The second book in The Island Cottage series, Memories of the Cottage by the Sea is an uplifting and emotional page-turner filled with family secrets.
Book Description
As she inhales the salty sea air, Charlotte glimpses the island on the horizon. Seeing it after all these years still sends a shiver down her spine. Should she be returning to this place?
When teacher Charlotte Kingston is sent to close a school on an isolated Scilly Isle, it is her first time on the island since summer holidays spent there with her grandparents. But with a newly broken heart, she’s desperate to travel as far from her life on the mainland as possible.
Not long after she arrives, two visiting children find themselves in need of a place to stay when their grandmother falls ill. When Charlotte agrees to take care of the boys, she suddenly has a reason to keep the school open a little longer. With a renewed sense of purpose, Charlotte begins to connect with the local islanders who tell her more about her family.
Intrigued, Charlotte decides to decode her grandmother’s old letters from the Second World War. They reveal a story of a forbidden love that defied the darkness of war, and of a beautiful, brave young man who would risk everything for his country, even if meant losing the woman he loved…
Just as Charlotte realises the secret will change her life forever, the children’s handsome, enigmatic stepfather, Ash, arrives to take care of them. But Charlotte doesn’t trust him – he left the boys once before, why wouldn’t he do it again? But as the tension grows between them, Charlotte feels an attraction developing, too. And although she can’t stop thinking about Ash, and his soft, full lips, she’s afraid to open her heart again.
But rereading her grandmother’s story, Charlotte realises there is courage and redemption among the pages. Is this a sign that everyone deserves a second chance, maybe even Ash? And, if she is brave enough to let him in, will she be able to put her fractured heart back together once and for all?
An absolutely beautiful, emotional and unforgettable read, perfect for fans of twisting family dramas, and for those who enjoy the novels of Debbie Macomber, Fiona Valpy and Nancy Thayer.
Buy link: https://geni.us/B0BH69CTQVsocial
My Review of Memories Of The Cottage By The Sea
After enjoying book 1 – Secrets of The Cottage By The Sea, I was keen to read the next one in the series and am happy to report that I wasn’t disappointed.
The story in present time, follows Charlotte who has come to the island for the first time after the death of her grandmother, to sort out things with the local school. In a dual timeline, the story is of her grandmother’s life during WWII.
As Charlotte tries her best to heal from heartache and do her duty by the school and her new wards, she reads the letters of her grandmother’s brave choices in love and life. Empowered by this, she makes her own decisions to be brave.
Another lovely story of loss, love, community by this author, that features strong women lead characters.
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.
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I received a copy of this from Bookouture via NetGalley for a review and participation in Books-On-Tour.