The Orphans of Mersea House

I just finished The Orphans of Mersea house by Marty Wingate and here is my review

It's 1957 and Olive is now alone and penniless. She is weighing her options when her childhood friend, Margery, returns home to claim her inheritance... Mersea house. She plans on turning the place into a boarding house, a boarding house she wants Olive to run. Grasping the lifeline with both hands, Olive agrees.

A letter one day, changes everything. A young girl, Juniper, has been left in Margery's care. A young girl, the daughter of a past lover... A little girl that survived polio. The little girl brings love and life to all the residents of Mersea House but social services are keeping an incredibly close eye on them all and have made it very clear that Juniper isn't necessarily there to stay...

This book was so beautifully written I felt like my heart was going to burst. This book was amply named for the people who all ended up living at mersea house. A man with no family and who had to leave the love of his life. A widow who suffered so much loss and a beautiful little girl who faced such a horrific start to her life but grabbed the small pleasures with both hands. I loved watching her bond with Olive especially. Everyone in the house became a family, not by blood ties or marriage but by a deep love that can only come from allowing people into your hearts when you don't want to get hurt.

I loved the house too. I felt like I knew every creak of the floorboards and walked around with my eyes closed. Everything was described with meticulous detail that I found heavenly and couldn't wait to devour the next page. This unconventional love story really warmed my soul and I couldn't have loved the ending more.

This is the kind of historical fiction I feel everyone should read. It was so breathtaking in the way it all came together.

I cannot recommend this book more! 5 stars

If you love a historical romance with a seaside theme, this has to be on your list!

Thank you netgalley and alcove press for my arc copy in exchange for my honest opinions