#BookReview ~ Healing Hearts at the Forever Cottage by Jill Steeples ~ #ContemporaryRomance @jillesteeples @rararesources @BoldwoodBooks

Healing Hearts at the Forever Cottage

The winds of change are sweeping through the idyllic Cotswold village of Lower Leaping.

After a tumultuous few months, Tess Alexander is ready to welcome her first guests to The Garden Retreat, a beautiful lodge in the grounds of Hollyhocks Cottage.

With her daughter Hannah home from her travels in Australia and her mother, Marjorie, acting out of character, Tess has to juggle many demands on her attention. Even her flourishing relationship with dashing Rob Templeton is put to the test when he faces an emotional dilemma from his past and Barney, her beloved beagle, has her at her wits end.

Tess can weather most storms with the unbridling support of her close friends Dilly, Gina and Suzy but when a passing remark in the local pub causes her to question one of those friendships, she wonders who can she really trust?

Can Tess overcome the obstacles in her path to find the happy ending she truly deserves?

My Review:

Healing Hearts at the Forever Cottage the second book in the Lower Leaping series. I loved seeing Tess break out of the shell as Charles's wife and begin to become her best self. She's also finished preparing The Garden Retreat and is ready for her first guests. Hannah is back from her walkabout and figuring out her new normal and Tess's mother seems to be changing before their eyes. Tess has a lot going on this book and is trying to juggle everything.

This is such a wonderful story of love, friendship, and continuing to learn how to live outside of a former spouse's shadow. As someone who has gone through a divorce, there is grief over the loss of a partner, who, while still living, is no longer part of your world. You have to learn to pick up the pieces and move on. Tess is doing just that, navigating new relationships, and finding out just who her friends truly are. 

I was provided with a copy of this book. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

My Rating:

3Purchase Link:

Amazon

Meet the Author:

Jill Steeples is the author of many successful women’s fiction titles all set in the close communities of picturesque English villages, including the Primrose Woods series. She lives in Bedfordshire. 

Social Media Links: 

Facebook: @JillSteeplesWriter

Twitter: @jillesteeples

Instagram: @jill.steeples

Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/JillSteeplesNews

Bookbub profile: @JillSteeples

This post contains affiliate links.

If you make a purchase using my links, I will receive a small commission from the sale at no cost to you.

Thank you for supporting Sapphyria’s Books.

#BookReview ~ The Forever Cottage by Jill Steeples ~ #Romance @jillesteeples @rararesources @BoldwoodBooks

The Forever Cottage

It's never too late to change your story...

About the Book:

Tess Alexander lives an enviable life with her husband Charles, at Hollyhocks Cottage in the idyllic Cotswold village of Lower Leaping. Dreaming of their early retirement, Tess’s plans are dashed when Charles shares some devastating news and suddenly she’s left alone with only Barney, her adorable Beagle dog, for company.

Facing an uncertain future, Tess tries to reconnect with her old self. She begins to transform the neglected garden office into a beautiful retreat, the perfect spot for her to indulge in her long-forgotten creative passions.

However, a chance encounter with charming but down on his luck, Rob Templeton, soon puts pay to her plans, when she offers him the place to stay instead, sensing a kindred spirit.

With the support of old friends, Gina and Suzy, Tess must now step out of her comfort zone and embrace a different way of life, one that is filled with secrets, possibilities and second chances, if only Tess is prepared to take them.

With so many demands on her attention, will Tess find a way to follow her heart and discover her own happy ending?

My Review:

The Forever Cottage is the first book in the Lower Leaping series. I love reading stories with characters close to my own age. It's nice to be able to identify with them paralleling my current stage in life. I tend to read more stories that I can relate to at earlier stages in my life so this is a nice change of pace.

While I can't relate with Tess's later in life divorce, I understand the grief and depression that wraps around you during a divorce at any age.  There is also an overwhelming need to rediscover one's self and start your life over again. I love how the author crafted Tess's new beginning, utilizing her friends to lift her up and support her. I enjoyed how Rob entered into her life with the possibility of becoming something more than a roommate.

This is such a wonderful story of love, loss, and learning to live again. As someone who has gone through a divorce, there is grief over the loss of a partner, who, while still living, is no longer part of your world. You have to learn to pick up the pieces and move on. 

And love comes when you least expect it. 

I can't wait for the continuation of Tess's story in the next book.

I was provided with a copy of this book. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

My Rating:

Purchase Link:

Amazon

Meet the Author:

Jill Steeples is the author of many successful women’s fiction titles all set in the close communities of picturesque English villages, including the Primrose Woods series. She lives in Bedfordshire.

Social Media Links:

Facebook: @JillSteeplesWriter

Twitter: @jillesteeples

Instagram: @jill.steeples

Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/JillSteeplesNews

Bookbub profile: @JillSteeples

This post contains affiliate links.

If you make a purchase using my links, I will receive a small commission from the sale at no cost to you.

Thank you for supporting Sapphyria’s Books.