#Review of this brilliant #FamilyDrama – Secrets of the Cottage by the Sea by Rebecca Alexander

COVID caused the delay of my review,
But now I'm here to share it with you!

This is a gorgeous dual timeline romance
So happy I read it now I've had the chance.
It shares the events during the war and now
And how they are linked with romance somehow.

A story filled with love and family, too,
A moving read I highly recommend to you.
Set on a remote Scilly Isle is where
Ellie learns of her past and finds people who care.

The inheritance of a cottage came as a surprise
But travelling to see it she comes to realise
That this is where she spent forgotten happy childhood days
And so many folk know her and her family ways.

There's plenty of family drama and history, too,
As events and characters are shared with you.
There's also mystery, danger and fun
All playing there part before the story is done.

A heartwarming, emotive read,
I really hope it is also a book that you need!
For my complementary copy of this book, I say thank you,
I throughly enjoyed reading it and this is my honest review.

Synopsis:

As Ellie stood on the boat, watching the small island come into view, she wondered what awaited her on shore. What secrets would she uncover in this place?

When Ellie Roberts inherits a cottage on a remote Scilly Isle, she’s shocked. She’s never heard of the previous owner, Patience Ellis, so why did she leave Ellie her legacy?

Overwhelmed with unanswered questions, Ellie travels to the isolated island. Windswept from the boat, salt spray still on her skin, she searches for Patience’s whitewashed cottage, hidden behind overgrown ivy. But when she steps inside, the house feels strangely familiar, and she has a memory of laughing as a child with her beloved mother in the window seat overlooking the sea… The mother she lost when she was only a child.

Determined to find out more, Ellie meets enigmatic local Branok Shore. While at first he seems uninterested, he believes he can help. Charmed by his green eyes, and curious about his past on the island, he and Ellie grow closer, but Ellie knows she needs to understand her own story before she can embrace the future. And when Branok prises open Patience’s dresser, filled with letters from the Second World War, Ellie discovers the shocking secret Patience was forced to hide – and the truth that will change her own life forever.

The letters tell the story of a brutal storm on a dark night in the depths of war, and of an injured soldier who begged Patience for help, and asked her to make an impossible choice…

But the letters don’t hold the answers Ellie so desperately needs. Why did Patience leave her home to her? And how can Ellie have memories of the cottage, when she’s never been there before? When Ellie finally uncovers the truth, will she be strong enough to put the fragments of her life back together?

An absolutely heartbreaking and unforgettable read, perfect for fans of gripping family dramas, and for those who enjoy the novels of Debbie Macomber, Fiona Valpy and Nancy Thayer.

Buy link: https://geni.us/B0B527SN3Qsocial

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/