Bella Osborne returns with An Invitation to Seashell Bay, a light, romantic novel that aims for warmth and escapism. The story centers on two parallel relationships, each pairing characters from very different emotional and social worlds.

The first focuses on Nancy, a self-made entrepreneur whose confidence and determination have carried her to professional success. Practical and self-assured, she finds herself repeatedly crossing paths with Freddy, the son of a Lord who has grown up with wealth, privilege and few real obstacles. Their relationship is built on contrast — experience versus entitlement — and Osborne uses that tension to explore whether genuine connection can form across such a divide.

Running alongside this storyline is Alice, Nancy’s roommate and a trainee teacher struggling to push against the restrictive boundaries set by her parents. Alice longs for independence and meaningful connection, but a long-standing health condition complicates her plans for the future. Her chance encounter with Dom, the father of one of her students, sparks a relationship that offers both hope and the possibility of a more “normal” life.

Osborne does a solid job charting the gradual development of these relationships, carefully guiding the reader through their emotional highs and setbacks. The novel’s first half is particularly engaging, with several moments that drew me into the characters’ lives and made their journeys feel sincere.

However, the story loses some of its momentum in the second half. While it never becomes dull, certain interactions between Nancy and Freddy feel forced rather than organic, making it harder to stay fully invested in their arc. Alice’s storyline is more emotionally convincing, and her dilemmas with Dom are largely believable, but even there, a few moments stray into territory that feels overly convenient or unrealistic.

Overall, An Invitation to Seashell Bay is a pleasant and gentle holiday read — one that offers charm and warmth, even if it doesn’t fully sustain its emotional pull throughout. It’s best suited for readers looking for light escapism rather than a deeply immersive romance.

Rating: 4/5