Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

Rose Cottage Sisters #1-2

Home at Rose Cottage: Three Down the Aisle / What's Cooking?

Rate this book
With her unforgettable warmth and charm, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Sherryl Woods invites you to join the D'Angelo sisters as they journey home to Rose Cottage…a place where hearts heal and love blooms.

Three Down the Aisle

She came to Rose Cottage to concentrate on her needs for once. The last thing Melanie expects is to meet a handsome landscaper and his troubled little girl. She knows they need her help to truly become a family…but can she let father and daughter into her heart without losing herself in the process?

What's Cooking?

A refuge is what Maggie is hoping to find—an escape from yet another unsuitable affair. She hopes her time at Rose Cottage will allow her to find out who she is without a man. But when her lover follows her all the way to the Chesapeake Bay, she has no choice but to consider what's really keeping her from a successful relationship.

459 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published September 28, 2010

28 people are currently reading
762 people want to read

About the author

Sherryl Woods

556 books4,530 followers
With two other careers to her credit before becoming a novelist and four states in which she's lived for extended periods of time, Sherryl Woods has collected friends and memories, along with way too much unnecessary junk.

"The friends are the only things I've brought with me through the years that really matter," she says. "I could probably live without one more chintz teacup, another tin-litho sandpail or another snowglobe, but I need those friends."

The theme of enduring friendships and families is always central to Sherryl's books, including her latest Chesapeake Shores series — THE INN AT EAGLE POINT, FLOWERS ON MAIN and HARBOR LIGHTS.

Author of more than 100 romance and mystery novels, Sherryl Woods grew up in Virginia. Over the years she had lived in Ohio and Florida, as well as California. Currently she divides her time between Key Biscayne, Florida and Colonial Beach, Virginia, the small, river-front town where she spent her childhood summers.

A graduate of Ohio State University School of Journalism, Sherryl spent more than ten years as a journalist, most of them as a television critic for newspapers in Ohio and Florida. For several years she also coordinated a motivational program for the more than 8,000 employees at the University of Miami-Jackson Memorial Medical Center.

Her first book, RESTORING LOVE, was published in 1982 by Dell Candlelight Ecstasy under the pseudonym of Suzanne Sherrill. Her second book, SAND CASTLES, under the pseudonym of Alexandra Kirk, was published later that same year by Bantam. She began using her own name when she moved to the Second Chance at Love line at Berkley Publishing. In 1986, she began writing full-time and also began her long career at Silhouette Books with the Desire title NOT AT EIGHT, DARLING, set in the world of television which she covered for so many years.

In addition to her more than 75 romances for Silhouette Desire and Special Edition, she has written thirteen mysteries — nine in the Amanda Roberts series and four in the Molly DeWitt series.

When she's not writing or reading, Sherryl loves to garden, though she's not at her best on a riding lawn mower. She also loves tennis, theater, and ballet, even though her top spin has long since vanished, she's never set foot on a stage, and she's way too uncoordinated to dance. She also loves baseball and claims anyone who's ever seen Kevin Costner in "Bull Durham" can understand why.

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
475 (41%)
4 stars
411 (35%)
3 stars
216 (18%)
2 stars
33 (2%)
1 star
9 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
Profile Image for Blodeuedd Finland.
3,673 reviews310 followers
March 10, 2017
So this was a 2 in one. 4 sisters, one cottage, all will fall in love, or so I guess.

Three down the aisle.
Melanie arrives at her grandma's cottage after a heartbreak. Why they let the cottage fall to ruin I do not know. Srsly people! Anyway, she has time to fix it up.

In comes sexy hunk, with a daughter. That kid sure liked Melanie fast, and the way Melanie was, well maybe she should work with kids instead. She was a natural, or maybe it was meant to make us like her more ;)

They fall into friendship, love and then they all live happily ever after.

Nice

What's Cooking
Maggie comes to Rose Cottage for a time of her rest of her own. Though such a silly reason of her to run. She can convince herself it was for her, but she is just running from letting anyone in.

I liked that the man did the chasing in this one. He knew he wanted more so he followed her, while she was a chicken and ran because she thought she would mess it up, that he only wanted a fling. I mean hello he followed you there! Give the man a chance, he is great.

But I did like it, because it meant they really took their time with each other. Fell in love, fell in love with the place and lived happily ever after.

Cute
Profile Image for Sonia VM.
197 reviews1 follower
November 26, 2025
Romantiek en ze leefden nog lang en gelukkig.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Keenan Barker.
23 reviews
September 4, 2023
There are two stories in this book, each about a sister struggling with personal issues that go to the grandmother's cottage where they spent summers as children. Melanie is the first to venture to the cottage after it remained empty following the grandmother's death. She spends the summer cleaning and bringing the cottage to life. With that comes the garden landscaping and her introduction to Mike and his daughter. A summer of romance, and a new family emerges.

Then there's the second story of Maggie escaping to the cottage to sort out her feelings following an affair with a man she did not know was married, and escape from the current beau, Rick, whom she finds herself falling for and not trusting her own instincts. Rick investigates, finds out her location and follows, where he spends the entire time waiting on Maggie to admit her feelings and struggling with is own past life where relationships were benefits of his job and constantly changin.

The stories of interpersonal inspection and growth are well written and entertaining, for the most part. But the core of each story, troubling. Hence a lower than average rating.

Both sisters meet a man, disagree almost daily with that respective man, fall into isolation, do not want to talk about anything, fall in love and then, marry and settle down near the cottage. While the cottage may be "magical" and full of happy childhood memories, I'm disappointed that the author (even in fiction) wants us to applaud the happy endings and put the book down smiling. Instead, I was left feeling frustrated and wanting to give each sister a good lecture about being confident in themselves and happy internally before creating a family with someone they do nothing but fight with and have known for a few months. Even more so in the first story, where the marriage seems to be grounded in providing a family for a young girl who needs a motherly figure. All the while with a man who never can say the word "love".

I'm invested, so I guess I will read Return to Rose Cottage and see if the other two sisters can do better.
5 reviews
October 3, 2025
Het eerste boek vond ik mwah. Ik ben niet zo van de slowburn romances heb ik gemerkt. Het tweede boek vond ik in dat opzicht dan al wat beter.
Ik vond het onrealistisch dat in beide boeken de stellen na paar weken bij elkaar te zijn geweest, meteen gingen trouwen. En dan vooral in het tweede boek, ze hadden letterlijk ruzie en diezelfde dag heeft hij haar nog ten huwelijk gevraagd. Kijk als je het weet, weet je het. Maar zo snel trouwt toch niemand?

Verder waren het wel leuke boeken. En ik wil erdoor ook naar een cottage verhuizen met een appelgaard 🙃
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Brittney Jackson.
3 reviews
November 13, 2024
Couldn't put the book down, and when I did have to put down, I was anticipating when I got to pick it up again.
Never thought I would find myself in a romance novel, but with the way Sherryl Woods writes, it has me wanting more. I'm so glad to have had the luck of my husband saving these books from the dump because I would have been missing out.
Can't wait to see what happens with Ashley and Jo D'Angelo.
Profile Image for Nancy.
2,590 reviews65 followers
June 22, 2020
3.5 stars. Melanie & Mike (landscape designer) was my favorite. Then What’s Cooking with Maggie & Rick (photographer)
who buy an apple orchard by book’s end and are married by oldest sister Ashley (w/in two weeks after engagement).
Profile Image for Joan  Ridge.
329 reviews1 follower
Read
June 7, 2019
Okay....I didn't finish this book....a third thru it I seen this was for teenagers....Not for me lol.
2 reviews
May 14, 2024
Gezellig boek, maar erg langdradig.
24 reviews
July 24, 2024
A 2 in 1 book. For me the first book was way better than the second one. The second one just didn't have the emotional pull the first one had.
Profile Image for Susan.
146 reviews1 follower
March 12, 2016
Three Down The Aisle, centers around sister Melanie who finally decides it's time to concentrate on her needs for a change. After finding out that her boyfriend, who just so happens to work at the same company she does, has a wife and two kids, Melanie's three sisters convince her to take some time off to heal her heart, figure out what she is going to do next, and fix up the cottage that has been empty and neglected since Grandma passed away seven years ago.

Rose Cottage sits on the banks of the shores of the Chesapeake Bay. Stefan "Mike" Mikelewski, local landscape designer, drives passed the place every weekday taking his daughter Jessie to and from school. He is dismayed, and frankly really upset to see the old beauty in such disrepair. On one of these daily trips, Jessie sees something in the window and he decides to go back and investigate. It is then he finds Melanie "tresspassing" on the property.

It is here that Rose Cottage begins to weave her "spell" over the two as they learn to heal their hearts and begin to trust that they will find love again.

I liked this one. It's storyline is relevant to things that are current in today's world. We spend the better part of our day at work and it can be difficult to meet people, let only date. It's natural that we would gravitate to those around us at work for love and companionship. However, we run the risk of getting our hearts broken, especially when we find that one or both parties fail to tell to the truth about themselves. Married or not? Kids or no kids? Are you dating me just so that you can advance in the company or ???




I find that this was a fast read as it got right into the story after a brief prologue. If you've never read Sherryl Woods before, I highly recommend that you read her novels.
Profile Image for ★Meghan★.
170 reviews
January 3, 2012
This book is more of a 3.5 star book. The first book was fairly ok and the second book was more of a 4 star. It had the sweet quality that I like in Sherryl Woods and with this type of fiction, but I think that it is also could have been a little faster paced. I still want to read the others in the series.

Melanie and Mike's relationship seems way to far-fetched but what romance novel is very realistic anyway. This one was sort of weird with the daughter in the middle and them falling for each other. But it didn't really seem like they got together because they were falling for each other. I never really got the concept of the two actually loving each other.

Maggie's and Rick's relationship was also not very realistic but a lot more adorable and had you rooting for them the entire time. I was excited to see what they would do and their relationship with the Keller couple was sweet and made me wish I had that sort of relationship with my grandparents. It sort of reminds me of the relationship that my boyfriend has with his grandparents.
532 reviews1 follower
January 21, 2014
home at rose cottage:
THREE DOWN THE AISLE - (MIKE AND MELANIE)
WHAT'S COOKING - (Rick and Maggie)

New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Sherryl Woods draws you into the world of Rose Cottage, where the D'Angelo sisters reunite with family and find lasting love.

The Laws of Attraction

High-powered attorney Ashley D'Angelo has finally burned out. After heeding the call of Rose Cottage, she believes she may have found the calm she so desperately needs and perhaps the chance at a happy ending with handsome Josh Madison. But if Josh isn't quite who he seems, is he still the man who can complete Ashley's joy?

For the Love of Pete

After hearing her sisters speak of the emotional healing to be found at Rose Cottage, Jo D'Angelo takes a chance and returns to the beautiful home. Only she knows the cottage is where she once loved and lost Pete Catlett. She's stunned to find Pete back there, as well, dealing with worries about his young son. Can the romantic wonder of the cottage reunite these two wounded souls?
Profile Image for Maureen ~Bitch Can Write A Book.
1,500 reviews35 followers
August 17, 2015
Sweet and fun!

This book had two stories in it.

Melanie and Mike...

She goes to heal her ego mostly, she is not afraid to trust her judgement. Then she meets a wonderful man who has had a difficult time and his sweet daughter who too is dealing with a rough past. Together they find what they need in each other.

Maggie and Rick...

She heads to their Grandmothers cottage in hopes to steer clear of another poor choice. He can't put her out of his mind and moves mountains to find where she ran off too. His upbringing leaves no room or belief in happy ever after. She is convinced he doesn't have what it takes to stick around. With the help of a sweet couple married for 62 years they find their HEA.

The D'Angelo sisters are a force to be reckoned with when they are united. This fun, sweet romance was a fast, lovely read. I would love to visit this enchanted cottage!
Profile Image for Crystal Baird.
26 reviews
February 5, 2017
Woods' books always leave me feeling like I want more. The characters are lovely and the story is easy. I love the setting of this series. She writes so you feel like you are there.

This was the first two stories in the series. Both are something we've seen before, and nothing special. But it was a lovely read. Looking forward to the next two sisters stories.
Profile Image for Julie Barrett.
9,208 reviews206 followers
November 1, 2011
mike lives in the cottage next door. his daughter is so deprived as his wife was into drugs and left them
melanie was in her grandmothers cottage to recover from a bad love affair, with a married man. he appraches the house
thinking an intruder is there, he had never met her. he lets her know how appauled he is at the state of the garden. her
grandmother would be appauled at its state. he's a landscape designer and wants to help restore it to its original state.


Merged review:

home at rose cottage by sherryl woods,
whats cooking - another of the sisters goes to rose cottage and finds love, hearts do heal and love blooms
the other relatives help get them together.
582 reviews4 followers
January 25, 2013
Two novels in this book. The first one is a typical, light romance with emotional struggles between Melanie and Mike, a man with a child who has behavioral problems caused by his drug-addicted wife. Good reading, but nothing outstanding.
The second story is about Maggie and Rick, a photographer who has always kept people at bay for fear of establishing a meaningful relationship and commitment. Other Manning characters appear in this story, too. Ms. Woods does a good job of showing how both of the main characters work thru their doubts and past failures and fears.
347 reviews
May 26, 2015
The Rose Cottage series follows a family of sisters. Each sister, at one time or another, returns to the summer cottage of their youth to escape whatever situation in their real lives has them bolt. So far the first book has been all about the bad male relationships in two of the sisters' lives, so in some respects the plot and finish are quite predictable. However, Woods does a wonderful job with her character development. Each sister has their own very specific personality and how it compliments/complicates the other sisters' lives.
Profile Image for Kshydog.
987 reviews2 followers
February 24, 2015
In "Three down the Aisle" I enjoyed that there was a bit of thinking in the characters with Mike being concerned about his daughter over his happiness and Melaine having compassion for the daughter and her tantrums. In "What's Cooking" Rick grew and matured much more with his willing to try and learn how to be a mature man than Maggie with her whining ways.
Profile Image for Patricia Solla.
1,333 reviews21 followers
March 11, 2011
Love the Rose Cottage sisters. Like all the family interaction. The setting and it's descriptions are wonderful. Makes me want to find the town and go and visit. These two stories are the first two of four all about sisters in the same family.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.