The Winter Cottage by Rachael Lucas #Review #ApplemoreBayBook1

Today I am thrilled to feature the first in a new series, Applemore Bay,  by Rachael Lucas, The Winter Cottage. 

When Rilla Clark’s long lost father dies, she leaves New England and heads to his cottage in the Scottish Highlands to sort out his affairs. Rilla's determined that her visit will be a fleeting one. The little village of Applemore holds a lot of memories for her, but looking back might just open up her heart, which she’s kept well-guarded until now.

Lachlan Fraser is less than delighted with his inheritance. He left the grand, crumbling Applemore House as soon as he could, and he can’t see why his three sisters love it so much. Gathered together at their family estate, the battle of wills over what to do with the house is just beginning when into their life walks Rilla, who they haven’t seen for over fifteen years…

Old friendships and long-hidden emotions are rekindled as the romance of a Highland winter works its magic - will Rilla and Lachlan discover that home isn’t a place, but a feeling?

Full of warmth and romance, this is the perfect cosy escape to curl up with, ideal for fans of Cathy Bramley, Holly Martin, and Katie Fforde.

 My Thoughts

This is such a warm story with engaing characters. I wanted to know the story for each of the siblings but I have the feeling I will have to wait for some future books to find out. With four siblings all so different, this series has a lot of potential. Rilla and Lachlan are a great couple and I admired how credible Racheal made their story appear. There is genuine affection in the house and you get a real family feel. 

    Finding out where your home is is a central part of this story. The past seems to have a great pull on the family's emotions and you absolutely believe in the ties which bind them. The setting in the Highlands is gorgeous and I loved the details in the story- the crumbling ancestral home, the outbuildings with their own treasures inside and of course, Hugh, the rescue dog. He is looking for a home, just like Rilla and recognises the feel of it when he sees it. With such warmth and emotion, I can absolutely recommend this as a gorgeous festive read. Bring on the next in the series!

 In short: love is in the air...

About the Author

Rachael Lucas has written ten novels for adults and teenagers, including the Carnegie nominated THE STATE OF GRACE, the top ten bestseller SEALED WITH A KISS and her most recent British bestseller THE TELEPHONE BOX LIBRARY. She is also the author (as Rosie Curtis) of sweet holiday romance We Met in December, an Amazon Editors' Pick. Her novels have been translated into many languages, including Italian, Turkish, French, German, Latvian, Estonian, Danish, Norwegian, and more.

Sign up for Rachael's newsletter at rachaellucas.com, follow Rachael on twitter at twitter.com/karamina, find her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/rachaellucaswriter and keep up with her day to day stories on Instagram - just search Rachael Lucas to find her!

Rachael lives by the seaside in the north west of England with her family and two very enthusiastic spaniels. When she's not writing at the kitchen table with a coffee by her side, she's out walking the dogs on the beach or the nearby pinewoods. She's a huge Kindle fan - her ten year old self would have been over the moon to be able to carry a whole library around in her pocket - and a lover of sweet, romantic, small town stories, which is exactly what she likes to write. She's a big Hallmark movie fan, wanted to be Anne of Green Gables when she was growing up, and Jo March was her literary heroine. (She still is.)

Rachael's books are full of warmth and gentle humour, as well as beautiful small town settings which give her readers an escape from everyday. Rachael has been described as having "a gift for capturing complex emotion and both romantic and platonic intimacy" and writing which "exudes positivity and warmth" (Publisher's Weekly). The Guardian called her "honest, romantic and hilarious". Her teenage boys think she's a bit disorganised, and that she forgets to cook dinner when she's writing. (Luckily they don't get to leave a review.)

Book link: Amazon UK

Thanks to Rachael Lucas and Anne Cater of  Eandom Things Tours for a copy of the book and a place on the tour.

 Check out the rest of the tour!