This book was a picturesque as the cover itself. Set on the coast of Devon, Field’s book offered perfect escapism. I felt transported with Mim to Littlemead and was as bemused as she with her interactions with the wealthy Howards.

One thing is for sure, the stark difference between the Howards and Mim is immense. Mim feels incredibly out of the place when it is clear how wealthy the family are. They do not want for anything but, rather than being stuck up and stand-offish, they are warm and loving. Immediately accepting Mim into the fold of the family, Mim suddenly experiences being wanted and feeling safe. Prior to meeting the Howards, she has been living out of her car, desperately trying to make ends meet. Therefore, it was like a Cinderella moment when Mim has the opportunity of starting afresh in a new place with even a decent bed to snuggle in to at night.

Like Mim, I warmed to the Howard family and loved all the different characters. They are so different and likeable at the same time. So bubbly and friendly, it was pleasant to see that Mim was not going to resist their genuine friendship for too long. Without needing to depart from Devon again, Mim soon finds herself settling down with the Howards. Working in the local deli and pub, Mim makes swimming friends and even helps the Howards establish a life-changing project that will help those in a similar situation to Mim.

There are so many touching scenes in this book, with Fields demonstrating the importance of family and love. I really liked the Shakespearean and Cinderella references, adding to the comfort that both book and characters offer. I could understand Mim attempting to resist settling down in Littlemead, but it is clear to readers that the appeal is difficult to ignore. Indeed, as it becomes clear how important she is to the Howards, I loved watching her grow and settle in such a positive place.

One of the key themes in this book is wealth and identity. For too long, Mim has suffered judgements based on her past and background. Significantly, however, she finds herself doing this to the Howard family, casting assumptions because of their massive wealth. Frequently, Mim reminds her new friends that there are certain things she cannot do due to her lack of finances. Although I found it slightly irritating, I think Field was demonstrating how Mim has become defined by her struggles. On the other hand, she stereotypes members of the Howard family because of how they behave. Over time, she realises the importance of getting to know people properly before such impressions can be made.

Whilst some aspects of the plot were obvious, I still liked reading the progression of the story. Field illustrates how one’s past can influence your judgements but that it is still important to learn from them to make you a stronger person. This is certainly personified with Mim’s character. The wealth divide is a little awkward at first but I think Mim overcomes this to reflect how this does not shape a person. In other words, the love and friendship that Mim finds herself surrounded by, from both the Howard family and her friends, is unconditional and an indication of how much they value her. For Mim, this is a tricky lesson to learn.

I really enjoyed this sweet story and loved watching Mim grow. The setting helps to make this an even more enjoyable story and I appreciated the importance that Field’s places on treasuring connections – both family and beyond.

With thanks to One More Chapter, NetGalley and Rachel’s Random Resources for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A beautiful story about found family. Mim is seriously down on her luck she lost her job, lost her home, and she is now sleeping in her car. When she happens across Bill and Bea Who are in need of a way home, Mim figures why not? Mim’s act of kindness, a five hour car trip, leads to a new life. Bill and Bea welcome Mim into their affluent family. But Mim is a little skeptical about the couple and her new found circumstances. What follows is a lovely story sure to tug on your heartstrings.

Mim was a great character and I loved her growth throughout the story. She was always so concerned about people judging her about her pass, and yet she spent a lot of time passing judgment. The story was set in such a gorgeous seaside town that I would love to visit. All the characters in the story were so well developed and so warm and welcoming just made me feel all warm and gooey. This book was a warm hug on a cold day! It was also a warm hug on a warm day, it hasn’t really been all that cold around here lately. Anyways this is a story guaranteed to make you feel good!

*** Big thank you to One More Chapter for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***

Mim is currently homeless, but she still offers to help a couple whose car breaks down. This selfless act is a turning point for Mim. She is a relatable character with a kind heart but an understandable wary outlook. The Howard family positively changes her life, and she learns that their family isn't perfect and that relationships need work to flourish.

This is a character-driven story with believable family dynamics and authentic characters. Mim's relationship with Corin intensifies as they get to know each other, and these two characters experience the most notable character development.

A heartwarming and poignant story.

I received a copy of this book from One More Chapter via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I loved the premise of this book as soon as I read the blurb and I think I would have picked it up, even if I’d never heard of the author before. I’ve never made any bones about my immense love for the writing of Kate Field so, this coupled with the promise of the story meant I was really looking forward to reading it.

This is a story about how a chance encounter can change the course of your life entirely, about the kindness of strangers, how family can mean more than just those people you are related to by blood, and what it really means to find a home. When we meet the main character, Mim, she is about as down on her luck as it is possible to get. She has lost her home, her job and the only person in the world who cared about her and is sleeping in her car. When she meets Bill and Bea and agrees to do them a favour, she has no idea how completely it will change her life and how her kindness will be repaid a hundredfold.

When I first encountered Min, I thought she was an old lady – I think because of her name which is quite old-fashioned – but it soon becomes clear that she is only in her thirties but has had a very difficult life that has lead to her current circumstances. This has made her quite hard-shelled and suspicious in some ways, but we can see from the beginning a softer underside peeking out, which makes her a much more likeable and relatable character than she might have been otherwise. This is one of Kate’s specialities, and the reason I adore her writing, she is extremely skilled as creating complex, difficult characters who have interesting stories and redeeming features that mean you can’t help falling in love with them and wanting the best for them.

The Howard family are very different. They seem to lead gilded lives and have every advantage that anyone could wish for. What could they possibly have in common with Mim? More than she could expect in the end. The book explores the idea that we are all too quick to judge other people according to superficial information in this life and, if we only just give people a chance and put aside our preconceptions, we might be pleasantly surprised. Although Mim hates to be judged by her past herself, she is particularly prone to make snap judgements about people – a lesson she learns during the course of the novel.

The story here is beautifully crafted and realised. I loved everything about it. Aside from the characters, the setting in Devon is a tempting place to visit. The life that Mim begins to build is heartwarming and uplifting, and the people she meets are all gorgeous. I fell in love with all of it, and I know you will too. But the real genius here is the way that the author tugs at your heartstrings. I’ve yet to come away from one of this author’s novels without having shed a tear at some point, and this was no different. Here is an author who really understands human emotion and relationships and knows exactly how to mine and manipulate them to cause maximum reaction in her reader. I always come away from her books feeling like I’ve made new friends and fallen in love.

If I have one complaint about this book it is about the cover. It doesn’t do the book justice, relate to the story, or really communicate to me what the heart of the book is and is too generic. I would probably skim past this on a shelf and that would be a crying shame. The book deserves better and this publisher normally wows me with its covers, which is probably why I am disappointed. This is definitely one book you should not judge by its cover, it is absolutely wonderful.

Finding Home is a story that follows the life of Miranda – ‘Mim’, a heroine who has certainly had her fair share of hardships throughout the years. Mim is both jobless and homeless in Lancashire, and as she is about to settle down for yet another night sleeping in her car, little does she know that the couple that knock on her window are about to change her life. The man informs her that he and his wife are in a rather difficult predicament as their car has broken down and they are five hours away from home. Not only that – but they need to get home as soon as possible as they have a wedding to attend tomorrow. Mim quickly offers to drive them there, after all, she has nothing else to do.

When they reach their destination in Devon, Mim comes face to face with a world so far from her troubled life in Lancashire. Bill and Bea Howard, the couple that Mim drove home, are an older couple and are parents to four children, all of whom are adults now, and alongside all of this they share such a beautiful bond, and an abundance of love.

As well as having the riches of love and family, the Howards are also the owners of an incredibly successful business, and have a beautiful large home to go back to every night. All of this overwhelms Mim to begin with, after all, this couldn’t be any further away from the life she has been living recently, and as someone who has never experienced love before, she finds it remarkable to see the bond this family share.

The Howards quickly open up their home, and their hearts to Mim, and she soon becomes a part of the close knit community she finds herself living within. Of course, there is a romance bubbling away – but I refuse to give away more than that!.

This is one of those stories that really makes your heart feel so incredibly full by the time you have finished this book. Mim’s story is initially heartbreaking, following her struggling to simply get through the day. And then the Howards come in to her life, and my heart soared. As soon as we meet Bill and Bea you just knew they were two of the kindest, most genuine souls who would help Mim find a new path in life, and when they opened up their home to her, well that was truly a beautiful moment.

The setting is an absolute dream. Kate Field’s writing style is so detailed and charismatic, it really brings the village to life, and you can certainly picture yourself breathing in the sea air as you wander along the street. The characters are also so refreshing and relatable, each of them having something to share, and a new depth to bring to the story. I loved the depth of Mim’s character, and the fact that she had so much to overcome just made me love her all the more.

A story that is bursting with love, new beginnings and hope, this was such a beautiful book that I certainly won’t forget.

I loved this from the moment I stepped into pages- a book that has that certain something about it. So much more than “just romance”- a life affirming read.
Mim is living in her car and has been doing so for the last two weeks since she abruptly lost her job and home. She was working at a hotel and when the owner died, it was sold for development by his daughter. She arrives at her favourite layby to append the night and finds another car parked there. What transpires changes her life. From being helpful and giving a lift to stranded people becomes a whole new life and work and friends. This is a real feel-good read to restore the faith in human nature. That there are people who despite everything are willing to work hard and not take things for granted as so many appear to do. Mim is a firm believer that you only have what you can afford- something that appears to have passed by a generation depending on the generation above A wonderful protagonist and an example to all. A feel good pick-you-up read, just what I needed. One that made me smile, think, laugh and shed a tear. Brilliant!

(rest of links as part of blog tour)

This year needing a delicious and cozy book to escape into, has seemed more crucial than ever. Finding Home delivers all the coziness and sweet escape anyone could wish for.

A chance encounter with a couple (Bea and Bill Howard) whose car has broken down, sees Mim driving from Lancashire down to Devon. Here the Howard clan welcome Mim with open arms, and for the first time ever, she feels like she belongs. A new project is inspired by her story of homelessness and poverty growing up - As you like it holidays for those who are suffering hardship and need a break. She opens up about her past, makes friends and whether she can admit it to herself or not, she falls in love. Add a long lost brother she never knew and suddenly Mim has two families. So who should she choose? Should she finally grab onto every opportunity for happiness despite the hurdles?

Sweet, warm and engaging, this was a light read with a big heart.

Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC of this title in return for an honest review.

Finding Home by Kate Field was a contemporary take on a well-known lesson ~ “Kindness always goes a long way.” Reading this novel was a lovely ride from beginning to end. Mim’s story was so realistically written; it echoed the struggles of underprivileged people in the best way possible. In just 300 pages, I learned so much about the power of kindness and love. I’ll keep the messages of Finding Home locked in my heart forever. 💜

Books set at the backdrop of a scenic location never fail to uplift my mood. I feel the same way about Finding Home! I was (fictionally 😭) transported to Devonshire and I loved being there! The author plotted down the storyline in such a simple yet beautiful manner. I couldn’t help but be drawn towards how Mim crafted a new life in Devon. The friendships, the community spirit, the generosity of people, and the implementation of the found-family trope in the book were everything I needed right now.

Mim was such a strong protagonist. Her selfless nature and independent attitude made me fall in love with her instantly! Seeing her grow throughout the story was just the best thing ever. Mim’s journey towards self-discovery was the highlight of reading Finding Home for me. I loved how she didn’t shy away from being brutally honest and sugarcoat situations at all. She was judgmental at times about the Howards’ posh life, which I realized was necessary for the story at the end. When people are bought up without privileges, they grow up with a different belief system too. I really appreciated how the author bought up the topic of how external appearances can’t define the real nature of a person.

Even though the romance wasn’t the central focus of the book, it was very sweet and thoughtfully written. Corin was the perfect addition to Mim’s life ~ I loved their conversations and moments together. The side characters were really charming too! Bea, Bill, and Lia won my heart.

I felt like the story was a bit slow at the beginning, which is why I rated the book with 4.75 ⭐ Other than that, everything about the book was admirable.

This is a lovely story of a woman who, as a result of an impulsive good deed, finds a home and love. Mim is unhappy when Bill and Bea are stranded by the side of the road- because they're in the spot where she planned to park and sleep for the night. She never expected that driving them home would lead her to a new life. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Delightful characters and a positive outlook made this a real heart warmer.

I love discovering new authors to try and this was my first book by Kate Field and I instantly loved Mim as a character.

A story that draws you in early on and envelopes you in the Howard family which is full of love and support. Mim has had a really tough life to date and the night she meets Bill & Bea they have a massive impact on the direction of her life.

With no ties and no family, as Mim relocates to Devon and works to build a new life she experiences what it is like to have the support of family and friends and you get to see a whole other side to her character as she starts to find her feet.

Full of a selection of wonderful characters set on the coast in Devon, I loved everything about this story and it's stunning descriptions.

A wonderful feel good read that provides some wonderful escapism and left me smiling and wanting to read more

I really enjoyed this book as it was that little bit different. Mim has been brought up in care so has little experience of family, belonging and feeling wanted and loved.
This doesn't make her a victim though and she is fiercely independent. Finding herself sleeping in her car (through no fault of her own) Mim does a good deed for a stranded couple and finds herself in Devon. She finds herself becoming part of the Howard family and learns how to trust and gain some sense of what family is all about, the ups and downs. I won't add more as it will spoil the story! Needless to say, this is a heartwarming story that doesn't always run smoothly. It's a thoroughly enjoyable book that is just that little bit different and not formulaic. Thank you for an advance copy of this book Netgalley and giving me the chance to review it.

Mim is jobless, homeless and believes her future to be a bleak one. One night when she returnsto her parking space, which is also her temporary home, she comes upon a stranded couple. Bea and Bill need a ride home, a five-hour drive from where they are. Mim offers to drive them and has no idea how this one decision will change her life.
This novel by Kate Field brings us into a world of caring and quirky characters, family and longing, and most importantly love at its very core. The story is so sweet, and I found myself cheering for Mim to find her happily ever after right from page one. The kindness that is shown through the characters just left me with a smile and it felt like a warm hug throughout the book. I would love to thank Harper Collins, Kate Field and Netgalley for their gift of the book to read and review for my unbiased opinion.

This was a sweet, clean read. Mim had such a longing for a home and family. A chance encounter has the possibility of changing her life if she has enough courage. I liked Mim's character and her strength of character and this was an enjoyable and fast book. I wish there had been more depth to the conversations between her and Corin. The "I love you" seems to come out of nowhere. There were no dates, no long conversations, no in depth sharing of their backstories. If there was just one or two of those scenes, it would have been more believable.

Finding Home by Kate Field is what I would consider a true romance. It’s so sweet how you can see the romance developing without the characters realizing it yet. I just got those heart eyes and butterflies throughout the entire book.

When Mim ends up providing assistance to an elderly couple, she drives straight into their world.

Corin came back home to help take over his family’s business as the oldest son and heir.

Little do they both realize how perfect they are for each other. Their friendship is so cute and relatable. I wish we could’ve had an epilogue to add to their story but it ends with a HEA still!!!

The three characters really bring this book alive. Set in a Devonshire seaside what more could you ask for. Great story, very well written and well worth the 5 stars that I am giving this.
Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for this ARC

Home is where the heart is in this sweet charming seaside novel from an author I’ve not encountered before. Finding Home is essentially a rags to riches (not necessarily monetary) storyline, a modern day Cinderella type tale that is uncomplicated, inoffensive and a good, if predictable piece of escapism. Demanding nothing more of the reader than to sit back and relax, Kate Field takes you to the stunning Devonshire coastline where kindness, friendship, love and a welcoming family show our protagonist Miranda Brown what it truly means to belong.

Miranda or Mim as she is more commonly known comes to the rescue of Bea and Bill Howard when their car brakes down in Lancashire, miles from their Devonshire home. Homeless, jobless and currently living in her car Mim, on a whim, offers to drive these strangers back to Vennhallaw in the village of Littlemead in time for a family wedding. The journey back is long enough for both parties to become reasonably acquainted with the Howards and their posh southern accents making Mim hyper aware of her working class northern roots. Yet it quickly becomes apparent that the non judgemental Bea and Bill are happy to assume the role of fairy godmother and father, inviting Mim into the bosom of their family without delay. With daughter Lia immediately taking Mim under her wing, our resilient, resourceful and hard working protagonist is blown away by the kindness of these strangers. Having been raised in foster care from a tender age, Mim is used to being fiercely independent, grateful for her friendship with mentor Gordon, owner of the hotel she has worked in for ten years. However when the sudden death of her boss leads to the sale of the less than profitable hotel Mim finds herself completely alone once more. With nothing in Lancashire to head back to, Mim accepts the Howard’s invitation to stay in Devon, living in one of their dilapidated caravans, part of one family project in a line of many that’s fallen by the wayside. Naturally this is where Mim’s transformation begins, shedding her bad luck as well as her hastily formed assumptions of the rich and privileged amidst the shingle and bracing sea air of the Jurassic coastline. From a homeless, friendless and unemployed nobody to a somebody holding down two jobs, making new friends, one enemy and arousing the interest of son and heir to the Howard fortune, Corin, Mim finally finds her feet. Really that’s about as complicated as this storyline gets and meeting Mim and the Howards and all the other lovely peripheral characters that populate these pages is a pleasurable way to de stress, unwind and chill out. A book to enjoy in the sunshine, with a glass of wine by your side. Aaahhh, what bliss!

This novel is full of goodness and suffused with heartwarming sentiments. As Mim becomes more involved with the Howards lives, enjoying the relative comforts of caravan living and sea swimming with new friends, she learns the importance and true value of family and the beauty of belonging, losing her heart to her surroundings and the people that have welcomed her with open arms. Taking charge of a new venture involving not only the Howards but the whole community, the benefits of helping those less fortunate, of paying a kindness forward reaps dividends in the long term and it couldn’t happen to a more deserving person than Mim.

Finding Home is a lighthearted, easy to read romance that is sprinkled liberally with fairy wand magic, blowing away any cobwebs of doom and gloom to envelop you in a warm, comforting embrace. It’s impossible to say a bad word about Kate Field’s writing because she’s delivered exactly what any reader expects from first perusing the cover to opening the first page. With no shocks or horrible surprises the storyline may be slightly cheesy but who cares? For all of you who ever dreamed of growing up and finding your Prince Charming, this one is for you! My thanks as always to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read.

After a lifetime of not belonging, Mim had found home once before – a man who kindly took her under his wing, a place to live, a job at a hotel – but she now finds herself jobless and homeless once more, sleeping in her car, her life packed away in the boot. When she comes across Bill and Bea, their car broken down in her usual overnight lay-by, who need to get home from Lancashire to Devon for a family wedding, she doesn’t hesitate in offering to drive them there. On arrival, she finds they live in the kind of luxury she could never have imagined – but with no room in the large house with all the wedding guests, they offer her a dilapidated caravan in the grounds to spend the night. That turns into a spell of waitressing for the wedding caterers, the idea that she really has no real reason to return North immediately, a job in the village shop so she can pay her way, a family who treat her with warmth and love – and then a perfect charity project to make use of those caravans in the grounds.

Don’t you just hate it when reviewers insist on telling you the story?! But this is very much the bare bones – it doesn’t begin to touch on the reasons why I found this a story so filled with warmth and love, a totally gorgeous read that had me entirely hooked from that first encounter in the lay-by. Mim herself is a wonderful character, and her initial act of kindness tells you all you need to know about her capacity for caring, despite her own difficult journey through life – although she’s considerably more reluctant to accept the kindness of others. I really liked, and understood, her spikiness: there’s a lot in this book about not judging people and making assumptions, and that works both ways, as she mistrusts the motives of the sprawling Howard family who are happy to make her part of their lives and begins by rejecting their many acts of generosity and kindness. But she has a big heart too – and shows it, when that germ of an idea for the development of the caravan site turns into a project that draws the community of Littlemead together.

The characters in this book are just wonderful – Mim herself with all her insecurities and excitement as she begins to embrace her new life and experiences, but also everyone else who crosses her path. I simply loved the Howard family, all the adult children with the Shakespearean names (Mim’s real name is Miranda, so she fits in well) – with a particular soft spot for Lia (that’s Cordelia, if we’re being formal), their ditsy and over-enthusiastic daughter. And then there’s their first-born, Corin, kicking back against the obligations and privileges of family, showing Mim that there can just be a downside to belonging. And I really have to mention Janet, the horrendous woman who runs the village shop – such a superb character.

The whole setting – the Venhallow estate, the village of Littlemead, the beach where Mim loves to swim and Corin introduces people to the joy of fossil collecting – is quite beautifully drawn, brought vividly to life. And then there’s the quite lovely romance – perhaps more obvious to the reader than the couple themselves at first, one of those supportive friendships that slowly grows, and I found it both convincing and very real.

This is one of those books with a perfect emotional touch – the warmth is palpable throughout, there’s a gentle humour, the conflict in the story feels entirely real, and I loved that focus on family and belonging. I really didn’t want it to end – and there were some tears before I got there, one of those perfect conclusions that leaves you totally uplifted and hoping for happiness for characters you’ve entirely taken to your heart. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed every book I’ve read from Kate Field, but this one was something rather special. I recommend it most highly – I really loved it.

(Review copied to Amazon UK, but link not yet available)

After being made homeless and jobless in one fell swoop, Miranda Brown is resigned to spending another cold December night in her car, that is, until she comes to the rescue of Bill and Bea Howard who are stranded in Lancashire. Without any thought, Miranda offers to drive the Howard’s back to their home in Devon but it’s only when they all arrive at Venhallow Hall that Miranda realises that the life of this wealthy couple couldn’t be any more different from hers.

What then follows is a really lovely story about new beginnings, and of finding out that the love, and support, of good friends more than makes up for the loss of a family. And as Mim, as she is known, becomes closer to this rather special family, so she begins to develop in ways that she could never have imagined back on that cold December night, in Lancashire, when first she rescued, Bill and Bea Howard.

I’m a great believer that a book sometimes comes along at just the right time and such is the case with this lovely story. In this time of the easing of lockdown number three when it’s still something of a dream to travel, I have been thoroughly engrossed in Mim’s story as she discovers the beautiful Devon coast. The author definitely brings to life the rugged Jurassic coastline with its spectacular beaches and stunning hidden coves. However, I think that it is the joyful ease of just being able to let a story wash over you with the simple pleasure of reading a real treasure of a book, with gorgeous characters who slip comfortably into your heart.

Perfectly formed with everything you need for a gentle, romantic read, Finding Home is every bit as good as I knew it would be from this talented, and rather special, storyteller.

I first discovered this author with her wonderful book The Magic of Ramblings. She has a way of writing that is reminiscent of Rosamunde Pilcher, or Maeve Binchy. Cozy stories that follow a person through life changes without a lot of drama. Finding Home is just such a novel.

The story follow Miranda Brown (Mim) a homeless, but not down young woman who as a favor drives a wealthy couple, Bea and Bill Howard home after their car breaks down. At their wonderful sounding house, she meets the rest of their quirky family and finds herself taken under their wing. Mim is an independent soul, raised in foster care and self-sufficient to a fault. When Bea and Bill persuade her to stay, she insists on working and living a spartan existence in a caravan that was one of Bill’s less than sucessful schemes. Mim starts to find herself not only becoming part of the family, but finds some lovely friends in Heather and Karen, and a cranky boss in Janet, harridan owner of the local shop. Then there is Corin the hard to understand son of Bea and Bill, is his repudiation for the lifestyle lived by his family genuine? Has Mim finally found home? I really enjoyed this book. It is the type of book that you want to read with a nice cup of tea and immerse yourself into another gentler world.

Thanks to Netgalley, Kate Field and the publisher HarperCollins UK for the chance to read and review this book.

A lovely feel good story!

Meet Miranda Brown. She is jobless and homeless and lives in her car. Little did she know when she accepted to drive the Howards, her life was going to change forever.

Kate Field delivers important messages, about the value of things, about the importance of not judging each other and I related so much to all of it.

Lots of love in this book ! It will make you feel happy and hopefully enlightened too.

Thank you very much NetGalley and One More Chapter for the opportunity to review.