What a wonderful book! A warm, fuzzy and cosy plot with loveable and relatable characters. This book grabbed me in and didn't let me go until long after the last page. Wonderful!

It's often our darkest days that help us find the light within us and this holds true of Mara. As she navigates her way as a newly divorced woman and a single Mom, she begins to discover her own strength and depth. Learning more about her mother's secret pain, helps her to understand herself better too. Her visit to her Mom's childhood home that she has inherited is in many ways the start of a new life for her. For the first time, Mara discovers the joys of community and friends who have her back.

Experiencing joy and caring for the first time, Mara realizes that she truly can be her own woman. This journey from being a meek homemaker to a woman who is capable of taking decisions for her own happiness and that of her children is beautifully told. Her Mom's spirit seems to hover around the house as it is being recreated - and as Mara is redefining herself is very poignant.

The character development of not just Mara but also Brian and Paul is very subtly brought out. Plenty of loveable characters in the book including Mara's children, Franny and John.

The plot flows seamlessly and I really enjoyed my first read by this author.

Secrets, we all keep them. But what if the one keeping them believes they are justified?
Fast paced, a roller coaster ride of emotions you'll never know quite what's going to happen next.
The book will keep you guessing!
Well developed characters really added to the balance of the story.
I can't wait to read more by this author!

Pub Date 03 Nov 2020
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. Thank you.
All opinions expressed are my own.

Favorite Quotes:

He gave the air of considering himself too important for something as fanciful as reading a novel or a play or a poem. Privately, Mara had always thought that anyone who didn’t like books was either boring or an idiot. Turns out, I was right.

Life’s always easier when you’ve got your hair done and a good pair of knickers on, in my experience.

Ugh. I am sick and tired of men, she thought. Maybe I can go and live on some kind of women’s commune where everybody is nice and eats cake and plants lovely vegetable gardens and we have monthly moon rituals and community sing-songs and I could train to be a medicine woman, and no one would ever be mean or unreasonable.


My Review:

This was an engaging, fairly quick, and entertaining read with relevant and relatable issues and knowable characters. There were several periods I wanted to give the main character of Mara a swift kick to dislodge her misplaced noggin from her colon and shake loose a few stagnate brain cells and some self-confidence in the process, but thankfully she saw the light before too much damage was done. The storylines were well constructed and smartly paced. I see this is only the author’s second book and I would never have guessed as the writing style was well developed with a smooth and inviting flow. Well done, Ms. Kerr, I am duly impressed.

I was pulled into this one by the cover, which is SO beautiful and striking. Plus the title, which sounded intriguing and mysterious. What happened at this house? Why is it so central to the story?

Kennedy Kerr quickly and effectively brings to life Magpie Cove and the house that is so central to the story. It is a gorgeous and friendly seaside location, but the house, which has left to Mara (gorgeous name for a character) houses some dark secrets. Can Mara, with the help of this close knit community, overcome these dark secrets and make a new start at Magpie Cove?

I thoroughly enjoyed this one and finished it very quickly. Mara is a sympathetic and likeable character, who in true fabulous mum style, is motivated by what is best for her children. I totally connected with her and felt sorry when she was questioning her own actions and choices.

This story really takes you on a journey with Mara and I was with her every step of the way. The ending was perfect and this is a totally heart-warming and overall quite an uplifting read!

I really needed a book like this to fall in my lap as it was such a perfect distraction during such difficult times.

Its been a while since I was last transported to Cornwall and, whilst I’ve ‘travelled’ there multiple times via various different stories, I genuinely missed reading about idyllic and picturesque scenes. Was definitely better than reading my four walls!

Mara’s heartache is evident from the get go. She could fight against it all she wanted, however the more she fought, the stronger her emotions became. That said, i don’t think a box full of letters helped matters either!

I really felt myself getting lost in the storyline and Mara’s past, and I loved how the transition from reality to fiction was so very well done. Hats off to the author, Kennedy Kerr, for that as that is an incredible talent to have.

I really enjoyed getting to know Mara and, even though there was a lot of emotional situations in the story, I still felt that it was a really uplifting and humbling novel. Such a pleasure to read.

The House at Magpie Cove by Kennedy Kerr is a wonderful story, romance and my first book by this author. I really enjoyed this book, and visualized myself enjoying the beach. This book was easy to read and perfect for an escape from hot weather, snow or the pandemic. Mara inherits a rundown beach home from her mother, even though she knew nothing about it. There are secrets to uncover, both about her mother and herself. I will be reading more books by this author. I highly recommend this book.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

What can go wrong with a novel set in Cornwall, absolutely nothing and this book pushes all the right buttons. Very well written with plenty of twists and turns as to what will happen. This is a 5 star novel and please read it and enjoy it as much as I have done.

Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book by Kennedy Kerr is all about new beginnings, hope and healing.

The House at Magpie Cove was jam-packed with heartfelt moments and doses of reality. Mara Hughes inherits her late mother, Abby’s tumbledown beach house but it couldn't have happened at a worse time. Her marriage is dead in the water and her husband, Gideon is threatening to take the beach house, her family home, along with all the memories it holds. Mara intends to spend a few days there - just long enough to sell it and move on to rebuilding her life, but when she arrives in Magpie Cove, she realises there is more work needed than she had anticipated so she enlists the help of local handyman Brian Oakley to save the dilapidated cottage from ruin. It represents a link to her late mum and she is determined to keep it within the family, but then she finds some letters and makes a shocking discovery...

In narrative containing several different threads, Kennedy Kerr does a superb job portraying the lovely setting, as I found myself transported to Magpie Cove. The community there were so welcoming and I thoroughly enjoyed reading the stories of both Mara and Brian. There were some extremely moving aspects to The House at Magpie Cove as well as the more lighthearted moments.

Kennedy Kerr's writing was heartfelt and realistic, making this novel a rewarding reading experience and I was really impressed by her. The House at Magpie Cove is my first book by this immensely talented author and I will be keeping an eye out for The Café at Magpie Cove (coming in 2021). A captivating and emotional read that I highly recommend.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel from Bookouture via NetGalley at my request and this review is my own unbiased opinion.

Hope, heart and healing. This was a short but sweet story about second chances and secrets. Mara is unexpectedly kicked out of her house by Her lying cheating husband. Having recently inherited a beach home in Cornwall from her mother that she had no previous knowledge of; she decides heading there is the best option. Unfortunately it is not the beautiful beach house she was anticipating, the home is in tremendous disrepair. Fortunately handsome handyman Brian lives next-door who is willing to step in. Meanwhile in the process of fixing up the house Mara find some old letters. Old letters that reveal many things Mara never knew about her mother before. I really liked Mara and absolutely wanted things to work out for her. This small town of Magpie was absolutely charming with so many quirky colorful residence. The family secrets were intriguing I was curious how that was going to resolve itself. The romance really was the weakest part of the story for me. I really was not all that fond of Brian, especially at first, and I also sometimes like to see women find their happily ever after on their own. But then I guess it wouldn’t be a romance, would it? A lovely escapist story perfect for these turbulent times.

This book in emojis 👩‍👦‍👦 🏚 🏖 🛠

*** Big thank you to Bookouture for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***

I absolutely loved this book. It's a story of grief, finding yourself and your own strength, despair and rising above it. It's about discovering that there just might be more out there in the world waiting for you than you thought possible. It's about family and love and finding out that it's okay to put yourself first, because that just might be what those you love really need in the end.
In The House at Magpie Cove, there is small town themes, a cheating husband and a new guy on the horizon. Mara has been kicked out by her cheating husband and gone to check out a property she just found out she had inherited from her mother. She knew nothing about it's existence and it seems to hold clues to the mystery of exactly who her mother was. Her two adorable children add to the quaintness of the story and the surfing teacher, Brian, adds a romantic interest.
This was my first book by Kennedy Kerr and I immediately hit that "Follow" button. I hope there's more like this coming.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.

The House at Magpie Cove is a good novel by Kennedy Kerr.

This is a tale of healing for Mara, after separating from her husband. Ending up at the beach house she never knew about sets her on a course she never expected. There are secrets that she learns about her deceased mother, as well as some surprises in her own life.

The writing is smooth and nicely flows. Everything's well developed and the atmospheric. The small town is charming and definitely sets the scene nicely for this story.

The author does a good job weaving this multi-layered story. It's a nice story of family, romance, and healing.

This is exactly what I needed in this bleak times when hope seems to be something far away. A book full of hope, new starts, sense of community and changes.
Oh we know that thing will be better as soon as we start reading but it’s such an enjoyable and engrossing story and you cannot help rooting for the characters.
It’s a story of family secrets but it’s also a story of how a woman faces the changes in her life and find happiness overcoming her insecurity and fears.
Mara is an interesting character, well thought and interesting. She’s being discarded by her abusive husband and thrown out of her home. It’s the start of a new life with new possibilities. I rooted for her and Brian, hoping for their HEA.
The plot and character development are excellent and the author is a good storyteller that delivers a poignant and heartwarming story.
I loved the twists and turns of the plot and I loved how she dealt with issues like abuse and violence.
It’s a highly enjoyable and engrossing story, I couldn’t put it down and it kept me hooked.
It’s strongly recommended.
Many thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Loved it. Family upheaval and moving on to a new life. A heartwarming tale of divorce, new friends, past lives and children. Rebuilding the house seemed to parallel rebuilding Mara's life.

A Cornish beach house - A broken marriage and family secrets. A great story of life on the Cornish Coast.

Magpie Cove is Mara’s Sanctuary!

Mara was thrown out of her home by her husband because he wanted to move in his new girlfriend! She said she was taking the kids and he was actually relieved that they were going to be hers full time! She just happened to be told that she inherited a beach home from her mother. She had no clue about this house! It was literally a condemned mess! But, she loved it! She felt her mother!

Her twins loved it! They met Brian the cute surfer, carpenter and local flirt! He was actually destined to help bring the beach house back to life!

I found some letters that my mom wrote to somebody and they rocked my world and now I have to know more! OMG!

The author is truly gifted because at the first beginning I was hesitant, but then I was hooked and I didn’t put this book down! I will not say anything else because I do not reveal spoilers, but you are magnificent! The characters are so poignant and mesh so well!

I would definitely recommend this book to everyone who wants a great book!

I received an advanced copy from NetGalley and these are my willingly given thoughts and opinions.

Judging a book by its cover, (ssshhh, I do that sometimes) it appeared to be a book about a quaint cottage in a close-knit community. I’ll admit I haven’t been steered wrong yet! The House at Magpie Cove by Kennedy Kerr is an adorable story that I am so honored to have the opportunity to read this novel by an author I wasn’t familiar with.

The House at Magpie Cove by Kennedy Kerr. Bookouture. Release date: 11/03/2020. ISBN: 9781838888848
This is a book that I feel somewhat connected to. This connection has nothing to do with the events happening in this story. Rather, it’s about the main character’s desire to show her kids that she loves them and they are important to her. And her relationship with several people in the community makes me feel like I’m part of the community, too.

It was obvious that the main character was in love with the surfing teacher/carpenter and vice versa. When she ended up going back to her ex-husband, I was pretty upset about her actions! I mean, why?!

Anyway, I loved this little Magpie Cove community. It seems she uncovered many secrets as she and surfing teacher/carpenter guy helps her to renovate the home she inherited. It’s amazing what we learn about our loved ones once they’ve left us. It gives a new understanding and a new love for that individual who’s passed.

A digital copy of The House at Magpie Cove by Kennedy Kerr was provided complimentary by Bookouture via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I give this book five out of five stars because my heart was invested in the relationships growing and healing throughout the story. I almost wish there was a next book to see what happens next!

I just adored this book could not put it down. It has the real feel good factor.
Great characters which show that in the face of adversity you can always find a new avenue in which to achieve. It also shows that you never know when true love will come along.

I liked this book but felt it was left unfinished, I would have liked to learn more about Abby's story and the father's of her children. Too much of the book was wasted with waffle.

A very enjoyable read. As difficult as it is to start over, sometimes we don't have a choice. Mara is trying her best to keep it all together after the sudden end of her marriage. She inherits a broken down beach house but doesn't have money to fix it. It does however, open her world to long held secrets, to new friends, and love.