After being caught up in a traumatic event, Ava decides to find solace and peace in Bluebell Wood. The complete opposite to her hustle and bustle of life she is leaving behind in London but she needs to find peace and heal.

With a rescue dog called Merlin accompanying her Ava finds herself in this little cottage on the edge of the woods, with plans to keep herself to herself. Unfortunately coming to live in a small village means you are going to be the source of much interest and it isn’t long before Ava finds herself slowly being swept into village life.

Callum, the good looking vicar, is one of the first to meet Ava and leaves a lasting impression, though it takes a while for Ava to reconcile this man of god with the vision in her imagination. Jenny in the village shop is welcoming and helpful, the local teacher Jemima encourages Ava’s gift with the children. Linnet and Robin, a single mum and an autistic boy pull not just at Ava’s heart strings but mine as well.

With any village there is always something going on whether it is the local quiz, the school jumble sale or even Easter Egg hunts and Ava despite her fears and misgivings seems to become part of it all. As the new development starts on some fields adjacent to Bluebell Wood, she finds herself very passionately protesting that something must be done. It seems that miracles come in strange place.

Whilst the book encompass a wonderful village tale full of community spirit, Ali McNamara has taken the power of nature and used it to her advantage to add an almost ethereal tone to one of the storylines. The beauty of nature and particularly the birds that are attracted to no doubt Bluebell Wood but Ava’s bird food lead to something that will put the village on the map forever.

It seems that Ava’s solace and peace is what she has been looking for all along.

This is another wonderful book from an author who seems to be getting better with the depth of her stories and the wonderful scenes and characters she weaves into the pages of the book.

Thoroughly recommended for that feel good nature of a book bursting full of nature too!

I read Hope and Happiness in Bluebell Wood over a couple of days. The characters are warm and friendly and through the descriptions you really get a sense of village life.

High flying Ava was once a city girl, but following an incident in London, she’s escaped to the countryside to get away from people and life in general. With just her dog, Merlin I’m tow, she’s hoping she can squirrel herself away. However the magical Bluebell Wood seems to have other plans for her.

I found this novel to be most enjoyable and would highly recommend it. I would rate it 4.5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley, Little, Brown Book Group and the author for the chance to review.

A magical wood, a story written by Ali McNamara where could you go wrong. This is yet another lovely book and one to be enjoyed. The characters are great and so are the settings and a touch of magic are all that we need at this time. If you have never read anything by Ali before now I am sure you will want to read others by her after enjoying this novel. A bit of make believe is good for the soul and here you will get it. 5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for this ARC

I always enjoy Alis books and I fell in love with this one before I even opened it. It has the most amazing cover ever.
The story centres around Ava who has moved from a busy London life to Bluebell Wood after suffering an event in her life that has changed her forever.
She very quick changes from her recluse lifestyle she shares with her little rescue dog Merlin. The magic of her garden and it’s birds change her view on everything. Meeting Callum the local priest and making friends with the locals play their part too.
This is a beautifully written magical book that was a comfort to read,
Thank you to Little, Brown Book Group UK and NetGalley for giving me such a wonderful ARC

This book was absolutely brilliant! This book centres on Ava who has moved from London to the Cambridgeshire countryside after being caught up in an awful tragedy in the City. She comes to Bluebell Wood and is a bit of a recluse but it’s not too long before the magic of the village takes its hold on Ava and she slowly becomes a part of her new home. I’m a massive fan of this authors books and this one really didn’t disappoint - the characters were fab, the plot was great and it was a very good feel good read - perfect for the summer!

I am a great fan of Ali McNamara but I did not find this one that great to be honest. I get that Ava had to escape London following a traumatic event and Bluebell Wood was the most likely place. Village life is an amazing healer. The romance was lukewarm which is unusual for Ali and there was next to no humour. I found the birds leaving gifts to help with stopping a housing development totally unbelievable. All in all I was disappointed with this one. If you like the magical fairy story then this is for you but, sadly I did not enjoy it.

well what can you say this lady never fails to give you a good read from start to finish and to put all thoses birds names and meanings into one book is brill a most enjoyable book for anyone to enjoy

This is such a lovely and gorgeous read. Ali McNamara writes magical heartwarming books which never fail to make me smile. This book is no exception, in fact I think that it might just be not only one of my favourite books that she has written but one of the best books that I have read so far this year.
Ava moves to Bluebell Woods after she has obviously suffered a traumatic event. It is quite far into the book before we discover what has happened to her. She is looking for a very quiet and solitary life, but soon finds herself drawn into village life.
Callum is the village Vicar,it appears that he has experienced troubles in the past which he is very guarded about. I was surprised to hear his story as it wasn't at all what I expected it to be.
I loved the characters in this book, Ava and Callum were very likeable, as were Robin and Merlin the dog.
It was intriguing to read about the treasure that Ava was given and the storyline that linked them all. I thought that the history and the connection with the birds was cleverly written and intertwined into the story. I might get a bird table too now, so I can watch the birds feed.
This book is the perfect happy, feel-good escapism. It is easy to read and very enjoyable.
Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for my ARC.

Ava retreats to the country with her newly adopted dog Merlin after a traumatic event leaves her unable to cope with city life. In the small village of Bluebell Wood she begins to find peace, helped by the vicar Callum and other locals. At the cottage she carries on feeding the wild birds, taking over this duty from the previous tenant. The birds then start leaving her little presents, which start to form a puzzle and a touch of the supernatural.
Many years ago when I was young I used to walk through bluebell woods on the way to school, which helps me visualise this idyllic setting. The reason for Ava's trauma is very slowly revealed, whilst the tranquility of the village comes under threat.
The small village setting is something that many of us dream of, with a caring community and a slower pace of life. Modern life does rear its ugly head and a main part of the book is how Ava and others try to overcome this, in addition to the romantic interest. This is a book that I managed to lose myself in whilst dreaming of those bluebell woods from all those years ago and I can definitelyrecommend it.
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley, however this did not influence my review of the book.

Ava flees city life to find safety and calm. A virtual recluse except to walk her dog and enjoy the garden, strange happenings start to take place. Do they have a secret meaning? A magical tale in a beautiful setting with great characters.

After a traumatic event Ava decides she needs some peace and solitude. She rents a cottage in Bluebell Village close to a wood of the same name.
Ava adopts a rescue dog, Merlin, and the two of them quickly settle into the cottage. The peace Ava feels when walking Merlin in the woods helps to soothe her nerves.
Solitude will be harder to come by however as the villagers of Bluebell wood are very friendly and eager to know more about Ava. Initially she tries to avoid them but soon realises she does want to get to know them, especially hunky Vicar Callum.
When the garden birds that she feeds begin to bring trinkets to the bird table Ava wonders if they are trying to tell her something.

This is a gentle feel good read about Ava that has experienced something bad in London and therefore rents a cottage in Bluebell Wood for six months to get away from it all and to hopefully start to heal and find happiness. When Ava arrives in her new village she cannot handles crowds and tries to avoid people full stop, but that soon changes.

Here’s what she finds in Bluebell Wood:

✅ beautiful nature

✅ peace and quiet with her little dog

✅ wild birds that lead to a mystery

✅ a hot vicar

✅ new friends

✅ a lovely community to be part of if she can overcome her fears

I loved the writing style and the characters, but there is some form of magic or something going on in this book that although cute I could not believe in and I prefer to read about stuff that could actually happen to me too. So personally this was more a 3,5 star read for me but rounded up to 4 as the story and characters were still lovely.

I would like to thank the author, the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Having read all of Ali’s other books, I knew before I started reading that I would love it. The cover is totally amazing and I would definitely buy just based on that alone, I was lucky enough to get a pre publication date copy from Net Galley, and I must say it a beautiful magical story and you will NOT be disappointed.

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

After an horrible experience which she’s still not got over, Ava, is looking for a change to her environment, away the life she’s currently living. So, she comes to Bluebell Wood, which is so peaceful. She and her dog, explore the woods nearby, along with feeding the wild birds that come to her bird table.
She meets Callum, and the villagers who are friendly, and so different from the people where she used to live.
Will Ava, finally heal from the horrible experience she’s had.?

I absolutely loved reading this book, Ali’s books are Unputdownable.

Highly Recommend It

Ava escapes for a new life in Bluebell cottage with her new companion Merlin by her side.

She upsticks from London in the hope of a new life and meets lots of villagers along the way.

She falls in love with Bluebell woods, the people and the community.

An easy and enjoyable read.

I have loved every one of Ali McNamara's books and she is one of those rare authors whose books I can safely dive into without even knowing the gist of the story. Suffice to say, my experience of her gorgeous books assures me of a wonderful, heartwarming read every time. This was another delightful story filled with love, goodness and hope. All of the characters, (bar one), were the kind of neighbours we all wish we had and Bluebell Wood is the village we'd all love to live in. Throw in a sweet and loyal little rescue dog, a cute little boy on the autistic spectrum, a hunky vicar and a mystery to solve as well as Ali's usual sprinkling of magic and it's escapist heaven! With so much violence, hatred and offensive language on TV and in the media nowadays it was so refreshing to escape to this enchanting place where magic, romance and goodness reigns supreme. I alsolutely adored this book and will recommend it to everyone in every place I can. My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

I’m a long-time fan of Ali McNamara, so I’m always excited by a new release from her. I found Hope and Happiness in Bluebell Wood particularly appealing, as I used to live down the road from a bluebell wood when I was a child.

The narrative voice is very gentle, and so I immediately felt relaxed as soon as I started reading. This is one of the things I love about this author.

I loved the gentle plot, the lovely cottage, and the friendly village setting. The wood is a huge character too. The character development was excellent, especially Ava’s. I really liked Ava, and of course I loved Merlin, who does such a great job of looking after her. I love the hint of magic that runs through the story - only a subtle stretch from things that do happen. It’s these kind of touches that make Ali McNamara’s writing so special.

I also really enjoyed the gentle love story (in fact there are two), I liked the fact that although there are issues to deal with, it’s not over-dramatic.

Overall, this was such a lovely story, with romance, and mystery, and a sprinkling of subtle magic. Just perfect. I so look forward to whatever the author writes next.

I was given a free copy of this book, my opinions are my own.

Thanks to netgalley for the chance to read this book.


Another great read from Ali.

When Ava moves to Bluebell wood from city life in London she locks herself away in her cottage only leaving to walk her dog Merlin. Wild birds flock to her bird table to be fed and they start leaving her gifts/tokens of their appreciation. The gifts start to build a picture and Ava ends up following the clues, making friends in the village and she meets the local parish priest Callum. Will she solve the clues and find out what the birds are trying to tell her and will she eventually settle in the village?

I've always loved a McNamara novel, and this one made no exception.
Ava is seeking some peace and quite in a remote little village after a devasting experience that changes her life.
Bluebell village reveals to be exactly what she needed and with the help of gorgeous "hot" vicar Callum, the whole community, the ancient woods surrounding the area and some magical wildlife everything finally makes sense again.
Wonderful read!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Another brilliant mystical book from the wonderful Ali McNamara. For me I could really relate to the main characters experience as I too am fighting my own battle with anxiety. Reading about Ava actually felt like it helped me with my journey. I love the idea of nature assisting with the experience and just adored the whole concept. It certainly kept me guessing right to the end and I loved the way it all tied together. A pure heart warming story.