Caitlin used to love coming to Dune Island to visit her Aunt Lydia but a tragedy then happened. Her aunt left Windmill Cottage to her on the condition that she went back to finish the remodel of the windmill. She hired Shane to do all the carpentry work and sparks flew but Caitlin didn't want to do anything as she was employing him

Kristin Harper’s A Secret at Windmill Cottage is the kind of story that feels like a warm mug of tea on a crisp autumn day—comforting, nostalgic, and quietly stirring. Set on the charming shores of Dune Island, the novel follows Caitlin as she returns to her late Aunt Lydia’s cottage, a place once filled with joy but now shadowed by memories she’s long tried to forget.

The windmill renovation at the heart of the story is more than a physical task—it’s a journey into the past, one that uncovers long-buried secrets and unexpected truths. Harper’s writing is gentle and evocative, painting the island in golden hues and filling the air with the scent of apple cinnamon muffins and sea breeze.

Caitlin’s emotional arc is beautifully handled, and her connection with Shane, the local carpenter, adds a touch of romance that feels natural and sweet. But it’s the discovery of a hidden note that truly deepens the story, turning a simple return home into a poignant exploration of forgiveness, courage, and the ties that bind.

If you love stories that blend family mystery with heartfelt charm, A Secret at Windmill Cottage is a lovely read—perfect for fans of Debbie Macomber and Pamela Kelly. It’s a gentle page-turner that invites you to slow down and savour the beauty of second chances.

With thanks to Kristin Harper, the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

A short satisfying story that is perfect for a beach read. Reeling from a failed romance and disappointing job, a woman returns to her aunt's home to restore an old windmill andcottage that she has been left in a will. Facing a past event that happened there when she was a teenager, she is able to move on and start again.with the help of new friends and the community.

A fantastic story. Sad how something happens to you in your late childhood can affect you so much. It was a a story of making peace with your past and moving on in a beautiful setting. I loved the house and the neighbour and a nice slow romance.. The work colleague was a piece of work. Lovely ending. Read and escape

“Don’t forget to stop and watch the sunset!”

Caitlin Hines has returned to Dune Island to oversee the remodeling of the windmill on her recently deceased aunt’s property before she sells it. Aunt Lydia’s stipulation was dual purpose and I loved seeing it play out throughout the story.

I enjoyed this story about healing and restoration. It was good to take inventory and see if there were any times that I ‘play dead’ like Caitlin and work on breathing life back into those situations. I also loved the recipe for extra melty cheese and Shane Adam’s sensitivity to Caitlin’s privacy and willingness to step back and allow her to come to him rather than smother her. The mystery surrounding Nicole Dixon kept me turning pages.

I always look forward to Kristin Harper’s stories as I know I’ll have an armchair travel to a dreamy island and a bingeable clean read!

I was gifted this copy and was under no obligation to provide a review.

This is a really great read.
An elderly deceased aunt leaves her small cottage and windmill to a favorite but deeply hurt niece.
The niece reluctantly goes back to the cottage to finish a last request but in the meantime finds healing from guilt that has limited her life for many years.
This is a story of healing and a new life.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. My opinions are my own.

Kristin Harper’s A Secret at Windmill Cottage is a delightfully emotional escape packed with family drama, small-town charm, and just enough mystery to keep me up way past my responsible bedtime. Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for my gifted ARC.

Let’s get one thing out of the way: this is the kind of book you think you’re going to read “just a few chapters” of before bed. Then suddenly it’s 2 a.m., you’re emotionally invested in a fictional windmill, and you’re Googling how hard it would be to move to a sleepy island off the coast of Massachusetts. Spoiler: harder than you think, but that doesn’t stop the fantasy.

Our heroine, Caitlin, hasn’t been back to Dune Island in years, and for good reason—trauma, secrets, and that awkward life event we call “accidentally falling for someone who disappears like mist off the bay.” So naturally, her late Aunt Lydia’s final request is: come back, renovate the windmill, and while you’re at it, excavate all your repressed emotions. Typical aunt stuff.

Caitlin shows up, emotionally armored and professionally overextended, only to be ambushed by nostalgia, homemade muffins, and a local carpenter named Shane who has no business being this charming while wielding power tools. Of course he’s helpful. Of course he’s patient. Of course he has backstory. I’m not saying Shane was handcrafted in a lab for emotionally stunted heroines with a fear of commitment, but I’m also not not saying that.

Then there’s the windmill itself, which frankly deserves its own listing on Zillow at this point. It’s creaky, charming, and naturally hiding a mysterious note that turns Caitlin’s understanding of the past into a puzzle box of betrayal, misunderstanding, and one deeply buried secret. Honestly, I live for this kind of thing. Hidden letters? Long-lost truths? Emotional redemption arc? Inject it directly into my bloodstream.

Kristin Harper has a knack for writing stories that are equal parts heartwarming and quietly devastating. The setting is immersive without ever feeling forced—I swear I could smell the sea air and cinnamon every time Caitlin stepped into Lydia’s kitchen. But what I really appreciated is that the emotional beats landed. This wasn’t a saccharine “hearts and hugs” kind of story. Caitlin’s grief, her guilt, her slow journey to reconnect with her younger self—it all felt earned.

At one point, Caitlin reflects, “It turns out memories don’t fade just because we’ve stopped looking at them. They wait—quietly, patiently—until we’re ready to face them head-on.” That line hit me like a ton of bricks disguised as a decorative throw pillow. It’s that kind of introspection that elevates this from a cozy beach read to something that lingers long after the last page.

And yes, I cried. Just a little. Maybe I was tired. Maybe Harper snuck some onions into her prose. Maybe I’m just a sucker for stories about women coming home and realizing the past doesn’t have to be perfect to be worth holding on to. Whatever. Don’t judge me.

Despite being book eight in the Dune Island series, A Secret at Windmill Cottage reads beautifully on its own. I didn’t feel lost for a second. If anything, it made me want to go back and binge the earlier books like a TV series I somehow missed. Harper writes with a balance of wit and warmth that’s rare—and she doesn’t shy away from giving her characters messy lives and hard-earned joy.

If you’re the kind of reader who loves emotional honesty, small-town settings, baked goods as emotional therapy, and characters who heal not because of magic, but because they finally allow themselves to be—this one is for you.