Overview

In the picturesque Cotswolds, Olivia Massie, a meticulous editor absorbed in books but wary of people, admires her friend Bel Bridgford's open affection for women, especially her adoring wife, Bryony. Intrigued by Bel's latest ground-breaking book on climate change, Olivia leaves London to support her friend. Fate takes an unexpected turn when Olivia meets Niamh Fitzgerald, an enigmatic young woman from the wild west of Ireland. Niamh seeks Olivia's help in publishing her late mother's novel, Crossing the Bar, which tells the captivating story of Grace O'Malley, a formidable pirate queen from 16th Century Ireland. As Niamh enters Olivia's life, everything changes. Olivia, a self-proclaimed ice queen, wonders why she chose Niamh as her first venture into love. Can her professional skills and icy reputation cope with raw passion, or will she face the heartache she’s avoided all her life? This is the fifth instalment of the award-winning Isabel and Friends series but can be equally enjoyed as a standalone novel.