Aunt Ivy’s Cottage by Kristin Harper

A well written and enjoyable read . Set in Dune Island and is part of a series but can be read as a stand-alone.

Zoey’s life starts to fall apart so she decides to return to look after her Aunt Ivy whilst there her cousin turns up and wants to put Aunt Ivy into a home and sell the cottage.

A good story good mix of characters and of course the mystery neighbour next door. A feel good book.

I thoroughly enjoyed this cozy book while I snuggled kittens under a fuzzy blanket. No shame in that! It has everything you'd expect out of a chick lit: a little home a bit run-down, a niece coming back to family after life events, aging, a greedy cousin, and of course, a good looking neighbor who we just aren't sure of. I didn't get originality out of this book, it's a standard trope we've seen done in a variety of ways, but the predictability of it was soothing and I've got a thing for older adults finishing out their lives. I'm a sucker for grandmas and old aunts, I can't help it.

When you feel as if you've hit rock bottom and are certain that life is never going to be better, you go home. Home for Zoey is where her best memories have always been, her Aunts' home on Dune Island. This is the second book in Kristin Harper's Dune Island series. Each book is a stand alone set in the community of Dune Island so it is not necessary to read them in any particular order. The story is what I call a "feel good" story. It will run through every one of your emotions but leave you feeling good at the end.

Zoey has been living with her aunts for a short while when one of them dies, leaving her share of the home to her son, Zoey's cousin, Mark. The household is in turmoil, grief affects every decision. As Zoey and Mark disagree on the future of their surving aunt, Zoey must decide how much of her argument is based on what she has already lost. In the confusion Zoey finds a supporter in the handyman hired to repair the home. But even his support has it's roots in a mystery.

Better than a romance, Aunt Ivy's Cottage has elements of many genre plus a very real set of characters living in a familiar community. This was a good read that I'd recommend to most anyone.

I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the ebook. Wow this book was such a great emotional ride. Highly recommend!

Really enjoyed this book - love how it had a second story running through it with aunt ivys secret love back story and her relationship with aunt Sylvia.
Discovered that this is one in a series set in dune island so I will definatly seek out the rest especially letters from nana rose

First book by this author and have to say I really enjoyed it not my usual reading but thought I would have a a change. It was realistic to some families when relatives pass away and either money or property is involved.

Aunt Ivy’s Cottage by Kristin Harper is the second book in the contemporary romance Dune Island series. As with a lot of romance series the Dune Island series has the setting as the common theme and had a new set of main characters in each book so they can be read as s standalone or in any order if choosing to do so.

Zoey’s happy place growing up was her Aunt’s Ivy’s home on Dune Island and now she is returning to that very place. Moving in with her Aunt Ivy Zoey overhears her cousin Mark making plans to move Aunt Ivy out of her home as he is next in line to inherit so Zoey knows she will do anything to stop that from happening. While living in the homed with Ivy Zoey meets Nick, a handyman, and the two grow close as Zoey tries to come up with a plan to stop Mark.

Aunt Ivy’s Cottage by Kristin Harper was a nice little story albeit not without a couple of flaws along the way. To me I felt this one could have contained a bit more romance than there was along the way and I also felt that the ending could have been smoothed out a bit more as it felt rushed. However, despite those things I still enjoyed my time back in Dune Island in the second book of the series and getting to know Zoey and her family.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

The first part of the description of the book is very wrong. Zoey did not find the journal in a trunk in the attic so don't believe that part. Also this book is published by Forever and Bookouture and so I can say I reviewed it for both publishing companies since I received it from both.
Zoey lost her job and her boyfriend and goes to Dune Island to take care of her Aunt Ivy. While there she also finds out that her niece needs to come live with her for a short time.
While Zoey is taking care of her Aunt we meet Zoey's cousin, Mark who is a POS from the beginning. I had to stop reading at one point because his character made me so mad that I wasn't sure I could finish the book. He is the one inheriting the house and is already trying to make plans to restore it . He also keeps trying to put Ivy down and saying she can't live alone, her mental and physical well being is bad and she needs to go into an assisted living place.
Meanwhile Nick is the one doing renovations and Zoey thinks he is friends with Mark and doing all his bidding instead of what Aunt Ivy wants.
Secrets do have a way of coming out though and a diary is found in a weird way that will clear everything up.
Thanks to Forever, Bookouture and NetGalley for the books to review.

Aunt Ivy’s Cottage by Kristin Harper takes us to Dune Island where Zoey has experienced many happy memories. I thought the cover was just lovely for Aunt Ivy’s Cottage. The descriptions of the island and Aunt Ivy’s cottage are vivid. The author brought the scenery alive with her word imagery. There is a cast of characters with most of them related to Zoey. After the death of a close relative, Zoey stays on the island to take care of Aunt Ivy who is getting on in years. Zoey is then contacted by her niece’s stepmother. She would like to send Gabi, Zoey’s niece, to stay with Zoey with her while. She believes it is in the best interest of Gabi. Zoey is also dealing with the loss of a job and her cousin, Mark who is next in line to inherit the house. Mark would like his inheritance sooner rather than later and is trying to get Aunt Ivy to move into an assisted living facility. After a comment from a longtime island resident, Zoey begins to wonder if there is a secret that may help save Aunt Ivy’s home from Mark’s clutches. Aunt Ivy’s Cottage moved along at a meandering pace. The book needed action to help move it forward. The pace was very sluggish in places. The first paragraph of the blurb is completely inaccurate (finding a leatherbound diary in a trunk under a wedding dress). This paragraph is what made me pick up Aunt Ivy’s Cottage. My favorite characters are Aunt Ivy and Gabi. Aunt Ivy has a wealth of knowledge as well as family stories to share. Gabi is a teenager who lost her mother, her father has remarried—twice, and now her father is overindulging in alcohol. The poor girl has gone through a lot in her fourteen years. The mystery was not so mysterious. It is a cinch to figure out. The big “reveal” is a disappointment. I felt that one person’s reaction was dramatically understated. Based on how this character behaved throughout the book, I expected a big reaction and a dustup (there should have been fireworks). The scene was rushed, and I found it to be a disappointment. The romance between Nick, the local handyman/carpenter, and Zoey was okay. I did not feel any sparks between them. I like the premise for Aunt Ivy’s Cottage, but I feel the story needed a little more work. It needed continuity, action, and less focus on Zoey’s zigzagging emotions. I found much of Aunt Ivy’s Cottage to be gloomy. Death, grief, loss of job, and other topics are discussed along with the emotions. I wanted a heartwarming story, and I did not feel this met the mark. Aunt Ivy’s Cottage has a good premise but needs a little fine tuning (like fixing the inconsistencies). Aunt Ivy’s Cottage sweeps us away to a charming island where a family deals with two beloved relatives getting on in years and a long-buried secret.

This is my first read by this author and WOW there really is a lot going on.
After her elderly relative's death our main character moves in with her elderly Aunt whom she had spent living summer's with her in her coastal home. Many wonderful memories abound and she knows it's the right thing to do living with her elderly aunt and caring for her. Her brother-in-law and his new wife send their child to live with her as well because she is getting into trouble at home.
To add to the confusion her cousin is hanging around because he is convinced he'll inherit the house after his aunt's death. He doesn't truly care about the aunt just the money she can spend on him and his inheritance. Along with the aunt's deteriorating health some secrets come to see the light of day that change things in an unexpected way. Secrets have a way of coming unearthed when we least expect them to be. I really hated to see the drama being caused in this family dynamics and just hate how people seem to crawl out of the woodwork when money and inheritances are in the picture. The elderly aunt, Aunt Ivy is a sweetheart. I loved her character.

Pub Date 07 Dec 2020
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

Ellyn Oaksmith’s Long Walk Home is the third installment of her Blue Hills series. I found this book not just incredible relaxing and light-hearted, but also really relatable as well.

The book is told in third person and follows Lola Alverez’s second chance romance with her first love Gus Weaver. Lola works in the restaurant of her family’s winery, and aims to show her older sister that she’s mature and capable of responsibility – by going behind her back and creating little cabins up the hill even though her sister was completely against it. So when Gus, her ex and a contractor, comes back, Lola took her chance to do it anyway.

The premise of the story is quite simple, but I liked that it focused more on the relationships of the characters (with family and self-worth to romance later on). To me, as a fellow younger sister, Lola was incredibly relatable as a main character. Trying to change your family’s perspective of you and move away from the “baby of the family” label into an adult with opinions, successes and a personality of your own can be incredibly hard sometimes.  And even though Lola makes some bad decisions, you can’t help but want her to succeed as you know her heart is in the right place.

The other characters are all very realistic and it’s so easy to see them as real people. Carmen (Lola’s sister) and Lola have such an authentic relationship that many people will be able to understand. Although Carmen may seem like a bit of a control-freak, you can see that it’s related to what she feels is her duty as the older sibling to make sure things run properly for the family and to ensure that her troublesome younger sibling doesn’t make too much of a mess of things. There are so many aspects of their relationship that are true to real life for a lot of family members, but that in the end, it’s all centered around and comes from a place of love, even if that’s hard to see sometimes. And it’s so interesting to see how their relationship changes over the course of the story and also how Lola’s other relationships with other characters progress as well. I have to say though, my absolute favourite character was Daisy. She was such a cute addition to liven up the story and stir up trouble.

This novel has incredibly vivid descriptions and a beautiful atmosphere. The setting just makes it so easy to visualise and brings a calming feeling to the story. There are so many emotions and events throughout the novel that will surely keep you invested throughout. There’s a reason why this novel is labelled a “second chance” romance. It’s not just the second chance at romance that it refers to, but also Lola’s chance at proving her maturity and ability to her family, Daisy’s second chance at a loving family, and Gus’ second chance to prove that he was a different person from the one that left town for jail. This novel showcases that people should never give up, and should keep trying to be better, do better, and give back.

Overall, this novel is a very light, heart-warming, feel good novel. The setting and descriptions easily help you escape from your current life (hello COVID-19, I see you) and take you to an idyllic vineyard, filled with love, family, and the most adorable dog in literary history (from what I’ve ready so far).

This was a nice palate cleanser after reading primarily thrillers for most of the year. I did not realize that this was the second book in a series, but I was still able to understand the story. My first read by Kristin Harper, and I enjoyed her writing style, which was very descriptive and heartwarming. I've always dreamed of a cottage by the sea myself, and just reading about this had me immersed in the coast. This would be a great beach read, but I read it in the fall. I will be looking for more books by Kristin Harper.

Firstly, I must warn potential readers that the blurb is very misleading. Zoey and Nick together do NOT find anything in the attic. Nor, does Zoey alone find anything of interest in the attic. Did the person who wrote the blurb actually read the book? OR, was the book edited since the blurb was written?

The setting was sublime. An island off the coast of Rhode Island with few year-round residents, but many seasonal property owners. Ivy’s house was situated on a hill over-looking the harbor.

The characters were portrayed in a genuine way, so were easy to relate to.

The plot was a tad predictable, but when you read a book in this genre, you come to expect that – and perhaps welcome it.

This is women’s fiction with more than a dash of romance. It is a story of family allegiances, family secrets, and inter-generational relationships that culminate in a ‘happy ever after’ ending. Recommended!

3.5 stars rounded up

Aunt Ivy’s Cottage by Kristin Harper
Book #2: Dune Island Series
Source: NetGalley and Bookouture
Rating: 3/5 stars

The Bottom Line: Aunt Ivy’s Cottage is an emotional roller coaster of a ride that traces the love, lives, loyalties, and betrayals of a family as one generation is coming to an end. Aunt Ivy has spent her life in her home on Dune Island and until recently, she was quite happy to be there. With the death of her beloved friend/sister-in-law, Aunt Ivy now faces her final years alone, rattling around in a home that now seems way too big and full of memories and shadows.

With nothing but her aunt’s best interests at heart, Zoey has returned to Dune Island to care for her aunt. Not realizing the mess she has stumbled into, Zoey finds herself fighting her cousin for her aunt’s health and happiness, caring for her somewhat troubled niece, and fighting her feelings for the local contractor. As Zoey tries to navigate the complexities of her own life, she also unravels the complexities of her Aunt Ivy’s life. Zoey uncovers lies and secrets, love and loyalties that have stood the test of time.

While I generally like the story, I didn’t care for two of the main characters. I know Zoey’s heart is in right place, however, she comes across as seriously naïve and more than a bit whiny and her cousin is scheming rat bastard with nothing but his own self-interest in mind. I found it difficult to feel much of anything for these two as they vied for control of Aunt Ivy and her possessions. The only real character I had any great affection or feeling for was Aunt Ivy. Ivy brought humor, compassion, and love to the story and made it likeable.

I found, throughout the book, lots of places were the story slowed to a snail’s pace, lots of Zoey’s whining was repetitive, and the ending was less than satisfyingly. The last chapters of the book definitely picked up the pace, but the ending fell flat. In the end, I’m on the fence with this read; I disliked some primary characters, but I did like the actual story and the addition of the past crashing into the present.

well written and very enjoyable read. I liked the steting as well. The cousin was a bit of a pain but better by the end. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher!

You can never go wrong with author Kristin Harper. I absolutely loved this story, the characters, the setting and the storyline was amazing.

This is a super fun read. I really enjoyed this one!

Many thanks to the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

YES YES YESSS! I had high hopes and this one delivered! I love the story line and the characters highly recoomend

Aunt Ivy's Cottage was a fantastic light read, containing a romantic storyline, alongside a family drama and a twist.

I was absorbed from page 1 to the end and it's a book I could definitely re read.

I could visualise everything about the island and I will most definitely be checking out future books from this author

This was a nicely written and smooth to read book. It had a pleasant story that felt easy to read and the main characters felt engaging and helped you get drawn into the story a little.
I did feel that perhaps the storyline was a bit too smooth, in that things fell into place without any real difficulty or challenge.
Overall this was an enjoyable read that didn’t use too much brain power to follow. I would recommend this book.