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A Cottage Full of Secrets
Cottage Two, Bracken Ridge Farm sits at the end of a pitted track, with the glorious Yorkshire moors stretching behind it. Just a simple two up, two down, the cottage holds the promise of a new start for two very different women, but it is also full of secrets. Fifty years ago, newly-wed Stella is relishing making the little cottage a happy home. But for all the lovingly handmade curtains, and the hot dinners ready on the table for her husband, Stella’s dreams of married life jar painfully with the truth. Fifty years later, the cottage is a new beginning for Tamzin. Determined to get away from her previous life, she makes the move to the wild and vast Yorkshire countryside. When Tamzin finds a sepia photo of a woman, Stella, standing in the cottage’s garden, there’s a sadness in her eyes that Tamzin recognises. As the cottage reveals more of its secrets, Tamzin is desperate to find out whether Stella got her happy ending. And as she gradually makes new friends, and starts to win over her mysterious neighbour Euan, Tamzin dares to dream about her own happy ending too…
258 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 15, 2022
656 people are currently reading
551 people want to read
About the author
Jane Lovering
51 books227 followersJane Lovering was born in Devon, England but, following extradition procedures, now lives in Yorkshire. She has five children, four cats, two dogs and doesn't believe in housework so the bacteria and dust are approaching sentience and now rank among the pets. Incidentally, she doesn’t believe in ironing either, and the children all learned self-defensive cookery at early ages. She works in a local school and also teaches creative writing, which are extreme ways of avoiding the washing up.
Published since 2008, she writes romantic comedies which are often described as ‘quirky’. One day she's going to find out what that means. Jane is a member of the Romantic Novelists' Association and has a first class honours degree in creative writing. In 2012, her novel Please Don't Stop the Music won the Romantic Novel of the Year Award by the RNA.
Published since 2008, she writes romantic comedies which are often described as ‘quirky’. One day she's going to find out what that means. Jane is a member of the Romantic Novelists' Association and has a first class honours degree in creative writing. In 2012, her novel Please Don't Stop the Music won the Romantic Novel of the Year Award by the RNA.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 136 reviews
September 8, 2025
Three and a half stars,
This story concerns two women.
There is Stella her story starts in 1973. She has married young and thought she would have a great life with Andy. But that is far from the reality as we see when her story is worked out and told going back from 1973 to 1971,
Fifty years later Tamzin, after a new start. moves to a cottage in Yorkshire which she buys sight unseen. She moves into one of two cottages on the Bracken Ridge Farm. The cottage and surroundings are not quite what she expected but she is determined to do it up and put her own stamp on the place. She moves in with Brack the three-legged fox 🦊 she rescued as a kit from dogs that had attacked. Tamzin has become very attached to her little red companion.
There is another cottage on the Farm with a sign on the door saying, ‘No Callers.’ She has seen a man there and is hesitant to intrude but she needs to find the stopcock for her cottage and wonders if he will have any ideas. He is less than friendly.
While doing the renovations Tamzin comes across a photograph of a young woman. She is curious about her. She also finds other photos, but the woman’s smile looks forced not real. Tamzin wants to think the young woman found a happy ending in the cottages. But she has her doubts.
Tamzin eventually gets to know her grumpy, taciturn neighbour Euan. Both Tamzin and Euan have pasts and issues that make them wary of trusting others
Readers who have been victims of domestic violence and abuse need to know they feature in this novel. Thankfully some aspects are not as explicit as they could have been. I have never been subjected to such behaviour but I still found it hard to read, so anyone who has been a victim needs to be warned.
Tamzin and Euan are both interesting characters and I loved the handywoman Jill who has known Euan since they were young.
I wasn’t a fan of the way Stella’s story unfolded backwards.
Sometimes too in trying to lighten the mood it felt the author was trying a bit too hard and a few lines sounded forced and a bit silly. But overall, this was an interesting read if not quite as light and feel good as I anticipated. I am sure though a lot of people will really like it,
This story concerns two women.
There is Stella her story starts in 1973. She has married young and thought she would have a great life with Andy. But that is far from the reality as we see when her story is worked out and told going back from 1973 to 1971,
Fifty years later Tamzin, after a new start. moves to a cottage in Yorkshire which she buys sight unseen. She moves into one of two cottages on the Bracken Ridge Farm. The cottage and surroundings are not quite what she expected but she is determined to do it up and put her own stamp on the place. She moves in with Brack the three-legged fox 🦊 she rescued as a kit from dogs that had attacked. Tamzin has become very attached to her little red companion.
There is another cottage on the Farm with a sign on the door saying, ‘No Callers.’ She has seen a man there and is hesitant to intrude but she needs to find the stopcock for her cottage and wonders if he will have any ideas. He is less than friendly.
While doing the renovations Tamzin comes across a photograph of a young woman. She is curious about her. She also finds other photos, but the woman’s smile looks forced not real. Tamzin wants to think the young woman found a happy ending in the cottages. But she has her doubts.
Tamzin eventually gets to know her grumpy, taciturn neighbour Euan. Both Tamzin and Euan have pasts and issues that make them wary of trusting others
Readers who have been victims of domestic violence and abuse need to know they feature in this novel. Thankfully some aspects are not as explicit as they could have been. I have never been subjected to such behaviour but I still found it hard to read, so anyone who has been a victim needs to be warned.
Tamzin and Euan are both interesting characters and I loved the handywoman Jill who has known Euan since they were young.
I wasn’t a fan of the way Stella’s story unfolded backwards.
Sometimes too in trying to lighten the mood it felt the author was trying a bit too hard and a few lines sounded forced and a bit silly. But overall, this was an interesting read if not quite as light and feel good as I anticipated. I am sure though a lot of people will really like it,
January 3, 2022
This book has many layers, as we peel them back we reveal them.
A young woman in a bad relationship knows it's time to leave for her own sanity.
Moving to the wild and vast Yorkshire countryside is a dream come true for Tamzin she has a lovely little cottage there and her rescue fox who she's nurtured since he was a kit.
As the layers become more exposed we find another woman has lived in this cottage fifty years ago with the same hopes and dreams, she's newly married makes dinner for her husband and sews curtains for the kitchen. Her story is not to be a happily ever after though as we see when the story progresses.
I enjoyed the descriptions of the Yorkshire countryside, very peaceful and relaxing. I also enjoyed seeing Tazmin and her mysterious neighbour Euan help each other heal from past hurts and come alive again.
The rehabilitation of the fox was heartwarming as we see him playing and digging for bugs in the yard.
The backstory as it becomes revealed about the woman from long ago who lived in the cottage is sad to read and I'm thinking it really wasn't a necessary part as it doesn't enhance the story any just leaves the reader feeling blue.
Pub Date 15 Feb 2022
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.
A young woman in a bad relationship knows it's time to leave for her own sanity.
Moving to the wild and vast Yorkshire countryside is a dream come true for Tamzin she has a lovely little cottage there and her rescue fox who she's nurtured since he was a kit.
As the layers become more exposed we find another woman has lived in this cottage fifty years ago with the same hopes and dreams, she's newly married makes dinner for her husband and sews curtains for the kitchen. Her story is not to be a happily ever after though as we see when the story progresses.
I enjoyed the descriptions of the Yorkshire countryside, very peaceful and relaxing. I also enjoyed seeing Tazmin and her mysterious neighbour Euan help each other heal from past hurts and come alive again.
The rehabilitation of the fox was heartwarming as we see him playing and digging for bugs in the yard.
The backstory as it becomes revealed about the woman from long ago who lived in the cottage is sad to read and I'm thinking it really wasn't a necessary part as it doesn't enhance the story any just leaves the reader feeling blue.
Pub Date 15 Feb 2022
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.
May 31, 2024
I have read several books by this author and this one I have enjoyed the most. For me, the characters were developed and likeable, the setting very calming and I enjoyed the mystery of Stella’s story.
Tamzin is a vulnerable character and over the story we gradually find out why. When her past catches up with her, I was keen to see how she would respond and found the storyline with Katie added an enjoyable complexity to Tamzin’s character. Her reactions to Katie made me warm to Tamzin even more.
It is clear that Tamzin’s move to this remote, Yorkshire cottage has been an attempt to escape someone or something in Cornwall. She initially regrets her decision, especially when it appears that her one and only neighbour is gruff, grumpy and prefers the seclusion. With the company of her rescue fox, Brack, Tamzin is determined to make a success of her move. The discovery of Stella’s photographs adds a mystery to her cottage and one that enables Tamzin to start making friends at last.
Firstly, the one-legged fox was an unusual companion! I thought it was very quirky but could not understand Tamzin’s fascination with Brack, even when we are given the reasons for his rescue adoption. However, I couldn’t stop my skin from crawling at the thought of the fox living inside the cottage: the smell and toileting issues just made me shudder throughout. Couldn’t Tamzin have rescued something a little less pongy?!
I really liked how vulnerable both main characters were. I think it made them more “human” and I enjoyed the journey that both undertake to regrow and recognise themselves as individuals. Furthermore, the fact that it creates parallels with Stella’s story made the novel more cyclical. Whilst I questioned the writer’s decision to tell Stella’s story in reverse throughout the book, I like how it showed all the characters coming together. In my opinion, the reverse order made the conclusion of the main story less climatic, but I realise this also ended on a note of optimism, rather than despair.
This was an easy paced, enjoyable read. Although I didn’t understand Tamzin’s choice of furry friend, I liked her growing connections with those around her. The writer addresses a difficult topic with sensitivity but shows that time period and gender does not prevent victims being made. However, it is the survivors that tell their tale.
With thanks to Boldwood books and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Tamzin is a vulnerable character and over the story we gradually find out why. When her past catches up with her, I was keen to see how she would respond and found the storyline with Katie added an enjoyable complexity to Tamzin’s character. Her reactions to Katie made me warm to Tamzin even more.
It is clear that Tamzin’s move to this remote, Yorkshire cottage has been an attempt to escape someone or something in Cornwall. She initially regrets her decision, especially when it appears that her one and only neighbour is gruff, grumpy and prefers the seclusion. With the company of her rescue fox, Brack, Tamzin is determined to make a success of her move. The discovery of Stella’s photographs adds a mystery to her cottage and one that enables Tamzin to start making friends at last.
Firstly, the one-legged fox was an unusual companion! I thought it was very quirky but could not understand Tamzin’s fascination with Brack, even when we are given the reasons for his rescue adoption. However, I couldn’t stop my skin from crawling at the thought of the fox living inside the cottage: the smell and toileting issues just made me shudder throughout. Couldn’t Tamzin have rescued something a little less pongy?!
I really liked how vulnerable both main characters were. I think it made them more “human” and I enjoyed the journey that both undertake to regrow and recognise themselves as individuals. Furthermore, the fact that it creates parallels with Stella’s story made the novel more cyclical. Whilst I questioned the writer’s decision to tell Stella’s story in reverse throughout the book, I like how it showed all the characters coming together. In my opinion, the reverse order made the conclusion of the main story less climatic, but I realise this also ended on a note of optimism, rather than despair.
This was an easy paced, enjoyable read. Although I didn’t understand Tamzin’s choice of furry friend, I liked her growing connections with those around her. The writer addresses a difficult topic with sensitivity but shows that time period and gender does not prevent victims being made. However, it is the survivors that tell their tale.
With thanks to Boldwood books and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
February 6, 2022
A Cottage Full of Secrets by Jane Lovering is an enjoyable contemporary fiction that has a little bit of everything. A relaxing read.
This fictional novel has a dual timeline that reveals two different women that are within two different times and generations living and attempting to seek solace and refuge within a Yorkshire cottage. The storylines between Tazmin and Stella, while living in the same lovely location, are different in their circumstances, outlook, and ending. I won’t delve deeper, as any more of a description would spoil the unveilings within.
The aspects of the novel I loved the most:
1. The slow, easy, relaxed progression of the relationship between Tazmin and Euan. From strangers, to friends, to a relationship…a healthy relationship, that was nice.
2. The wonderful descriptions of the cottage, landscapes, scenery, the way of life, and just the Yorkshire location in general. The author has a real talent in placing the reader into a stunning location.
3. The sweet, heartfelt storyline of saving, befriending, rehabilitating, and releasing the fox, Brack. The ending of the story really made me tear up.
4. The ending. It was fitting, real, raw, and optimistic in the promise and hope of the future and for things to come, despite the dark past.
4/5 stars
Thank you NG and Boldwood Books for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.
I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 2/15/22.
From the Publisher:
A Cottage Full of Secrets
Cottage Two, Bracken Ridge Farm sits at the end of a pitted track, with the glorious Yorkshire moors stretching behind it.
Just a simple two up, two down, the cottage holds the promise of a new start for two very different women, but it is also full of secrets.
Fifty years ago, newly-wed Stella is relishing making the little cottage a happy home. But for all the lovingly handmade curtains, and the hot dinners ready on the table for her husband, Stella’s dreams of married life jar painfully with the truth.
Fifty years later, the cottage is a new beginning for Tamzin. Determined to get away from her previous life, she makes the move to the wild and vast Yorkshire countryside.
When Tamzin finds a sepia photo of a woman, Stella, standing in the cottage’s garden, there’s a sadness in her eyes that Tamzin recognises. As the cottage reveals more of its secrets, Tamzin is desperate to find out whether Stella got her happy ending. And as she gradually makes new friends, and starts to win over her mysterious neighbour Euan, Tamzin dares to dream about her own happy ending too…
Escape the rat race with this heart-warming, page-turning new novel from Jane Lovering. Perfect for fans of Julie Houston, Beth O’Leary and Kate Forster
Purchase Link https://amzn.to/3csGXdr
Author Bio –
Jane Lovering is the bestselling and award-winning romantic comedy writer who
won the RNA Novel of the Year Award in 2012 with Please Don’t Stop the Music. She
lives in Yorkshire and has a cat and a bonkers terrier, as well as five children who have
now left home. Her first title for Boldwood was published in September 2020.
Social Media Links –
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Jane-Loverin...
Twitter https://twitter.com/janelovering
Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/JaneLoveringNewsletter
This fictional novel has a dual timeline that reveals two different women that are within two different times and generations living and attempting to seek solace and refuge within a Yorkshire cottage. The storylines between Tazmin and Stella, while living in the same lovely location, are different in their circumstances, outlook, and ending. I won’t delve deeper, as any more of a description would spoil the unveilings within.
The aspects of the novel I loved the most:
1. The slow, easy, relaxed progression of the relationship between Tazmin and Euan. From strangers, to friends, to a relationship…a healthy relationship, that was nice.
2. The wonderful descriptions of the cottage, landscapes, scenery, the way of life, and just the Yorkshire location in general. The author has a real talent in placing the reader into a stunning location.
3. The sweet, heartfelt storyline of saving, befriending, rehabilitating, and releasing the fox, Brack. The ending of the story really made me tear up.
4. The ending. It was fitting, real, raw, and optimistic in the promise and hope of the future and for things to come, despite the dark past.
4/5 stars
Thank you NG and Boldwood Books for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.
I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 2/15/22.
From the Publisher:
A Cottage Full of Secrets
Cottage Two, Bracken Ridge Farm sits at the end of a pitted track, with the glorious Yorkshire moors stretching behind it.
Just a simple two up, two down, the cottage holds the promise of a new start for two very different women, but it is also full of secrets.
Fifty years ago, newly-wed Stella is relishing making the little cottage a happy home. But for all the lovingly handmade curtains, and the hot dinners ready on the table for her husband, Stella’s dreams of married life jar painfully with the truth.
Fifty years later, the cottage is a new beginning for Tamzin. Determined to get away from her previous life, she makes the move to the wild and vast Yorkshire countryside.
When Tamzin finds a sepia photo of a woman, Stella, standing in the cottage’s garden, there’s a sadness in her eyes that Tamzin recognises. As the cottage reveals more of its secrets, Tamzin is desperate to find out whether Stella got her happy ending. And as she gradually makes new friends, and starts to win over her mysterious neighbour Euan, Tamzin dares to dream about her own happy ending too…
Escape the rat race with this heart-warming, page-turning new novel from Jane Lovering. Perfect for fans of Julie Houston, Beth O’Leary and Kate Forster
Purchase Link https://amzn.to/3csGXdr
Author Bio –
Jane Lovering is the bestselling and award-winning romantic comedy writer who
won the RNA Novel of the Year Award in 2012 with Please Don’t Stop the Music. She
lives in Yorkshire and has a cat and a bonkers terrier, as well as five children who have
now left home. Her first title for Boldwood was published in September 2020.
Social Media Links –
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Jane-Loverin...
Twitter https://twitter.com/janelovering
Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/JaneLoveringNewsletter
February 15, 2022
Tamzin leaves Cornwall for the Yorkshire Moors, fleeing an abusive relationship with Dominic. She buys a small cottage, uninspiringly called Cottage Two, Bracken Ridge Farm and determines to make it her own, not realising the parallels between her life and that of a former occupant, Stella, who moved into the cottage as a newly-wed in the early 1970s.
Cottage One is occupied by a morose single man who seems to spend a lot of time dressed like a tramp and staring, Tamzin can't decide if he's creepy or a bit simple. Little does she know that she has more in common with her new neighbour than she thinks.
Told partially in flashbacks to Stella and partly in the present day, this novel is pure Jane Lovering, cute, quirky and yet with a serious undercurrent. Loved it.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
Bumped for release.
Cottage One is occupied by a morose single man who seems to spend a lot of time dressed like a tramp and staring, Tamzin can't decide if he's creepy or a bit simple. Little does she know that she has more in common with her new neighbour than she thinks.
Told partially in flashbacks to Stella and partly in the present day, this novel is pure Jane Lovering, cute, quirky and yet with a serious undercurrent. Loved it.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
Bumped for release.
February 15, 2022
You really have to be a bit desperate to run away from your life and buy a remote cottage on the Yorkshire Moors without having viewed it first – and when Tamzin moves in, accompanied by her rescued three-legged fox, she does wonder if she might have made a bit of a mistake. The cottage is one of a pair, and her neighbour is less than friendly and welcoming – in fact, Euan seems distinctly peculiar, struggling to communicate, often standing barefoot and motionless in his garden, making her feel more than a little uncomfortable. And her new home isn’t without its other issues – finding the stopcock so she has a water supply, a fireplace that stubbornly defies her attempts to remove it, and that’s before her enthusiastic but less than successful attempts at interior decoration (but lots of cushions make everything right, don’t they – even when paired with battleship grey paint and flamingo wallpaper…).
But one of her first priorities has to be having a run built in the overgrown garden for Brack the fox – his pungent aroma isn’t helping make the cottage feel like home – and that brings handywoman Jill into her life. She’s wonderfully down-to-earth and practical, and the friend she rather needs – and she also helps her to get to know neighbour Euan, with the opportunity to uncover the reasons for his less than conventional behaviour, leading to the discovery that they have a shared experience in their lives that they recognise in each other and that slowly helps bring them closer. And then Tamzin has an unexpected visitor – a woman from her past who knows only too well the reasons for Tamzin’s disappearance, and who is uncomfortably in the midst of making the same mistakes.
And while in the throes of renovating the cottage, Tamzin discovers an old photograph of a woman standing in the cottage’s garden – and that’s followed by several more, along with a suitcase of clothing discovered in the undergrowth. She becomes fascinated with finding out more about the cottage’s history and the young woman in the picture with whom she feels an affinity – and Stella’s story then unfolds in parallel to her own, both sad and disturbing, going backwards through her life to the point where she was happy and looking forward to her new life.
I entirely adored this book – everything I love about Jane Lovering’s writing with its laugh-out-loud moments coupled with poignancy and emotion, and a pair of stories wrapped around each other and laced with some particularly serious issues very sensitively handled. The book’s setting – the surrounding countryside, seen at close quarters – is simply wonderful, with so many opportunities to encounter the wildlife and experience its wild beauty (despite all that mud…). The developing relationship between Euan and Tamzin was everything I wanted it to be – two damaged people bringing healing to each other, all done with exceptional warmth as Tamzin’s strength and resilience slowly grows. And I really enjoyed the direction Brack’s story took, but I’ll let you discover that one for yourself – he’s such a perfectly drawn character I entirely took to my heart (although I really wouldn’t want him anywhere near my soft furnishings…).
I think I’ve probably proclaimed “this is her best yet” about every book the author has ever written, so I’ll not do that again, however much I want to – but this was a book I entirely loved, and recommend really highly.
But one of her first priorities has to be having a run built in the overgrown garden for Brack the fox – his pungent aroma isn’t helping make the cottage feel like home – and that brings handywoman Jill into her life. She’s wonderfully down-to-earth and practical, and the friend she rather needs – and she also helps her to get to know neighbour Euan, with the opportunity to uncover the reasons for his less than conventional behaviour, leading to the discovery that they have a shared experience in their lives that they recognise in each other and that slowly helps bring them closer. And then Tamzin has an unexpected visitor – a woman from her past who knows only too well the reasons for Tamzin’s disappearance, and who is uncomfortably in the midst of making the same mistakes.
And while in the throes of renovating the cottage, Tamzin discovers an old photograph of a woman standing in the cottage’s garden – and that’s followed by several more, along with a suitcase of clothing discovered in the undergrowth. She becomes fascinated with finding out more about the cottage’s history and the young woman in the picture with whom she feels an affinity – and Stella’s story then unfolds in parallel to her own, both sad and disturbing, going backwards through her life to the point where she was happy and looking forward to her new life.
I entirely adored this book – everything I love about Jane Lovering’s writing with its laugh-out-loud moments coupled with poignancy and emotion, and a pair of stories wrapped around each other and laced with some particularly serious issues very sensitively handled. The book’s setting – the surrounding countryside, seen at close quarters – is simply wonderful, with so many opportunities to encounter the wildlife and experience its wild beauty (despite all that mud…). The developing relationship between Euan and Tamzin was everything I wanted it to be – two damaged people bringing healing to each other, all done with exceptional warmth as Tamzin’s strength and resilience slowly grows. And I really enjoyed the direction Brack’s story took, but I’ll let you discover that one for yourself – he’s such a perfectly drawn character I entirely took to my heart (although I really wouldn’t want him anywhere near my soft furnishings…).
I think I’ve probably proclaimed “this is her best yet” about every book the author has ever written, so I’ll not do that again, however much I want to – but this was a book I entirely loved, and recommend really highly.
March 12, 2024
Rubbish plot. Barely any secrets.
December 29, 2021
A story of two women with abusive relationships and the home they share many years apart. Overall I enjoyed it, though I felt the backwards telling of Stella's experiences strange.
Full disclosure- I received a copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Full disclosure- I received a copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
February 16, 2022
I loved this book so much! Jane Lovering has a way of making her books feel quite light and easy to read while at the same time covering some quite difficult themes and doing so with great sensitivity.
The story actually begins in the 1970s with Stella planning to leave her husband then moves to the present day when Tamzin has just begun a new life in Yorkshire far from her Cornwall home. The story is mostly told from Tamzin’s point of view interspersed with chapters from Stella. It took me a while to click the clever way that Jane Lovering was presenting Stella’s story and I thought it was a particularly moving way to tell her story.
It must have taken Tamzin a lot of courage to uproot herself and move to a small, rather dilapidated cottage although she would certainly not think she was courageous. As we start to find out the reasons for her move, I thought she actually is quite brave. She’s been through a lot and only just starting to process it. Rather reluctantly and out of necessity she begins to get to know her quiet next door neighbour, ‘part time grump’ Euan, and they discover they have more in common than they would have thought. Intrigued by photos she finds hidden in her house, she comes to suspect that she might have quite a bit in common with Stella too.
I loved the character of ‘handywoman’ Jill who provided much needed practical DIY advice and help to Tamzin as well as becoming an empathetic and supportive friend. Finding friendship in unexpected places was quite a theme in the book for several of the characters.
One character who cannot go unmentioned is Tamzin’s three legged pet fox Brack. He’s a fox she rescued and looked after since he was an injured cub. Although with his tendency to eat the many cushions in the cottage and mark his territory pungently everywhere, “owning a fox, it turned out, was less like a Disney movie and more like having a toddler on permanent additives binge”. Tamzin needed Brack just as much as he needed her I thought. And can I just say that it wouldn’t surprise me in the least if the author herself happened to have a pet fox!
A book about secrets, friendships and new beginnings A Cottage Full of Secrets is everything I’ve come to expect from Jane Lovering. It’s tender, heart-warming and funny, a really lovely read and Jane Lovering at her best.
The story actually begins in the 1970s with Stella planning to leave her husband then moves to the present day when Tamzin has just begun a new life in Yorkshire far from her Cornwall home. The story is mostly told from Tamzin’s point of view interspersed with chapters from Stella. It took me a while to click the clever way that Jane Lovering was presenting Stella’s story and I thought it was a particularly moving way to tell her story.
It must have taken Tamzin a lot of courage to uproot herself and move to a small, rather dilapidated cottage although she would certainly not think she was courageous. As we start to find out the reasons for her move, I thought she actually is quite brave. She’s been through a lot and only just starting to process it. Rather reluctantly and out of necessity she begins to get to know her quiet next door neighbour, ‘part time grump’ Euan, and they discover they have more in common than they would have thought. Intrigued by photos she finds hidden in her house, she comes to suspect that she might have quite a bit in common with Stella too.
I loved the character of ‘handywoman’ Jill who provided much needed practical DIY advice and help to Tamzin as well as becoming an empathetic and supportive friend. Finding friendship in unexpected places was quite a theme in the book for several of the characters.
One character who cannot go unmentioned is Tamzin’s three legged pet fox Brack. He’s a fox she rescued and looked after since he was an injured cub. Although with his tendency to eat the many cushions in the cottage and mark his territory pungently everywhere, “owning a fox, it turned out, was less like a Disney movie and more like having a toddler on permanent additives binge”. Tamzin needed Brack just as much as he needed her I thought. And can I just say that it wouldn’t surprise me in the least if the author herself happened to have a pet fox!
A book about secrets, friendships and new beginnings A Cottage Full of Secrets is everything I’ve come to expect from Jane Lovering. It’s tender, heart-warming and funny, a really lovely read and Jane Lovering at her best.
July 20, 2025
A small cottage sits right by the spanning Moors of Yorkshire. The structure housing two separate homes divided by a wall. Tamzin’s new home and her mysterious seemingly grumpy neighbour.
Tamzin is looking for a new start. Escaping a bad relationship she has packed everything she can, including the rescue fox she has brought back to health, and heads to her new home.
Fifty years ago the cottage was a gift to Stella and her new husband. Stella does everything she can to make the house a home. Handmade curtains, hot dinners, and cleaning all day everyday. Married life is not what she had pictured. Her new husband’s mask fell and she saw him for what he truly was. Her story unfortunately is a messy one.
Tamzin is starting to make the cottage her own when she uncovers a few pictures of Stella hidden in odd places around the house. Tamzin notices the sadness in her eyes and little things that make her relate to Stella. As her neighbour Euan says “survivor knows survivor”. Tamzin wants to know what secrets her little cottage holds and starts to look into Stella’s past.
As Tamzin gradually makes new friends and builds a connection with her mysterious new neighbour, she dreams of a happy new beginning for herself.
This was a cute read with some heaviness to it as we learn more about Stella and Tamzin’s stories. The beautiful description’s of the Yorkshire nature and wilderness gave this a cozy feel despite that heaviness. I also loved how Tamzin and Euan’s story played out, they both are helping each other heal and I was definitely rooting for them.
Tamzin is looking for a new start. Escaping a bad relationship she has packed everything she can, including the rescue fox she has brought back to health, and heads to her new home.
Fifty years ago the cottage was a gift to Stella and her new husband. Stella does everything she can to make the house a home. Handmade curtains, hot dinners, and cleaning all day everyday. Married life is not what she had pictured. Her new husband’s mask fell and she saw him for what he truly was. Her story unfortunately is a messy one.
Tamzin is starting to make the cottage her own when she uncovers a few pictures of Stella hidden in odd places around the house. Tamzin notices the sadness in her eyes and little things that make her relate to Stella. As her neighbour Euan says “survivor knows survivor”. Tamzin wants to know what secrets her little cottage holds and starts to look into Stella’s past.
As Tamzin gradually makes new friends and builds a connection with her mysterious new neighbour, she dreams of a happy new beginning for herself.
This was a cute read with some heaviness to it as we learn more about Stella and Tamzin’s stories. The beautiful description’s of the Yorkshire nature and wilderness gave this a cozy feel despite that heaviness. I also loved how Tamzin and Euan’s story played out, they both are helping each other heal and I was definitely rooting for them.
November 1, 2022
The book starts off slow and half way through it the reader is kept in the dark, without having any idea of Tamzin's past or the way Stella's story unfolds. Once you pass the long landscape descriptions and other page filling useless details, you start learning about what happened to these women. Stella's story is heart-wrenching and at times it was difficult to continue reading about the abuse she suffered. All in all, I enjoyed reading the book, I especially loved the similarities between Euan and Tamzin and how these brought them together and made them stronger.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 20, 2022
Beautifully written in dual timeline format, with some strong female leads, both having been in abusive relationships, wanting to break free. Visually descriptive, with the surrounding areas of the Yorkshire countryside sounding idyllic, and the perfect escape.
Full of friendship, heartbreak, secrets, and a three legged fox called Brack.
Many thanks to Rachel's Random Resources for my tour spot.
Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫
Full of friendship, heartbreak, secrets, and a three legged fox called Brack.
Many thanks to Rachel's Random Resources for my tour spot.
Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫
August 5, 2024
This is a great book, honestly I didn’t expect it to be this good. I loved the fox storyline (albeit sad and I couldn’t when she let him go…!) and I liked the narration of DV in the context of nowadays and years ago. I liked how the author managed to describe and compare physical and emotional abuse, and I liked that the main characters got redemption - apart from S of course, but in a away she did too, her suffering in a way ended.
Totally recommend and I will read more books from this author.
Totally recommend and I will read more books from this author.
February 12, 2022
I love Jane Lovering!
All her books have another story underneath the main one, and in this case it is even more obvious due to its dual timeline narrative. What i particularly liked is the fact that Tam's and Stella's stories (though similar in certain aspects) flow through time in opposite direction, so that we follow Tam's one from her decision to leave an oppressive relationship onwards, while in Stella's case, we go from the same decision backwards.
Stella's story is very, very hard to read and my heart literally broke for her, but it was nonetheless my favourite part and it gave the book an incredible depth, even though a very sad one.
Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review
All her books have another story underneath the main one, and in this case it is even more obvious due to its dual timeline narrative. What i particularly liked is the fact that Tam's and Stella's stories (though similar in certain aspects) flow through time in opposite direction, so that we follow Tam's one from her decision to leave an oppressive relationship onwards, while in Stella's case, we go from the same decision backwards.
Stella's story is very, very hard to read and my heart literally broke for her, but it was nonetheless my favourite part and it gave the book an incredible depth, even though a very sad one.
Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review
January 6, 2024
The story had so much potential
But...
So slowwww
But...
So slowwww
October 27, 2025
4,5 wat een prachtig verhaal. Een verhaal over nieuwe kansen na een donkere periode. De zoektocht naar Stella gaf een mooie wending in het verhaal en hield het spannend.
December 28, 2021
This was a nice story and a quick read. I did predict some things correctly, but there was still one surprise towards the end that I hadn't anticipated. The story surrounding the fox was a bit different, and that did add an interesting element to the story. All in all, a nice holiday read.
Note: I received a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.
Note: I received a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.
March 10, 2022
A lovely read
This is a sweet, heartwarming story about damaged people healing. I skipped the 1970s sections as too sad, but the current section was lovely. The Fox was an unusual and enjoyable addition.
This is a sweet, heartwarming story about damaged people healing. I skipped the 1970s sections as too sad, but the current section was lovely. The Fox was an unusual and enjoyable addition.
July 23, 2022
Nice easy read.
June 19, 2023
Apparently, my newfound cottagecore obsession is not going anywhere anytime soon. And, since I live on a shoestring and can’t afford to venture out of the city, country romance novels are the next best thing for quenching my thirst.
Even though The Country Escape is the only other Jane Lovering book I’ve read so far, I’m definitely starting to notice similarities between the two narratives. It’ll be interesting to see whether they exist in these two books only or are a staple of Lovering’s work.
For example, once again, we get a heroine who starts over by moving into a secluded country cottage. Once again, she is lonely, but wary of people. Once again, she meets and falls in love with a mild-mannered local man who is diametrically opposed to her shitty ex.
So, on the surface, A Cottage Full of Secrets doesn’t boast anything particularly impressive that would make it stand out. It’s a quiet, straightforward, mostly serene narrative about two people falling in love. So, I definitely recommend it to readers who’re in the mood for something slower and gentler than your garden-variety romance novel.
Our protagonist is Tamzin, a freelance writer who moves from Cornwall to Yorkshire, where she buys a modest house in the moors. Her companion is Brack, a three-legged rescue fox. Brack is not a pet, and Tamzin knows she’s going to have to take him to an animal sanctuary one of these days, but she’s not quite there yet. In her solitude, Brack is the only company she can rely on.
Apart from Tamzin’s, there is one more cottage in the isolated moorland. This one belongs to Euan, a reserved, taciturn wildlife painter who isn’t too keen on company. In the process of redecorating the old cottage, Tamzin finds pictures of a young woman taken in the early seventies.
From here, the plot progresses pretty much as expected, no major twists or turns, no shocking revelations. That said, the devil is in the details, and the details of A Cottage Full of Secrets are really interesting, even profound and uncomfortably relatable at times.
Namely, the central theme is the consequences of toxic and abusive relationships. The novel gives us four dysfunctional couples—Tamzin and Dominic, Katie and Dominic, Euan and his ex-wife, and Stella and Andy.
Stella’s story is the most prominent one, since a huge chunk of the novel revolves around Tamzin’s attempts to discover more about the woman in the pictures she finds stashed around the house. Stella’s life is presented as a mystery for Tamzin and the readers to solve, but the plot never really commits to this format. The characters do some research now and then, but mostly wait around for handywoman Jill’s mother to return from Greece to tell them more about Stella. The older woman must be trope-savvy, since she waits until the end of the book to return to Yorkshire. And, when she does, she straight up tells everyone what became of Stella.
Tamzin’s decision to move is in large part fuelled by her abusive relationship with Dominic, a narcissistic and controlling man who all but eradicated Tamzin’s sense of self-worth. After he leaves her, he immediately starts dating his colleague Katie and unleashes his tactics on her. Even before we find out exactly what happened to Stella, it’s clear she’s trapped in a highly abusive marriage to Andy, who is even strongly implied to have killed her.
Essentially, A Cottage Full of Secrets is all about how these different characters cope with the trauma of having abusive partners. My favourite is the story of Euan, since it sheds light on the seldom-discussed topic of men who suffer emotional and physical abuse at the hands of women. We never learn too much about Euan’s former marriage, but we know his wife enjoyed her petty torments and even hit him on the head with a heavy skillet, which led to his stroke.
Euan seems to have recovered from the stroke fairly well, though it did leave him somewhat slow. Even more important is the psychological damage. Both Euan and Tamzin are introduced as insecure people, unsure of their next move, unsure whether they’re allowed to laugh in certain situations or be right about something.
As someone who struggles with C-PTSD daily, I really enjoyed this deep dive into the psyches of people who’ve gone through trauma. The book explores the shaming of victimised men and their near-inability to defend themselves. It addresses Tamzin’s attempts to reclaim herself, as she tests the reactions of the men around her and constantly practises not policing her tone, her mannerisms, exact words and facial expressions.
Frankly, I don’t think I would’ve enjoyed this book nearly as much in better times. Now, though, I’m still fairly deep in, still fearful, still walking on eggshells, even though the immediate danger is over (still kind of struggling to internalise that last one). Hence, I did enjoy it. I’d be lying if I said the book was especially deep or subtle, but I still liked how Lovering portrayed different forms of abuse and coping strategies. What’s more, the narrative made me inexplicably hopeful and optimistic.
That said, Stella’s POV chapters are a bit clunky. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think there’s anything wrong about portraying ’classic’, textbook examples of domestic abuse. We need those stories and we need lots of them. Even so, I feel her chapters stylistically detract from the overall narrative.
Lovering’s writing style is one I really love. She does landscapes really well, she does emotions really well, she does dialogue really well. No complaints there. Her prose is very pleasing and she’s actually one of those authors whose grocery lists I wouldn’t mind reading, to borrow the words of Hazel Grace. But that language I find so appealing all but disappears in Stella’s chapters, because you get the sense the author is just copying warning signs from a brochure on how to spot domestic abuse. They lack a personal touch, so Stella never gets fleshed out as anything more than a naïve victim.
One aspect of the novel I really loved is women supporting women, something I don’t see nearly often enough in either romance or fiction in general. When it comes to romance specifically, any woman who isn’t the central heroine is presented as either her catty, promiscuous romantic rival or a maternal figure stripped of essentially all traits and personality.
This novel, on the other hand, doesn’t fetishise the heroine as the ‘not like the other girls’ girl or relegate all other female characters to airheaded bimbos. While not particularly fleshed-out, Jill and Katie are still presented as different from Tamzin, though none of their forms of womanhood and femininity—or lack thereof—are ever demonised. Sure, there are a few barbs thrown at Katie for supposedly being predatory or too sexual but, on the whole, the narrative never insists on there being only one accepted type of womanhood.
Katie and Tamzin are shown to be supportive of and helpful to one another. They both dated Dominic, after all, so they know the kind of damage he’s capable of and how destructive his controlling ways can be. There is no competitiveness between the two women, no jealousy, no petty drama. Tamzin helps Katie escape Dominic by offering her sanctuary and a fresh perspective, and Katie helps Tamzin by unearthing information on Stella, even though the two women are little more than acquaintances.
As far as the central romance goes, it is so understated that it may as well be in the background. And that’s okay. Tamzin and Euan are private, introverted people, so when they kiss and make love off-page, it feels like Lovering is protecting their privacy from our prying eyes.
It may be simply that other romantic novels have spoiled me and made me forget the fact that adult novels can still be adult without being explicit. So, while I still prefer my steam to be steamy and like voyeuristically intruding on the characters’ sex life, at least now I know I can always turn to Lovering’s books when I’m in the mood for something less XXX.
Apropos of this, Lovering’s characters are always a breath of fresh air in a stale genre teeming with stock characters, especially her male love interests. They’re often meek and soft-spoken, excellent examples of healthy masculinity. They sew and paint and go to therapy and don’t get into physical fights, and none of those characteristics precludes them from making the leading lady scream in the sheets.
Furthermore, Lovering’s novels are far more realistic than what most erotic and romance narratives offer us. Too often do romance writers make the first meeting between the lovebirds a bombastic, unforgettable event.
Lovering doesn’t fall back on this hackneyed trope. When her romantic leads meet, the encounter is treated as just another meeting. There is nothing special about it, no immediate fluttering of stomach-dwelling butterflies, no primeval inner surety that the person before them is ‘the one’, no instantaneous moistening of the panties. These feelings of affection and lust develop organically over time as the two leads slowly get to know one another better.
Few of us can expect to end up with domineering billionaires or cocky mafia kingpins who abduct us or turn us into vampires and whatnot. So, while I adore over-the-top erotic romances about women orgasming three times per minute, I’m not averse to a dose of reality every now and then. I still welcome more low-key narratives about down-to-earth people leading ordinary lives and falling in love in ordinary ways.
Even though The Country Escape is the only other Jane Lovering book I’ve read so far, I’m definitely starting to notice similarities between the two narratives. It’ll be interesting to see whether they exist in these two books only or are a staple of Lovering’s work.
For example, once again, we get a heroine who starts over by moving into a secluded country cottage. Once again, she is lonely, but wary of people. Once again, she meets and falls in love with a mild-mannered local man who is diametrically opposed to her shitty ex.
So, on the surface, A Cottage Full of Secrets doesn’t boast anything particularly impressive that would make it stand out. It’s a quiet, straightforward, mostly serene narrative about two people falling in love. So, I definitely recommend it to readers who’re in the mood for something slower and gentler than your garden-variety romance novel.
Our protagonist is Tamzin, a freelance writer who moves from Cornwall to Yorkshire, where she buys a modest house in the moors. Her companion is Brack, a three-legged rescue fox. Brack is not a pet, and Tamzin knows she’s going to have to take him to an animal sanctuary one of these days, but she’s not quite there yet. In her solitude, Brack is the only company she can rely on.
Apart from Tamzin’s, there is one more cottage in the isolated moorland. This one belongs to Euan, a reserved, taciturn wildlife painter who isn’t too keen on company. In the process of redecorating the old cottage, Tamzin finds pictures of a young woman taken in the early seventies.
From here, the plot progresses pretty much as expected, no major twists or turns, no shocking revelations. That said, the devil is in the details, and the details of A Cottage Full of Secrets are really interesting, even profound and uncomfortably relatable at times.
Namely, the central theme is the consequences of toxic and abusive relationships. The novel gives us four dysfunctional couples—Tamzin and Dominic, Katie and Dominic, Euan and his ex-wife, and Stella and Andy.
Stella’s story is the most prominent one, since a huge chunk of the novel revolves around Tamzin’s attempts to discover more about the woman in the pictures she finds stashed around the house. Stella’s life is presented as a mystery for Tamzin and the readers to solve, but the plot never really commits to this format. The characters do some research now and then, but mostly wait around for handywoman Jill’s mother to return from Greece to tell them more about Stella. The older woman must be trope-savvy, since she waits until the end of the book to return to Yorkshire. And, when she does, she straight up tells everyone what became of Stella.
Tamzin’s decision to move is in large part fuelled by her abusive relationship with Dominic, a narcissistic and controlling man who all but eradicated Tamzin’s sense of self-worth. After he leaves her, he immediately starts dating his colleague Katie and unleashes his tactics on her. Even before we find out exactly what happened to Stella, it’s clear she’s trapped in a highly abusive marriage to Andy, who is even strongly implied to have killed her.
Essentially, A Cottage Full of Secrets is all about how these different characters cope with the trauma of having abusive partners. My favourite is the story of Euan, since it sheds light on the seldom-discussed topic of men who suffer emotional and physical abuse at the hands of women. We never learn too much about Euan’s former marriage, but we know his wife enjoyed her petty torments and even hit him on the head with a heavy skillet, which led to his stroke.
Euan seems to have recovered from the stroke fairly well, though it did leave him somewhat slow. Even more important is the psychological damage. Both Euan and Tamzin are introduced as insecure people, unsure of their next move, unsure whether they’re allowed to laugh in certain situations or be right about something.
As someone who struggles with C-PTSD daily, I really enjoyed this deep dive into the psyches of people who’ve gone through trauma. The book explores the shaming of victimised men and their near-inability to defend themselves. It addresses Tamzin’s attempts to reclaim herself, as she tests the reactions of the men around her and constantly practises not policing her tone, her mannerisms, exact words and facial expressions.
Frankly, I don’t think I would’ve enjoyed this book nearly as much in better times. Now, though, I’m still fairly deep in, still fearful, still walking on eggshells, even though the immediate danger is over (still kind of struggling to internalise that last one). Hence, I did enjoy it. I’d be lying if I said the book was especially deep or subtle, but I still liked how Lovering portrayed different forms of abuse and coping strategies. What’s more, the narrative made me inexplicably hopeful and optimistic.
That said, Stella’s POV chapters are a bit clunky. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think there’s anything wrong about portraying ’classic’, textbook examples of domestic abuse. We need those stories and we need lots of them. Even so, I feel her chapters stylistically detract from the overall narrative.
Lovering’s writing style is one I really love. She does landscapes really well, she does emotions really well, she does dialogue really well. No complaints there. Her prose is very pleasing and she’s actually one of those authors whose grocery lists I wouldn’t mind reading, to borrow the words of Hazel Grace. But that language I find so appealing all but disappears in Stella’s chapters, because you get the sense the author is just copying warning signs from a brochure on how to spot domestic abuse. They lack a personal touch, so Stella never gets fleshed out as anything more than a naïve victim.
One aspect of the novel I really loved is women supporting women, something I don’t see nearly often enough in either romance or fiction in general. When it comes to romance specifically, any woman who isn’t the central heroine is presented as either her catty, promiscuous romantic rival or a maternal figure stripped of essentially all traits and personality.
This novel, on the other hand, doesn’t fetishise the heroine as the ‘not like the other girls’ girl or relegate all other female characters to airheaded bimbos. While not particularly fleshed-out, Jill and Katie are still presented as different from Tamzin, though none of their forms of womanhood and femininity—or lack thereof—are ever demonised. Sure, there are a few barbs thrown at Katie for supposedly being predatory or too sexual but, on the whole, the narrative never insists on there being only one accepted type of womanhood.
Katie and Tamzin are shown to be supportive of and helpful to one another. They both dated Dominic, after all, so they know the kind of damage he’s capable of and how destructive his controlling ways can be. There is no competitiveness between the two women, no jealousy, no petty drama. Tamzin helps Katie escape Dominic by offering her sanctuary and a fresh perspective, and Katie helps Tamzin by unearthing information on Stella, even though the two women are little more than acquaintances.
As far as the central romance goes, it is so understated that it may as well be in the background. And that’s okay. Tamzin and Euan are private, introverted people, so when they kiss and make love off-page, it feels like Lovering is protecting their privacy from our prying eyes.
It may be simply that other romantic novels have spoiled me and made me forget the fact that adult novels can still be adult without being explicit. So, while I still prefer my steam to be steamy and like voyeuristically intruding on the characters’ sex life, at least now I know I can always turn to Lovering’s books when I’m in the mood for something less XXX.
Apropos of this, Lovering’s characters are always a breath of fresh air in a stale genre teeming with stock characters, especially her male love interests. They’re often meek and soft-spoken, excellent examples of healthy masculinity. They sew and paint and go to therapy and don’t get into physical fights, and none of those characteristics precludes them from making the leading lady scream in the sheets.
Furthermore, Lovering’s novels are far more realistic than what most erotic and romance narratives offer us. Too often do romance writers make the first meeting between the lovebirds a bombastic, unforgettable event.
Lovering doesn’t fall back on this hackneyed trope. When her romantic leads meet, the encounter is treated as just another meeting. There is nothing special about it, no immediate fluttering of stomach-dwelling butterflies, no primeval inner surety that the person before them is ‘the one’, no instantaneous moistening of the panties. These feelings of affection and lust develop organically over time as the two leads slowly get to know one another better.
Few of us can expect to end up with domineering billionaires or cocky mafia kingpins who abduct us or turn us into vampires and whatnot. So, while I adore over-the-top erotic romances about women orgasming three times per minute, I’m not averse to a dose of reality every now and then. I still welcome more low-key narratives about down-to-earth people leading ordinary lives and falling in love in ordinary ways.
June 21, 2022
I liked the idea of the book.
A heartbroken and slightly insecure woman buys a cottage in a desolate place in Cornwall, trying to start anew. Her hopes are to heal and to recover, to get her broken pieces together and to reinvent herself, while taking care of a three- legged rescue fox. The heroine, however, is not prepared to meet a strange hermit of a painter who is her next-door neighbor. They discover the power of friendship and start overcoming their deepest fears and fighting their demons together.
A second storyline is presented, where a young woman, 50 years prior, is trying to escape an abuse relationship.
The two storylines alternate giving the reader a glimpse of two very different times, but also very similar situations.
It sounds almost perfect. Unfortunately, the execution did not meet the mark, at least for me. I saw so much potential there, but I was like “Urghhhh!!!!”.
Something was missing and I’ll try to pinpoint what exactly. The lack of more solid background information hurts the narration. The story gives only crumbs of details, and one cannot fully grasp the idea behind the author’s writing. There are no secrets revealed, there is nothing. This was a bit of a disappointment. I expected more. I wanted to understand the dynamics between Tamzin and her ex-boyfriend. I wanted to see the extent of his abuse. How traumatized was she? Also, what happened to Stella, the other main heroine? How did her husband find out that she is going to leave him? What happened between them and how exactly did she die?
None of these questions is answered and that made the read less enjoyable.
The other thing that annoyed me was Stella’s behavior. It is true that 1970’s had different morals, but she is presented like a naive retard, like a prudent spinster who lacks simple common sense. My reaction was:” Is she for real?”.
And one more thing, Tamzin’s new love interest Euan is presented like a wimpy 30-year boy whose wife beat the hell out of him, and the hygiene is not his strongest virtue (carrying maggots in his pockets?!).
I loved the fox though. I think, he was the best character – a three-legged, kind of a mysterious and totally loveable creature.
Again, I liked the idea behind the book, but there is so much more that could have been done and the result would have been amazing. Cannot give more than two stars. I think, the characters need a serious improvement and a deeper development so that the story can make a proper impact. In this form, it is not good enough.
A heartbroken and slightly insecure woman buys a cottage in a desolate place in Cornwall, trying to start anew. Her hopes are to heal and to recover, to get her broken pieces together and to reinvent herself, while taking care of a three- legged rescue fox. The heroine, however, is not prepared to meet a strange hermit of a painter who is her next-door neighbor. They discover the power of friendship and start overcoming their deepest fears and fighting their demons together.
A second storyline is presented, where a young woman, 50 years prior, is trying to escape an abuse relationship.
The two storylines alternate giving the reader a glimpse of two very different times, but also very similar situations.
It sounds almost perfect. Unfortunately, the execution did not meet the mark, at least for me. I saw so much potential there, but I was like “Urghhhh!!!!”.
Something was missing and I’ll try to pinpoint what exactly. The lack of more solid background information hurts the narration. The story gives only crumbs of details, and one cannot fully grasp the idea behind the author’s writing. There are no secrets revealed, there is nothing. This was a bit of a disappointment. I expected more. I wanted to understand the dynamics between Tamzin and her ex-boyfriend. I wanted to see the extent of his abuse. How traumatized was she? Also, what happened to Stella, the other main heroine? How did her husband find out that she is going to leave him? What happened between them and how exactly did she die?
None of these questions is answered and that made the read less enjoyable.
The other thing that annoyed me was Stella’s behavior. It is true that 1970’s had different morals, but she is presented like a naive retard, like a prudent spinster who lacks simple common sense. My reaction was:” Is she for real?”.
And one more thing, Tamzin’s new love interest Euan is presented like a wimpy 30-year boy whose wife beat the hell out of him, and the hygiene is not his strongest virtue (carrying maggots in his pockets?!).
I loved the fox though. I think, he was the best character – a three-legged, kind of a mysterious and totally loveable creature.
Again, I liked the idea behind the book, but there is so much more that could have been done and the result would have been amazing. Cannot give more than two stars. I think, the characters need a serious improvement and a deeper development so that the story can make a proper impact. In this form, it is not good enough.
February 18, 2022
I have been a fan of Jane’s work for a while. I haven’t caught up with everything that she has written, which is something that I hope to rectify fairly soon. I read the synopsis for ‘A Cottage Full Of Secrets’ and it certainly sounded like the sort of read I have come to expect from Jane- a fun, light hearted and ultimately feel good story. I was spot on too because I really enjoyed reading ‘A Cottage Full Of Secrets’ but more about that in a bit.
It didn’t take me long at all to get into ‘A Cottage Full Of Secrets’. As soon as I started reading, I instinctively knew that I wouldn’t be putting the book down any time soon and that I wouldn’t be moving very far from the couch until I had finished reading the last word on the last page. I was spot on too. I became intrigued by the characters of Stella and Tamzin and their histories so I was eager to find out more about them. I warmed to both characters from the start and I had to find out if they were going to find their ‘happy ever after’ endings that they so both deserved. The pages turned over increasingly quickly as my desperation to find out how the story concluded grew and grew. At one point the pages were turning that quickly that it was almost as if they were themselves and the page numbers became a blur. All too quickly I reached the end of ‘A Cottage Full Of Secrets’ and I had to say goodbye to Stella and Tamzin. I found ‘A Cottage Full Of Secrets’ to be something of an emotional read at times but also a fun read. I was gripped by the story from start to finish.
‘A Cottage Full Of Secrets’ is well written. Jane has one of those writing styles that is easy to get used to and the story reads more like a chat between friends rather than reading a book. I hope that makes sense. The story is written from the points of view of Stella and Tamzin. The story mostly takes place in the present day and follows Tamzin with the occasional flashback chapter to illustrate what Stella’s life was like and what happened to her. The chapters interlink really well and the story flows seamlessly as a result. The story hits the ground running and maintains a steady pace throughout. Jane clearly cares about her characters and this shines through in the very vivid and realistic way in which she describes them. I love the way in which the author makes the reader feel as though they are part of the story themselves and at the heart of the action. That’s how I felt at any rate.
In short, I really enjoyed reading ‘A Cottage Full Of Secrets’ and I would recommend it to other readers. I will certainly be reading more of Jane’s work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 4* out of 5*.
It didn’t take me long at all to get into ‘A Cottage Full Of Secrets’. As soon as I started reading, I instinctively knew that I wouldn’t be putting the book down any time soon and that I wouldn’t be moving very far from the couch until I had finished reading the last word on the last page. I was spot on too. I became intrigued by the characters of Stella and Tamzin and their histories so I was eager to find out more about them. I warmed to both characters from the start and I had to find out if they were going to find their ‘happy ever after’ endings that they so both deserved. The pages turned over increasingly quickly as my desperation to find out how the story concluded grew and grew. At one point the pages were turning that quickly that it was almost as if they were themselves and the page numbers became a blur. All too quickly I reached the end of ‘A Cottage Full Of Secrets’ and I had to say goodbye to Stella and Tamzin. I found ‘A Cottage Full Of Secrets’ to be something of an emotional read at times but also a fun read. I was gripped by the story from start to finish.
‘A Cottage Full Of Secrets’ is well written. Jane has one of those writing styles that is easy to get used to and the story reads more like a chat between friends rather than reading a book. I hope that makes sense. The story is written from the points of view of Stella and Tamzin. The story mostly takes place in the present day and follows Tamzin with the occasional flashback chapter to illustrate what Stella’s life was like and what happened to her. The chapters interlink really well and the story flows seamlessly as a result. The story hits the ground running and maintains a steady pace throughout. Jane clearly cares about her characters and this shines through in the very vivid and realistic way in which she describes them. I love the way in which the author makes the reader feel as though they are part of the story themselves and at the heart of the action. That’s how I felt at any rate.
In short, I really enjoyed reading ‘A Cottage Full Of Secrets’ and I would recommend it to other readers. I will certainly be reading more of Jane’s work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 4* out of 5*.
April 25, 2022
The wonderful Jane Lovering has come up trumps yet again with an emotional, uplifting and hilarious tale of new beginnings, second chances and healing I couldn’t get enough of: A Cottage Full of Secrets.
Tamzin’s new home, Cottage Two, which sits at the end of a pitted track with the breath-taking Yorkshire moors behind it, is an opportunity for her to start over. Life hasn’t always been a bed of roses for Tamzin and Cottage Two represents a new dawn for her which will enable her to unshackle herself from the horrors of her previous life. As Tamzin begins to settle into her new home and make friends with her neighbours, she finds herself intrigued by the mysterious and brooding Euan who lives close by. Winning him over might not be as easy as she had initially thought, however, Tamzin soon has other things occupying her mind…
When she finds a sepia photograph of a woman standing in the garden of Cottage Two, Tamzin gets a jolt of recognition. She might never have met the cottage’s previous inhabitant Stella, but Tamzin can recognise the sadness in her eyes and her air of melancholy. Determined to find out more about Stella, Tamzin begins to look into the secrets of her house. Did Stella ever manage to find happiness? Did she ever smile again? Or was she denied a chance at starting over?
Will the secrets of Cottage Two lead Tamzin to make startling discoveries that will help her shape her own future? Or is she destined to repeat Stella’s mistakes and end up haunted by regrets and heartbreak many decades down the line?
Jane Lovering’s books aim for the heart strings and the funny bone and they never miss. In A Cottage Full of Secrets, she tackles difficult subjects with humour, honesty and heart and in this brilliantly written tale of past mistakes, present difficulties and hopeful futures, she effortlessly draws her readers into a beautifully drawn world they will not want to say goodbye to.
Uplifting, thought-provoking and far too good to miss, A Cottage Full of Secrets is another fabulous tale from Yorkshire’s answer to Marian Keyes: Jane Lovering.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Tamzin’s new home, Cottage Two, which sits at the end of a pitted track with the breath-taking Yorkshire moors behind it, is an opportunity for her to start over. Life hasn’t always been a bed of roses for Tamzin and Cottage Two represents a new dawn for her which will enable her to unshackle herself from the horrors of her previous life. As Tamzin begins to settle into her new home and make friends with her neighbours, she finds herself intrigued by the mysterious and brooding Euan who lives close by. Winning him over might not be as easy as she had initially thought, however, Tamzin soon has other things occupying her mind…
When she finds a sepia photograph of a woman standing in the garden of Cottage Two, Tamzin gets a jolt of recognition. She might never have met the cottage’s previous inhabitant Stella, but Tamzin can recognise the sadness in her eyes and her air of melancholy. Determined to find out more about Stella, Tamzin begins to look into the secrets of her house. Did Stella ever manage to find happiness? Did she ever smile again? Or was she denied a chance at starting over?
Will the secrets of Cottage Two lead Tamzin to make startling discoveries that will help her shape her own future? Or is she destined to repeat Stella’s mistakes and end up haunted by regrets and heartbreak many decades down the line?
Jane Lovering’s books aim for the heart strings and the funny bone and they never miss. In A Cottage Full of Secrets, she tackles difficult subjects with humour, honesty and heart and in this brilliantly written tale of past mistakes, present difficulties and hopeful futures, she effortlessly draws her readers into a beautifully drawn world they will not want to say goodbye to.
Uplifting, thought-provoking and far too good to miss, A Cottage Full of Secrets is another fabulous tale from Yorkshire’s answer to Marian Keyes: Jane Lovering.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
January 26, 2022
Jane Lovering is one of those writers who just immediately draws you into her story, making you forget that time is passing and you might have things to do. This is true even for stories where the topic (abuse) might be one you avoid reading, which is the case in A Cottage Full of Secrets. I do avoid reading about abuse in the same way that I avoid stories in which I know the dog is going to die. However, fortunately, Lovering didn’t focus extensively on those scenes of abuse, which made it easier to read.
Tamzin is escaping a very bad relationship in the South of England by fleeing to an isolated cottage adjacent to the Yorkshire moors. In that same cottage, 50 years earlier, a young newlywed, Stella, is bright eyed at the beginning of her marriage, a marriage that everyone around her questioned her about (Are you sure?), but she loves Andy and he loves her and everything will be wonderful. But sometimes things don’t turn out so wonderfully.
I loved the characters in A Cottage Full of Secrets from Tamzin who is once again finding herself, to brash Jill, the handyperson, to next-door neighbor Euan, a wildlife artist. And let’s not forget about Brack the fox that Tamzin has raised to adulthood. Lovering does an excellent job of showing the manipulative traits of abusers like Tamzin’s ex-boyfriend, Dom, and Stella’s husband, Andy.
There are many heartfelt moments, especially with the rehabilitating of Brack, which I found to be analogous to Tamzin’s own rehabilitating. The descriptions of the Yorkshire countryside made me feel like I was there, and I kind of wish I were, well, in warm weather.
Lovering’s sense of humor is well in place as Tamzin tries to decorate and renovate her cottage. Her struggles with the fireplace definitely made me laugh.
The only thing that didn’t work for me was the use of coincidence in backgrounds. Here I would definitely adhere to the adage: less is more. Sorry for the general statement. I think anything more specific would lend itself to a spoiler.
Overall, another fantastic read from Jane Lovering.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Tamzin is escaping a very bad relationship in the South of England by fleeing to an isolated cottage adjacent to the Yorkshire moors. In that same cottage, 50 years earlier, a young newlywed, Stella, is bright eyed at the beginning of her marriage, a marriage that everyone around her questioned her about (Are you sure?), but she loves Andy and he loves her and everything will be wonderful. But sometimes things don’t turn out so wonderfully.
I loved the characters in A Cottage Full of Secrets from Tamzin who is once again finding herself, to brash Jill, the handyperson, to next-door neighbor Euan, a wildlife artist. And let’s not forget about Brack the fox that Tamzin has raised to adulthood. Lovering does an excellent job of showing the manipulative traits of abusers like Tamzin’s ex-boyfriend, Dom, and Stella’s husband, Andy.
There are many heartfelt moments, especially with the rehabilitating of Brack, which I found to be analogous to Tamzin’s own rehabilitating. The descriptions of the Yorkshire countryside made me feel like I was there, and I kind of wish I were, well, in warm weather.
Lovering’s sense of humor is well in place as Tamzin tries to decorate and renovate her cottage. Her struggles with the fireplace definitely made me laugh.
The only thing that didn’t work for me was the use of coincidence in backgrounds. Here I would definitely adhere to the adage: less is more. Sorry for the general statement. I think anything more specific would lend itself to a spoiler.
Overall, another fantastic read from Jane Lovering.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
February 20, 2022
I’d read a few reviews of this before I started reading and a few people found this a bit slow to start, I didn’t find this to be the case at all! This is a slight dual-perspective book where we start in 1973 with Stella and then flick to the current day, we then spend the majority of the time in the present day with the occasional flick back to the past. I think this gave it something from the off for me, we start with Stella putting her plan in place to escape from her abusive husband and straight away I wanted to know if she managed to succeed, I have to say at first I thought the next chapter was her arriving at her new life but it was soon clear that this wasn’t the case.
We were actually now meeting Tamzin, who, like Stella was running from her past with her *not a pet* three-legged fox called Brack that she’d rescued as a young kit. As Tamzin starts unpacking her things she starts uncovering secrets hidden away in the cottage and it soon becomes clear that this is the cottage Stella lived in as well.
To say I was hooked to this book was an understatement, I was rambling about it to Laura when I was just 20-30% in, telling her how good it was and that she needed to add it to her tbr, then that same evening I was up till the little hours as I just couldn’t put it down – even my husband commented on how hooked I was!
Now, there are a lot of references to abusive partners in this so if that’s something you think you may struggle with then go in prepared, although as with all of Jane’s books you know there is going to be a happy ending so you can read it with a slightly relaxed approach knowing all will be well in the end so don’t let it put you off reading this! It’s actually focused on the escape from abuse and being able to not let the past control you, showing that you can still have a happy and fulfilled life!
I’m not going to say much more but I think this is my new top favourite of Jane’s books and if you’ve not read any of hers yet then I’d recommend picking this one up! There’s just so much content and I’ve got a feeling that these characters are going to stay with me for quite a while yet!
We were actually now meeting Tamzin, who, like Stella was running from her past with her *not a pet* three-legged fox called Brack that she’d rescued as a young kit. As Tamzin starts unpacking her things she starts uncovering secrets hidden away in the cottage and it soon becomes clear that this is the cottage Stella lived in as well.
To say I was hooked to this book was an understatement, I was rambling about it to Laura when I was just 20-30% in, telling her how good it was and that she needed to add it to her tbr, then that same evening I was up till the little hours as I just couldn’t put it down – even my husband commented on how hooked I was!
Now, there are a lot of references to abusive partners in this so if that’s something you think you may struggle with then go in prepared, although as with all of Jane’s books you know there is going to be a happy ending so you can read it with a slightly relaxed approach knowing all will be well in the end so don’t let it put you off reading this! It’s actually focused on the escape from abuse and being able to not let the past control you, showing that you can still have a happy and fulfilled life!
I’m not going to say much more but I think this is my new top favourite of Jane’s books and if you’ve not read any of hers yet then I’d recommend picking this one up! There’s just so much content and I’ve got a feeling that these characters are going to stay with me for quite a while yet!
February 6, 2023
The book opens with our introduction to Stella. It’s 1973 and she’s making plans to escape from her violent, controlling husband. This first chapter is heartbreaking as he has messed with her mind so thoroughly that she’s convinced she is useless and to blame for everything.
Tamzin arrives at an isolated cottage on the Yorkshire moors, that she bought sight unseen, to a very unfriendly welcome from her next door neighbour. We immediately want to know why she has made the long journey from Cornwall to this remote place. With only a three-legged rescue fox cub for company, she rolls up her sleeves and sets about making the cottage into a home (with a bit of help from handywoman Jill).
A Cottage Full of Secrets is a dual timeline story about two troubled young women inhabiting the same house five decades apart. The theme of controlling and abusive relationships runs through the narrative as their stories gradually unfold. We find out why wildlife artist Euan prefers his own company, and what caused Tamzin to run, but instead of dwelling on the past, the focus here is about the healing power of nature and learning to trust again. Tamzin and Euan are not as strange as they first appear. Once you know what they’ve been through, their behaviour is entirely understandable.
Jane Lovering’s vivid descriptions of the landscape, flora and fauna of the Yorkshire moors enhances the narrative. There is a lot of humour in the dialogue that helps to counteract the dark and disturbing subject matter. I would have liked a bit more about Stella, as the ending felt incomplete. Ultimately, this is a hopeful book about new beginnings and moving on from the past. I will definitely be looking out for more books by this author as she writes such wonderful, believable characters.
Tamzin arrives at an isolated cottage on the Yorkshire moors, that she bought sight unseen, to a very unfriendly welcome from her next door neighbour. We immediately want to know why she has made the long journey from Cornwall to this remote place. With only a three-legged rescue fox cub for company, she rolls up her sleeves and sets about making the cottage into a home (with a bit of help from handywoman Jill).
A Cottage Full of Secrets is a dual timeline story about two troubled young women inhabiting the same house five decades apart. The theme of controlling and abusive relationships runs through the narrative as their stories gradually unfold. We find out why wildlife artist Euan prefers his own company, and what caused Tamzin to run, but instead of dwelling on the past, the focus here is about the healing power of nature and learning to trust again. Tamzin and Euan are not as strange as they first appear. Once you know what they’ve been through, their behaviour is entirely understandable.
Jane Lovering’s vivid descriptions of the landscape, flora and fauna of the Yorkshire moors enhances the narrative. There is a lot of humour in the dialogue that helps to counteract the dark and disturbing subject matter. I would have liked a bit more about Stella, as the ending felt incomplete. Ultimately, this is a hopeful book about new beginnings and moving on from the past. I will definitely be looking out for more books by this author as she writes such wonderful, believable characters.
January 19, 2022
I saw this on NetGalley and I requested it immediately because I'm a big fan of Jane Lovering’s books.
The story is set around two cottages, which stand alone at the end of track, in remote North Yorkshire. Tamzin has bought one cottage, for herself and her fox Brack to live in. The cottage adjacent to it belongs to the mysterious Euan, who is an artist and (almost) a recluse.
This is a quiet story about two people who are both recovering from being in abusive relationships and learning to get past the trauma that they suffered before. As they heal themselves, they end up helping each other to heal, too.
I loved that there was a fox as the pet in the story. it's very different kind of pet. I also like that I loved that Euan was so different as a hero - very gentle, very damaged, a kind and often covered in mud and twigs. I also liked that Tamsin was portrayed as somebody who was recovering from having been a victim, rather than someone who is still a victim.
The secondary characters are good fun. I liked that Katie was a strong and competent lady, despite being in what is clearly an abusive relationship. It shows that women who are in these relationships are not stupid (they’re really not!) and how difficult it is to see out when you’re inside one.
The story has two strands - there is a historical strand of Stella, who used to live in the house. That adds an extra dimension to Tamzin’s experience, which we only see a little bit of in hindsight. I really enjoyed this book. It was funny and sweet and moving. As I say it was a quiet book. And I think all the better for it.
The story is set around two cottages, which stand alone at the end of track, in remote North Yorkshire. Tamzin has bought one cottage, for herself and her fox Brack to live in. The cottage adjacent to it belongs to the mysterious Euan, who is an artist and (almost) a recluse.
This is a quiet story about two people who are both recovering from being in abusive relationships and learning to get past the trauma that they suffered before. As they heal themselves, they end up helping each other to heal, too.
I loved that there was a fox as the pet in the story. it's very different kind of pet. I also like that I loved that Euan was so different as a hero - very gentle, very damaged, a kind and often covered in mud and twigs. I also liked that Tamsin was portrayed as somebody who was recovering from having been a victim, rather than someone who is still a victim.
The secondary characters are good fun. I liked that Katie was a strong and competent lady, despite being in what is clearly an abusive relationship. It shows that women who are in these relationships are not stupid (they’re really not!) and how difficult it is to see out when you’re inside one.
The story has two strands - there is a historical strand of Stella, who used to live in the house. That adds an extra dimension to Tamzin’s experience, which we only see a little bit of in hindsight. I really enjoyed this book. It was funny and sweet and moving. As I say it was a quiet book. And I think all the better for it.
February 17, 2022
In A Cottage Full of Secrets we follow in Tamzin's footsteps as she settles into a new life at Cottage Two, Bracken Ridge Farm in the glorious Yorkshire countryside. That she is nursing some secret hurt is obvious but the full extent of her sadness is only revealed as the story progresses. Together with her rescued fox cub, Brack, Tamzin starts to appreciate her surroundings, especially when she gets to know more about her reclusive next door neighbour. Running alongside Tamzin's story is that of Stella who lived at Cottage Two in the nineteen-seventies and whose sad story adds another poignant dimension to this emotional story of love and hurt.
This glorious part of the Yorkshire Dales comes alive with brief glimpses of the wildlife who make the place their home but running alongside descriptions of the glorious landscape is a sensitive and compassionate story about people who have been so hurt by life that they are having to start all over again. The characters who flit into and out of the story are a delight, especially handy-woman, Jill, whose DIY skill is much admired, but it is rescued fox cub Brack who really stole my heart, along with the enigmatic, Euan McGillan whose artistic skill is absolutely magical. I only wish I could have seen his drawings of Brack for myself.
Beautifully written and lovingly described I started to read A Cottage Full of Secrets on a rainy afternoon and it's such perfect escapism that didn't look up except to make cups of tea until I had finished the story in one sitting.
This glorious part of the Yorkshire Dales comes alive with brief glimpses of the wildlife who make the place their home but running alongside descriptions of the glorious landscape is a sensitive and compassionate story about people who have been so hurt by life that they are having to start all over again. The characters who flit into and out of the story are a delight, especially handy-woman, Jill, whose DIY skill is much admired, but it is rescued fox cub Brack who really stole my heart, along with the enigmatic, Euan McGillan whose artistic skill is absolutely magical. I only wish I could have seen his drawings of Brack for myself.
Beautifully written and lovingly described I started to read A Cottage Full of Secrets on a rainy afternoon and it's such perfect escapism that didn't look up except to make cups of tea until I had finished the story in one sitting.
February 21, 2022
This is a dual timeline novel, containing drama, romance and comedy.
It begins in September 1973, with Stella’s first person viewpoint, then moves to the present day where the first person voice is Tamzin Jones. She has just moved from Cornwall to Yorkshire into a cottage she has bought unseen. She arrives with her fox (Yes, fox) called Brack – it was such a joy to read a book with a fox in!
We find out the cottage is Tamzin’s new beginning, though we don’t find out what happened to her before until later on. Her new, miserable next door (and only!) neighbour is Euan McGillan. Their two cottages are the only houses around. Not long after she moves in, Tamzin finds an old faded photo of a woman which says ‘Stella, June 1972’ on the back…
The story piques your interest straight away, with a great opening chapter, which is intriguing and urges you to keep reading. Jane Lovering has a wonderful writing style, and I really enjoyed the touches of comedy straight away in Tamzin’s chapter. Both timelines pull you in and you are rooting for both Stella and Tamzin and want to discover their stories.
Stella’s husband Andy is controlling and violent towards her and some scenes are upsetting, but written very well. The darkness of Stella’s story contrasts well with the humour in Tamzin’s, but she too has had a hard time in a previous relationship.
I really fell in love with this book – with Tamzin, Jill, Euan, Stella and with Brack the fox! It’s a beautiful story with wonderful characters and it’s one I will remember. Highly recommended.
9 out of 10
It begins in September 1973, with Stella’s first person viewpoint, then moves to the present day where the first person voice is Tamzin Jones. She has just moved from Cornwall to Yorkshire into a cottage she has bought unseen. She arrives with her fox (Yes, fox) called Brack – it was such a joy to read a book with a fox in!
We find out the cottage is Tamzin’s new beginning, though we don’t find out what happened to her before until later on. Her new, miserable next door (and only!) neighbour is Euan McGillan. Their two cottages are the only houses around. Not long after she moves in, Tamzin finds an old faded photo of a woman which says ‘Stella, June 1972’ on the back…
The story piques your interest straight away, with a great opening chapter, which is intriguing and urges you to keep reading. Jane Lovering has a wonderful writing style, and I really enjoyed the touches of comedy straight away in Tamzin’s chapter. Both timelines pull you in and you are rooting for both Stella and Tamzin and want to discover their stories.
Stella’s husband Andy is controlling and violent towards her and some scenes are upsetting, but written very well. The darkness of Stella’s story contrasts well with the humour in Tamzin’s, but she too has had a hard time in a previous relationship.
I really fell in love with this book – with Tamzin, Jill, Euan, Stella and with Brack the fox! It’s a beautiful story with wonderful characters and it’s one I will remember. Highly recommended.
9 out of 10
June 23, 2022
This book was unexpectedly heavy. I thought it would be a lite fun romance but it was actually so much more. Reading a book like this makes me realize how lucky I have been in my life, not just in the way I was raised but also in the men I've let into my heart. I loved the way this was written. The characters are well developed and engaging. I really appreciated the inclusion of a male domestic violence survivor, it's not talked about or written about enough. I liked how honest Euan was about his experiance once he opened up and how he saw that whatever was happening between him and Tamzin had to move slowly, for both of their sakes. Stella's story is just so incredibly sad and tragic. She was taken advantage of by a calculating jerk who I don't believe ever loved her. I knew as soon as the luggage was found that she never made it out and it was heartbreaking. It's a sad truth, still happening today, that many people aren't able to get out safely from these types of situations. I was happy that Tamzin got out, happy that KT saw Dom for what he was before they made it all the way back home. I only wish that Andy had paid for his crime. I loved the inclusion of Brack, thought he injected the right amount of levity that was needed for such a heavy story. His own journey was in a way a mirror of Tamzin's. Hurt, rest, growth, recovery, freedom. I will without a doubt be reading more books by Jane Lovering.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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