Not the typical ARC I'd choose but I was drawn in due to the cover and some reviews left prior to my reading.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood books for this advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review. I found the story interesting. The characters all were well developed the plot was easy to follow along with. In general, the story flowed very well and I was interested from the very beginning. I think I may have liked this a little bit better if I had read the first one in the series. But overall, I would recommend this book to others.

I didn’t read the first book in this series, but I don’t think that affected my read of this delightful story.

Not my usual genre to read, but I’m so glad I chose this one. A bit of mystery, paranormal, made me laugh and really a smashing read. Will look out for the next instalment

Loving Spirits at the Vintage Teashop by Sharon Booth is the second title in the cosy Rowan Vale Ghosts series.

Cover designed by Rachel Lawston.

The village of Rowan Vale and its residents are charming. Fifty-something Shona, manager of the Teashop, and her Aunt Polly, a ghost, are central characters in the story. Add in a 40s weekend, a mystery, and a bit of romance and you have one great, easy to fall into book.

I definitely want to read more in this series!

Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books
for this ARC in return for my honest review.

Boldwood Books
June 25, 2025

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#BoldwoodBooks @theboldbookclub
#ghosts #Romance #cosy #Mystery #1940s
#Fantasy #England
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Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book. A gorgeous 4 star read book from me. What an exciting plot, vivid storytelling and relatable, rich characters. I couldn't put this book down – absolutely loved it.

Sharon Booth’s Loving Spirits at the Vintage Teashop is a stunning romantic paranormal fantasy masterpiece! I laughed, cried and was speechless at times. It is such a perfect story in so many ways. Without question, I adore this new series set in Rowan Dale! The first book is truly magnificent and I loved it but the second just took me a notch higher! It is incredibly moving, shining with wisdom and bursting with powerful lessons. It conveys boldly the importance of family and the power of forgiveness to set a heart free. Fresh starts, healing of past wounds, recovering from losses and accepting new loves are all beautifully woven into this unique tender tale.

Despite all the initial humour in this novel, there is a serious, complex murder mystery that delves into layers of social issues connected to war. Sharon deals with these topics respectfully and poignantly. Family devotion is at the heart of the plot but Prisoners of War and PTSD are part of the tightly knitted fabric. We get to see what it was like for Germans to be prisoners in a war camp. But also after the war ended, many were detained and forced to help rebuild Britain. This would have been distressing to those who just wanted to go home. The moral dilemma of this action is explored. Also, the conflicts in communities that arose because British citizens did not trust Germans to live among them. For they were seen as the enemy they fought against and who wreaked havoc on their lives. Yet, while these Germans gained more freedom to move within the community, romantic relationships occurred between German men and British women. It was not an easy existence for these couples. With feelings of betrayal and mistrust rampant, they had a lot to overcome. Loving Spirits at the Vintage Teashop explores these possible scenarios in some of the characters which helps us see what it was like to be in these situations.

PTSD, an endless negative by-product of war, is seen through some of the characters’ experiences and the havoc it created. This illness caused individuals to act in ways they never would have previously. It was not understood in the 1940s and many onlookers would have judged unfairly.

The novel has two points of view which are divided between vintage teashop manager Shona and her great - aunt Polly, a ghost. These likeable women take us into their worlds – one of the living with current concerns and the other wondering why she remained in spirit on this earth. Seeing events through their eyes presented some interesting observations and also revealed their similarities and differences. Shona can see her great-aunt but no other ghosts. Yet being able to talk to Polly is very useful, especially when the events of her death are under scrutiny. Polly has harboured secrets to protect certain persons but when Max arrives into town to visit his daughter and find out more about his German grandfather’s time as a prisoner of war, Polly is forced to tell the truth of what she knows to restore one man’s reputation. There are lots of twists and turns in this mystery to uncover the facts of a shooting that occurred in the past.

I loved the various characters, including recurring ones, that kept the plot sailing along. I was truly pinned to the pages! I enjoyed the lighter elements of the 1940s theme with the Vintage Teashop and the special 1940s party. Plus revisiting the more serious aspects of the historic time period such as the lasting effects of war on participants and their descendants.

This is a wonderful novel that I cannot praise enough for its originality, humour, depth, creative plot, fascinating characters of unusual ghost residents dwelling with the living. It is a story about healing, forgiveness, love, family and community. Beautifully delivered, respectfully handled, this divine mix of light and shade, passion and humour is an absolute delight to read. 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to Boldwood Books and Netgalley for the ARC.

"Fans of Heidi Swain, Lucy Jane Wood, and the BBC series Ghosts will love this heart-warming, cosy, romantic novel with a magical twist.

The beautiful Cotswold village of Rowan Vale is run as a living museum, allowing tourists to see history in action. But there's more to the place than any visitor would guess...

Fifty-something Shona grew up in the village and now runs its vintage, 1940s-themed teashop. Not everyone knows that the previous manager, her great-aunt Polly, still lives there too...as a ghost!

When newcomer Max arrives, hoping to find out more about the place where his German grandfather was a prisoner of war, both Shona and Polly are unsettled. Shona, because handsome, interesting Max is the first man to catch her eye since her divorce, and Polly, because she must finally confront the terrible truth about her past.

A 1940s-themed weekend planned for the village brings the families' connections to a head and tragic secrets to light.

Can Shona help her ghostly great-aunt to find love and forgiveness once more, while also creating her own happy ever after?

The second in the comforting, feel-good, romantic series with a dash of fantasy that started with Kindred Spirits at Harling Hall."

Aw, ghostly HEAs!

having loved the first book by the author, i quickly accepted the offer of the next instalment.
it didn’t disappoint, it’s still full of ghostly going’s on but also filled with love and families and friends.
this is a hug in a book and my only negative is i’m sad i have finished it!
please tell me there will be more?!