Thursday, March 19, 2026

GARDEN COTTAGE by Carrie Fancett Pagels, Reviewed by Paula Shreckhise #ReleaseDay




A Mackinac Island Women's Fiction Novel with Romance 
(Mackinac Cottages Series Book 4)


PAULA'S REVIEW:

I love returning to Mackinac Island through the pages of a Carrie Fancett Pagels book. I visited many years ago as a chaperone for my son’s sixth grade class trip. Ms. Pagels brings the island back to life for me. 

What a treat to see an older heroine (my namesake) find love again. Paula Ecker is a widowed librarian who lives in Virginia but travels to Mackinac most summers. This time she will recuperate from knee surgery while looking after her aunt’s B&B. A bonus is being with her son and daughter.  

More than romance is brewing that summer on the island. Siblings Claire and Jeremy each have their secrets to keep, too.
Gennaro is a widower who is using a job on the island as an escape from fame and a too busy past. Paula and Gennaro meet because Gennaro has benefited from a book that Paula wrote on grief. Although this book has many moving parts, it is about family connections, new romance, old friends to more and learning to follow where God leads. There is a bit of intrigue, relatable characters, a mystery and plenty of laughs. 

The cover is a winner, too.
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. I was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are mine alone.* 5 stars and a solid faith thread 


BackCover Blurb:
From Mulit-Award Winning & Bestselling Author Carrie Fancett Pagels

Faith, family, hope, and love—on Mackinac Island!
Facing a summer alone, Paula, a widowed librarian, heads to her family’s cottage on Mackinac Island where she's surprised to see her nurse practitioner daughter. The author of a book on grief, Paula reconnects with an intriguing reader, Gennaro, whom she’d once previously encountered. World-famous chef, Gennaro, works at an island resort, and has kept a low profile since his wife’s tragic death. Gennaro, whose family owns massive farms in Tuscany, works with Paula on her cottage’s vegetable garden, and a deep friendship grows. Both Paula and Gennaro have college-age sons working on the island, too. When personal and family secrets erupt, can these two help their extended families and find healing for themselves?

HEARTS OVERCOMING PRESS, March, 2026






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2 comments:

  1. Carrie Fancett PagelsMarch 19, 2026 at 12:43 PM

    Thanks so much Paula for allowing me to use your maiden name and your son's name in this novel!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnonymousMarch 19, 2026 at 12:44 PM

      Also thanks for this lovely review and for sharing it on Inkwell Inspirations!!!

      Delete

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