The Cottage

After reading so many of Geri Hill`s books you expect the next one to be repetitive at some point. This book was so touching, and unexpected. She went out of Her comfort zone, and made me smile at the ending, eve when I wondered how she could make a happy ending to such a beautiful love story

Most likely, The Cottage will have you weeping by the end of the book. Whether it's from joy or despair will depend on your personal experiences.Jill and Carrie have a lot in common. Both are married, have teenage children and love the local park. Both of their marriages also have been in trouble for a long time before they meet. Jill likes to spend her lunch hour eating in the park, watching the people and enjoying being totally alone. One day she notices Carrie sketching and finds that she is compelled to go see what she is doing. That begins a relationship that barely lasts a year, yet changes their lives tremendously. The women feel an instant connection, as if they have always known each other, though they have never met. They think alike, they feel alike, they love alike and they soon realize that they love each other. These are mature women however who understand that they have obligations to their families that complicate everything. Despite the fact that both of their husbands basically ignore them and their children are living independent lives, Jill and Carrie hesitate to cause disruptions in everyone's lives. Ultimately, they come to realize that no one can be happy around them if they are personally unhappy and it's clear what needs to be done. But, what if the decision is made too late?This is not a typical Gerri Hill novel, nor for that matter a typical lesbian romance. Anyone who is using fiction as an escape mechanism from the real world won't find that here. What the reader will find is a well crafted exploration of two women who discover things about themselves. Some people would say the book has a "sad" ending, but, if you believe in the concept of "soul mates," then the resolution of the story is also "hopeful." That is where the reader's experiences will come into play.The Cottage is a well told story with a very personal feel to it. It can easily be read in one sitting, but the emotions it brings up will probably linger with the reader for a long time. Hill has proven in previous novels that she can write by the formulas so popular in lesbian fiction. This book proves that she can also move outside of the formula to tell a different kind of tale.

I've read all of Gerri Hill's books and am a huge fan. Nevertheless, I hesitated for a long time over buying this one. I had learnt in an interview of the author that she was prompted to write it following an email from a reader who told her she liked her stories but couldn’t relate, because she had lost the woman she loved and there had been no happy ending for her. So, I knew this book was not going to end well (I just didn’t know how), and that’s why I didn’t buy it immediately; but I couldn’t resist completing my Gerri Hill's collection. So, I expected something sad. What I didn’t expect, though, was such a beautifully written, magnificent and totally heartbreaking love story. Even though it was absolutely gut-wrenching, I’m so glad I bought it. This has to be one of the most wonderful love stories Gerri ever wrote. I just hope it will be the only one deprived of a happy ending, because I'm not sure I could survive another one like this!

And I cry every damn time. But I love it. Sure, there are typos, mostly word spacing errors, or lol, those are really the only ones I notice.And I'm glad I didn't notice how short the book was before I purchased it, 177 pages of I remember correctly. I just remember downloading the sample, reading it & immediately buying the book. And reading the rest without putting it down.I don't mind that it's sad, it's only sad near the end. But what it is throughout is a great love story. So, if you've never read it, and can handle possibly being brought to tears, I highly recommend this book.

Jill and Carrie met in the park. Carrie was painted or sketching and Jill was sitting on a park bench people watching. The story is about two women drawn to each other and craving the company of each other.Even knowing the ending from the beginning of the book, I kept hoping it wasn’t true. Recommend author and book.

I want to start off by saying that I love Gerri Hill. The Cottage however, was not one of my favorite books by this wonderful writer. It was a book full of the question "Is it better to love and lose or never love at all?" It is a sad book in my opinion and if you are wanting a tear jerker, this book will do just fine! It is well written and the characters are very well developed but bottom line, this book is just depressing. I am not a big fan of knowing pretty much where a book is heading in the first chapter and I thought this book was predictable. Hill will remain one of my favorite authors but, The Cottage just didn't do it for me this time around.

This book does not follow the usual lesbian romance formula (girl meets girl, they go through some trials, tribulations, a few misunderstandings and then live happily ever after). I am a voracious reader of lesbian fiction and have read all of Gerri Hill's books. This book excels because of its' difference from the rest (a difference that I thought would make me NOT want to read it and surely NOT enjoy it). But I read The Cottage in one sitting...three hours and several tears later, I realized that this was the best book I'd read in while. It is beautifully written, touching and sad, yet joyous at the same time. I recommend this book to every fan of lesbian fiction.

This wasn't one of Gerri Hill's best books. I read lesbian fiction to escape the realities of my own life. And this sure wasn't escapist fiction! No, this was based in reality, the notion of finding true love and then losing it just as quickly as it was found.I read this the same time as I read "Braggin' Rights" by Kenna White, and I have the same complaint with that book, too. Yeah, I guess I'm a sucker for a happy ending, where our girls will live happily ever after.Not a bad read...it was a tearjerker, and I guess I wasn't in the mood for a tearjerkin' book.

I agree with the previous reviewers this is below par for Gerri Hill. I still managed to enjoy the book because there was strong emotion between the characters and also in the protagonists own life struggles. Plus there were moments of Ms Hills usual brilliance. The big problem I had with it is how cheesy some bits were! ...They were just drawn to each other and when their eyes met felt they'd met before (probably in a past life)... *eye rolling*. Definitely expected more from Gerri Hill but I guess it might appeal to some.The plot itself is quite heartbreaking as it is begins with Jill attending Carries funeral from afar. There she meets a perfect stranger and begins to tell their story, that of 2 married women who fell in love.To be honest I probably wouldn't recommend you buy this (borrow from a friend or library if at all possible) , especially if you haven't read a book by this author before - it may put you off for life. .. but really, she is generally on the ball!

Other reviewers have said exactly what I felt to be the case. This was a disappointing offering for those of us who are fans of Hill's writing and who had looked forward to this latest publication. Too short and a thin plot. It really wasn't much more than a short story, lacked the spark and imagination that I usually associate with Hill's work, and was padded out to be, just about, novel length. I wasn't really engaged at any time and like other reviewers felt rather let down by this book.

I had been saving this book for a long time as the first chapter is very sad and sets you up for a bit of an emotional ride. Dont be put off by it because it doesnt have the 'they all lived happily ever after' as the characters and the story are well worth the read. Once I had started it I just couldnt put it down. Loved it!!

Having read peoples poor reviews of this book I was reluctant to purchase The Cottage, but as I had read all Gerri Hill's other books and was awaiting the release of the newest publication I thought I would take a chance. I thought the story line was romantic, plausible, sad (shed a tear at the end) but in some ways uplifting. I read the book in two sittings as I was so enthralled and wished it had been longer. I would recommend this book to all who enjoy Geri Hill's books.

I absolutely loved this book but totally cried my eyes out at the ending. So sad yet so totally beautiful. Well worth a read.