Secrets of Clearwater Castle by Emma Davies is a gorgeous tale of renewal, second chances and falling in love that is ideal for curling up with.

Heartbroken by the loss of her husband, young widow Lowri Morgan is packing up his belongings with her daughter Wren asleep by her side when she uncovers a secret he had never revealed to her: a secret inheritance in the shape of Clearwater Castle, which is now hers. With her young daughter to think about and her future, Lowri heads off to Clearwater village where far from the fairy-tale image she had built up in her head finds a dilapidated castle, a tiny cottage in the grounds that has gone to rack and ruin and plenty of responsibilities that are so overwhelming she simply doesn’t know where to start. Still grappling with her grief as well as her anger at the fact that her husband never told her about this inheritance, Lowri has no choice but to make the best of the situation she has found herself in.

Clearwater is crying out for help and she vows to do whatever it takes to bring the village and the castle back to life. With ruggedly handsome stonemason Huw by her side, Lowri has got enough to cope with without having to deal with an inconvenient attraction to the gruff – but devilishly attractive – local. Sparks immediately begin to fly between the two of them and as they begin to spend more and more time together and Clearwater begins to bloom anew, Lowri wonders whether she might be ready to take a leap of faith and a chance on love – or whether after her painful loss she simply isn’t sure whether she has it in her to give romance another try.

Emma Davies’ Secrets of Clearwater Castle is a beautifully written, hopeful and heartwarming tale about starting over, belonging and falling in love again that cannot fail to bring a tear to the eye. A wonderfully romantic tale that tugs at the heartstrings, Secrets of Clearwater Castle has got a heroine it is impossible not to care about, a hero who is positively swoon-worthy and plenty of secondary characters who will bring a smile to every reader’s face.

I loved losing myself in Emma Davies’ Secrets of Clearwater Castle and I have added her name to my auto-buy list.

The story was just okay and nothing to rave about. Not interested in reading the others in the series. Somehow the characters fell flat. Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC.

A brilliant read and one I really enjoyed. The characters are loveable and varied, the plot is one that is engaging and medium paced. I found myself completely drawn into the story and enjoyed the writing style.

Lowri Morgan, recently widowed and with young daughter Wren is about to change her life as she moves to be near her sister. She can no longer afford the home she created with her husband. However a secret is about to be discovered when it appears her late husband has left a legacy.

A legacy, a secret inheritance that for some reason Lowri has known nothing about. Lowri is now owner of Clearwater Castle, surely the answer to her problems and her future.

However reality is very much not the dream and Lowri and her young daughter find themselves with only on habitable property, a rundown mill, acres of space, a workshop creating Welsh Souvenirs of poor quality and in positive Victorian conditions. What Lowri cannot understand is how her husband, never told her any of this and why he never solved some of the obvious problems.

It has all been left to a caretaker, who seems to be taking and not caring and what other influences does she seem to have in the village of Clearwater. Lowri starts to understand a lot more and finds herself with a new life that she wants to create for herself but for all the people and friends she makes along the way now Clearwater is clearly going to be her home.

A great start to a new series and one that has plenty of depth, fascination with secrets in villages and how they can impact still years and years later. If you add into that, the grit and determination of Lowri to do something with this wonderful castle and its surroundings, it was like walking into a National Trust building and seeing someone preserving the past so we can understand the present and not go wring in the future.

I am really looking forward to my return visit.

"Secrets of Clearwater Castle" is a story of second chances and self- growth. Lowri Morgan, who has a little girl, lost her husband two years ago and is still trying to pull herself out of the depths of sorrow. Circumstances force her to relocate to a house provided by her sister and in the course of clearing her husband's possessions she comes across papers showing that her husband received an inheritance about which he had not told her anything about.

It so happens that the inheritance is actually Clearwater House, an estate of substantial size and value; it also comes with a real life castle. Though initially reticent, Lowri decides to relocate to the estate with her daughter. Despite her initial misgivings about the place, she begins to fall for the place and involve herself with the running of the place. This puts her in the cross hair of certain shady people who have their own agenda for profiteering. The place also holds too many secrets and many of them are potentially harmful to the hopeful plans she has for the estate.

In a story exploring human being's capacity for hope and resilience, author Emma Davies weaves a tapestry of mysteries, secrets, dark intentions and resilient human spirit. Through Lowri and the people surrounding her, the author takes the reader on a roller-coaster of emotions that manage to wrench the heart and uplift them at the same time. I enjoyed the story to an extent and would like to see where the story goes further.

I don't think the title of the book could have been any more spot on. The secrets start when Lowri discovers her dead husband inherited Clearwater estate, which includes a castle. Her husband had never said a word to her at all and this comes as a complete surprise when she's sorting through his things. But the find comes at a time when she and her daughter are in need of a new place to live. Lowri decides to take possession of her husband's inheritance because with him dead, it has now passed along to her.

All this time, her husband had arranged for the property to be run and cared for, but Lowri is in for more surprises and secrets. When she goes to look at the property she finds a suitable dwelling the in the gatehouse, but the castle itself is mostly in ruins and the watermill in disrepair and unfunctional. But there is a textile business that is running--paying the staff very little and not offering very good working conditions.

One of these workers befriends Lowri and quickly becomes a true friend. But not everyone around Clearwater is what they seem. They all have pasts and backgrounds that, well, they might be best to stay there have a way of slithering out into the light with Lowri's presence.

One such charcter is Birdie. Wow, is she a piece of work. But that's all I'm going to say about her. You can read the book for yourself and find out more.

I quite enjoyed reading about Lowri's story and watching her grow throughout the book. I can recommend.

Secrets of Clearwater Castle is a heartwarming tale that had me flipping the pages and rooting for the main character.

This is a feel good book where the girl gets the castle and the builder in the end. Lowri Morgan is a widow and a single mum who has to sell the family home but she finds that her dead husband was left property by his father. He turned the property over to trustees and wanted to have nothing to do with it, even keeping the bequest from his wife. She went to see it and was surprised to find it was an estate with a broken down castle, a textile factory churning out touristy tea towels, and a perfectly liveable gatehouse. Lowri decided to move there with her young daughter, Wren.
While the story itself is straightforward, I found some of the characters hard to keep track of. the main characters are Lowri, her daughter, Wren, Elin who works in the factory, Seren who lives near the estate and is a herbalist, and Huw, the stonemason who lives on his longboat on the river and wants to rebuild the castle. There's a greedy local woman who wants the estate for herself to build a housing project with her daughter for the money they can make from it. There is a host of dead people who are connected to the living and these connections are the most difficult to follow. I kind of gave up on that aspect.
Davies does a good job in telling the story; her main characters are well developed. The plot moves along quite at a satisfying pace. I liked the good characters and the ones who became good characters. The ending was satisfying in that it came at an appropriate time; not wrapped up too soon as some novels are. I would read another of Davies books in the future.
Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC; the opinions are mine for which I was not compensated.

I really enjoyed Secrets of Clearwater Castle by Emma Davies. Yes it is technically a romance, but it is so much more than that. It is about loss, grief, secrets, and new beginnings. I didn’t love the main characters too much, but because I loved the story so much it more than made up for it.
I recommend this sweet romance to anyone who is looking for a good story, where romance is just a small part of a much bigger story.

What can I say? WOW! Just loved it. Absolutely must read. Definitely my type of book. Fan for life.

Secrets of Clearwater Castle by Emma Davies is the first book in the new Clearwater Castle series and what a brilliant start this was. I loved it! All Emma's books I have read have been beautifully written from start to finish and she has a way of drawing you into her book, that you will find hard to put down. Once opened you float away into the story and become part of the book, which made it a great holiday read and a great start of a promising new series. Its a light-hearted read that was funny and sad in places. This to me makes an excellent book.

I can't recommend Emma's books enough. I have adored all her books I am looking forward reading more in the future. Emma is a very talented author that you can just fall in love with her way she writes......

Big thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for a copy of "Secrets of Clearwater Castle" in exchange for my honest review.

The title of this book says it all - "secrets" - and there are many at Clearwater Castle. Lowri, a widow in her 30s lost her husband Alun 2 years ago in a car accident. She is left alone with their 6 year old daughter Wren. Having to move from their home because of finances, Lowri finally looks through Alun's things and finds that he had inherited Clearwater Estate which includes a castle, factory, cottages, a watermill, pond, river, meadows and woodlands. When he inherited it, he told Lowri that it was a worthless piece of land and not a whole estate. Lowri and Wren move into a cottage on the estate and Lowri starts to unravel the many secrets that the estate holds.

Huw is a stonemason who everyone knows as a drunk but he had big dreams of rebuilding Clearwater Castle at one point. This also becomes Lowri's dream along with the mill making products that they could be proud of.

Birdie is trouble and Lowri soon figures out what she's up to. Birdie underestimates Lowri not knowing that she works with start-up companies, helping to write up business plans and securing capital and loans for them.

But the more Lowri learns about Clearwater, the more she realizes that Alun kept many secrets from her and the people that she has met since she arrived are all interconnected.

This was a thoroughly wonderful read and hopefully there will be more stories involving Lowri, Wren, Huw, Elin and Seren.

'𝑨 𝒇𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒍𝒚 𝒔𝒆𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈.'

Secrets of Clearwater Castle is the first book in a feel good women's fiction series.

Inheriting a mystery castle comes with its own challenges and hardships and Lowri's world shifts when she discovers her late husband's connection to it. She is ready for a fresh start and to face the challenges head on. She is supported by an eclectic caste of characters who are loveable and will lift your heart and ones you will remember for a long time. I loved seeing Lowri evolve into a strong and independent woman as the story developed.

I was lost in the setting of the Clearwater castle that is beautifully and perfectly described by the author and fell in love with it just like Lowri.

Secrets of Clearwater Castle is a charming, hopeful story of triumph with a little of everything for everyone - secrets, friendship, love, loss and drama. Highly recommended.

This one intrigued me from the start. Hidden inheritance and secrets including a mystery castle sounded a wonderful premise to a story.
Emma Davies describes the estate of Clearwater beautifully and I loved how Lowri instantly fell in love with it.
Brilliant characters with their own stories added so much to Lowri’s adventure and I loved how she found herself again after so much loss.

Feel good women's fiction riddled with family secrets.

Lowri Morgan is a young widow with a six year old daughter. After losing her beloved husband in a car accident two years ago, she now finds herself at a crossroads in her life. She cannot really afford to keep maintaining her home, so she is compelled to make a move. Just as she prepares to avail herself of her sister’s offer of a cottage near where she lives, Mowri finds an old solicitor’s letter among her late husband’s things. Contents of the letter provide details of an inheritance – one he never mentioned to Lowri. With the encouragement of her best friend, Jess, Lawri travels to the other side of Pembrokeshire and visits the solicitor’s office, along with her newfound inheritance comprised of a derelict castle, an equally derelict water mill, and various other cottages and outbuildings. Overwhelmed, yet seeking to start a fresh chapter of her life, Lowri moves into one of the cottages with her little daughter.

Despite an unscrupulous and power-hungry estate custodian who thwarts her every attempt to improve the castle’s estate, Lowri makes some treasured friends in her new home. One of these ‘friends’ is Huw, a stonemason who is keen to rebuild the castle ruin. Another is Elin, one of the women who works in the estate’s textile factory.

Lowri, who has experience in business start-ups, has some wonderful plans for the future of Clearwater Castle and its estate. With little money, she is hoping that the Welsh government will approve her bid for a grant for improvements to the properties.

“It’s the first time she’s dared to dream since Alun died. It’s also, aside from Jess, the first time she’s felt the warmth of friends around her.”

Lowri and her friends meet with several roadblocks in their endeavors. Secrets are discovered, and betrayals exposed.

The satisfying ending was like a warm hug to tide you over until the next book in this delightful, women’s fiction series.

Two years after her husband died, it is time to leave
Lowri needs to sort everything out, not just grieve.
An unexpected discovery, a secret he'd kept for so long
A mystery inheritance - maybe a new place to belong?

Clearwater Castle and its huge estate, too,
Not what she'd expected - what should she do?
The Castle is a ruin, in need of huge repair
The cottage is liveable, no need to despair!

However, there's a business and a derelict mill, too,
All need updating, their books going through.
Huw, a stonemason, seems too keen to rebuild
But others seem determined their enthusiasm be killed.

A story of a fresh start where dreams could come true
Or nightmares abound, as secrets and surprises come into view.
New friendships, new aspirations and so much more
As this close knit community Lowri starts to explore.

Revelations of the past, hopes for the future, too,
A mystery, some intrigue, so much to do.
Not all are supportive but who is friend and who foe?
Who should she trust and who tell to go?

A heartwarming read with grief for more than just one,
Where dreams once scuppered could come true not be gone.
An inspirational story, where courage and romance
Give a whole community much more than just a second chance.

Finding out this is the first in a new series is great -
To read any sequels now I just can't wait!
For my complementary copy, I say thank you,
As I share with you this, my honest review.

Lowri is packing up her late husband's things when she finds a official looking letter amongst some paperwork. When she opens it she discovers that her husband has a inheritance. After further investigation and contact with a lawyer she discovers that the inheritance is a large property with a castle. Together with her young daughter Wren they move there and get restoration work underway but Lowri will find a lot more than she bargained for. I rejoiced in this glorious tale. I smiled and cried but felt hope most of all. With strong characters and a multilayered plot, it's a great start to a new series.

Young widow Lowri heads to Clearwater with her young daughter to claim an inheritance she knew nothing about. Faced with a dilapidated castle, Lowri finds it difficult to make the most of what was left to her.

Lowri Morgan's husband died two years ago. Now, she is finally able to go through his things and move forward. In a box she discovers that her husband inherited property in Wales. She contacts the solicitor to discover that she has inherited a whole estate with a castle, textile mill, and plenty of land. This magical place is called Clearwater Castle. She is happy because she will be able to move here with her daughter Wren.

She instantly starts to make friends and her daughter is happy. She can't help but wonder why has her husband hide this from her and what else has he lied about? She is drawn to this place and she wants to rebuild and make the business a success.

This book has mystery, secrets, and second chance at love.

In a Nutshell: A well-written women’s fiction, staying true to the genre. As a series starter, this lays the right foundation for possible sequels without leaving anything major incomplete. Somewhat slow at the start, but overall, a nice read. The main focus isn’t romance: hooray!

Story Synopsis:
Wales. Lowri, a young widow, has been struggling to get things together for herself and her six year old daughter Wren, after her husband Alun died in an accident two years ago. While finally sorting through his belongings, Lowri discovers that Alun has an inheritance she knew nothing about – a place named Clearwater House.
When Lowri arrives in Clearwater village, she can’t believe her eyes when she realises that Clearwater House is a castle, and comes with huge grounds and several establishments. Though it is somewhat derelict, she begins picturing a future for herself and Wren in the empty gatekeeper’s cottage. For her plans for Clearwater, she needs the support of the local stonemason Huw, who seems to be a prickly drunkard, and of Elin – one of the workers in the textile mill on Clearwater grounds. However, there are a couple of nefarious people around, who have their own secret agenda for Clearwater.
Will Lowri be able to set Clearwater back on track, and also discover why her husband never told her about the inheritance?
The story comes to us mostly from the limited third person perspective of Lowri and Huw.

Bookish Yays:
😍 Lowri is a (mostly) wonderful character to lead this story. While she is still not out of her loss, her track doesn’t focus only on moving on or on handling Wren as a single mother or on finding new love. On the contrary, the book shows her as a capable and intelligent woman who know business and despite not being aware of the running of an estate, quite willing to take on the challenge. It was a treat to find a woman character (especially considering the genre) who is aware of the corporate world and the running of a business.
😍 Despite Lowri’s skills, she doesn’t shy away from asking help when she needs it, again a trait not commonly found in fictional characters who seem to want to do everything alone. Lowri doesn’t feel guilty about leaving Wren with friendly neighbours while she does her work, nor does she shy away from getting help from locals and friends. I appreciate the realistic depiction of her character in this regard.
😍 There are some amazing secondary characters in this book. Huw, Seren and Elin each have a distinct personality and their individual arcs are woven around their character traits. I must also mention little Wren. What a delight to see a child character written as per her age! Jess, Lowri’s friend, also showed promise, and I hope we get to see more of her in the upcoming books.
😍 I loved the camaraderie across Lowri, Elin, and Seren. Their bond grows almost instantly but it never feels exaggerated. There are some touching scenes involving these three characters and Huw.
😍 A special shoutout for including scenes where Huw also cries and yet no one remarks on it in any way. When a male character cries in such fiction, it is written either as being something odd or pointing to something vulnerable. In this book, neither was applicable. Huw’s emotional response was written as a natural outcome and no extra spotlight was shone upon him. Loved this approach!
😍 I’ve read many fictional books that talk of castles and estates, but this is the first time ever I actually read what goes into the running of an estate. I enjoyed the characters’ sentiments about Clearwater and why they all were united in seeing it being restored to its former glory. Through their efforts, I also learnt about how much support is offered by the government in Wales to restore traditional estates and industries.
😍 Of course, even without the about info, Clearwater as a setting is magnificent, what with a castle, a textile mill with a water wheel, a river alongside,… I loved the visuals created in my mind by the author’s beautiful words about the Welsh location.
😍 Though primarily a women’s fiction, there is a little thread of mystery also woven into the plot. Though minor, it is still interesting.
😍 When the blurb mentioned Lowri and “the ruggedly handsome but prickly local stonemason Huw”, I was worried the book would go into romance territory under the guise of women’s fiction. To my most pleasant surprise, the romance is barely there. Most of the book focusses more on Lowri’s plans for Clearwater, her determination to set things right, and her relationship with the locals, Huw included.
(Of course, if you are the kind of reader who wants romance in stories, you might not like this point. But I prefer novels where romance isn’t made the lynchpin of the plot in a non-romance work.)

Bookish Nays:
😐 The title did warn me that there would be secrets, but I certainly wasn’t prepare for how many secrets there would be. Many of these could have been resolved if Lowri communicated better. Either Lowri knows something and doesn't reveal it in time or she has doubts and she doesn't clarify them on time or she has questions and she doesn't ask them on time. The curious cat in me simply couldn't handle so much delayed gratification.
😐 The going is a bit slow and repetitive, especially at the start when Lowri is somewhat uncertain about what was going on.
😐 The negative characters are mostly stereotypical and behave in a predictable manner. In this sense, their portrayal felt a bit flat.

Overall, I enjoyed this book quite a lot, despite losing my patience with Lowri’s inability to ask the right questions at the right time. The overall vibe is faithful to the genre, and the characters interesting enough to make me want to know them better. Seeing a woman take charge of an estate and its business was an unusual experience, so consider me booked for the next installment of this series. I’d love to see what shape Lowri and Huw give to Clearwater.
Definitely recommended to women’s fiction readers looking for a heart-warming story with a greater focus on inter-personal relationships and social improvement than romance.

4 stars.

My thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the DRC of “Secrets of Clearwater Castle”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

Lowri is about to begin a new life with her young daughter Wren. Although widowed for two years, she is just learning of an inheritance left to her husband. It appears that Lowri is now the owner of a place that is called Clearwater Castle, but she soon learns that she owns far, far more than that. She decides to take up residence on the property, although her future is really undetermined.

Just as the inheritance was kept secret from Lowri, she learned that her husband held other secrets. As she decides to set things right for the Castle, as well as other issues around the village, a stonemason named Huw offers to help her rebuild. Why is he offering? This is a question that she cannot help but to ask. Meanwhile, Lowri finds herself drawn to the quiet and enigmatic Huw. She also finds friends and acceptance in her new life. However, there are problems that must be sorted out.

I loved Lowri‘s determination in this wonderful story. As I began reading this book, I quickly felt like I was in a warm, welcoming place. That was definitely true with these characters and the story as it developed. I love that this is the first book in a new series, and I cannot wait to see what else happens in Clearwater Village.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.