The Forgotten Cottage by Courtney Ellis

2019 - Audrey lost her job as a nurse because of her drinking and is taking care of her grandmother. 

Gran dies, but before she passes she leaves a note for Audrey about a cottage in Yorkshire, England, that she left to Audrey.

What also is puzzling to Audrey is why did Gran leave the cottage all those years ago and why if she had been a Lady why wasn't the cottage grand.  Audrey finds the cottage charming and full of things from Gran's past.

Under the floorboards are even more interesting pieces of Gran's life.  She kept them secret for all those years.

1915 - We meet Emilie, Gran's mother, and Audrey's great grandmother.

Emilie lives in luxury, but feels hemmed in with all the restrictions put on her by her family and their decision to have her marry someone she doesn't love.

Emilie escapes to London with nothing but scorn from her family and joins the VAD's - nurses in the Voluntary Aid Detachment.  Nursing isn't for Emilie, but she finds her true love in one of the hospital beds.

We follow both women and learn how everything is connected.

I fell in love with the cottage and would love to live in it.  

Does Audrey sell the cottage or go back to her life in the United States with her controlling sister and father and a life of nursing she hopes is still there for her? 

I know which one I would choose.

The writing is wonderful, and the cover is a pull-in, but I enjoyed the present-day chapters more than the 1915 ones.  

The 1915 ones were a bit too long even though they gave necessary background.

If you love remote villages and WWI, this book should be a wonderful read for you.  4/5

This book was given to me by the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.