Reviews

The Cottage of New Beginning by Suzanne Snow

sandysmith's review against another edition

emotional hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.5

I'm gradually adding books I've read in 2021 to give a true reflection of the books I've read since keeping records.  This was the first book I read in 2021, and is what kick started my reading journey having put reading on the back burner whilst bringing up the children, previously being an avid reader.  Annie returns to the village where she spent her youth having been left a cottage by her godmother. She falls for Jon. It is overly sweet and sentimental. A Love Story with a Christian element. I didn't particularly enjoy this book, hence the low rating

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Death, and Infertility

laura_devouring_books_crumpets's review

3.0

Annie Moves To a cozy Little English countryside cottage to escape her ex....

It was a sweet read, but there wasn't really much to it..... a very simple plot with, simply written characters, yea it was ok

hhallyy's review

hopeful lighthearted slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.75

booksmartkate's review against another edition

3.0

The great thing about book clubs is the opportunity to read outside your comfort zone. Sometimes, you find new genres or authors you love; other times, you discover things that aren't your cup of tea. It turns out that cozy, sweet, vaguely Christian romances maybe aren't my cup of tea. However, that doesn't mean this was a bad book; it just isn't what I enjoy in a book.

Fresh off being left by her fiancé, Annie returns to Thorndale, the village where she spent much of her childhood when she inherits her aunt's home. Looking to make a fresh start but swearing off men, Annie is conflicted about her growing attraction to Jon, the sweet, do-gooding village resident and heir to a large property, who has recently returned to Thorndale after spending most of his childhood with his mother in America. Over the course of the novel, Annie befriends the village minister and his wife, learns more about Jon's work in the community, and ultimately decides to take a leap of faith with Jon.

If you are looking for a low-conflict novel that scratches the surface of broken relationships and infertility without diving too deeply into those emotions, this light read set in a quaint English village might be the book for you.

kansasreadsalot's review

2.0

I tried to go into this book with reasonable expectations. I was ready for a light, fluffy, cozy romance for our July book club read and that’s exactly what I got.

bonniereads777's review against another edition

3.0

Jilted right before her wedding, Annie has moved to a new town in an inherited cottage to start over. She meets Jon, and romance ensues.

The is a very simple book with no plot twists. It concentrates solely on the romance between Annie and Jon. The ending is predictable. I would have liked some subplots to make the story more interesting. However, fans of romance novels may enjoy this book.

I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley. My review is voluntary.

lit_with_lauren's review

lighthearted slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No

1.5

thearieslibrary's review against another edition

3.5

Annie is looking for a fresh start with no romance involved but what if the only way to learn to trust again is to take a risk on love?

This was an easy, cosy romance read which I found hard to put down. I loved the characters especially Sam, Annie and Jon although I do wish that we got to know better. I found it interesting to read about Annie’s endometriosis but do wish that this was explored more. 

I felt like the ending happened a little too fast for me but nevertheless I would probably read the rest of the series at some point. It felt like there was a lot of characters featured in this book which often left me confused as to who was who. I wasn’t a fan of the miscommunication trope. 

⚠️ CWs: cursing, alcohol use; mentions death, fertility issues ⚠️

nic_readsbooks's review against another edition

lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

I read this as part of a book club

This book is an easy, cosy read. If you are after a lighthearted romance, this could be something you enjoy

But…

I didn’t enjoy this book. I felt like the plot was something I’ve read a hundred times before and it’s been better executed elsewhere. The main character was annoying and just a bit whiny, the love interest did nothing for me. I think I needed to see more depth to both characters to be able to care about them and the romance between them. 

The pacing felt off to me, we moved through days really quickly without really getting to know anything about these two and their lives beyond a superficial level. 

I can see this book would be popular with some people and just because it wasn’t for me doesn’t mean it’s a bad book. I will be passing it on to other members of my family who I am confident will like it but honestly I just felt bored reading it

clionaduffy_xx's review

5.0

Really enjoyed this book the way it was set in a little town with a cottage it gave it a place for the mind to escape to . I liked the storyline and the relationship between the main character and the rest especially the love interest for the main character