Though a pretty slow read, it was quite interesting and fun
So many secrets and mysteries to uncover
The way the story escalates is just amazing.
And the way everything is described, it's like you are following the characters (olive and margery) on their journey
It's an amazing read, I look forward to more books from this author
Thank you Netgalley and publisher for an ARC, this has in no way influenced my opinions.

This is a beautiful story about the family we make. Olive is an orphan who's ready to move away. But when her childhood friend Margery invites her to become the manager of a guesthouse, Olive finds her purpose. And she makes new friends along the way, including an orphan girl with polio, a homosexual theater manager and a recluse woman.
I enjoyed the flow and the descriptive writing. I felt like I was staying at Mersea House with all the folks.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this wonderful book

oh my word where to start with this one...i loved it....

small seaside town, everyone knowing everyone elses business, just after the war

olives parents have died and she is on her own and looking for work
margery her old school friend has also buried a nearest and dearest and looks up olive

margery makes plans that include olive and before long they are both involved ...margery with her new shop and olive as housekeeper for mersea house which is being opened up for as a boarding house

and before long they have a couple of permanent lodgers but a shock is coming as margery is named as a guardian for a young girl juniper

junipers arrival turns everyones head....a polio victim and in calipers but her indefinable spirit makes her a diamond to know

there are many adventures and mishaps in this book that made it a pleasure to read and i hope there are a few more stories to come from these individuals as they are all brilliant characters to know and fall in love with

will be keeping an eye out for more from this author

Olive is recently orphaned, and Margery is her long lost friend. When Margery inherited her late uncle’s store and boarding house, she hires Olive as the housekeeper.

Soon there is a group of great characters under one roof. The most interesting one is Juniper, Margery’s 11 year ward, living with the affects of the polio she fought at a young age.. I really liked these people and being a part of their lives.

This was a sweet, good read. An entertaining way to spend a few hours. I liked it a lot. Did I love it - no. It was more of a library book to me than a buy now.

Thank you to the author, the publisher and to #netgalley for the ARC which did not impact my review.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read and review The Orphans of Mersea House. This is a heartwarming story that mainly follows, Olive, a recently orphaned “spinster” whose path looks pretty bleak now that her parents are gone. But all that changes when her long lost friend, Margery, returns to town with an idea that could benefit both of them. Margery inherited her late uncle’s store and boarding house and hires Olive on as the housekeeper of the boarding house. Soon there is a small conglomerate of lovable characters under the one Mersea House roof. The most lovable of all, though is Juniper, Margery’s 11 year ward, living with the affects of the polio she fought at a young age. But is this unconventional living situation fit for a young girl?

Overall, this was a nice read. It wasn’t groundbreaking or over emotional but a calm sort of comfortable read. I loved the rag tag bunch that ended up in Mersea House and their various stories. I also loved that the author depicted many of the characters pretty progressive for the the post WWII era.
I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a slower, casual, heartwarming read.

The Orphans of Mersea House
by Marty Wingate
Pub Date: August 9,2022
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book. If I would use one word to describe this book it would be heartfelt.

The setting is England in the late ’50s where Olive has lost her brother and boyfriend in the war, her father has passed, and just now her mum. She’s come to a point in her life where she has nowhere to live or work.

Olive’s best friend growing up, Margery, returns to the little seaside town from London, to claim an inheritance and offers Olive work and a place to live as caretaker and overseer of a lodging house.

The cast of characters is full of intrigue and secrets, and they all pull together when Margery’s ward, who is afflicted with polio, comes to live at the house.5 stars

Two weeks after her Mother's death, 37 year old Olive Kersey is on the verge of losing the only home she's known and has no real job prospects. Her childhood friend, Margery Paxton, finds her and offers her a job and a place to live, Margery inherited a shop and beautiful home, Mersea House, when her Uncle Milky died. While Margery will run the business, she needs Olive's help setting up and running the boarding house she intends to make of Uncle Milky's Mersea House. Olive agrees and the adventure begins. They acquire boarders plus 11 year old Juniper who is a polio survivor and needs braces and "sticks" to walk. There's mystery and romance among the boarders, nosy neighbors and helpful children, too. Friends appear who will change Margery and Olive's lives forever. The story is set in post WWII England with many references to city life during the war. A charming read that I really enjoyed. Predictable, but enjoyable and engaging. A sweet story of love and perseverance. You will love it and I recommend it! Thank you Net Galley and Alcove Press for the ARC.

I love books about orphans and adoption. This book, despite the title, isn't really about that. Yes, all of the characters have lost their parents, but being 37 and running a boarding house doesn't really fit into my usual orphan-related historical fiction category. Yes, there is also an 11 year old orphan living in the boarding house, so I guess it should fit into my category but it still really doesn't. In general the book was kind of boring and very focused on the day-to-day comings and goings of the main character who helps manage the boarding house. Another reviewer said something along the lines of: "this book is about a bunch of people drinking warm drinks" and they are not wrong... it may not be the premise of the book, but it also kind of sums up what to expect action-wise, this is not a book with plot twists and turns, not much really happens.

I think the thought behind this book was that characters would find themselves in getting to know the other orphans who are in the story, all with their own secrets and fear of letting other people in. It is a typical post wwii historical fiction, picking up the pieces after the war and dealing with contemporary issues such as polio or unemployment. If you're interested in a low-key historical fiction about a quiet town in the UK where newcomers are exciting and people just live their day to day lives passing by each other, then here you go!

I appreciate Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Lovely tale of post-war Britain by Marty Wingate. Mersea house holds only one orphan child, but the adults that make the boarding house their home are all orphans in their own way. Juniper comes to the home, having lost both parents and having become the ward of the home’s owner. She also suffered polio as a child and must wear braces to walk. Will she find a forever family among the many adult “orphans” who can Mersea their home? Will Mersea be deemed a fit place for her by the authorities? Will the local bizzy body spoil everything for her? Just many of the questions that are answered in this satisfying read.

I enjoy reading historical fiction. The author does a great job of developing the characters and creating a sense of family. The relationships among the townspeople in Southwold, Suffolk are touching. Set in the late 1950s, it is interesting to see the polite interactions between the characters and it has you wishing for a simple time and a gentle life by the sea.

Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

Such a gentle, lovely story! The author really got the voice of the period and did a marvelous job of describing the English seaside town and the period fashion and styling.
There was little tension or drama and would be the perfect read for someone looking for sweetness and charming characters.
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. this is my honest review.

when her mother dies, Olive, a 37 year old, is on the edge of poverty and miserably lonely. she is left with two choices, either apply for a caretaker job or become Mrs. Constance Binny company.
but Margery, her childhood friends returns to town to claim her inheritance, a small shop and a Mersea house witch she wants to turn into a lodging. she hires Olive to act as a manager for the lodging. but in a turn of events, Margery finds out that she has become the guardian of 11 year old Juniper, her late ex-husband's daughter,
but everyone has a secret that will be revealed and a very stunning story will unfold right Infront of our eyes.
a very touching story with a happy ending and definitely enjoyable.
I do recommend reading this beautiful novel.
Thanks to NetGallery for providing my copy.

I loved reading this book. This is a new author for me which I look forward to reading more from in the future. This is a well written story that the author brought to life with their attention to details. I enjoyed being pulled into the story by the author's writing skills that just added to the story. I enjoyed how the characters are relateable and just made the story for me. They are written with alot of heart and transported me back in time to after the war. This is a story about lost love and finding a promise land. This story brought out different emotions in parts and made the story entertaining. I enjoyed the growth of the plot throughout the story as well. This is a fast paced story that was hard to put down. It kept me coming back for more. This is a must read and I highly recommend it.

This book has been such a breath of fresh air. I've no idea when the first 70% have flown and the rest (because life got in it's way) seemed to go too fast. It's just my fault, I'm a fast reader, but also the author's fault 😁 . The writing style has such a beautiful flow and it makes you want to know every little detail from the Mersea House. I've fell in love with Juniper and Olive and Charlie and Billy and all the other characters.
Fully recommend it!

5 stars

~ I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own ~

In 1957, several “orphans” come together to form an unconventional family in Southwold, England. Olive, a 40ish-aged woman lost her brother and boyfriend in WWII, her father died shortly thereafter and her mother has just died leaving Olive without a home or a family. Margery, Olive’s best childhood friend has just moved back to Southwold from London after losing her last relative, Uncle Milkey. Since Margery has inherited her uncle’s home and retail business, she plans to run the store and turn the house into a boarding house and asks Olive to manage it. They quickly take on two boarders, both with secrets and mysterious pasts but also without families. Finally, Juniper, an 11-year old girl disabled by polio moves into the house after Margery finds out that she is the girl’s guardian as per the request of Margery’s ex-boyfriend upon the deaths of him and his wife.
This unlikely group of people quickly become a family that sticks together, bring out the best in each other and defend themselves and each other against adversity and especially rumors and gossip. The main character, Olive is central to all of this and is very clever in how she diverts and diffuses tense situations, at one point saying “I’m a subversive” and her adopted family (as well as the reader) all see this trait as positive. The book is very charming and Olive is extremely likable and it’s heartwarming to see her find romance and create a new family. I found the book very enjoyable and the author’s writing style to be warm and easy-going but never boring. I would have liked more backstory on Hugh and Abigail, the other boarders as their stories were only touched on briefly. My only disappointment in the book is the lack of explanation around why Margery is so timid and stand-offish with Juniper as well as lack of her backstory as well. But overall, this is a book I would recommend as a pleasant and enjoyable read. Thanks to NetGalley and Alcove Press for the Advanced Reader Copy.

Thank you to Marty Wingate and NetGalley for the ARC of this lovely novel. I enjoyed this book so much! It has a wonderful, dynamic and interesting storyline with unusual characters. The characters are not cliched and things are not obvious. There is a sense of anticipation but in a nice unhurried way.

When Olive’s mother dies, Olive starts working for an old school friend who was an orphan and had just inherited her uncle’s house and store. Margery and Olive work together well. Margery runs the store and Olive looks after the house which is big enough for a boarding house.
They acquire a couple of people Margery knew from London. Not long after Margery and Olive set up the boarding house Margery receives a letter informing her that she has been named as a guardian for a young orphan, Juniper Wyckes, who is eleven years old.
Olive loves looking after Juniper and the other guests, the only problem she has is Mrs Binny, an annoying woman who used to be a neighbor of Olive’s. Mrs Binny likes to gossip and has a habit of always appearing at the wrong moment.
I loved the characters and the way they all interacted. This was a romance about village life, boarding houses and people who needed a safe haven away from prying eyes.

What a special little book this is! Warm and wonderful, its like comfort food on a rainy day. Set in a post WWII English seaside village, it is a chronicle about Olive, Margery, and Juniper, an 11-year-old polio orphan come recently to live with Margery at her newly inherited boarding house. The war has taken something from everyone, villagers and boarders alike, and this story is how they learn to move on and make new lives, new friends, and even new families, after the war is over.
I really loved the true English atmosphere of this narration. I loved trying to figure out what washing tongs were and what a hob was. I enjoyed evening drinks in the lounge and having ‘afters’ (dessert) after supper every evening. And how Olive would place her order with the grocer every morning, to be delivered every afternoon by a local lad on his bicycle. She tipped him with bread and jam and a farthing for his pocket.
I ADORED this story. Not just because of its quaintness, but also because even thru all its simplicity, there are still modern-day concerns. Bigotry. Spiteful rumors. Medical misunderstanding resulting in a shunning of the afflicted. True apprehensions the author manages to instill in the well wrapped guise of historical fiction.
I happily give this work five stars. Thank you very much to NetGalley, Alcove Press, and Marty Wingate for allowing me early access to this wonderful novel for my honest review.

What a great easy read. Set in the 1950's, when the war was still fresh in people's minds, underlying prejudices are forever in people's thoughts.
Two close friends set up a boarding house, where faces from the past as well as people with hidden pasts come together and form solid friendships.

Olive, a late 30s something single woman, has just lost her mother, after already losing her brother and father. Having never owned their family house, only renting, she is at a loss for what she will do next. In comes her childhood best friend whom she hasn't seen in years to offer her a place to live and a job working as the housekeeper at Mersea House. From there, her life is on the complete upswing taking care of permanent lodgers and holiday weekend lodgers at at the boarding house. This is a light hearted book about creating the family around you - it doesnt matter if you're blood related, but you take care of each other.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an early read of this book in exchange for my honest review.