On The Table Read Magazine, “the best arts and entertainment magazine UK“, Simon Mennell’s breathtaking new novel The Cottage at the Edge of Time is a heart-wrenching and thrilling time-travel epic that sweeps from 1980s York to revolutionary Paris, blending profound loss, daring adventure, and a timeless love that defies centuries.
In his most emotionally resonant and ambitious work to date, bestselling British author Simon Mennell delivers a gripping tale that weaves heartbreak, adventure, and mystery across centuries. The Cottage at the Edge of Time – Bound by Love, Chained by Fate transports readers from the quiet domesticity of 1980s York to the treacherous smuggling coasts of late-18th-century Cornwall, and finally to the explosive chaos of revolutionary Paris.
The Cottage At The Edge Of Time
The story centers on Graham Jones, a builder living in 1987 York with his partner Mara, a solicitor. As they await their first child, their life is filled with fragile optimism and small joys—marked by the soundtrack of Phil Collins’ “Against All Odds.” Tragedy strikes, shattering their future, and Graham, following his grandmother’s advice to “carry her with you… but start again,” retreats to a derelict 17th-century cottage on the Cornish cliffs.
Seeking solitude to rebuild both the cottage and himself, Graham uncovers strange anomalies: a pristine gold coin hidden beneath the floorboards, unnatural storms, and haunting echoes of his lost love’s song. One fateful night, a violent storm catapults him back to 1789, where he awakens as Michael—a man entangled in debts, danger, and a life he doesn’t remember.
Thrust into the covert world of Cornish smuggling, Graham encounters Eliza, the fierce and sharp-witted leader of a coastal network. Their alliance, born of necessity, blossoms into a profound connection that feels fated.
As history hurtles toward upheaval in London’s underworld and the igniting revolution in Paris, Graham navigates shifting identities, peril, and loyalty. He grapples with profound questions: Is he here to escape his grief, or to rediscover the courage to love? What binds his life to Michael’s—and to Eliza’s—across centuries?
Mennell deftly blends historical adventure with deep emotional truth, moving beyond traditional time-travel tropes to explore universal themes of loss, resilience, identity, and enduring love. The novel asks: If time carried you into another life and another heart, would you follow it?
The Cottage at the Edge of Time is vast in scope yet intimately human—a page-turner rooted in tenderness and grandeur, perfect for fans of historical fiction, time-travel romance, and tales of the human spirit’s quiet strength.
Some places break us. Some carry us somewhere we never expected to go. Mennell’s latest invites us to wonder: What if they do both?
Simon Mennell
Simon Mennell, founder of Westow Publishing Ltd., draws from his diverse career as a global executive in Singapore, Dubai, Qatar, and the Channel Islands.
His previous works include the acclaimed memoir Shattered Norms – A Punk’s Journey to the Boardroom (a bestseller with BBC Radio features), the humorous Phuket, Let’s Golf, the contemporary drama We Almost Had Forever, and the sci-fi series Dream Agents.
Living in Yorkshire with his family and splitting time with their home in Thailand, Mennell’s writing reflects his wide-ranging experiences. When not crafting stories, he enjoys golfing and flying gliders.
This latest novel marks a bold evolution in his storytelling, positioning him as an accomplished and exciting author to watch.
Find more from Simon Mennell now:
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