Member Reviews
The story of Faith who is back living with her parents after turning dow a marriage proposal from her boyfriend.
She hasn't really been back for 9 years, since everything with Rik fell apart.
Now she is back and agrees to help out her friend Minel and ends up spending time with Rik too. When she realises she got it all wrong years ago, what will that mean for her and Rik?
I really enjoyed this book. The characters were real and the storyline easy to follow. A lovely summer read.
This is my first book by this author - I felt it was a little slow to begin with but picks up pace as you get into it and leaves you all warm and fuzzy inside.
Faith’s boyfriend proposes to her in front of all her friends but rather than be delighted she freezes and then decides that she doesn’t want to settle for someone ‘safe’ she wants adventure!!
She returns home to her childhood home and her friends. It soon becomes clear that something happened in her past which has made her stop taking risks and explains why she almost ended up taking the safe option with Rob.
Moving back she catches up with old friends and spends a great deal of time at Hollyhock House where she spent most of her time age she was a teenager. However, she must face some demons from her past if she is to move forward in life.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced read copy of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review,
Such a sweet summer romance. This reminded me of Under the Tuscan Sun. Loved this one. Perfect summer read.
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and author for my ARC. All opinions are my own.
A nice summer read loved the cover felt the story getting a little repetitive at times but none the less a good story
Thanks to netgalley for an early copy in return for an honest review
Following her separation with Rob, Faith returns to the village where she grew up and to her best friends home, Hollyhock House.
Hollyhock holds many memories, secrets from Faiths youth, in fact, this is where her heart is.
The author captures the beauty of Hollyhock, I could picture it and longed to visit. This is a lovely feel-good story, though quite slow I felt in parts, but enjoyable none the less. Faith is strong and feisty, but very vulnerable too, I really liked her.
A lovely, easy heartwarming book which I really enjoyed. Full of nostalgia which took me back to my own teenage years. Good characterisation and a lovely location which I would love to visit. A story of romance and heartbreak.
A perfect book for a cosy afternoon on the sofa or a holiday read.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher foir the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Faith has turned down her boyfriend's proposal of marriage, and returned to her small hometown to work on her friend's garden overhaul. When her friend's brother, and her former childhood lover returns as well, the sparks fly over past misunderstandings. Overall, I did enjoy this book, but the bouncing back and forth from the past to the present got tiresome after awhile. Otherwise, would highly recommend this book.
Faith was living with her boyfriend but was not feeling it. He embarrassed her by proposing to her during her birthday party. After everyone left the party and she thought things through a bit she “could already see their relationship was slowly heading into the realm of brother and sister.” She went to spend time with her parents and think. When she arrived in her hometown she discovered that her best friend was in the middle of a project requiring Faith’s help. Faith had always wanted to be a garden designer but the now former boyfriend had discouraged the idea. Minel, Faith’s childhood friend, convinced Faith to take vacation time from her fulltime job and help in the anniversary surprise for Minel’s parents, a summerhouse complete with new garden and pond. There are a few downsides – living with her parents once again and working with Minel’s brother Rik on the project. Rik had been the love of Faith’s life when they were teenagers but he broke her young heart and they had not seen or spoken with one another for nine years. They finally talk out the problems they had as teenagers and try to work on becoming friends again.
Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. This was a nice simply read but found myself dipping in to other books as well as some parts were a little bit long winded.
Thanks for the early review copy!
I recommend this novel to fans of contemporary novels. It was well-written and interesting novel.
I love the cover for this book and I was drawn in by the blurb!
This is a delightful story to read and I really enjoyed the time I spent with the characters. The writing style was great and the story flowed really well.
The characters are very well developed and I enjoyed their interaction. The setting was lovely and it sounds like somewhere I wouldn’t mind living myself!
It is 4.5 stars from this one for me rounded up to 5 stars on Goodreads and Amazon – it a really enjoyable story!
This was a nice summer read although I did find some parts slow and others rushed.
It centers around Hollyhock House and Faith and Rik who were childhood friends but which came to an abrupt end some 9 years previous with a misunderstanding.
Faith is asked by her friend to do the garden and Rik comes back to help with the house.
It is a nice story and I did enjoy it
4 Second Chance Stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟
This was a sweet second chance love story full of lovely characters and a beautiful setting... The story I’m sure you’ve read before..... girl moves away to big city, and returns years later, and runs into the one that got away.... there usually is some major miscommunication that has kept them from contacting each other over the years, not allowing them to truly move on.... but what set this book apart was a big dose of charm...
Faith was proposed to buy her boyfriend in front of all her friends, a proposal she did not accept... awkward! After The break up she returns home, to spend some time with her family and friends.... but what her family and friends don’t know is she had a secret love... Rick, the only boy who ever broke her heart... so will this be a happy reunion or not? The story is a little drawn out with many trips down memory lane...
A charming story I recommend to anyone who loves love and gardens!🌸
*** many thanks to Sapere for my copy of this book ***
Faith is a young girl who seems to be on track, a steady job, a steady relationship, a steady life... Until she realizes that's not what she wants.
After breaking up with her boyfriend, she moves back to her parents house where she reconnects with her old friends, her old hobbies and her old love.
I loved the way she rediscovered herself, but mostly, I loved how she got to discover the people around her.
It's never too late to change paths... and find a new adventure!
I absolutely loved this book. I wanted a fun chick lit book to read and it didn’t disappoint. The story of young heartbreak and growing up into adulthood rang true. Faith was a strong character, just wish she could’ve acted on her feelings at the start of her summer ... but I realize that I would’ve done the same thing. I cannot wait to read more from this author.
4.5 stars
This book feels both idyllic and nostalgic and evokes memories of mellow summer, romance, countryside sights, sounds and scents and languorous days.
Faith heads home to her parents Hollyhock House and get the opportunity to explore her past, reacquaint herself with her old friends and relive hollyhock house and it’s garden!
I loved how mellow this book is!
Tempted to read this by the gorgeous cover, I found this to be a pleasant and comforting read if a little predictable at times.
Faith as a character is an interesting one! She's feeling disillusioned and when her boyfriend proposes, it becomes clear that marriage isn't what she wants! So she heads back home to her parents and connects with her old friends. And that means confronting a past that she clearly hasn't got over!
I loved the gardening element of this book! To return to a house she has such fond memories of to help redesign the garden and re-invigorate it must be a dream and I would have loved more focus on this at times! I did find the storyline going backwards and forwards a little confusing at times and certain sections just felt like they were going nowhere and being repeated.
Going back to the night of the 18th birthday party was an interesting mix to the story and helped show the characters in a different light which helped you get to know them a little.
I picked this book based on the cover. It looked whimsical and carefree. It started off with a bang, and definitely had areas of slowness, before rounding out and having a great ending.
Faith has been existing rather than living with her boyfriend Rob and so when he proposes in front of their friends she is horrified rather than delighted and leaves him and moves back home to her parents' house. She soon meets up with her old friends Minel and Sara and when Minel offers her a job for the summer renovating the garden at Hollyhock House she agrees........ but what if Minel's brother Rik is around can she face him after 9 years!
A great book I loved the story of Faith's and Rik's secret love affair as teenagers and how it all ended because of a misunderstanding and how the feelings and attraction is still there in spite of Rik's girlfriend Lucinda, and GT the dog was a great character!