The Forest Hideaway – Sharon Gosling | Book Review | #TheForestHideaway @TeamBATC @simonschusterUK

Set on the wild edge of Cumbria, close to the Scottish border, The Forest Hideway promises a gorgeously remote and romantic autumn escape, full of hope, friendship and new beginnings.

Saskia is building a home for herself out of the ruins of an old castle. Surrounded by forest, hidden away from everyone and everything, the place is special – it’s the only connection she has left to her father and it’s a hard-won chance to escape from her difficult past and create a new future. She’s spent her whole life trying to find a way to make this project work and finding someone to help her realise her dream has been almost impossible.

When local builder Owen finally signs up to manage the construction, things get off to a very bad start. But forced to find a way to work together, both realise that first impressions aren’t always the right ones, and when Owen discovers the forest is hiding a secret that could bring work to a halt, he realises he’s much more invested in the project – and Saskia – than he thought . . .

MY THOUGHTS

My thanks to SJV of Simon & Schuster for the tour invitation and for the paperback copy to review. The Forest Hideaway will be published on 28 August in ebook, audiobook and paperback formats. Having previously enjoyed The Forgotten Garden, I was most keen to read this latest and it was indeed the captivating read I had expected.

Set in Cumbria, as the title suggests the the setting is a forest and comprises a historic ruin, Gair Castle. The main character Saskia Tilbury-Martin has a deep rooted familial connection with Gair and its land and when the opportunity arises, she becomes the owner. With grand plans to sympathetically restore the Castle whilst keeping its original character and features, she struggles to find a contractor who shares her vision. Local builder Owen steps in but with his own personal issues, this project becomes a financial lifeline.

Saskia and Owen had a rocky start to their working relationship with first impressions not being favourable however I felt great affection for the two. Saskia had overcome personal struggles to be in this position and Owen’s sense of fairness and integrity was admirable. The main star of the story however was the forest itself. There is a tremendous sense of place with detailed and evocative descriptions which made the entire location easy to visualise. Saskia’s little cabin home sounded perfect. Adding to the atmosphere of the forest is a touch of mystery and magic involving rumours and ancient folklore. I did note the little hints here and there but was still surprised by the eventual outcome.

I was completely invested from the beginning. Faced with a few hostile locals and one problem after another depleting her funds, Saskia wonders whether her dream will ever be realised however those attempting to sabotage her plans are met with resilience and grit; with the support of others, she was not going to give in easily.

With some excellent supporting characters (including the loveable canine Brodie) and its more serious background themes around the issues of dysfunctional families, The Forest Hideaway was a thoroughly enjoyable story of pursuing your dreams and the value of friendship all wrapped up with a light touch of romance. Sharon Gosling now has her place on my list of favourite authors.

I’ve been writing since I was a teenager, which is now a distressingly long time ago! I started out as an entertainment journalist – actually, my earliest published work was as a reviewer of science fiction and fantasy books. I went on to become a staff writer and then an editor for print magazines, before beginning to write non-fiction making-of books tied in to film and television, such as The Art and Making of Penny Dreadful and Wonder Woman: The Art and Making of the Film.

I now write both children’s and adult fiction – my first novel was called The Diamond Thief, a Victorian-set steampunk adventure book for the middle grade age group. That won the Redbridge Children’s prize in 2014, and I went on to write two more books in the series before moving on to other adventure books including The Golden Butterfly, which was nominated for the Carnegie Award in 2017, The House of Hidden Wonders, and a YA horror called FIR, which was shortlisted for the Lancashire Book of the Year Award in 2018. My last children’s book (to date) is called The Extraordinary Voyage of Katy Willacott, and was published by Little Tiger in 2023.

My debut adult novel, The House Beneath the Cliffs, was published by Simon & Schuster in August 2021. Since then I’ve written three more: The Lighthouse Bookshop, The Forgotten Garden, and The Secret Orchard, which is out in September 2024. My adult fiction tends to centre on small communities – feel-good tales about how we find where we belong in life and what it means when we do. Although I have also published full-on adult horror stories, which are less about community and more about terror and mayhem…

I was born in Kent but now live in a very small house in an equally small village in northern Cumbria with my husband, who owns a bookshop in the nearby market town of Penrith.

Author links – Instagram | AmazonUK