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A review by beate251
Retreat to the Lakeside Cottage by Erin Green
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Thank you to NetGalley and Headline for this ARC.
This book is about a five day writers' retreat in a luxurious cottage near Beatrix Potter's Hill Top property in the Lake District. I've visited myself once and it's a lovely area which is well described in the book.
The ladies taking part are Alice, Brontë, Daphne, Eve and Rula who's been organising it. Each of them has had some writing success apart from Brontë who is a complete novice. There is also a housekeeper, Josie, who looks after everyone and produces gorgeous food.
We have three narrators in first person present: Brontë, Eve and Josie.
This is a novel with not much action but a lot of talking, and when I say talking I mean mostly bitching about the others, in front of them and behind their backs, while guzzling a lot of wine. Seriously, the author is not doing her profession any favours - I never imagined authors to be so self-absorbed, unfocused and whiny about not being proper writers, their talent being underappreciated or having writer's block!
When another writer called Cora gatecrashes the retreat, the
backstabbing and stealing each other's ideas starts in earnest. I've never heard the likes of it!
I disliked badly behaved Alice, Daphne and Cora and sat on the fence on Rula. Eve is ok, Brontë is lovely and I like Josie best who just observes everything, shaking her head, then begins to write down her own stories. But to be honest, I didn't get a real sense for any of them because there isn't enough character background for me.
This is billed as a romance but there is very little of it and only right at the end, barely worth mentioning. There is a little cute twist at the end and in the epilogue people mostly get what they deserve.
If you like chaos and mayhem at a writers' retreat this is for you. It's an easy read showcasing what it's like to be a writer but also how you can trip yourself up if you think you're either an imposter or better than you are. I am afraid though that I had anticipated a different kind of book so I am left disappointed.
This book is about a five day writers' retreat in a luxurious cottage near Beatrix Potter's Hill Top property in the Lake District. I've visited myself once and it's a lovely area which is well described in the book.
The ladies taking part are Alice, Brontë, Daphne, Eve and Rula who's been organising it. Each of them has had some writing success apart from Brontë who is a complete novice. There is also a housekeeper, Josie, who looks after everyone and produces gorgeous food.
We have three narrators in first person present: Brontë, Eve and Josie.
This is a novel with not much action but a lot of talking, and when I say talking I mean mostly bitching about the others, in front of them and behind their backs, while guzzling a lot of wine. Seriously, the author is not doing her profession any favours - I never imagined authors to be so self-absorbed, unfocused and whiny about not being proper writers, their talent being underappreciated or having writer's block!
When another writer called Cora gatecrashes the retreat, the
backstabbing and stealing each other's ideas starts in earnest. I've never heard the likes of it!
I disliked badly behaved Alice, Daphne and Cora and sat on the fence on Rula. Eve is ok, Brontë is lovely and I like Josie best who just observes everything, shaking her head, then begins to write down her own stories. But to be honest, I didn't get a real sense for any of them because there isn't enough character background for me.
This is billed as a romance but there is very little of it and only right at the end, barely worth mentioning. There is a little cute twist at the end and in the epilogue people mostly get what they deserve.
If you like chaos and mayhem at a writers' retreat this is for you. It's an easy read showcasing what it's like to be a writer but also how you can trip yourself up if you think you're either an imposter or better than you are. I am afraid though that I had anticipated a different kind of book so I am left disappointed.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcohol