If you’re looking for a book that will take you away on an emotional journey, Memories of the Cottage by the Sea by Rebecca Alexander will do just that. Alexander doesn’t shy away from emotions, but chooses to embrace them instead – allowing readers to feel every joy, sorrow, and fear that Charlotte experiences as she unravels her story in the present and the past. Readers are also drawn to the characters – Charlotte, especially, who begins as a broken woman but finds strength and courage in the islanders and their stories. You can’t help but root for her as she discovers what it means to forgive, trust again, and find love.

I have not read the first book in this series but I was looking for a good easy read. This book filled those expectations. Set in different time periods, WW II and the present, the novel presents two strong women, Charlotte and her grandmother. In the present, Charlotte takes a temporary teaching job on one of the Scilly Islands. While there, she undercovers the stories of her grandmother and her involvement with secrets activities during the war. I enjoyed this and can see it as a good historical read for readers who enjoy this type of fiction.

I have read the previous book in The Island Cottage series “Secrets of the Cottage by the Sea.” As I was reading “Memories of the Cottage by the Sea” it reminded me how much I enjoy Rebecca Alexander’s writing. Her transition from past to present is smooth and easy to follow. She makes you feel like you are right there with the characters.
Two timelines intertwine in such a beautiful way in this story.
A heartwarming and endearing story of courage, redemption and forgiveness.
The historical aspect covered in the story is intriguing.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture and the author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

An interesting book set in the present day and the 1940s. I’m not a lover of duel time line books but this seems to work and held my interest. It’s mainly two strong women; one who is sent to close a school on a small island in the present and one working on a small island during the German occupation in WW2. I loved Charlottes character as she takes on two small boys as well as teaching at the school. The shack on the beach is interesting as is the way the past links into the present.

It was the cover design and illustration that first attracted me to this book. A pretty cottage with a blue sky in the background - I thought it looked like a nice story to escape with.

Initially, I expected something like a feel-good romance, but in fact, it was something a little bit different. There were two narratives - one in the present day and one in the 1940s. Recently, I have been enjoying time-slip novels by authors like Kate Morton and Nicola Cornick, so this reminded me a little bit of those. I warmed to the characters in both narratives and found myself interested in them.

I found this light, pleasant and quite heart-warming to read. I believe this is a sequel to a previous book, and I wonder if it may have made more sense to read the previous book first, but I still enjoyed it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a free copy to review.

Could not stop reading this. Set between now and the Second World War . Some times you think men are so lucky to be men.. You can not imagine how they survived in the Second World War when the Germans invaded the islands . The food shortage . The two main characters were fantastic . I loved the endings for both . Charlotte was amazing with the boys and Jenny was so brave. . Augustine was amazing. . I can’t write a good enough review to say how amazing it was

Book 2 I’ve always enjoyed this author and this book is no exception. You feel like you’re part of the story and no matter how many characters there may be in a book you feel like you’re a part of that world and invested in these characters as well. This would be a perfect beach read or book club book to choose. Loved the characters, location, and story. Gorgeous cover too that draws your attention to it.

This book was sent to me by Netgalley electronically for review. Friends and family…a teacher goes to an island to close a school. She ends up teaching the few kids on the island and falls in love with them. The dual timeline takes place during WWII. Her family and secrets. Although I do not like this type of timeline, dual, this works. Lovely story about redemption and family. Starting over…new friends…characters who come alive on the pages of this novel. Thanks to the publisher and the author.