Tuesday, August 1, 2017

The Cottingley Secret by Hazel Gaynor


Can Olivia have some connection to Elsie and Frances who lived 100 years ago? Can Olivia find it?

Is the connection somewhere in the pages of the rare books in the bookshop, SOMETHING OLD, that Olivia's grandfather left her?  Is it in the story she finds that leads her to believe in herself like Elsie and Frances believed in fairies?

Olivia lives in present day and finds a manuscript in her grandfather's things that refers to fairies.  As she reads the manuscript and deals with her unhappy life at this time, she believes her grandmother knew Frances.

Olivia is excited that she inherited the bookshop, but doesn't know what to do with it.   What decision will she make about the bookshop and her life?  Will she decide to move to Ireland and run the bookshop and most importantly follow what will make her happy or marry the man that she realizes isn't the man she should marry?

We move to 1917 and visit with Elsie and Frances who are cousins and live under the same roof since Frances moved there from South Africa while her father was called to serve in the war.

Frances is a precocious child and believes she sees fairies at the beck, but no one believes her .  She and Elsie get together to prove the fairies are really there, and their story becomes a sensation.

THE COTTINGLEY SECRET took a few pages for me to connect, but once I got hooked and also realized that this fairy story was famous, I couldn't stop reading.

I loved how the book went back and forth from 1917 to present day, and I truly enjoyed the secrets and connections between the characters from both time periods as they were revealed.

Who doesn't love a book that has a bookshop in it? And who doesn't love an old bookshop with secrets and memories that might help you make personal decisions and find connections?

Hazel Gaynor's books are always magical whether there is magic in them or not. 

And…her books are always filled with love.

ENJOY!!  5/5

This book was given to me free of charge and without compensation by the publisher in return for an honest review.


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19 comments:

  1. ElizabethAugust 1, 2017 at 7:14 AM

    Have you read this book or any of the author's books?

    Always a good read.

    Thanks for stopping.

    ReplyDelete
  2. bermudaonionAugust 1, 2017 at 8:06 AM

    I've only read one of her books and I thought it was good but not great. I'm not sure about the fairies in this one so I'll have to think about it.

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  3. MysticaAugust 1, 2017 at 10:08 AM

    Sounds delightful and one I failed to get!!! sigh

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    Replies
    1. ElizabethAugust 1, 2017 at 1:14 PM

      It was good.

      I was worried about the fairies, but there was more to it than the fairies. :)

      Thanks for commenting, Mystica.

      Delete
  4. The Book SageAugust 1, 2017 at 1:04 PM

    Love books about books and bookstores. And this one is very intriguing. Especially with a 5/5. It's going on the TBP list.

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    Replies
    1. ElizabethAugust 1, 2017 at 1:15 PM

      Oh yes...loved how the main character re-opened the bookstore.

      Thanks for commenting, Lloyd.

      Delete
  5. Mary (Bookfan)August 1, 2017 at 3:45 PM

    Bet I would love this one. Adding it to my GR list!

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    Replies
    1. ElizabethAugust 1, 2017 at 6:58 PM

      I think you would, Mary.

      Thanks for commenting.

      Delete
  6. Birdhouse BooksAugust 1, 2017 at 4:46 PM

    Elizabeth, I enjoyed your review! I loved the back and forth between the present and 1917 too. Thanks for visiting my blog as well ... I enjoyed reading your review of this book. - Trish

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    Replies
    1. ElizabethAugust 1, 2017 at 6:59 PM

      Thanks, Trish. Always nice to hear my reviews are enjoyed.

      Thanks for commenting.

      Delete
  7. Yvonne @ Fiction Books ReviewsAugust 1, 2017 at 5:40 PM

    Hi Elizabeth,

    I wish I had a relative who was going to die and leave me a bookshop I could actually afford to run and invest in. I would think I had died and gone to heaven!

    A nice, thoughtful review, which doesn't however change my mind about this not being a book for me - just a bit too magical for my taste.

    Enjoy the rest of your week :)

    Yvonne

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ElizabethAugust 1, 2017 at 7:01 PM

      I was apprehensive when I first started reading the book, but it turned out well.

      The bookstore part made it very easy to love. That would be very lovely to own a bookstore.

      Thanks for commenting, Yvonne.

      Delete
  8. Carole RaeAugust 1, 2017 at 7:24 PM

    These are so fun!

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  9. Laurel-Rain SnowAugust 2, 2017 at 1:45 AM

    This one does sound good. I love books about bookshops, too; I'm currently reading The Bookshop on the Corner.

    Thanks for sharing.

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    Replies
    1. ElizabethAugust 2, 2017 at 2:56 PM

      It was good.

      I loved The Bookshop on the Corner.

      Thanks for commenting, Laurel.

      Delete
  10. EFC ChrissyAugust 2, 2017 at 8:59 AM

    I want to read this one.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ElizabethAugust 2, 2017 at 2:57 PM

      I hope you are able to read it, Chrissy.

      Thanks for commenting.

      Delete

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