Loved this story!
A must read!
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishing house and the author for the opportunity to read a complimentary advance reader copy of this book in return for a review based upon my honest opinion.

I really enjoyed this book, it was a lovely quick read, perfect for reading while curled up with cocoa during a winter storm., a nice escape to a warmer climate. While Zoey l‘s life has taken a wrong turn, leaving her almost destitute and unemployed, she stays with her two elderly aunts while one of them is at the end of her life, in the family home by the sea. When her aunt Sylvia passes she stays to help out her aunt Ivy to whom the home currently belongs to assist her and to try to get her life together. Her orphaned niece needs a place to stay for a few months and comes to stay at the home with them.

This book is a lovely story about three generations of a family and their bonding, about getting to know one another and themselves. The center of it all is the home, with it’s beautiful widow’s walk. For Zoey, knowing that it will go to her cousin Mark kind of hurts her, but as it is to be passed to the oldest blood relative she knows it is a done deal but what about the town rumours that Mark may not be a blood relative, could they be true, if so, the home will be hers. I enjoyed this book and the characters were well written. I felt like the end was kind of rushed but still good.

Will definitely be looking for more books by this author.

Just thinking about her great-aunt Ivy's cottage brings very warm feelings to Zoey. She couldn't have asked for better summers as a child. Ivy is not only up in years, her cottage is not in great shape. Zoey's cousin Mark wants Ivy moved into a nursing home and intends on selling the cottage. Not only is Zoey reluctant to have Ivy moved, she wants to make any necessary repairs on the cottage. She quickly discovers that she has an ally, Ivy's neighbor Nick, who is also a local carpenter.

Beyond that, as Zoey begins to examine the contents of the house, she discovers a connection to the past that just might change everything. Zoey hopes that Ivy can stay in the house, and does what she can to learn about a reclusive lighthouse keeper. All the while, she and Nick begin to grow fond of one another, which just might change her future as well.

As touching as this story was, there was a very unpleasant character, and that was Mark. His attitude towards Ivy and her heritage left a lot to be desired. This was very relatable because so many people today don't want to care for their older relatives. As venemous as he was, Zoey, Nick and Ivy gave the story levity, balancing out his character. Although the ending could have been fleshed out a bit more, it was an enjoyable story.

Many thanks to Forever and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

zoey escapes a breakup with her boyfriend, by returning to her aunt Ivys cottage. her aunt Ivy is not doing well and some of the family want to send her to a nursing home. really enjoyed this book

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 Pub Date 25 Jan 2022
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

A heart-warming and heart-breaking story. Not especially heavy in the romance department, but more about the aunts and some secrets of the past. It will keep one guessing as much as the characters are and jumping to the wrong conclusions. Sort of a mystery involving heritage. Great tale. Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley.

What a charming book to read on a cold winter's day. Zoey has returnee to help her great Ivy with her home where she will connect with family and discover the answers to long lost family secrets. This book reminds me of others that I have read. Very predictable but all in all a good read.

Aunt Ivy's Cottage
By Kristin Harper

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Dune Island Series
I read Summer at Hope Haven In 2020 and absolutely loved it.
When I seen book two was out, you can say I was pretty happy and immediately requested it.

Harper has a magnificent way of touching your heart through her writing.
She generates feeling of sadness, love, joy and family secrets.
The characters are so relatable and real.
Zoey and Nick, I couldn't get enough of them.
They will automatically suck you into their world.
I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know the characters in Dune Island.
This was a wonderful and quick read, filled with heart.
In this engaging story from Kristin Harper the setting was wonderful and it was amazing to see how how these characters grow right before your eyes.

If you are in need of a book to keep you turning the pages I highly recommend picking up this book.

Forever,
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!
I will post my review closer to pub date.

What a great book to read at any time of the year. Zoey is living with her great aunt as she is recovering from losing her sister and Zoey is trying to decide what she wants to do next as she lost her job and isn't sure what she really wants to do. She is also dealing with her cousin who will eventually inherit the home that her and her great aunt live in and he is ready to inherit it and make it into something else.

Zoey was such an amazing character to follow. She felt so real, honest and true and I barely put the book down because I wanted to know where this was going to go and fast! I loved that Zoey was dealing with all of life's struggles - love, professional life, fear of the future - the book had more than her pining for the right man to come along and fix things. I also appreciated her relationship with her great aunt, I have a special relationship with mine and it is something I hold very close and am often very thankful for.

A little bit of romance, a great deal of heart made for a wonderful book. I have read both of Kristin Harper's books that she has written so far and I am holding out for many more to come!