Review: The Cosy Cottage in Ireland

Title: The Cosy Cottage in Ireland

Author: Julie Caplin

Publisher: 29th October 2021 by HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter

Pages: 373 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: contemporary romance, chick lit, culture Ireland

My Rating: 5 cups

Synopsis:

Snuggle up in your favourite armchair and take a trip across the Irish sea for comfort food, cozy cottage nights, and a heartwarming romance…

Talented lawyer Hannah Campbell is after a change in her workaholic Manchester life – so on an uncharacteristic whim, she books herself a place at the world-renowned Killorgally Cookery School in County Kerry. But on her first night In Ireland, sampling the delights of Dublin, Hannah can’t resist falling for the charms of handsome stranger Conor. It’s only when Hannah arrives at her postcard-pretty home at Killorgally for the next six weeks that she discovers what happens in Dublin doesn’t quite stay in Dublin…

Nestled amongst rolling green hills and breathtaking countryside, the cookery school throws Hannah and Conor together again–for better or worse.

My Thoughts

‘… she’d been too scared to make the jump. To step out of the comfort zone that had cocooned her all her life. Had she shut down possibilities in life?’

I have read and enjoyed some of Julie’s previous ‘Romantic Escapes’ (this one is #8) as they offer great escapism in this time of continued armchair travel. Each of these novels are stand-alones and I was excited for a trip to Ireland with her latest offering.

“.. we can’t help how we feel, but we can choose how we react” … 

‘We choose how we react?’ ‘Yes. You can choose to be pissed off and angry at things, but if you do that the only person who’s upset is you, or you can choose to move on and ignore those things. Focus on the positives.’’

As I have come to expect from the previous ‘escapes’, Julie offers a story filled to the brim, this is certainly no one dimensional romance tale. Yes, there is the requisite romance but I just relished how Hannah was determined and had no idea how famous Connor was. The cast of characters and locales add a real depth to this story. 

‘This was living. For so long she’d been existing, which had been OK but it had been a black and white sort of life. Whereas now she was living in technicolour with sunshine pouring into corners that she’d left unexplored for most of her life.’

On this occasion Julie takes us to Ireland. With a few days sightseeing around Dublin, it is off to County Kerry and she immerses you in all things Irish. What’s not to love? If you are a foodie you are sure to lick your lips with all the scrumptious food and baking on offer at this cookery school with the added dimension of learning and appreciating where one’s food comes from. Hannah was definitely a character I could relate to. She wanted to challenge her comfort zone but at the same time, relished time alone. And it's funny! This is the first book that has mentioned Bridgerton … Julie has her finger on the pulse!

‘I live in hope that the man of my dreams will come and sweep my off my feet, but sadly the only men in my dreams are building surveyors, tax inspectors, and local historians, none of whom are my idea of Regé-Jean Page.’ ‘Who?’ ‘Lord, girl. The Duke of Hastings. Have you not watched Bridgerton?’

The Cosy Cottage in Ireland is the perfect recipe for light escapism. I like how Julie’s heroines tend to be at the crossroads of both career and love life, attempting to be bold enough to take strong steps to live their best. So, wait no more ... grab a drink and snuggle up in your favourite reading spot to spend a few hours up in the Emerald Isle with this comfort read. If you are pining to escape somewhere ... anywhere ... be sure to grab one of Julie’s romantic escape books.

‘This felt right. Finding roots to nature. Her understanding of the world around her expanded and she realised just how limited she’d become in her life. Although she was successful in the usual ways–good job, good salary, owning a home–they were colourless in comparison to the life she was leading here. It was a moment of realisation: she wanted more in life.’

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.