A Cottage in the Country: The instant Sunday Times bestseller and brand new for 2026

'I loved it' Jill Mansell 'Absolutely charming' Milly Johnson 'She should be on prescription' Phillipa Ashley 'Warm, wise and wonderful' Lucy Diamond 'An absolute delight' Veronica Henry 'The queen of feel-good fiction' Liz Fenwick 'Leaves you smiling long after' Cathy Bramley A happy, warm, joyous place to be' Jo Thomas ‘A must-read' Sue Moorcroft ** Hattie’s job is to find people their dream homes. But she doesn’t have one of her own. Instead, she moves from house to house and never settles. That’s because she has her heart set on a beautiful cottage owned by a wonderful elderly woman, Mary, who’d simply love for Hattie to have it. But nothing is ever that simple. Especially when Mary’s family get in the way. Suddenly put in charge of her teenage nephew and juggling her clients’ many dramas, the one person Hattie can rely on is Luke, her best friend. And when Hattie needs a place to stay, of course Luke offers his own. As she and Luke grow closer and unexpected sparks fly, will Hattie find out what truly makes a house a home?