The Shabby Old Cottage (The Irish Escape #3) by B. E. Baker

   

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre:  Romance, Contemporary Romance, Women's Fiction 
Content: Clean

Three old friends in Ireland. Two months and change running their new hotel. One big holiday season in a strange place. How could a shabby old cottage ever shine like new?

Natalie’s move to Ireland was supposed to be uncomplicated. Her priorities were to turn an old estate into a hotel and help her kids integrate into school across the globe. But when surprise visitors change her plans and her feelings for a helpful friend turn into more, she struggles to focus on what really matters.

Samantha always longed for children, but when that never happened for her, she chose to pursue her other great horses. Now that her whole job revolves around riding, she expects to be happier than ever. Only, dreams are hard to shake, and now her love-life makes it hard to appreciate the joy that’s in reach.

Vanessa spent the past few years putting herself back together after losing her husband Jason. Her kids are thriving in Ireland, but she’s finding it difficult to find her place in a new culture. She’s also discovering with her beloved mother-in-law that there’s such a thing as too close.

Can these three women find a way to survive the busy holiday season in a new (old) place where everything feels strange? Or will the stress of family demands, disappointed dreams, and unwanted surprises turn shabby into downright depressing? 

  

Just like the two previous books in the series, this one kept me flipping the pages. The thing I liked most about it was Samantha's story arc. Some of it surprised me. I do wish that her love interest wouldn't have pushed for things to happen so quickly. She just started dating him and things moved way too fast. This and the thing Sam was hiding led to a surprising outcome. I liked that things didn't go the way I thought they would.

I continue to enjoy the friendship between the three women in the series and how they love and support each other through all the unexpected things that come up. I hope that both Natalie and Vanessa stop ruminating over their hesitations when it comes to dating the men they care about in the next book. I could relate to Vanessa's insecurities in quite a few ways though. Most of them had nothing to do with her dating Jack but the way she felt about herself in general. I did feel like Vanessa had a big reason to hesitate when it came to Jack's mom. Natalie's concerns were valid as well but I thought she overreacted at one point. I'm looking forward to seeing how these problems are navigated in the rest of the series, and how they each build love and trust with the new men in their lives. 

Thanks to the author for providing me with a copy of this book.