The Secret of Drulea Cottage by Claire Kohler (Betwixt the Sea and Shore #1) | Review & $25 Giveaway
A book blog tour from Goddess Fish Promotions.
Thank you to the author, publisher, and Marianne & Judy at Goddess Fish for providing me the information for this tour.
Book Details
The Secret of Drulea Cottage by Claire Kohler Series: Betwixt the Sea and Shore #1
Published by Independent on August 13, 2021
Genres: Fiction, Clean Romance, Historical Fiction, Historical Fantasy
Format: eBook
Pages: 325
Briony Fairborn, a midwife in eighteenth-century Scotland, comes from a family shrouded in scandal. Left with only one friend after her mother’s death, she has little hope of gaining any others, let alone finding a husband. Instead, Briony tries to live a quiet life and avoid her neighbours’ ridicule as much as possible.
But things in Everton take a drastic turn when a storm brings foreigners to the village docks.
On the night Santiago Mendes arrives, he comes with a broken ship, a broken leg, and a broken spirit that Briony finds herself profoundly drawn to. Her scarred heart slowly starts to open, and although Briony suspects he may be hiding something, she cannot help but dream of the possibility of love.That is, until another stranger appears in town, intent on repaying a childhood debt. A dangerously handsome stranger who shows Briony that she’s even more different than she could have imagined. And that her past is far darker than she realized.
Magic, romance, and political intrigue collide as the secrets surrounding one Scottish woman begin to unravel. Secrets that she may not be ready to face.
Source: Goddess Fish Promotions, Kindle Unlimited, Received from the author or publisher for review.
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Purchase Links for The Secret of Drulea Cottage
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Excerpt
Screams drew Briony from her state of shock. They pierced the darkness as terribly as the lightning hitting the ground.
Except ’tis na just hitting the ground anymore! She gasped at the sight of flames rising from the town below. Her neighbors were flying through the streets in a panic, and Briony could see why: the tailor shop and the McGuffs’ house were alight!
Fergus! Briony forgot about Niall and charged down the hill with nary a care for her own well-being. All she could focus on was the thought of the little boy potentially trapped and scared. She reached the burning house and stepped inside. “Hello! Fergus?! Is anyone in here?”
Most of the fire was above her, hungrily swallowing the thatched roof. The smoke was so thick within the confined space that Briony struggled to breathe. Only a few licks of flame had reached the floor, and they were quickly spreading toward the McGuffs’ table.
“H-Here!” came a voice. Whoever it belonged to was too hoarse to identify. Briony covered her mouth with her hand and made her way forward, edging around the blazing table.
Briony hastened into the back bedroom, her eyes flicking between the open window and two beds before landing on their target: Penelope McGuff. The woman was on the ground, facedown. The rest of the family was nowhere in sight.
“Mistress McGuff!” Briony dropped to her knees and grabbed the woman’s hand, but Penelope didn’t stir.
CRASH!
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My thoughts on The Secret of Drulea Cottage
The Secret of Drulea Cottage entertained me from start to finish.
I love a good historical fiction tale, and this started out well in that genre. However, the story ramped up with the addition of the magical elements.
Selkies rarely make appearances as the leads in a book, making Claire Kohler’s tale even more fantastic. By mixing two worlds, the author gave us twice the story and quadrupled the entertainment factor.
Secrets play a big part in the story. It seems every character is harboring a deep secret or two. As they are slowly revealed, the story comes to life in truly wondrous ways.
Santiago and Briony tug at your heartstrings as they struggle to overcome the past and resolve the obstacles standing in the way of their love. The many other characters add a richness of depth, making the tale mesmerizing. There are heroes and villains scattered throughout, and it’s up to you to figure out which is which. I confess I was often mistaken.
I highly recommend this tale whether you are looking for historical fiction or historical fantasy. I don’t believe you will be disappointed by this book. It’s hard to believe this is the author’s debut novel. I know I am certainly looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
I received a copy of the book for the tour. This review is my honest, unbiased opinion.
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About Claire Kohler
Claire Kohler grew up in Mooresville, NC, as the eldest of four daughters. Her love of stories began at an early age, and as a child, she could often be found borrowing way too many books from the library and scribbling away in a journal.
In 2016, Claire became a full-time middle school English teacher in a public school. In her second year of teaching, she also taught social studies. After becoming pregnant in 2018, Claire decided to shift careers and become an online ESL teacher so that she could also take care of her newborn at home.
She now lives in Statesville, NC, with her husband, two children, and three cats. She is also an active member of Christ Community Church Mooresville, where she often serves as a Bible study and small group leader.
Claire plans to continue creating exciting historical fantasy novels and potentially branching out into other genres as well.
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Giveaway!
Claire Kohler will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour.
Visit more stops on the tour for extra chances to win!
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Easy Amazon Links
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Similar reviews
[…] Gina Rae Mitchell […]
I really like the sounds of this book. Love the book cover. Excerpt sounds very intriguing. Would love to read & review in print format.
Thanks for your great review
Thank you for your interest. The book is also available in print form!
Thank you so much for taking the time to review my book, and I’m glad you enjoyed it! And thanks for hosting today!
Thanks for hosting!