REVIEW: Meet Me at the Seaside Cottages by Jenny Colgan

In Meet Me at the Seaside Cottages by Jenny Colgan, Janey Carter has finally settled into her empty-nest life on a remote Scottish island when her thirty-year-old daughter Essie unexpectedly moves back home after losing her job. Neither woman imagined sharing a roof again, but when the neglected Seaside Cottages next door come up for sale, a renovation project gives them something neither expected: the chance to work side by side and begin looking at each other—and their own lives—a little differently.

I enjoyed seeing Janey at this stage of her life, she’s created a comfortable independence for herself, but the end of her marriage has shaken her confidence more than she wants to admit. I loved watching her realize that starting over isn’t reserved for your twenties or thirties. There was something especially hopeful about seeing her become open to new possibilities without giving up the life she’d already worked so hard to build.

Essie’s journey brought a completely different perspective. Moving home at thirty feels like going backward when everyone around you appears to be moving forward, and I could understand her frustration at finding herself back in the place she’d once been eager to leave. But working on the cottages gives her something tangible to build while she figures out what she actually wants next. I loved watching her begin to see the island—and her mother—through adult eyes rather than the perspective she’d carried from growing up there.

The relationship between Janey and Essie was what made this story work so well for me. They love each other, but that doesn’t mean living together again is easy. Working side by side brings old frustrations to the surface, but it also gives them the opportunity to know each other as the women they are now instead of slipping back into the familiar roles of mother and daughter. Watching the cottages change alongside their relationship gave the story so much warmth.

I especially enjoyed seeing how new relationships, old connections, and the people surrounding them helped both women recognize that a fresh start doesn’t require having your entire future figured out.

MEET ME AT THE SEASIDE COTTAGES had so many of the things I love about Jenny Colgan’s books—a setting I wanted to disappear into, a community filled with personality, and characters figuring out their next chapter when life doesn’t go according to plan. Watching Janey and Essie rebuild the cottages while finding a new way to understand each other gave this story its heart.

Tropes & Vibes
🌊 Scottish island setting
💕 Mother-daughter story
✨ Fresh starts
🛠️ Fixer-upper project
❤️ Second chance at love

Book Info:

Publication: June 16, 2026 | Avon |

EVERYONE IS SEARCHING FOR THEIR PERFECT HOUSE. BUT HOME IS REALLY WHERE THE HEART IS…

Janey Carter has a lot to be grateful for—a home by the sea in the Scottish isles, a job that she loves, two kids who have successfully launched, and a network of kind and supportive friends. But since her husband left, her confidence has taken a nosedive. And then, out of the blue, her thirty-year-old daughter Essie announces she’s moving back home. Janey loves Essie dearly, but she was never the easiest to live with, and Janie has been enjoying the empty nest life.

Yes, Essie Carter has just lost her job, can’t afford her rent in Edinburgh, and her boyfriend isn’t ready to commit. She hates to admit defeat and isn’t wild about moving back to the remote island community where she was raised. But maybe the sea air will clear her head?

No sooner is Essie back under her mother’s roof than an unusual opportunity pops up: the shabby and unloved Seaside Cottages next door come up for sale. Janey has some experience renovating the island’s famous stone fisherman’s cottages, Essie needs something to do, and they could both use a little Air B&B income to warm their pockets. Mother and daughter slowly bond over the shared challenge, which delivers some much-needed revelations for Essie, and offers Janey a surprise second chance at love as well.