Memories of the cottage by the sea–ARC Book Review Blog Tour

As she inhales the salty sea air, Charlotte glimpses the island on the horizon. Seeing it after all these years still sends a shiver down her spine. Should she be returning to this place?

When teacher Charlotte Kingston is sent to close a school on an isolated Scilly Isle, it is her first time on the island since summer holidays spent there with her grandparents. But with a newly broken heart, she’s desperate to travel as far from her life on the mainland as possible.

Not long after she arrives, two visiting children find themselves in need of a place to stay when their grandmother falls ill. When Charlotte agrees to take care of the boys, she suddenly has a reason to keep the school open a little longer. With a renewed sense of purpose, Charlotte begins to connect with the local islanders who tell her more about her family.

Intrigued, Charlotte decides to decode her grandmother’s old letters from the Second World War. They reveal a story of a forbidden love that defied the darkness of war, and of a beautiful, brave young man who would risk everything for his country, even if meant losing the woman he loved…

Just as Charlotte realises the secret will change her life forever, the children’s handsome, enigmatic stepfather, Ash, arrives to take care of them. But Charlotte doesn’t trust him – he left the boys once before, why wouldn’t he do it again? But as the tension grows between them, Charlotte feels an attraction developing, too. And although she can’t stop thinking about Ash, and his soft, full lips, she’s afraid to open her heart again.

But rereading her grandmother’s story, Charlotte realises there is courage and redemption among the pages. Is this a sign that everyone deserves a second chance, maybe even Ash? And, if she is brave enough to let him in, will she be able to put her fractured heart back together once and for all?

Thank you Bookouture for involving me in the book blog!

The story begins with Charlotte Kingston who is heartbroken and moved to this fictional island where she used to spend with her grandparents. The school is on the verge of closing and Charlotte takes in two boys under her wing. While in the island, she learns more about her grandmother about her life during the WWII

This is the first book I have read of this author and is the second book of the series though this is the first time I have read from this author. The book was beautifully written, dividing the timeline between the present and the past set during the WWII. Though I am not really a fan of romance novels, I actually enjoyed reading this book–there were some emotional parts but overall, this was an unputdownable book. The characters are all strong women particularly Charlotte’s grandmother. The writing was really good and the author did a great job of drawing the reader into the story, making the reader feel like they are also a part of the story.

If you are looking for a heartwarming, emotional book which is unputdownable, I hightly recommend you to try this book out–worth five stars!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture.