Publisher and Publication Date: Allie Cresswell Limited. June 28, 2022.
Genre: Contemporary fiction. Romance.
Pages: 555.
Format: Kindle e-book.
Source: Self-purchase.
Audience: Readers of women in fiction.
Rating: Very good.

Allie Cresswell Goodreads’ author page.

Link for the Kindle copy @ Amazon.

Summary:

Dee is a young woman living in the London, England area who is a writer. She is an author of books and one screenplay.

Dee is in an unhappy relationship with a live-in boyfriend who is an unemployed actor.

The unmotivated boyfriend adopts a dog that Dee did not want.

Dee’s only living relative, a brother, she is estranged from.

Dee is sinking into burnout and despair.

When the boyfriend finally gets an acting job out of town, Dee takes the opportunity to leave him taking the dog.

Dee drives north away from the city without a clear destination. She ends up in a village named Roadend.

My Thoughts:

If the book’s setting were somewhere else, like South America or India, would I like the book or even want to read it? No. The rural setting of England is a big plus for me. The book starts in a large city but moves away in the early part of the story to the rural English countryside near the sea.

There are some areas in the beginning of the story that I had mixed feelings about, but as the story progresses things became settled. One of these “things” is the poor little dog, Bob, who Dee didn’t want in the beginning. Her irresponsible boyfriend got him and then left town. When Dee began planning to leave and wanted the boyfriend to do something about the dog’s welfare, I really worried she might leave Bob in their flat. I am so glad she did the right thing. I am glad she and Bob became close friends. A second “thing” I had mixed feelings about is her inability to really deal with that boyfriend or some other serious life situations. These situations are all related to relationships. Relationships with unsaid words and closure.

What I love about The Cottage on Winter Moss:

1. I love having a pet cat or dog in a story. I hope authors will write more animals into their stories. I have four cats. I love them. They are my precious children. I know many people who feel the same about their pets. Why are there not more cats and dogs included in stories?
2. I love how the story shifts in both the scenery, landscape, and people. I love how the transition causes Dee to relax.
3. I love it how Dee is an imperfect person. She makes mistakes, makes wrong choices, forgetful, has a hard time with communicating well. One of the personality traits she has rubs people the wrong way and I don’t understand why she can’t see it. She doesn’t seem to mind in putting people out. For example, a pub or restaurant is about to close. She doesn’t mind sitting down to place an order. One evening she’d promised to be at an event. She doesn’t show up. However, I am happy to say she is a character who evolves. She matures.
4. I love the village of Roadend. I love the history of the area.
5. I love the historical fiction story she writes of the village. I love how there is a story within the story.
6. I love having a character in the story who has a disability. I’d like to read more stories with people who have disabilities.

Dee is a character that causes me to like her, and also causes me to want to have a long talk with her because of her repeated choices in relationships. Not that she’d listen.