Secrets of the Cottage by the Sea: An absolutely gorgeous and emotional page-turner

More about the book

When Ellie Roberts inherits a cottage on a remote Scilly Isle, she is taken aback, having never heard of the previous owner, Patience Ellis. Overwhelmed with questions, Ellie travels to the isolated island to uncover the mystery. Upon arriving, she searches for Patience's whitewashed cottage, hidden behind ivy. Inside, she experiences a strange familiarity, recalling laughter shared with her mother, who she lost in childhood. Determined to learn more, Ellie encounters the enigmatic Branok Shore. Initially aloof, he believes he can assist her, and as they connect, Ellie realizes she must understand her past before embracing the future. Branok discovers letters in Patience's dresser from the Second World War, revealing a shocking secret Patience had to keep hidden. The letters recount a stormy night during the war, detailing an injured soldier who sought Patience's help and posed an impossible choice. However, they do not answer Ellie's pressing questions: Why did Patience leave her the cottage? How can she have memories of a place she’s never visited? As Ellie unravels the truth, she must confront her own fragmented life and find the strength to piece it all back together.