This latest book from Ali is truly magical. We meet Ava who is keeping a secret as to why she has moved to Bluebell Wood. We are also introduced to more village characters including Callum and Jonah, Lonan, Jessica, Jack and Allouete, Linnet and Robin. And of course, Merlin, Ava's dog. The plot gets more intriguing as you get into the book, until secrets start to be revealed.

Well what a super book. I am gradually reading all of her books as I love the slightly magical feel of them. This one was fantastic. I loved the characters Ava and Callum and also the little darling Robin. Having a speial needs child myself it is lovely to read of a special bond here. A lovely book of hope which has actually made me think about following certain paths in the future. Thank you so much Netgalley for allowing me to read this one and thank you to Ali for an exceptional book.

Ali McNamara has done it again in this gift of a read, which I think is her best yet. Ava’s high flying London life, is turned upside down by a trauma that she has only been able to share, in part, with her therapist. Seeking peace and quiet she takes refuge in a rented cottage at the edge of Bluebell Wood. With her rescue dog, Merlin, by her side, she finds herself being wrapped in the close knit community spirit. Gradually she begins to heal and is able to restart her life, albeit in a different way. I love books by this author, not only does she provide a great storyline, but creates loveable characters. This is an enchanting, magical read that had me hooked from the beginning, pure escapism.

A gentle and cosy story about a woman struggling with anxiety after a traumatic event, who rents a cottage in the country and is brought out of her reclusive shell by the villagers and the magical wild birds that feed at her bird table. A sweet romance and a nice comfort read.

I love Ali McNamara books with their slightly magical elements but this is my favourite so far. From the start I was intrigued by the trauma that had completely devastated Ava’s life so much so that she retreated from all. Aspects of normal life abs social interaction. Her slow progression with Merlin , a little rescue dog with a tragic past , at her side was heartwarming as was the gentle romance with a local villager. However, what really gripped me and meant I did no housework, no cooking and no work until this book was finished, was the bird table abs it’s connection to the housing development. I was hooked.
Absolutely loved it.

This was a lovely book. I enjoyed every page. I loved the characters very much, it made me wish that I lived in a close-knit village where everyone is willing to help their neighbours and rally together in times of trouble. I love Bluebells and I enjoy walking in the wood’s especially it’s my family. This book ticked all the boxes and it gave me a chance to escape for awhile. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

A wonderful, lighthearted and surprisingly sexy summer read. The characters were lovely, the story was super heartwarming and I couldn’t help but want to move to Bluebell Wood myself!

It was with great anticipation that I started this book, as I have always loved the Ali Macnamara books I have read, and so I had great expectations for a fantastic, warm read that I would struggle to put down. Needless to say, I was not disappointed.

Ava is having trouble sleeping but we don’t yet know what is behind her trauma. Needless to say, her nightmare is described in an incredibly realistic way; I’m not surprised she has trouble at night! This all leads to Ava making the decision to move to Bluebell Cottage, which sounds utterly idyllic and is very remote. Not much is given away early on, as to what kind of trauma has befallen Ava, but I like that sense of building up the mystery and intrigue. One thing that is clear from the beginning, is that Ava has come away to forget something. What I found very sweet was that Merlin, Ava’s rescue dog is going through a similar healing process to Ava. He ended up in a rescue centre, after bring in a car crash that killed each other. I thought it was very clever writing, the way that Ava and Merlin’s lives are kind of reflective of each other; they are both healing from some kind of trauma and they both seem to be starting some kind of new life; a kind of mutual parallel rebirth. Neither of them seemed keen to encounter any strangers – which made me overwhelmingly sad, having almost immediately bonded with the pair; the author made me genuinely care about their ultimate outcome, desperate for a ‘Happy Ever After’ for them.

The author really does a great job of layering up the intrigue with regard to what has happened in Ava’s past. Incidents like her reaction upon discovering Callum, the plumber repairing her sink, merely serve to feed the reader’s curiosity, although clearly whatever happened to Ava in the past, wasn’t pleasant. The writing was such that one was left in no doubt as to the severity of what had happened, which is a pretty impressive considering the very few clues to the incident that the reader was given. I found that I had the utmost empathy for Ava and I was glad that she had Merlin the dog for protection and company. I wondered if I saw a bit if a spark if sexual chemistry between Ava and Callum, after he mended her sink; I do so hope I was right! Another thing I loved about the book, is Ava’s joy at being able to offer Merlin a new, safe life. Her love of animals shines through. As for Callum the plumber’s secret – I certainly didn’t see that coming! I do love a genuine surprise like that!

Amongst the things I liked about this book was the imagery surrounding the wild birds in Ava’s garden. I may be seeing more into the birds then the author intended, but if that is the case, so be it. It felt to me as though the wild birds in the garden were a metaphor of Ava’s life. When she first moved in, no birds came to her bird table; Ava struggled and researched, in order to get the birds to come. It seemed that as the birds’ confidence grew and more birds came into the garden to savour the tests on offer, this confidence was reflected in parallel in Ava’s own life. I loved the way that the trees in the woods were personified and portrayed as absorbing Ava’s anxiety. What a wonderful way to deal with one’s woes! Ava’s confidence of her place within the village community seemed to blossom and grow, the longer she was around and got to know people, to the extent that she even volunteered to join the village quiz team – even if this did leave her wreaked with anxiety from the time she volunteered, until the actual quiz night.

The arrival of Lonan was a book highlight for me; astute writing at its best. It is little things like this that really lift a book above what might be expected, for me. I loved the fact that Lonan (meaning blackbird), coincided with an incident in the garden, where Merlin and Ava rescued a blackbird from the hands (or more appropriately, paws) of a local cat.

The way that Callum’s compassion towards Ava is shown is truly touching, although it’s not clear at first whether this is compassion that comes with his job, or whether he is keen on her – or a combination of the two? Regardless he seems be both cognisant of and empathetic towards Ava and her issues within a social climate.

Jemima, I found a little irritating on a couple of fronts. Firstly she seemed quite keen to get her talons into the lovely Callum, when to me he just seemed the perfect match for Ava. Secondly she was one of those nosy, probing type of people – the sort who just keep on and on with their questions (in the book’s case, about Ava’s past) and just don’t know when to stop! Her one redeeming moment was, hoovering the coining of the word Bluebellian!

This book posed a lot of questions, which I liked – they really piqued my curiosity:

What had happened to Ava to make her so jumpy?
Did Callum have a secret past?

Were birds really dropping ‘treasure’ on Ava’s bird table? (I did love the way these little treasures seemed to hold meaning). Robins had a constant role in the book – both the avian kind and the human kind. The birds seemed to show an intelligence beyond what you would eclecticism, and the boy Robin was simply a delight, in the way that he was portrayed.

Are they sending messages?
What was going on with the development plans for the village; had there been done ‘paw greasing’?
Does Colin Cuckoo have a hidden agenda? (His surname seemed oddly appropriate!)

All of these questions, and more, added to the indelible intrigue of the book for me. But the question is, will these questions all be answered in this book, or might there be a welcome sequel in the offing?

‘Enchanted’ If asked to sum up in one word how I felt about this book – the author’s writing, the story, the characters, that word would be enchanted, and the ‘Extras’ at the end of the book did nothing but cement this opinion.

I needed to suspend disbelief a little for this one but I really enjoyed the characters, the development of their relationships and the story. A rather charming tale of new beginnings and village life.

With many thanks to #Netgalley and #LittleBrownBookGroupUK for an ARC of #HopeAndHappinessInBluebellWood by #AliMcNamara, in return for an honest review.

Ava is in her mid-forties and after going through an awful trauma in London, she takes the opportunity to move to Bluebell Wood, where she hopes she can avoid other people and enjoy a quiet life with her rescue dog Merlin.
Despite her best efforts, Ava finds the village and its residents creeping into her life, especially the dishy vicar Callum.
Ava feeds the birds in her garden, and they mysteriously begin to leave her small gifts on the bird table.
What do these gifts mean? And can Ava and her friends piece the clues together to discover hidden secrets from the village’s past and maybe even find a way to stop the awful housing development that threatens to ruin the beautiful tranquillity and character of Bluebell Wood?

This is a gentle tale, of friendship, love, overcoming the past and the strength of community spirit.
Ali McNamara Creates some well thought out characters, who are likeable and funny.
She creates an idyllic image of the village of Bluebell Wood, picturesque, enchanting and welcoming.
This book is well thought out and intricate with its detail.

If you like Ali’s writing, you will not be disappointed with this book. It brims with her trademark of magic and sparkle.

All in all, this book is a gentle read, full of love and a generous sprinkle of something quite special that will mesmerise and enchant you.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
#blindiebookgirl
#TheFriendlyBookCommunity

Another really enjoyable read. I really enjoyed the fact that a delicate subject was used which I had seen in any other book.

Also with the faith being used and showing how life can be

Hopefully in the future we can revisit bluebell wood and continue the adventure

Heartwarming and joyful, this is such a lovely book with a really happy and positive story. Ali McNamara captures the gentle magic of nature, with a garden full of wild birds as our heroes. I really enjoyed the plot thread about the developers, there seems to a spate of unethical developments all across the country and it saddens me that they just seem able to ride roughshod over small communities, destroying so much of our landscape.

I really enjoyed the relationships in this book, between all of the different combinations of villagers.
You do have to suspend disbelief somewhat that the birds are sending a specific message through their offerings to Ava on the bird table.
As well as being a classic romantic tale the book also touches on how terror attacks affect more than just the immediate victims and that those effects can be long lasting- something that is not always acknowledged in life- overall a thoroughly enjoyable tale.

I always love an Ali McNamara novel and this one was no exception. It was another lovely romantic tale with lots of magical undertones. Reading this really cheered me up while I was unwell. If you’re a fan of Ali’s you don’t want to miss this one. And if you’ve never read any of hers before and you are a fan of women’s fiction, this would be as good a place as any to start. I loved that all the characters had bird names (although I didn’t realise they all did until the explanation at the end). Slight TW: PTSD, anxiety and brief mentions of suicide attempts. I think this side of the book was dealt with really well though. All in all, I simply adored this novel. I gobbled it up and am already looking forward to Ali’s next release!

After a traumatic incident in London, Ava moves to Bluebell Wood with her rescue dog Merlin by her side. She wants to keep to herself but the residents of Bluebell Wood have different ideas and are determined to welcome her into their small community.
This was a compelling and thoroughly enjoyable read from start to finish with a great storyline, Recommend ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Lovely heart-warming book set in an idyllic country village. Ava and her new four-legged friend Merlin settle into their new life, having both experienced sad times in their past. With a beautiful wood to explore and friendly locals, including a hunky vicar, this gentle tale is a relaxing read during these difficult times. I will definitely seek out other books by this author. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for a chance to read an advance copy of this delightful story.

Great feel good, magical light reading!
Ava needs to escape living a city life in London. The perfect escape comes up as a cottage in the village of Bluebell Wood, where she can go to for a few months with her rescue dog Merlin.
Lovely story full of warmth and love.
Perfect for holiday reading.
There is always magic to be found in an Ali McNamara tale and this is no exception!
Loved it!
Thank you for the opportunity to read early NetGalley

I always enjoy books by Ali McNamara, she has the gift of not only making characters come alive in your imagination but leaving you with a smile on your face at the end of the book.. I loved how Merlin gave Ava confidence to deal with the past and the bird theme running through the book was a very clever idea. It’s certainly a book I would recommend and I will be waiting eagerly for her next book

This is a lovely, gentle tale from Ali McNamara, a favourite of mine. Romantic and at times magical, on this occasion we are transported to the beautiful Bluebell Wood with Ava and her adorable rescue dog Merlin.

Ava, a heroine who is not in her late twenties for once, is fleeing the trauma of her old life and moves to the raptly named Bluebell Wood. While she gradually opens up to her surroundings, it is her relationships with the birds she begins to feed in her garden and the very handsome and handy local priest Callum that leads her on the path to healing.

It was a gentle and comforting book and while it didn't grip me quite as much as some of her previous novels, my favourite is still Breakfast at Darcy's, it really was a lovely spot of escapism from a rather rainy British summer.

Ali needs peace, quiet and solitude after there was an horrific event while she was at a conference in London so she leases a house and moves to Bluebell Wood,
Being a small village it doesn't take long for Ali and her little rescue dog Merlin to bump into the first of many friendly villagers while she is on a walk through the woods. Despite her wanting to stay in her cottage alone she finds herself drawn into village life and begins to relax and recover
A lovely story that I didn't want to end