The Sapphire Cove
Sophie's second novel is out now!
A heartbreaking and emotional read about love, letting go and a family torn apart in the saddest of circumstances. Let this story take you away for a few hours of reading bliss.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Netgally Reviewer
ebook, paperback and audio versions are available
The Butterfly Garden
I blamed my son for the death of my daughter…
When twenty-five-year-old Erin flees London for Cornwall and takes a job at Hookes End, a huge house clinging precariously to the Cornish cliffs, all she knows about it are the stories people tell. The owner, reclusive novelist and butterfly enthusiast Maggie, has kept the curtains of her dusty house drawn for many years. But now she is dying, and Erin, seeing the shadows that cross Maggie’s face, wants to help in any way she can.
Years ago, Maggie’s only son Lucas ran away to the other side of the world and the searing heat of the Costa Rican jungle. Maggie is desperate to see Lucas again – there is something she needs him to know.
Erin wants to help Maggie find peace. But when she travels to the warm white sands and tropical butterfly gardens of Costa Rica to find Lucas, it becomes very clear that he is hiding something too.
As Erin unravels the webs of deceit entangling mother and son, she learns about the terrible tragedy that changed their lives forever: the night when a little girl in a fairy nightdress went missing. But with Maggie’s time fast running out, is it too late for them to find the forgiveness they need to move on?
A heart-wrenching page-turner about a family ripped apart by guilt and lies. Set against the storms of the Cornish coast and the silvery sands of Costa Rica, The Butterfly Garden is a story of love, loss and letting go. Fans of Jojo Moyes, Harriet Evans and Lucinda Riley will be gripped.
"Maggie and Erin's relationship is pure joy, and when the likes of Fred and Jose join them it makes for even more pleasure off the page. From Cornwall to Costa Rica, this book delights over and over. With the added bonus of learning about butterflies on the way. A difficult storyline as a subplot handled delicately and sensitively, as well as heartache along the way, this book has it all!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Emma Reviewer
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The Sapphire Cove
My mother kept me. But she let my only sister go…
In a freezing isolated farmhouse with ice on its windows, Flora is looking after her sick mother. Since she was a little girl, Flora has been frightened of her mother and now, as she pulls the heavy curtains shut and lights the fire, she can sense her mother’s disappointment that it is Flora who is at her bedside. Determined to help, Flora begins to organise her mother’s things. But when she discovers a photo of a smiling baby girl she doesn’t recognise, hidden at the bottom of a drawer, her mother grows even more remote and refuses to talk about it.
As Flora delves into the story behind her mother’s secret photograph, she unearths the story of a hidden teenage love affair, a dark betrayal and two sisters tragically split apart. So, when a visitor arrives from a paradise island of sapphire coves and white sand beaches and confirms that the baby in the picture is her sister, she should feel joy. But he also brings the news that Flora’s sister is dying.
With the clock ticking, Flora boards a plane, desperate to meet her long-lost sister, the only person who might understand her. Together, they may find answers at last – for why were two innocent little girls forced to live separate lives on opposite sides of the world?
A heartbreaking and emotional read about love, letting go and a family torn apart in the saddest of circumstances. Fans of Jodi Picoult, Lucinda Riley and Jojo Moyes will never forget The Sapphire Cove.
Sophie's Story
I have two published novels The Butterfly Garden and The Sapphire Cove. I have just finished writing my third novel which is a departure from the first two in that there is a historical element. Hope to be out next year.
I am also an avid reader and regularly publish book recommendations on social media. Check out my latest reads here.
I live in East Sussex with my husband, four children, cats and dogs. And when I am not writing or ferrying the kids around the countryside I am busy converting our house into a retreat venue so watch this space for up and coming writing retreats!