Starting Over at Acorn Cottage

By: Kate Forster

Narrated by: Francesca Waite

Length: 7 hrs and 35 mins

Publisher's summary

A heartwarming, uplifting village romance for fans of Holly Martin, Tilly Tennant and Cathy Bramley.

Buying a thatched cottage in the country may not be the usual cure for a broken heart. But after Clara Maxwell finds out her boyfriend and best friend have been sneaking around behind her back, packing her bags and leaving everything in London behind feels like it's the only way forward. When Henry Garnett, her (rather handsome) new contractor, turns up with his little daughter Pansy and a van shaped like a cottage in tow, she isn't sure whether to laugh or cry. What on earth has she gotten herself into? Still, there is something strangely lovable about the people in the little village of Merryknowe, from Rachel Brown, the quiet, lonely girl who bakes magical confections for the tearooms, to Tassie McIver, a little old lady with a lot of wisdom and a penchant for reading tea leaves. With all the heartbreak of the year behind her, could Acorn Cottage be the fresh start Clara so desperately wants?

©2021 Kate Forster (P)2021 W F Howes

Critic reviews

"Charming and totally absorbing [...] I could not put this down!" (Holly Martin)

Wonderful story, wonderful narrator

Loved this book. Been a while since I found a book that I was reluctant to finish because I didn’t want it to end! Wish there would be sequels to this… With the same narrator…hint hint Ms. Kate Forster :-)

Thank you.

If you find yourself living a life with more loss than happiness, more sorrow than joy… this book will give you the insight and inspiration that will head you in a new direction.
If you let hope in.

A Nice Story

This is a nice story and one that keeps the listener engaged the whole time. I loved the characters and the rural setting. The only thing that I found off putting was the editing. It was clearly recorded over several different sessions with different settings or a different studio used. The quality and volume of the narrator changes at regular intervals and it quite annoying when listening on good speakers in a quiet environment.

Other than that, this is a well narrated, well written book and was very enjoyable. I have listened to two novels by this author now, and will be listening to more in the future.

Half a Box of Tissues....GONE.

I have just found this author and I literally cannot say enough good things about the two books I have listened to. This one is absolute perfection. It is so charming, and sweet, I also loved the character development; each and every one of them had something they needed to "work through" and it was so relatable.
I thought it would be "lighthearted" but it has A LOT of depth; I am not kidding when I say I used half a box of tissues. It hit me pretty hard in the feels.

I HIGHLY recommend this book, and although I have only listened to 2 of her books so far, I HIGHLY recommend this author.

**I know some people are sensitive to certain content: this book does talk about domestic violent households. Not in a graphic, disturbing way but it is part of the characters story so just wanted to throw that out there**

Throughly enjoyed

Loved this book from beginning to end. I highly recommend, can’t wait to read more from this lovely author.

Stand alone

Good book. Loved the story. I also like that it was a stand alone read. No need to search for the next book to see what happens!

Such a sweet book with unexpected twists and turns

I really loved this,book..there was an included Christmas Story that was sweet.so I looked for another book by this author. Sad it ended.

Sweet story

Easy listen with a happy ending. All of the characters in the story are starting over in some respect.

Easy and interesting

A leisurely listen. The narrator did a good job, easily understood even with her accent. Sweet romance.

Wonderful story. Narration of male characters not so good.

Story was excellently presented. Had to finish it, so I didn’t worry about what was going to happen!
 The narrator was excellent with all women’s voices and accents, but was not good with the male characters. I found it hard to listen to her interpretation of Henry’s voice. He sounded more like a country bumpkin than the strong male character he was supposed to portray.