When I was in my teen years, I read everything I could get my hands on by Rosamunde Pilcher. It was likely not her whole backlist, but closer than one would expect if you knew anything about the tiny, hand-me-down library that existed in my small town growing up. My mom was a fan and owned some of her popular epic-length novels, like <i>Shell Seekers</i> and <i>Coming Home</i>, which was my particular favorite. I filled in the gap with what my library offered and was thoroughly enchanted all around. That was then and until earlier this year it had been many years since I had read Pilcher, and I wasn't sure how re-visiting a fave from my youth would go (half the time I try it goes terribly). For me, that try was a listen of the <i>Coming Home</i> audiobook and it worked really well. I still love it, though I do relate to characters differently than I used to do. However, this is not a review of that or any of her novels. This is meant to be a review of this short story collection that was created by scanning magazines for the 1970s and 1980s that had published short stories by Pilcher, which I was excited to get a chance to read.

The verdict? If you are a Pilcher fan, you'll probably get some enjoyment out of this. I certainly did, but generally speaking, there is nothing special to these stories. A few standout as a quite good, but even then I wasn't satisfied by what was offered because I wished there was more to the story. I wish they had been developed into a full novel. Many were sub-par, and I didn't like the message or characters or both. There were a few that seemed well-suited to the short story format, but mostly it is clear longer stories are where you find the true Pilcher magic.

Most of these short stories revolved around courtship and marriage. Some were pre-courtship, but the promise is there that this m/f duo will suit. A very few did not have the romantic couple featured as the main characters, and those were the ones that seemed more suited to the short story format -- a budding relationship between soon-to-be family members or a regretful older couple seeing their children choose the path to happiness they denied themselves. Those were interesting vignettes that worked for me. However, the ones with the romantic couples front and center were not developed enough to work as well. They either gave you a taste that you wanted more of or were not worth the read.

Her long novels are great at giving a full character study and feature women choosing their own destinies, which maybe tend to end in finding that special someone, but that is not really the point of the story. For these short stories, it often is the point. There is not enough time for the character study, so they don't really make much impact. They are ok, but if just wanting to try Pilcher out, give one of her novels a try. It will be much more satisfying.

<i>Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read and review this book. Views are my own.

A collection of short stories found after the death of Rosamund Pilcher that are gentle, wise and easy to read. The stories tackle love and loss with usually a happy ending. A treat to have some more from the beloved author.

Published posthumously, this is a collection of short stories by the wonderful Rosamunde Pilcher. Never before in book form, Aoife Inman has searched through the British Library to collect short stories that Rosamunde Pilcher had written for magazines between 1976 and 1984. In all, there are 15 short stories.

I was a lover of The Shell Seekers and should probably read it again as an adult. Each story is of a woman and what having a home and what companionship means to them. Remember these stories were written at a different time. So most of these ladies are looking for new love or trying to reignite old flames.

Uncomplicated and sweet, and sometimes we need that. Pure Escapism.

NetGalley/July 27th, 2021 by St. Martin’s Press

This is a lovely collection of Rosamunde Pilcher short stories.They leave the reader with a warm and cozy feeling and a perfect read with a nice pot of tea.

So nice to be able to read more of Rosamunde Pilchers stories. Everything you liked about her way of life in a nice book.A great collection and a must read!

I really enjoyed this collection of short stories. All of the stories are beautifully written and I hated to see them end. This is a book you will treasure and read more than once. Thank you St. Martin's Press via NetGalley for the ARC copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

15 glorious reads by my most admired author. I can’t believe wishes do come true.

I wanted more from this author after Winter Solstice and this was it. Love her writing and the art work is perfect for each story.

Get a copy of her book, keep it where you can read a little then read some more.

A Place Like Home is a charming, old worldly collection of short stories by Rosamunde Pilcher. The stories are heart warming, full of family, homecomings, and love. The beauty of Pilcher's writing lies in the fact that everything does not need to be spelled out for you. It was a real treat to read this.

What a lovely collection of short stories. Rosamunde Pilcher, perhaps best known for her book, "The Shell Seekers," which many of us read and remember fondly. These short stories make for a warm and nostalgic read.

Some of the stories feel a bit dated, but they are also timeless. The themes of family, love, compassion never go out of style. The stories have been collected from a variety of magazines across the years. Thank you to the editor who collected these stories and compiled them into a lovely book.

A book to read when the world is too much with each of us.

I have enjoyed reading Rosamunde Pilcher writings for years. It was nice to pick up this short story collections of bittersweet romances. One that I enjoyed rereading is 'Someone to trust' where a woman finds a new beginning after a broken romance. All the stories are sweet and clean. There are stories of people at a crossroad - often reconnecting or finding a new beginning. I received a free copy of this ebook from the publisher through Netgalley. This is my honest and voluntarily given review. I enjoyed reading this anthology.

A PLACE LIKE HOME by Rosamunde Pilcher, a forthcoming posthumous title from St. Martin's Press, collects some of the author's short stories that were published in magazines throughout her career and makes them available in book form for the first time. Each story is a gentle portrait of a relationship between a woman and someone she loves or has loved or will soon love. They are stories of cozy domesticity, often with predictable endings, and I was just completely enamored of them. These stories are devoid of the political commentary and sexual descriptions that have so frequently plagued the more recent literary short stories (and novels) I have read. By contrast, they are delightfully old-fashioned and perfectly charming, and they were so much fun to read.

I am a huge fan of Rosamunde Pilcher , After reading The Shell Seekers, September, and Coming Home. I read everything I could get my hands on that she had written, Her heartwarming stories with a touch of history, and memorable characters are unforgettable.

I was so pleased to be able to read this new collection of her short stories, A Place Like Home.

It was like sitting down with an old friend, you have not seen in a long time and catching up over a cup of coffee and a long chat, The stories bring back all the things I loved about the way she wrote.

A PLACE LIKE HOME: Short Stories - Rosamunde Pilcher
St. Martin's Press
ASIN: B08FZ8P7TS
ISBN-10: 1-25027-495-8
ISBN-13: 978-1-25027-495-3
July 27, 2021

The fifteen short stories in this collection express poignant moments of change for different couples. Each story tells about love in a different way and through various adaptations: love ending, love's inception, one-sided love, lost love reconnecting, and more. Each story is unique but the emotional responses draw the reader in. The support of friends and family also provides another emotional variant in the stories showing how they make life better. One thing I particularly liked was each story began with a black and white drawing of the female lead character for each story. Only three of the story setups are listed here, but they are all intriguing.

In the first story 'Someone to Trust,' Rachael fell in love with Randall, a married man to start, but he left his wife. Her cousin and best friend Sally's wary reaction to him made Rachael have second thoughts. Now she is trying to move on.

Joanna is still in the hospital after an appendectomy in 'A Place Like Home.' Her boss visits her, telling her he has arranged a brief recovery holiday for her in Scotland. At the train station she is met by a rather gruff man who, it turns out, is her boss's younger brother.

In the last story, 'Harbour of Love,' Julia loved her job as a fashion magazine editor, but the death of her sister and husband leaves their three-year-old son Christopher to either adoption or Julia's care. Julia leaves Chicago and her boyfriend, Ivan, who is currently on a trip to London, and moves to a cottage along northern Lake Michigan. She left Ivan a letter explaining what happened but doesn't expect to see him again.

If you enjoy thoughtful, subtle, reality-driven but tender love stories, A PLACE LIKE HOME is an excellent book to read.

Thank you NetGalley, Rosamunde Pilcher and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of A Place Like Home. This is my personal review.
What an amazing collection of Rosamunde Pilcher stories. It was a beautiful book to read. I have always loved her books and to read this brought back so many good memories of her beautiful writing I have read in the past.
The stories that are in this book will leave everyone who reads it with a warm comforted feeling.
The chance to read previously unpublished stores is a treasure for any Rosamunde Pilcher fans to enjoy.

What a pleasure to find new Rosamunde Pilcher stories to enjoy. These stories were very much in her familiar style and reminiscent of her other works, particularly the short story collections. My only complaint is that the stories ended before I was ready to let them go. Recommended for Pilcher fans.

Being able to enjoy Rosamunde Pilcher’s writing once again is like a wonderful nostalgic trip back in time. Oh how I miss her books and I very much enjoyed this lovely collection of short stories.

I thought this was absolutely wonderful. This is a collection of short stories by Pilcher and I have to say that this book was just what I needed. I curled up in a blanket with cups of tea.

There is an introduction by someone named Lucinda Riley that I don't know anything about, I skipped this though because most introductions spoil the stories within and it drives me up the wall.

Per usual, here are my ratings of all the stories.

"Someone to Trust"-5 stars-I thought this was a great start to the collection. We follow a woman named Rachael who realizes that after many years, the man she is in love with, is never going to love her the right way. She goes to visit her cousin and tries to put her lover behind her. But things change for her when she starts to realize that not all men are like her ex. I did like that Rachael comes to a better realization about her relationship and the man that seems to not care at all about hurting her.

"Anniversary"-5 stars-A woman named Janey realizes that she needs more from her long-time lover, David. She's scared though to ask for more since he seems very anti-marriage. When Janey travels to celebrate her parent's wedding anniversary, she meets a couple that has her thinking things may have to change for her to move forward. What I liked about this one though is there a hint of darkness in the ending. I think Pilcher did a good job with showing that not all marriages are the same.

"Skelmerton"-3 stars-this one was the only story that really dragged for me. The title of this story is the name of the village where the story takes place. I think this one didn't work for me because it follows a single woman (considered a spinster) who really put her life on hold for a young man she met and fell in love with years ago. He of course met and married someone else, but has now returned to Skelmerton. I don't know. I don't think the story was meant to seem like hey good for you for being second best. But it read that way. I don't know if that was on purpose or not.

"A Place Like Home"-5 stars-I really enjoyed this one. A young woman named Joanna is in the hospital and realizing that she is truly almost alone in the world. She is an orphan and her remaining relatives are nowhere nearby. Her boss comes to visit her though and suggests a place that he knows in Scotland as a place to recover. I loved the description of Scotland and the people that Joanna meets, especially one of them. It really was a great story and I can see why the collection was named after this story.

"Ghosts of the Past"-3.5 stars-This one was definitely dark. I liked it though, but it didn't really fit with the general mood of the book I thought. Pilcher loves playing with stories about the end of affairs. I thought this one had a kind of ridiculous ending, but I loved the set-up of it before that.

"Jonathan"-3.5 stars-Not bad, it just felt a bit samey to the story told in Skelmerton.

"The Key"-3.5/4 stars-This was a weird story. As I reflect on it, I think I liked it. A young girl named Ruth goes and sees a house. She's not what she seems. It's a weird story.

"A Fork in the Road"-5 stars-A young man has a choice between a woman or moving to Edinburgh. After a visit there, he starts to think of the possibilities before him.

"The Stone Boy"-4 stars-This story follows a woman who has a chance encounter with a man that she has tried to forget.

"A Touch of Magic"-5 stars-This story was hilarious. An older aunt and another woman want the woman's brother in law to grow up and finally stay in one place. An accident ends up allowing the brother in law to see someone in a new light.

"A Smile for the Bride"-4 stars-Not a bad short story, but I knew how this one would end. I felt like I have read this before.

"Magic Might Happen"-4 stars-I thought this was okay, but honestly thought the ending was a bit...eh. It just didn't work for me due to the fact I thought Pilcher was telling a different story for readers. About how to go on after your heart is broken.

"Through the Eyes of Love"-5 stars-A young woman realizes that she needs to move on from a lover who has caused her nothing but pain. She goes home to her family for Christmas, and sees someone she has known for a long time in a new light. This felt very similar to Winter Solstice in themes or just the feeling of coziness it inspired. Loved it.

"Our Holiday"-5 stars-Yikes. I mean this is good, but this is probably a story that maybe should have ended up in a different collection. I loved it though it left me feeling melancholy.

"Harbour of Love"-4.5 stars-Not a bad story to end on, I just thought it was going in a totally different way though.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC for an honest review..

This is Rosamunde Pilcher at her best. This book is full of short stories that will enchant you and entertain you in only the way the English can do. This is a book of short stories, which makes it great to read a bit at a time. This is a great pick-me-up in between the serious novels you may be reading or if you only have a small amount of time to read. Her descriptions take you away to a delightful place.. The plot are to the point but not rushed. A delight in all the sea of murders and mayhem..

Thank you NetGalley for this advanced copy of A Place Like Home by Rosamunde Pilcher. I have been a reader my whole life. I was raised by a mom that was a reader. Although growing up she never really read full books. Instead our house was filled with magazines. Articles that could be read in between things you do as a mom. In those days magazines all had either short stories or excerpts. I had forgotten how much I love a good short story until I read this last volume by Rosamunde Pilcher. I also became a grown up while reading Rosamunde Pilcher. I found her after I was married and trying to find my way as an adult. I ended up reading everything she had written. She made me not only long for England but also very, very long books. While this new book isn't long it does take me back to a somewhat simpler time. It was strange in the beginning to be reading about phones and letters and waiting. I made me realize I only read current novels.
This is such a breath of fresh air and if you have read any of her previous works it will take you back in time to a wonderful time. I am sad that this is the very last we will read of her. She was a wonderful writer and I am very grateful.

I love everyone of theses short stories and I wish they were longer. They left me feeling happy. The stories are filled with love and kindness and made me feel better about the world. My favorites stories are "Someone to Trust," because Rachael thought she would never find someone who wanted to stay with her and she did. In"Skelmerton,"the story is about Caroline who finds a boy in the mist near the ocean while riding a pony and ending up meeting the man she had a crush on and is reunited. And finally I loved the story "Harbour of Love," Where Julia takes over the care of her nephew Christopher after her sister death and believe Ivan the man she loved won't be able to accept her with a child, but he did. There are other stories to enjoy and that are just as sweet and make you believe in love.
I never heard of Rosamunde Pilcher before these stories but after reading her stories it made me glad that there are other stories that she has written that I can enjoy.

I want to Thank St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this advance copy of this delightful book of short stories.