Winter Cottage

By: Mary Ellen Taylor

Narrated by: Shannon McManus

Length: 10 hrs and 21 mins

Publisher's Summary

An Amazon Charts bestseller.

A gripping novel about family secrets...and coming home for the first time.

Still grieving the loss of her wandering, free-spirited mother, Lucy Kincaid leaves Nashville for the faded town of Cape Hudson, Virginia. She goes to see the house she’s inherited - one she never knew existed, bequeathed to her by a woman she’s never even met. At the heart of this mystery is the hope that maybe - just maybe - this “Winter Cottage” will answer the endless questions about her mother’s past...including the identity of her birth father.

Rather than the quaint Virginian bungalow Lucy expected, Winter Cottage is a grand old estate of many shadows - big enough to hold a century of secrets, passions, and betrayals. It also comes with a handsome and enigmatic stranger, a man next in line to claim Lucy’s inheritance.

Now, as Lucy sifts through the past, uncovering the legacy of secrets that Winter Cottage holds, she’ll come to discover as much about her family history as she does about herself. In searching, she could finally find the one thing she’s never really had: a home.

©2018 Mary Burton (P)2020 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic Reviews

“Offering a look into bygone days of the gentrified from the early 1900s up until the present time, mystery and romance are included along with a multifaceted tale that is sure to please.” (The New York Journal of Books)

Winter cottage

I loved the twists and turns of this book.
I would recommend this book to anyone who is weary reading books about war. It is a good break.

Drama filled

I had to listen to it twice because i was getting lost. Clunky transitions between time periods. But, the story line was captivating and I was hooked to know what happened next!

fantastic

Loved this book. Was hooked, could not wait to listened. Great story!!!! Was sad when it ended.

Good narration of a thin plot

Although the book was enjoyable in the beginning, the outcomes were quite predictable. There were sex scenes that were unnecessary, and one in which a character has sex right after having a baby. Really??? This author should read books written by Kate Morton, Daphne du Maurier, and others to learn how to develop the plot. The ending was abrupt. With all that being said, the narrator did a wonderful job.

Good, but....

Good story but the narrator spoke too quickly & clipped her words - distracting. Also, the ending was too abrupt.

Such A Great Book!!

This is one of the best books that I have listened to in a long time. Some books take a while to get into, but from the very beginning, I was hooked. The storyline was great and you completely became vested in the characters. I didn't want to stop listening. It was so good!

Loved this one, too

This is my second of this series and even though I read them out of order they were both independently great as well as continuing the story. Can't wait for the next one!

winter cottage

Loved listening and hearing the drama involved!!
Mrs. B was a wonderful character and Lucy was so willing to begin a new life!

Disappointed

This story could have been five stars if the author didn’t throw in sex everywhere. The different story lines were great, the mystery intriguing and the twists and turns in the storyline were well done, but having the main character have sex with the other within 4 days of meeting him was a pathetic way to introduce a love story. In addition, the back storyline has the main character having sex with the two other characters two days in a row. Really? She portrays the characters and setting as upper class in the early 1900’s. Throwing sex in to “juice up” the story shows a lack of good writing. A good author knows how to intertwine a rich, classy romance by creating intrigue over time, making the reader look forward to a love blossoming and growing. If I want porn I’ll read a trashy book.

Did not like the ending

Struggled with the beginning, the middle was better, then the ending just hurt my feelings.

Excellent book

I recommend this book and I would definitely read another of Mary ellen Taylor book

Complicated family ties

A school project on an old lady’s memories turns into a tangled web of family secrets & the inheritance of a rambling old house. An interesting & original plot. Fairly easy listening except that I personally found it hard to keep track of the characters due to the style of jumping back & forth in time. I may have to listen to it again sometime to fully understand who was who, so don’t think I didn’t enjoy it.
The author did begin every new shift in time by heading the chapter ‘LUCY’ etc, so that did help, but I struggled to get to grips with some of the family connections.

Winter Cottage

Feel good book, we’ll narrated, with a little mystery added for good measure.

A delight to listen to.