I
LOVED
THIS
BOOK!

There are books you love for the writing and books you love because of the author... I loved this book for the way it made me feel!
I got lost in the story and felt like a townie....and now I want a castle chicken coop!!

Hm, I seem to be the odd man out here but I did not enjoy this book overall. The beginning was cute and I enjoyed reading about Clara moving to Acorn Cottage but then the book went downhill fast at high speed.

Everything happened way too quickly, Clara meets Rachel and then is the person Rachel calls in an emergency? Clara meets Henry and then shazaam! they are ready to be set for life? And all of this after she is on the rebound from a long term relationship.

Just messy overall. And also a sticking point for me was the flashback portion of the book which states Clara is 29 years old but when she is 10 years old she is watching Strictly with her Mother. Strictly debuted in 2004/2005 but Clara would have been 10 in 2001.

Clara Maxwell experiences a terrible betrayal, her boyfriend has slept with her best friend. When you find out the events around this you will get right behind her from the very beginning! It’s this event that causes Clara to move to Merryknowe. Clara’s new home Acorn Cottage is definitely in need of a job (or one hundred done) introducing the lovely Henry and his hilarious but amazing daughter Pansy.

Clara meets so many new people by moving to the country, there’s Rachel (she has a harrowing storyline herself) and in my eyes the heroine of the story Tassi. I just fell in love with Tassi an 89 year old woman who just wants to help people, especially Clara and little Pansy.

‘Starting Over at Acorn Cottage’ is a story about love, grief and hope. Kate tackles themes such as death, abuse and fears. This made it such a roller coaster of a read I just didn’t want to put down! ❤️

This is my first read by Kate Forster but it most certainly wont be my last. I give ‘Starting Over at Acorn Cottage’ 4*/5* 😊

Thank you to Aria Fiction for an advanced copy of this book via Netgalley.

What a fabulous story, everything about this novel is great I can't praise it enough. When it came to an end I wanted more, much more and I hope we see another book to follow this through. Acorn Cottage and its characters have so much more to give. This is a keeper and I wish I could give it 10 stars but I am only able to give it 5.stars. Well done Kate Forster for a brilliant novel and I wait to see if there is to be more to follow. I highly recommend this to be read.

This was the most delightful book to read, characters to fall in love with and beautiful descriptions, I felt like I was at home in Merryknowe. This would be perfect as a holiday read.

Buying a thatched cottage has always been the dream of Clara, roses around the door, children, husband and complete contentment. 

However dreams are life very rarely match. 

When Clara finds her boyfriend and best friend have been goign behind her back - discovered all thanks to cottage pie! Clara realises she cannot live in the shadow of their relationship and buys a thatched cottage, in Merryknowe unseen called Acorn Cottage. 

So the dream suddenly becomes a reality without the roses, the children, the husband and actually not much more else than a roof over the four walls. It is not really a dream more a disaster. 

Enter Henry and his daughter Pansy, in their little van. Looking for a place to stay and also Henry is looking for a place to work - what better place than Clara's cottage. 

Rachel has walked past Acorn Cottage for almost all of her life and it was her dream to be in there too. She initially resents Clara taking away that but actually Clara is the catalyst in helping Rachel follow her dream after a disastrous start in life.

Add into the mix, Joe the good looking butcher, Tassie McIver a elderly lady with a penchant for tea leaves and predicting life and the story starts weave together some magic which kept me turning the page and wanting to know if Acorn Cottage was the place for Clara to heal and start all over.  

Kate Forster weaves a lovely romantic tale into the renovation of a cottage, of the start of moving on for Clara, Henry and Rachel as well as the pull of a community in difficult times. What more could you want from a book - a cottage, a village, a bakery full of cake and romance. 

A lovely read and well worth losing yourself in.

Wonderful book yet another i couldn't put down, great holiday read that you'll finish in a couple of hours.

I went into this book expecting just a sweet romantic story - and it is that, but it's so much more. I was surprised by the depth of the characters and their backstories. I loved Clara from the very start - she's the person we all wish we could be. Following her story as you learned more and more of her history was heartbreaking, but getting to see her learn to move past it was inspiring and made me love her just a little bit more than I already did. I also really liked Rachel and getting to see her go from quiet mouse to confident woman. Both woman are stronger than they think and it was so rewarding as a reader to get to be with them on their journeys. The mystical aspect Tassie brings to the story adds just the right amount of whimsy to keep the story from getting too dark. This is definitely a book I will pick up many times to reread over the years.

First book I have read from this author, I can honestly say that I really enjoyed it and getting to know the characters.

I would definitely recommend this book to people.

And will definitely read more from this author

Not my usual genre but since I've hit a reading block I decided to try something else. It was a bit more than an 'easy, feel good read'. I wasn't expecting the abuse aspect but it wasn't too graphic. The writing isn't 'literary genius' quality but for some reason I could not put this book down. So I've given it 5 stars because it's been a while since that's happened. I genuinely was sad when it ended.

The fairytale qualities that depict how good overcomes bad are magically interspersed throughout the lives of those living in a small, dying English village. The town’s matriarch witnesses the revival of the quaint village as secrets of the main characters are slowly unveiled. Superstitions and old wives’ tales leave clues along the way as the issues of domestic violence are revealed and the burdens of abuse are confronted and relieved. As trust is established, the tenuous bonds of friendships and love sprout from small acorns into firmly-rooted oak trees offering the magical protection of shade beneath its sturdy branches of love. Realistic character flaws are exposed, explored, and addressed, replacing traumatic past events with renewed hope of self-worth deserving of love. The magic of rebirth of community is beautifully depicted through the simple, artistic creations of homes, foods, families and friends. Starting Over at Acorn Cottage is a magical, must read!

I really loved this book, such a sweet story and so many likeable but interesting characters. It dealt with some deep stuff too but with care and sensitivity, I will certainly be ready more by Kate Forster.

This was a nice light breezy feel good book. It was the kind of book you almost don’t want it to end. It had some interesting characters. I really enjoyed the story. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the early copy

I absolutely loved this book. As it was an advanced copy, there were several typo errors, but once I had mastered them, i raced through the book. Other than one character, that shall remain nameless, I loved the mix of personalities,watching them gel and grow and enhance each others lives. The book does touch on some 'unsavoury' and disturbing topics, but they are handled sensitively and with compassion. There is a bedroom scene that I personally dont feel the need for and it almost seemed misplaced,but thats my opinion. This book will take you on an emotional journey and may even have you shedding tears alongside the characters, but I heartily recommend grabbing yourself a copy.

Every once in a while I read a book that I have the most difficult time putting down. It consumes me and sucks me into its chapters and prose to the point where I have to force myself to be a productive member of my household and actually function. And then, comes the moment when I realize that it’s over. Not only is it over, but the ending has left me so satisfied that I wish there were more pages to explore.

Kate Forster managed to accomplish all that with this book.

From page one, I felt like I was truly invested in Clara’s story. She is the kind of heroine one can really root for. You hope good things for her and cheer her on throughout the story. And when you see obstacles for her, well, it kind of leads to an anxiety that all will go well in the end–even though you’re pretty sure it will.

I absolutely adore stories that not only tell a narrative of people’s lives, but also are so rich with the setting that I more than anything wish I could visit these quaint, amazing, little places.

The small town of Merryknowe, and all it’s quirky inhabitants tell an amazing story of friendship, strength, courage, and moving beyond a traumatic past into a beautiful future.

This really is one heck of a story.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. I loved this book, loved the settings the characters and was funny in places. 5 stars from me.

What a beautifully written book about how friendship helps to heal old wounds. Clara buys a cottage without viewing it after finding out her boyfriend has been having an affair with her best friend. When she arrives at the cottage she is devastated to find it has a hole in the roof and needs a lot of work to make it into a home. She has asked a roofer/handyman to give her an estimate to rethatch the cottage and when he arrives in his campervan with his outspoken six year old daughter Clara bursts into tears.

Clara finds a friend in Henry, the handyman, and his daughter Pansy as they renovate the old cottage together. She also befriends Rachael, who lives at the bakery/tea rooms with her domineering mother. Clara is a kind hearted person who also takes Tessie, the old, lonely lady under her wing.. I loved Tessie and her tea leaf readings and her endless knowledge and advice.

The characters all have their own problems and telling how they all help each other heal is very skilfully done. The picture painted in words of Acorn Cottage and the tea rooms was excellent and I can't wait to find more books by Kate Fotster. I loved her writing style. and once I started reading I couldn't stop but once I reached the last page I wanted to know more.

Trigger warning: domestic abuse, both in present time and characters’ pasts.

This book really was not my cup of tea. The cover and description look and sound like it is a light hearted romance of the kind I normally read, however it is most definitely NOT. It is chock full of people who have suffered (and are still suffering) domestic violence. I had to skim read the sections from Clara’s past as they were too traumatic for me to cope with. Also what she and her mother had to resort to is truly horrendous.

The romance was lovely, and Pansy was amazing. I also really liked Rachel and Tessie. The writing is good in terms of storytelling, but there are many sentences that just don’t make sense - there seem to be words missing - and many places where a similar sounding word was used instead of what the author clearly meant. A good proof read/edit would sort that out though, and as I read an advance copy, this may happen before the final release. I also noticed that the dialogue often sounded a little stiff - I think the lack of contractions is to blame for this (a lot of I will, instead of I’ll, etc).

Overall, I think if the cover and description conveyed that there are dark aspects to the story, and with some editing, this could be an excellent book. However, it is not for me!

I was given a free copy of this book. My opinions are, as always, my own.

Starting Over at Acorn Cottage is an easy, cozy read. The story centers on Clara, a young woman who moves to a small, struggling English village after some personal heartache. In the village she meets a cast of characters who are all struggling with their own personal problems, that Clara sets out to solve so she can ignore the things in her past that haunt her.

If you want a quick, feel good read, Starting Over at Acorn Cottage is a solid choice.

As other readers have pointed out, the ARC had so many errors that it was hard to read at times. I hope this issue is resolved before the book goes to print.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley for a honest review.

It was a cutesy kind of book. Bff, man, and a fixer-upper. cottage. It was aaa break from the usual reads. I did laugh and needed the laughs. I finished it on a Sunday and felt it has a good reason to read this. Go on now, you need to.
Thanks, NetGalley for the advance copy to review.