Book Review: The Forever Cottage by Jill Steeples

It’s a pleasure to be welcoming Jill Steeples to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her book, The Forever Cottage.

It’s never too late to change your story…

Tess Alexander lives an enviable life with her husband Charles, at Hollyhocks Cottage in the idyllic Cotswold village of Lower Leaping. Dreaming of their early retirement, Tess’s plans are dashed when Charles shares some devastating news and suddenly she’s left alone with only Barney, her adorable Beagle dog, for company.

Facing an uncertain future, Tess tries to reconnect with her old self. She begins to transform the neglected garden office into a beautiful retreat, the perfect spot for her to indulge in her long-forgotten creative passions.

However, a chance encounter with charming but down on his luck, Rob Templeton, soon puts pay to her plans, when she offers him the place to stay instead, sensing a kindred spirit.

With the support of old friends, Gina and Suzy, Tess must now step out of her comfort zone and embrace a different way of life, one that is filled with secrets, possibilities and second chances, if only Tess is prepared to take them.

With so many demands on her attention, will Tess find a way to follow her heart and discover her own happy ending?

*****

Tess loves her life in Lower Leaping with her beautiful home, husband and her dog. Having raised their daughter, she’s looking forward to the future. 

However, when an announcement from her husband shatters her marriage, for a moment, she isn’t sure what she’s going to do next. 

I was delighted to be invited onto the blog tour for the latest novel by Jill Steeples. Having not read anything by this author (I’m not sure how this happened), I was looking forward to discovering what this book had to offer. I am going to try and make this review as spoiler free as possible. 

Tess needs to be saluted. Her attitude toward her husband once he moves out is brilliant and it isn’t long before she’s forging her own path. I liked how the novel didn’t dwell on the immediate aftermath of this break up for too long, and instead, we see a strong character take life by the horns. Not to say that there aren’t a few hiccups along the way, but this plot felt realistic, relatable and there was such a thread of fun woven through it. 

The supporting cast are fantastic. Rob isn’t this picture perfect character all ready to step into Tess’s life. He’s got his own issues that he needs to sort out and I hoped against hope that he was someone who wasn’t going to let Tess down. Whether he does or doesn’t is something I hope you will find out for yourselves. I also loved Dilly, Marjorie and Hannah and of course, who doesn’t need Barney in their lives. Gina and Suzy need their own novels… you know… just saying. 

The story unfolds steadily with many unexpected surprises. There is a big doze of warmth and gentleness all the way through this novel. I felt like I was in this village, experiencing the story alongside Tess. 

The Forever Cottage is a perfect companion for summer reading lists. It’s warm, funny and shows us that friendships can be the thing to wrap you in security. It also reminds us that there is life on the other side of a break up and that you alone get to decide who deserves your love. 

About Jill Steeples –

Jill Steeples is the author of many successful women’s fiction titles all set in the close communities of picturesque English villages, including the Primrose Woods series.

She lives in Bedfordshire.

Say hello to Jill via Facebook, X, Instagram and Bookbub. Click here to sign up to her newsletter.

The Forever Cottage was released by Boldwood Books on 19th June 2025. Click to buy on Amazon, Waterstones, and Barnes & Noble.

by

Laura

I'm Laura. I started Novel Kicks back in 2009 as I wanted a place to discuss books and writing - two loves of my life. As someone who has anxiety, these two things give me, and I am sure countless others, a much needed escape.
There is a monthly book club, writing exercises, prompts, reviews, author interviews, competitions and guest posts. I cover many genres and I hope there is something for everyone.
I grew up by the sea in Dorset and currently live in Poole with my husband, Chris and three cats. I love writing and have a BA (Hons) in Creative Writing from Falmouth University. I am writing my first book. If only I could stop pressing delete. Chris has threatened to stop it from working. Haha.
I have always loved creative writing since I was in first school and would very much like to meet my teacher, Miss Sayers, to say thank you for all the encouragement she gave me then.
When not writing, I love reading, cats, Disney, singing (I can't sing but this doesn't stop me,) and falling into a good TV show or film. If I could step into any fictional world, it would be amongst the characters in ABC's Once Upon a Time.
I love reading many genres and discovering new authors.