💕 One house 🏡 Two broken hearts 💔 A lifetime of secrets ✨
When single mum Libby is offered a life-changing sum of money to clear out an old cottage in the woods, she expects dust and decay. She doesn’t expect a house full of secrets, a room full of birds, and a woman who refuses to leave.
The handsome but stressed architect who hired Libby is also a puzzle. Why can’t Ross empty Elm Cottage himself? What can he possibly see in Libby, who has been burned by love and is wary of attachment? How can they persuade the mysterious but kindly Isobel to move on?
As Libby is pulled into the cottage’s story, she must face up to her own deepest fears. Can she help Isobel, fight the past that haunts her, and learn to open her own heart to love once more?
Some houses won’t let go of the past. Some people won’t, either…
About The Author
My Review
This book is about Libby, a single mother fleeing a stalking ex as she tries to rebuild a safe, stable life for her young daughter. When she takes a job from architect Ross to clear out a crumbling woodland cottage before demolition, she expects hard work—not emotional upheaval. Battling a persistent bird phobia and her lingering trauma, Libby instead forms an unexpected bond with Isobel, the enigmatic woman still living in the cottage.
The Cottage at the Edge of the Woods unfolds in surprising ways, skillfully subverting expectations about love, justice, and healing. Just when the outcome seems clear, fresh family secrets shift the emotional ground beneath the characters’ feet. The uncertainty keeps the tension alive, making you genuinely wonder who will find happiness and at what cost.
Despite tackling heavy themes—stalking, fear, and mental health—the prose remains accessible and heartfelt. The struggles Libby and Ross face feel authentic and human, never overdramatized. Ultimately, this is a comforting yet thought-provoking story about resilience, friendship, and the quiet courage it takes to begin again.
My Rating
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