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3.85 AVERAGE
3.85 AVERAGE
Many thanks to Netgalley and One More Chapter for offering this ARC in return for an honest review.
Isla and Drew are having problems and Isla has no idea why. Drew won't discuss anything, and his unpredictable rages, accusations, and comments are driving Isla to her breaking point. The tension builds until there is a life-threatening event on the farm and in the days following, Isla comes across the reason for the change in Drew's behavior.
There are several well-developed minor characters that provide support, humor, and even more drama. I especially loved Martha, Isla's gran, and Drew's farm help, Fergus.
I'll admit that I felt tense during the first half of the book because Drew's behavior brought up some bad memories, so much so that I wasn't sure that I'd finish the book, but I'm glad I did. If I hadn't, I'd have missed out on alpacas, camper vans, and a very atypical criminal.
Isla and Drew are having problems and Isla has no idea why. Drew won't discuss anything, and his unpredictable rages, accusations, and comments are driving Isla to her breaking point. The tension builds until there is a life-threatening event on the farm and in the days following, Isla comes across the reason for the change in Drew's behavior.
There are several well-developed minor characters that provide support, humor, and even more drama. I especially loved Martha, Isla's gran, and Drew's farm help, Fergus.
I'll admit that I felt tense during the first half of the book because Drew's behavior brought up some bad memories, so much so that I wasn't sure that I'd finish the book, but I'm glad I did. If I hadn't, I'd have missed out on alpacas, camper vans, and a very atypical criminal.
I loved the setting of this book - being Scottish myself, it's rare to find books set in Scotland. This book deals with money troubles between a husband and wife who are crofters (farmers) in the Scottish highlands with a farm with sheep, cows, and ponies (and alpacas!). I liked the characters and the family dynamic between the main character Isla and her grandmother Martha, as well as with Isla's two young children. What I found a little unbelievable at times, was the interactions between Isla and her husband Drew. The pacing of the book also had some issues and I felt it all came together at the end very quickly in order to provide a happy ending to the book. Overall, I did enjoy the book and would look at other books by this author in the future.
Once again I was taken in by the cover. As I have been reading a lot the past couple of days, I thought I would slow down with a light and happy story about a farm and its inhabitants. This had a lot more conflict and stumbling blocks thrown into this than expected and was not exactly the light read I was imagining it to be. That may be the only reason I rated it lower than anyone else reading it would.
Isla wakes up one day to find out her life is not as rosy as it seemed, she is a stay-at-home mom to two boys, one still in the gurgling stage. She has a close-knit set of friends who are all interdependent in terms of staying afloat financially as well as mentally. On a single day, a lot of things go wrong, there is a question about alpacas, a storm and bills (a lot of them) as well as a surprise guest (or two). Isla and her family try to talk and work together and beat the odds. It contains a lot of detail in terms of the struggle that they go through. There is a mystery as well, parts of which I guessed and others that surprised me. More than the mystery it showcased the daily struggles of anyone in the farming industry and how easy it is to go into losses and be afraid for their daily ways of living. It is an encouraging and overall positive read and something which shows the light at the end of any struggle.
I would recommend this to readers of this genre and who like stories about people and their friends.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and publishers but the review is completely based on my reading experience.
Isla wakes up one day to find out her life is not as rosy as it seemed, she is a stay-at-home mom to two boys, one still in the gurgling stage. She has a close-knit set of friends who are all interdependent in terms of staying afloat financially as well as mentally. On a single day, a lot of things go wrong, there is a question about alpacas, a storm and bills (a lot of them) as well as a surprise guest (or two). Isla and her family try to talk and work together and beat the odds. It contains a lot of detail in terms of the struggle that they go through. There is a mystery as well, parts of which I guessed and others that surprised me. More than the mystery it showcased the daily struggles of anyone in the farming industry and how easy it is to go into losses and be afraid for their daily ways of living. It is an encouraging and overall positive read and something which shows the light at the end of any struggle.
I would recommend this to readers of this genre and who like stories about people and their friends.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and publishers but the review is completely based on my reading experience.
Christie Barlow is fast becoming a favourite author of mine. Her books never disappoint and Foxglove Farm was no different.
Christie’s characters in Isla and Drew really reflected on issues that many couples go through but this is handled with such care and affection, so much so, Isla will resonate with many women. She really made me feel welcome and part of the community and story in this book.
This is the second book to the Love Heart Lane series and having raced through the first one, I was delighted to be back and enjoying the community once more.
Christie Barlow is an author to look out for if you love chick-lit, she’s been added to my auto-buy authors list.
Foxglove Farm is an absolute delight.
Definitely recommend to all fans of Carole Matthews.
Christie’s characters in Isla and Drew really reflected on issues that many couples go through but this is handled with such care and affection, so much so, Isla will resonate with many women. She really made me feel welcome and part of the community and story in this book.
This is the second book to the Love Heart Lane series and having raced through the first one, I was delighted to be back and enjoying the community once more.
Christie Barlow is an author to look out for if you love chick-lit, she’s been added to my auto-buy authors list.
Foxglove Farm is an absolute delight.
Definitely recommend to all fans of Carole Matthews.
Drew and Isla appear to be the picture perfect family, happily married with two young children living on an idyllic farm. Behind closed doors Isla lonely and struggling as Drew works all hours. Then Isla discovers Drew has been keeping secrets and they could loss their home... will this tear them apart?
This novel is a delightful feel-good-read. The characters are charming but not without their faults, after all they are only human. I particularly loved Martha, so eccentric and full of life. The plot is a touching story about the reality of happy ever after, the unconditional love, trust and honesty needed to have a successful marriage. It addresses some sensitive topics such as depression and highlights the importance of talking about concerns before they become overwhelming. The way the community comes together to support this couple gives it the perfect feel good factor. Although Foxglove Farm is the second in a series it can be read as a standalone.
Thanks to Rachel's Random Resources for sending me this in exchange for an open and honest review.
This novel is a delightful feel-good-read. The characters are charming but not without their faults, after all they are only human. I particularly loved Martha, so eccentric and full of life. The plot is a touching story about the reality of happy ever after, the unconditional love, trust and honesty needed to have a successful marriage. It addresses some sensitive topics such as depression and highlights the importance of talking about concerns before they become overwhelming. The way the community comes together to support this couple gives it the perfect feel good factor. Although Foxglove Farm is the second in a series it can be read as a standalone.
Thanks to Rachel's Random Resources for sending me this in exchange for an open and honest review.
I finished this books in 2 sittings, I absolutely loved it! Reading about Foxglove Farm and the family inside it.
The book touched on some deep themes which I think were dealt with very appropriately.
There was lots of action too and I was gripped in knowing about their relationship and resolving their problems from the very beginning! Lots of developments and not a single cold chapter.
The book was a very easy read and I’m glad I’ve now found Christine Barlow as I’m going to go and read all her others books too!
I would highly recommend this book!
The book touched on some deep themes which I think were dealt with very appropriately.
There was lots of action too and I was gripped in knowing about their relationship and resolving their problems from the very beginning! Lots of developments and not a single cold chapter.
The book was a very easy read and I’m glad I’ve now found Christine Barlow as I’m going to go and read all her others books too!
I would highly recommend this book!
What a lovely book! Set in the Scottish Highlands, we follow Isla, a farmer’s wife and a busy mum of 2, who seems to be struggling with her marriage. Her husband Drew is being secretive and moody and she doesn’t understand why. With a community of close friends and relatives around them, we see them struggle through a tough few months which includes alpacas and disasters. This is a light read, but the pace is fast and it’s easy to concentrate on. I also grew to really like the characters in the story and will now be heading to amazon to buy the other 2 books in the series.
Thank you to NetGalley who gifted this book in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley who gifted this book in exchange for an honest review.
Love Heart Lane and the author are new to me, yet I quickly embraced this close-knit Highlands community with a delightful bunch of locals adding support and quirky diversions to the narrative.
Isla and Drew Allaway own and run Foxglove Farm where they live with their young sons. Both are busy with responsibilities and as a consequence has forgotten to devote time for themselves. When it becomes obvious something is wrong, neither seem capable of communicating. With each bad-tempered exchange, the rift widens within their marriage causing their relationship to deteriorate further. Can they find a way to turn things around?
For a change, I enjoyed reading about an already established couple who love each other but somehow have lost the spark which ignited their relationship in the first place. I'm sure many readers will identify with Isla and Drew and the issues they have. While the narrative focuses on problems any couple can face, the turning point wasn't. After a catalogue of errors, luckily, things start to get back on track again-hurray!
The protagonists are both relatable and likeable, so much so, you want to knock their heads together to make them see sense, at least in the beginning. Both have their flaws exposing themselves to potentially life-changing consequences. However, in the end, things turn around and work themselves out leading to a happily-ever-after for them both. Of course, there's plenty of neighbourly help and support from a warm and friendly group of friends and acquaintances. An honourable mention goes to the eccentric and generous Martha Gray...she's a ray of sunshine.
The overall atmosphere of the narrative is positively 'feel good' even though the main plot's centred around a struggling family. I've read a few similar novels to this and Foxglove Farm definitely stands out in the crowd. The author has written a lovely flowing narrative with plenty of things happening but not in an overwhelming way.
4.5 stars
***arc generously received courtesy of HarperImpulse via NetGalley***
Isla and Drew Allaway own and run Foxglove Farm where they live with their young sons. Both are busy with responsibilities and as a consequence has forgotten to devote time for themselves. When it becomes obvious something is wrong, neither seem capable of communicating. With each bad-tempered exchange, the rift widens within their marriage causing their relationship to deteriorate further. Can they find a way to turn things around?
For a change, I enjoyed reading about an already established couple who love each other but somehow have lost the spark which ignited their relationship in the first place. I'm sure many readers will identify with Isla and Drew and the issues they have. While the narrative focuses on problems any couple can face, the turning point wasn't. After a catalogue of errors, luckily, things start to get back on track again-hurray!
The protagonists are both relatable and likeable, so much so, you want to knock their heads together to make them see sense, at least in the beginning. Both have their flaws exposing themselves to potentially life-changing consequences. However, in the end, things turn around and work themselves out leading to a happily-ever-after for them both. Of course, there's plenty of neighbourly help and support from a warm and friendly group of friends and acquaintances. An honourable mention goes to the eccentric and generous Martha Gray...she's a ray of sunshine.
The overall atmosphere of the narrative is positively 'feel good' even though the main plot's centred around a struggling family. I've read a few similar novels to this and Foxglove Farm definitely stands out in the crowd. The author has written a lovely flowing narrative with plenty of things happening but not in an overwhelming way.
4.5 stars
***arc generously received courtesy of HarperImpulse via NetGalley***
This is my first venture into Love Heart Lane and Foxglove Farm was a perfect introduction. Although it’s the second book in the series it can easily be read as a stand-alone and at no point through the book did I feel like I had missed out with not having read Love Heart Lane first. I will be catching up though as I enjoyed this book so much, I have to see what I’ve missed.
Isla and Drew Allaway live at Foxglove Farm, they’ve been together years and with two gorgeous children they seem to have a perfect marriage but cracks start to appear and Isla feels like she is loosing the man she thought she knew. Why is Drew keeping secrets and in such a mood all the time? With many obstacles thrown their way can the couple sort things out?
Foxglove Farm is filled with some fabulous characters that you just can’t help growing to love. From the young to the old, each character really stands out and comes to life and I couldn’t help being totally immersed in this story.
I loved the sense of community in the story, like any small place, everyone knows everyone and everybody seems to know your business but what stood out in the story was how everyone looked out for each other and in times of need they were there to lend a helping hand.
I totally devoured this book and although the main story is about Isla and Drew it was nice to have the little side stories giving us an insight into the other characters lives. One character that I particularly loved was Martha, oh lord she did make me giggle at times. So full of life but an absolute rock for Isla and Drew.
Foxglove Farm is a wonderful story, it has suspense and humour and it left me feeling all cosy and warm. It’s one of those stories that gets under your skin, when you’re not reading you’re thinking about the characters and when you’ve finished they stay with you.
It’s all about the books will definitely be recommending Foxglove Farm, it’s a real feel good story that touches on some sensitive issues but is filled with love, friendships, family and community. Fantastic.
Isla and Drew Allaway live at Foxglove Farm, they’ve been together years and with two gorgeous children they seem to have a perfect marriage but cracks start to appear and Isla feels like she is loosing the man she thought she knew. Why is Drew keeping secrets and in such a mood all the time? With many obstacles thrown their way can the couple sort things out?
Foxglove Farm is filled with some fabulous characters that you just can’t help growing to love. From the young to the old, each character really stands out and comes to life and I couldn’t help being totally immersed in this story.
I loved the sense of community in the story, like any small place, everyone knows everyone and everybody seems to know your business but what stood out in the story was how everyone looked out for each other and in times of need they were there to lend a helping hand.
I totally devoured this book and although the main story is about Isla and Drew it was nice to have the little side stories giving us an insight into the other characters lives. One character that I particularly loved was Martha, oh lord she did make me giggle at times. So full of life but an absolute rock for Isla and Drew.
Foxglove Farm is a wonderful story, it has suspense and humour and it left me feeling all cosy and warm. It’s one of those stories that gets under your skin, when you’re not reading you’re thinking about the characters and when you’ve finished they stay with you.
It’s all about the books will definitely be recommending Foxglove Farm, it’s a real feel good story that touches on some sensitive issues but is filled with love, friendships, family and community. Fantastic.