An old lavender house. A forgotten wartime secret. A love the sea refused to bury.
When Clara Whitcombe arrives at a crumbling cottage on the English coast, she expects only salt air, silence, and the difficult work of restoring the house her late aunt left behind. Still grieving the life she lost, Clara wants nothing more than to repair the walls, sell the property, and return to the quiet safety of being alone.
But Lavender House has kept its secrets for decades.
Behind a sealed pantry wall, Clara discovers hidden letters, a damaged painting, and the name of a soldier who vanished during World War II. As she follows the trail through coastal villages, wartime memories, and the fading stories of those who survived, Clara uncovers the heartbreaking truth of a forbidden love, a lost artist, and a promise made beneath blackout skies.
The deeper she digs, the more the past begins to mirror her own wounded heart. And when the truth threatens to change everything she believed about her family, Clara must decide whether some secrets are meant to stay buried—or whether love, once found, can still lead the living home.
The Lavender House by the Sea is a heartfelt historical women’s fiction novel of wartime secrets, lost art, family mystery, grief, healing, and a love that would not let go. Perfect for readers who enjoy emotional dual-timeline historical fiction, English seaside settings, World War II romance, coastal cottages, second chances, and unforgettable stories of love, loss, and hope.