I received a complimentary advanced copy of THE FORGOTTEN COTTAGE by Courtney Ellis. Thank you to Berkley Publishing and PRH Audio for the chance to provide an honest review.

Publication Date: 8/9/2022
Rating: 4 / 5

THE FORGOTTEN COTTAGE by Courtney Ellis is set in two timelines. In 2014 we are following Audrey, a young woman struggling after the loss of her grandmother. Her grandmother always kept pretty quiet about the details of her past, so Audrey is surprised when she learns that she’s inherited a house in North Yorkshire. She knew her grandmother was born to a well established family, but this home is a run down stone cottage, not exactly what a grand family would have owned. Together with the help of some locals, she begins to look into what she can learn of her grandmother’s story.

In 1915 France, we follow Emilie, a young woman who is working as a nurse on the western front, working to find independence from the life of privilege and restrictions that come from her well to do family. Her family has determined she will marry well, but her heart is determined to go to someone else even though her family will not approve.

I really enjoyed the story in both timelines and the heroines at the center of each story. I really liked the mystery elements of the story too that kept me guessing at how the stories would be interconnected and what Audrey’s grandmother’s history was. I liked the parallels between these two women as well, both working as nurses and trying to get on their own two feet. For Emilie it was a lot about finding independence in a time where women did not have many options. For Audrey she’s dealing with alcoholism and the impacts that has had on her license and her grief.

This isn’t always an easy read, it did delve into some of the deplorable conditions of war in the historical timeline and injuries and health issues in both timelines. Still, I think things were handled well without being there purely for shock value.

This was a good mix of historical fiction and contemporary with romance and mystery as well!

I’d love to visit Sparrow Cottage.

The scenery is so well-described in this book that readers are treated to the sights, sounds and even the smells of a cottage shut up for decades, and the Great War that claimed so many lives.

There are a lot of questions and mystery that surround Audrey’s life, least of all the questions about her Gran’s stories. Readers can empathize with Audrey’s pain as she grieves the loss of the only person who ever believed in her. Of the woman who took her in when the rest of her family gave up on her.

Audrey messed up - big time. But there’s a redeeming quality in her Gran’s will. Gran leaves a virtually unknown property to Audrey, which is a treasure trove of answers to Gran’s past.

Readers will ask some of the same questions that Audrey does. Though some of the story is predictable, there are delightful surprises along the way. The story moves between the past - showing readers the life that Gran keeps hidden from her future children, and Audrey’s mission to uncover the secrets.

There are some interesting characters who add life and colour to the journey. I found it difficult to connect with Gran, in that she made a really stupid decision, impulsive, and one that had disastrous consequences. She, was a spoiled rich girl who didn’t appreciate what she had until she did the stupid thing. The men from the historical line weren’t exactly endearing either. However, the present story more than makes up for it in Audrey and the rest of the characters in modern day North Yorkshire.

The pace of the story is slow, as the author lays the foundation in the past for the present story. Details easily fall into place as the story progresses, aiding readers in answering the questions Audrey has.

An enjoyable read.

I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

2019 - Audrey lost her job as a nurse because of her drinking and is taking care of her grandmother.

Gran dies, but before she passes she leaves a note for Audrey about a cottage in Yorkshire, England, that she left to Audrey.

What also is puzzling to Audrey is why did Gran leave the cottage all those years ago and why if she had been a Lady why wasn't the cottage grand. Audrey finds the cottage charming and full of things from Gran's past.

Under the floorboards are even more interesting pieces of Gran's life. She kept them secret for all those years.

1915 - We meet Emilie, Gran's mother, and Audrey's great grandmother.

Emilie lives in luxury, but feels hemmed in with all the restrictions put on her by her family and their decision to have her marry someone she doesn't love.

Emilie escapes to London with nothing but scorn from her family and joins the VAD's - nurses in the Voluntary Aid Detachment. Nursing isn't for Emilie, but she finds her true love in one of the hospital beds.

We follow both women and learn how everything is connected.

I fell in love with the cottage and would love to live in it.

Does Audrey sell the cottage or go back to her life in the United States with her controlling sister and father and a life of nursing she hopes is still there for her?

I know which one I would choose.

The writing is wonderful, and the cover is a pull-in, but I enjoyed the present-day chapters more than the 1915 ones.

The 1915 ones were a bit too long even though they gave necessary background.

If you love remote villages and WWI, this book should be a wonderful read for you. 4/5

This book was given to me by the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.

I read a lot of dual timeline novels, and they usually focus on WWII, so it was nice to read one with WWI. I also like that one of the storylines was quite modern (2019). I liked discovering out more about Audrey's grandmother with her, and how she was descended from royalty, which is a unique angle. While the story was quite predictable, I did enjoy the setting and the characters, overall.

THE FORGOTTEN COTTAGE is a charming read perfect for fans of historical fiction. The two timelines--WW I and contemporary -- are equally compelling and I especially enjoyed how the author tied them together.

I felt invested in the characters' journeys and the tough (but realistic) decisions they faced.

The scenery is described beautifully and I particularly enjoyed Sparrow Cottage.

I will look forward to Ellis' next book.

Audrey has made a mess of her life. Her nursing career may be off the page unless she can get her drinking under control. She is caring for Gran, who at almost 100 years old, dies. Audrey is bereft. Discovering that Gran has left her a cottage in Yorkshire, England, she jumps on a plane and arrives with no thought of what she will do after she gets there. She discovers Sparrow Cottage, filled with things from the 1940s, and her plans to immediately sell the cottage are put on the back burner as she feels a drive to sort through these items and learn more about Gran's secretive life. She finds a VAD nursing uniform, a medal and a letter. We then find out more about Emilie, another relative, who lived through World War I. Emilie has goals and aspirations for her life that her family believes to be totally unsuitable for a woman of her position. Should she marry the man they have picked out for her or should she break with her family and strike out on her own?

Then she meets Isaac and her path takes a few more turns. Gran always told her family she was descended from royalty. Now it is up to Audrey to find out if this is true or not.

Having read a fair share of WWII historical fictions, the WWI setting was an interesting change of pace. The 2019 storyline contrasted nicely with the 1914 war and end of an era for many aristocracy.

This dual perspective novel was engrossing in both of its plot lines. From the ravages of World War I to the struggles of staying sober, both Emilie and Audrey had compelling stories. I loved the parallels between the two lives and appreciated the strong female characters.

Two women at the crossroads of their lives intersect in this tale of two time periods: the present and pre-World War I. Audrey Collins is an alcoholic who is on probation from her nursing career and has spent her time off at AA and taking care of her almost 100-year-old Gran. At her passing, Audrey discovers her Gran left her a cottage in Yorkshire, England and she leaves America and her dad and controlling sister and finds Sparrow Cottage. The rundown but charming cottage is filled with items from the 1940's, when her Gran mysteriously left for America, among them a VAD nurse uniform, a medal and a letter. The story then shifts to Emilie Dawes another relative of Audreys as it turns out. It is about 1914 and Emilie is also at sea in her life. She is restless and not convinced she should marry a childhood friend, Rhys, the son of a duke, just because their parents want them to marry. Then she meets Isaac, her worldview changes, and she flees to London when the war starts. She enlists in the VAD and finds herself nursing in France. Both women grow and become better women, especially Emilie, as she sees the horror around her and realizes how vapid and smug many of her class have been. The author nicely wraps the two stories together and the side characters add interest in both time periods. The notes at the end are informative and add pathos to the fiction. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Another historical fiction that is set in the present and WWI. A recovering alcohol nurse returns to the family home of her grandmother to ready it for sale. There she discover the back history of her family. Fairly predictable, I will not recommend.

Audrey Collins expects a mansion, or at least a very fine estate, when she’s left her grandmother’s home after her death. Audrey know little about her grandmother, only that she was descended from royalty and that she immigrated to America. But instead of a grand estate, Audrey finds a little cottage in North Yorkshire, untouched since her grandmother left in 1941. Intrigued, Audrey sets out to uncover the truth about her “legendary” grandmother. Her search will take her to the front lines of World War I France where a woman fell in love with a man she should not have. A sprawling, fascinating tale of two women set in two different timelines