Customer Reviews
Oh dear..... - By: Witless544, 08 Apr 2008 
A friend recently insisted I borrow two Gerri Hill books - & I read this because I felt I should. 'The Cottage' was my first foray into Gerri Hill's work and, as other reviewers have said so eloquently, it may very well be my last. Oh dear....without wishing to sound like a clever clogs, I'm afraid I figured out the entire plot of 'The Cottage' within the first few pages. I knew exactly how this book would end & I was right, but this gave me no sense of satisfaction at alll, rather a feeling of deep disappointment. This book is thin, in every sense of the word. The plot is so thin you can read the paper through it! The characters are stereotyped & the men, in particular, are merely ciphers, bearing no resemblance to any real person. The rebellious teenage daughter seems to be a strange American amalgam of Kevin & Perry ("Fank you Mrs Patterson..."); the venomous mother-in-law came straight off a British seaside postcard (only the postcards are funnier) & the whole novel came across as formulaic in the extreme. Was it because the story line was so sparse that the author spent so long on the two female protagonists feeding the ducks in the park? It did feel like padding to me. Also, as the novel wore on (and I use the word 'wore' advisedly) I found myself feeling that there was something rather dislikeable about both women, particularly the older one. I can't quite put it into words, but I just didn't care two hoots about either of them.
I understand that Gerri Hill is a prolific writer of so-callled lesbian novels - hmm, let's hope the others are a bit more substantial than this little potboiler. Also, & I have to make this point, with no offence intended to anyone, the two women in this book are not lesbian. They are both in marriages of long duration & they both have grown-up children. Well, calll me an old-fashioned dyke of the pre-'L Word', pre-lipstick-lesbo school, but to my way of thinking, once upon a not so long ago, these characters would have been deemed bisexual.They still are.
All that said, however, I did carry on until the bitter end, so I give the book a second star for that alone.
What Happened Gerri? - By: C. Wogel, 05 Jan 2008 
I eagerly awaited this book like alll the other ones that i have enjoyed but sadly this one was a huge disappointment to me!
I think everyone else has said pretty much how i feel!
I just hope this is a one off!
Not the best Gerri Hill............ - By: Jenness, 05 Nov 2007 To be honest, I reallly didn't enjoy this book at alll, but seeing that I had bought it, then I'd better read it!
As I read the first few pages & realised that one of the main characters had in fact died, I didn't want to put myself through reading about how their relationship was to develop before one of them was cruelly taken from the other. This was far too depressing a notion & not one I associate with this genre of writing. As it turned out, there wasn't much depth of emotion in the story anyway & as others have said, not much of a believable plot. Not the best Gerri Hill I have read.....
If you want a good read within this genre, then I would highly recommend Georgia Beers' 'Thy Neighbours Wife' & 'Too Close To Touch' as well as Gerri Hill's 'The Target' & 'Hunters Way' instead.
Concurring with others - By: Alex Lequesne, 27 Oct 2007 Other reviewers have said exactly what I felt to be the case. This was a disappointing offering for those of us who are fans of Hill's writing & who had looked forward to this latest publication. Too short & a thin plot. It reallly wasn't much more than a short story, lacked the spark & imagination that I usuallly associate with Hill's work, & was padded out to be, just about, novel length. I wasn't reallly engaged at any time & like other reviewers felt rather let down by this book.
so-so - By: RD, 23 Oct 2007 
I agree with the previous reviewers this is below par for Gerri Hill. I still managed to enjoy the book because there was strong emotion between the characters & also in the protagonists own life struggles. Plus there were moments of Ms Hills usual brilliance.
The big problem I had with it is how cheesy some bits were! ...They were just drawn to each other & when their eyes met felt they'd met before (probably in a past life)... *eye rolling*. Definitely expected more from Gerri Hill but I guess it might appeal to some.
The plot itself is quite heartbreaking as it is begins with Jill attending Carries funeral from afar. There she meets a perfect stranger & begins to tell their story, that of 2 married women who fell in love.
To be honest I probably wouldn't recommend you buy this (borrow from a friend or library if at alll possible) , especiallly if you haven't read a book by this author before - it may put you off for life. .. but reallly, she is generallly on the balll!
