Book review: The Inn at Penglas Cove by Lauren Westwood

Genre: Mystery

Release date: January 27, 2026

Goodreads rating: 4.42

My rating: 4

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I love how Lauren Westwood is able to make old mansions and towns feel like characters of their own. It makes for great atmospheric stories.

The Inn at Penglas Cove follows Juno, a recently separated mom who travels to the Cornish coast with her two teenagers to claim an ancestral home. When they arrive, they discover a mansion that sits atop mysterious tunnels. They also meet a cast of unique characters who fill them in on the legends of the previous inhabitants of the mansion (including a pirate community). But several details remain mysterious. Who is this friend, Med, that Juno’s son claims to spend his days with? Why does Juno keep hearing mysterious sounds in the house? Why is there a photo of a woman who looks strikingly similar to Juno on the wall? And which of cousins Ollie and Will should Juno trust?

Westwood’s writing pulls you into the atmospheric setting right away… the underground tunnels linked to the house, and the mysterious museum in these tunnels leave you wondering what happened in this community… and what continues to happen today.

I enjoyed the dual timeline approach, and the parallels between the two stories. In addition to Juno’s story, you go back to 1820 and follow Bess—the young woman at the heart of the town’s legends. I also appreciated how Juno’s two teenagers got intertwined in the story.

I recommend this book if you want to settle in for a cozy, atmospheric and mysterious evening of reading.  

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for granting me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

For more Lauren Westwood, I also recommend The House of Light and Shadows.

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