Customer Reviews

Cottage by the Sea

5 star:		(31)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(11)

 

 

I read this after "Island of the Swans"(5 stars), and the last few chapters of this book is what clinched the 5 star rating from me because they gave closure to all the questions that remained with me from "Swans". It wasn't all happy information, kind of like hearing about what happened to a lover you lost contact with 20 years ago, but that tie between the two books knocked my socks off! I can see why someone may not like this without first reading "Swans", a far fetched plot and sometimes goofy heroine. She requires much forgiveness in terms of believability. I tried to read Midnight on Julia Street, and felt the same without interest in the historial content. But, it is enjoyable summer reading, no big brainer, and really good if you READ "SWANS" FIRST!

I couldn't wait until I finished this book to write a review. I don't think I am going to waste my time finishing it. I was ready for historical fiction, romance, the English countryside, etc. What I got was cowgirls from Wyoming, nonstop country grandma sayings, rodeo talk, lengthy discussions on rodeo horses and everything Hollywood. Horrible so far. The time travel was completely laughable. The main character has rebound sex with a handsome Cornish lord in a castle. From the beginning they are completely horny for each other. Not the type of romantic English story I was hoping for. Very disappointing. I am only 1/3 of the way through this nightmare and find myself constantly nodding off and rolling my eyes at this horrible story. I'm sure it will have a sappy typical ending so what's the point of forcing myself to read it. I'm deleting it from my kindle now.

A Cottage by the Sea is a fun, page-turning read. The feisty heroine charms, while drawing the reader further into the story. Her interactions with the past help to shape her plans for the present and future--a literary device Ciji Ware knows how to use to the fullest. There's a wealth of local color also, especially for gardeners and lovers of Daphne duMaurier. It's diverting and entertaining enough for an airplane ride or lounging on the beach, but intelligent enough to hold the interest.

Betrayed Hollywood divorcee aka ex "Miss Rodeo Wyoming" ventures to Cornish cottage to recover from said divorce; falls for handsome landlord (predictably lives in castle) amidst a plethora of twangy Wyoming cowgirl one-liners, wisdoms from "grandma on the farm" and glorfied accounts of repugnant rodeo practices. Approximately halfway through this delightful tale the "heroine" then tearfully admits to an absolutely revolting act of cruelty against a rodeo horse because it bucked too much (!) thereby throwing and killing her younger brother. At this point I threw this charming tale into the nearest trash bin. Extremely disappointing.

I did not like this book at all. It seems to be typical of a particular genre where all the characters are rich and famous and wear only the best labeled clothing. The women are all glamourous, the men, model handsome.
This book caught my attention because its setting was the Cornwall of Daphne Du Maurier and supposedly its premise was similar to that of Du Maurier's great romantic classics. This could not be further from the truth. The characters in "A Cottage by the Sea" are utterly vacuous parodies; the time travel sequence is ridiculously unbelievable.
Instead of wasting your time and money on this book, pick up copies of "Rebecca", "Frenchman's Creek", "Jamaica Inn" and the "Scapegoat"; even if you've already read them, you will get more out of a repeat read than a first go at this. If you love time travel, try the Gabaldon Outlander series; although there are some improbable situations in these stories, at least they are entertaining as well as well-written with real characters who laugh, cry and speak as we do.

A Cottage by the Sea is as charming and engrossing as Daphne duMaurier at her best. If you like historical novels (or even if you don't), you'll love this book and its very believable heroine. Fun for the beach, or for a rainy Sunday on the couch!

Over the last 10 years I have read about 2 books a week- many of them romance novels. This is just about the worst one I have ever read. So much so, that I am actually rating and reviewing it, which I have never done before. What a mess! There was so much going on that it seemed as though the author put in every storyline she could think of all in one novel. I found I didn't like any of the characters, except for the little boy and the housekeeper. The rodeo talk made me want to vomit- it was so forced and artificial! Just awful! Could not wait to delete from my kindle.

This story by Ciji Ware is an enjoyable read. I was not sure what to expect as I had not read anything by her before. Once I started reading it I was hooked. I enjoyed the characters and I am always up for a little supernatural or reincarnation in a story. There is enough mystery, romance and history to keep the reader enthralled to the end. Blythe is a fan of Daphne du Maurier's novels and renting a cottage on the Cornwall coast, where a lot of Ms.du Maurier's novels take place, is just what she needs to rethink her life and just get away from all the heartache of a divorce.
Blythe's original plans were to stay in the cottage for a month or two but ended up there the summer and struck up a business and romantic relationship with Lucas. She also ended up going back in time, via an old family geneology chart,to the late 1700's, learning the history of the previous generations of Barton Hall and the tragedies that befell these people. The past was a story of love, hate,and revenge that paralled her own life.As in any romance, the end is a happily ever after for everyone involved...Love conquers all.

This had the potential for a good, gripping bodice-ripping beach read, but failed the mark miserably. One gets the impression that the (American) author wrote this with a book entitled "English Witticisms", or "How Nannies Used to Speak Proper English" glued to her side. Awful, mawkish characters, appalling dialogue and gobs full of miss-the-mark attempts at depicting the English upper classes make it a painful read. She constantly references the wonderful Daphne du Maurier - you'd do much better reading one of hers instead.

I was unfamiliar with Ms. Ware's writings, so I heeded the reviews on Amazon and read Island of Swans first. I really enjoyed the story of Jane Maxwell, so I was anxious to read Cottage by the Sea. However, because someone had reviewed Cottage as a sequel to Island, I found myself mentally jumping ahead and trying to link the two while reading Cottage. This is a mistake. Cottage can stand on its own two feet as a delightful story in itself. Yes, since I had read Island first it was nice to have the loose ends tied up; but, had I not read Island I still would have thoroughly enjoyed Cottage by the Sea. I don't think it is fair to Cottage to view it as a sequel. My advice is to enjoy Cottage by the Sea as a separate, romantic story that just happens to connect with Island of Swans at the very end. It does not have a deep plot or the historical intrigue of Island, but it does exhibit Ms. Ware's wonderful talent of character development. Cottage by the Sea does not depend upon Island of Swans, but the connection is interesting. I enjoyed both books!