Sadly the last in the Amherst trilogy and Ellen returns to the island after the end of WW1 but many things and people have changed and life is a struggle. Brilliant series and I have loved them all, you really find yourself investing in the characters and it is a series well worth reading

Return to the Island is the third book in the Amherst Island Trilogy and follows former nurse Ellen Copley as she returns home after the horrors of the First World War. Hoping to move on from her traumatic past, things still aren’t easy for Ellen and her family and she finds herself surrounded by more damaged people struggling to survive.

Kate Hewitt is a fantastic writer of historical fiction and as this is the final book in this trilogy, I’m sure her readers will be sad it has finished.

Return to the Island is the 3rd and final book in the Amherst Island trilogy. It did take me a while to get around to reading this book after reading the first two books so close together. What can I say? The book was such a satisfying end to the series and it warmed my heart to see Ellen Copley finally realising what and who are her true place/ home and love. This series is kind of a homage by the author Kate Hewitt to the Anne Of Green Gables series which she loves and which I love too and I loved how she used the essence of the AOGG books to create her own Anne in Ellen Copley and her journey towards finding her own place in the world. I got introduced to Kate Hewitt's writing with her Far Horizons trilogy and after reading this trilogy I can say that I am a fan now.

My thanks to NetGalley, the publisher Bookouture and the author Kate Hewitt for the e-Arc of the book.

Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟💫

Thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this book for an honest review.

I hadn't realised that this was part 3 of a series and was a little hesitant to read it once Iearnt that. I was worried the story wouldn't make sense and there would be gaps in my understanding, meaning I wouldn't enjoy the book. Nothing could be further from the truth. The author gives enough background to make this an enjoyable stand alone book. I found Ellen a little naive for someone who had done as much as she had but still endearing. I will go back and read the other books purely for my own enjoyment.

After following this series from the beginning, I couldn’t wait to dive into this book, which is the third and final installment in what I can only describe as an incredible series.

This book continues right where book two finished, merging the two books perfectly. With the war finally coming to an end, the characters in which we have grown to love throughout this series have to come to terms with a new reality, and how much everything has changed post war.

As Ellen comes to terms with it all, she embarks on another journey within herself, trying to find who she really is. Her heart certainly gets pulled from all directions, and she finally decides where – and with whom – her heart truly belongs.

This book captured my heart once again. After following the story from the start, I found myself really connecting with the characters and going through a range of emotions with them all as their individual stories unfold. The way in which this book was brought to an end was perfect, but i do now feel a sense of loss as I won’t be re-joining these characters again!.

Heart warming and beautifully written. This story captured my heart from beginning to end. It was perfection.

I jumped into this book, not realizing it was the third of a three part series. It didn't matter. I never felt like I lost anything from the previous novels in the series.

Ellen was all but orphaned when she was sent to live with her Aunt Rose and Uncle Dyle on Amherst Island in Ontario. She had been living with another aunt and uncle who were harsh and unwelcoming. After she stopped attending school, she went to Glasgow to study art, and was even offered a position at the Art Institute to teach art, but World War I intervened. She trained as a nurse and served in Royaumant, France, during the war. Now she has returned to the island that was more home than anywhere she'd ever lived.

Her cousin, Peter, has returned from the war with what was known as shell shock at the time. Her neighbor, Jed Lyman, has also returned from the war with an arm missing and nursing his own inner wounds. Ellen convinces Jed to talk to Peter to see if he agrees with her impressions. Ellen has loved Jed and his brother, Lucas, since she was a child.

When her Aunt Rose is having trouble making ends meet on the farm, Ellen goes to Jed to see if he'd be willing to buy part of the farm, but his own farm was not as productive as it could have been, either. Lucas has an idea that will help Aunt Rose and the rest of her family--Ellen will teach art lessons to wealthy people who are willing to come to the island for a vacation. This action will put into play a series of events that lead Ellen to finding what her heart truly wants.

I've never read a book by Kate Hewitt before, and I did enjoy this one. It was a slow, meandering plot, with a few bumps and jolts along the way, just to keep the reader awake. It is not so much of a romance as it is a family history type book. That is not to say there is no romance in the book, but it is understated and not at all syrupy sweet. What Kate has done is that she has provided some very tough subjects with dignity and grace. This is a strong four star book.

Bookoutre and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Return to the Island is the very needed island finish Amherst Island Trilogy by Kate Hewitt. WWI is over but not without losses, causalities, and the influenza that came too as well the many changes that all the world had. Ellen Copley, the nurse who as a young girl found her home in Amherst Island returns there. You can go home again with is what Ellen learns but it has its changes too.

There Ellen finds a place of welcome even with it conflicts, and a sense of confidence that she has struggled with since a child. Many may want a sure-footed always strong character but the author has written a more genuine one in Ellen. Showing her growth so that now that Ellen is old and wise enough to follow her heart making the conclusion fitting. While the ending is not going to be where I would have liked to see it, it was extremely realistic that life would change. I can say the “who” Ellen finds love with is exactly who I had always thought it should be. Yes, she is old and wise enough now.

Read now the entire Amherst Island series, it is a marvelous read.

An ARC of the book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley which I voluntarily chose to read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is the third and final story in the Amherst Island trilogy. I could not wait to read this last book in the trilogy and I was not disappointed. Because there was such a connection with the characters in the first two books, you continue the bond with them in this book.

As World War I is coming to an end, former nurse Ellen returns, not to her house in Glasgow, but to her home on Amherst Island. The evidence of the war is present on the Island and the community is struggling to get back up on their feet. Ellen is not sure which direction her life will go, but she knows that Amherst Island is where she wants to be. It’s the only home she has ever known. The town was there for here when she needed them, and now she is there for them. I loved walking along with Ellen on her journey through life. She is a beacon of hope and her future is bright.

I truly loved this series. The trials and tribulations were very realistic. This author draws you so far into the book that you feel as if you are a part of the story. I cannot recommend this series enough. I didn’t want the series to end, however, I was very satisfied with the way it ended. Kate Hewitt is an author to definitely follow, and I look forward to reading more from her.

Return to the Island is the third and last book in the Amherst Island series by Kate Hewitt, Now that the war is over, Ellen is back on the island, the only place she has ever truly called home. She is really not sure what direction her life is going to go, but she knows the island is the only place she has ever felt like she belonged. War has ravished most of the world and Ellen soon finds it has touched her island as well. Her Aunt Rose along with the island’s other residents, are trying to make ends meet and keep their farms afloat. On top of all of this, some of the men who also returned to the island, like her friend, Jed and cousin, Peter have been affected the most by the war and they are having a tough time forgetting all they have been through on the front lines.

With Ellen’s help can the family prosper once more? To make ends meet they take on a new opportunity in hopes that they do not lose the farm. But, in doing so, new opportunities arise for Ellen. Is Amherst Island what makes a home? Or is it the people you truly love with your whole heart and soul?

I just can’t even express how much I have LOVED this series and in a way, I am really sad that this was the last book, although I am also happy with how it ended. I loved catching up with Ellen as she makes her way through the world trying to find her place with all the trials and tribulations she has gone through. Ellen is a strong character even though at times it may not seem that way. But, through it all Ellen symbolizes hope for herself and the future.

Hewitt brings to life Amherst Island in such a way that really makes me wish I was there, taking in the farm and the beautiful scenery. I have such a love of history and how places looked during the early 1900’s and Hewitt really brings this time period to life. I really wished I could have seen it and all of its beauty.

Return to the Island by Kate Hewitt is the third in the Amherst Island trilogy about Ellen Copley, a little immigrant girl from Scotland that finally found her home in this book. Ellen had traveled the world: she had gone to art school in Glasgow; she had fallen in love, only to lose him when the Titanic sunk; she had been a war nurse in France during the World War; now she was back to Amherst Island, the only home she had ever known with the McCaffertys. Uncle Dyle had died and Peter at come home from the war a changed man. The farm was doing even worse than before and Aunt Rose was nearly out of hope. Lucas, the son of the neighbor had come up with an idea: make the farmhouse into a guest house and have Ellen teach drawing and painting. People would come and stay a week, he was sure of it. To get it started he convinced his boss's wife and her sisters to come as the first guests. It was a success and they recommended them to others. Maybe this could work, after all.

Ellen has been a great character, all along. She has meet, and loved, so many people but continued to function on her own, mostly independently. It was a terrible time between the men who had been damaged and those who had never come home at all. She kept her head down and forged ahead and this is her story. Things happened to her and to the family: some good, some not. She never gave up hope for the future and the future never let her down. There was always something or someone. This was a terrific story, encompassing many of the issues of the day into a cohesive knot of time. I loved it. I am sorry to see it over. I recommend it.

I was invited to read Return to the Island by Netgalley. All opinions contained herein are solely my own. #netgalley #returntotheisland

I’ve loved the previous two books in this series and couldn’t wait to see how it all turned out for Ellen Copley. Return to the Island is every bit as good as I hoped. Ellen is much changed from the young girl she was in The Orphan’s Island. In this book, she’s struggling to decide what she wants after WWI in a world much changed. The island is in her heart, but can she live there forever? Should she take up the job teaching at Glasgow School of Art? And what about her heart, who does it belong to? It’s been a long time since I felt so engaged to a book and character as I have with this trilogy. I cried buckets reading this as Ellen grows and learns some painful lessons. This is a dazzling book.

I was a bit apprehensive jumping into this book, as it's the third in a series that follows the heroine from childhood to adulthood. I thought for sure it wasn't going to work, and I'd have to start from the beginning to enjoy the story. However, I was certainly wrong about that! While I think more enjoyment would be had if you've read all three, it's still a great read even if you start at the end like me. There's so much sorrow in the story but also great hope for the future, and I felt many emotions while reading. It's difficult to comprehend sometimes what it must have been like to have so many men you've grown up with either die in the war or come back with serious wounds, both physical and emotional. Kate Hewitt did an amazing job showing all sides of that experience, and it was a story I won't soon forget.

World War I is over, but the loss it has caused has been devastating. Ellen Copley has returned home to Amherst Island after spending the last seven years abroad, first studying to be an artist and then enlisting as a nurse during the war. She's seen horrible things, lost a man she loved, and has returned to a home that is barely hanging on in the terrible economic aftermath of the war. Desperate to help save her family's farm, she fights to think of a way, and it comes from an unlikely source - a childhood friend, Lucas Lyman. While she gives his idea a try, she finds herself more often in the presence of Lucas' brother, Jed, whom she had once thought she loved. Now married but estranged from his wife and missing an arm due to a war injury, he is bitter and cold. However, in desperate times, it can warm the hardest of hearts. Not only does Jed begin to heal, but he helps Ellen and her family heal as well. Ellen struggles to keep the farm and the family going, and in the midst of it all, she gets the opportunity to make a life for herself elsewhere. But will it be enough of a draw to take her away from those she loves the most?

Ellen was a strong, dedicated woman, a heroine I loved reading about very much. She had gone through so much during the war and still managed to come out of it a better person than she had been before. She put others ahead of herself from the very beginning of the story, although it was hard at times to watch as she did it too often. The fact that her family had adopted her in to it, after her parents' death, made everything harder when she had to help them make decisions. Resentments flared, and at times she began to doubt herself and her path in life. I was so glad when people came along to help her, particularly Lucas and Jed. It was hard at times to see how the romance aspect of this story would turn out, but in the end it didn't disappoint. I was glad to see how things resolved, and Ellen received the happy ending she so greatly deserved.

Now that I know how the story ends, I probably won't be going back to read how it all began, knowing the heartache that would follow. However, I am definitely intrigued by Kate Hewitt and will certainly seek out more books by her in the future.

Thank you for continuing this series with Ellen. It’s definitely best to read books 1 and 2 first as it will give an understanding and background to all the characters but especially Ellen Copley the lead in these books. I loved following Ellen’s life and can easily imagine her life and travels as she works out her calling in life! This book is Kate at her best and I would wholeheartedly recommend it. Easy to read, good chapters, loveable characters and an ending that isn’t too cheesy. Thanks Kate Hewitt and NetGalley.

Return to the Island is book three and the final book in the Amherst Island series. Once again we meet up with kind-hearted Ellen Copely who is now in her late twenties and returning back to the Island from her service in World War I along with a few other islanders who also served. Ellen soon finds that she nor the island will ever be the same after the war.

Ellen debated coming back to Amherst Island after the war not knowing if it would be the right decision or if she should continue her art teaching career in Glasgow. When it came time to return from the war though Ellen decided she needed to return "home", and "home" was Amherst Island with the Mcafferty's. Once back Ellen soon found that her Aunt Rose was in a struggle trying to keep the farm running after her husband had died and the older children were off at school. Ellen knew that she had made the right choice coming back to the island to help her Aunt Rose get back on her feet.

The idea is presented to her Aunt Rose to start using her home as a bed and breakfast with the novelty of using Ellen as an art teacher to attract guest. The ladies soon find that they have bookings lined up and become engrossed in entertaining out of town, high society ladies. Along this venture Ellen meets a guest that will change the course of her life for the better. This plan gets them through a season but unfortunately Aunt Rose makes the decision that it cannot keep the family forever and she will have to sell the farm.

Return to the Island was a wonderful conclusion to this series. I enjoyed how Kate Hewitt ties together all three books and answers and finalizes all the lives of the characters in the final book. Ellen was a well thought out character that the reader was able to watch grow and mature throughout this series. She is a wonderful example of perseverance. I like that Kate gives Ellen her true place of belonging and happiness in the end.

Ellen Copley’s return to Amherst Island after the terrible days of the war, when she was nursing on the front line in France, saw her relax at last. The peace of the island had always called her and along with her Aunt Rose, her cousins and the Lyman’s on the next property, she hoped she was where she was meant to be at last. But things had changed since she’d been away. Uncle Dyle had passed away; her cousin Peter, along with Jed and Lucas Lyman – as well as most of the island’s young men – had been on the front line. Some had physical injuries, some had emotional injuries. Ellen knew the war had changed them all…

Aunt Rose was struggling to keep the farm going and between her and Ellen, they tried to find a solution. With help from an unexpected source, it seemed they might be able to put off the inevitable. But what would happen after that? And with more, ongoing troubles on the island, Ellen despaired, taking on more and more of the responsibility. What would be the outcome for this strong, resilient young woman who had seen far more than her fair share of troubles since she was a child?

Return to the Island is the 3rd and final in the Amherst Island trilogy by Kate Hewitt, and once again I loved it! Amherst Island, on the banks of Lake Ontario in Canada certainly captured my heart – I’d love to visit and see it as Ellen saw it. The beauty of the island drew many to its shores, while the devastation of WWI took away from the island (and the rest of the world) A thoroughly enjoyable read, I’d recommend beginning with #1 when Ellen was only 12 years old. Highly recommended.

With thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

This is the third and final book telling the life of Ellen Copley and her family and friends. I’ve really enjoyed all three books and this final book tied up all the loose ends. I’ve never been to Canada but Amherst Island sounds beautiful. Lots of things happen to Ellen during the trilogy starting with the death of her Mum and being taken to a new country and then getting abandoned by her Dad. Ellen also ends up in France during World War 1 as a nurse. Ellen moves around a lot but where will her heart make her want to settle. I recommend this trilogy they are fab reads.

As this was the third and last book in the series I was keen to see what happens to Ellen. I was not disappointed in the story but sad that it is the end of the trilogy. Thank you for letting me read these books and look forward to reading more books by Kate Hewitt.

Ellen's Decision

In this third book of the Amherst Island series Ellen returns to the Island giving up a house and a teaching position at the Glasgow Art school in Scotland after losing her fiancee in the sinking of the Titanic.

There are so many changes after the war. So many young men returned with either physical or mental conditions. She saw much of it during her time as a nurse during the war. Her friend Jed with the loss of an arm and cousin Peter with shell shock worry her upon her return to the Island. She wonders does she still have feelings for Jed, and does his brother still have feelings for her? She worries about Rose losing the farm and she helps Rose try and keep the farm, but they all know it is a losing battle.

After a long illness with the flu she goes on a trip to New York upon an invitation from a friend. While there she is offered a teaching job . She ponders on what her future will be. Should she take the teaching job in New York or the teaching job in Scotland? Is there any place where she feels she really belongs?

This is the story of Ellen and the other members of the McCaffrey family finding their way into the world and sadly leaving the island behind.

I know you will enjoy this book as much as I did. It has been a wonderful series and I hate to see it end.

Thanks to Kate Hewitt, Bookouture, and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy for an honest review.

I did not read the first two books in this trilogy but it didn't matter a bit, this book is fine to read as a standalone.

Ellen returns to Amherst Island, an island off Canada, which contains her aunt Rose and some cousins, as well as neighbours Jed and Lucas (although Lucas is mostly working on the mainland). This is the place where Ellen has always felt at home, so after WWI ends, she finds herself back there. She has a house in Glasgow but the heart knows what it wants. Ellen used to study art and she is a talented artist, but spending the war mostly in France, as a nurse, has changed her and she doesn't want anything to do with her art. Of course, the war has changed lots of others around her, her friend and neighbour Jed has lost an arm, her cousin Peter has PTSD and the economy isn't doing well which means that everyone has to work wherever they can find work.

I have to say that reading this book brought the time post-war vividly to life. All the physical and psychological issues that people had to deal with. Of course, it was worse for those who had been on the ground, so to speak, but staying behind and managing a farm without men to work it, wouldn't have been easy either.

Just a beautifully crafted book and a real thinker.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture.

♥️Family ♥️Belonging ♥️Romance♥️Self Worth♥️
Return to the Island is the last book in the Amherst Island trilogy. (I really need to notice when a book is part of a series). While I think it can be read as a standalone, I wish I had read the previous books. I think knowing the characters and how they relate to each other would have made as big difference in my review.
With that said, Ellen’s lack of confidence in herself started to frustrate me to no end! Loved Aunt Rose....I’m sure she played in a big part in the previous books. All the characters had their own issues that made the story very relatable.
I need to read the previous books!
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest opinion. All opinions expressed are my own.