A Cottage Full of Secrets by Jane Lovering is a different sort of romance. The character in this book deals with some serious abuse and gets away from it. There is romance but it is not your fluffy happily ever after. Still, I found this book sweet and full of hope. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

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.

Thank you Netgalley and Boldwood Books for access to this arc.

From the start, it’s clear that recent life hasn’t been easy for either of the women who, fifty years apart, live in the stone cottage far out from town. Young early 1970s bride Stella has a plan to escape and through her naive and stumbling recounting of her married life, we can figure out why she feels the need to flee her husband. Older contemporary Tamzin has arrived fleeing from her own abusive past along with an adult fox she saved who was injured as a kit. A strange neighbor lives next door to Tamzin who she tries to avoid if at all possible.

When she can’t find the cottage mains stopcock (US=water shut off valve), a knock on his door is necessary. That also gets her the name of a female handyperson named Jill from whose keen eye no needed household repair can be hidden. In asking for a female, Tamzin has unknowingly revealed a bit of herself to Jill – who has worked for women who feel more comfortable with a woman in the house instead of a man – and Euan – because a survivor knows a fellow survivor.

Tamzin soon uncovers a past mystery about a former resident but before she can solve that, her past arrives whether she’s ready to face it or not.

The down-to-earth people of Yorkshire are a delight. They notice much but don’t (immediately) comment on these things. No, they sit back and wait as endless cups of builders tea are made and drunk and until a person is more ready to talk about things in their lives that are dark or plaster walls that are damaged. I was drawn into the location as Tamzin and her fox, Brack, explore their new surroundings – the moors of Yorkshire. Next door neighbor Euan has reason to know the areas well and serves as an intro to the wild animals and hidden places.

I seem to be reading quite a few books with victims of domestic abuse/violence. As with the most recent one, “Drawn by the Current,” the details here are evocative of what survivors endure. Two victims suffered violent attacks while two others have been subjected to emotional abuse and manipulation. All of them must face the emotional and physical scars of the battering and try to regain and rebuild their sense of worth as well as their confidence. None of them are portrayed as being the same way and yet as one character states “survivors know survivors.” There are similarities in the way they view and react to the world now that have marked them. I was thrilled that two characters are planning on seeking therapy and realize that “the healing power of love” won’t be enough.

The book isn’t all doom and gloom. Tamzin has kept her sense of humor as well as a bit of wonder at the natural world she’s now a part of. Before, she’d lived in touristy Truro but now with just one neighbor, a handyperson, and the local townspeople (a drive away) who are thrilled at her purchases for her DIY projects around her, she’s out of the house much more. Part of this is because her rescue fox (some vague details are given about what caused his injury) can now be outside. It’s lovely to watch them explore the countryside. I totally get that Tamzin and Brack are both injured creatures, hurt by cruelty and slowly healing. Others might not understand why Tamzin is willing to put up with fox urine in the house but, though she knows Brack isn’t a pet and is working herself up to taking him to a local wildlife sanctuary, he’s her fox and she does love him. They’re both damaged but they’re not worthless. Once we see Euan’s true colors, their gentle and slowly growing relationship is wonderful to watch.

The bits of humor sprinkled through the story serve to lighten what could have otherwise been a fairly dark story. Having Stella’s story told in the order that it was puzzled me a bit but though there is a clue midway in the book, her ultimate fate wasn’t revealed until the end. Brack’s HEA brought tears to my eyes while Tamzin’s HFN felt right. B

I recently finished reading The Cottage Full Of Secrets which is due for release on Tuesday! I received an ARC via @netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I've only read one of Jane's other books in the past, The Cottage Escape, and I'll be honest it wasn't my favourite read (although it certainly wasn't bad). So if I'm being totally honest, I was a little apprehensive about starting this one and went in with an open mind.

... and I was pleasantly surprised.

Two women. Two timelines. Both occupants of the same beautiful country cottage. Both of them hiding dark secrets about the trauma that's been inflicted on them in the past. Both looking to take back control of their lives and rebuild their futures.

But what happens when your past comes back to haunt you?

This book touched on so many important topics including domestic abuse. It was well written and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it as we learned more about each of our heroines.

Jane has used a particularly interesting approach in telling one of the timelines backwards, working our way back to where it all began which was a really gripping approach.

If you enjoy a romance book with some more serious undertones, with more slow burns than spice, then you will enjoy this one.

Let me know your thoughts if you give it a read!

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This was such a relaxing read. The descriptions of the cottage and the surrounding areas were beautiful. I enjoyed the way Tazmin and Euan relationship developed. It felt natural and you could feel that it was the beginning of something truly beautiful. It was sweet and at times heartbreaking that ends with a satisfying and lovely ending!

Thank you Rachel's Random Resources and Jane Lovering for sharing this beautiful story with me!

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.

I found this book slow to begin with, but I soon became engrossed in Tamzin and Stella's stories. This is a dual timeline book, set 50 years apart featuring the two female inhabitants of a cottage in Yorkshire.
Stella's story was very sad and emotional. I really wanted to find out what happened to her.
Tamzin was trying to escape an abusive relationship and moved from Cornwall to a small cottage in Yorkshire with Brack the Fox. I have never encountered a fox as a pet before, but he had been rescued as a cub.
Most of the characters had suffered some kind of adversity, and were very much learning how to survive. This b book could be a difficult read for some people.
Jane Lovering balanced heartache with heartwarming moments. There was also plenty of humour. I really enjoyed reading this book.
Thank you to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for my ARC.

A cottage full of secrets is a compelling read that I thoroughly enjoyed, based in wild Yorkshire we meet tamzin and her fox brack, this is a new start for tamzin who has just escaped from an abusive relationship and is hoping that this new start many miles away from Cornwall will aid her recovery.
Whilst at the cottage tamzin starts unearthing hidden photos of a previous occupant Stella and becomes intrigued with the history of the cottage and its former occupants, wary of men tamzin and her neighbour Euan are slow to make friends but gradually they gravitate towards each other as they both share a common bond and can recognise in each other previous pain and suffering.
Rehabilitation of both tamzin and euan is central to the theme and not forgetting the ongoing care and rehab of a young fox that tamzin nursed back to health.
A great read full of Yorkshire scenery, wildlife, second chances, history, domestic abuse but overall hope and resilience.
Thank you netgalley for this early read.

Heart-warming and beautiful book set in Yorkshire, with a dual timeline that tells the stories of two women Tamzin and Stella who are from different generations but live in the same cottage 50 years apart.

This book has the best of both worlds. It has both romance and romantisized cottage life, with a brooding hot neighbour, and the layers that make a book good. I love that it is not just 'they fell in love and all was suddenly well', while still giving that hopeful 'things will get better one day'.

A Cottage Full of Secrets is a dual timeline contemporary romance that follows the story of two women who had made a tiny Yorkshire Cottage their home. I want to let readers know that this book has some trigger warnings around the issue of physical and emotional abuse. Stella’s story is grim at times, and there are scenes where her husband is very physically abusive towards her. If the topic of abuse is not something you are comfortable with, I would not recommend reading this book.

I enjoyed the story and its characters. This book is a more emotionally charged and heartfelt romance with a mystery twist. I liked the dual timeline, but I wished that Stella’s timeline was structured a bit differently. I would have reversed the order of the Stella’s chapters. This change would have made Stella’s story flow a bit better.

I loved Tam’s timeline and her journey of finding herself again. Her story has this perfect balance of friendship, realism, romance, and humour. Its pace and flow were just perfect. I loved how Jane approached the difficult issue of abuse and how abusive relationships can take many different forms and happen to both women and men.

The relationship between Tam and Euan was sweet and just so charming. Both Tam and Euan have had traumatic pasts that have left them wary of interactions with others and forming a romantic relationship with anyone. I loved the romance these two characters had. Their relationship development was slow and steady; they went from wary neighbours to cautious friends to hopeful lovers.

I adored Tam’s relationship with her furry companion Brack; a recuse fox. The one-sided conversations Tam had with Brack were funny and cute, and I loved how Brack was s source of healing and comfort for Tam.

The Cottage of Secret Dreams is a beautiful heartfelt romance story that you will not be able to put down.

Thank you, Boldwood Books and Rachel Random Resources, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

There are many things which attract me to Jane Lovering’s style of writing, but I think the atmosphere that she creates is what draws me in, more than anything. That was certainly true as I entered Tamzin’s world. Escaping the fallout of a difficult relationship with her controlling ex, she arrives at her new cottage alone except for her fox, Brack. The cottage has been bought with money left to her by her grandmother. Money that her ex had designs on, but never managed to get hold of. Discovering an old photo, Tamzin becomes determined to find out more about the woman in the picture, a woman with whom she feels a kinship, a shared history.

Tamzin is a wonderful character, she was equal parts damaged and yet determined. It was a joy to see her slowly rediscover her strength and identity. Whilst it would be easy to have her fall in love and live happily ever after, Jane Lovering makes her characters earn their joy. I loved the dual storyline as we saw glimpses of the life Stella lived, and the treatment that she endured from her husband.

Jill and Euan are the perfect friends for Tamzin’s new life. Euan has issues of his own, which have led to him leading a reclusive life, whilst Jill has confidence enough for all of them. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing how their personalities led to a strengthening for Tamzin.

The appearance of Katie, who understands better than anyone what Tamzin has been through, brings an interesting aspect to the story and I was intrigued to discover how this would pan out. It certainly led to some deep introspection for them both.

Another wonderful aspect of Jane Lovering’s writing is her ability to describe the surrounding areas in a detail that fires my imagination. The two cottages, situated on the old farm site, were easy to envisage. I could almost hear the wildlife and feel the wind over the moors.

This is another wonderful book, written with warmth and understanding for a difficult subject. I simply loved it.

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

Another fantastic read by Jane Lovering, the ‘romcom with a difference’ Queen!

As a fan of Lovering, I knew I had to read this story and you can rely on her writing to never feel you are reading a story that’s already ‘been done’.

The realness of the characters and the journey they take in this story is absolutely beautiful, at times it pulled on the heartstrings, but ultimately it felt like you were living and watching the life of someone you know, love and want the happy ending for!

Lovering manages to take scenarios that are not uncommon in life, and weave them into a fantastic and sympathetic story-telling, where you feel a certain connection with the characters and they are brought to life.

I would whole-heartedly recommend Lovering as an author to follow, and I would recommend this book as a great place to start! Another smash-hit from her, that wraps you in a warm hug and finishes leaving you wanting more in the best possible way…

This was a very good story even though it took me a few pages to get into it. I am glad that I kept on reading. Interesting novel and by a very good author, her books always deliver just what we all need. 5 stars.

Thanks to netgalley and publisher for this e ARC

What a lovely book. A great read. It was good with the mix of two women and how they lived. Would love to read more by this author.

I really hoped this book would deliver unfortunately it fell flat for me. It was slow and I found it boring so I didn’t finish it. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

Tamzin has just bought a little cottage in Yorkshire and she is determined to put her past behind her and create a new life for herself.

When Tamzin finds an old photograph of Stella hidden in the walls of the cottage she is instantly intrigued by her sadness.

As she gradually reinvigorates the house to its former glory she also finds new friends and starts to win over her neighbour Ewan. Is this the start of something special for Tamzin and will she find out what happened to Stella?

I really enjoyed this novel and would definitely recommend it.

fifty years ago stella lived in this cottage, now fifty years later Tamzin moves in. she finds a picture of stella and wonders why stella looks so sad.. she searches for answers as the story unflolds.

Loved it! I'm pretty sure Tamzin will always remember Brack, since she will never be able to get his smell out her house. There will always be a piece (stench) of him with her. Foxes are the cutest but I would NEVER have one as a pet. The parts about Stella are hard to read, the abuse she suffered was horrible. Those parts definitely might be triggering for some people. I wish she would have told someone. I'm guessing her plan did not work. I would have liked to read a little more about what happened to her. I'm guessing buy the time Tamzin moved into the cottage, Stella's parents would no longer be alive. Euan and Jill were the perfect people for Tamzin and exactly what she needed. I definitely know why Tamzin connected so well with Euan and Stella's story. Tamzin definitely dodged a bullet and was extremely lucky. I can't believe what Dominic tried to do with Brack, when he was just a baby. I was surprised Katie showed up at Tamzin's house, although who could blame her wanting to get away from Dominic for awhile. Decorating is definitely not Tamzin's strong point. I know she read so many decorating magazines, but that didn't help her with her choice in paint color, the million cushions or the flamingo wallpaper that she put in her spare room. Loved the characters, story and writing style. At times the story is lighthearted and fun and other times it's serious and scary. I enjoyed the scenes with all the animals, especially Brack.

Definitely recommend the book. This is the first book I read by the author and I look forward to reading more. Love the cover of the book.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Boldwood Books through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.