Blog Tour – A Cottage Full of Secrets by Jane Lovering

I make no secret of the fact that Jane Lovering is one of my favourite authors. I have read all her books and loved each one. I blogged my reviews for many of these, and you can click to read my thoughts on a couple of them; A Midwinter Match A Seagull Summer So, when I was invited onto this Blog Tour, my answer was immediate and I am very grateful to Rachel’s Random Resources and Boldwood Books for my digital ARC, gifted in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts are below.

Synopsis

Cottage Two, Bracken Ridge Farm sits at the end of a pitted track, with the glorious Yorkshire moors stretching behind it.

Just a simple two up, two down, the cottage holds the promise of a new start for two very different women, but it is also full of secrets.

Fifty years ago, newly-wed Stella is relishing making the little cottage a happy home. But for all the lovingly handmade curtains, and the hot dinners ready on the table for her husband, Stella’s dreams of married life jar painfully with the truth.

Fifty years later, the cottage is a new beginning for Tamzin. Determined to get away from her previous life, she makes the move to the wild and vast Yorkshire countryside.

When Tamzin finds a sepia photo of a woman, Stella, standing in the cottage’s garden, there’s a sadness in her eyes that Tamzin recognises. As the cottage reveals more of its secrets, Tamzin is desperate to find out whether Stella got her happy ending. And as she gradually makes new friends, and starts to win over her mysterious neighbour Euan, Tamzin dares to dream about her own happy ending too…

Escape the rat race with this heart-warming, page-turning new novel from Jane Lovering. Perfect for fans of Julie Houston, Beth O’Leary and Kate Forster

Purchase Link

Review

There are many things which attract me to Jane Lovering’s style of writing, but I think the atmosphere that she creates is what draws me in, more than anything. That was certainly true as I entered Tamzin’s world. Escaping the fallout of a difficult relationship with her controlling ex, she arrives at her new cottage alone except for her fox, Brack. The cottage has been bought with money left to her by her grandmother. Money that her ex had designs on, but never managed to get hold of. Discovering an old photo, Tamzin becomes determined to find out more about the woman in the picture, a woman with whom she feels a kinship, a shared history.

Tamzin is a wonderful character, she was equal parts damaged and yet determined. It was a joy to see her slowly rediscover her strength and identity. Whilst it would be easy to have her fall in love and live happily ever after, Jane Lovering makes her characters earn their joy. I loved the dual storyline as we saw glimpses of the life Stella lived, and the treatment that she endured from her husband.

Jill and Euan are the perfect friends for Tamzin’s new life. Euan has issues of his own, which have led to him leading a reclusive life, whilst Jill has confidence enough for all of them. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing how their personalities led to a strengthening for Tamzin.

The appearance of Katie, who understands better than anyone what Tamzin has been through, brings an interesting aspect to the story and I was intrigued to discover how this would pan out. It certainly led to some deep introspection for them both.

Another wonderful aspect of Jane Lovering’s writing is her ability to describe the surrounding areas in a detail that fires my imagination. The two cottages, situated on the old farm site, were easy to envisage. I could almost hear the wildlife and feel the wind over the moors.

This is another wonderful book, written with warmth and understanding for a difficult subject. I simply loved it.

Author Bio

Jane Lovering is the bestselling and award-winning romantic comedy writer who
won the RNA Novel of the Year Award in 2012 with Please Don’t Stop the Music. She
lives in Yorkshire and has a cat and a bonkers terrier, as well as five children who have
now left home. Her first title for Boldwood was published in September 2020.