Gretchen Ross knows that her time is coming to an end.

Lottie Fox has moved to Loch Cameron after having her heart broken. As part of her MA, she needs to talk to some of the elderly about their lives. Enter Gretchen, who has had the most wonderful and fascinating, as well as traumatic and difficult life.

Lottie learns a lot about life from Gretchen, and the two become very close over a short period of time. Will Gretchen be able to tell Lottie about her secrets, or will she take them to the grave with her?

I found this to be an emotional read, but also inspiring. Thankfully there have been many people who were, and are very much like Gretchen’s character - refusing to be walked all over due to being female, not letting others look down on her and so much more.

I loved how Gretchen managed to change Lottie’s opinion of herself, showed her how beautiful she was inside and out.

This is a beautifully written story that did bring tears to my eyes at times and made me smile and laugh at others.

There is a lot to learn from this book and I came away with a warm feeling and determined to be more like Gretchen.

My thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

This book is the seventh in the Loch Cameron book series. However, it works well as a standalone. I haven’t read any of the others and didn’t feel I missed any background.

This book (and most likely series) targets a specific type of reader. Unfortunately, I am not one of them. I didn’t feel there was one plot line that wasn’t predictable. In reading the author'’s end comments, I believe, in addition to crafting a heartwarming story, she intended to raise issues of domestic violence and feminism’s baby steps in gaining traction. But the specific experiences were commonplace. There were no aha moments or I didn’t know that for me. No new ground or new perspectives were revealed.

The story is about a grieving young woman, Lottie, who moves to this lovely, picturesque village after the sudden death of her mother and a romantic breakup. Lottie suffers low self esteem and pushes herself to a new start. She begins graduate school and moves into a house with roommates, Fred and Celine. Instant new friends.. Her thesis will be based on interviews with the elderly.

Lottie has many fresh starts in her new location and new connections that will inevitably involve long held secrets. Gretchen, a character in this series, becomes a pivotal character for Lottie in helping her reshape how she thinks about herself. And, of course, there is a romantic arc. But it plods along until it reaches its expected end.

This would make the perfect Hallmark movie.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Ouverture for the opportunity to read this advanced readers copy and provide and honest review.

What an engrossing and soul stirring read! Without fail, Kennedy Kerr’s novels always leave me with so many emotions and thoughts. They are stories of substance that carry significant messages. And this one, the seventh book of the Loch Cameron series, the Lost memories of the Cottage by the Loch, is no exception. It captured my attention from the first page and held me captive to the very last. Publishing heroine Gretchen Ross’s story left a deep unforgettable mark on my heart. And Lottie’s important role as recorder of her life, brought to light many surprises.

I was moved to experience a whole range of emotions following this incredible cast of engaging characters. This sensitive, gripping story covered some very serious and disturbing topics important to women of the past and present. Through Gretchen, who worked in the publishing business, we learn how tough it was for working women in the 60s and 70s (and even today) dealing with sexual harassment, sexism and lack of respect in the corporate world. Women had to prove themselves and work harder to get the same recognition as men. Then in their private lives, women dealt with (and still do) verbal bullying, physical abuse and a number of prejudices (plus being subjected to stereo-typing). The scenes relating to the graveyards filled with ill-treated unwed mothers and pregnant women made me shudder. It is a reality we are confronted with and Kerr’s novel paints a vivid picture of the injustices.

Relationships are a big part of the story: the failed ones, the abusive ones but also the loving ones. A number of men in the plot treat these lead women badly but Kerr shows us also the caring ones, too (like Fred). We cannot label all men the same but we need to be aware there are as many predators as princes in the world. Although Gretchen has been deeply wounded by the way she was treated in her younger romantic years, she and other characters in the story are quick to point out that not all men are terrible and abusive.

Sadly we realise, as Gretchen does, the ill treatment from those unhealthy relationships when she was younger, left a scar on her heart so deep it caused her to miss out on a second chance at love. Now at the end of her life, she ponders her choices and does not want the same loveless life for her friend, Lottie, and makes this clear in their meetings.

Lottie has had her own heart broken by a man she thought she would be spending her life with. She escapes to Loch Cameron to heal and do some research for her Master’s degree. She visits the care home for the elderly to gather some local history and meets Gretchen who she instantly likes. Gretchen shares her life story and it is a fascinating one with many impressive achievements. But she also touches on the personal challenges she faced romantically and career wise. Their time together is very special and we learn so much about each of them. When Gretchen spots Lottie’s necklace that was given to her by her late mother, Gretchen realises their connection is far deeper than she originally thought. She knows then, she must share a secret with Lottie before it is too late.  

Love, betrayal, secrets and revelations fill these well written pages. My heart was bursting with emotions as I read this touching, beautifully presented story delivered by both Gretchen and Lottie. I actually completed this in one day as I could not set it down until I turned the last page—and even then I kept going back and re-reading moving passages. I highly recommend the Lost memories of the Cottage by the Loch and I guarantee there will be tears! I really did not want this story to end and you will see why. 5 Glorious Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for a review copy.

I love these Loch books and this did not disappoint . You have to concentrate a little bit in the beginning as moves around a bit, I love Gretchen story. Gosh being a woman in power in the 60’s and 70’s was not good. I loved how Gretchen chose her secretary . The graves in the Churchyard made me sad . Some very moving parts. Glad Lottie got her happiness in the end. Read it , it is amazing.