I rarely follow a book series – and worry not, this book is the first in a planned series, but a self-contained standalone – but I’m already really looking forward to visiting Heartcross again. There’s little I enjoy more than a book set in the heart of a community, the interactions between well-drawn characters, maybe a little intrigue and upset, and a romantic interest or two – and this lovely book was everything I hoped and wanted it to be.

The characters, major and minor, are just excellent. I really took to Flick, returning home after a long absence, finding it difficult to re-establish the connections she once had, then suddenly finding herself right in the middle of the action as the community pulls together after the dramatic collapse of the bridge connecting Heartcross to the rest of civilisation. She has an edge of real sadness about her – the reasons she originally left for London walking away from the love of her life, the recent loss of her much-loved grandmother and the fact that she didn’t visit before she died, her mother Rona’s struggle to make ends meet and the abandoned tea-shop. I just loved the way relationships were tentatively – and very realistically – rebuilt: this is a wonderful story of second chances, told with a very sure emotional touch. And her fractured relationship with Fergus quite broke my heart.

But Flick’s personal story is only part of this book. It’s a great story about a community pulling together in adversity, every individual beautifully drawn, full of tension and drama and misunderstandings, people behaving well and rather badly (as real people do) – and the way the story builds warms your heart and makes your heart sing. There’s a tremendous sense of place – Heartcross became a place I felt I’d visited, and the descriptions of the snowbound village really make you shiver. The writing is excellent – the dialogue is particularly well done, always realistic and moving the story forward. I liked the focus on social media too – its downsides, but also its power for good – and it turned what could have been a timeless story into one with a refreshingly contemporary edge. The pacing is perfect too – a few steps forward, a setback, then a few more careful steps – and it was a book I raced through and thoroughly enjoyed.

I have no idea why it’s taken me so long to pick up a book by Christie Barlow – she’s very much my kind of writer, and I most definitely want to follow this series. Total enjoyment, a few tears, and a wide smile as I left – I loved this one.

LOVE HEART LANE by Christie Barlow is every bit as delightful and colourful as its stunning cover and I devoured this heartwarming story in a few hours.

When Flick Simon's grandmother passes away, Flick knows that she must return to her childhood home of Heartcross in Scotland and spend some quality time with her mother who needs her. But having abandoned her old friends and the only man she has ever really loved almost eight years ago, Flick isn't sure how welcome she will be. As she settles back into her home most people are happy to see her and enfold her back easily into the community, all but Fergus who cannot forget how she destroyed his heart that night long ago. But when there is a crisis in the village Flick finds herself front and centre in helping to piece it all back together and a tentative friendship with Fergus cements the fact that she loves him completely. But Fergus has his little daughter to think about and he will not let anyone into his life that may hurt her one day ... not even Flick. Can Love Heart Lane live up to its name and mend the damage from the past or is it simply too late to go back?

Engaging, emotional, and enjoyable from beginning to end, LOVE HEART LANE by Christie Barlow is the type of book that will drag you out of a tired or grumpy mood and set you up for the day. There is laughter and tears, friendship and jealousy, and a community spirit that would make your heart swell with pride throughout. I loved the setting and the image that the author painted for me and I can easily say that there was nothing that I didn't love about this story. Definitely on my list for best books this year!

Felicity makes an emotional visit to her home of Heartcross. What she did not expect, was to be cut off and stranded there by bad weather along with the rest of the residents of this community that she no longer feels completely part of.

There is one thing this author manages to do and that is to create a story that completely wraps me up in the lives of her characters. Felicity has had a rough time and has been avoiding her past. There is a reason why she left her home years ago, and while it takes a while for that explanation to be known, once I did I understood her reluctance a little more.

Being stranded in the village has opened her eyes to the changes that she had been unaware of. It hits home that life in Heartcross has moved on and she feels a little left behind. It was inevitable that she would bump into her ex, Fergus. Their first meeting on her arrival was definitely out of the blue, and both were caught unawares, making this encounter as cold as the weather they were caught up in.

Felicity and Fergus were characters I really liked. The history of their time together and also after their separation was told, I found myself becoming more emotionally attached to them. They both really did struggle through what life had thrown at them.

Community plays a large part in this story and the author did such a great job with community spirit. There was a nice balance of a little mistrust and tension as well as that spirit of togetherness. Friendships that had been neglected over the years had a nice dose of peevishness to them, as you would expect if you had been ignored.

This is a story about family, friends, community and togetherness. Dealing with chaos and catastrophe and dealing with past issues. Old wounds are opened and some long over due heartfelt confessions, feelings and truths are dealt with. This visit home is tinged with sadness but turns into something very special indeed.

This is the start of a new series and I am really looking forward to reading more about Heartcross. This is the ideal introduction to this author if you have not read anything by her before, as well as being one that fans of her work would also really enjoy. It gets a definitely recommended from me

Felicity left Fergus and her home 8 years ago, this is the story of why she left and how she is eventually welcomed back to Heartcross. Amazing feel good, rollercoaster of a ride story of family, love and friendship. I couldn’t put this book down, the writer cleverly draws you in and before you know it your hooked.

SECONDE POSSIBILITà VENITE A ME! Un libro triste, romantico, comico, drammatico.
Tutte queste pagine sono piene di sentimenti!

Flick torna nel suo paese dopo anni vissuti a Londra in cerca di una pace che ha trovato solo in parte. Ma tornando per la morte di sua nonna, a gennaio, nel nord del paese, si ritrova bloccata nel paesino dove tutti sanno chi é e un paio non sono felici di vederla. Ma una seconda possibilità non la si nega a nessuno.
Fergus non é propriamente d'accordo con loro. Lui sa cos'ha vissuto quando lei se ne é andata. Ma l'amore non si scorda.
Un dramma saprà riavvicinare tutti. Nuovi amori, vecchi amore, vecchi rancori, tutto sarà lavato via come in ponte dal torrente sottostante in una scena clou del libro.

La storia d'amore é vivace e tu lettore la senti tutta. Sento cosa provano. I pov non sono alternati e abbiamo solo la versione di Flick, ma non esclude comunque una visione intensa sia sua che di Fergus. I drammi e i ricordi hanno fatto breccia nel mio cuore. La perdita di due esseri cari non é cosa da poco, ma qui é descritto con garbo e pazienza. Non Si risolve tutto in un batter d'occhio. Tutto al suo tempo. I drammi familiari, le amicizie.
Tutto questo libro é un si per me!

4 Stelle meritate perché un solo punto mi ha dato fastidio.
Il non epilogo della fine. Volevo sapere il finale, ma spero che questa mancanza sia colmata nei prossimi libri della serie.

There are some occasions when writing a review for a blog tour can be really hard. It’s not those times when I really don’t like a book, because it is my policy not to post negative reviews on the blog. It’s not the times I really, really love a book because then I can wax lyrical for pages (as regular readers will be only too aware) about why you should read it immediately. The tough ones are the ones that fall in between, where you have to write a balanced review for a book about which you have mixed feelings. Finding that balance can be hard – between honesty and fairness to the author. Frankly, sometimes I’d like to duck out, because I blog for fun and writing these reviews sometimes isn’t fun. But I know how disappointing it is for blog tour organisers and authors to be let down, and it is a matter of personal importance to me to deliver on commitments that I have made and produce the reviews I have promised, so all I can do is give it my best shot.

But…I hate January. And I’ve got PMT. And my toilet is broken and taking ages to fix. I think my fridge is on the blink, even though it is only a year old. I’m waiting for the results of Little Miss Sunshine’s 11+ entrance exam. Mini Me has the fingers of her dominant strapped up after a netball injury and it looks like her vision may have worsened again. It’s cold. I hate driving on icy roads. I think one of my cats is becoming a bit incontinent. My WIP is currently in a difficult phase. I’m on a diet. I hate the gym. The finale of Game of Thrones is still three months away. Brexit. I’ve just done my tax return. A project I’m working on has hit a bumpy patch. I’m almost 47 and I’ve found a grey eyebrow hair. I’m doing Dry January.

What is the relevance of this litany of complaints, you ask? I thought you were trying to look on the bright side this year? All that ‘Be Happy’ guff from your New Year’s Resolutions? You are right, of course, and if I try, I can sit down and write a list of all the things in life that I am grateful for and that make me happy. My point is, sometimes we all have a bad day, or week, and that can affect our mood, what we enjoy reading and how we react to the things that we do read. I think that has happened to me this week because this is a book that has received rave reviews from all my fellow bloggers and would ordinarily be the kind of thing that would lift my heart at this time of year, but for some reason it just didn’t. Add to this the fact that this is the second romance book I have had problems loving this week and I feel the need to caveat this review with the idea that it might be me, rather than the book, that is the issue and you should bear that in mind and read all the reviews on the tour to get a balanced view.

(One kindly well-wisher has suggested that the problem may not be the books but resentment at the lack of romance in my own life. Are you listening, Irishman? Your position as my own, real life romantic hero is being brought into question. Better pull your finger out for Valentine’s Day!)

So, after all that, let’s get on to the review. There were parts of the book that I loved, and parts that were less successful for me, and I will try and explain why. Firstly, the general premise of this book and the setting are enchanting. Felicity fled the small town of Heartcross eight years previously under a cloud of heartbreak and has had little contact with its inhabitants since. However, circumstances force her back and she has to try and re-established the life and relationships she abandoned. So far, so fabulous. Heartcross is a picture-perfect Highland idyll and I fell in love with it immediately. Christie draws a very vivid picture of a charming village and peoples it with a cast of warm, real and delightful characters who form a close knit community that you can’t help wishing you could be a part of. Another blogger on the tour likened it to Brigadoon (one of my all time favourite musicals – Gene Kelly, mmmm) and I completely understand what she means, especially after the bridge falls. The plot driver of Felicity trying to rebuild the fractured friendships she left behind provides plenty of tension to keep the plot rolling along nicely from a personal angle, and then there are a number of practical problems thrown in for added impetus. All of this works perfectly. There is, of course, an emotional romantic relationship to be explored as well. Everything you could wish for seems to be present.

So why did it not quite work for me? Having given this a lot of careful thought, I had a couple of problems that prevented the book being a great read for me. Firstly, some parts of the plot were just two unlikely or problematic for me to buy in to. I know the author included them to move the story in a certain direction, but they were too much of a stretch for me to suspend my disbelief quite that far. This might not have been an issue normally – I’m often happy to swallow reality in favour of a romping read – but my overall current level of grumpiness comes with a large side order of pedantry that just made me annoyed at some of the more improbable or impractical aspects. You may fare better.

The second, and probably more damning problem was that there were fundamental things about the central character that I didn’t particularly like. At times she acted in a way that I perceived as monumentally selfish. She barged ahead with things she wanted to do, despite being asked repeatedly by more than one person not to behave that way, as if other people’s feelings were irrelevant, she absolutely knew best, and then seemed surprised when they were angry. Added to this, she was also a superwoman who saved the village pretty much single-handedly from every obstacle thrown at it. To be honest, it set my teeth on edge. Unfortunately, in this genre of novel, a failure to connect with the main character sounds the death knell of the book for me.

Christie’s writing is great, and on the surface this book works at every level. It certainly has wowed almost everyone else who has read and reviewed it. So, I will reiterate, I think the problem lies with me. I think it is just a case of wrong book, wrong time. This is one of the perils of blog tours. You commit to reading and reviewing a book, regardless of whether that book suits your mood or not, and are then faced with the stark choice of reneging on your promise to take part in the tour, which I hate to do because it is inconsiderate towards everyone else involved who has worked so hard to do their part, or writing a less than glowing review for a book that you may have enjoyed more at another time. It is a no win situation.

For this reason, I urge you to read the other reviews on the tour and use them to judge the suitability of this book for you, rather than the rather cross ramblings of a peri-menopausal woman having a bad week. Or better still, buy the book and read it and make your own judgments. Christie, I probably owe you a drink. I’m off to Google HRT and reliable plumbers and dig out the receipt for that dodgy fridge. And to choose something nice and murder-y for my next read that might better suit my current mood.

5☆ An Enchanting Read, Full of Warmth and loveable characters that will leave you warm inside!

Love Heart Lane is a gorgeous new series full of Warmth, Charm, Emotion, and Loveable Characters.
It's a beautiful story about Family, Relationships, Loss, Friendships, Starting Over, Helping Others, Coming Together, Community Spirit, and Learning to Love Again.

Felicity has been called home to the charming Love Heart Lane after her grandmother Bonnie passed away.
Bonnie was adored by everyone who met her.

Felicity hasn't been home in a while and dreads going back, after she run away from her Ex boyfriend Fergus to live in London. She broke both of their hearts and just couldn't face bumping into him.

But on coming home she is guilt ridden at leaving her mum to cope with her Grandmother and her beloved tea shop......
‘Bonnie’s Teashop’ which her Mum had to close down months prior in order to care for Bonnie.
Felicity is heartbroken and ashamed, and vows to help her Mum and the community.

When disaster strikes upon the community, Felicity knows she has to stay and help her friends and family.
In time hoping to heal broken friendships, but more importantly can she heal her broken heart?

Oh gosh I adored this story!
Felicity is such a loveable character, In fact all of the characters are exceptionally written.
Normally at the start of a new series it takes time to build connections but not with this one.
Already the characters feel like friends and I can't wait to get to know them more in the next instalment!

Christie Barlow is one of my favourite Authors and she has a knack of storytelling with a lot of heart, passion, fun, humour, charm, wit and warmth.
Christie has weaved her magic once again with Love Heart Lane, she writes the most mesmerising and amazing stories you can't help getting lost in them.

So if you are looking for a new series that once you start you won't be able to put down, then I strongly suggest picking up Love Heart Lane and giving it a read!
You won't be disappointed!

Thank you to Rachel Random Resources and Harper Impulse for this copy which I reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

Since reading A Home at Honeysuckle Farm last year I have eagerly awaited the next installment from Christie Barlow.

I’m glad to say that Love Heart Lane didn’t disappoint in the slightest and Christie is now one of my favourite ‘feel good’ authors.

Felicity returns to Heartcross, a small Scottish village, after eight years away. Her intention is to only stay for a few days but a storm makes it impossible for her to keep to her plans. Disconnected from the outside world, the sense of community kicks in and Flick finally sees what she has been missing, she has to restore bridges in every sense.

Her mother has clearly been struggling financially and she desperately wants to make amends. Meeting up with her ex Fergus can’t be avoided, and she feels guilty about her hasty departure. Then there is her grandma’s beloved tea shop, lying empty with inches of dust. Flick is determined to face her past and do what she can to make things right.

As you would expect the community is tightknit and full of charismatic personalities. The thing I love about Christie Barlow’s writing is that the characters are so relatable and you could really imagine meeting any one of them in the local village pub.

Love Heart Lane is just the perfect book for a wintry January afternoon sat beside a roaring fire. This is the first book in a brand new series and I think we are in for a treat when we get to visit the residents of Heartcross again.

What a charming, well-written story about love, family, friendships, and going home!

Things aren’t going well for Felicity Simons in her professional life or her personal life. With changes at her job, her heart just isn’t in it much anymore. She keeps thinking about her home in Heartcross, a village in the Scottish Highlands, more and more. It held some of her best memories and and some of her worst memories. She is beginning to realize the place she wanted to escape from is the place where she wants to return. She decides to return after her sweet grandmother’s death to support her mother, and finally face the man, Fergus, who is the source of her painful memories.

What the author, Christie Barlow, gives us is a sweet, well-written book. I loved the setting and absolutely fell in love with the characters. Barlow creates a charming little village. Her descriptive writing made me feel as if I was there with Flick and Fergus.

She also created such a great cast characters. I adored Felicity and Fergus. Her secondary characters really added depth and color to the book. For example, although Felicity’s grandmother was gone, she was still such a central part of the storyline. I loved the memories of Felicity and her. There were also other characters I came to love like Esme (she stole my heart) and Felicity’s mother. Each of them tugged on my heart in a different way. I can’t wait to see which characters will be featured in the next book.

This isn’t just about Felicity and Fergus’s romance. It’s about realizing what and who is important in your life. Thank you, Christie Barlow, for taking me on that journey with Felicity. If you are looking for a sweet romance with a lovely setting and great characters, you can’t go wrong with Love Heart Lane. I’m looking forward to reading more in the series.

Felicity Simons left the small, Highland village of Heartcross eight years ago after a series of heartbreaking events she was struggling to cope with. She went to work in London and has rarely been home again since then, leaving behind her family and friends, but now she's returning following the death of her grandmother. She's not spoken to her previously close friends or Fergus Campbell, the man she'd loved, and is reticent about how they'll react to her. However, she never expected the severe storm which devastates the area, isolating the village, needing everyone to work together. As she reconnects with friends, works with others to help the community and has a leading role in ensuring their plight is in the spotlight, is there any chance for hearts to mend, too?

There are so many aspects of this story that I loved - especially little Esme! There are great characters who are brought to life in this story and the sense of community is at the forefront. It is a dramatic story of a village coping in adverse conditions, secrets, dilemmas and overcoming adversity with love at the heart of it all. It is a delightful story that I just didn't want to put down, a real page turner and a brilliant read. I'm happy that it is the first in a new series and can't wait to read more about the antics and romance in this Highland community. The cause of Flick's heartbreak is movingly portrayed and the rekindling of romance for her is slow but sure with many obstacles to be overcome along the way. This is one of those stories that you read and remember fondly, one of the few that'll stay on my Kindle to be reread in future!

I requested and was gifted a copy of this book via NetGalley. I chose to read it and this is my honest review after doing so.

4.5*
Felicity (Flick) Simons has been in London eight years after fleeing her home village of Heartcross in the Scottish Highlands. Visits home had been fleeting but changes under a new regime at the department store where she works, from a friendly, family run business into something much more impersonal, had her thoughts turning more and more to Heartcross. She misses the people she’s left behind—her mum, gran Bonnie, and the good friends she’s grown up with. Her reasons for leaving are still raw and the painful memories are something she hasn’t yet completely come to terms with.

Felicity returns to Heartcross when her beloved grandmother passes away. She expects to be there a week or two, but circumstances dictate otherwise when the village is battered by a winter storm. The ferocity of the snow storm and resulting flood causes the Grade II listed bridge over the river, the only way in and out of the village during the winter, to be swept away leaving the villagers unable to receive any supplies. The river was too high and fast for boat crossings so no-one could get in or out.

(quote) Felicity thought back to her life at Heartcross and memories of her grandmother flooded her mind; the times they’d spent together in the family teashop and the love they’d shared. Bonnie Stewart had lived her whole life in the Scottish Highlands, and sadness flooded Felicity’s veins again as she remembered the way her grandmother’s cheeks had dimpled with her smile, the way she’d planted noisy kisses on the top of her head and the way she’d always smelled of scrumptious baking. (unquote)

Flick has to make peace with her friends after the abrupt way she left Heartcross. Integrating back into the community, and repairing one relationship in particular, is not proving as easy as she hoped. She feels out of the loop. Flick needs to face up to the past and work at earning the trust of those she hurt. However, when her reasons for leaving become clear it’s not difficult to be more sympathetic towards her. Her overriding emotions are guilt for her thoughtlessness towards her friends over the years, sadness at Bonnie’s passing and shock at the circumstances her mother finds herself in. The dire situation facing the villagers brings out the best in her.

This is my first Christie Barlow book and I really enjoyed it. Stories set in wonderful locations with small, close knit communities that pull together when times are tough always appeal to me. There’s a good mix of engaging and realistic characters in believable situations and the setting is brought vividly to life. Drama, life changing issues and the power of positivity, social media and friendship are incorporated into the story as well the ability to recover from adversity. I’m looking forward to the next book in the series.

I chose to read and review Love Heart Lane courtesy of Rachel’s Random Resources via NetGalley.

Felicity Simons (Flick) left Heartcross, her hometown in Scotland eight years ago and headed to London to make something of herself leaving behind her friends and ex-boyfriend Fergus, as well as her mother and Grandmother.

When she receives the devastating news that her Grandmother has passed away, Flick is extremely upset that she hadn’t visited more often, including over the recent festive period.

Booking two weeks off work she flies to Scotland and heads home, but Heartcross is a small village with only one way in and out, over an old bridge. The snow is falling rapidly and her taxi can’t get her across the bridge so she has to walk the rest of the way.

Heartcross is a place where everyone knows everyone else and community spirit is high. There aren’t many places to hide and it doesn’t take long before Felicity and Fergus’s paths cross. He’s not happy to see her and even after she helps save his and his horse’s life, he still doesn’t want to know.

With the village rapidly becoming cut off from the rest of the world can the villagers pull together and can Fergus and Flick bury their differences and move on?

This is the first book in a new series from author Christie Barlow and what a series it is going to be in the first book is anything to go by. I may live in the North of England but I’ve never actually stepped foot across the border into Scotland, though Heartcross sounds like a delightful place, although a little too rural for me, but very picturesque with all the snow.

Flick is a wonderful character who is trying to make amends for the past and feeling guilty for not being there for her Mother and Grandmother in their time of need, especially as the family business suffered a setback and she knew nothing about it.

I was intrigued to know why she stayed away for so long and what happened between her and Fergus that even after eight years he’s less than impressed to see her.

Needing to know more and with a want to spend more time in the little villager and with the delightful people, I found myself reading the book in just one sitting.

This is a series not to be missed.

A new series from Christie Barlow? Well, sign me up immediately! Having loved all of her previous books, my crime loving palette was looking forward to some gentle, heartwarming happenings to take me away from the daily worries of a hectic lifestyle. And I definitely found a haven for myself in the small village of Heartcross in the highlands of Scotland. Now, as a former resident of Scotland myself (and ofcourse being married to The Grumpy Scotsman!) I very quickly came to love the community resourcefulness that struck me the minute I met the residents of this quaint little village. Actually, I have to admit that my first thought on arrival in Heartcross was that it reminded me of the old film Brigadoon, as if the village were in hiding away from the big bad world that surrounds them, a little piece of paradise just waiting to be discovered and to start working it’s magic.

And the lucky interloper is actually ex-resident Felicity, returning to her hometown after years of living down in London. Feeling guilty that she didn’t see her beloved Grandmother before she passed away, she takes 2 weeks off her busy work schedule to go back home to visit her mother. Her arrival coincides with a blizzard and the arrival of huge drifts of snow but that’s not the only freezing she faces in Heartcross, as she’s about to encounter the love she left behind, and he’s not exactly overjoyed at her return! Will Love Heart Lane work it’s magic on old friends and the lover that Felicity left behind? Or will the ensuing catastrophe of a washed away bridge sweep all of her hopes and dreams away with it?

I felt immediately at home in Love Heart Lane and thought it an enchanting place to set this new series. Felicity and Fergus were both very likeable characters and their slowly rediscovered relationship felt authentic throughout. But I also took to nearly everyone who lived in Heartcross and adored their village lifestyle and the community spirit which I think is very sadly missing nowadays for most of us. My emotions were kept in check for most of the book but I did get completely involved in the lives and loves of these residents as I came to get to know them better and there were some very difficult events to be faced as the storyline developed. So make sure you have some tissues ready just in case!

This was a wonderful introduction to Heartcross, it really did feel like coming home and I can’t wait to return to the village to meet up with this memorable cast of characters again soon.

When I first read the blurb for this book I thought it sounded really cute and I do believe it was the very first tour I booked onto for 2019 as well. I am turning into quite the sucker for a happy ending and reading more and more of these sorts of books (not that that's a bad thing mind you!). Once again this is a new author for me and she didn't disappoint. Her writing flowed and although she went into detail it wasn't too much.
Felicity (Flick) moved to London to get away and deal with some heartbreak in her own way. Leaving her true love in Heartcross, Scotland. She has to go back home because of terrible circumstances and of course, everything starts going wrong the second she steps into the village. Over the course of her 2 week stay, she become town spokeswoman, midwife, saviour, babysitter and of course there has to be a little romance ;) .
I loved Flick as she is quite relatable and the heartache her and Fergus went through is second to none. They both had to overcome a lot. Christie does try to keep a bit of mystery about them as she doesn't divulge any secrets too soon. I was truly invested in Flick and Fergus to become a couple. But I guess you'll have to read it and find out if they do or not.
Esme sounds absolutely adorable, she is Fergus' daughter. She's fun, witty and always willing to learn. She seems to be older than her mere 6 years old.
This is a truly beautiful story of friendship, love, heartache, and community. I was hooked from page 1 and I just kept pressing my kindle to turn the pages! Yes I think I burned some midnight oil reading this. I'd highly recommend it, go and get it now!!

It took me so long to get into this book - the main character, Flick, was boring and by chapter 3 I was fed up with her dwelling on the past and just generally being depressing.
There were so many people in this book. Like, SO many. There must have been at least 10 or more characters introduced or mentioned before chapter 5. Most of them were unnecessary, honestly, and they all seemed to use the same sayings ALL THE TIME. Mostly “know them from old” or “his/her bark is worse than his/her bite”
Now, my biggest issue with the book was the main character, Felicity or ‘Flick’.
Flick is selfish and has expected everyone to just be fine with her return despite her running off and having no contact with any of her friends for 8 years. She also expects Fergus to let her spend time with his daughter even though she left him when he was also grieving for their lost babies. I’m surprised people are as pleased to see her as they are considering she didn’t come back at all, despite being told that her grandmother was ill,h and that her mother had to close down the family business and has had no source of income for the last 6 months.

There was too much going on in this story - delivering babies, bridge collapsing, DNA testing, television crews. It was a bit like Jeremy Kyle!

And Fergus. Drippy, angry, sad Fergus. He changed his mind so fast that it made my head spin! After continuously saying he can never trust her again and they will never be able to get past it, he suddenly decides that actually he loves her after all (insert eye roll)

Basically, this could have been a lovely second chance story but Felicity was a selfish character who seemed to give no thought for anyone else’s emotions.

1 star.

Yay I've finally read one of Christie Barlow's stories. I've read so many great reviews of Christie's books but I've not had the chance yet to read. However, I think I've started with a good one! Love Heart Lane was just perfect, it gave me cosy feels but it had so much depth to the story and characters. I didn't want the story to end as I felt like I'd moved in to this Scottish Highlands village and that the characters were my friends. I'm now feeling bereft but excited and chuffed to learn that there will be more from Christie Barlow and the villagers we've grown to love with another story in the series due in the summer.

Felicity (Flick) Simons has been living and working in London for the last eight years after fleeing her home, friends and loved ones back in the Scottish Highlands village, Heartcross. The reason Flick fled were so tragic and very personal and at the time Flick felt like she has no option but to leave. It's taken the death of her dear Grandmother for Flick to make the trip back up north and face the repercussions of her actions of eight years ago. Flick's mother, Rona, is thrilled to have her daughter back home even under the saddest of circumstances but not everyone in the village welcome her back with open arms.

Fergus Campbell was Flick's childhood sweetheart and when Flick upped and left eight years ago she crushed his heart and also their dreams of a future together. Now after so long Fergus is non too pleased to see Flick back in the village and the pain from long ago is still quite raw.

This is a story of friendship, of a community pulling together and of a love that suffered many scars but held on to a flicker of a flame that would never lose it's glow. I devoured this story and wanted more.

A charming romantic read that is as good as anything written by Katie Fforde and Trisha Ashley, Love Heart Lane is a gorgeous, uplifting and spellbinding tale that will brighten up your January and make you laugh out loud!

Returning to the small village of Heartcross was meant to be temporary – or so Flick Simons told herself. The quaint and charming little town might be chocolate box perfect, but the village and the white-washed cottages of Love Heart Lane are full of heart-wrenching memories Flick would much rather forget. Flick might have left Love Heart Lane behind, but she is still haunted by memories of the one man who had managed to get under her skin and whom she has never quite managed to put behind her: Fergus Campbell. Flick knows that there is a strong chance that she might run into him again, however, she does not plan to stick around for a prolonged and painful homecoming, but little does she realise that fate has got other plans in store for her and that maybe in Love Heart Lane, she will end up finding the one place where she truly belongs…

When a winter storm sweeps away the bridge that connects the village to the main land, the villagers find themselves with nobody else to rely on but each other. Flick quickly finds herself welcomed back with open arms by all of her old friends and neighbours, however, there is one person who is not exactly overjoyed to see her again: Fergus Campbell! Trapped together by exceptional circumstances, never forgotten feelings and emotions quickly bubble to the surface, but could it be second time lucky for Flick and Fergus? Is a happy ending possible for the two of them? Or has too much water flown under the bridge for the two of them to ever be happy together again?

A lovely read that touched my heart and made me smile, Love Heart Lane is a fantastic book I simply couldn’t bear to stop reading. Christie Barlow writes with plenty of warmth and charm and holds you enthralled by creating believable, credible and realistic characters that leap off the pages and worm their way into your hearts from the get go.

A wonderful story about coming home, new beginnings and taking chances, Love Heart Lane is a compulsively readable romantic comedy that I highly recommend!

Flick escaped to London, not just for the bright lights but because she felt it was the best thing to do, escape from the little village of Heartcross in the highlands of Scotland.

Now London has lost its magic and Flick has lost her grandmother it is time to return to Heartcross, initially only for a few days. 

She finds a place changed, the tea rooms her grandmother used to run closed. Her friends she left behind have moved on and perhaps not quite forgiven Flick for her sudden departure and Fergus Campbell seems to be everywhere Flick turns. 

Flick plans to return to London but when the weather transpired against her with first snow and a powerful storm, Flick cannot go anywhere but then neither can anyone else as the only bridge into the village is swept away. 

Flick is stranded and feels that perhaps Heartcross is where she always should be as she pulls together the community to help each other and survive whilst someone decides how important it is to get the bridge back up. Reopening the tea room gives a place for the villagers to gather, hear news and most of all be fed as food is pooled and rationed to maintain supplies at least in the interim. It also gives Flick peace and a sense of purpose and wellbeing that she has not felt before in the village. 

As Flick becomes the spokesperson for the village and deals with the bureaucracy she uses some ideas to get the community to come together and solve their own problem of being stranded. But whilst they are cut off, it gives others a chance to be able to heal former rifts and friendships are reborn, relationships revisited. Will it be happily ever after for Flick and will they ever be able to cross the bridge again?  

This is a wonderful heartwarming novel, which deals with many issues across a spectrum - from "cradle to grave" and all of the characters in the book are wonderful. Add to that the setting of Scotland and the power of the weather and it felt I was transported right up there and was sharing the community spirit which simply floated off the pages. 

This book is perfect for fans of Katie Fforde, Trisha Ashley and Carole Matthews. I am really looking forward to going back to Heartcross and catching up with everyone in the next book.

I’m always so excited when Christie Barlow releases a new book, she’s one of my go to authors when I’m in the mood for something light and fun, yet full of depth as well. I swear each new book is my new favorite from her and this was no exception, the best part is that it’s the first in a brand new series!

Felicity was the quintessential Barlow heroine, she’s relatable, warm and kind and exactly the type of lead that can easily carry a book. Besides Flick, there’s an entire village of amazing secondary characters that gave the story heart and I can’t wait to explore them more in future books. The setting itself was picturesque and quaint, it made me contemplate packing up my own family and moving to the Scottish highlands myself!

True to form this book had quite a few unexpected moments along the way and even the main love story didn’t go exactly as I had anticipated, which I love! Being surprised while reading romance is always an added bonus, especially when I’m already enjoying a story so very much without little twists and turns. As always I highly recommend this one when you’re in the mood for something sweet.

Love Heart Lane in three words: Cozy, Charming and Delightful.

Well what a heartwarming and cosy read this is! In Love Heart Lane we meet Flick as she returns to the village she grew up in. However it isn’t all plain sailing and when disaster strikes Flick finds herself right in the middle of things. Now one of the wonderful things about this story is that the villagers really come together and there is a real sense of community spirit. So you get that extra warmth and uplifting vibe the more the story progresses.

Flick is a very interesting character, if I’m honest I wasn’t sure about her to begin with but Christie Barlow did a wonderful job of bringing her character to life. Revealing her personality bit by bit and showing her vulnerability, her flaws but also her strength and love for the people she cares about. There is a brilliant mix of characters who all bring something to the story. Let’s just say by the end of the book I had got quite attached to all of them so you can guess how happy I was to discover that this book is part of a new series. There were the possibilities of second chances, new beginnings and a lovely dose of hope!

Love Heart Lane is a story filled with friendships, community spirit and even a little bit of romance!