This World War II novel was pretty good. Interesting and had a little bit of intrigue to it as well. I enjoyed it.

This book has a beautiful setting. This book was a mixture of historical and romantic fiction.
The writing was engaging. The characters were interesting but the romance was a bit lacklustre

Big thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for sending me a copy of this book to read and review.

This was beautifully written and I don’t normally read historical fiction as it’s not one of my faves. Unless there’s a duke involved apparently. However I did enjoy myself when I was reading this one.

2.5 stars.
it was beautifully written and i could image the scenery. But the characters were so and so. The heroine was extremely boring.

The House at mermaid cove by Lindsay Jayne Ashford

A mysterious woman is washed up on mermaid cove. Alice McBride is the mysterious woman and is not all that she seems.

A very good read about this historical time.

A very enjoyable description story of this time .

Although My only disappointment is that I feel Jack and Alice’s personal relationship could have been expanded upon to make this a perfect read for me but a good read none the less 3.5/5

Usually, I love the works by this author because she is a very talented author. However, I did not like Alice or her backstory. Still, I recommend this for those that love reading novels about WWII!

The House at Mermaid's Cove was just the book I needed to read! The setting and time period were just fantastic. I have read a number of WWII books over the years and this one was just so unique. I wasn't familiar with Cornwall, England before and now I definitely want to visit! I loved the romance but most of all I loved the growth experienced by Alice and Jack as they processed their pasts and got to know themselves (and each other) better. The elements of mystery and the fight against the Nazis was also great. I adored this book and could have kept reading it if the story continued! What a wonderful book. I'll definitely be reading more by Lindsay Jayne Ashford.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the free ebook copy. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a great little book about self-forgiveness and identity set during WWII. No matter how many historical fiction books set during WWII I manage to read, I always seem to learn something new. The plot line about the resistance efforts between Cornwall and Brittany was very interesting, and something I was previously unfamiliar with.

I didn’t love all of Alice’s guilt at being a former nun - I felt she should have moved past that and forgiven herself much sooner than she did. Also, the romance between Jack and Alice could have been developed a little more for my tastes.

Overall, it was a quick, fun read and I learned something.

I was not able to get interested in this book and I did not finish it. The characters and the plot were not able to catch or keep my attention.

Alice McBride’s traveling from Africa and is returning home to Ireland and when her ship takes a direct hit from a German torpedo. She’s washed ashore on a deserted beach called Mermaid’s Cove in isolated Cornwall and found by Viscount Jack Trewella. He takes her to his boathouse, she’s freezing cold, has nasty cuts on her feet and she assures him she will be fine. Jack notices a few things about Alice that are a little odd, she’s wearing a chemise with a numbers on it, her hair is cut really short, she’s nervous and he wonders if she’s a prisoner of war? Alice is in fact a nun, a trained nurse, she’s been struggling with her calling, now she has time to think about what she wants to do and she’s not sure if she wants to return to the convent in Ireland.

Once Alice’s feet heal, she’s keen to help out on Jacks farm, he has a team of land girls, and Alice pitches in, she helps with the milking and works in the vegetable garden. She makes friends with Merle Durand, she's been evacuated from the Channel Islands, with her three children and a little boy she’s looking after called Ned. Jack's been rather vague about what’s going on in his main house, he eventually explains to Alice that he and Merle are working for Churchill’s Secret Army. With Alice’s being able to speak French, she’s soon busy decoding messages and becomes involved with the resistance.

The House at Mermaid’s Cove is a wonderful story, I really liked Alice’s character, and she has courage, composure, dignity and strength. She has a positive influence on Jack, makes him understand, he needs to face his past and embrace his future with young Ned. The first book I have read by Lindsay Jayne Ashford, I thoroughly enjoyed it and I look forward to reading others.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and four stars from me.

What an unexpected surprised this one turned out to be! The description doesn’t do justice to the wonderful story that takes place in Mermaid's Cove.. When Alice decided to leave her life as a nun behind, she never imagined she’d find herself washing ashore and being rescued by a handsome yet mysterious man. She has her secrets, but so does she. They find themselves caught up in the war going on around them while at the same time trying to ignore their feelings for each other. The story wasn’t as romancy as I’d expected which is fine with me. And it’s more historical fiction than I’d hoped for. A great read!

I loved the setting of this book, and the author did a beautiful job with the descriptive writing, everything from the plants, forests, sea, flowers....it was like I was there with the main character. This was a great historical fiction novel, and I loved the characters. This book had a mystic, gothic feel to it. Would definitely recommend to any historical fiction lover.

A lovely, immersive and wholly unique WWII historical romance featuring a lush, wonderfully-described locale and shades of Rebecca and Jane Eyre.

I thought the author masterfully wove the threads of a young woman who mysteriously washes up on shore in 1943 in an idyllic cove with the raging war just beyond as D-Day approaches.


Ruminative and emotional, Ashford's paints war from a different perspective, all while clearly savouring her spinning of Jack and Alice's soft love story.


A welcomely different take in a sea of WWII fiction and a lovingly told historical romance with just enough secrets of identity and hidden pasts to keep the pages turning

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This was a very pleasant surprise of a book. I went into it hoping for an interesting historical novel with a bit of romance, and I did get that. However, what I was not expecting was a story of self-discovery and growth for several people and the exploration of how to be yourself. I found myself devouring this story. There was enough mystery and intrigue to keep me glued to the pages as Alice found her courage and several characters learned to forgive and love themselves. I thought the pacing of this book was wonderful. I never felt bogged down in too much description or background. The characters were relatable and very human. The romance was sweet. The challenges that the characters faced were a wonderful combination of internal and external, blended very nicely. I look forward to reading much more from this author!

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Fantastic book! I love how this was a part historical fiction, part fantasy novel. The characters were so courageous and personalable and I found myself thinking about them long after I’d finished reading.

Washed ashore during World War Two Alice is lucky to be alive. Rescued by a stranger she finds herself going back to what she was trying to escape before the wreck. With her new friends she finds herself and hope as she fights to end the evil they are fighting. A new author to me this is a must read book I will be looking to read more books by This author!

Historical novel set during WWII, about a young nun named Alice - when her boat is sunk by the Germans on her way back to Ireland but she survives, she decides to not go back to the convent and instead stays in Cornwall, helping out with war efforts in ways she never expected. It’s a bit of a slow book, but with an absolutely lovely way of bringing the setting to life. 3.75 stars.

A great mermaid story. Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book. I recommend reading this book.

Ohhh how i loved this novel, i was hooked from the start, wonderful main characters and i couldn't put this book down

Thank you to Netgalley, Lindsay Jayne Ashford & Lake Union Publishing, for my copy of The House of Mermaid’s Cove, for an honest review. It’s 1943, WWII is raging and off the beaches of Cornwall, a stranger washes ashore. Alice is a survivor of a ship being torpedoed washing up on shore was surprisingly the best thing that could happen to her. Jack Trewella, the owner of the property finds Alice and agrees to take her in. He is a quiet man, but generous. They both have secrets but learn to trust each other. Both need to heal and both need to be saved. The supporting characters are perfect too. This is such a a different story about WWII. Different perspective, engaging characters and a beautiful setting. The author told such a beautiful story. I really enjoyed this one and have recommended it to friends and family. I have also recommended it on my Instagram page. I have also reviewed it on Amazon and Barnes & Noble sites. This was a four star book for me and I really enjoyed it!! This was my first book by Jane Ashford and it won’t be my last!!!