Blog Tour: Extract from Escape to Willow Cottage by Bella Osborne

I have another fabulous extract for you today. Bella Osborne has been gracious enough to share some of her new novel, escape to Willow Cottage with us. Here's what it's all about...

Beth is running away. With her young son Leo to protect, Willow Cottage is the lifeline she so desperately needs. Overlooking the village green in a beautiful Cotswolds idyll, Beth sees a warm, caring and safe place for little Leo.

When she finally uncovers the cottage from underneath the boughs of a weeping willow tree, Beth realises this is far more of a project than she bargained for and the locals are more than a little eccentric! A chance encounter with gruff Jack, who appears to be the only male in the village under thirty, leaves the two of them at odds but it’s not long before Beth realises that Jack has hidden talents that could help her repair more than just Willow Cottage.

Over the course of four seasons, Beth realises that broken hearts can be mended, and sometimes love can be right under your nose…

Escape to Willow Cottage was originally digitally published as a four-part serial under the title Willow Cottage. This is the complete story.

Are you ready to read a sneak peak right here? Don't forget, you can order your own full copy by click right here!

Chapter 1 p.8-9

Carly stood in the kitchen of her small flat and read the text again. It was spread over three

messages because her ancient mobile phone couldn’t cope with long texts and she had an

unnatural hatred of technology, which was why she had only now switched it on.

Hi Carly I bought a cottage at the auction – yay! It’s a bit further away than I’d planned – it’s

in The Cotswolds. Please don’t say anything to anyone in case it gets back to Nick.

Completion should be in a few days as I’m paying cash and using same solicitor as seller but I

can’t wait so we’re going to take a look at it in the morning. I’ll call once we’ve found

somewhere to stay. Missing you already. Beth & Leo xx

A bit further away? The Cotswolds was up north somewhere, wasn’t it?! Carly wasn’t sure

but she did know it was a very long way from Kentish Town, London. She blew out a sigh

and it made her lips flap together like a child blowing a raspberry. She missed Leo already

and she’d only seen him three days ago. Carly loved her godson and, with little to give her

hope that she would be having any of her own anytime soon, he was her kiddy fix. But

however she was feeling about not seeing Leo, she could multiply it a thousand times for

Beth. She understood why Beth had had to leave but it didn’t make it any easier to face.

‘The Cotswolds?’ she muttered to herself. It wasn’t even a city. What was it? A giant chunk

of countryside in the middle of nowhere? She’d get the map out later and look it up.

Carly poured herself a large glass of Chablis and another for Fergus. She had a quick look at

the veggie pasta bake turning golden and bubbling happily in the oven.

She pushed open the door to the spare room. ‘Dinner.’

A harassed Fergus stuck his bristly face round the door. ‘Give me ten minutes. Okay?’ He

blew her a kiss and disappeared.

‘The pasta bake won’t give you ten minutes. Eejit,’ she muttered and she took a large

mouthful of wine. She was fed up. She loved Fergus but they had been bobbing along

together for nearly three years now and there was still no flicker of likelihood that he was

going to propose. She’d tried dropping hints and staring longingly in jeweller’s shop

windows but he had the hide of a pickled armadillo and nothing was getting through. Carly

wished she could forget about weddings and marriage and enjoy being a couple because

they were happy together, but having been brought up by her grandmother, she was a

traditional soul at heart. She wanted to have children and knew Fergus did too, but she

wanted to be married before they considered it. And more than anything she wanted to be

a bride. Well, who didn’t fantasize about having their perfect wedding?

An unpleasant aroma wafted in Carly’s direction and she puzzled for a second as to what it

was. Then, remembering the pasta bake, she grabbed the oven gloves and dived towards

the oven. ‘Sod it!’

Thanks so much to Bella for sharing that with us-now I want to read more! 

Don't forget to stop by the other blogs on the tour for even more exclusive content...