The Orphans Island – By Kate Hewitt

Today it is my turn on this wonderful blog tour, and as always, I am so happy to share my review with you all.

Book Description:
1904: Ellen Copley is still a child when she leaves behind the sooty rail yards of Glasgow, and crosses the Atlantic Ocean with a heart full of dreams. Yet within weeks of their arrival in America, her father has disappeared—leaving Ellen with resentful relatives, feeling alone and scared for her future.

But then her kind Aunt Rose invites Ellen to stay with her large family, in their rambling house on beautiful Amherst Island, which nestles like a jewel in the blue waters of Lake Ontario.

There Ellen finally begins to find the love and acceptance she has long been craving—both from Aunt Rose’s boisterous family, and from the boys next door, Jed and Lucas Lyman. It’s Jed she’s drawn to… the one with the twinkling eyes, who teases her, and laughs with her, and soon steals her heart…

But does Jed love her back? Because—even though Amherst Island feels like home—Ellen knows she can’t stay there with a broken heart…

This is the first book in the unmissable Amherst Island Trilogy that follows the life and love of Ellen Copley from the magic of Lake Ontario to the bloody battlefields of the First World War and beyond. Perfect for fans of The Oceans Between Us, The Orphan Sisters, and My Name is Eva.

Previously published as Down Jasper Lane.

My Thoughts:

I have read several books by Kate Hewitt now and loved them all, so I felt incredibly excited when I was offered the chance to review this book.

This is the first book in this series. In this story we follow the life of Ellen. In 1901 Ellen and her father leave their home in Scotland after the tragic death of her mother. They set off to America to join her Uncle and his wife in the hope of making a new life for themselves there.

But things are not quite as they had hoped. Struggling to find work, Ellen’s father makes the decision to leave her with her Uncle and his Wife as he searches for work. Her Uncle’s wife is very withdrawn and shows little emotion towards Ellen, which is what this young girl needs right now. It is apparent straight away that they are quite resentful of Ellen and her presence in their home and their lives. As they struggle with the new dynamics, her Uncle and Aunt make the decision that she would be better staying with another Aunt in

They send her off to Amherst Island to stay with another Aunt of hers, and what she finds there could not be more different than the life she has left behind. Here in Amherst she is immediately surrounded by a family who show her nothing but love and acceptance and give her a true sense of belonging. Aunt Rose makes her feel welcome in their home and their hearts, and bonds are formed quickly between the family and also Aunt Rose’s neighbours Jed and Lucas.

Ellen quickly comes to love the Island of Amherst, and her heart is also opening up to Jed who she spends a lot of time with. Although he does tease and torment her, she finds herself falling in love with him. But now she is worried that this love won’t be reciprocated, and what that means for her life and future here in Amherst.

I adored this book. It captivated me from the start and I found it impossible to put down. The characters were all so unique and some of them rather complex, and this all added to this incredible story. Kate Hewitt brings the scene to life beautifully, you can picture the island so clearly and you end up falling in love with Amherst Island yourself. The story takes you through a rollercoaster of emotions, breaking your heart and then piecing it back together again. I would recommend this visit to everyone who loves a good, rewritten historical fiction.

I would like to thank Sarah Hardy for inviting me to be a part of this wonderful blog tour. I would also like to thank Kate Hewitt and Bookouture for allowing me to read an ARC of this book in return for my honest review.

Author Bio:
Kate Hewitt is the author of many romance and women’s fiction novels. A former New Yorker and now an American ex-pat, she lives in a small town on the Welsh border with her husband, five children, and their overly affectionate Golden Retriever. Whatever the genre, she enjoys telling stories that tackle real issues and touch people’s lives. 

https://www.kate-hewitt.com/
https://www.facebook.com/KateHewittAuthor/
https://twitter.com/author_kate

Buy Links:Amazon: https://bit.ly/35MfgcQ