Another fabulous book from Heidi Swain. Readers of her previous books will not be disappointed. Thoroughly enjoyable.

Oh my goodness, I NEEDED this book.
I have been swept away with the sheer charm and delight of the writing, the characters and the story.

This is my first Heidi Swain book, but I have been totally captivated by her wonderful writing. I loved the setting of Nightingale Square in Norwich, a city I know a little.

I feel like I am late to an established party, but I am hoping to stake my claim to fandom.

Loved it.

This was another brilliant book from Heidi Swain. Although set in a different location to her previous books it was still full of interesting surprises, realistic settings and characters I loved. I enjoyed it a lot and thought it was the perfect summer read and would highly recommend it and Heidi's other books.

Thank you Netgalley for my copy of Sunshine and Sweetpeas In Nightingale Square by Heidi Swain. I could read Heidi' s books all day everyday, you know as soon as you pick one up you are in for a treat, her Tories are heart warming I absolutely adore them. This is the story of Kate who is newly single and decides to move out of the marital home to a place far away where no one will find her and she can have time alone to heal. She finds herself in a beautifully quaint house in Nightingale Square. Even though she wants to keep herself to herself that proves quite difficult in this small square of residents and overly friendly neighbours. Through the neighbours we learn about Prosperous Place and the Wentworth legacy. The neighbours are a great cast of characters all bringing their individuality to the story. The neighbours are not happy that the mansion on th other side of the square is up for sale, they believe that their concerns won't be heard and all hope is lost until they slowly and surely come together as a community and start fighting for the heritage they want to preserve. The arrival of a mysterious Luke sees Kate bring down her defences and I think it's wonderful how she allows herself to love again.
Flawless writing and a wonderful story.

A typical Heidi book. Pick it up if you know you want a book you are going to love.
Heidi provides all the feels you need to keep you going.. Bit of drama. Bit of the unexpected. By god i love thos ladies writing.

Someone please get me the bus times for a trip to Wynbridge and Nightingale Square, please!!

Whilst this book isn’t set in Wynbridge like many of the other books in the series, several characters you may recognise, do pop up now and again as the story progresses. If you’re anything like me, you may find that you end up squealing with ‘OMG I KNOW THEM!!!!’. Obviously, you don’t KNOW them as such, but due to the fact that Heidi Swain allows her readers to feel as though they’re catching up with a bunch of good friends every time, it is quite difficult to not get excited when places like ‘The Cherry Tree Cafe’ or ‘Skylark Farm’ pop up with your newfound besties in tow.

Kate, oh Kate – she hasn’t had the nicest of times recently. She doesn’t even share the truth with us into later on in the book! Poor Kate’s marriage has taken a nosedive and, despite the fact that the break up wasn’t actually her fault, Kate can’t help but feel guilty for wanting something in her life that her husband didn’t. With a new home to settle into, Kate is determined to make a new life for herself away from the drama of her past. However, moving to such a small village has it’s downsides – everyone wants to know your business and if you tell one person, the rest of the residents will find out by the time you’ve closed your front door.

I couldn’t help but laugh when Kate’s new neighbour, Lisa, waltzed into her new home as though she had known Kate for years. Her intentions were good then, but I have to say Lisa’s character ended up getting on my wick as the story progressed. She seemed to go from being a genuinely nice neighbour, to someone who couldn’t see further than her own nose and believed that she was right about everything. Lisa may have meant well, but in my eyes her interfering became stagnant very, very quickly.

I absolutely ADORED the historical feel to #SunshineandSweetpeas! What a brilliant idea to focus on something so grand, bringing all of the residents in the village together to see if they could get to the bottom of the unsolved mystery involving a certain house. I was probably hooked on the book way before the history parts of the storyline, but I have to say that those parts cemented my love for the entire storyline right there and then.

Just like any other Heidi Swain novel, this book contains a character who catches everyone’s eye as well as their intrigue. Who is this man? Why is he here? What is his story? As an honorary resident of Nightingale Square, I couldn’t help but feel protective towards the other characters and the history which surrounds the square, so when the new character appeared my barriers went up as I didn’t want Kate to come to more harm. Daft I know, but true.

What I love most about Heidi Swain’s novels is the way she brings her characters to life, tying them all together with relatable situations her readers would no doubt find themselves relating to in various different ways. Every visit to Wynbridge and the surrounding areas, in my eyes, is like going back home to a place where you feel safest, content, loved and energised. A place where more people are your friends, and fewer people are your enemies. I have everything crossed that Heidi Swain continues to write books which branch off from Wynbridge as I would be incredibly devastated to see this series come to an end.

I cannot fault #SunshineandSweetpeas at all. From the very first moment I started reading, I knew I was going to fall in love with the characters and Nightingale Square – and I was right, I did. I love this book (and the series) so much, it actually makes me emotional and I have no idea why. This book is utter perfection, beautifully written, thought-provoking, endearing, and beyond loveable.

Heidi Swain is a truly, truly outstanding author who delivers her stories with such magnetism, grace, and bucketfuls of hugs, never failing to deliver. Absolutely outstanding – I want to read it all over again.

I am no stranger to Heidi Swain's novel's, having read and reviewed The Cherry Tree Cafe and Sleigh Rides and Silver Bells at the Christmas Fair, neither of which disappointed.  Sunshine and Sweet Peas in Nightingale Square is no exception.  I like that Heidi's novels are all linked, with the characters over-lapping novels and the setting remaining the same - Wynbridge.  This novel is no different, except for the change in venue - Heidi now introduces us to Nightingale Square, a beautiful community, a hidden treasure in fact, within the city of Norwich.  Close enough to Wynbridge that we still get to see the characters we know and love, but far enough away that we get to learn about this new setting and those that live within it.


Kate is our newly single main character.  She is in desperate need of a fresh start, and rather than returning to her family in Wynbridge she chooses to buy a small cottage in need of TLC in Nightingale Square.  She wants to hide from the world, or more specifically her soon to be ex-husband, and this seems to be the perfect place to do that.
 Rather than finding the peace and quiet she seeks, Kate instead finds herself in the midst of a tight knit community who are keen to involve her and get to know her.  She quickly finds herself with new friends who have no qualms about telling her that her views on love are wrong!  

What follows is the story of a woman who thought she understood love, life and friends and instead finds that sometimes it's good to be wrong!


I really enjoyed this novel.  It was easy to read with a good pace, a beautiful new setting and really lovely relationships; both friendships and romantic.  The characters are all well-rounded and likeable - I found some of Kate's view on love a little annoying, but despite this I enjoyed learning more about her and her newfound community.  I very much hope that Heidi Swain lets us re-visit Nightingale Square soon!


Thank you to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster UK Fiction for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

I absolutely adored this book. I have read all Heidi's Swain"s other titles and was looking forward to this one coming out.
It was a step away from Wynbridge - Heidi's fictional Town - but don't fear Wynbridge lovers you do get to visit!
Nightingale Square is beautifully described with every detail jumping off the page and into your imagination to form a gorgeous picture of the place in all its glory.
Kate is married to David, but after 8 years decides enough is enough and she moves not just out of their marital home, but out of London. David doesn't like this idea as they had also been in business together sourcing antiques for clients.
Kate up sticks and moves to Norwich to Nightingale Square - though David doesn't know this - near to her childhood home of Wynbridge, but far away enough for her Mum not to keep bothering with her.
Kate just wants to keep her head down, settle in and keep herself to herself, but the residents of Nightingale Square have other ideas! First there is Lisa, husband John and their 3 children. Kate hasn't even begun to unpack when Lisa knocks on the door with a wriggling Archive in one arm and a pumpkin and jar of sweets in the other. It's Halloween and apparently the square will be swarming with kids so Lisa helpfully delivers the sweets and pumpkin for Kate to leave on her doorstep. Lisa informs Kate about Bonfire Night activities and New Year First Footing that all the residents get involved with. Coming from London where Kate never met most of her neighbours it's enough to make her head spin!
Soon she has settled right in so when news that a developer has bought Prosperous House - the large house opposite her - and is talking about turning into apartments Kate isn't happy.
The residents have the idea of turning their green into a communal growing space, but the council inform them that the land belongs to Prosperous House.
Then Luke appears. The owner of Prosperous House, he allows the residents to set up a communal garden in the grounds and becomes very interested in what Kate is growing!
Will Kate find love again? Can Kate trust again?

Another stunning book from Heidi Swain.
'Her books are like a big hug'

Great storyline with good strong characters. Very well written. I would recommend this book to anyone.

An enjoyable read. I devoured it in a couple of days. Kate feels she’s missed her ‘happily ever after life’ after splitting up from her husband. Her new friends from Nightingale Square aren’t convinced this is true. The story unfolds at a steady pace and the characters are believable. Another great book by Heidi Swain

Having found a little hideaway in a lovely cottage in Nightingale Square Kate thinks she may be able to escape not just her family who live in Wynbridge (featured in Heidi Swain's other books) but also her soon to be ex-husband David. His indiscretions can no longer be ignored.

However hiding away is not what the locals have in mind for Kate. When the whirlwind that is Lisa arrives, with her children in tow as well as Heather and her new perfect baby, Kate is thrust into community life and has to face perhaps some of the baggage she has been holding onto.

But it is not just the cottage that interests Kate but also the big house that dominates the square - Prosperous Place.

When Prosperous Place is sold, the community fears that it may be developed and the feel of the square will change. But the new owner, Luke has some link to the house and wants to bring it back to what it was and when he lets the community use the gardens for a community allotment he gets a lot more than extra vegetables. He starts to make friends..........

Kate's background in history and antiques means that she is in an ideal position to help Luke but when the past no longer remains history and comes screaming back into the present it looks like Nightingale Square could well change forever.

I thought I was going to get another story from Wynbridge, as I have grown to love that place and all its characters. Whilst this book is connected (Kate is Jemma's (Cherry Tree Cafe) sister-in-law) it firmly takes place in the square. It has a mystery from the past, a sense of community, great characters and some well written annoying ones who could get under your skin within a couple of sentences.

All signs of a great read and one you will not want to put down, in fact I would have happily packed my bags and gone and lived there. There is a skill to writing books which drag you not just into the story but also to care about all the characters, no matter how much of a role they play. This and any of Heidi Swain's novels meet that requirement.

Well I had been expecting a return to Wynbridge before I started this, as its the normal location used by the author and although it does make a cameo, the heart of the book is set around Nightingale Square in Norwich.

We are introduced to all the residents of the houses on the square, and get to know a good deal about all of them.

Though the main characters are Kate and Luke abd with them we get a fabulous story centering about their houses and a communal gardening space.

I found the first half of the book didn't engage me as much as I would have liked, but that may just be in part to having to get used to so many characters and sub plots in a short space of time. By the second half of the story, I was completely entranced!

A thoroughly enjoyable story, with a mystery at its heart, as well as a great sense of community and well being. I loved all the aspects of it, once I got to grips with who's who, and I do hope this isn't the last we see of the residents of Nightingale Square.

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

Oh my heart! This book is completely and utterly beautiful! From the divine setting of Nightingale Square to the brilliant cast of characters, there's nothing not to love! I love how Heidi ties characters and locations from previous books in with new ones. I think this is quite special and always fun when they pop up.

I especially loved Kate and Lisa. They have a brilliant relationship and Lisa had me howling with laughter! And who doesn't LOVE a fairy tale??

Argggh, I've loved previous books by this author, which is why this is so difficult for me to write, but I very sadly just couldn't connect to the characters this time round. I just can't put my finger exactly on why - my review is a little late because I tried more than a couple of times to get back in there and thought maybe I just wasn't reading it at the correct time for me or something. The story itself and setting (as always) was lovely and as usual Heidi's writing flows wonderfully, but sometimes you just don't click with characters (as much as you long to). This certainly wouldn't stop me reading more of Heidi's books, as I say, I think it was just all on an entirely personal level and nothing to do with the authors writing.

I absolutely loved this book, you always know that a book from Hiedi is one to love and never put down.. There are great characters a fabulous story and a nice love story to boot. It is worth more than 5 stars but theres only 5 on offer....
Kate is going through a divorce and wants to leave London to start afresh, so heads of to Nightingale in Norfolk for a new start expecting a nice quiet paced life, thats not quite how it is. She ends up becoming good friends with the neighbour who will not take No for an answer and all the others expect some village sorrt of lifestyle in her so she campaigns for the village which she never expected to do. During this theres a large house, a handsome stranger and Kate falls in love,
This is well worth the 5 stars, i read it rather fast.... loved it

I love Heidi Swain's books and highly recommend them all. I was excited to read this but had to find a weekend free as I knew once I started this I would not be able to put it down.

I was not disappointed - I think this was my favourite so far. I was quickly drawn into the story and couldn't put it down. Nightingale Square is a magical place - the type of place I would love to live in. A gorgeous cast of characters, fantastic community spirit and a perfect ending. Fabulous - I was only disappointed to have finished it so quickly!

It was great to catch up with previous characters in Heidi's Wynbridge novels, although you do not need to have read these to enjoy this book. But I would recommend that you do read them as you are missing a treat.

Heartwarming, uplifting and a joy to read. Highly recommended. I can't wait for the next one!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was drawn to this book by the gorgeous cover artwork and fell in love with the characters I found inside. I hadn’t read any by this author before, but I will be definitely catching up on her previous titles. This story was just lovely. I loved the camaraderie of the wonderful host of characters in the square, even if they do drive each other nuts on occasions and how the relationships of past inhabitants of Prosperous Place with residents in the Square is intertwined with those in the present. I found Nightingale Square was on my mind when I was forced to re-enter reality and I couldn’t wait to get back to it. I felt bereft when I’d finished and can’t wait for her next title. Highly recommended.

Let me just say that, despite the long length of the book (more than 400 pages), I read this heartwarming and engrossing novel in two days. I found the characters realistic and likable and I was completely immersed in their stories and their lives. I was also fascinated by the history surrounding Nightingale Square and the families who used to live there and, along with Kate, I enjoyed to find out more.

The main protagonist of the novel is Kate. She believes in one true love. She believes that people can give their heart to just one person during their lifetime, so when her marriage to David ends under terrible circumstances but ‘amicably’ (in her own words), she decides to leave her life in London and her job to start a new and lonely life in Norwich. She has found the perfect house in Nightingale Square and she believes she will be happy there on her own. But, she has barely the time to open her first box, that a neighbour is already knocking on her door and barging in. Soon, Kate forgets about her desire to be alone and she finds herself surrounded by her neighbours, who soon turns into friends, and then her family. There is mother-of-three Lisa who, in her bossy way, quickly takes Kate under her wing. Then there is new mom Heather who is struggling with motherhood. Nosy Carole who knows everything that goes on in the neighbourhood, and elderly Harold, who knows the history of the square and the family who used to own Prosperous Place, the large mansion by it. Also, the arrival of mysterious Luke maybe will give Kate the chance to change her mind about having just one love in her life.

The characters and their sense of community really come to life under Heidi Swain’s pen and I really enjoyed getting to know them, page after page. The setting seems idyllic, away from the noise of the city and surrounded by gardens, and it is very evocative and atmospheric.

The engaging characters, the beautiful setting, the entertaining stories, the brilliant and flawless writing create a refreshing and unique story that I couldn’t put down and I’d like to thanks Simon and Schuster UK and Harriet Collins for providing me with a copy of the book.

What a perfect read for the summer. Heidi Swain has such likeable characters that you can totally get invested in. Kate is trying t find herself after her separation and instead finds herself in a real community who help her in ways she couldn’t imagine. To have best friends like Lisa and Heather to guide you or just eat cake with. And we even go to visit the Cherry Tree Cafe in Wynbridge. Perfect.

I am a huge fan of Heidi’s books and I am totally in love with the little town of Wynbridge where all of her previous novels have been set so I was a little disconcerted to find that her latest novel is not set there! However, Heidi has carved out another charming location for her latest book in Nightingale Square, a village-within-the-city setting where the reclusive Kate has retreated to hide from her soon-to-be-ex-husband and lick the wounds left by the breakdown of her marriage. She is hoping to live the quiet life for a time while she decides what direction her life should take but her neighbours in the Square have other ideas.

Soon Kate is drawn right into the heart of the little community, with two fabulous new girl friends in Lisa and Heather and a surrogate family in the other residents, who love their home and are all pulling together as a community to find a space where they can set up a neighbourhood garden. They also are united in their desire to thwart the modernisation of the neighbouring big house, Prosperous Place, which has an important history at the heart of the area. Kate finds a certain equilibrium in her life until the arrival of a handsome neighbour and the appearance of her ex-husband, via for her attention, throw her off-kilter again.

This book felt a little different to Heidi’s previous books, and I don’t think that was just down to the change in location. I did miss the Wynbridge cast, although a few of them put in an appearance, as Kate is the sister of Jemma’s husband. Regular readers of Heidi’s books will know Jemma as the owner of The Cherry Tree Cafe in Wynbridge.

I think the crux is that Kate is a complicated character and some of the issues tackled in this book seemed a little heavier than the themes in Heidi’s previous books. I am not highlighting this as a negative, just that it feels like a slight divergence for me from what her readers may have come to expect from her books. I enjoyed the meaty storyline and could sympathise with a lot of the dilemmas that Kate is wrestling with in this book – it goes some way beyond a light summer read on this occasion. The desire to hide away to lick one’s wounds will be familiar to all of us from some time or other in our lives.

The history angle was interesting and a great hook for the plot, and I enjoyed the familiar themes of supportive friends and the importance of community that we have come to appreciate in Heidi’s books and her regular readers will not be disappointed in this regard. There were also the usual great cast of characters – Lisa and Harold were the stand-outs for me – and the elements of humour that she is so good at.

There were a couple of elements that niggled a tiny bit. Kate’s obstinate clinging to the idea that there is only one perfect One for all of us and that if the one you thought was The One turns out to have feet of clay that this is it for you on the romance front, I found hard to buy in to. I think this was particularly difficult for me to accept as I found her ex to be so odious that I struggled to see how she could have thought he was The One, but that may just be my perception. In addition, there were parts of the story that were glossed over too quickly and I would her liked them to have been explored more fully and deeply, but I think maybe I was just being greedy for the story to go on longer!

Overall, this was another great read from Heidi but I was left feeling like this book is on the cusp of taking things in a slightly different direction for her but maybe she is holding back a little bit. Whether she chooses to push this further, or keep giving us the great, light-hearted romances we know and love, I will be interested to see. Either way, I will be happy and look forward to seeing what comes next from one of my favourite authors.