The cottage stood alone on a rocky outcropping at the edge of the loch. Standing in the garden amongst the wildflowers, she felt the weight of the tattered envelope in her hands. Maybe there was something keeping her here in Scotland, a secret waiting to be uncovered…
New Yorker Zelda Hicks has just lost her mother, and the only thing she knows about her father is that he was from Scotland. So a work trip to the Scottish village of Loch Cameron couldn’t be better timed. Maybe a break in the beautiful rolling hills of heather will help her reconnect with her roots and recover from her grief.
Then, on a walk around the loch one bright morning, she comes across a tiny, tumbledown cottage, nestled on the edge of the forest. The elderly owner, Gretchen Ross, invites her in for buttery shortbread, and after learning that Gretchen might lose the cottage that has been in her family forever, Zelda vows to help her. She didn’t bargain on butting heads with the handsome, blue-eyed laird Hal Cameron in the process. Zelda can’t seem to forget Hal’s shy smile and she soon learns they might have more in common than she first thought.
But when Zelda discovers a bundle of old letters hidden in the back of an antique wardrobe at the cottage, they lead her back to the mysterious Hal. Pushing Zelda to examine her own family history, the letters reveal a secret that the community has kept hidden for over a generation. Hal says he wants to help Zelda, but just as she begins to open up, she learns he isn’t being entirely honest either… Can Zelda trust him, and finally come to terms with her own past, or will uncovering this secret force her to leave Loch Cameron for good?
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Extract
PROLOGUE
Five Elms Hospice, August 2022
My girl Zelda,
The staff here at the hospice have suggested that I write you a letter. They say it’s a thing people do at this stage of the illness, so that I can tell you everything I want to and get any last secrets out into the open.
They also said I could make a book of photos of me for you (like you don’t already have them). Or maybe they think you’ll forget what I look like. I’m not doing the photo book thing. It’s just not my style, and I know you’ll remember what I look like, because, girl, you look just like me.
I’ve told them that I don’t have any secrets from you, but they still said I should write the letter. So, here it is.
I hope that, when you read this, you know that I love you and I am crazy proud of you. You are the best thing that I have ever done with my life. I am so proud to have been your mom. I’m just sorry that I have to say goodbye a little earlier than I hoped…
Thank you
For the second part of this prologue, head over to Heidi Lynn’s Book Reviews tomorrow
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About the Author
Kennedy Kerr is a USA Today Bestselling fiction author. She adores beaches, lochs and stone circles, and loves writing about small communities, mysteries and family secrets. She has a very cuddly cat called Twinkle who spends her days sleeping: Kennedy aspires to having Twinkle’s nap schedule one day.
Kennedy also loves cooking and baking all types of food, which is almost as much fun as eating it. Her favourite foods include (but are not limited to) Indian food, Victoria sponge, breakfast pastries with coffee and sushi. The only thing she’s not particularly keen on is artichoke, and she’d eat it, anyway.
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Author Links
facebook.com/kennedykerrauthor
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Book Link
https://geni.us/B0BLT2XHKZsocial
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