Amber gazes towards the sparkling turquoise sea from the doorway of Beehive Cottage, clutching an old book in her hands. The yellowing pages tell the tale of another woman who lost everything but found hope and healing here. Will broken-hearted Amber find a second chance at the cottage too?
Devastated when her wedding is called off, Amber escapes to her family’s seaside home on a beautiful windswept island. The charming cottage, up a steep lane from the cobbled quay, is falling apart. Grateful for the distraction, Amber throws herself into the renovation with the help of surly red-haired builder Ben. The old building hides many secrets and, behind a cupboard that was sealed decades ago, Amber finds piles of curled documents that send her deep into the past.
As she pours over the smudged ink, Amber is drawn into the wartime world of Georgina, a widow whose life was shattered before she came to the island. It was in this very cottage that Georgina found the courage to start again with her two young children. Inspired by Georgina’s bravery, Amber begins to reinvent herself as she works with Ben to bring Beehive Cottage back to life. Together they unravel the secrets of the cottage, finding fragments of history behind its walls. And, even though her heart is still fragile, she finds herself growing close to handsome and thoughtful Ben as they spend hours talking over warming coffees by the ocean.
But when the islanders’ protectiveness over Ben because of a past hurt makes her question their relationship, and a devastating fire threatens to destroy Beehive Cottage, will Amber lose Ben and her future on Morwen island? Or, when Amber discovers Georgina’s memoir and learns of a wartime romance that blossomed against the odds, will she find the strength to fight for her own love story?
This book can be enjoyed as a standalone.
BUY LINK:
https://geni.us/B0CS71DFNLsocial
Title: The Girl in the Cottage by the SeaAuthor: Rebecca Alexander
Series: Cottage by their Sera #4
Publisher: Bookouture
Date of Publication: May 7, 2024
My Rating: 4 Stars
MY THOUGHTS:
Suffering from a broken heart, Amber needs a new beginning. She finds just that at Beehive Cottage, in a lovely village near the sea, and it is her family’s home. As much as Amber is happy to be back home, she is disconcerted by the fact that the cottage is falling apart. Not only will being there help Amber to deal with her recent breakup, it doesn’t take her long to find fulfillment in all of the renovation that the cottage will need to bring it back to its former glory.
As Amber gets to work she discovers some documents. These documents are quite old and they actually contain secrets from the decades that have passed. Amber is worried that learning about those family secrets will put a damper on the good feelings that she had being back at the cottage. This is a story of second chances and this heartwarming story by Rebecca Alexander was absolutely wonderful. I did not realize that this was the fourth book in a series, but the story did remarkably well as a standalone novel. I had no problem connecting to Amber and her journey, as well has she found the road to true love.
As we read Amber’s story there was so much to be gained, especially when it came to the real second chances that Amber had in her life. When you think of how the story began with Amber when she was coming from a place of vulnerability and pain, it was wonderful to see her find joy and fulfillment in life.
Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Rebecca Alexander was born in Malta and grew up on the south coast of England, becoming a psychologist. She escaped parenting six children to study writing in 2011, and the Secrets series of novels was published in 2013. A Baby’s Bones and sequel followed. Rebecca lives in a haunted 300-year-old cottage in Devon where she grows fruit, paints, and bakes. She reads and writes all sorts of genres, from women’s fiction to fantasy to crime. She is married with four chickens, two grandchildren and a cat. Author social media:
Twitter: www.twitter.com/rebalexander1
Email sign up: https://www.bookouture.com/rebecca-alexander/
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