A Cottage by the Sea - Carole Matthews

 

 

 

 

Grace Taylor is looking forward to a week away with her friends, Ella and Flick at Ella's cottage in Wales. A week to catch up and relax and spend some quality time together, along with Grace's reluctant husband Harry and Ella's partner, Art. However, the week doesn't turn out to be as relaxing as Grace first thought and relationships are tested during this eventful and life changing week in a cottage by the sea.

Grace thinks that a week with her friends will be just what she needs to get away from her London lifestyle and help her to re-evaluate her future. Her husband, Harry, however is not as keen to leave his beloved city along with all technology and connection to the world. Grace is questioning their marriage as they have grown apart and hopes that this week will bring them closer together again.
However, when she comes face to face with a mysterious stranger on the beach, Grace suddenly realises the stark issues with her marriage. And when this mysterious stranger turns out to be the new flame of friend, Flick, it becomes even more problematic.

Whilst the plotline is fairly obvious in the way the story is going to play out, this doesn't take away the excitement and shock of the twists and turns that happen during the week. There is a happy-ever-after, even though it is not the usual fairy-tale ending that one would expect from a romantic novel.

The characters are endearing and, at the beginning, all appeal to the reader in some way. As the novel progresses, they develop and become more than part of the book. I didn't feel completely attached to the characters as I have done in other novels, but there is enough dimension there to keep you hooked as you read and to be genuinely pleased for the outcome of them all.

A nice easy read, perfect for lounging round the pool. I enjoy this genre of book in it's own right, but only tend to read them when on holiday. This suited my needs for my week abroad and I would definitely recommend to anyone else looking for a holiday read. However, I would encourage anyone to read this especially if romantic novels are generally your ideal read (such as my mum).

I would absolutely look through Carole Matthews other work for my next break.

Holiday Reads

Hey Guys,

Not posted anything on here for a while. I've still been reading lots and have ploughed through many books since my last post. So I've got lots of new material to review as well as giving you my thoughts on some classics.

I got back from Ibiza this morning where I spent a week with my boyfriend relaxing, partying and reading some easy and feel-good books. I enjoy reading 'chick-lit' as it is sometimes generalised but only tend to do so when I am holiday as I like a more challenging read normally. But whilst abroad for a week, in Ibiza or anywhere else, an nice, simple read about life working out happily ever after is just what I want lounging by the pool.

This year my choices were random, with only one being based on a previous read. Last year I read Cecelia Ahern's 'P.S I Love You', and so I picked up another of her books, 'The Time of My Life' as I loved my first experience of her work. The other two books were Jenny Colgan's 'The Loveliest Chocolate Shop in Paris' and 'A Cottage by the Sea' by Carole Matthews.

Upon finishing each of these books I was afraid that the following one would not be as good, but I was wrong every time. I read all three books in less than a week and while this was partly due to reading being one of the only activities for most of the holiday, the books were that good that I didn't once feel bored or that I was simply reading to get to the end. I was absorbed by each story and felt committed to each set of characters and their lives within the book.

So here follows a review of each of these books and my full recommendation to take them on yur holiday this year!

Happy Reading

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