This is a story of love, war, hope and fear. The story of Cordelia and Isaac, how they came together and how they were pulled apart by war. This is their love story!

This is historical fiction at its best and is a story that is gripping in a sense but is also heart-warming and heart-breaking. I almost put it down at first as I found it a bit of a slow burn type of start to this story but I am glad I kept reading as it was well worth it.

I enjoyed the characters and the writing was easy to read. The story was poignant and you know this would have happened to many people during the wars that have happened in this world of ours. It is so real and is a great read.

I usually like Lorna'Cook's books, but this one was predictable and similar to one I read recently. However, I will still read this author's books and look forward to her next one.

I have very mixed feelings about this book. Lorna Cook is one of my favourite authors but this book really didn't hit the mark for me. I didn't get into the story until well past the halfway point. That starter storyline just moved too slowly for too long and I very nearly gave up. Once the war started, I was captivated by the story but it sadly remained predictable throughout. Ordinarily, I cannot predict the storyline in Lorna's writing which is what normally keeps me intrigued (which is fantastic as a reader) but that didn't happen here. I also always look forward to reading the ending of Lorna's books as she links her story to real-life stories and research that inspired her - unfortunately that didn't happen with this book which was disappointing. I wonder if that is why I struggled to connect with the story and characters itself?
Lorna Cook is a sensational writer and I remain a fan of her earlier books for their depth, their authenticity and their captivating story.

What a beautiful book this is! My heart broke so many times whilst I was immersed in this gorgeous story, which I read in one sitting as I simply couldn’t put it down! I think that any book that touches on war has to be very sensitively handled, and this really is. The wanting, yearning, needing, fear and devastation pour off the pages, but there’s also joy, innocence, passion and love, so much love. In a world that has changed from everything she knew into a world of death and destruction, Cordelia learns the true meaning of friendship, and of love. Highly recommended.

Very hard to get into, and after a few chapters, I just couldn’t push forward. Unfortunately, this particular novel just wasn’t for me. It was too slow to start. However, there are many other books by this author that I enjoy and love. This one just didn’t click with me. Lorna Cook is still a fantastic author so please do not let my review dissuade you from reading this book or other books by Lorna.

Beginning just before the Great War, and this is the story of a young society girl who falls in love with gardening and a garden designer. This is not in keeping with the mores of the time and the advent of war makes their relationship even more difficult. Heartbreak follows, together with many twists and turns in the plot but ending in an emotional denouement. This writer never fails to engage the emotions of the reader.

*****

A truly wonderful read. It did take me a little while to get into the story but once I did I could not stop reading till the end. A heartbreaking story about war, love, life, struggles and the future. There are so many delightful characters that it is hard not to love them all but the book is about Cordelia and her life and the letters she writes, receives and waits for. There are highs and lows but Cordelia strives for a life that is her own with a little bit of help from her good friends.
A must read if you love historical fiction with real characters and real life scenarios.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of The Hidden Letters. I adore historical fiction and I had very high hope for this read. I was particularly interested since we had an opportunity to spend several days in Cornwall three years ago.

I must say I was disappointed in this book. It was very slow - to me it dragged on. However I was impressed with one of the main characters, Cordelia, who stepped down from her aristocratic role to learn about gardening on her family's very expansive estate. She voraciously read books on gardening and planted herbs, vegetable, fruits to keep her family fed as well as the village during WWI.

The author neatly tied loose strings up at the end, but during wartime I don't think that was plausible.

I loved every aspect of this book! The characters, the setting, the struggles and the way the book was set out.

As some books it took a few chapters the become involved, but one I did I could not put it down!

I have read many books by this author, and I must say I have enjoyed every one of them.

I love the way that the characters are introduced and the added touch of being added to an actual event in history, makes the story all that more real.

Thank you Lorna Cook for another wonderful read!

I really enjoyed this book. It started out a little slow, but definitely picked up and I was hooked. It was heart breaking and touching, with surprises along the way. I liked the characters and I really liked the historical aspect. I also liked the format. I enjoyed reading the letters they wrote to each other.

I did feel like I was missing pieces of the story and the wrapping up of some of the story lines. I would have loved to have seen a gathering of the entire family at the end. As for the end, it was satisfying and fitting, if a little too convenient.

All in all, it was a really good read and I would definitely recommend it and would read more by this author.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for the ARC.

I thoroughly enjoy historical novels and I think the youth of today needs to read the facts about the war that are intertwined in a historical novel. No one should forget the prices that were paid by so many so that we could live in a free world here in America and in other countries that are still free.

My review will be added to Instagram (kindle_and_crossstitch), and Amazon (ctmps) during February 2023 and Goodreads in November 2022.

A breathtaking five star read, perfect for fans of historical fiction and Downton Abbey. I feel like my heart was ripped out and then stuffed back in…I think this one will stay with me for a long time.

Starting shortly before World War 1, the novel follows Cordelia, an upper class 20 year old, and Isaac, a garden architect brought to work on her family’s estate.

The start of the book, building up to the war, reminded me of the start of 2020 before Covid took hold; some people disbelieving, others thinking it won’t be for long….hindsight can be a terrible thing.

I want to avoid spoilers so will simply say this was a heart-wrenching read and I gasped aloud at several points. The characters are fantastic and the Cornish setting of Pencallick House was brought to life perfectly.

Being a huge fan of Lorna Cook’s other novels I was thrilled to get an advanced review copy of this book. Thank you to Netgalley and Avon books for my advanced review copy.

On the whole I really enjoyed this story. It’s very idealistic though and I’d love to think there were lots of stories that panned out this way. I found parts confusing at times, for instance the fact that Cordelia had had a baby - it was inevitable, but I found myself going back and forth as I felt I’d missed something. The same when Isaac was blind. Im glad it ended on a happy note and I really enjoyed Cordelia’s character.

After initially struggling to like Cordellia and feeling sorry for Isaac once I got into the book I struggled to put it down. I looked forward to going to bed on a night to read more! It was well written and had so many twists and turns to keep the reader engaged.

My only negative was in the second half of the book the time skipped on quickly and I would have liked to have read more about Cordellia's flight from the Lake District and her setting up a new life for herself in the South. When did she tell Tabitha's Ward the truth and how did he take it? I'd also have liked to have read more about her reconciliation with Isaac.

I have not read anything by this author before but have now searched for other titles.
Would highly recommend.

Another great read from Lorna Cook- which I literally couldn’t put down & ended up finishing in the early hours. I’ve enjoyed all of her books & this ticked many boxes for me with favourite themes of wartime, Cornwall & gardens running through it. As all her previous novels have been dual-timeline I also enjoyed the change here to a single timeline which worked really well. Absolutely loved Cordelia- what a great character- and as ever with this author the historical detail is fascinating. I’ve gone with four stars as a few niggles slightly detracted from the reading experience for me. Mainly the last couple of chapters (specifically the ‘lake scene’ which felt a bit off- unlikely- and also a big let down to what you suppose will be a lovely reconnection scene ). It also felt to me as if the first third of the book was very separate to the final two thirds. A long time is spent building up to the war (infact there is only one location for the whole of the first 33%) and then I felt disappointed that Pencallick never enters the book again. It didn’t quite ring true that Cordelia would separate herself so completely from her brother for instance. A very good read all in all though & a still very favourite author. Thank you for the advance copy.

(To give full feedback the smattering of spelling & continuity errors also detracted but assuming these will picked up before publication).

This was such a good read that I just couldn't stop reading, it was beautifully writte with a captivating storyline and well developed characters. The story is full of vivid descriptions and rich imagery and I loved the romance aspect of the book too. A fantastic read.

I was so excited to receive this ARC from Netgalley and the Publisher (thank you!). It has everything I always want in a book, and when I sit down to read and find all of them in one novel - it is such a treat! Gardens, romance, a war that separates true love, I couldn't put it down. I have never read anything of Lorna Cook's, but this book will not be my last. In this beautifully written tale of love and war, two people meet on an estate - a gardener, and the daughter of the man who owns it. What follows you will have to read for yourself, as I do not want to give too much away, just know that you will not stop reading until you find out what happens. Not many authors can balance the historical facts and a solid romance, but Lorna Cook is one of the talented authors who can. Wonderful, captivating writing gives this novel the depth and ability to pull in any reader, along with vivid, descriptive story-telling, with interesting characters that have depth to them, and are skillfully rendered. I highly recommend this book. A well-deserved five stars!