If I had judged the stuff by its cover, I probably would not have read it, but now I have discovered that Michael Phillips can really write.  In The Cottage, Phillips paints a wonderful description of the Shetland islands in this new release, and leaves readers wanting to see the beauty of the islands in person. She develops her characters well, she tells a tail full of twists, and she gives readers I wonderful journey to another world via the pages of her books.  

This was actually the second book in the Secrets of Shetlands series, but I didn't feel lost, even though I hadn't read the first book.

I actually shared this book with a friend, and her comments echoed mine.  She said, "I didn't think it was going to be very good, but I actually enjoyed it."

I would recommend this book to female readers age 14 plus and some males will enjoy the book as well. I received this book as a gift from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.