One of Stewart's "cozy gothics" if I may call it that.
There are some of the tropes of her earlier works, but none of the high drama and adventure.

A pleasant read, but not an exciting one. ( )

This pleasant novel was written late in Mary Stewart's life. Set in 1947, shortly after the end of World War II, the past plays a huge part in this story. Past "sins" come to light and are resolved in typical Mary Stewart gentleness.

I always enjoy Stewart's descriptions; they really paint the scene. I return to her when I need a dose of kindness.

Recommended for those who like a hint of suspense and romance in their novels. ( )

I checked this out from our library because I thought it was another book I had listened to (on audiotape!!) long ago. I had it mixed up with Thornyhold, which I am now going back and reading.

Even though it wasn't what I'd had in mind, as always, I found Mary Stewart's style so comforting and enjoyable. A little romance, some mild mystery, and lovely descriptive prose. Just the thing for this fraught world right now. ( )

Always lovely to spend a little time with Mary Stewart. She is one of my favorite authors, and while this is not one of my favorites of her books, it is sweet and soothing and a happy place to sink into. I am often at a loss to say what it is that makes me love reading Stewart so much. She is unique and brings to her work a kind of homecoming feeling, like being wrapped in a warm blanket on a cold winter’s night and having a loving mother offer you a cup of homemade soup.

Kate Henrick, formerly known as Kathy Welland, returns to her childhood home to collect a few things for her Grandmother and sort out the closing of Rose Cottage. She runs into a number of old friends and neighbors, including a handsome young man with whom she shared her school years. There is a minor mystery going on, a bit of the past to sort out, and a struggle for this young woman to figure out if she is Kate, the woman she has been since leaving this village, or Kathy, the woman she was when she lived here.

Stewart brings her inimitable writing style to this novel, as to all her others. Her descriptions of the gardens and animals alone would make the read worthwhile.

The burn, lapsing in whispers, is, apart from the bees, the only sound in the day. Both are drowned in the sudden ‘hear ye, hear ye’ preliminary whistle of a curlew, and the the sky is filled, it seems with the beautiful long, liquid call that is perhaps the loveliest, the most thrilling of all birds’ songs.

And, there is wisdom sprinkled in among the flowing descriptions of nature and architecture:

Why was it that one always regretted change? Things were not made to stay fixed, preserved in amber. Perhaps the only acceptable amber was memory. I had ‘helped’ in this kitchen so many times. I could remember when the table tops were above my eye-level, and I shared the floor under the table with the dog, waiting, both of us, for the piece of cake or biscuit to be handed down and shared. The kitchen, the heart of the house, with its warmth and its wonderful smells of baking, or the delectable smell of roasting meat, and the sizzle and spit as the joint was speared and turned in the pan. The clashing of pots and dishes and the cheerful chatter of women’s voices. A whole world, once. And now changed, and soon to be changed again. And, surely, for the better? One had to believe that the world was changing for the better, or else why live? That, arguably, was one of the facets of what Christians called faith?

Only a person who has never sat is a kitchen that was the center of a family’s life, helped make a Sunday dinner with a grandmother and a mother and sisters chattering all about them, or stood in a house that was full of memories but about to be sold away, could fail to understand the sentiments expressed here.

Along the way, Mary Stewart throws out a few very well-placed red herrings (I gobbled them up), builds a sweet bit of romance, and makes you feel as if the world, no matter how topsy-turvy it might seem, can be put right again. Perhaps there is another key to her charm, she makes you believe in happy endings. ( )

A very enjoyable light read. Kathy is the main protagonist (and narrator) and she tells a good story. It's character-based, primarily, with just a hint of intrigue and an even smaller hint of a possible romance. It barely fits in Mary Stewart's 'romantic thriller' or 'romantic suspense' genre, but is all the more enjoyable for avoiding the violence and unpleasantness that appears unexpectedly in some of her other novels.

There are some delightful villagers in this, including three old biddies (who are probably no older than I am now..): their scenes are gently humorous as well as being important in the telling of the story. It's set in 1947, just after the second World War, and feels very realistic, even though it wasn't published until fifty years later.

Definitely recommended if you like light women's fiction with just a tiny bit of suspense.

Full review here: https://suesbookreviews.blogspot.com/2021/02/rose-cottage-by-mary-stewart.html ( )