C is for Cottage

I’m doing folklore and book review posts to reach and please a larger audience. Previous years have shown select interest in both and to minimise blogging throughout the year, I’m focusing my efforts on April.

Focusing on an A to Z of my TBR (to be read) list, each letter will have books starting with that letter on my list, a book I’ve read and reviewed (with the review!) and one of my books matching the letter with a link about more info about the book.

If you’d rather check out my folklore post for today, go here.

My TBR

About the Book I’ve Read

The Cottage by Lisa Stone

An isolated cottage…
After losing her job and boyfriend, Jan Hamlin is in desperate need of a fresh start. So she jumps at the chance to rent a secluded cottage on the edge of Coleshaw Woods.
 
A tap at the window…
Very quickly though, things take a dark turn. At night, Jan hears strange noises, and faint taps at the window. Something, or someone, is out there.
 
A forest that hides many secrets…
Jan refuses to be scared off. But whoever is outside isn’t going away, and it soon becomes clear that the nightmare is only just beginning…

Check it out on Goodreads.

My Review

Very atmospheric. The dog, Tinder, made the book. His actions, reactions, and affection made Jan much more likeable. Opening the door when she’s sure something/someone is outside in the dark is just stupid, no matter how much the dog insists on going outside. That alone made me root for the monster in the darkness…

The mystery surrounding the premature stillborns, the fertility clinic, the midwife, and the affected couples brought more texture to the world around the cottage Jan was renting. The forest and its mysteries were more compelling, though.

Without giving away the plot, I think Ian did the right thing. I get why Anne did what she did. But Chris and Jan? I think Tinder deserved more page time than them – he was honest in all his dealings and acted on instinct, not fear.

I had a problem with the italics as it messes with my eyes and head, making it difficult to read and enjoy the book. Authors and publishers: please consider the neurodivergent when making decisions about italics so books are accessible to all.

I liked the cover. I liked the blurb. I liked the setting. But the reveal fell flat as it had nothing to do with what was promised in the cover and blurb. The pacing is good. The central theme, though nothing to do with what the cover and blurb said the book was about, was interesting. There were way too many POVs. It’s not a book I’ll read again.

Trigger warnings: use of the Lord’s name as an expletive, incest, miscarriage, stillborn babies.

My Book

The Irascible Immortals Series Collection (The first nine books)

I hope you enjoyed this. For more books I’ve read and reviewed, check out either my Pinterest board about reviews or my Goodreads profile. Alternatively, you can check out my reviews on BookBub. Have you read any of the books? Loved or hated any of them?

You can now support my time in producing book review posts (buying books, reading, writing reviews and everything else involved) by buying me a coffee. This can be a once-off thing, or you can buy me coffee again in the future at your discretion.

*FYI, my reviews are my honest opinion and if something bothers me, I tell it straight. How else will anything change? My opinions are based on being a voracious reader and book buyer, not an attack on the author.*