Mark very much believed in exposing cracks to the air. He thought that was the only way anything started to heal.

It was horribly difficult, she reflected, to have finally found the place you thought of as home, only to realize you were going to have to move on again.

Nina wondered what on Earth it would be to have that much money; to buy that many books without worrying.

That was the problem with being so pale. Well, that and not being able to go out in bright sunlight without turning the color of a lobster and starting to smoke slightly.

Email was great, but she did miss being excited by the post. That was probably why people did so much Internet shopping, she reckoned. So they had a parcel to look forward to.

Plymouth?” Chapter Five They had to wait thirty-five minutes for the tide to go out far enough for them to get back across the causeway. Polly spent the entire time humming to distract herself from Kerensa, who had come up with another ninety-five reasons why she couldn’t possibly move to Polbearne. Funnily enough, they only seemed to make her more determined.

Bramble, the fat retired sheepdog who was snoozing by the fire, got up in case she was doing anything interesting, then went back to his busy day job of sleeping, farting, and looking for pastry.

Endlessly welcoming and hospitable, particularly up here. It didn’t necessarily mean she belonged, did it?