Wish You Were Here

Sunlit Departures and Hidden Wishes

Claire Hardy had promised herself that this summer would be different. Trading the grey bustle of London for the honeyed light of Devon’s rugged coastline, she arrives at Mariner’s Cove hoping to outrun a broken engagement and rediscover the vibrant woman she once was. But as she steps off the rattling steam train, a flutter of postcards in her hand, Claire realizes that running away is seldom as simple as it seems. Between the chalk-white cliffs and the salt-scented breeze, she finds herself drawn into the rhythms of a close-knit community where every passer-by carries a story, and every sunset hints at both solace and longing.

Echoes of Laughter and Loss

Settling into a charming seaside cottage once owned by her late aunt, Claire uncovers dusty photo albums, faded letters, and an unfinished novel that speaks of love lost and found. Befriending Tom Bennett, the taciturn lighthouse keeper whose wry humor masks deeper grief, she embarks on a quest to complete the story—and in doing so, to piece together her own shattered heart. From impromptu beach bonfires under a sky crowded with stars to misty dawn walks along tide-carved sands, each moment of laughter and shared tears brings Claire closer to understanding that healing lives not in forgetting the past, but in embracing its lessons.

Postcards to the Heart

As summer ripens into its golden peak, Claire’s days become a tapestry of seaside whirlwinds: salvaged manuscripts, secret midnight meetings in the boathouse, and a village fête where lanterns dance above cobblestone lanes. The unfinished novel’s ending hangs in the balance, mirroring Claire’s own uncertainty about love’s second chances. When fresh challenges emerge—a rival writer claiming copyright, a sudden storm threatening the Cove, and Tom’s hidden secret that could break them both—Claire must decide whether to guard her heart or risk everything for the promise of new beginnings.

. Catherine Alliott is a bestselling British author celebrated for her warm wit, richly drawn characters, and the evocative portrayal of seaside communities where every farewell carries the hope of wish-you-were-here moments.