Review: A Cottage by the Sea by Ciji Ware

A Cottage by the Sea by Ciji Ware

Publisher: Sourcebooks, Landmark
Genre: Fiction, Romance
Trade paperback, 544 pages
Book Source: ARC Sourcebooks
My Rating: 95/100

All the romance of the beautiful Cornish coast and a wealth of local color add richness to a story that crosses the centuries…. When a Hollywood scandal leaves her life and her marriage in ruins, Blythe Stowe escapes to the wild coast of Cornwall and a cottage by the sea. There she finds herself both physically drawn to her handsome neighbor, Lucas Teague, and literally drawn into a haunting 200-year old love story as an elaborate family tree on his study wall sends her rushing back into the past. As Blythe struggles to make sense of what is happening and discovers family secrets that have been long concealed, she realizes Lucas holds the key to both her past and her future…

My Thoughts:

Blythe decides to spend her summer, alone in Cornwall, in order to sift through her thoughts and emotions regarding her recent public divorce and humiliation at the hands of her now ex-husband (the cheeky bastard). Blythe picks Cornwall because her Grandmom always said she had roots there. Turns out to be true and apparently things did not go well with Blythe's ancestors either. They also had some trouble in the love department, to put it mildly. Without giving the story away, Blythe realizes you can learn from the past to correct present difficulties. It's all about forgiveness and acceptance.

Blythe embarks on a passionate relationship with Lucas Teague, and although he seems like a rebound guy, he is exactly what she needs and vice versa. Lucas has experienced tragedy in his past and needs to forgive and accept himself and past events. It's not worth it to stay angry at the past. No use crying over spilled milk, right? Lucas is a doll and a hot one to boot, so Blythe has it made. Ah romance!

With respect to the secondary characters they are fun and well placed. Ware's descriptions and dialogue enhanced their roles in the story, and I was able to picture them with ease, the ex-husband, Blythe's sister, and especially the godmother.

The time travel element is executed well in the story. I like the explanation that Ware employs when Blythe tries to seek some answers regarding her "experiences". I thought it was plausible considering the circumstances, and it's quite creative. As to the setting, Ware represents Cornwall in all it's splendor with descriptions of the coast, the surrounding foliage, and village life. Yes, Cornwall is now on my list of places I must visit some day.

This book was a good read, and I think it is unique as opposed to other time travel romances I have read. It's different. For those of you, who have read Island of the Swans, at the end of the story you will recognize some of the names and places that are mentioned. I thought that was a great touch, and pretty creative. Don't worry if you haven't read Swans, you'll still know what's going on. Ware just gave a nod to her other book, which I would highly recommend.
(Link to my review of Swans)

To read more about this book and the rest of Ware's work, please stop by her website: http://www.cijiware.com/

Thanks to Danielle from Sourcebooks for my ARC.

2010 Challenges Met: 100+,  Reading Romance

 

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