ABOUT THE BOOK

Sometimes facing up to the past is the only way to create a better future…

Since the tragic death of his father, Lowen Treneary has kept to himself in his pottery studio on the remote island of Bryher.

His quiet life is just the way he likes it.

Until Pippa comes along.

The local café owner plunges his peaceful existence into chaos and brightens his days while she’s at it.

Soon, he has an employee livening up his workplace with her determination to make his studio more profitable… and a growing attraction to Pippa which he’s trying hard to ignore.

Just as he starts to warm to the idea of letting people into his life again, a crisis hits the island, causing old memories to crash to the surface.

Can the events of the present help to heal wounds from the past? And will Pippa still accept Lowen when she learns the secrets he’s been keeping from everyone around him?

MY REVIEW

I am delighted to be on the book tour for Hannah Ellis’s The Potter’s House. This is book 4 in the series and I enjoyed learning about the Treneary family. The author does a good job introducing characters from the book series and I had no trouble following the plot.

Pippa has been on the Isles of Scilly for two years now and her crazy idea to open a cafe on a beautiful island was not paying off as she hoped. She finds she hates getting up early, she hates backing mediocre cakes every day, and being a cafe owner is not all it’s cracked up to be. She works all the time and has no close friends. What was she thinking about inviting her niece to stay and work for her? She can barely afford the wages for her other two employees. If it weren’t for Lowen Treneary’s pottery, she wouldn’t be making any money.  Will she be able to save her business and not be a disappointment to her family?

Lowen is used to living alone with his successful pottery business. He has many foibles and secrets; some of which affect his family relationships. After turning down his brother Trystan’s request to be his best man, the family dynamics don’t get any better. It’s the help of Pippa, the grumpy cafe owner, who is the catalyst for Lowen changing his path. Her honest and sympathetic personality starts to shine through as he gradually reveals his private family secrets and his misdirected anger. However, can he forgive his past to make a brighter future? 

Talk about two stubborn people. Pippa and Lowen are so set in their ways. They just need to get over their personal issues and grow the hell up. Mia (Pippa’s niece) said it best, “Sometimes it feels as though you’re the teenager here, not me.” I don’t know if I felt the attraction between them because they were so standoffish. I got whiplash from the mood swings Pippa and Lowen had and though I liked their teasing banter, I just wasn’t feeling it. It’s really weird, but I felt more of a chemistry between Mia and Lowen than Pippa and Lowen (and there is a “misunderstanding” about that in the story). The ribbing between the Treneary brothers is funny and it’s good to see them finally make amends. Lowen is a truly nice person and is great with children and Pippa is kind and compassionate, but between both of them jumping to conclusions and giving out mixed signals, it was frustrating because I just wanted them to get together and make each other happy. Once they conquered their insecurities and Pippa came up with a creative way to save her failing business, it made for a satisfying ending.

The Treneary family is a believable and important addition to the story as they all share their vulnerabilities and have a deep love for each other. 

Overall, this was a pleasant story about two lonely insecure people who needed a little help in the love department. The location is gorgeous and I have added a visit to the Isles of Scilly to my bucket list. 

Thank you to Ms. Ellis for giving me the opportunity to read this book with no expectation of a positive review.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Hannah spent many years working in childcare before deciding she’d like to write books. When she’s not busy writing she likes to read, drink tea and eat chocolate. She also enjoys yoga and jogging.

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