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jo_bookworm's review
4.0
Dora has been quite happy for the past decade, tending her flock. Around 100 rare breed sheep on a farm in deepest Yorkshire on a farm that has always been in the family.
Her peace is shattered though when her precious sister, Cass and son Hawthorn, known more to his vlog followers as Thor and his tutor Nat descend, whilst her parents build an extension for Cass to live in.
Trouble is Cass and Dora haven't really seen eye to eye for a long time and whilst all their parents energy was spent on Cass once she was pregnant, it seems that Dora just disappeared into a mix of parties and some rather unsavoury habits and ended up running away to the farm where she finally found contentment.
Cass can't believe Dora lives like does.
Dora can't believe that Cass still lives at home with her parents and treats her twelve year old son as if he was a breakable bit of china.
Life on the farm is going to be a wake up call from them all.
Then there is Nat, he is strangely familiar to Dora and it seems the past she left behind has just arrived into her farmyard.
As the book goes on we learn how these diverse characters have to all get along together somehow. They have to when there isn't anywhere they can pop to on a whim, the pot holed track can ruin even the best suspension, there is the threat of sheep hustlers, of lustful vets and lambing sheep to keep them and us entertained.
I really enjoyed this book, you are thrown in straight away to farm life and have to get on board and get along for the ride, unlike Cass who was the most annoying and irritating character I have read about for a long time - and I loved her. Of course as the book goes on you can see how events have her shaped her and perhaps you might get to warm to her, but god she was fabulously annoying! Thor was a great representation of that teenager deep in the world of social media and whilst it did have it's benefits it perhaps shows how some youngsters (and even there parents) think that is where the future is. Scary!
This was the first time reading this author and I devoured the book, it was light and serious and humorous and sad all in equal measure and was the perfect antidote to everything in life at the moment. An upbeat read at the perfect time for me.
Her peace is shattered though when her precious sister, Cass and son Hawthorn, known more to his vlog followers as Thor and his tutor Nat descend, whilst her parents build an extension for Cass to live in.
Trouble is Cass and Dora haven't really seen eye to eye for a long time and whilst all their parents energy was spent on Cass once she was pregnant, it seems that Dora just disappeared into a mix of parties and some rather unsavoury habits and ended up running away to the farm where she finally found contentment.
Cass can't believe Dora lives like does.
Dora can't believe that Cass still lives at home with her parents and treats her twelve year old son as if he was a breakable bit of china.
Life on the farm is going to be a wake up call from them all.
Then there is Nat, he is strangely familiar to Dora and it seems the past she left behind has just arrived into her farmyard.
As the book goes on we learn how these diverse characters have to all get along together somehow. They have to when there isn't anywhere they can pop to on a whim, the pot holed track can ruin even the best suspension, there is the threat of sheep hustlers, of lustful vets and lambing sheep to keep them and us entertained.
I really enjoyed this book, you are thrown in straight away to farm life and have to get on board and get along for the ride, unlike Cass who was the most annoying and irritating character I have read about for a long time - and I loved her. Of course as the book goes on you can see how events have her shaped her and perhaps you might get to warm to her, but god she was fabulously annoying! Thor was a great representation of that teenager deep in the world of social media and whilst it did have it's benefits it perhaps shows how some youngsters (and even there parents) think that is where the future is. Scary!
This was the first time reading this author and I devoured the book, it was light and serious and humorous and sad all in equal measure and was the perfect antidote to everything in life at the moment. An upbeat read at the perfect time for me.
tessisreading2's review against another edition
4.0
Honestly, I was reading this more for the sheep-farming details and the inevitable sisterly coming-to-terms than for the romance, which was mostly tepid (and kind of problematic if you think about it too hard). Dora was a really great heroine, engaging and easy to empathize with while also being kind of petty and normal and blinkered. A really nice book.
readingwithmrleo's review
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
4.0
portybelle's review against another edition
4.0
I always know when I start a new Jane Lovering book that I will be in for an enjoyable treat and Home on Folly Farm was no exception. Dora is a rare breeds sheep farmer in Yorkshire and it's a far cry from her previous lifestyle in London. Nevertheless she is content enough with the hard work and natural rhythm of life on the farm she inherited from her grandfather. Her peaceful routine is about to be shattered though with the arrival of her somewhat spoiled sister Cass and her twelve year old son Hawthorn, known as Thor. They have come uninvited for an extended stay while their parents' house has an extension built. To Dora's horror, Thor has a tutor, Nat, who at first glance she thinks is an ex from London. Some careful questioning reveals him to be his brother and a tentative friendship develops between them.
What I particularly enjoyed about this book was the way the characters developed. Dora is someone I took to immediately of course and I was intrigued as to what she was trying to put behind her from her London days, a time she seemed rather ashamed of but also a time where she had a missed chance of happiness. Nat's arrival brings back memories of that time and perhaps reawakens in her the need to be less self sufficient. I really liked her work ethic and her determination to do the best for her flock and honour her grandad's legacy. We see that farming is not an easy life with long sunny days and lambs skipping about the fields. It's a constant struggle to balance the books and with little room for sentimentality - hard when you have hand-reared lambs in your kitchen.
By contrast, Cass and Thor are harder to like with their pampered lifestyles, sense of entitlement and seeming obliviousness to the realities of farming life. Dora has always felt resentful of the way that Cass was looked after by their mother when she became pregnant at just 15. It's easy to see how this perhaps led to her life choices, perhaps seeking attention, perhaps seeking love. And yet we come to see that Cass doesn't necessarily have it all either. Thor, like many young people, seems to see life through the lens of his ipad. However, along with his almost 1000 YouTube vlog followers, as he begins to document life on the farm we begin to see flashes of an enthusiastic teen rather than the old-for-his-years character when we first meet him. His followers (literally) make a difference at a crucial and dramatic part of the book!
As always with a Jane Lovering book there is plenty which will make you laugh, most notably one-liners from Dora. There is humour throughout the book making it a really enjoyable, light-hearted read while still addressing those issues of coming to terms with your past. Home at Folly Farm is another delightful read from this author, sure to make you finish reading with a smile.
What I particularly enjoyed about this book was the way the characters developed. Dora is someone I took to immediately of course and I was intrigued as to what she was trying to put behind her from her London days, a time she seemed rather ashamed of but also a time where she had a missed chance of happiness. Nat's arrival brings back memories of that time and perhaps reawakens in her the need to be less self sufficient. I really liked her work ethic and her determination to do the best for her flock and honour her grandad's legacy. We see that farming is not an easy life with long sunny days and lambs skipping about the fields. It's a constant struggle to balance the books and with little room for sentimentality - hard when you have hand-reared lambs in your kitchen.
By contrast, Cass and Thor are harder to like with their pampered lifestyles, sense of entitlement and seeming obliviousness to the realities of farming life. Dora has always felt resentful of the way that Cass was looked after by their mother when she became pregnant at just 15. It's easy to see how this perhaps led to her life choices, perhaps seeking attention, perhaps seeking love. And yet we come to see that Cass doesn't necessarily have it all either. Thor, like many young people, seems to see life through the lens of his ipad. However, along with his almost 1000 YouTube vlog followers, as he begins to document life on the farm we begin to see flashes of an enthusiastic teen rather than the old-for-his-years character when we first meet him. His followers (literally) make a difference at a crucial and dramatic part of the book!
As always with a Jane Lovering book there is plenty which will make you laugh, most notably one-liners from Dora. There is humour throughout the book making it a really enjoyable, light-hearted read while still addressing those issues of coming to terms with your past. Home at Folly Farm is another delightful read from this author, sure to make you finish reading with a smile.
saschadarlington's review against another edition
4.0
Dora is happy working her late granddad’s sheep farm in Yorkshire supporting a rare breed of sheep, it’s a very different life than the fake, out-of-control one she was living in London. But when her entitled sister, Cass, and nephew, Hawthorn, now known as Thor, along with her nephew’s tutor Nat come to stay with her when their place is being renovated, she realizes that while she may be contented, she may also have been hiding from something in her past she’s never been able to get over.
As with the last Jane Lovering romance I read (Christmas Secrets by the Sea, review here), Home on Folly Farm is so much more than the typical romantic comedy. The characters are full of surprises and ever-evolving, and there are almost as many tears as laughter (no angst, thank you). Even the seemingly entitled sister, Cass, harbors a secret that suddenly makes her seem more human. And, maybe that’s one of the big themes in this book–people are (usually) much more than what they show you.
Because of my personal viewpoints, I loved that Folly Farm supported a rare sheep breed and not for meat but for their wool. And the sheep brought comedy and heart to the book as well and even some tears.
Some (maybe most) of the snarky humor is at the expense of Cass who is oblivious as to what it means to live a normal life because her parents have insured that she never had to. Why the snark was funny, it went on a bit too long at Cass’ expense, in my opinion.
Home on Folly Farm felt more somber than the earlier Lovering novels I’d read, but perhaps that is a sign of the times. Or me. It’s possible I just felt some of the underlying sadness more.
Regardless, there is a lot going on in this multi-layered novel, enough so that no one would be bored. Home on Folly Farm has excellent characterization, plot, pacing, and dogs and sheep and the wonderful setting of a Yorkshire. What more could you ask for?
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
As with the last Jane Lovering romance I read (Christmas Secrets by the Sea, review here), Home on Folly Farm is so much more than the typical romantic comedy. The characters are full of surprises and ever-evolving, and there are almost as many tears as laughter (no angst, thank you). Even the seemingly entitled sister, Cass, harbors a secret that suddenly makes her seem more human. And, maybe that’s one of the big themes in this book–people are (usually) much more than what they show you.
Because of my personal viewpoints, I loved that Folly Farm supported a rare sheep breed and not for meat but for their wool. And the sheep brought comedy and heart to the book as well and even some tears.
Some (maybe most) of the snarky humor is at the expense of Cass who is oblivious as to what it means to live a normal life because her parents have insured that she never had to. Why the snark was funny, it went on a bit too long at Cass’ expense, in my opinion.
Home on Folly Farm felt more somber than the earlier Lovering novels I’d read, but perhaps that is a sign of the times. Or me. It’s possible I just felt some of the underlying sadness more.
Regardless, there is a lot going on in this multi-layered novel, enough so that no one would be bored. Home on Folly Farm has excellent characterization, plot, pacing, and dogs and sheep and the wonderful setting of a Yorkshire. What more could you ask for?
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
meganmatt's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
cuppacora's review against another edition
emotional
informative
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
kayemnic's review against another edition
emotional
funny
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
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