Lottie Fox thought she was with the man of her dreams, the one she was going to spend the rest of her life with. But he abruptly left her and she is heart broken. Lottie submerges herself into the elderly residents of the village care home.

It is there that she meets Gretchen. She loves Gretchen’s personality and she has some amazing stories. She bonds with Lottie through the wonderful stories she shares from her past. When Lottie meets Fred Mackenzie in the bookstore, her life begins to change. She adores him and the new found friendship he has discovered with Lottie and also with Gretchen. Once again Lottie experiences the unexpected things that life throws at her. How will she ever survive again?

Lost Memories of the Cottage by the Loch, written by author Kennedy Kerr, is a wonderful story of new beginnings, love and hope. Lottie was such a phenomenal person and she found her place in a world that she felt abandoned in. I loved Gretchen as well, she had so many great stories and each one was such a treasure, and Fred was so kind and really amazing.

This heartbreaking and inspiring book hit all the feels and is full of beautiful descriptions of Loch Cameron in Scotland. I was transported to Loch Cameron and it is a place that feels like home. This is a wonderful addition to a phenomenal series but it can be read as a standalone. I loved this unputdownable story and I highly recommend it.

Lottie Fox, in an open relationship with Tristan, accepted that they could date others without any issues. As their relationship blossomed, Lottie began to develop feelings for Tristan, but unfortunately, her feelings were not reciprocated, lea In fact, he leaves her. To help recover from that deep emotional cut, she travels to Loch Cameron in order to help some of its elderly residents to sort out history from the past. This endeavor will help Lottie towards her Masters degree.

Lottie’s studies have her focusing on elders and intergenerational work, which is a project where she collects life stories from people at a care home. One of these residents is an elderly woman named Gretchen. Gretchen has a story that needs to be told, and Lottie just might be the one that she shares that story with.

The more Lottie hears, the deeper the story goes. She definitely feels a kinship with Gretchen. However, Gretchen’s poor health is a serious factor. Gretchen can be rather circumspect, but Lottie doesn’t give up learning her story.

All while healing from her broken heart, Lottie finds that there are dating opportunities, so she might just decide to broaden her horizons. However, what I really gained from this book is the profound effect that Gretchen had on Lottie. That will stay with me for quite a while. Gretchen’s story was heartbreaking, especially as this book touched on some deep and impactful subjects. Kennedy Kerr’s seventh book in the Loch Cameron series was just as wonderful as the previous books in the series.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

Thanks to the Publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

I enjoyed reading this book.

Gretchen realises that she’s, maybe not got much time left as she’s an elderly woman.

She has some things that she’d like to be known, but also worried about how those will be seen by others after she’s said what she wants to.

After her relationship ends with the person she expected would be with her for life, Lottie makes a decision to leave everything behind and move to Loch Cameron, where she can do her MA, for a part of this, she has to speak to women in a local home for seniors about the lives they’ve led.

She meets Gretchen and, whilst talking to her feels as if she’s holding something.

What is that secret, and how will Lottie feel when she hears what it is?

I enjoyed reading this series.

I highly recommend this book.

A woman trailblazer finally ready to tell her tale👵

This realistic story focuses on dual plotlines for Gretchen, a feminist way out ahead of her time, and the present day female student Lottie, hoping to use seniors' reminiscences as part of her graduate studies project. With frail, elderly Gretchen she finds a woman who endured an inhospitable work environment from the moment she decided to become a book editor in a male-dominated industry and a survivor of a toxic relationship who was forced to make a devastating choice.

Gretchen's strength in carving her career and ability to go it alone as a single mother in the 60's and 70's contrasted with Lottie's constant worry about hanging on to the men in her life. In that respect, I found Lottie a weaker, more vulnerable character, though her problems are probably more relatable for a contemporary readership.

I am of an age that I could relate to both women's challenges and I enjoyed the story, particularly the closeness the two women developed. Gretchen's ultimate secret I anticipated, but it did give a touch of pathos, opportunities unrealized, to the ending.

Another good addition to Kerr's Loch Cameron series.

Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

Review shared on 3/4/25 on Goodreads and with Barnes & Noble.

A beautiful, heartwarming story that seemed to evolve very slowly.
Gretchen Ross is an elderly woman that knows her time is coming to an end very soon. She has unresolved issues she would like to share. Her biggest fear is what others will think of her after hearing what she has to share.
Lottie Fox has had a breakup with someone she thought she would spend her life with. She decides to move to Loch Cameron to work on her MA. This means talking to seniors about their lives.
Lottie meets Gretchen and feels a connection. She feels that Gretchen is holding back secrets….will Lottie be able to draw the secrets out?
I enjoyed reading Lost Memories of the Cottage by the Loch. The mystery element was perfect as well as the added bonus of romance.
Each book can be read as a standalone. Though I recommend reading the books in order.
Thank you NetGalley, Bookouture and the author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

I received a free copy of, Lost Memories of the Cottage by the Loch, by Kennedy Kerr, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This book seven in The Loch Cameron book series. Lottie Fox goes to Loch Cameron to escape her memories, after her boyfriend leaves her. In Loch Cameron Lottie meets Gretchen who has her own stories. I really enjoyed this book, sad at times though.

i haven't read any of this series. and this is book 7. so where have i been! call myself a lover of these types of books!? pcht, im highly disappointed in myself. for as soon as i saw the cover, read the blurb, then googled the author and rest of the series i new i was i for a winner. and therefore i feel like ive missed out on the others. for me though, this worked perfectly fine as a standalone. from the blurbs i think Gretchen features at the very start of this series. but having not read this didnt come as a problem. but i shall be remedying this and going back to read the others as soon as i can find them.
like any good book in this genre this had all the feels. and all the right type of things. it has romance. its has light and shade. there are always lessons to be learnt and a cast of brilliant characters. most likely a matriarch or elderly character who you instantly fall in love with.
themes are often discussed with great tenderness which allows some tough subjects to be broached. as is the case in this book. wow woman how are we landed the awful end of things time and time again? its getting harder to read these types of behaviors...from men...and society. especially in the current climate. sadly we seem to be reversing not getting better. so infact, when you get book that cover these things like in this one. it allows you a smidgen of hope. or at least you can live with that hope through the characters for a while.
but more than that, take away the escapism its just a really really delicious read. and these are the genre and plot like books i treasure and every time i get one next in line on my shelf i cannot wait. this one is definitely one of them.
Gretchen in this book is a soul healer. she is strong and feisty and a character to instantly fall in love with. id be going to meet her in her care home as often as i could! but she didnt have an easy life. and this is where we finally hear her tale. as told with the help of new to the village Lottie. who has arrived here from her own heartbreak.
this book through Gretchen covers some heartbreaking topics relating to the treatment of woman. very real but hard to hear all the same. but they arent done without the tenderness ive already come to love from this author.
and what i love is Kerr delivers us some beautiful men. some kind me. and or kind characters. who are those for those who need them. both via friendships and love.
allthough Gretchen has faced such hard abuse by men she quickly wants to heal Lottie and make sure she doesnt lose hope. and doesnt lose a second chance at love. real cherish able love.
these two and their relationship was one we could all have a bit more of please. one i could read about all day. i have to admit when tragedy strikes i wanted to cry out for the ending not to be a certain end for someone! this would not be ok for my heart.
Lottie escaped to the loch to heal. and also to gather resources from those at the care home for her masters. what she learns from Gretchen. others on the island (Fred) and then her own past is something far better than she could imagine. if shes ready. if she can find the strength and bravery.
couldn't recommend this book enough.

I would highly recommend to family and friends. I love author’s that can describe a scene and you are immediately there, you close your eyes and you picture the scene. This author does that for me.

Gretchen Ross knows that her time is coming to an end.

Lottie Fox has moved to Loch Cameron after having her heart broken. As part of her MA, she needs to talk to some of the elderly about their lives. Enter Gretchen, who has had the most wonderful and fascinating, as well as traumatic and difficult life.

Lottie learns a lot about life from Gretchen, and the two become very close over a short period of time. Will Gretchen be able to tell Lottie about her secrets, or will she take them to the grave with her?

I found this to be an emotional read, but also inspiring. Thankfully there have been many people who were, and are very much like Gretchen’s character - refusing to be walked all over due to being female, not letting others look down on her and so much more.

I loved how Gretchen managed to change Lottie’s opinion of herself, showed her how beautiful she was inside and out.

This is a beautifully written story that did bring tears to my eyes at times and made me smile and laugh at others.

There is a lot to learn from this book and I came away with a warm feeling and determined to be more like Gretchen.

My thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

This book is the seventh in the Loch Cameron book series. However, it works well as a standalone. I haven’t read any of the others and didn’t feel I missed any background.

This book (and most likely series) targets a specific type of reader. Unfortunately, I am not one of them. I didn’t feel there was one plot line that wasn’t predictable. In reading the author'’s end comments, I believe, in addition to crafting a heartwarming story, she intended to raise issues of domestic violence and feminism’s baby steps in gaining traction. But the specific experiences were commonplace. There were no aha moments or I didn’t know that for me. No new ground or new perspectives were revealed.

The story is about a grieving young woman, Lottie, who moves to this lovely, picturesque village after the sudden death of her mother and a romantic breakup. Lottie suffers low self esteem and pushes herself to a new start. She begins graduate school and moves into a house with roommates, Fred and Celine. Instant new friends.. Her thesis will be based on interviews with the elderly.

Lottie has many fresh starts in her new location and new connections that will inevitably involve long held secrets. Gretchen, a character in this series, becomes a pivotal character for Lottie in helping her reshape how she thinks about herself. And, of course, there is a romantic arc. But it plods along until it reaches its expected end.

This would make the perfect Hallmark movie.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Ouverture for the opportunity to read this advanced readers copy and provide and honest review.

What an engrossing and soul stirring read! Without fail, Kennedy Kerr’s novels always leave me with so many emotions and thoughts. They are stories of substance that carry significant messages. And this one, the seventh book of the Loch Cameron series, the Lost memories of the Cottage by the Loch, is no exception. It captured my attention from the first page and held me captive to the very last. Publishing heroine Gretchen Ross’s story left a deep unforgettable mark on my heart. And Lottie’s important role as recorder of her life, brought to light many surprises.

I was moved to experience a whole range of emotions following this incredible cast of engaging characters. This sensitive, gripping story covered some very serious and disturbing topics important to women of the past and present. Through Gretchen, who worked in the publishing business, we learn how tough it was for working women in the 60s and 70s (and even today) dealing with sexual harassment, sexism and lack of respect in the corporate world. Women had to prove themselves and work harder to get the same recognition as men. Then in their private lives, women dealt with (and still do) verbal bullying, physical abuse and a number of prejudices (plus being subjected to stereo-typing). The scenes relating to the graveyards filled with ill-treated unwed mothers and pregnant women made me shudder. It is a reality we are confronted with and Kerr’s novel paints a vivid picture of the injustices.

Relationships are a big part of the story: the failed ones, the abusive ones but also the loving ones. A number of men in the plot treat these lead women badly but Kerr shows us also the caring ones, too (like Fred). We cannot label all men the same but we need to be aware there are as many predators as princes in the world. Although Gretchen has been deeply wounded by the way she was treated in her younger romantic years, she and other characters in the story are quick to point out that not all men are terrible and abusive.

Sadly we realise, as Gretchen does, the ill treatment from those unhealthy relationships when she was younger, left a scar on her heart so deep it caused her to miss out on a second chance at love. Now at the end of her life, she ponders her choices and does not want the same loveless life for her friend, Lottie, and makes this clear in their meetings.

Lottie has had her own heart broken by a man she thought she would be spending her life with. She escapes to Loch Cameron to heal and do some research for her Master’s degree. She visits the care home for the elderly to gather some local history and meets Gretchen who she instantly likes. Gretchen shares her life story and it is a fascinating one with many impressive achievements. But she also touches on the personal challenges she faced romantically and career wise. Their time together is very special and we learn so much about each of them. When Gretchen spots Lottie’s necklace that was given to her by her late mother, Gretchen realises their connection is far deeper than she originally thought. She knows then, she must share a secret with Lottie before it is too late.  

Love, betrayal, secrets and revelations fill these well written pages. My heart was bursting with emotions as I read this touching, beautifully presented story delivered by both Gretchen and Lottie. I actually completed this in one day as I could not set it down until I turned the last page—and even then I kept going back and re-reading moving passages. I highly recommend the Lost memories of the Cottage by the Loch and I guarantee there will be tears! I really did not want this story to end and you will see why. 5 Glorious Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for a review copy.

I love these Loch books and this did not disappoint . You have to concentrate a little bit in the beginning as moves around a bit, I love Gretchen story. Gosh being a woman in power in the 60’s and 70’s was not good. I loved how Gretchen chose her secretary . The graves in the Churchyard made me sad . Some very moving parts. Glad Lottie got her happiness in the end. Read it , it is amazing.