A great read about never giving up on your hopes and dreams. This cute and charming story was so engaging and fun to read. Jo and Lorcan were wonderful main characters with each of them working through the challenges of life.

Thanks to Boldwood Books for the chance to read and review.

It was lovely to return to Ivy Lane to meet the characters created by Freya Kennedy in The Hopes and Dreams of Libby Quinn. We do spend time with Libby and her lovely bookshop, but the main character this time is Jo, who has been putting everyone else ahead of her own dreams.

Jo helps her adopted brother with his pub, helps her mum care for her young adopted sister whilst her dad is working away and keeps an eye on elderly Harry at his shop in Ivy Lane. It is time for Jo to stop procrastinating and to work towards her dream of being a published writer. As her friend Libby has a bookshop with desks for writers and non stop coffee on offer, what could stop her?

I loved how Freya developed the relationships in the story, especially Jo with Clara her much younger sister. Jo also finds time to show Lorcan around when he comes to visit Harry, his grandfather and through a bookshop event, meets a best selling author who offers to help her achieve her dream of being a published author.

This is a non spoiler review, so I won’t ruin your journey through the book but will say that the course of events don’t always run smoothly. I loved my time back in Ivy Lane and hope that Freya Kennedy (aka Claire Allan) will take us back there again in the future.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

This book followed on from the Libby Quinn book which I enjoyed as much as this one.

But it can be read as a stand alone as some characters appear in it.

The main focus of this book is Jo, she dreams of getting her book published, but she’s also too worried to put the book out there.

I felt the storyline was well developed, a book that was filled with feelings and understanding.

Great characters, ones that worked really well together, their interaction and their friendships and relationships were interesting to read as the story progressed.

I hope there’s more to come in this series.

Recommend it.

I liked this book, although I felt it a tad too long. This falls squarely in the realm of chick-lit with an empowered protagonist determined to take control of her life and her dreams.

Jo Campbell wants to be a writer. Well, she is a writer, she wants to be a published writer. However, she does not actually want to show anyone her work. She has written an entire novel she has kept to herself. Her dear friend, Libby, who owns a bookstore, finally convinces Jo to give her a peek. With the arrival in town of a shop owner's handsome grandson and some encouragement from another professional writer, Jo straightens her spine and goes for what she wants.

I confess I have no idea what a Northern Irish accent sounds like, so if you're interested, check that out before you read this book. The story takes place in Ireland, although handsome grandson hales from London. I loved the imagery and tight knit community displayed by this book. Jo and her family are delightful characters and Jo is someone I could definitely be friends with. I liked this book a lot and looked forward to picking it up, then stayed up past my bedtime because I was almost done.

I only gave it four stars because as I said, a little too long, and truthfully I found the plot twist a smidge predictable but it was still a good read.

Jo lives on Ivy Lane and runs the pub with her brother but dreams of being a writer - can her friends help her dream come true?

This book was gorgeous. I related to all the characters and my favourite was definitely Jo.

Jo has been hurt in the past and starting to lower those boundaries is one of the hardest things she has to do.

The descriptions were beautiful and cosy and made you feel like you were there in Ireland. I couldn't put it down.
⭐⭐⭐⭐

I have waited, somewhat impatiently, for this book which is the second story from Ivy Lane in Derry. All the familiar characters return; Noah, Libby, Harry and, of course, Paddy the dog.
Our last trip introduced us to One Upon a Time, Libby’s bookshop, where special places had been created for authors to find peace for their works in progress. The Ivy Inn which Jo and Noah shared ownership of and, finally, Harry’s shop where you can buy non-fancy coffee and an out-of-date biscuit!
This book focuses more on Jo and her desire to find the confidence in her ability as a writer. Supported by her family and friends, Jo wants to make the leap from hobbyist to published author.
In pursuit of Happiness is another smashing story from Freya Kennedy. I really loved revisiting Ivy Lane and learning more about Jo and her family. Of course, nothing runs smoothly, and Jo’s love life is on hold after having her heart broken in Spain. Learning more about Jo’s past was heart-breaking, but essential to understanding her views on relationships. Terrific for others but not for her.
Of course, this is a romantic book and that’s not possible without a handsome man or, in this case, two!
Lorcan appears under a cloud, as far as Jo is concerned. Lorcan is the grandson of the much-loved Harry, who failed to visit when his grandfather was taken seriously ill. Ewan McLachlan is the Clooneyesque author who could be Jo’s ticket to the big time.
This is a book that I couldn’t put down and had me, once again, up until the wee small hours. I loved Jo’s story and found myself wishing for her to find a happy ending, but there are no spoilers here, so you’ll need to read it yourself to see whether love and publication is just a pipedream.
This second trip to Ivy Lane was a wonderful escape and I’m hoping that Freya will take me back again, soon.

This was a new author to me and I really enjoyed the story. It was not fast paced but was really well written with a real understanding and warmth. Really enjoyable and true to life.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read a preview copy of this book.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. I really enjoy this authors books and this was no exception, fantastic storyline, great characters. Loved it.

This book did exactly what I wanted it to do. I enjoyed the storyline, the characters and the style of writing. A lovely read.

I want to give a big thank you to the author Freya Kennedy, NetGalley, and Boldwood Books for giving me an Ebook Arc of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
3.75 stars
This story had a slow start for me at the beginning, but as the story moved along, I became very invested in these characters. The author did a great job developing realistic characters that I can imagine meeting in real life. The setting in Northern Ireland had me wanting to book tickets immediately. This may be the second book in the series, but in can definitely be read as a stand-alone. This book has great and healthy relationships between not only family and friends, but also romantically. I also appreciated how much Jo was supported by those around her to take a chance on achieving her life-long dream of being an author. Overall, I highly recommend this book for a cozy weekend read.

A lovely love story and a story about following your dreams. Gosh you felt for Clara. Such a sweet little girl. She was very lucky to have found a stable loving home. It was great Jo found the love of her life and got her dream. You kind of guessed that Ewan was going to turn out to not to be nice. I still loved it

I loved this book, I was pleased to see it was the second one in a series having read the first one awhile ago, so I knew the characters in this one. It works as a stand alone book too so it’s not a problem if you haven’t read the first one. Again, this was a refreshing book to read and warm, sweet and I was very sorry to finish it which I did very quickly. I hope this series continues. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

Jo Campbell is leading a very safe life in her beloved Derry. Presently living with her mother and six-year old sister while her father is working in Dubai, she co-owns a bar with her brother Noah but dreams of one day being a famous writer. She hasn't even dated since she came back from her job as a holiday rep in Spain a few years ago.

Safe, but maybe a bit boring? Definitely in a rut.

Then two things happen to shake up Jo's life. Her neighbour's grandson Lorcan comes to visit from England and her BFF, who happens to own the local bookshop, sends Jo's manuscript to a famous author who is about to visit the bookshop for a book reading. Suddenly Jo is faced with some very real and exciting opportunities, but does she have the courage to take them? And are they mutually exclusive?

I've been in a bit of a slump with the cozy British romances recently so I started this book with trepidation, and I have to admit it didn't grab me at first. But soon the novelty (for me) of a contemporary romance set in Northern Ireland and the engaging characters won me over. I believe this is the second book in a series but it could definitely be read as a stand-alone.

Cute, charming, funny and choc full of lovable characters without trying too hard this was just the book to lift me out of my reading slump and make me feel good.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

My first book by this author. It’s not really part of a series, but it does feature characters from the author’s previous book The Hopes and Dreams of Libby Quinn. It is a standalone book though, and can be read easily on its own. Based in Derry, this book focusses on Jo Campbell. She is friends with Libby and runs the local pub with her brother, Noah (which is where the two stories connect). Jo has dreams of becoming an author, and when a famous author visits the bookshop which Libby owns, could Jo’s dreams be coming true?

I enjoyed this book and found it a heart-warming and easy read. Whilst I haven’t read the first book yet, I found myself connecting with the characters almost immediately. Jo isn’t having the best of times lately, but thankfully has her family and friends around her for support. She’s a lovely character and I love her relationship with her much younger foster sister. I also loved Libby’s character and meeting her in this book has given me an overdue boot up the backside to read her story in the previous book. The village setting is very quaint and there was a great feeling of camaraderie in the community with everyone coming together for each other.

The storyline flows well and I loved how it wasn’t all to do with the ‘romance’ part of the book. There is lots of family interaction, with some moving and very sweet scenes between Jo and Clara, her foster sister, and the plot of Jo writing her book was really interesting! Of course, that doesn’t mean there wasn’t hint of romance for Jo throughout the story, and the on/off relationship between her and the newcomer to the village had me hooked from the first time we met him! This was a story of family, friendships, love and life, with some important life lessons learnt for Jo along the way. An enjoyable read, with plenty of laughs and a lot of love, and I would definitely recommend it.

Jo is disatisfied with life even though she has a loving, caring family & friends. She part owns a pub with her brother & also loves to write. She's written a book but lacks the confidence to show anyone. Her life changes with a lot of twists & turns.
A really good book which oozed love & care. A feel good book which I recommend. Now to look at other books from this author.

Although I began reading this book thinking it would follow the romance route, it actually turned into a novel about a lot more as romance wasn’t even the main element. There are technically multiple love interests for our heroine, but it’s not the central part of the story. Instead this story is about pursuing your dreams and to believe in yourself even when there are a million doubts in your mind. Additionally, there is no substitute for surrounding yourself with a network of support (friends, family, neighbors, partner, etc.)

Jo Campbell has lived her life the best she knows how. She believes she has done everything right and she is happy, however, what happens if she wants more out of life than what she currently has? She begins to wonder if co-owning the pub with her brother is enough as her true dream is to be a writer. Unfortunately, Jo, like many characters and people can relate to, has a lot of self-doubt and wonders if she should continue to pursue that dream when she fears that she might fail. This was an extremely relatable trait as many people, me included, have experienced this at one time or another with anything from a career path to any other decision. There is always the fear of the unknown and of rejection that’s very difficult to overcome in some cases.

Jo puts her family first as she helps to raise her adopted younger sister, who is going through the process of understanding her place in her new family. Those close to her seem to have their life together and that sparks a newfound motivation for Jo to begin finding out what would make her happy. Although she would love to have a romantic partner, her main dream is to publish a novel and have them displayed like all the other authors she admires.

There are elements in this novel that reminded me of Jane Austen’s Persuasion, although, this is not an adaption. The writing aspect also connected to the novel By the Book for me as well (if you’ve read it, then you know why I made the connection).

The story overall had great flow as Jo grows as a character and becomes generally more confident in herself. I loved her network of friends and family that were there to support her and any decision, whether good or bad, that she made. The novel gives great insight into the community of a smaller town and how everyone comes together when it counts. Each character played their role with enough background to comprehend each piece of the storyline. They were all generally likable and relatable in one way or another.

Overall, the novel is predictable in many ways, but it is well-written enough that it’s not negative. I would honestly read the novel our main character writes as it sounded fairly interesting. The scenery is a great escape and as a huge fan of Derry Girls, it was also very easy to picture in my head (if that mural actually exists, then I seriously want to visit it). Lorcan is the James as he may be English, but like the show, he is an honorary member of the Derry community! The novel is both light-hearted and heart-warming with great imagery and characters. I would highly recommend this novel and would easily read any other work by this author.

**Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC to read. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.**

A lovely read by Freya Kennedy about a young girl finding out what she wants in life and going after it. I loved the characters and the relationships they developed with each other. A heartwarming read to inspire us all to reach for our dreams.

This book was like catching up with old friends and I absolutely loved it. It was exactly what I needed to read. It's lighthearted, uplifting, and has everything I love in a good book, family, friendships, and romance. The story revolves around Jo and the following of her dream to be a published writer. There were some wonderful laugh out loud moments and all the characters were fully developed and relatable.

Jo shares the pub in Ivy land with her brother and also helps to raise her young foster sister. Her life involves putting family first and her dreams are slowly slipping away. It is her friends who give her the push she needs. I loved how easily the words flowed and how I found myself longing to stay in their world. The emotional depth of the story was beautifully told and it was a pleasure to read more about Noah and Libby as well.

A beautiful, lighthearted story that is just perfect for a winter read.

I'm glad I read this book, because it was definitely lighthearted and a sweet romance! I loved that the story not only spoke of romance, but of family and friendships as well. I thought that was very relatable and it made the book memorable to me. It was charming and sweet!

I have received an advanced reader copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.