Cover Image: Finding Hope at Hillside Farm

Finding Hope at Hillside Farm

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

I really enjoyed this delightful, easy to read novel set in the welsh countryside. Well written this is a story of relationships, friendship, love, new beginnings, forgiveness, letting go of the past, romance, and the difference animals can make to your life.

Beautifully written with likeable engaging characters, I highly recommend this book. Poignant and heartwarming.

A perfect summer holiday read or for a wet afternoon on the sofa.

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

Was this review helpful?

My favourite of Rachael's books to date. Thoroughly enjoyed - exactly what was needed on a chilly and gloomy week. The characters leapt off the page and drew you in to their story. Looking forward to the next one

Was this review helpful?

What a beautifully written novel by Rachael Lucas. I haven't read many books by this author and after finishing this I automatically began to search for more novels by her. She tells a story in such an uplifting and heartwarming way that it's so beautiful.

There are parts where you will feel instantly uplifted but also moments where you might need to grab a few tissues - if you're a softie like me! There are some wonderful characters in this novel and I loved reading about them and what they've been through. I also loved the horses included and the therapy they were used for.

A beautiful, touching read.

Was this review helpful?

It has been ages since there has been a new Rachael Lucas book (well I haven't read the YA ones, I'm afraid), and its such a joy to be able to read another wonderful story from this author.

Previously before this book I had heard of animal therapy and apart from dogs, I hadn't really thought about any other animals with therapeutic qualities. But seeing how Ella works with the horses and the people that come to her for equine therapy, I'm sold on the thought that horses can do a lot more for a person, than just be ridden.

I loved Hillside Farm and what Ella is achieving with these horses. I loved seeing how she was moving out of her comfort zone to build the business while her aunt Bron is in Australia.

In the small Welsh village that Ella lives in, Jenny and Leo are renting a cottage with their 8 year old granddaughter Hope.

Hope is horse mad, has been through a tough time, and although Ella previously hadn't been working with children, she can't disappoint Hope and starts to work with her. However nothing is as simple as it seems and Hope's father Harry, is a rather interesting character.

I was also curious to discover just what had driven Ella to live in such a remote location, and the pasts of all the key players are fascinating.

This has a lovely feel to the story, its uplifting, its heartwarming, there are horses, character development and they are all really likeable and relatable to. Set in a picturesque location, this is a really great book that I could barely put down, I was whizzing through the pages and couldn't believe how fast I was getting through the book. Utterly absorbing and I wish I could meet all of Elle's horses.

Thank you to Pan MacMillan and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

Was this review helpful?

I’m not going to lie, it took me a wee while to get into this story, but I’m glad I persevered as it turned out to be a lovely story, with some sad bits. Overall a good read, and one I’d go back and read again

Was this review helpful?

Was a nice read from Rachael, it reminded me of my horsey days. Was nice to relive that through this book. Was a little bit predictable after the reveal however not immediately.
Very nice light hearted read.

Was this review helpful?

Ella works with horses on her Aunt Bron's farm in the Welsh countryside. It is a haven for Ella who having always worked horses retreated to Bron's farm when tragedy struck. Now Ella spends her days healing others through the power of therapy with the horses.

When she spots a small child watching her through the trees, she at first thinks she has seen some sort of ghost, but in fact it is Hope, a young girl who has lost her mother, living with her grandparents and a fairly absent father who has moved to the area. She is fascinated by the horses and when she finally gets up close to them, they change not just Hope's life but also Ella's.

Ella might well be settled but she is still hiding from the past - and someone from that past. When he turns back up in Ella's life it seems that perhaps the past is still very much the present.

This is a wonderfully gentle novel, dealing with life changing issues in a kind way. Whilst the story gets going, it seems we are simply watching Ella's life and her work with this equine therapy.  Then there is Hope's story as she comes to the village to live with her grandparents, the formidable Jenny and laid back Lou. There is of course the village community which is embraced within such a place and that is threaded through the main storyline. Of course the clues are there and I did spot the link between the two stories.

I had to keep simply reading because I wanted to know how it was all going to weave together and whether the outcome was the right one for the characters that I had invested time in. Of course I am not going to tell you what the outcome is - or whether it was the right one. You will have to read the book yourself to find that out!

This book needs a sequel as I want to go back to Hillside Farm.

Was this review helpful?

I love Rachael Lucas (gushes hugely) I am completely biased and would 100% read her shopping list if she published it ! Her work to me is pure joy and I devour them in one go, they should be prescribed on the NHS. This is a beautiful story about Ella who works with horses with equine therapy but for people and a little girl Hope who needs the horses, I won’t go into detail as don’t like spoilers, but it’s a story about love, hope, letting go of the past and forgiveness. This book is beautiful, all the characters are completely relatable and likeable. The writing is like coming home to an old friend. I just get sad when I finish them as it’ll be ages before another book !

Was this review helpful?

Finding Hope is a gorgeous grown-up romance where loss collides with love in a beautiful village setting. Full of warmth, heart and humanity.

Was this review helpful?

A lovely feel good book. Sad at times but with a lot to smile about. Great characters. Flew through it.

Was this review helpful?

An emotional read, the story of Ella and Harry.
A second chance for them after a coincidence brings them back together again.

Was this review helpful?

This book was very enjoyable, and different from the normal romance. The characters ranged from young to old and the back stories of the main two characters added to the interest. Include the horsey background, and the result was a good, balanced story. It did take me a while to get into the book, but it was well worth persevering.

Was this review helpful?

A beautifully written book,
Ella, an equine therapist, lives with her Aunt Bron, a feisty seventy year old, who drops a bombshell one day, telling Ella that she is going off to Australia to visit her ailing sister. Ella has helped her Aunt run the breeding stables and the farm alongside her equine therapy business, but is now going to have to take over. Finding that the farm is very much in the red financially doesn't help.
I did find at first that I had to go back and check who was who, with the introduction of a completely new set of people, Jenny, Lou and Hope. However, it eventually worked out.
I loved the descriptions of Ella's years with ther Aunt, , her Summer holiday visits, the household things that never seemed to change (the green soap), and the feeling of connections between them. There is kindness and patience here.
The entry of Hope's father Harry changes lives for ever. Both he and Ella have known sadness and emotional hurts, and we see how their lives begin to open up as they trust each other.
Thanks to NetGalley for a review copy of this book which I very much enjoyed.

Was this review helpful?

This was a book I enjoyed and read really quick! Little sad at times but others really perked me up and made me smile. This was a good feel good book which I loved to read

Was this review helpful?