Dovecote Cottages: Book 2
Publication Date: August 5, 2025
Emily’s heart soars as the stone cottage on the cliff comes into view – it is just as she remembered. As she pushes open the weather-beaten door, she wonders if returning to this place will be a chance to start again…
Heartbroken and searching for a new beginning, Emily is shocked to learn she has inherited her great-aunt Violet’s cottage. She remembers summers spent running through its rose garden, but she hasn’t seen her great-aunt in years… So why did she leave her Clifftop Cottage?
Deciding this is the fresh start she needs, Emily travels to the seaside village of Dovecote. Not long after she arrives, she bumps into her childhood love, Will. As he runs his hand through his chestnut-brown hair, she can’t help but think of what happened between them all those years ago…
When Will offers to help redecorate the cottage, Emily is unsure. He broke her heart once before; could he do it again? But she is soon distracted when she finds a leather diary dating back to the Second World War hidden inside an old desk. Turning the pages, she discovers a wartime romance she knew nothing about. Why did Violet keep this secret?
As Emily and Will grow closer while investigating her family history, she wonders if Dovecote could be the place she finally calls home. But can she trust Will to help her uncover a long-buried family secret? And, if she does, will this forgotten diary mend her broken heart, and give her the happy ending she’s looking for?
An absolutely gripping and heartbreaking read packed with family secrets that will transport you to the beautiful south-coast of England. Perfect for fans of Susanne O’Leary, Debbie Macomber and Mary Alice Monroe.
An ill-fated love affair during World War II unfolds decades later thanks to an inheritance.
In the second installment of the Dovecote Cottages series, author Laura Sweeney returns to the picturesque coastal town of Dovecote. Renowned for historical novels rich with emotion, the author shows the unpredictability of love in My Great-Aunt’s Diary.
Reeling from her girlfriend’s betrayal, Emily escapes to the cottage left to her by her great-aunt Violet—a place she left 15 years ago. While settling in, she finds Violet’s sketchbook and a diary, both of which paint a different picture of her relative.
The story features alternating timelines, with Violet narrating the past while the present unfolds in 2016. This works well in building anticipation of what will happen next.
Violet’s experiences during the war illustrate the dangers present during the time period, with bombs dropping and families being separated.
The two storylines come together in a well-orchestrated fashion, leading to a satisfying conclusion.
My Great-Aunt’s Diary details a forbidden love that sparks amid the destruction and chaos of World War II.
Laura writes uplifting escapist women’s fiction with heart and a dash of humour. She was born in Ireland and spent parts of her childhood in France and South Africa. Laura now lives in the south-west of England, where she works in Financial Services, and is locked in a constant battle against her ever-growing to-be-read pile.
