The Island Legacy: “A Cornish island plays a symphony of secrets...”

by Ruth Saberton

Daughter of a troubled artist, Nessa Penwellyn has always struggled to feel settled. Used to making her way alone, an unusual bequest turns her world upside down. With trepidation Ness exchanges life abroad for her Cornish inheritance, a crumbling castle on St Pirran Island, and solitude for her newly discovered relatives - some more pleased to learn of her existence than others. Resentment, tension and mystery swirl around Pirran Island like deadly currents and the rocks beneath the sea are no less threatening than gathering developers or scheming cousins. Independent and determined, Ness must now decide who to trust in order to prevent the island legacy being lost forever. But can Ness's heart keep her safe from the one man who may cost her everything? Or are deeper secrets hiding within the echoes of the past?

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Amazon, Chick Lit, British Literature, Contemporary

296 pages, Paperback

Published January 30, 2017

About the author

Award-winning author of deeply immersive emotional fiction, rooted in Cornwall.

Stories that slip between times, exploring love, loss, secrets, memory and hope.

Ruth writes the kind of books you can settle into: old houses with histories, forgotten letters, family secrets, enduring love and the moments when the past reaches across the years and changes

Her novels slip between past and present, weaving together love, loss, secrets, memory and the enduring connections between people and places.

Cornwall is at the heart of Ruth’s books. The creeks, beaches, rivers, gardens and old houses are more than settings: they are places of memory, possibility and escape.

Her novels include The Letter, the first book in the Rosecraddick Chronicles, as well as The Locket, Oyster Shore and The Lost Angel. Her books have been translated and published internationally and have found readers around the world.

When she isn’t writing, Ruth can usually be found somewhere in Cornwall, walking, riding, swimming, exploring old places or simply watching the river.

If you love beautiful settings, emotional stories, secrets from the past, enduring love and novels you can disappear into for a while, you may have found your kind of author.

You can stay in touch and hear about new releases and writing life by joining her newsletter here:
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Reviews

[Book-shelf Shelf]

This is the story of Ness, who inherits her uncles castle and Island. But Ness lives a world away from Cornwall and hasn't heard anything from or about Uncle Armand. Lucy, however, has been living and working at the castle and nursed Armand through his illness. Armand also took other waffs & Strays into his home and gave them jobs. The one thing he didnt leave in his will, was money and the castle needed some badly and quick. Lucy and most of St Pirran are worried that the new family member will sell the island and castle, especially as it is in disrepair and property developer Max Reynard is very keen to buy it at any cost.

Ruth has done it again. She takes the reader to Cornwall and opens all our senses to the delights Cornwall has to offer. The characters literally jump of the page and have you feeling every thing they feel. The excitement of finding out the history of Ness's mom and why her dad & his brothers hadn't spoken for so many years is electrifying, keeping the readers hooked on the edge of their seats. Only Ruth can make us feel her love of Cornwall in the descriptions of the castle, beaches and hidden coves. Ruth really is a true gem of an author and one every one should read.

[Bec]

Not my usual genre of reading. It was the cover that drew me in. I loved Cornwall when I visited and I was able to picture the setting as I read.

As for the story, it wasn't a bad storyline but a bit predictable and the ending felt a bit rushed. A nice quick read.

[Coco.V]

💝FREE on Amazon today (9/17/18)!💝

Blurb:
When waitress Ness unexpectedly inherits an English island she soon meets successful property developer, Max Reynard. Wealthy and wickedly handsome, Max is accustomed to getting his own way but Ness is unimpressed. Yes, he’s hot. Yes, he has a great body. And yes, he’s a millionaire. But Max’s assumption she’ll sell to him makes Ness even more determined to go it alone - even though scheming cousins and dire finances conspire against her.

Max Reynard is a rich and powerful playboy. Used to having his own way, in business and in love, he’s shocked to meet a woman able to resist his money and good looks. And when he realises he wants Ness even more than he wants her property, Max knows he’s in big trouble.

Before long Ness and Max are locked in a battle of wills. And when love’s involved, the rules of are soon broken …

[Jen]

3 Stars: this was a good read overall and I do recommend the book. I think the author did a fantastic job of describing the area of Cornwall and the castle. I even looked up images of Cornwall and it really did take my breath away. That being said, I feel there are some issues that kept this from being a 4 or 5 star book for me:
The book is about 300 pages long which didn't bother me, but the fact that there were three romances the author wrote about prevented her from fully developing in more detail the growth of any of the characters, much less how the couples worked through their struggles. Instead it felt more like she hi-lighted them. I wanted to know more about the relationship between Nessa and Max, but time was not sufficient in 300 pages to show us their interactions fully and go into the other two couples. I think I would have enjoyed the book more if the story was longer a lot longer, or if there was a sequel that told the other couple's stories. Just a thought.

[Katherine Coble]

3.5 Stars

This book is well-written and a very good escapist read for summertime. The problem is that it was excruciatingly predictable. Every single outcome was obvious from the 10% mark.
I kept reading for the atmosphere and the inevitable satisfaction of seeing the villain get his comeuppance.

[Ursula Clarke]

Wow…..Loved it! I am a big fan of Ruth Saberton and always eagerly await her next book release. I couldn't wait to start this one and whilst at the same time I wanted to devour it and race through I also never wanted it to end so would slow myself down so I could enjoy this for longer.

I love Ruth's descriptive style and how her books are based in Cornwall. This is a place I love to visit and it's so nice when you can relate to areas and easily imagine being in the places she describes.

One of my most favourite places in Cornwall is "St Michaels Mount". It was so lovely to see that Pirran Castle had been based around this magnificent place. I have my own fond memories of walking down the causeway and traveling back on a boat. It just adds to the magic of the story.

The characters as always are equally amazing and you cannot help but like them all. Even Max Reynard has his own charming style that you cannot resist to find out more about him. I loved Ness and Lucy, both were so different but so lovable.

Ruth has an amazing style that always draws you into the story straight away. I always feel like I have come home when I read one of Ruth's books.

This is a must read and I highly recommend this as everyone of all ages. You certainly won't be disappointed.

Well done again Ruth!

[Brianna]

Meh. The premise is interesting, but I think the author crammed far too many "main" characters into one book. We have three romances and numerous points of view so that you don't get to know Ness, the supposed main character, and her obvious love interest that well. This felt like an insta-love kind of thing because the relationship and characters aren't developed.

[Kathy Averbeck]

The book started out well with an interesting premise. But there were too many errors in the book (random words that didn't belong), the author repeating the same stuff over and over, it took too long to get to the romance and working out the "mystery".

[June Richland]

I love all Ruth Saberton's books. Her writing style, combined with a wonderful story and believable characters make this a great read. It kept me going through a very long and tedious journey. (I chose this book for this reason and it did not disappoint!)

[Margaret Harris]

About a legacy which was a bittersweet inheritance. It is a great read with a mixture of lovely and despicable characters. It is very easy to visualise and set on an island which appears to be a mixture of St. Michael’s Mount and Looe Island.

[Rebecca Lobb]

Beautifully descriptive but very predictable.

[E. H. Hobbs]

addicting

Very special. Beautifully written. Hard to put down. Wish I could hear the music & see the imaginary characters. Highly recommend to everyone.

[Kathleen Tharme]

Brilliant

[Cornelia]

Ein berühmter Komponist namens Armand vererbt die kleine Insel St. Pirran vor der Küste Cornwalls an Ness, seine Nichte. Als sie anreist und die erste Nacht in einem Hotel verbringt, trifft sie auf einen interessanten Mann, der ihr später wiederbegegnen soll.
Die Menschen, die auf der Insel leben, sind anfangs nicht so begeistert davon, dass ausgerechnet Ness die Insel erbt und bei der Testamentseröffnung gibt es schon heftige Diskussionen, vor allem mit Vetter Jamie und auch Cousine Lucy. Doch Ness stellt sich ihrem Erbe, denn ihre Mutter Beth hat einstmals auf dieser Insel gelebt und Ness möchte herausfinden, was geschah und möchte auch den letzten Willen ihres Onkels erfüllen. Doch da hat sie nicht mit Max Reynard gerechnet, der die Insel mitsamt dem Schloss unbedingt haben möchte.

Ich mag mysteriöse und geheimnisvolle Familiengeschichten sehr gerne und Ruth Saberton ist eine großartige Erzählerin, so dass ich neugierig nach diesem Buch gegriffen haben, das im Original bereits 2017 erschienen ist.
Der Anfang, dass Ness eine kleine Insel samt Schloss erben soll, von einem Onkel, der ein Bruder ihres Vaters war, klang schon geheimnisvoll, denn dafür muss es ja Gründe geben.
Auf dieser Insel lebten einst ihre Eltern, bis die Mutter starb und ihr Vater mit ihr die Insel verließ.
Ness ist auf der Suche nach Antworten und der Vergangenheit ihrer Mutter.
Außerdem ist es ihr wichtig, die Insel mitsamt dem Schloss zu erhalten, für ihre Familie und besonders für die Menschen, die dort leben und arbeiten. Sie kämpft mit sehr wenig finanziellen Mitteln ausgerechnet gegen einen Immobilienhai namens Max Reynard und Cousin Jamie scheint auch auf dessen Seite zu stehen.
Doch Ness gibt nicht auf und gemeinsam mit Cousine Lucy und weiteren Inselbewohnern tun sie alles, damit sie alles erhalten können.
Daneben versucht Ness mehr über das Geheimnis ihrer Familie insbesondere ihrer Mutter herauszufinden und stößt schließlich auf eine bewegende Geschichte.

Ruth Saberton hat mich schon mit einigen ihrer Romane begeistert und auch mit dieser schon etwas älteren Geschichte konnte sie mich wieder überzeugen.
Das Setting auf der kleinen Insel ist schön gewählt und auch bildhaft beschrieben. Besonders das alte Schloss konnte ich mir gut vorstellen. Die wichtigsten Figuren sind eine gute Mischung aus sehr unterschiedlichen und interessanten Charakteren.
Ich habe Ness bewundert, dass sie so tapfer und hartnäckig den Kampf für den Erhalt des Besitzes aufnimmt und dabei eigentlich gegen Windmühlenflügel kämpft, denn am Ende ihres Geldes wäre der Kampf verloren. Gespannt habe ich mit ihr gehofft und gebangt.
Das Familiengeheimnis deckt sich nur langsam und schrittweise auf, so dass auch hier immer eine Spannung erhalten bleibt.

„Das Flüstern der Gezeiten“ ist erneut ein berührender und sehr packender Roman von Ruth Saberton, der mich bewegt und begeistert hat. Ein tolles Setting, ein spannendes Geheimnis und auch die Liebe kommt nicht zu kurz, das ist Unterhaltung im besten Sinne!


Fazit: 5 von 5 Sternen


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[Texas]

The Island Legacy - A well written, funny, dramatic and intriguing story that spanns the decades, past to present. The island is an interesting, intriguing character in its own right; but the other characters are interesting, fun or not, and have much going for and against them. Multiple stories are involved in the telling of island's legacy and what its future will be rides heavily on one character's shoulders. Many love the island and in their own way leave a legacy. Heartwarming and suspenseful, it's a wonderful story second only to The Letter by the same author. 5*

The Letter : Heartbreaking. Heartwarming.
The Letter - What a wonderful story; written similar to the manner of Rosamunde and Maeve! I loved the way Neil was always there, yet, in Cornwall, there are no memories to interfere with Chloe's grief. This is a well written, mesmerizing story with interesting, believable characters that grow as the story progresses. The story telling flows along, keeping the reader locked in the pages. The emotions run the gamut from grief to excitement to happiness to horror, among others.

The mystery about Kit and the daisy add to the intrigue of The Letter. This the main love story tears the heart out of the reader. While Chloe and Neil and Matt are important parts of The Letter, Daisy and Kit are the heart and soul of this story.

World War I was the beginning of modern warfare and even as primitive as the weapons were, compared to today's arsenal, the damage done to the soldiers and their families was horrific. The trenches and the mustard gas destroyed so much of that generation. The author does a great job describing the parts of The Great War that affected the characters. I've enjoyed all the books I've read so far by this author and hope to read more of her future intriguing and mesmerizing stories. She does not disappoint the reader. 5*

[Laura Rushing]

Easy, light read with elements of romance

This is not the type of book I normally read, but it was free, and I wanted to read something easy and light to get out of my current non-reading rut. There are three different romances that the author introduces, and she only really expands on the main protagonists' arcs. I never felt a connection to any of the characters, and in fact, it seemed like only a few of them had backstories. The book is short, and i could have gotten more out of it if the focus what on a few people, instead of stretched thinly over six different characters. I think the writing would have been better with only two romances (four stories). Then, perhaps, there could have been more of a backstory with those characters. Or maybe this kind of writing is typical with books like this?

The editor needs to take another look at the tablet/kindle version. I reported probably 30+ errors, ranging from missing text to tense switches and repeated words. It took me out of the reading experience to report these errors over and over. This book came out six years ago, so it really shouldn't have four or five glaring errors on a page.

Overall, I enjoyed the descriptions of the Cornish seaside, but didn't particularly care for the romance or plot that tied everything together in the last 10 pages. If you enjoy these types of lite, beachy reads, then this book may be for you.

[Musings of a Middle-aged Mum]

I read this book, because, yet again, it was next in the list of books I've bought but haven't read yet. The Island Legacy is about a woman who inherits a small island, complete with its own castle, off the coast of Cornwall, from an uncle that she never met. That uncle never had children of his own, but was cared for in his dying days by a different niece with a heart-of-gold, and was in touch with a nephew who was busy circling with the vultures...

This is a heartwarming cozy romance in amongst the tale of a woman troubled by secrets of her parents' past. It is well written, and was lovely to read a story based on the British coastline. Having stayed in Perranporth and been to the beach at Perran Sands, I confess to having googled to see if Pirran Castle was a real place (it isn't), but it is reminiscent of St Michael's Mount (which I have been to).

I read this book in one night (night, because I had insomnia and this kept me occupied until 6am) and it was a really enjoyable read. Arguably it is predictable, but when reading this type of book you want it to be - I would be disappointed if the leading lady didn't get her love interest in the end. There are clear goodies, and baddies, and some who appear to switch sides when you know them on a deeper level. I will definitely read more of Ruth's books in the future.

[Aimee Dean]

The Island Legacy is the tale of three brothers, one woman and a terrible tragedy.

St Pirran's Island is a well known tourist attraction around these parts. Owned by the elderly, reclusive and brilliant composer Armand Penwellyn, the Islands future is in doubt when the old man passes away. With no children of his own, Armand has a cunning plan to ensure that the Island itself doesn't end up in the hands of his nephew Jamie who is hell bent in selling it off to the highest bidder.

The island is cared for by a curious group of gentle souls who are all weary of Jamie and his poor sister Lucy is often cowered by her spoilt younger brother. Armand knows this and so he leaves the Island to his long lost niece Ness who has no idea that she had an Uncle yet alone that he had left her an island with a castle that was in desperate need of repair and an angry cousin who is determined to get her to give up the island so he can sell it to his developer best friend.

Ness is only too aware what peril the Island's finances are in that she realises that something will have to be done unless it will sold off to make exclusive apartments sold off for millions. When Ness is finally backed into a corner, she decides on a course of action that will save the island from development and ensure the Legacy will live on for generations to come.

[linda]

It was lovely to read a book based in Cornwall, England. It was lighthearted and easy to ready. It made me feel good all over. Nessa is living an easy life diving most days, in a beautiful part of the world far away from the little town in Cornwall where she was born. Her life is turned upside down when she met by a Solicitor who informs her she has inherited a castle from her uncle. Pestered by her best friend to go, telling what did she have to loose, she decided to go. Staying at the local hotel she meets a man called Max who offers her a place at his table, as the restaurant was full to bursting. She sees his sketch book on the table and thought he was a artist, like her late father. Later she goes for a walk along the beach with him and for some reason kissed him. Her feelings are in turmoil. Then someone shouts his name telling him he had an urgent phone call from New York and her bubble is burst when he finds out who she is and storms off. This is the start of her new life and unexpected journey.

The story evolves around her new found cousins and friends. Is the for the better or worse, well you will have to read the book to find out. I enjoyed it even though it was a completely different type of genre I usually read.

[Pam]

The Island Legacy is a novel by Ruth Saberton. Although this book is not quite as intriguing as the other books of hers that I have read, it is interesting and gets better the further you get in the book. You have to be faithful about reding for at least 20 minutes to get into the book. Then, the book takes hold of you and you can’t put it down.
Armand Penwellyn was dying. He had lived a long life and was ready to go home. He had regrets for his life; but he thought he finally had figured out a way to put those regrets to bed. He just hoped the girls would understand. His will was made and the clues to the puzzle were laid. Now they had to figure it out.
Ness Penwellyn was confused. Why would an uncle she never knew leave her an island and a castle? Why would he leave it to her and not her cousins? She was headed to Cornwall to St. Pirran’s Island to try to find out why her? What caused the riff in her family? What will she do with the castle and the island?
With the help of her cousin Lucy; the fisherman ; the fairy girl’; Jamie the bully; the stone mason; and Max Reynard, the developer maybe she can find a way to live together and to keep the castle and Island intact.

[Maria P]

I have really enjoyed this book. Set in beautiful Cornwall it is a lovely story with depth and some interesting interwoven stories. This is the second book by this author I have read, the first being Runaway Summer (Polwenna Bay Book 1) which was also great (and I must get round to reading the sequels). What has let this book down for me was the number of grammatical errors in it. I’d already noticed a few in the first half of the book after which I began to highlight them on my kindle and picked up another 12 mistakes in the second half of the book. Most were cases of missing words, repeated words or words in the wrong order! It didn’t spoil the story for me but this is clearly something that should be picked up a lot better in the editing and so I cannot give it the 5 stars as published books should be more professional.

[sally whitfield]

Good escapism read

Firstly I started to read this as I've read the promise, letter and the locket by Ruth. Unfortunately this wasn't a patch on them. It was far too predictable and the secret well I got that straight away although I do read a lot of thrillers. This author can write beautifully but I did feel that this wasn't up to the standard of those other books. Don't be put off because if you like this type of genre, rich successful business man wants beautiful woman but she's playing hard to get cos she won't sell him what he wants etc plus loads of other characters who have back stories going on plus a baddie then this is for you. Please Ruth write some more like the locket.

[Beata Dobrogoszcz]

Nice easy read, more for summer weekend reading than in winter but I still liked it. A little bit romance, a little bit of family drama. The location somewhere in Cornwall is a plus. Ness who spent most of her life leaving abroad, suddenly gets information that her father brother died and left her a castle. She decides to come back to her family Cornish town and see what's hidden behind this bequest. Of course, when she is back nothing comes as easy as she thought. She has to make decision which would not only has influence on her future but also on the future of other family members and friends living in the castle.
I was down when I started reading this book and really cheer me up.

[Debbie Duncalf]

Island legacy is set in and around the beautiful pirrin island and castle in Cornwall. When the last brother dies Ness finds herself inheriting this great piece of history. However family arguments and lack of money to upkeep this piece of history makes it difficult to know whether to keep it or sell to a developer. Ness decides to try and save pirrin island and the castle. The beautiful story that evolves is how she goes about doing it, making friends with the tight set of locals who get behind her, and dealing with whatever is thrown at her.
Really nice well written story which has a little suspense and love built in to it. Recommended read most definitely!

[Linda C. May]

Collision

Past and present collide for Ness, a beautiful young woman whose nomadic life with her father has filled her with questions. When she is notified of an inheritance from an uncle she didn't know back in Cornwall, she goes there to meet family she never knew and face challenges she could never have even dreamed. One of the greatest challenges she has to face is Max Reynaud. Powerful attraction, powerful mistrust. As Ness unravels the tangles of her family and solves the riddles of her uncle, she impacts the lives of all the people of her island.

[Debra]

Inheritance

Another wonderfully writer book by author. The island Legacy tells the story of Ness who inherits a castle from an uncle she did not know. With it comes characters who had been living in the castle. The castle is run down and no money is left for upkeep. The story goes through the lives of the characters and ways to find funds to restore the castle. Ness's father grew up here with 2 brothers. Her mother died here. Ness eventually find the reason for the. Brother's estrangement and her mother's death. This was an interesting story and an excellent read.

[Eddi]

I found The Island Legacy to be an easy and relaxing read, steeped in the beautiful atmosphere of Cornwall. It was predictable, and I can’t say the characters were fully developed, but I enjoyed reading it. Who doesn’t take pause at the idea of discovering that an unknown relative has left you a huge inheritance - a castle! I enjoyed how Ness was able to create her “family” in Cornwall, and how they all struggled to find a way to keep the castle from the hands of those who would develop it into a haven for rich people. A happy story.

[Bethan Woodfield]

I don't usually read this genre of book but was pleasantly surprised. I grew up in Cornwall and I absolutely loved the beautiful descriptions of the rugged but magical Cornish Coastline. The characters are well written and engaging and I became embroiled in the story. The book also describes some very real struggles that the Cornish locals face today.
A great read with lots of beautiful descriptions of the Cornish landscape.

[Claire Potter]

Once in a While

There are good books and not so good books on my Kindle. Once in a while there is an excellent book. This was an excellent one. While the inputting could use improvement, the story makes up for that. I tend to be a critic of spelling and grammar to the point that it distracts me from the story. With The Island Legacy, nothing could distract me from the story. Write on, Ruth!

[Lynne Watts]

Excellent

I really enjoyed this book as it brought back memories of Cornwall from holidays when I was a child. The setting reminded me of St Michael's Mount, walking out over the causeway and then keeping an eye on the tide so you didn't get marooned. The setting was ideallic and would rival the Caribbean. All in all a lovely written book in a lovely part of this Country. I am looking forward to reading other books by this author and would recommend her to others.