The Cottage by Paula Hillman
A scandalous accusation sends a woman fleeing to the countryside, where she meets an enigmatic man who also has something to hide.
After a teenage boy makes allegations of inappropriate behaviour, Evie Cooper goes back to her hometown. There, her old friend Alex, now a solicitor, can help her navigate the situation, as well as offer her a job to tide her over. Evie rents a cottage while she waits for the crisis to blow over; it's isolated and rundown, but it's cheap, and she finds the rural quiet soothing.
After a local man, Jay, helps her out of a tight spot, she starts a friendship with him that quickly becomes romantic. But she senses a strange tension between Jay and Alex. Why does Jay seem to avoid Alex? Is there something Alex isn't telling her-and why would he keep it secret?
Then Evie stumbles on a surprising revelation about Jay-and as the truth begins to emerge, she must decide who she can really trust.
After a teenage boy makes allegations of inappropriate behaviour, Evie Cooper goes back to her hometown. There, her old friend Alex, now a solicitor, can help her navigate the situation, as well as offer her a job to tide her over. Evie rents a cottage while she waits for the crisis to blow over; it's isolated and rundown, but it's cheap, and she finds the rural quiet soothing.
After a local man, Jay, helps her out of a tight spot, she starts a friendship with him that quickly becomes romantic. But she senses a strange tension between Jay and Alex. Why does Jay seem to avoid Alex? Is there something Alex isn't telling her-and why would he keep it secret?
Then Evie stumbles on a surprising revelation about Jay-and as the truth begins to emerge, she must decide who she can really trust.