The Hotel at the Heart of the Lakes

by Ellie Wood

Sometimes a holiday can change your life…Welcome to the Lake Island Hotel, on a small island in the centre of beautiful Derwentwater, offering an escape from it all like no other destination. With a 360-degree view of the hills, and the water lapping at your feet on the private shore, you can’t help but be enchanted.

Anna bought the hotel with her husband five years ago, and has lovingly transformed it from a near-ruin to a must-visit luxury destination, with its seven stylish rooms and a sister restaurant to the renowned Hesta.

The guests who come here to unwind see only the stunning views and the five-star service – but behind the scenes are the team who work hard to make relaxing seem easy. On an island this small, it’s inevitable that tempers will fray, hearts will break, romances will bloom – and above all, if you think you’ve got a secret, it won’t stay that way for long…

336 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 27, 2025

Reviews

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

When you think The Restaurant at the Heart of The Lakes couldn't be topped this one only goes and does it. The return of one of my favourite book characters Anna is enough to get me thrown in. She's been through personal heartbreak since the last read and I love how she is starting to see life without the loss.

Throw in a mega film star Gaia the diva or is she deep down? She holds a secret of being plain Grace. Far from plain whichever personality she is using. Gaia and Grace become human in the heart of the lakes. I love hearing of her past with Harry and how the characters connect.

Rachel and Miles are also brilliant characters. Now Gaia and Anna hold places in my heart. This one kept me guessing until the end with the former flame or fiancé of Gaia she is better off without him.

Ellie Wood is a go to author for me and she keeps getting better every single time. I cannot wait for the next one.

[Lynne Aubrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

A 2.75⭐ stars for this one so I rounded it up.
Predominantly set in the beautiful Lake District this book is made up of several characters all with their own different stories that come together.
A few life lessons are learnt along the way.
All in all a decent book but no wow factor.

[Emily Watkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Her best one yet... I adored The Hotel at the Heart of the Lakes. Ellie's books are like a warm hug with an idyllic lakeland back drop.

[Julie Brookes]

This was a lovely story, the descriptions of the area and people were very well written, it sounds like a calming area and everyone is made welcome, this is the first for me by this author and I will have a look for other books by her.

[Bzz Kolla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and HarperNorth for this eCopy to review

When I picked up The Hotel at the Heart of the Lakes, I was immediately enchanted by the premise—a secluded hotel on a small island in the middle of Derwentwater, surrounded by the breath taking beauty of the Lake District. Ellie Wood’s writing transported me to this idyllic yet drama-filled setting, where the lives of the hotel staff and guests intertwine in unexpected and heart warming ways.

The story revolves around Anna, who, along with her husband, has transformed the Lake Island Hotel from a crumbling ruin into a luxurious retreat. The hotel boasts stunning views, a private shore, and a reputation for five-star service. But behind the scenes, life is far from perfect. The small, close-knit team faces challenges ranging from frayed tempers to unspoken secrets, and as the story unfolds, romances bloom, hearts break, and long-hidden truths come to light.

What I loved most about this book was its sense of place. Wood’s descriptions of the Lake District are vivid and evocative, making me feel as though I were right there, breathing in the fresh air and gazing at the serene waters. The characters are well-drawn, each with their own quirks and struggles, and I found myself rooting for them as they navigated their personal and professional lives.

With just the right balance of drama, humour, and heartfelt moments, the charming of the setting and the warmth of the characters makes for a cosy, feel-good story with a touch of romance and plenty of heart,.

A perfect escape into the beauty of the Lake District

[Bethany · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Ellie's books. The Wildwater Women will always have a special place in my heart, but Ellie's last two books have been just as wonderful. And I've loved that they're chunkier so I get to spend more time in the world.

This time we meet Anna and her hotel crew. Their steady hotel life is thrown of course when entitled and bossy Gaia, a Hollywood superstar, and her famous boyfriend, want to come and stay at the hotel. Alongside her overworked personal assistant Rachel, and her not too impressed by the situation boyfriend.

Everyone is in for a life lesson in this book. This is what I love about Ellie's books the most. They're primarily character development based with the beautiful Lake District as its back drop. Each character has their ups and downs, but this book teaches it's not all about rainbows and happy endings. It's about growing through what we go through. Kindness. Finding the bigger picture. Finding ourselves. It's about trying. No one magically becomes a better person or magically fixes a situation, but they can try! It's about looking for glimmers in the storms even when, sometimes, it feels like one step forward and two steps back.

And the Lake District as it's setting? Perfect. You can tell Ellie knows this area like the back of her hand. I recognised a lot of places too. I just LOVE reading a book in an area I know, and you can't go wrong with the Lakes!

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 A favourite read of the year! (As I fully expected!)

[Sarah Hills · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a delightful book that with the Authors evocative descriptions will whisk you off to the lake district. I could even smell the fresh air all the way from here in South London!
An interesting story about a PA to a very famous actress as well as all the staff at the hotel in the Lakes where she stays and their various relationships.
It was interesting see their characters evolve as the book wound out and I felt a great deal of satisfaction for some of our characters by the end of the book.
A great bit of escapism.

[Cheryl Briggs · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was ok but one of those stories you instantly forget about as soon as you've finished.
A spoilt brat changing her ways after not a lot happening to her - slightly far-fetched. You can't just change your personality overnight!
Setting the book in the Lake District has made me want to visit the area again though, this helped to get through it.
Read it if you find it in a charity shop but don't pay full price for it.

[Jan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book follows on from previous novels but it stands alone. The hotel in the beautiful Lakes District is owned by chef Anna and managed by her step-daughter Katrine.
When a famous person Gaia makes a booking chaos ensues, and the different points of view include her very stressed PA Rachel.
I thought the rather fast change in one character towards the end wasn't entirely realistic but overall, it was a fun light read.

[Rebecca Palmer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gaia, a huge movie star takes a holiday in the Lake District and sends the staff crazy with her demanding ways but it turns out she isn't so bad.

A quick, easy read that held my attention throughout but really felt let down with a very rushed ending.

A little bit twee with not a great deal of character development but the Lake District itself was another character and who can't love it there?

[Joanna Conte · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is Ellie Wood’s third book. The stories are excellent and they transport you to the loveliest place on earth, in my opinion, The Lake District town of Grasmere home of Wordsworth and Beatrix Potter.

[Mel Garraghan-Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

A 5 star setting.

As a regular visitor to Keswick, the setting of this book, it felt so familiar as I could truly picture the scenes. Always my happy place & the place I call my second home. Some familiar characters in this novel as well as some dislikeable new ones.

[Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

An easy enjoyable read
Lovely setting and the writing conjures up a beautiful image of peace and tranquility
Good story line with interesting characters
For me, I missed a big ending it just seemed to trickle to an end

[christine verrall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Didn't seem to flow.

Thought I was going to love this book but I didn't. Something seemed to be missing, making it a bit disjointed. I was disappointed. I loved her other work.

[Lauren Dodds · Rating 2 out of 5]

This had potential. Great setting and a great storyline, particularly Gaia and her parents. However the writing style and changing point of view and telling multiple characters stories at once made it both confusing, and so that the book wasn't progressing. Nonetheless I'd say this is still worth a read.

[Zoe Radley · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent story, one that you can tell the author adores the Lake District and who doesn’t love a romance set there. The niggles I had with it though were some of the plot points and some of the characters. It was good just didn’t really hit it off with me.

[Lydia · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

[Charlotte · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another good read from Ellie. Plot twists that I just did not see coming. An enjoyable read. Can’t wait for her next book.