REVIEW: CASTAWAY COTTAGE, BY JOANNE DEMAIO

 

Every cottage tells a story. It’s a saying Jason Barlow returns to as an architect designing New England beach homes. The latest cottage story he hopes to tell rises from the Stony Point sand: the last-standing cottage on the beach. It’s the sole survivor–something Jason can relate to–as surrounding cottages washed out to sea in long-ago hurricanes.

The owners aren’t budging, though, keeping Jason’s proposed renovation at bay. But with some help from the beach friends, the tide turns for Jason’s new venture. Problem is, that weathered cottage on the beach? It holds secrets darker than its gray sea worn shingles. And secrets don’t stay buried in this little Connecticut beach town; they wash ashore or get dug up from the sand.

My Thoughts: Reuniting the characters of Stony Point seemed to promise great events. Answers that were left over from our last outing kept us turning pages, even as we enjoyed gathering in the gorgeous setting.

Would Jason Barlow persuade the owners of the last cottage on the beach to sign up for his first renovation show? How does Jason’s brother Neil and his journals help persuade Mitch Fenwick and his daughter Carol to sign on? Who is the mysterious boy called Sailor, and how does his story add to the poignant memories in Stony Point?

When Kyle Bradford discovers something strange about his and Lauren’s marriage certificate, how does he react? Will the two of them find a reason to celebrate their ten years together?

Throughout Castaway Cottage, snippets of the past are revealed in little stories, and as each one unfolds, we learn a little bit more about the town and its history.

But in the end, everything is up in the air as a misstep changes all of their plans. We are left hanging, wondering if they all went wrong when they turned their back on the sea. Another 5 star read that left numerous questions to ponder.

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