A Home at Cornflower Cottage is a sweet, slow-burning romance.
Amelie inherits Cornflower Cottage after her parents are killed in an accident. Struggling financially to make repairs and keep her roof over her head, she meets Xander who is staying in the hotel where she works. Xander and his girlfriend are in need of a place to stay, while he observes otters in the river nearby as part of his conservation work.
It's fairly obvious where this storyline is heading. Both have partners who are ill-suited to them, but it takes a while to get there. Not Tilly Tennant's best, but still an enjoyable read.

A Home at Cornflower Cottage by Tilly Tennant is a slow burn romance that feels very much believable. Living in her family home alone after her parents’ death Amelie is not necessarily unhappy but not happy either. She loves her home which now in in need of some renovation but not so much loving her work or her relationships. Amelia’s biggest conflict is a lack of boldness to change her life. Taking in a border is really the biggest choice she has made in a long time. Thank goodness this kept me interested in her and bringing about other changes.

So this is a story on changes and growth. Both of these can be difficult and challenging but needed. Mano can identify with Amelie who one small step at a time does something about it. Xander, “a scruffy, brown-eyed nature documentary maker” brings life, laughter, and otters to her world. The trips to watch and document the otters were a highlight of the book. Such a delight to read these scenes.

All in all a relaxing read where the wrong people leave the right people stay That’s a win..

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.

Amelie loved Cornflower Cottage, she grew up there and the cottage holds so many childhood memories for her. When her parents passed away, Cornflower Cottage became her safe haven, her sanctuary and her protection from everything the world tossed at her. But the cottage is falling apart, from a garden full of weeds instead of flowers, a leaky roof and a boiler that doesn’t work. The cottage is a shambles and she decides she has to do something to fix everything before she loses hope. She relies on friends to help her with the repairs. But when she has Xander help her out she begins to wonder, will he fix all that is wrong with the cottage or will he leave her with a broken heart.

I thoroughly enjoyed this much needed escape to Cotswold. The wonderful detailed description of the countryside and the cottage made me feel like I was on a holiday. This romantic comedy had me laughing out loud and smiling ear to ear. I was so drawn into the story and I literally couldn’t stop reading. The banter between the wonderful characters was so much fun. I felt like they all became immediate friends for a lifetime. This story was heartwarming, fun and an absolute must read.

Thank you Tilly Tennant for such a wonderful feel-good summer romance. It allowed for a great escape. I loved it and I highly recommend it.

I'm a huge lover of Tilly's books so jumped at the chance to take part in the tour.

A Home at Cornflower Cottage is a beautifully written story of finding love, coping with grief and rediscovering yourself.

The settings of the Cotswolds sounds idyllic, the cottage cosy and the characters like old friends.

Lighthearted, heartwarming and the perfect piece of escapism.

Many thanks to Bookouture for my tour spot.

Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I have read many books by Tilly Tennant. They are the perfect light read for when you just want to put your feet up,kick back and relax with your tea and biscuits kind of books.
As I was reading this I was completely immersed in this feel good story.
The setting is so cozy, with it's picturesque countryside filled with flowers and the memory filled Cornflower Cottage Amelie has lived in her whole life with her parents. Life was ideal and she really didn't have a care in the world and wasn't planning on changing anything soon. Life sometimes has a way of abruptly changing things though and this happened when her parents died.
Now her beloved Cornflower Cottage still holds these precious memories for her but she is seeing things in a different light. Repairs are costly as one thing after another goes on the blink in her cottage and her finances aren't really being helped by her job where the boss is working her harder than anyone but sure not paying her more.
Bring her boyfriend into the picture, now this guy is a character in the book that I didn't particularly make a connection with. He is pretty much a for himself kind of guy and pretty clingy in the relationship. I can't see how he enriches the story at all. Her rabbit, Salad was an adorable addition to the story. I enjoyed reading about him. Probably because we have 2 lop eared rabbits.
Amelie comes up with a plan to get an additional income and I like how she went about it.
I enjoyed reading about Xander's character he brings light and sunshine back into Amelie's life.
Such a warm and entertaining read. I'll always recommend this author's books.

Pub Date 01 Jul 2022
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

Amelie’s cottage is everything to her, especially since both of her parents have passed away. But expensive repairs and maintenance make it a challenge to keep up. Although her boyfriend Dexter is not in favour of the idea, Amelie decides to take in a couple as lodgers. Even though Xander and Imogen are ill-suited as a couple and less than ideal lodgers, and Amelie’s relationship with Dexter comes to an end, she starts to realize that her life has been lonely and is determined to make changes for the future.

I gave A Home at Cornflower Cottage 3 stars!

This story follows Amelie, a young woman who inherits Cornflower Cottage after her parents passed away. While facing trouble making repairs and keeping up with the home, she meets Xander. He's in need of a place to stay while he observes otters in the river nearby, and Amelie decides to take in Xander and his girlfriend Imogen as lodgers. While she hopes to just bring in some extra cash, a slow burn romance ensues.

Following this description, I was not crazy about a romance starting up while both Amelie and Xander had partners. The synopsis does not make it clear that that they are both taken when they meet and when Xander and Imogen move in, and most of the encounters that happen between the two are when either one or both of them are still with their partners. This made the romance aspect of the book less enjoyable, but nevertheless, I did think they were way better for each other!

I have to say, my favourite character in this book for me was Salad, and the cottage! Having a bunny as a pet was so cute and I rarely see that in books. I also loved the descriptions of the cottage and the surrounding nature, it was what made me feel more immersed in the book.

While I did not connect as much with the characters, I did like the scenery and how the book ended.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for an eARC in exchange for a review!

"Here the sounds of civilisation were a distant memory, the ears of anyone who walked it filled only with the breeze rattling the undergrowth, birds calling and the odd crow bellowing from a distant field."

A Home at Cornflower Cottage is at once a slow-burn romance story, as well as a story about a woman finding peace in the world after the demise of her parents. In this book, we meet Amelie, who after trying to figure out what to do with her life, comes into a small cottage, Cornflower Cottage, as her parents tragically pass in an accident. She moves into the cottage but finds it is more of a money-sinking pit. Add to that her boring hotel job with a boss who is, in all honest, just a prick, and a relationship with a less-than-understanding partner, and it becomes clear that Amelie is not living her best life (apart from maybe her best friend Rachel and her rabbit Salad). In a move to make the cottage more affordable, Amelie decides to take in a renter, Xander, who is in the area to research otters (yes, otters!), and realization slowly start to sink in... things may have to change for Amelie to be happy.

I have to be honest and say it took me a while to get into A Home at Cornflower Cottage. While Amelie might be easy to identify with (I mean, which 30-something has not despaired about a washer needing to be replaced and not having the money for it), I found her to be somewhat meek and wallowing in her difficult situation more than necessary. However, once more characters start to enter the playing field, she becomes more interesting, and I ultimately found myself running through the pages. I did like the blossoming friendship between Amelie and Xander, feeling sorry for them as they both had partners that didn't quite seem to work for them, and enjoying how they found sparring partners in one another. Above all, I loved the marvelous descriptions of the Cotswold and the cottage itself. The nature is lush, the otter sightings are exciting, and it is hard not to imagine oneself roaming the English countryside while reading this book.

This book sounded like a really wholesome read set in an idyllic countryside, and thus a perfect fit for me. I would be lying if I said that the book didn’t live up to my expectations after reading the blurb. It wasn’t a bad read, but not really for me.

Let’s start with the good things! The main character Amelie really loves nature, and that’s something that shines throughout the story. So there was a lot of idyllic countryside described throughout the book, and thanks to the author's writing it made it feel almost like you were there. I also love Amelie’s pet rabbit Salad, which honestly probably was my favourite character.

Speaking of characters, they were the biggest problem of this book. There were so many unlikable characters, and both of the couples seemed to be pretty unsuited for each other. So it was no surprise where the story then took the characters, and who ended up together in the end. Not even the main character Amelie was very likable at the story, she got better when she finally grew a backbone. But her whole martyr and “victim of her own circumstances” just got tiring really quickly.

Overall not a book for me, as the cozy feel I had hoped for from the book never came.

A really enjoyable read. I think everyone can identify with Amalie - feeling lonely but stuck in a relationship that’s not working, feeling under valued at work, having no money despite working so hard, chatting on even when you want to curl up and cry. I admired her strength, and whilst she may have felt something for Xander she was strong enough to walk away as it was the right thing to do. Xander too had a strength and in many ways was in a similar situation to Amalie. They both had to work on themselves in order to finally be together. I mean from the start you could see they were destined to be together, literally the whole way through the book I was waiting, reading faster in places when it looked like they might just finally kiss, - the ending was lovely and I bet they fill Cornflower Cottage with so much love and happiness.

This is a nice and enjoyable read. It is set in the Cotswolds and Tilly Tenants description is detailed and vivid. I could imagine being there and looking for the Otters.
I will say that the blurb is misleading and doesn't really go well with the actual storyline. Apart from the falling down cottage it's not very accurate. Without giving away any spoilers though, it's difficult to say what happens instead.
I did enjoy reading this book though, it just wasn't what I expected to be reading.
Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for my ARC.

Home at Cornflower Cottage by Tilly Tennant

Published: July 1, 2022
Bookouture
Pages: 361
Genre: Holiday Romance
KKECReads Rating: 4/5
I received a copy of this book for free, and I leave my review voluntarily.

Tilly Tennant was born in Dorset, the oldest of four children, but now lives in Staffordshire with a family of her own. She also works as a freelance fiction editor and part-time lecturer. Hopelessly Devoted to Holden Finn was her debut novel; published in 2014, it was an Amazon bestseller in both the UK and Australia. In 2016 she signed to the hugely successful Bookouture and is currently working on her fifteenth Tilly Tennant novel. Christmas bestseller A Very Vintage Christmas has just been made into a movie for Lifetime Channel. Tilly also writes young adult fiction as Sharon Sant.

“Here she was, alone once again.”

Amelie has had a rough couple years. She lost her parents in a tragic accident and has been lost ever since. She inherited her childhood home and all the costs associated with home ownership. When an opportunity to make extra cash presents itself, Amelie opens her home to Xander and his girlfriend, not quite expecting her life to change.

This was a sweet story. Something I enjoy with Tilly Tennant’s writing is that the story will always be emotionally heavy, but that the ending will have a lightness and be a path towards healing.

Amelie was an interesting character. She was timid and always doing the right thing. She was often steamrolled by her emotions, feeling the loss of her parents hit her and fill her regret and guilt.

She was easy to identify with, but I did find her a tad frustrating too. I loved her balance with Rachel. Rachel was the perfect friend for Amelie. Supportive and understanding, but also not afraid to speak up when Amelie was too moody.

I enjoyed the lightheartedness throughout this novel; it helped move the plot along. I also enjoyed the light love story aspect. Watching Amelie realize she had fallen in love was so genuine and sweet.

This is a beautiful read about love, loss, healing, and growing up.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

Amelie has always lived at Cornflower cottage with Salad, her rabbit, after her parents pass away, it becomes a shield for her from the world. She has a boyfriend named Decker.

She realises that somehow she will have to find more money for the works needed to the cottage. But with all the hours she works at the local hotel, Amelie still can’t make her wages stretch.

A hotel guest who’s staying at the hotel, Xander, is hoping to find otters nearby, in order to make a programme for nature.

Soon, when he talks about finding somewhere else to stay, Amelie, tells him that she has a room that he and his girlfriend Imogen can rent, which will help her income go further. But Decker isn’t that happy about this and makes his feelings about it known.

With Xander now sharing her house, her feelings start to grow for him, but as he has Imogen,, she decides to not let them show.

Then Imogen tells him she’s moving abroad due to her job and wants Xander to go with her.

So will Amelie let Xander go with Imogen or make her feelings known to him….

I recommend this book.

Thanks to netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Another great book from Tilly.

Cornflower cottage has been Amelie’s home forever when her parents die it becomes her armour against the world. With the cottage needing a lot of work she needs to find a way of making more money to be able to keep up with the repairs. Working at a local hotel all the hours she can, she is still struggling to make ends meet. She meets Xander a hotel guest who is documentary maker for nature looking for otters. Amelie offers him and his girlfriend a room to rent to help her boost her income. She funds herself falling for Xander but keeps her feeling under wraps because of his girlfriend. His girlfriend decides to relocate wanting Xander to go with her. Will Amelie tell Xander how she feels or will he leave with his girlfriend. .

Doesn’t Cornflower Cottage just look idyllic from that front cover? Well it might look gorgeous but for Amelie it’s a bit of a money pit. She inherited the cottage after her parents’ death and at quite a young age, this naturally shook her world. Cornflower Cottage became her rock, her place of stability and security in an uncertain world and she was determined to keep her memories of her parents close and continue to live there.

The book is quite gently paced as we get to know Amelie and those circumstances that led to her living along in Cornflower Cottage. It’s such an important place for her, so full of memories but she really is struggling to afford it on her hotel chambermaid’s wages. When a storm leaves a huge repair bill in its wake she has no choice but to look at other ways to raise some cash and taking in conservationist Xander and his girlfriend Imogen seems the way to go. This does not go down with her boyfriend Decker, an unpleasant character if ever there was one!

I found it amusing that both the couples – Amelie and Decker, Xander and Imogen – seemed so unsuited to each other. Amelie with her love of nature seemed a much more natural partner for Xander. It was interesting to follow their will-they-won’t-they relationship which really could have been should-they-shouldn’t-they since they were both in other relationships. As a reader, I know what I wanted and expected to happen but with the complications of existing relationships, it was far from clear how this could happen.

I particularly enjoyed the focus on nature in the book. The countryside surrounding remote Cornflower Cottage sounded just beautiful and I enjoyed reading about the nature which Amelie so loved. It was so lovely that she had inherited this love and respect for nature from her parents. It made me smile when her mum used to take her for a walk to see what animals were abroad and how the young Amelie had misinterpreted this!

A Home at Cornflower Cottage is a sweet, slow-burn romance, perfect to read sitting in the sunshine in the garden, listening to the birds sing.

Amelie’s parents died in a car crash, leaving her an idyllic cottage in the Cotswolds but not much more. Stuck in a dead end job cleaning in a hotel and suddenly hit with a repair bill for the cottage roof she takes in a couple as lodgers.
This books gives a realistic view of living in a remote cottage in the countryside, both good and bad. The good is the ability to just walk out your front door into the wonderful countryside and wander to your hearts consent. The downside is the limited job opportunities and the cost of maintaining an old property but I'm with Amelie in preferring the countryside over town living. On the romance side I would hate to think that I might act like Amelie’s boyfriend plus Xander's girlfriend sounds like a nightmare. I hoped that Amelie and Xander might find a way to be together, but then you'll have to read the book to find out if this happens. Overall a lovely book to sit back and lose yourself in for a while.
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley, however this did not influence my review of the book.

When a book by Tilly Tennant comes up for review it is an instant yes. I have yet to find one of her books that I have not thoroughly enjoyed, and that is most definitely the case with A Home at Cornflower Cottage. In this sensitive read we have Emily who is still struggling with the loss of her dear parents. She is trying to maintain the cottage that she grew up in and there is one structural problem after another.

While she is trying to make ends meet with a difficult job at a hotel with an equally difficult boss, one of the hotel’s guests seems like he might be there for a while. So, Amelie comes up with a wonderful plan. Why doesn’t she rent a room to him? This will help her to meet the expenses at her broken down cottage. His name is Xander and he has a girlfriend that will be staying with them part of the time. Meanwhile, Amelie is dating Decker. However, both of the relationships are rather lukewarm.

While her relationship with Decker is floundering, Amelie finds Xander very easygoing and likable. In fact, things with Decker makes her think that if it ever came to him or her beloved rabbit, Salad, Salad would take the win. Although Amelie and Xander were more than likable in this pleasant read, Xander’s girlfriend Imogen was anything but.

From friendship to something more, it was nice to see the relationship between Amelie and Xander flourish, especially considering that Amelie might have tried to hide her growing feelings for him. In this light read it was very easy to fall in love with both Amelie and Xander, especially considering his job was to study otters. This was another excellent read by Tilly Tennant, with both a gorgeous setting and a slow, sweet romance.

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

A really lovely book. Easy to read.
Still grieving from the loss of her parents, Amelie has no nearby relatives and her inherited cottage is starting to cost her dearly in repairs. The cottage sounded gorgeous and I’d love to live there even though it was a bit remote.
The surrounding countryside and walks by the river sounded idyllic.
Amelie works at a nearby hotel, officially as a chambermaid but in reality, is an employee that does a bit of everything.
There is a long term occupant, Xander, at the hotel who is working on an environmental project nearby. To help him and his partner out, and to help her own money situation, she offers them a room to rent at her cottage.
Amelie’s boyfriend Decker is a bit put out about this as you might expect, but she goes ahead with the agreement anyway.
You’ll need to read it to find out what happens. It really is a heartwarming story, with lots of humour thrown in too.
I thoroughly recommend it.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the review copy in which I give my honest opinion.

Amelie lives in her family cottage, and works at at a local hotel as a maid. With a pushy boyfriend, and a fun rabbit, she lives an interesting life. When she meets Xander and his pushy girlfriend, she helps them out by giving them a place to stay. Xander is studying otters in the area, and his girlfriend Imogene is demanding. Obviously Amelie and Xander need to get out of their old relationships, but can the sparks they share be enough? A good summer read, although not sure why it took them so long to dump their exes.

A sweet story about a woman who rents out a room in her home to pay the bills and finds love. Amelie is struggling to maintain the cottage she inherited from her parents, she hates her job and her love life is meh. She hatches a plan to rent a room to Matt, a photographer, and once she gets past his mess,. discovers there's more to him than meets the eye. The problem- he's with Imogen. Talk about a toxic relationship. Readers of the genre know how this will end but this has the added charm of the Cotswalds. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. It's classic Tilly Tennant.