I must firstly apologise for the amount of time it has taken me to provide me review of this book, my health was rather bad for quite some time, something that had me in hospital on numerous occasions and simply didnt leave me with the time I once had to do what I love most.

Unfortunately that does mean I have missed the archive date for many of these books, so It would feel unjust throwing any review together without being able to pay attention to each novel properly.

However, I am now back to reading as before and look forward to sharing my honest reviews as always going forward. I thank you f0r the patience and understanding throughout x

A beautiful read of family, whether chosen or related and second chances. The descriptions of the farmhouse kitchen and the chat and laughter around the dinner table made this story for me. The love of the characters for eachother jumped from the page and was so heartwarming.

A brilliant read and one I really enjoyed. A heartwarming, relaxing read. The characters are loveable and varied, the plot is one that is engaging and medium paced. I found myself completely drawn into the story and enjoyed the writing style.

A lovely read
Full of friendship and a wonderful community
A real feel good book
Will read more by this author
Thanks NetGalley

Warm-hearted, witty and engaging, Helen Rolfe’s The Farmhouse of Second Chances is sure to be the loveliest book you will read all year.

Transforming her beautiful farmhouse into a safe haven for anyone looking for a fresh start has not only proved to be a refuge for many people in need, but also given Joy the opportunity to make a family for herself. Joy is always willing to welcome anyone who walks through her door with a kind word, a sympathetic shoulder and a nugget of wisdom should they need it. Joy believes that anybody can change their life and shape their own future provided that they really want to – advice which newly arrived Libby could certainly benefit from!

High-flyer Libby is in desperate need of a break. The stress of her job and the many challenges life has thrown her way lately has left her needing an escape from her life in New York, so a brief sojourn in the Somerset countryside is just what the doctor ordered. No sooner has Libby arrived at Joy’s farmhouse that she finds herself enveloped by her and her family of waifs and strays. Libby immediately strikes a connection with Drew and begins to wonder whether he might give her a reason to stick around in Somerset…

Joy has given so many people so much love and support, but when a secret from her past threatens to jeopardise everything she has worked so hard for, her family will rally round her, support her and provide her with a second chance of her own.

Helen Rolfe’s The Farmhouse of Second Chances is an enchanting tale that celebrates love, friendship and community that will make you laugh and cry. Full of kind-hearted and nuanced characters you will simply adore, humour, pathos and plenty of charm, The Farmhouse of Second Chances is an escapist, uplifting and feel-good read you will love.

A beautifully heartwarming story about family and forgiveness. A lovely easygoing and enjoyable read, t really lovely There are several twists and turns which will keep you guessing and if your emotional like me you may shed a few tears. This is full of cute characters and an importMessage that home is where your heart makes it and taking second chances

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

This is one of those books which I did not want to put down. It is a really lovely uplifting story with a gorgeous setting and an interesting cast of characters who all have their own back story and reason for being gathered there. All about giving those in need a helping hand and a fresh start, Joy keeps on the traditions started by her foster parents when she was in that position. Of course, she has quite a secret to keep to herself about her background which I did not guess. As you discover, one or two other characters have secrets of their own.

Libby, Joy's niece, comes across as a likeable young woman who is nevertheless, feeling anxious and stressed about her life. She has many of Joy's qualities and has to learn to trust people again. She also does not take the easy route. If you are looking for a warm uplifting tale you can do no better. I would love to know what happens next to this family of friends.

In short: second chances, love and friendship
#BlogTour

The Farmhouse of Second Chances is a delightful story of Joy and her extended family who stay at the farmhouse in search of themselves or a different style of life.
Joy has been estranged from her family most of her life for a reasons that isn’t revealed early to the reader. Somehow she ended up been taken under the wings of the previous farmhouse residents and after they past she inherited it. Continuing the kindness, Joy continues to open her doors to souls in need of somewhere to stay and heal. Libby has been writing to her auntie Joy for years despite only meeting her once. Her job in New York has become too stressful and Libby’s mental health is very low. Can the farmhouse work its magic on Libby whilst giving Joy something she needs?
This book isn’t one to race through and devour (or it wasn’t for me). It is more a book to savour by drinking in the lovely characters and setting and to bask in the warmth of it’s community spirit and healing.
I became attached to all the characters in the farmhouse, but especially the gorgeous Luna and her puppies. Joy was such a kind soul, helping anyone who needed I and supporting others. Libby was a lovely character with a lot to deal with and I loved her relationship with her estranged aunt. Drew of course was charming, Sam the vet was a total gentleman and I loved seeing Cameron’s confidence grow with the support of everyone.
I liked the mild mystery aspect of the plot around Joy’s estrangement from her family. It was refereed to a lot and I had fun, and frustration, trying to guess the reason. It kept me on the edge of my seat as I wondered if it would cause issues between her and Libby or any of the others.
The setting was so serene and peaceful and I could do with spending a week or so there myself – without the Cockrel.
For me this novel was very character driven and focussed on Libby and Joy finding themselves and each other but also focussed on the impact we can have on the lives of the people around us with our actions and deeds.
This is a lovely read, emotional at times but heart-warming and hopeful.

Thanks to netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Another great book from Helen.

Joy owns a farmhouse where she invites troubled into to give them a second chance at life. When Joy’s past threatens to ruin the future of the farmhouse her adopted family end up saving Joy.

Helen Rolfe’s writing style is distinctive, I immediately know that my happy ending is in safe hands. There are no guarantees that there won’t be any heartache, along the way, but the final destination is never in any doubt.
We return to the idyllic village of Bramleywood, set in the beautiful countryside in Somerset. There are a couple of mentions of other villagers, but this story revolves around Joy, her family of waifs and strays, and her niece, Libby. There’s plenty going on, so there’s no feeling of missing out. More importantly, if this is your first visit to the village, you can definitely enjoy this book as a standalone.
Libby has stayed in touch with her maternal aunt, despite living in New York. When her job and relationship come to a sudden halt, it’s only natural that she should seek solace in the company of her family. Feeling detached from her father, who had sold the family home and moved to Windermere, she heads to Somerset. Her relationship with her aunt has remained a secret, as there is some dark event, from the past, that brought about an estrangement, meaning that Libby hasn’t actually seen Joy since she was very young.
I just adored Joy, her kind and caring nature seemed at odds with the suggestion of a dark past. Her life is dedicated to caring for those who have fallen through the proverbial cracks in life’s pavement. Her home is filled with love and those who have moved on, have mostly not moved very far, often remaining regular visitors to The Old Dairy Farmhouse.
This book gently examines the complexities of family relationships. The way that assumptions can breed prejudice that in turn may lead to devastating results. Joy’s story is not the only one that has felt the bitter twist of familial desertion and I found both Freddie and Cameron’s development to be quite beautiful.
As Libby settles into life at the farmhouse, strange events put Joy under increasing pressure as she fights to protect herself, the Old Dairy, and those that she loves.
For fear of including spoilers, I will leave my review here, but rest assured, there’s a lot to love about this really special book. Read it and escape to Bramleywood, it’s gorgeous there.

This was a very moving book and very well written, it was a real page turner, the characters were very well written, this was a first for me from this author, I will be looking for others that Helen has written

The Farmhouse of Second Chances by Helen Rolfe

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to Random Things Tours and I am leaving this review voluntarily

Curl up with this uplifting new story of second chances and finding where you belong, from the author of The Little Village Library

Sometimes a new beginning just needs a first step . . .

Joy Weatherford has made a family for herself. She's turned her beautiful old farmhouse into a safe haven for anyone who needs a helping hand, a place to stay, and a new beginning. She's always got a kind word, a practical suggestion, and a belief that everyone can change their life for the better.

I have been looking forward to reading this book since I saw the lovely cover at the back end of last year. It took me a few chapters to really get into this book and I was really enjoying it but work kept getting in the way. I really enjoy the way that Rolfe has used the dual narrative to tell the story - it really helped getting to know more about the characters.

This was a journey that I didn't want to end. A warm and uplifting read about family - even if that family is one of your own creation.

Rating 4/5

My Thoughts: now if I’m being completely honest, it’s not often books like this get higher than 3 stars from me, not because I don’t enjoy them because I do, but they’re all a bit samey and you tend to know where the story is going to go.

But this one hit different, so different that it wouldn’t be fair to give it anything less than 5 stars.

Joy lives at the Old Dairy farm and has always taken in the ‘waifs and strays’ that need a little extra love, the ones that have lost their way, maybe even lost themselves & she helps them back onto the right path – she’s done that since the old owners did the same for her, as a way of carrying on their legacy and a thank you to them for leaving her the farm when they died.

We know quite early on that Joy has a dark past, we don’t know any of the details though, just small hints until the full story is revealed near the end of the book in a shockingly brilliant twist that I did not see coming.

I really, really enjoyed this book, and I read it at just the right time, it almost felt like it knew what I was going through & it gave me the big warm hug I needed and didn’t let go.

This story will really make you think about wether it’s nature or nurture that makes you the person you are destined to be.

It’s full of heartwarming moments, sad moments, secrets, lies & love.

I would absolutely recommend this to everyone, just pick it up and read it I promise you won’t be disappointed ☺️

You could say that home is where the heart is or wherever you lay your hat. For many people who have stayed at the Old Dairy Farm that is very true as they don’t move far and come back when and as much as they can. That is because of the love that Joy gives them, the love that Joy received when she was down on her luck all those years ago.

Libby is a high flyer in New York, but has swapped it for the quiet countryside of Somerset and her Aunt Joy’s home. The last time she saw her Aunt she was a mere child, but has kept up a correspondence over the years. Secret from her own parents as Joy was always considered someone you never spoke about within the family.

Libby doesn’t know what happened. Only Joy can share the story, but it is a story that will ripple out to everyone who has been living and working at the Old Dairy Farm.

This is book full of secrets and it kept me turning the page and I was intrigued in Joy’s past; my assumption was wrong and the real truth was heart breaking and I felt such a loss for the life Joy could have led. The emotions in the book are quite raw but there was such joy in seeing the characters interact, progress and develop that the books leaves you with such a lovely feeling. I was transported to the kitchen table for a full breakfast and I couldn’t wait to interact with the gorgeous puppies, being given new homes as well.

A book full of second chances and making a home wherever your heart is most at ease.

Wow, this book had me in actual tears for the last few chapters! Such a journey, but one I really didn't want to finish as I fell a little in love with these characters, especially Joy and Samuel - I mean you just want to smile!

This book was so full of family, friendship and ultimately that feeling of home, home really is where the heart is and boy oh boy is there a lot of heart in The Old Dairy Farm! Joy is such a warm and bubbly character that it was breaking me a little to see her struggling with things and I really wanted to find out what the secret was, but was also dreading it at the same time. You know it's going to be a big secret when someone's willing to let go of everything they love to keep it hidden but it took me by surprise when the reveal happened. And then the second twist... wow, well everything made sense then but it wasn't what I was expecting at all - hence the tears!

The 'family' that Joy has created over the years is full of love for her, even the newest arrival (well, before Libby) soon becomes a dab hand around the farm and although he might not always be the most expressive, you can tell how much Cameron thinks of Joy. It always made me smile when his name appeared on the pages, especially when it was accompanied by Bisto - isn't that a duo to melt your heart!

I could go on and on about this book because there was just so much to it but I wont, I'll just urge you to go out and buy your own copy so that you can take a journey to Somerset and visit Joy yourself, I don't think you'll regret it!

Another beautiful book by Helen and as the title suggests, invites troubled people into her home to help them in life. We meet characters that turn their lives around which make for a good read.

This is an enjoyable read about new starts, forgiveness, grief and friendship. It is a charming and heartwarming read. There are several twists and turns and I didn't guess Joy's secret. I became very engrossed in the the story trying to figure it out.
I liked the characters, and the setting was lovely..This is a lovely easygoing read.
Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for my ARC.

This author is a firm favourite of mine; I have read and enjoyed most of her books. This one unusually took me a while to get into, but once it had me hooked, I finished it in no time and was glad that I had stuck with it. The book has a lovely setting on a farm in the peaceful Somerset countryside that is owned by an amazing woman.



The story concerns Joy, who is living in The Old Dairy, a farmhouse on the edge of a Somerset village. Now approaching the age of 70, she has shared the farmhouse with many less fortunate young people she has met along the way, trying to help them deal with their problems and set them on a better path in the world. She inherited the house and adjoining land from a kindly couple who took her in and helped her once upon a time. She herself was disowned by her family; the reason for this is a secret that she has kept to herself for many years and which emerges gradually as the story progresses. The only family member who has kept in contact is her niece, Libby, who arrives from the USA for a visit out of the blue; she knows nothing of the drama which caused the family rift all those years ago. She soon fits into life in the farmhouse, and becomes drawn to Drew, one of the people given a second chance by Joy’s kindness, and now a local business owner. However, Joy’s secret suddenly threatens to disrupt everything when it becomes known by an unscrupulous character, and she suddenly needs saving herself.



I can highly recommend this heartwarming story of a caring woman, her adopted family and a wonderful community. I was interested to read the background stories of some of the people who Joy has helped over the years, and loved that many have stayed around to repay her kindness. The story is full of likeable characters, whether in Joy’s immediate ‘family’ or in the village. I enjoyed the way in which the story was arranged, with different chapters told from the perspective of Joy or Libby. You can almost feel Libby relaxing into the new environment in which she finds herself - a far cry from the hustle and bustle of New York and a high pressure job. The way in which Joy’s secret of why she was cast out from her family emerges is very clever. There are little hints as to what went on, but I could never have guessed at the whole truth; it was a sad and amazing story with many repercussions. Once again, a marvellous story from Helen Rolfe that I’m sure others will enjoy.

I really enjoyed this book it was hard to put down when I had to do other things.. The title says it all really as it is made up of non biological family and there lives and love for each other through good times and bad. This is well worth 5 stars and I recommend everyone to read this .

Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for this e ARC

Thank you to netgalley and the author and publisher for allowing me access to the eARC of this book in exchange for a review.

Apologies for the late review life has been hectic.

This is a cute fun easy romance read, I felt like the characters were relatable and I enjoyed reading this book the connections seemed genuine and not forced and I loved the writing style.