Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton for sending an ARC uncorrected proof, won in a giveaway, of this book and for Netgalley for allowing me to read the ebook also. love Jenny Colgans books and have done for a long time. It started with The Loveliest Chocolate Shop in Paris and I have read every single one of Jenny's books since I started with that many years ago.

This book was no exception, it was beautifully written as always, enticing and eye-catching. I really enjoyed reading about Janey and Essie and their relationship with one another.

Janey was my favourite character, she was unsure about whether she had done the right thing a lot of the time but as the story grew you could start to see her coming into her own and feeling more and more confident in herself.

Essie was a bit misunderstood I think, but she did have selfish tendencies. She didn't know what she doing in her life or where she was going and everything seemed to be falling apart.

I will say no more because....no spoilers...but read it, I think you'll love it too.

Jenny Colgan at her best. A great cosy summer read which I devoured in one sitting. Janey and her grown up daughter Essie reconnecting and discovering where they came from isn’t as bad as they think when they pull together.
Loved this book

Jenny Colgan knows how to write a great book. Essie is in Edinburgh but when things go wrong she goes back to Carso and her mum. She discovers that maybe everything isn’t her mums fault and perhaps island life is great. Janey, her mum needs to find something for herself and learns that life can begin again at fifty five with some lovely if odd puppies stealing the limelight this is a great summer read

I’ve read every single Jenny Colgan book, and once again I wasn’t disappointed.

Meet Me at the Seaside Cottages is exactly what I come to her books for: a cozy escape filled with warmth, wit, and that comforting sense of “coming home,” even if it’s to a new place. The seaside village of Carso is full of charm rescue dogs, quirky neighbors, windswept cottages and the emotional heart of the story lies in Janey and her grown daughter Essie reconnecting after life knocks them both around a bit.

There’s something so soothing about watching them renovate a crumbling old cottage while also quietly renovating their relationship. It’s tender, funny, and just the right amount of hopeful.

Yes, some of the beats are familiar if you’re a longtime fan like me and the pacing in the middle lags a bit but that’s part of the comfort. You know Jenny Colgan will deliver: a lovely cast, just a touch of romance, and characters who earn their second chances.

There is something about a Jenny Colgan book that is like a warm hug while sipping a drink on a comfy sofa. This is a gentle story of mother and daughter, Janey and Essie, who are both at crossroads in their lives. Janey is finally at peace with her life as a divorcée and is trying to work out if she wants to dip her toe into dating waters. Essie has returned home to the small town in the very north of Scotland she left for Edinburgh after she is made redundant. Trying to navigate their relationship as adults is a challenge and sits alongside tales of puppies, cowboys and the only remaining fax machines in Scotland! A delightful read.

I loved this book so much so that once I started reading it, I just couldn’t put it down and I ended up reading it all in one sitting. I loved the story, the characters, at points I was laughing out loud and telling my boyfriend bits of it, he then said it sounds like a good book and I said that it is. I would love if this was a real place as it sounds like an amazing place to live where everyone has your back.

I would highly recommend reading this book if you love a heartwarming read with great characters that will make you laugh out loud.

I would like to thank Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book early.

I’m an avid fan of Jenny Colgan, definitely one of my auto read authors and I really enjoyed this one. I loved Janey, not so much Essie to start with, but I suppose we wer supposed to find her obnoxious until being back in Carso and falling in love with the puppy’s set her back on the path to being nice again.
Lots going on, lots of people to meet, puppy’s to drool over and a beautiful Scottish setting……this Scottish lass loved it. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this advance copy.

Essie has lost her job and flat and has to move from the city of Edinburgh back to her home town and move in with her mother.

At first she feels frustrated and that she is going backwards in life but she soon settles back in and starts to realise that maybe being back home isn’t as bad as she first thought.

I loved some of the characters in the book especially Janey her mother. I enjoyed seeing the dynamics between Essie and Janey and how their relationship changed. It was also nice to see both of their perspectives.

I found there were lots going on in the book which I felt was a positive and I liked hearing about Janey’s job and her different patients.


Overall I found this book quite different to some of Jenny’s previous novels but I still really enjoyed and would definitely recommend.

Thanks for NetGalley, Jenny Colgan and Hodder & Stoughton for an advance copy in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

Thank you for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
DNF at 80% – A disappointed Jenny Colgan (ex?) fan

This is, unfortunately, the most disappointing Jenny Colgan book I've ever read (and I've read a lot of her work). I usually love her cozy romances set in picturesque, coastal towns, and while Meet Me at the Seaside Cottages certainly delivers on the scenic charm and atmosphere, that’s about all I enjoyed.

The characters felt paper-thin, stereotypical and largely unlikable. Their actions often made no sense (some were outright off-putting) and the romantic connections formed with no real development or emotional arc. Relationships seemed to appear out of nowhere, with no growth or believable progression.

The book leans heavily on miscommunication to drive the plot, to the point of feeling implausible and frustrating. And the commentary on the real estate market? It was so repetitive and prominent that at times it felt like I was reading a newsletter from a property agent instead of a romance novel.

I'm giving this 2 stars instead of 1 purely out of respect for Colgan’s past books, which I’ve truly enjoyed. But honestly, it might be time for the author to take a breather and refocus on the storytelling quality that once made her books so special.

I absolutely loooved retreating to this book and it’s beautiful setting. It wasn’t hard to get into, and the community and characters soon wholly envelop you. I got super invested into this story, and as far as I’m concerned, you can never go far wrong with a Jenny Colgan book.

Also. It has puppies.

I quickly started to root for the characters and for the relationship between Essie and Janey. The mother-daughter relationship is fraught with emotion from the past and watching the strain unravel was a hook. Also I do love a housing development story too and seeing big city girl return to humble village life roots was also a joy to read.

It was a super enjoyable story from beginning to the end page and as ever, I always can’t wait to see what else this author publishes.

As an avid reader of Jenny Colgan:s books, I must admit to being a little disappointed with this one. It took me much longer to get into than normal and I didn't particularly like the character of Essie.
It took me a while to know who was who and it felt like there was a lot going on.
After a while, I did get into the book and I really liked the character of Janey.
Not one of my favourites.

Another excellent read by Jenny Colgan, set in the Scottish village of Carso. Good to revisit the village with some up to date snippets about previously introduced characters. Janey, a divorcee, has decorated her little cottage to perfection. It’s just the right size for her and she is happy with her home and her job. Her daughter who has had a good job in Edinburgh is made redundant and homeless and with nowhere else to go, arrives to stay with her mother. Both need to become accustomed to living together which takes a while. As time progresses interactions with other local residents take place; a small time, first time property developer who finds a dog with a new litter of puppies in one of his cottages, a grumpy barmaid and the sometime owner of the dog, the story progresses nicely. As expected, romance develops for not only one but two couples. Don’t miss out on this one.

I love everything that Jenny Colgan writes but this one is particularly lovely.

Back in Carso, with some of our favourite characters making cameo appearances, this is the story of Essie, who’s had to head back home to stay with her mum for a while following redundancy and being given notice on her flat. Her lovely boyfriend isn’t quite ready for her to move in with him - and he rents a room with friends anyway, so Essie has to go home for a while, while she finds a new job and a place to live.

Essie’s audiologist mum Janey has made a lovely life for herself, following a messy divorce, one that Essie has held against her for a long time, and is looking forward to having her daughter home, even though she knows Essie will revert to being a moody teenager the second she steps over the threshold.

Throw in a cast of lovely characters, friends of Essie’s from the hospital, Essie’s school nemesis and her cowboy-themed brother, some puppies and a rather handsome architect and Essie and Janey find themselves in the midst of new relationships, rebuilding old ones and throwing in a small amount of possibly illegal activity too.

I loved it - this seemed extra joyful, extra funny, extra sexy and like Jenny loves these characters and this story the best of all… Read it, it’s braw.

A good book but I found it to be a bit slow at the beginning (and I just wanted to shake Essie) and then a bit rushed at the end. There were certain aspects of the book that I really enjoyed (the puppies were adorable) and others that were just ok. A good bit of escapism that has you dreaming of wide open beaches and a perfect Scottish day.

Good, but something not quite doing it for me this time round. I think it seemed a bit rushed and so some things weren't developed properly. That said, Janey and Essie's relationship was explored and that was the main theme I think, so perhaps it doesn't matter about the other storylines. Loved the dogs. With thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Oh I absolutely loved this book. It had me hooked, the characters are so relatable and I enjoyed their stories.

I received this book in advance,I haven’t read Jenny’s book before. I do love a book set in Scotland so was looking forward to this. Essie stays in Edinburgh but doesn’t stay with her boyfriend Connor. Janey stays in the Highlands works as an audiologist. Essie gets made redundant so moves back home. Her and her Mum have a difficult relationship as Essie blames her on her parents divorcing but it’s wasnt actually her fault. Essie meets Dwight who buys 3 houses beside her Mums and Essie helps him. Lovell meets Janey when his dog has puppies. There is a bit of a spark there. There are lots of coming and goings with Essie,her boyfriend and Dwight and with Janey and Lovell. It’s worth a read but it didn’t grab me from the start and I felt some of the characters didn’t suit each other but I did persevere.

A real family story of Janey and Essie, of the differences of city and country life and growing up, away and together. Beautifully done with wonderful characters, scenery and dogs! And a bit of romance for good luck!

What a wonderful book! I don't want to give too much away but I thoroughly enjoyed reading Meet Me at the Seaside Cottages. The characters, the story, the setting, ah I loved it all!
I'm Scottish and I live on the coast, so to know all the places they are talking about, relate to changes that are happening, it made me feel like part of it! The dynamics between the characters, and the banter was all amazing! There were many laugh out loud moments, such a good book, I am so glad I had the opportunity to read this. Thank you!

Meet Me at Seaside Cottage by Jenny Colgan is a heartwarming story about second chances, family, and finding your way back to yourself.

Janey Carter has carved out a quiet, happy life in the seaside village of Carso. She loves her job as an audiologist, has two wonderful children, and lives in a beautiful home she renovated herself. But since her husband left, her confidence has wavered.

Just as she's starting to consider the idea of dating again, her grumpy thirty-year-old daughter, Essie, turns up at the door needing a place to stay.

Essie, recently unemployed, priced out of her flat in Edinburgh, and unsure about her relationship, is reluctantly forced to move back in with her mum. Their reunion is full of friction, echoing their difficult past, but it also brings opportunities for reconnection.

As the two women work together on a project to restore the derelict Seagate Cottages next door, their bond begins to rebuild. With help from rescue dogs, pub quizzes, and a stream of new neighbours and tradespeople, Janey and Essie start to heal in different ways. For Janey, there may even be a second chance at love.

The book is full of Jenny Colgan’s trademark warmth, wit, and coastal charm. I've had the opportunity to meet Jenny previously at a book influencer event, and she is as lovely in person as you’d hope — a true ray of sunshine, just like her books.

Meet Me at Seaside Cottage is a feel-good read about resilience, community, and the complicated love between mothers and daughters. A perfect comfort read with plenty of heart.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.