The Cottage in the Clouds

by Caroline Young

When Elin Pugh’s life in London crumbles, she returns to the Welsh mountains of her childhood to care for Anwen Jones, the enigmatic artist who once filled her young heart with dreams of creativity and freedom.

Anwen lives alone in a ramshackle cottage high in the hills, surrounded by cats and decades of dust-covered paintings. Fiercely independent and famously difficult, she’s spent years driving away visitors with her sharp tongue and signs warning trespassers to ‘Go Away’. But as Elin settles into life in the shadow of the mountains, she discovers that beneath Anwen’s prickly exterior lies a woman with an extraordinary story to tell.

Helping the ailing artist catalogue a lifetime of work, Elin begins to uncover long-buried secrets about her own past that her mother has kept hidden for over thirty years. Soon she discovers that her journey home was about more than escaping – it was about finding out who she really is, rediscovering the life-changing joy of creativity and learning where she truly belongs.

A sweeping story of love, loss and the wonder of the natural world, The Cottage in the Clouds explores how creativity and unexpected bonds can help us to heal and find our way back to ourselves.

286 pages, Paperback

Published January 20, 2026

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads data base.
Caroline Young read English at Cambridge University and taught English in Greece and the UK before joining Usborne as a writer and editor. She has written books about a huge variety of subjects, for all ages, and believes it's one of the best jobs in the world. Caroline lives and works on Anglesey in North Wales.

Reviews

[Ferne (Enthusiastic Reader) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elin Pugh's life in London has become anything but fulfilling. She grew up on a sheep farm in the mountains of North Wales, where her happiest memories were visiting an artist's cottage with her father.

Anwen Jones came to her father's funeral and, before leaving, privately said,

"I'll be waiting for you, Elin, when the time is right."

What did the artist mean by that? Elin hadn't seen or spoken to Anwen since before she left Wales for art school.

There are other memories, too, and more sleepless nights. Maybe now that she's remembered Anwen's message, this is the time to return to Wales. Maybe a visit could offer some clarity about the past—and what the future might hold.

I've never been to Eryri (formerly Snowdonia), but through the author's sensory writing, I was immersed in the stark contrasts: Tooting, a district in London, versus the small village of Llanberis; travel by train, car, and bus through shifting landscapes; the character's experiences in youth and adulthood. The wide range of emotions resonated deeply—decisions that seemed so right at the time but in hindsight felt so different.

Throughout the narrative, there are quotes by George Eliot. I would share my favorites, but I believe each reader should enjoy them as they are placed most thoughtfully and purposefully in the storyline. I think the quotes that become favorites of each reader will be uniquely meaningful, just as each book impacts a reader in its own way. When a reader sees that another is reading the story, the joy is shared, but the meaning behind the pleasure can be entirely different, yet magical all the same.

I appreciated the format with Welsh words in italics, followed immediately by English translations after a slash.

This is a story that stays with you long after the final page is turned.

Thank you to Caroline Young, Storm Publishing, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an eARC of this novel.

[Cindy Spear · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have really enjoyed Caroline Young’s novels. There is something very special about them. And this one really captured my heart—and I read it on my birthday! I could relate to the pull of roots you can feel toward one’s homeland. Especially one reflecting the wonders of the natural world. The beauty of mountains and sea have more than once led me down some creative paths. As Anwen, Elin and Dylan discovered, they each have their own song you can hear when you stand in their presence. And there is nothing more grounding and inspiring, because nature connects us to the bigger picture.

The title, The Cottage in the Clouds, sounds poetic and certainly reflects the eloquent language, stunning descriptions, atmospheric setting and artistic characters (writer, artist, singer/songwriter) that round out this gorgeous tale. I loved how the author interjected often appropriate lines by George Eliot to support Elin’s thoughts during various movements within the storyline. The Victorian England novelist George Eliot (penname of Mary Ann Evans) is known for her complex character studies and psychological insight which suits The Cottage in the Clouds to a tee! As we are given characters of profound depth that think and act in ways not necessarily expected or easily explained. Elin is lost and trying to find her way, exploring many threads of her life. She heads back to the Welsh mountains to see Anwen who is an enigma and not easily understood, hoping for answers. George Eliot’s words are so right for this story, starting with the opening passage “there is a great deal of unmapped country within us.’ How mysterious and true! This story takes us on a journey of self- discovery. Mostly Elin (but others) need to find out what is most important to live a whole, satisfied life.

Elin is called back to her wild roots in the Welsh mountains. There is something within her that seeks understanding, direction and to find that missing piece of the puzzle that will help her feel complete. There is a void to fill before she can move forward. She has many obstacles to overcome, including feelings of distrust. She’s had a few disappointments in relationships: romantically and also in family members. So she goes back to the beginning to her childhood friend where she spent many hours learning about art and her surroundings. Her late father was part of those pictures in her mind of some happy times spent with Anwen, their friend. What does it all mean? For the most part, he was not a happy man either. He lost his teenage brother in a tragic accident and was forced to take on a farm he did not want. Elin’s mother also was unhappy and lived a forced life there. Not a great environment for fostering confidence in a child. Making her time with Anwen, the artist, even more important for this woman was an inspiration. It was there Elin ‘sought solace in drawing and painting…trying to make sense of her world on paper or on canvas.’ Reading literature also fuelled her heart. Particularly George Eliot’s strong heroines who ‘yearned for more than marriage’.

Upon Elin’s return to Wales, she bumps into a musician-singer named Dylan who also comes home after he feels the call to re-explore his roots, too, and to spend time with his sister. They have an immediate connection and appear to be kindred spirits. They share some moving moments on the mountain. But progress is slow for them as they each must learn to trust again. Their journey, though, apart and together is beautifully rendered. I loved Dylan’s gentle nature and his unfailing support for his sister and for Elin. Their quiet romance unfolds cautiously but naturally between them.

I am so glad I read The Cottage in the Clouds. Though there are sad moments, this was such an uplifting story for in the end Elin finds what she was looking for and receives even more than she dreamed. This heartfelt, honest, tender and triumphant novel will stay with me forever. 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to Storm Publishing and Netgalley for the review copy.

[Roroblu'sMum · Rating 4 out of 5]

4* Absolutely not what I expected and not my cup of tea, but a tale with warmth, sadness, friendships and learning to trust and love - the latter, slightly not-quite-believably...

I think I expected a cosy mystery based on the blurb, but instead I got a tale of secrets and silences; of love that got lost because of secrets; of love that endured despite one party's selfishness/ambition; of learning to open up to others and leave past hurts in the past where they belonged; and of loyalty and doing the right thing. And all of this was interspersed with a little Welsh goodness, decency and magic, and the magic of the mountains, as it turned out.

It wasn't at all a book I'd have picked up had I known the storyline but there was something honest and healing about it, and it felt non-surreal, and believable. The only bit I didn't believe in was the supposed love between Elin and Dylan, because after meeting him and having a supposed magical connection, she went off and basically became a fund manager's mistress. Not a lover or girlfriend, but a mistress by what was described. Not my idea of a 'full-on relationship', as Elin described it later on, and not my idea of romance. That guy didn't need to be part of the story and tbh, didn't really deserve to be ghosted, despite his me, me, me-ness, because Elin had silently agreed to his terms and conditions by not disagreeing to the presents, and not voicing any objections. She wasn't likeable, I didn't feel, but she did have a sense of duty at the right time and did do the right thing by someone who it turned out, hadn't done the right thing by her. A bit farfetched, perhaps, but still, a good read.

ARC courtesy of NetGalley and Storm Publishing for my reading pleasure.

[Leanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Cottage in the Clouds is one of those novels that wraps around you like a warm shawl — gentle, atmospheric, and full of emotional truth. From the moment Elin returns to the Welsh mountains, the story settles into a beautifully reflective rhythm, blending landscape, memory, and creativity in a way that feels both soothing and deeply moving.

Elin is a wonderfully relatable protagonist: bruised by life, unsure of her next step, and quietly yearning for something she can’t quite name. Her return home feels like a reckoning, but also a homecoming she didn’t know she needed. And then there’s Anwen — prickly, sharp‑tongued, and utterly captivating. Watching the walls between them slowly soften is one of the book’s greatest pleasures.

The cottage itself is a character too: dusty canvases, roaming cats, and the wild beauty of the mountains pressing in from every side. There’s a sense of magic in the everyday — in the act of cataloguing art, in shared silences, in the way creativity begins to stir again inside Elin.

As secrets from the past come to light, the story deepens into something tender and resonant. It’s about mothers and daughters, the weight of unspoken truths, and the quiet courage it takes to rebuild a life. The themes of healing and rediscovery are handled with such warmth that you can’t help feeling uplifted by the end.

A beautifully written, soul‑nourishing novel that celebrates art, nature, and the unexpected connections that help us find our way back to ourselves.

With thanks to Caroline Young, the publisher and netgalley for the ARC

[Brea · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first novel by Caroline Young, and it absolutely won’t be my last. The Cottage in the Clouds is a quietly beautiful, emotionally layered story that unfolds with patience and care, anchored by prose that is both gentle and deeply affecting. Elin begins the novel weighed down by dissatisfaction, grief, and a fractured relationship with her mother, living a constricted life in London that never quite fits. When she returns to Wales, the writing leans heavily into reflection—memory, landscape, and long-buried truths slowly rising to the surface. Young excels at atmosphere and character work, particularly in the evolving relationship between Elin and the reclusive, sharp-edged artist Anwen Jones, whose reluctant connection becomes one of the book’s emotional anchors. The story takes its time, gradually unraveling decades of secrets and emotional wounds, but that deliberate pacing suits the novel’s themes of healing and self-reckoning. Tender and tough in equal measure, this is a thoughtful, immersive read that lingers long after the final page. Thank you to NetGalley, Caroline Young, and Storm Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this advance copy

[Lori Peterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Received as an ARC through Netgalley to review, this is an honest review.

Thanks to Storm Publishing for the pre- approval access to read this book.

Author Caroline Young has written a beautiful, emotional reflective journey within The Cottage in the Clouds that's vividly painted like one of a Anwen Jones's paintings. Elin Pugh's personal and professional lives are falling around her; struggling to give a damn as a copy writer on London and complicated relationship with her mother as the family moves behind the death of a husband and father. The only real bright spot in Elin's childhood was artist Anwen Jones, would believed in the girl's talent during Elin's visists to the woman's isolated cottage. Throwing all caution to the wind, Elin comes back to rediscover the bond she had with Anwen; finding a different and difficult person but still seeing the talented woman behind a lonely existence. Together both women will discover their stories, legacies and profound secrets that define the path that lays ahead for both of them; all breathtaking set against the wild, untamed beauty of the Welsh country.


Highly recommended.

[Sue Sykes · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a lovely read, this is the story of Elin and how unhappy she is with most things in her life. Elin works in London and lives in a small flat, she has friends but she loves the land of her birth Wales. Elin hasn't been home since her father passed away and has a chilly relationship with her mother. Elin starts to remember things about her home and of a lady called Anwen Jones and suddenly feels such a draw to her that she goes home to visit her. Anwen is a semi recluse and a very well know artist and has a lovely sign on her gate saying Artist at work - Go away !
Little does Elin know the visit will change her life forever.
My thanks as always to NetGalley and to Publishers Storm Publishing for the opportunity of the early read 📚

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a lovely book about Anwen and Elin--two women so very different but also alike. Elin is a writer when her mother calls to tell her she's marrying a man named George and she remembers her own father who took her to meet Anwen--an artist who lived high on the hill. She also remembers her dad's brother who died in those mountains and she tells her boss she needs to leave for awhile so she goes to the "cottage in th clouds" and meets the enigmatic Anwen. That's all you need! It's a beautiful--often heartwarming--tale about women, love, kinship, and hope!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

[Libby Reidy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A heartwarming story set in Wales . Beginning with Elin, who is dissatisfied with her life in London, returns to her childhood home in Northern Wales. She reconnects with an older woman, Anwen, whom she fondly remembers from her childhood. Family secrets will be revealed and her rekindled friendship with Anwen had me crying throughout the book. The scenery is beautiful; having been to Wales, I now want to return! Some readers will have trouble with the book, keep reading and you will be rewarded with a wonderful story. The only reason for my 4 star rating is that I had trouble with the Welsh/English translation sometimes.

[Patricia Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an absolutely lovely book from Caroline Young. The first I've read from this author. The story was very touching if a little predictable. However the descriptions of the beautiful scenery of North Wales where I spent a lot of my childhood were second to none. I did get slightly frustrated with the never ending Welsh/English translations and the George Eliot quotations but every author is allowed their little foibles. Overall a very pleasant and enjoyable read.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy. All opinions are my own.

[Kayla Groening · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was not for me. I stopped reading it about a third of the way through.

The story was too slow to unfold, and I became impatient and bored. I ended up skipping to the end to see if my predictions were correct.

I couldn't relate to the characters. I grew frustrated with Elin's constant whinging (quit your job and move; forget the fool who "ruined" your life and buck up; confront your mom and your mentor and get the answers you need already).

I wouldnt recommend this one.

[Sharon Brewer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Net Galley and Storm Publishing for the chance to read and review this book. All opinions are my own.
Elin Pugh is a young lady who lives in London. When she is down on her luck, she decides to head to the Welsh Mountains to take care of Anwen Jones, a childhood friend. While she is there, she discovers a lot about herself and her family. I enjoyed this book. The characters were very well-developed and the liked the setting.

[Barbara Lack · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elon was very bitter about the way her life was when the book starts. By going back to where she was raised as a small child she slowly starts a journey of discovery and healing. There is a lot of reflection of the past. There are lots of secrets. This book slowly unravels three decades of secrets. It’s a beautiful story that slowly unwinds to an equally beautiful conclusion.

[Sandy memybooksandI · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I expected more out of this book. Ultimately, the story, which is a beautiful story, takes too long to unfold. The reader is left waiting from almost page 1 a secret that will only arrive at the very end.

Too much writing, overthinking and postponing leaving us waiting for things to be said.
One line to summarize this book:
« Unsaid words waited to be spoken »
2,5/5

[Annette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elin isn’t happy with her life and decides to head to the Welsh mountains.
This felt like an emotional saga. Anwen wasn’t a warm fuzzy feeling person. I thought Elin seemed a little lost.
I still was sucked into the story and wanted to see what happened.