I found myself drawn to this cover. I thought the story was slow for my liking. The writing is good though, and Imogen was a memorable character. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

Was definitely drawn in by the cover art and the story delivers the vibe I expected- very much cozy cottage core.

The romance and characters could have used more development, but I’m not that put out- the read was still enjoyable.

I throughly enjoyed Storybook Ending much more than I thought when I first started the book. Thinking it was another book where husband bullies wife and she has no backbone, I was happily surprised to discover the character of Imogene is so much more than what we see at first glance. I loved the chemistry between her and Gabriel, the cottage setting ( the cover is delightful!) and the storyline itself. I was invested in it all and sorry when it ended.

I requested this book on NetGalley because I was charmed by the cover, and it is still my favorite part of the book. This story was convoluted and weird, characters were underdeveloped and in some cases downright unlikeable, and mostly I just really did not like it. Gabriel was a pill, and Imogen was not much better. He was not so much smoldering as like aggressive and sort of creepy. She was completely out of touch with reality. The house sale subplot was illogical to the point of distraction. And aside from Gabriel, no other elements of Imogene’s life felt resolved by the end of the book. The ending was random and unbelievable. It just felt like a bunch of half stories- nothing substantial, and nothing resolved. Not a rave from me. I do still like the cover though. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-arc.

A fun laugh out loud read. I have not read anything else from this author but am excited too. The characters were easy to love and so much fun in their interactions. I know she wrote another book about this town and there was a nod to it at points in this book but this can totally be read as a stand alone. A sweet story about falling in love with and in the British country side.

I was hankering for a cozy little cottage read, and this definitely had the charming village/homebody/cat lady vibes I was hoping for. That said, the romance angle wasn’t super compelling to me (maybe not enough buildup or rapport between the two?), and I found myself getting frustrated with the main character at times—I feel like her apathy and incorrect assumptions got more unlikeable to me the more I read. Thanks as always for the opportunity to read!

Imogen is a fledgling storybook artist who just can’t seem to keep a job. She and her husband Nigel have not been married long, and the two decide to purchase a cottage in Middlemass, leaving the city life behind. Unfortunately, after an accident, Imogen is left widowed, with a new house in the country, and surprisingly pregnant. Her new life begins as she slowly incorporates herself in the village, meeting locals and battling her headstrong neighbor Gabriel, a roughly handsome caretaker of the cottage and the surrounding lands. Things come to a head when she realizes more is expected after Nigel’s death, and she is left to pick up the pieces of her widowed life.

I enjoyed this book. Imogen is a bit of a wispy character, she has a floaty artist's personality and begins to come to life on her bike in the countryside with her burgeoning belly and story book she creates. Gabriel is grumpy and a true broody hero who takes care of Imogen while still fighting with her. The story takes a minute to get going, but once it does, it is a charming tale that has a quiet pace and even as bad things are happening to our protagonist, the reader gets the feeling that all will work out, or maybe it’s just the gardens and sheep and Imogen drawing by the bridge. The writing and plot are solid, the end is sweet, and it defines a cozy, romantic cottage-core novel.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Another really good book by Poppy Alexander. I completely enjoyed this book . I don't know many places that are as connected as this village is. Although everyone knows everything about newcomers, it is not with malice that they intrude in one's life, but affection. I never put the book down, I was so engaged. I would recommend this book to anyone.