Book Review: Meet Me at the Seaside Cottages

Meet Me at the Seaside Cottages by Jenny Colgan

With Meet Me at the Seaside Cottages, author Jenny Colgan has written another feel-good story set in Scotland with big-hearted characters, buzzy small-town life, and vivid descriptions of the setting, especially the natural beauty in Northern Scotland, from beaches to the turquoise sea to bluebells in the forest, at the “end of the world.”

Essie loses her job AND her flat, so she must come home from the big city of Edinburgh, to live with her mom Janey in Carso, and she is not happy about it. After losing her job in finance, another one will be hard to come by. Yet her big-shot finance boyfriends stays “living the dream,” or so she thinks. As Essie adjusts to small town life again, she falls in love with a litter of puppies, falls into a new job as a property manager, and she might just fall in love with Dwight, a cowboy who has bought some fixer uppers next door to her mom’s house.

Janey was quite enjoying being an empty-nester in her cute little seaside cottage. While she is not lonely most of the time, with many friends and colleagues, she is a beloved member of the community as an audiologist, and she was actually just about ready to dip her toe into the world of online dating before Essie moved home. (Note: This was unique because I have not read a book before with an audiologist as a main character and I learned a lot).

 Janey sees Essie’s homecoming as a chance to get to know her daughter anew as an adult, or mend their relationship after the tumultuous teenage years. Yet neither one is their best selves as they try to live together as adults.

The atmosphere of the novel is full of cozy small town friendships, conflicts, and events, as well as some recurring characters you will know and love if you’ve read some other books by Jenny Colgan. There are two romance storylines for both Essie and Janey and lots of funny happenings. I feel like if you are a fan of Colgan’s other books or quirky small-town TV shows with loves stories (like Schitt’s Creek), then you will enjoy Meet Me at the Seaside Cottages.

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.