The Beekeeper’s Cottage #bookreview

The Beekeeper’s Cottage

Author: Emma Davies

Publisher: Bookouture

Published: August 6, 2019

Genres: Women’s fiction

Date read: August 17, 2019

Number of times read: 1

Format: E-book

Source: Netgalley

Summary

Comforted by the gentle hum of the beehives at the bottom of the garden, Grace drains the last of her tea and walks slowly back towards the little hillside house she adores. Her marriage is over, but is it too late to start her life again?

Beekeeper Grace thought throwing out her cheating husband would be the hardest thing she ever did. But when she opens the door to a property developer one morning, it’s clear that keeping the beautiful home and garden – her only sanctuary throughout her miserable marriage – will be the greatest challenge of all…
Fleeing to her best friend at the flower farm next door, Grace blurts out all her problems, only to be overheard by Amos, a handsome, free-spirited visitor in bright red Doc Martens. Fascinated by Grace and her bees, Amos offers to stay in the village of Hope Corner, to help turn her home into a guest house in return for lessons on beekeeping.
As Grace shows Amos how to nurture a hive and harvest honeycomb without getting stung, he is charming but secretive. He never stays long in the same place after an incident in his past involving a mysterious woman named Maria. But as their eyes lock over a jar of homemade honey, Grace can’t help feeling that she’d really like him to stay…
Determined to dispel her growing suspicion that Amos is running from something serious, Grace goes in search of the truth about Maria. But when she finds it, will she still want Amos to put down roots in Hope Corner, and will they still have a house to return to? -- via Goodreads

Review

The first thing I loved about this story was the setting. The way both Grace’s cottage and Flora’s flower farm were described made me feel so happy and so at home, I immediately warmed to the characters within.

I had no idea this was the second book in a series, the first of which was Flora’s story. I shall definitely be looking that one out as even though this book has their story all wrapped up and thriving, it will be nice to read the story of how they got there. I also believe there was a short novella which introduced us to Amos, one of our main characters here so I will also be looking that up.

Speaking of Amos, I liked him right away. He had a way of knowing just where and when he was needed, not asking for anything in return, other than a place to lay his head, be it under a roof or under the stars. The image of him sleeping in Grace’s garden made me feel just as safe and content as it did Grace herself.

I loved how Grace interacted with her bees. Such misunderstood creatures but so beautiful and hard-working, they are just like Amos. They don’t bother anyone unless annoyed and they work so hard for their queen. I especially liked the way Grace talked to them, seeking advice and solace from her wretch of a husband, I’m so glad he got his comeuppance.

I like Emma Davies’ style of writing, her descriptions are spot on, so much so I can picture everything and everyone in such details, right down to Amos’ red Doc Martens.

I also enjoyed the fact the main characters were slightly older than the usual romantic novels featuring couples in their twenties or thirties. It just proves life and love don’t end at thirty-five.

I hope to see more from Emma Davies in the future.

Buzzing with a hint of mystery, this lovely tale of moving on is a delight to read.

Overall Rating

4 out of 5