{"id":188697,"date":"2025-04-16T21:21:15","date_gmt":"2025-04-16T21:21:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peraltafinancing.com\/entertainment\/books\/the-castle-in-the-bay-by-margaret-amatt-review-barraseriesbook1\/"},"modified":"2025-04-16T21:21:15","modified_gmt":"2025-04-16T21:21:15","slug":"the-castle-in-the-bay-by-margaret-amatt-review-barraseriesbook1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=188697","title":{"rendered":"The Castle in the Bay by Margaret Amatt #Review #BarraSeriesBook1"},"content":{"rendered":"


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<\/span><\/span>We are travelling to the beautiful island of Barra for Margaret Amatt’s<\/b> new Barra Series, The Castle in the Bay. <\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>The first in this new series was published on 12th April by Leannan Press<\/b>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h5>\n

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What if the castle has the key to mend their broken hearts?<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h5>\n

After a miserable few years, fun-loving<\/span> Iona McKenzie<\/span>
\n tossed her corporate job to the wind, swore off long-term
\nrelationships, and escaped to the Hebridean island of Barra to teach
\nwater sports.<\/p>\n

Recently dumped by an ex who labelled him ‘boring’, <\/p>\n

<\/span>Monty MacNeil <\/span><\/span>is
\n having a tough time. When he’s tasked with carrying out his late
\nfather\u2019s last request to scatter his ashes at Kisimul Castle \u2013 the
\nfamous castle in the bay \u2013 he doesn’t expect his trip to Barra to begin
\nby running smack bang into a feisty and gorgeous woman, knocking her off
\n her bike, and almost dropping his father\u2019s urn into the sea.<\/p>\n

Iona
\n turns out to be the person he needs to take him over to the castle, but
\n Monty soon sees another way she can help him. A few paddleboarding
\nlessons would make him look more adventurous and give him a way back to
\nhis ex when his holiday\u2019s done. But an unexpected attraction begins,
\ndespite both Monty and Iona fighting it, and the lessons soon develop
\nfrom boarding and snorkelling to \u2018love lessons\u2019. Suddenly it\u2019s harder to
\n separate real from pretend.<\/p>\n

True love may be closer than they
\nthink, but if they want it, both must take a chance \u2013 and soon \u2013 before
\nMonty returns to his life on the mainland.<\/p>\n

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My Thoughts<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

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At first sight, Iona and Monty<\/span> <\/span><\/b>seem like complete opposites. Iona has escaped from her career in the Civil Service to live a freer existence on the Isle of Barra where she runs a water Sports School and spends her days in the open air, relishing the environment. Monty has a different reason for coming to the remote island. A banker, he loves his life of spreadsheets and order. He has an emotional journey<\/span>, <\/span><\/b>having undertaken to scatter his father’s ashes on the nearby Castle.\u00a0 The islanders are scathing about the tourists who come to claim allegiance with the ancient family of the MacNeils. Monty has not been interested in the family tree investigations of his father, but once on the island, recognises\u00a0 that he feels a link with the place.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 Wary of commitment, Iona has led a life without long term relationships. Monty is pining for an ex-girlfriend. There are plenty of lively characters who I expect to meet in future books. What does emerge is the family and community support they have for each other and the love of the Island.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

In short:\u00a0<\/span><\/i> strangers on the shore<\/span><\/p>\n

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About the Author<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

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Margaret<\/b> is a bestselling Scottish author and chocolate
\nlover who has been writing stories for over twenty years (possibly more if you
\ncount her primary school efforts). Her early works will never see the light of
\nday and are locked in dusty vaults on some old floppy disks. But after all
\nthose years of practise, Margaret released her first novel in 2021. It was the
\nfirst of a ten-book series set on the gorgeous Scottish Isle of Mull.<\/span><\/p>\n

Margaret is also the author of the acclaimed Glenbriar
\nSeries, based in the fictional Scottish town of Glenbriar. This is an ongoing
\nseries with more books coming in 2025.<\/span><\/p>\n

More Scottish island books \u2013this time set on the Isle of
\nBarra \u2013are also planned. The first of these is The Castle in the Bay, which
\nwill be out this spring.<\/span><\/p>\n

All Margaret\u2019s stories are unashamedly romantic with lots of
\ndrama, banter, and an eclectic mix of characters. Each book can be read as a
\nstandalone, but followers of the series will enjoy catching up with the
\ncharacters.<\/span><\/p>\n

You can follow Margaret here:\u00a0\u00a0Facebook<\/a>\u00a0 |\u00a0\u00a0Instagram<\/a>\u00a0 | \u00a0Twitter<\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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\u00a0Purchase links<\/a>\u00a0 |\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>Thanks to Margaret Amatt, Leannan Publishers and Rachel of Rachel’s Random Resources <\/a>for a copy of the book and a place on the tour.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Check out these great bloggers!<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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