I really liked this one about a different aspect of WW II. It was interesting and told from a different perspective than most . I really liked it .
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this book

I wanted to read this book because I really liked the cover!
It was a good book, with interesting characters. I enjoyed it!
Thanks to Netgalley for the early copy

I received an advanced copy of this book for a review. I didn’t really know what to expect, but really enjoyed this historical fiction book. Alice is a nun who is returning to Ireland from Africa when the boat she was traveling on was attacked by Germany during World War 2. The boat sinks, but Alice survives and is rescued by Jack. Jack cares for Alice and assimilates her into his life. Alice decides to no longer be a nun as she only really became a nun to spite her father.. Alice learns that Jack is a part of the English resistance and she begins to work with them as well. Alice and Jack go on a couple missions working with the French resistance. Alice helps Jack overcome past heartbreak and they learn to move forward together. I read this book quickly as I found myself wanting to know what happens next. I look forward to reading more from this author.

This was an excellent read! I couldn't put it down, I just had to find out what happened. I love reading books about different aspects of world war two and how it transformed people and places. This is like none I have read before.

With thanks to netgalley for an early copy in return for an honest review
A wonderful Author with amazing writing abilities that draws you in a wonderful warm read that is quite captivating till the end I highly recommend this book

In April 1943, on its way to Ireland from the Belgian Congo, the passenger ship Brabantia encounters a torpedo in the English Channel and only a third of its passengers survive. One of those survivors is nun Sister Anthony, who washes ashore on a cove of the Helford River in Cornwall. A local man gives her shelter, but as she begins to assimilate in the community, it becomes evident that her rescuer has ulterior motives... so does she. Sister Anthony, named Alice McBride at birth, is no longer sure she wants to stay a nun; she thinks that her medical skills could allow her to serve God in other ways. The local man, viscount Jack Trewella, bears his royal title lightly. A past loss has made him difficult to know. Together Alice and Jack will cross the Channel to and fro, to support, in ways big and small, the ongoing war effort.

The House at Mermaid’s Cove is predictable but a breeze to read and easy flowing too. Its predictability does not make the story less enjoyable. The characters are easy to like, even when they are conflicted and don’t disclose all the workings of their minds at once. At times, it seemed that the village was living a life too ordinary to be amidst a war, but the story picks up the pace and the war soon intrudes.

I’ll be reading more works from this author.

Disclaimer: I received from the publisher a free e-book via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

A fabulous read, this had my heart racing. WW11 and the resistance movement is strong, so how does a Nun washed up ashore in Cornwall help. The novel follows Sister Anthony who abandons her vocation when she is washed ashore and how she is rescued and ultimately trained to help the resistance. The back story of both her and Jack (her rescuer) are complex and mysterious. Summer reading at its best.

This was my first read by Lindsay Jayne Ashford and I was very much pleasantly surprised! Such an inspiring story of bravery and selflessness in a time when it was needed the most. It was the perfect balance of the history of what happened mixed with a wonderful love story. Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book.

A gentle romance against a solid background of WW2 and the ways that the Cornish helped the French Resistance. Our heroine, Alice, washes ashore after the ship she was travelling on was torpedoed. She's rescued by Jack, who turns out to be the local laird (ok it's Cornwall not Scotland, but he's a Viscount and his family have "run" the area for centuries). Both of them have a past from which they are trying to escape or come to terms with (oh dear, hanging preposition). She's a nun, trained in nursing, being sent home from Africa to her Irish convent as being unsuitable for the job - nun, not nursing. She's trying to decide whether she has any calling at all and questioning her religion. He gave up the women he loved for family and tradition. As they gradually come together they begin to come to terms with their pasts. The background story, based on solid fact, is interesting and better than many WW2 stories. It gives a strong feeling for the perils and tragedies of the time without the usual rose-tinted spectacles. I loved the Land Girls and their antics - I remember the girls who came and helped on our farm, so true to life. The end was rather abrupt and I felt that there were quite a few loose ends although the main couple were clearly tied up. A good read that kept you captivated. Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

It's nice to read a WWII story that hasn't already been told. Alice, en route from Africa to Ireland is washed ashore after her ship was torpedoed off the coast of England. A kindly local man finds her and cares for her, uncertain about who she is, her numbered chemise and shorn locks are a mystery to him.

Alice is grateful for the help she's receiving, but she too is reticent. Not having had much experience with men, she hardly knows how to respond to his acts of kindness.

Both of these characters have something in common, a past that neither could come to terms with. A charming and refreshing story about how everyone has the power to heal another and that courage can come in many forms, both gentle and bold.

Unique and captivating, this is not just another historical fiction novel about World War Two.

It's 1943 and war is ravaging Europe. When a young woman with a shaved head and numbered clothing washes ashore on a remote beach in Cornwall, England, her rescuer makes assumptions about her past. Alice's history, however, is more mysterious and complex than Viscount Jack Trewella expected.

Jack pledges to keep Alice's secret, providing her with a chance at a new life. The two quickly form an unlikely bond, strengthened by shared tragedy and adversity during WWII. However, as Alice starts to fall for Jack, she discovers the mysterious aristocrat has secrets of his own.

Haunted by memories, Jack and Alice must decide; can they lay the past to rest and forge a new life despite the horrors of the war?

Author Lindsay Jayne Ashford was the first woman to graduate from Queens' College, Cambridge, in its 550-year history. In my opinion, her background in criminology and journalism lends itself well to her career as a novelist; The House at Mermaid's Cove is well-researched, concise, intelligent and highly readable.

Many historical fiction novels have been set in England during World War Two, but before you dismiss this as yet another story that romanticizes the period, rest assured the setting and circumstances for Mermaid's Cove are different. I was expecting a pleasant read, but these particular circumstances quickly drew me in.

What kept me going was the ease of Ashford's prose. Mermaid's Cove manages to be suspenseful, melancholy and heartwarming without any superfluous words. It even touches on religion and familial duty without preaching or overt negativity.

The plot drew me in, but Ashford's writing style kept me going. I finished this thoroughly enjoyable read quickly, amidst a particularly busy week. It has also lead me to add her back catalogue to my To Be Read list. If you enjoy good historical fiction and are seeking a book that's both full of substance and a great summer read, please do not miss The House at Mermaid's Cove.

Both the title and cover initially drew my attention to 'The House at Mermaid's Cover'. Absolutely enjoyed! Loved all the characters, especially Alice and Jack. The ending was just how i wanted it to end. I also enjoyed reading how the story came about and shall look forward visiting the National Trust Gardens when i next visit Cornwall. Recommended.

My thanks to Netgalley and the Publishers for my copy. This is my honest review, which i have voluntarily given.

A young woman washes up on the shores of Cornwall, England, found by a young man who comes upon her on the beach. The year is 1943. For Alice McBride, this is the beginning of a new life, far different from that of a nun where she was at an Order in Africa. For Viscount Jack Trewella it was quite a surprise to find her there. Each have their secrets and as they unfold we find ourselves with a book that is quite enjoyable. Far different from other WWII historical fiction I have read before. Different in a good way! My thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a surprising book. First time I read this author and I was captivated from the beginning.

It's set in WWII, just before D-Day, in Cornwall and France. Alice washes ashore after the ship she was traveling in is sunk. Jack's dog finds her on the beach and he takes her to the boathouse until she can walk (her feet were injured).

Despite the circumstances, Jack and Alice build a tentative friendship. He's not sure of her at first, but he keeps providing clothes and food for her and when she gets better, he brings her to work at farmhouse. She then discovers he's actually a viscount.

I really liked Jack and Alice. They're both brave and doing all they can to help others around them. Although the story is told from Alice's first person POV, we come to know Jack through her eyes and those of others in the story.

I also enjoyed the secondary characters and their stories.

I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

This book was so good! The characters were so well rounded, you felt like you actually knew them! The plot was so good you didn't want the book to end!

Excellent plot,loved the main characters, the setting was very vivid, made the reader feel that they were there.
Good plot,historical in places.Definitively recommend this book to family and friends.

Unfortunately I couldn't connect to the characters and found the story boring and slow paced. I think the story needed a stronger magical quality so that the mermaid aspects were more mysterious. To me, the description of the book sounded like a magical realism story but it just didn't appeal to me. The main character being a former nun was a turn off for me as well which also made it hard for me to enjoy this book.

The House at Mermaid’s Cove by Lindsay Jayne Ashford is a historical fiction novel taking place during the latter years of WWII (starting in April 1943) mainly in Cornwall, and also takes place on the mainland as well. Resident Viscount Jack Trewalla and Alice, a survivor of a boat wreck destroyed by the Germans and washed ashore along the Cornish coast, become introduced during a time of uncertainty and war. Alice has secrets and Jack doesn’t have any clue. He thinks she could be a spy or even a POW. Alice uses the catastrophic occurrence of barely surviving to create a new life for herself. She and Jack end up becoming romantically involved, and the secrets come out, and complications and harrowing adventures occur.

I won’t say any more as it will ruin the surprises within the plot. I can only say that I enjoyed Alice and Jack as separate characters as well as their chemistry together. I enjoyed the location, landscapes, plot, and I loved the ending.

A great read. 5/5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for this ARC and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon and B&N accounts upon publication.

Alice is the survivor of a ship torpedoed by a German submarine in 1943. She’s found on a beach in Cornwall by Viscount Jack Trewalla, who isn’t sure whether she’s a spy or a POW. Alice sees a chance to start a new life, leaving her past buried at sea, and she takes Jack into her confidence, asking him to keep her shocking secret. This story of World War II bravery and sacrifice is coupled with the old Cornish legends about mermaids to great effect. A lovely story about a time and place where life seemed no less fraught with danger, but still somehow filled with bravery and integrity