The Island Cottage
The BRAND NEW uplifting and heartwarming romantic read from award-winning author Jane Lovering for 2024
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4.5 • 6 Ratings
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- £0.99
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Publisher Description
When Brid Harcus is sent to the Orkney Islands, in the far reaches of Scotland, she has high hopes for her trip being short, straightforward and lucrative.
Her mother has inherited a cottage from her Great Aunt Jennet which has been unlived in and unloved for decades, and the time has come to make it habitable and saleable. Easy, right?
But Midness Cottage has other ideas. For one thing it’s rather more ‘fixer upper’ than Country Living, with a resident goose and her goslings who have made themselves at home. And Brid definitely hadn’t planned for the strongly-held local belief that the cottage is meant to be the home of the Orkney Witch, and whomever lives in it must fulfil this role. Not the best message for the estate agent brochure and of course Brid doesn’t believe in magic, let alone have healing powers.
But Orkney does have healing powers. Its beauty and peace are enchanting, its people welcoming, and Brid’s handsome new friend Magnus is rather charming too. When her life back in York starts calling her home, will Brid sell up and ship out? Or did the last Orkney Witch cast a spell and leave a legacy of love if only Brid believed in magic…
Praise for Jane Lovering:
'I adored the dual timeline aspect of this gorgeous story and discovering the secrets from the past. Beautifully written and both heartbreaking and heartwarming' Jessica Redland
'A funny, warm-hearted read, filled with characters you'll love.' Matt Dunn on A Country Escape
What readers are saying about Jane Lovering:
‘I love a Jane Lovering book, she writes so wonderfully about real lives, relatable characters and situations. They are full of humour, as well as serious issues too but always the perfect balance so drama/sadness and joy/humour. Jane has her own unique style, one that I find full of heart, emotion, so engaging and enjoyable her books are just full of love.’
‘This was another wonderful read from an author who never disappoints – and yes, you’ve guessed it, it might just be my new favourite. Go on, add it to your reading list – you’re going to love it too!’
‘This is a sensitively written masterpiece and it grieves me to only award five stars because it truly deserves a 10 plus! Having finished it in less than a day, I am off to read it a second time because it is simply just that good!’
‘Jane has an easy going writing style that is easy to get used to and easy to get along with. In fact reading one of Jane's books feels more like a chat between friends rather than reading a book. I hope that makes sense. Jane's love for her characters shines through in the very vivid and realistic way in which she describes them. She makes her characters seem just as real as you and I.’
‘Another well written and cunningly contrived book from Jane. Once more she combines humour, sensitivity and serious social issues with her well drawn and filled out characters.’
Customer Reviews
4* So good, it's worth reading a second time.
It’s a long time since I read a book by Jane Lovering, an author who's writing I find amusing, observant and often containing wicked one-liners, so I was delighted to be offered an eARC of The Island Cottage.
Brid Harcus is persuaded by her mother to take time away from her busy job in York and travel to Orkney to sell her great aunt Jennet’s cottage. I had great problems accepting what happened next.
When Brid arrives in Orkney she immediately moves into Midness Cottage. This tiny cottage, barely more than a bothy, was left empty for 50 years after the death of her aunt Jennet, and boarded up. Since that time it was occasionally used to store hay and animal feed (mice everywhere?), even as a winter shelter for sheep, who aren't exactly house trained. A few modern amenities were installed, but generations of creepy crawlies and cobwebs must have accumulated. Weirdly Brid moved in spending little time cleaning.
Ignoring my scepticism, I continued reading. Brid discovers there's a widely held local belief that whoever lives in Midness Cottage is a witch – that's her! She faces howling winds, horizontal rain, a broody goose nesting in her cupboard, plus the cottage is engulfed in ivy – home for more wildlife. It's all a far cry from Brid's city life as an accountant in York.
Having said all that, I thoroughly enjoyed The Island Cottage and read it in one day, the twist at the end was totally unexpected.
eARC generously supplied by Boldwood Books and NetGalley, this review is my personal, unbiased opinion.