A beautiful read which will grab you emotionally. I was hooked from the Start. I look forward to reading more by kennedy.

I absolutely adored this heart touching, uplifting story of secrets, family roots and new beginnings. The Cottage by the Loch is beautifully set in the scenic countryside of Scotland. Even though it was my first Kennedy Kerr novel, I do have another one of hers waiting for me on my Kindle app! And I definitely will be exploring even more of her works as time allows.

From the cover (which is gorgeous) to the last page, I was totally charmed by The Cottage by the Loch. Its well-rounded characters, stunning landscape and intriguing plot swept me away. The author’s gentle writing style pulled me in so quickly and with such ease I completely forgot my own environment. This story is pure delightful escapism for sure but it has depth with a strong message of love and the importance of finding your place in the world. It is such a well written tale that satisfies the romantic heart. Besides, who doesn’t love an ancient castle, a handsome Scottish Laird and an atmospheric scene of stone circles? Along with a lass who is trying to figure out where she belongs and who should she be with? Real magic in the earthly sense emanates from The Cottage by the Loch.

Zelda Hicks lives in New York City and has recently lost her mother. Her loss is deeply felt and her job is all she has left to keep her feet on the ground. But she is asked to travel to Scotland on assignment. Her father is actually Scottish so venturing overseas could stir up some unresolved feelings. He left early on so she has never really known him, nor thought of pursuing him while her mother was living. Of course, now that she is alone, a need for family rises in her heart and she wonders what to do about it.

After arriving in Scotland, an unfortunate accident occurs that keeps Zelda there for far longer than planned. Is this a blessing in disguise? Maybe so, as it provides an opportunity to explore more of her family’s roots and to practice her other talents. As she begins to build new friendships with some very special town’s people, events occur that will affect and change her life in unexpected ways. She will learn the beauty of a close knit community but see its negative aspects, too, such as being under the scrutiny of watchful eyes. But for the most part, Zelda’s experiences are positive and the kindness of others flow her way. Though it takes some getting used to as being in a place where people care, treat you like family and offer a helping hand, is quite foreign to someone coming from the big city of New York.

A major example is one shining moment when Zelda is out on a walk and meets elderly lady Gretchen. A woman she connects with instantly and who invites her into her cottage for tea. They become fast friends and this friendship opens exciting doors to new beginnings. And when a bundle of old letters surface from the back of Gretchen’s antique wardrobe, it leads Zelda on a journey of restoration and discovery. This intriguing thread plays out magnificently with its ups and downs and lovely surprises.

Of course, there is more than one love interest on the table for Zelda. Besides Hal Cameron (the Scottish Laird), the other male vying for Zelda’s affections is Irish Ryan, a bookstore owner. The author paints a colourful palette of these two very different rivals but are either men as they appear? There’s a lot of backstory that unveils the truth and then current events to give us a chance to decide who we think is best for Zelda.

Intriguing details rise, too, from the mist of her father’s background. By the end of the story, we learn much about tender love, family roots, where the heart feels at home and lasting happiness. It is a story about connection and the importance of remembering the past. How history must be woven into the present to provide strength for the future. I loved this story and highly recommend it. 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Many thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for a review copy.

Amazing read,good plot and easy to love all the characters,descriptions make you feel as if you are there.

"Last night I dreamt of Manderly...." Zelda Hicks has recently lost her mother, her job, and is staying in Scotland after she was assigned by her magazine to do a photo shoot at a castle. What starts out as a miserable experience for her becomes the life she's always dreamed of.
I really enjoyed this story and what girl doesn't want to read a story about a Scottish romance in a castle? Honestly, this book checked off all of my favorite things in a story--a beautiful place to live, starting over after a loss, and a handsome man to sweep out heroine off her feet. I felt so bad for Zelda at the beginning of this story, but by the end, I was really rooting for her to be from the town and related to Gretchen.
I related to Zelda's love of romance books and her obsession with the book "Rebecca". She references this book several times in the story, especially with her romance with the Laird. I haven't read "Rebecca" in many years, but after reading about how much Zelda loved the book, I went and found my own copy and started reading right after I finished this book.
I see this is the first in a series and I'm very interested to read more about this small Scottish town and get to know the locals a bit more.

"The Cottage by the Loch" is a classic fish out of water romance set in the fictional small town of Loch Cameron. Zelda Hicks is a New York journalist who is visiting for a few days for work and ends up staying longer. She is befriended by various locals and starts to relax, even though she had always thought of herself as a city girl.

This is a book to snuggle down and read on a cold and/or wet day, with plenty of lovely characters and an idyllic setting.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publishers for the opportunity to review this book.

This is a well-written, cozy romantic story about dealing with grief, persevering in hard times, and finding yourself while far away from home. I’m excited for more books in this series to come out so I can find out where Zelda’s journey takes her.

Zelda Hicks, a journalist for a struggling fashion/lifestyle magazine in New York, is still reeling from the death of her mother when she is assigned to work on a story in Scotland, the homeland of her estranged father. She sets off for Loch Cameron for what is supposed to be a quick photoshoot, but a broken wrist caused by fashionable but impractical shoes delays her homecoming. Zelda finds herself marooned in the quaint Scottish village, the antithesis of New York in so many ways.

While recuperating and getting to know the locals, Zelda receives news that the magazine she works at has been bought and all staff are being let go. Despondent and adrift in a foreign country, Zelda makes the best of the situation by helping the locals – giving advice to a clothing store entrepreneur, updating the Cameron castle’s image, and renovating an elderly woman’s cottage in exchange for tenancy. All the while she documents her journey on social media, intriguing her followers and obtaining more interest in her story.

Zelda knows she needs to return to New York and find a new job, but the draw of learning more about her father’s side of the family, her possibly romantic interest in a couple of local men (including a widowed laird), and her attraction to the slower, quieter pace of life in the village have her questioning where her heart belongs.

This is a sweet story that is both romance and finding roots. Zelda Hicks is grieving the recent loss of her mother. She really has no family because the only thing she knows about her father is that he is from Scotland. Zelda lives in New York and works for a magazine writing features articles. A work trip comes up that sends Zelda and her friend Emery to a Scottish castle for an article. While there Zelda meets the Scottish Laird of the castle, the people of the community, and an elderly woman in a small cottage who she befriends.

Some old letters in Gretchen's (the elderly friend) cottage sends Zelda on a historical search to find the truth about what happened to the girl the letters are sent to. It also makes her wonder if it might be good to find out more about her own past and her father.

The romance was the central focus of the story for me. It seemed to overshadow everything else, but the historical aspect was also prominent in Zelda's stay in Scotland. I enjoyed the story even though there was not a lot of action. It still moved at a good pace and kept my interest. Zelda and the Laird were both interesting characters. I really liked Zelda and found her friend Emery an interesting character. There were two guys vying for Zelda's attention and that added some interest as well.

Thanks to Bookouture through Negalley for an advance copy. This book will be published on January 24, 2022.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book.
The tagline for this book says it's "gripping and uplifting" neither of which I found to be true. I liked all the characters but kept rolling my eyes at the circumstances surrounding the main character, Zelda. Everything seemed to just land in her lap. And maybe this is just me, but after you've literally just met an elderly woman named Gretchen, you're calling her Gretch? To her face?
If this was a mystery novel, I guess you'd call it a "cozy." I'm not sure how it's categorized but I wouldn't even call this a romance. And the ending was rather abrupt - I wanted to know what happened with her father/father's family/the laird. Maybe this is the beginning of a series? I have no interest in reading another, if so, and not sure I would recommend this one. Not rating this less than 3 stars only because it really wasn't horrible, I was only expecting more.

The Cottage by the Loch by Kennedy Kerr

Zelda Hicks has just lost her mother, and the only thing she knows about her father is that he was from Scotland. So a work trip to the Scottish village of Loch Cameron couldn’t be better timed. Maybe a break in the beautiful rolling hills of heather will help Zelda reconnect with her roots and recover from her grief.
Then, on a walk around the loch one bright morning, she comes across a tiny, tumbledown cottage, nestled on the edge of the forest. The elderly owner, Gretchen Ross, invites her in for buttery shortbread, and after learning that Gretchen might lose the cottage that has been in her family forever, Zelda vows to help her. She didn’t bargain on butting heads with the handsome, blue-eyed laird Hal Cameron in the process. Zelda can’t seem to forget Hal’s shy smile and she soon learns they might have more in common than she first thought.
Loved this book , for me everything about it was perfect and just the sort of title you can really lose yourself in it.
Brilliant character in Zelda who is learning to rediscover herself after the loss of her mother.

Loved this book. Zelda gets sent to Scotland to do work for the magazine she works for set in a castle. She meets the laird who is still grieving for his late wife. Very authentic descriptions and the Scottish words.

New Yorker Zelda Hicks finds herself being sent off to Scotland for a photo shoot by her demanding editor. No Edinburgh for her, though. Instead, Zelda travels to tiny Loch Cameron, where – even she has to admit – the castle and its grounds are a gorgeous backdrop for a shoot. Not to mention the gruff but handsome laird who has made his castle available to Zelda and her team. When high heels turn out to be a very bad combination with rain-slicked stone, Zelda has to say goodbye to her New York life for the moment and make herself at home in the small village of Loch Cameron.

The village is populated by an interesting set of characters that I wouldn't mind getting to know myself. Add to that Zelda's discovery of Scottish idiom and sensible footwear to tramp around the beautiful countryside, and you have a cozy, feelgood romance with a hint of sleuthing. After all, what small village doesn't have secrets?
What I loved about this book is how the characters' past experiences work through in their interactions in the present. While this is a romance with a very cozy feel, it deals with grief and feeling unmoored as well, weaving it into character motivation in such a way that it makes their actions believable, and tying the story together as a whole.

Would definitely recommend to anyone who loves cozy romance, tiny villages, and Scotland. Oh, and tea and shortbread!

A delightful story brought to life by Kennedy Kerr’s wonderful descriptions of the Scottish countryside. This was quite the easy read, and when I say that, it's never negative.
I sat down for a few hours and flew through the book, and it entertained me.
I liked the main characters and would happily read any more books by this author.

This book was sent to me electronically by Netgalley for review. Thanks to the publisher and the author also. This gifted author has written a cannot put down novel. The characters are likable and come alive on the pages of this book. Helping others…friends and family…romance…curl up in a comfy chair with a warm afghan, a cup of steaming herbal tea…become lost in this story…I liked this book. I like this author…enjoy.

After the death of her mother, Zelda travels to her father’s birthplace in Scotland, looking for family connections. In the small village of Loch Cameron, Stella stumbles upon an old cottage, and is invited in for tea by the elderly owner, Gretchen Ross. Gretchen is terrified she will lose her home and Zelda, feeling sorry for the woman, decides to do everything in her power to make sure Gretchen keeps the home that’s been in her family for generations. In the cottage, Zelda finds an old bundle of letters that connect to the very handsome laird Hal Cameron, local landowner. The letters reveal a connection between Zelda’s family and Hal, a connection buried under years of secrets the whole village has kept buried. A lovely story brought to life by Kerr’s descriptions of the Scottish countryside