Meet Me at the Seaside Cottages

Mure #8

by Jenny Colgan

EVERYONE IS SEARCHING FOR THEIR PERFECT HOUSE.
BUT HOME IS REALLY WHERE THE HEART IS ...


Janey Carter has a lot to be grateful for - a home by the sea in Carso that she renovated herself, a job as an audiologist that she loves, two great kids, and a network of kind and supportive friends. But since her husband left, her confidence has taken a nosedive. And then, out of the blue, her grumpy 30-year-old daughter announces she's moving back home. Janey loves Essie dearly but they only just made it out alive from her adolescence. And this really is going to cramp her soon-to-be-rediscovered dating style.

Yes, Essie Carter is grumpy but she's just lost her job, she can't afford her rent in Edinburgh and her boyfriend isn't ready to commit. There's nothing for it but to admit defeat and hope the sea air soothes her soul. Life seems to be punching this millennial squarely in the face.

Living back under the same roof brings its challenges. But a combination of rescue dogs, pub quizzes and a surprise project doing up the unloved Seagate Cottages next door slowly brings mother and daughter closer together. Meanwhile, the steady stream of people coming past the house with fabric swatches and paint brings revelations for Essie, and offers Janey a surprise second chance at love as well.

If a house can be brought back to life, along with the community around it, then so can a heart ...

Your favourite authors love Jenny Colgan's
'An evocative, sweet treat' Jojo Moyes
'Gorgeous, glorious, uplifting' Marian Keyes
'Irresistible' Jill Mansell
'Just lovely' Katie Fforde

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Chick Lit, Contemporary, Scotland, Family, Audiobook

352 pages, Paperback

Published June 16, 2026

About the author

Jenny Colgan is the author of numerous bestselling novels, including 'The Little Shop of Happy Ever After' and 'Summer at the Little Beach Street Bakery', which are also published by Sphere.' Meet Me at the Cupcake Café' won the 2012 Melissa Nathan Award for Comedy Romance and was a Sunday Times Top Ten bestseller, as was 'Welcome to Rosie Hopkins' Sweetshop of Dreams', which won the RNA Romantic Novel of the Year Award 2013.

For more about Jenny, visit her website and her Facebook page, or follow her on Twitter.

Jenny Colgan has also been published under the name Jenny T. Colgan.

Reviews

[Emma.catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve read many Jenny Colgan books but it’s been a while. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I picked this one up; would her feel-good novels still capture my attention? I sometimes find that tastes change over time however, that was not the case here - I LOVED it 😍

So many authors do feel-good novels these days, but Jenny has her own particular trademark. She does them with a perfect balanced of witty humour and a good dose of gritty realness. Plus the addition of a uniquely charming rural Scottish setting that adds a ruggedness to the story.

Meet me at the seaside cottages was a very enjoyable, heartfelt story of mother and daughter as they try to overcome their rocky relationship whilst attempting to navigate their way in the world. They are both at a challenging turning point in their lives, but with a combination of (VERY ADORABLE) rescue dogs 🐶 pub quizzes, and a surprise project next door, mother and daughter are slowly brought closer together. Paint and puppies bring revelations for Essie, while Janey has her own second-chance romance in story 💕

Will living under the same roof reunite them one and for all?

Essie grew up in the beautiful and very remote village of Carso, Scotland, and couldn't wait to leave it behind when she left for university. Now, age 30, life in Edinburgh is exactly as she hoped - She has a great job in finance, a beautiful home, and the perfect boyfriend, that is until one day it all came crashing down…that perfect job isn't as stable as she once thought leaving Essie no choice but to go back home.

Essie arrives back home with attitude, snarky comments and bitterness. All of which her poor mother faces the brunt of. Janey has a lot to be grateful for - a home by the sea in Carso that she renovated herself, a job as an audiologist that she loves, two great kids, and a network of kind and supportive friends. But when her grumpy 30-year-old daughter arrives on her doorstep, life isn’t as plain sailing as she’d hoped.

Whilst in town, searching for a new job, Essie ends up involved in refurbishing the seaside cottages with Dwight - her older brother’s friend. As the cottages progress, Jenny also creates other memorable moments including rescuing a litter of puppies, the housing crisis and shortage of affordable homes for locals, and love interests for mother and daughter alike.

The plot was thick and fairly fast-paced, carrying the story well. I was surprised by how much it captivated my attention throughout the whole book. I appreciated that Jenny didn’t just stick to a linear path of growth between mother and daughter. She presented a realistic narrative that moved along in a satisfying yet testing manner. Watching their relationship mend and strengthen was beautiful and moving.

Furthermore, watching Essie and Janey grow as individuals was equally touching. Essie isn’t particularly likeable at the beginning. She hurtles into town stuck up and rude, criticising the small-town she came from. However, over the course of the story she comes to find the joy in a slower paced lifestyle. She becomes less interested in material things, slowly gravitating towards kindness and appreciation for those around her.

I found Janey’s character to be likeable throughout however, it was nice to see her become more understanding of Essie towards the end. I found a particular interest in her line of work as an audiologist at the hospital. It was fascinating to learn more about how different people are affected by deafness and the choices they make. It was excellent representation for the deaf community.

Overall, this was a thoroughly enjoyable read. If you’re looking for something fun but heartfelt, Jenny is the way to go. I appreciated all her little insights into worldly issues as much as I was entertained by the laugh out loud moments. I look forward to seeing more from JC in the future.

4 🌟🌟🌟🌟

[Kirsty · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice enough read. Found the daughter to be a complete adult brat which ruined it slightly

[Wendy(Wendyreadsbooks) Robey · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s been a while since I’ve read a Jenny Colgan story - I’ve a load on the shelves that I’ve read many times and loved. Meet Me At The Seaside Cottages was a lovely reintroduction to her writing.
Janey and Essie are great characters. Their relationship is a little strained since Essie’s teenage years, so it was interesting seeing them back together in their home village as they try to manoeuvre through their relationship as adults.
Jenny Colgan writes such warm-hearted stories and the village community shone through on every page as Essie tried to make sense of what home means.
Felicity and Verity were definitely favourites of mine and added a little fun to the story.

[Sonia Cristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awww but this was such a delightful listen. I adored this story. I loved the characters, all of them but, especially, the dogs🐶. The relationshop between mother and daughter, and their issues, touched me deeply. Also, it was good to see a romance emerging between two "older" people.
I loved this.🩷🩷🩷
And the cover is gorgeous.

As always, Eilidh Beaton did a magnific narration🩵.

[Sandy Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great read it throughly enjoyed it. It's a multi generational story of Janey and her 2 adult children Essie and Alasdair. Janey is a divorced audiologist who stayed with her husband for the sake of the children until Essie left for university. When they divorced Janey lost her confidence to date again. Essie, Janey's 30 year old daughter loses her job, is broke so reluctantly returns home to mums cottage in the Scottish highlands. Essie is brash and not particularly likeable to begin with. There are other themes in the book, other than the normal romance, the choices for the deaf community, the inability to find affordable houses to rent and the take over of holiday homes/ air bnb lets at the expense of local people and a ponzi scheme. Love interests for both mother and daughter in Lovett and his deaf daughter and Dwight. Throw in plenty of puppies make this funny and warm hearted. Plenty to love in this easy to read rom-com.

[Sue Thorpe · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.4⭐️'s

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

I will always pick up a new Jenny Colgan book. Years ago, I got hooked on her gentle stories of community. Things went sideways for a bit with her books, but she’s back to her origin. This makes me happy.

(If only there weren’t an insufferable character, that nearly made me put down this book. Unfortunately, this was NOT someone you loved to hate. )

[Michelle (MichelleBookAddict)]

(Note: I’ve got some catching up to do here but I just got Jenny’s new book from Netgalley!!! So excited!)

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

**review to come**

[Caitlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jenny Colgan writes feel-good fun books. This was no exception, but wasn’t really my favorite of hers. Essie loses her high paying finance job, in the city, and must move home with her mother, who she doesn’t get along with. When she gets home, she finds that the town she grew up in has quite a lot more to offer than she remembers, although she does so grudgingly. The setting was cute and the characters, I just felt bad about the way Essie treated her mom. The romance between Essie and Dwight was a bit too far fetched for me, I was not a huge fan of Dwight. AND I was shocked there was an open door sex scene that was a bit, woah. That is not typical for Jenny Colgan. I tended to like Janey and Lowell’s relationship more. The puppies were a cute addition.

[Agi · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Meet Me at the Seaside Cottage" didn't convince me as much as I hoped it to. I love Jenny Colgan's book, it's not a secret, so all the more the feeling of ... disappointment? It took me long to get into this story and I was really starting to feel very, very unsecure, what's happenning that I can't connect with this book? Help! Essie was not easy to like, until the end, maybe because I know such a person myself, a person that, instead of thinking for herself, lives with her old resentments, and Essie was like this.
And then I also thought, Essie got this really, really hot scene, but Janey not? Why not? Because she's older?

Jenny Colgan writes with such warmth and understanding, with great characters and community - feeling, but this time this didn't save the story for me, didn't grab me emotionally as much as the other stories.

[Emily West · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good book but I found it to be a bit slow at the beginning (and I just wanted to shake Essie) and then a bit rushed at the end. There were certain aspects of the book that I really enjoyed (the puppies were adorable) and others that were just ok. A good bit of escapism that has you dreaming of wide open beaches and a perfect Scottish day.

[Andrea · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF - I can’t continue, it’s far too boring. 1/3 in and there’s still no real story, it’s just droning on and on with mundane conversations and boring details. I can’t imagine it’ll improve enough for it to be worth reading.

I usually like Colgans books but this one is rough.

Thank you to NetGalley for an early copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

[Sajlimah Leal · Rating 2 out of 5]

girl what the HELL was that 😐😐

[Renee Delcourt · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh maaaaaan this is killing me to rate.

I love Jenny Colgan's books. Like I'm a fan fan. There is only one book of hers that has ever been rated under 4 stars and that book had a very similar issue to this book.

Essie is not a character that I liked. I'm a firm believer characters don't need to be likeable, but there needs to be something that helps the reader continue the book. I think Janey should have been that push through for readers but.... Let me explain.

Essie loses her job. Essie is incredibly self centered and self entitled. Her inner dialogue when she's discussing literally anything is materialistic, vapid, and she blames her mother for what feel like everything in her childhood. Mostly her parents divorcing and the subsequent upheaval of their lives. Which is fine ans great if Essie as a character was a teenager. All of this would make sense. However she is a full fledged adult. She's an adult that should be able to see her father's affair and his moving out, left her mother with no other recourse but to sell the house and so on and so on. I at one point got so annoyed with how she treats and speaks about her mom, I had to put the book down for daaaaays. I kept looking for real growth from Essie and honestly it feels begrudging in an uncomfortable sort of way.

I preferred Janey but a lot of the conversations with coworkers and friends were just meh for me. It feels slightly outdated and cringey. When reading Janey I often felt sad.

When it comes to Jenny Colgan's writing, usually that the highlight. The wit, the humor. This book tonally felt very flat compared to her other books. In the end what I was hoping for was fun, funny, and her vibey small towns, but I was left let down.

[Lisa (Two Bookish Brits) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a cute and fun read. Thank you to hodder and Jenny Colgan for the ARC copy via NetGalley.

This book follows Janey and her daughter Essie as they try to overcome their rocky relationship.

Essie grew up in a small town with her parents and brother with a goal of leaving the small town behind. Life in Edinburgh is exactly as she hoped, it’s beautiful and it’s perfect. She has a great home and the perfect boyfriend and what she thought was the perfect job until one day that job isn’t as stable as she once thought leaving Essie to go back home.

Janey loves her life and loves her job. Shes finally settled into a lovely home after the end of her marriage. The only thing niggling at her is her broken relationship with her daughter that she wishes she could fix.

When Essie arrived back home there’s attitude, snarky comments and bitterness but Janey pushes past all that and still continues to try.

I wasn’t a fan of the way Essie was treating Janey and pretty much everyone in the place she grew up. She seemed so stuck up at times it was irritating but other than that it was enjoyable.

Seeing Janey and Essie’s story move along the way it has, has been so lovely. Watching their relationship mend and their bond strengthen was beautiful.

Jenny Colgan brought us a lovely warm hearted read. It was a fun and meaningful read.

[Eve · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to Iole at Hodder for sending me a finished copy of the novel and allowing me to take part in the blog tour.

While this is another novel set in Carso, and it mentions some of the characters in Summer Skies and Close Knit, this novel is a stand-alone that can be enjoyed as that. This book contains humour, wit, and another perfect set of characters in another close-knit community, which all make me jealous that I don't live in a place like Carso. These are all the things I love about Colgan's books.

At its heart are two romances, one about a divorced woman that has maybe given up on love after heartbreak, and the other about a woman that is struggling financially after losing her job and having to retreat back home, but both ultimately finding love where they least expect it. It's also about how appearances can be deceiving. Add in some unusual but cute puppies, a main character with an interesting job as an audiologist, a project to renovate some tired and run-down cottages, and problems with money investments, and you're off to a winner here. This is my third read of Colgan’s novels, and I know she's now an autobuy author for me. I can’t wait to check out her extensive back catalogue.

[Tana Hardy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I haven't read a Jenny Colgan book before this one even though I had heard good reviews. I was intrigued that this book takes place in Scotland. It didn't take long before I was hooked on the plot. I was dying to know what happened to the characters. The writing was great and I can't wait to read more by her.

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely story that makes the very north of Scotland, feel like an appealing place to live. Lots of tension between mother and daughter which is unusual for this author but didn’t detract from the overall enjoyment. Great characters, lovely scenery, gripping story and puppies!

[Janey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this book as I have loved all her other books. Oh to live in a seaside cottage in Carso. You fall in love with every single character you meet and it’s perfect to lose yourself in and escape for a while. Cosy and heartwarming.

[Niki · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,50 ✨️

[Katariina · Rating 4 out of 5]

good

[Kelsey Loves Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

My ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I loved the Mure books but this was a slog.

[Kate K. · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 out of 5 ⭐️

Jenny Colgan does it again! I really loved the multi-generational aspect of this novel! This series makes me want to move to Scotland so badly! Definitely glad i read Close Knit recently so I could remember a few of the characters in town. Definitely recommend this series.

[Marloes · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

trevlig, bra feelgood. Med en bra miljö.

[Elizabeth Currie · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is something comforting about picking up a book by Jenny Colgan, and you know it will put a smile on your face - and this is no exception.

Made redundant from her job in finance, Essie is forced to leave her seemingly perfect life in Edinburgh and return home to Carso, a small town in the far north east of Scotland and one she couldn’t wait to leave Relations with her mother Janey are somewhat strained since her parent’s divorce so living together in a tiny cottage proves challenging - but Essie begins to realise there are some benefits to small-town living, and she and her mother start to rebuild their relationship.

With a happy ending guaranteed, it is an entertaining journey to get there with cottage renovations, love interests for mother and daughter - and puppies. And it did make me chuckle to see St Andrews, the town where I grew up, called the “swot capital of the world”.

There is also an interesting sub-plot as we learn more about Janey’s job as an audiologist - and Colgan highlights the issue of locals being priced out of the housing market by incomers and short-term rentals. There’s a little more spice than you might expect from Colgan but overall it is a heartwarming story about community and finding happiness where you least expect it, and a perfect feel-good summer read.

[Bookworman · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you, NetGalley and William Morrow for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I found this story to be quite gloomy and didn't really like or care about any of the characters. About halfway through I started skimming. Colgan's usual snarky dialogue kind of fell flat for me and, overall, the whole book felt really bleak. I kept waiting for the story to get better. I mean, I initially didn't like Flora ("The Cafe by the Sea") or Carmen ("The Christmas Bookshop") but, by a third of the way through their stories, I really started liking them and rooting for them. Not so much for Janey and Essie or anyone else in the cast of characters.

Jenny Colgan is one of my favorite authors and I perennially return to Mure, Kirrinfief, Carso, and Mount Polbearne. to immerse myself in satisfying, romance, and very entertaining stories filled with wonderful characters and delightfully snarky dialogue. However, I don't feel that way about all of her books and, unfortunately, this is one of them.

[Alayne Emmett · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always look forward to reading a new Jenny Colgan book and this one was up there with her others. She never disappoints and this mentions characters that have appeared in her previous books. Loved this one.

[Toni · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book! I don’t know how Jenny Colgan continues to top herself with every book she writes!

I just finished so I’ll have to organize my thoughts but there are fantastic characters and six puppies!!!





Pubs May of 2026!