This is the 5th book in the Hedgehog Hollow series, but can be easily read as a standalone. You also get a reminder of what’s happened so far, so it’s easy to catch up on where the story is up to.
Chasing Dreams at Hedgehog Hollow is predominantly Lauren’s story. We find out about her life from events in the present day and flashbacks from the past which tell her story. We begin at Samantha and Josh’s wedding. Lauren is Josh’s aunt and we see how some kind of romantic feelings seem to be developing between 51-year-old Lauren and Jonathan Wishaw (Sam’s dad) but of course, things aren’t as straight-forward as that…
We also follow Samantha, who is newly married to Josh. They go on their honeymoon to Tanzania and everything seems perfect as they even decide to consider having a baby. But will their life continue to be so perfect? Of course, you’ll have to read the book to find out!
I got into the story straight away. Jessica Redland has a wonderful knack of writing characters which pop off the page, so you relate to them and care about their lives. The settings are also great and Hedgehog Hollow is one of my all-time favourite settings. I mean, who wouldn’t want to read a book set in a hedgehog rescue centre? I loved Luna and her little hoglets this time too!
I love how Hedgehog Hollow is a centre for a lovely community network too and characters like Terry, who has been “adopted” as a grandad by Sam and Josh. There is a beautiful emphasis on family not having to be blood or family tree, but how friendship can become family.
I love the mix of old characters you already love and new ones to fall in love with. Here, we have Riley who looks like he could be a potential love interest for Lauren, but circumstances put them at odds with each other. As you expect from these novels, things don’t go according to plan. Our heroine isn’t going to find Mr Perfect straight away and move into a little white cottage with him in the first chapter. The “will they, won’t they?” element is really well done in the Hedgehog Hollow books, it all feels very realistic and not contrived or formulaic.
I also enjoyed Sam and Josh’s honeymoon to Tanzania and Zanzibar. It was great “seeing” their surroundings, especially the wildlife through their eyes and finding out more about the different types of hedgehog from other parts of the world. (Check out the African Pygmy Hedgehog on Google Images! So cute!)
As ever, this book is an absolute delight! I don’t want to give too much away, so I’ll leave it there, but I’m definitely recommending it.

I am an absolute sucker for a series of books and Jessica Redland won me over with her very first book in this series and I am always super excited to get my hands on the next one.

A wonderful story where we visit Sammie & Josh again in the lead up to their wedding and join them in the early few months of their marriage. A story full of love and sorrow, I found this a really emotional read in places and found it had such relevance in the story line and loved the way it unfolded.

I always love visiting the hedgehogs and the wonderful helpers that are sprinkled throughout the story and once again I was so sad to reach the end as it had totally held my attention and had me reaching for my book so I could keep reading.

I can't wait to visit Hedgehog Hollow again but am sad that it will be our last visit to this wonderful host of characters.

I am a big fan of this series and I always look forward to picking up a new book, This latest one had me wrong-footed for a minute or so, it is still set in and around Hedgehog Hollow, but instead of the focus being more on Sam and Josh and their hedgehogs, another leading character was brought in.

Lauren is aunt to Josh. She has been married twice and not successfully. Her first husband just disappeared leaving just a note and a huge hole in her heart. The second husband changed after their marriage. She has vowed off men, although she does live with a male friend. She has never truly gotten over her first love.

While this does feature Lauren, the chapters also kept me up to date with Sam and Josh as they go off on honeymoon. This is the first time they have both had any quality time together and once again the author brings Sam's worries to the forefront. Sam has terrible anxiety issues and with just cause. The patience, understanding nature and love of Josh really does shine through. If you have read any books from this series then you will know of Sam's past. If not the author does briefly mention it.

Lauren however has her own problems. She has just discovered the job she loves at the local college no longer exists after the college has been bought out. SHe has the chance to apply for a new role, but it isn't one she wants. It seems that the person who is responsible for telling her this news is one that could possibly give her more than one thing to think about.

Any Hedgehog Hollow book has updates on hedgehogs. This one is no different, there are also some new mentions of Hogs from the honeymoon trip. No matter where you go in this series a hedgehog is lurking somewhere and it is great.

This instalment is slightly different compared to the others, while the characters are all there it is also nice to see more from Lauren. Learning more about her and her life in the past was really interesting. Revelations about her past came as a real shock to her and I thought it had been done so well.

This book has some really wonderful moments, as well as some tough issues. There is one particular moment that had me welling up as the author described a very simple but poignant event.

While life moves on at Hedgehog Hollow there are still things to be done. The rescue centre has become more of an outreach centre and not just for our prickly friends. It is a sanctuary and a wonderful place to keep coming back to. I adore each book in the series, and while they can be read as a stand-alone, they are wonderful to read in order. Once you have read one it leaves you wanting the next one. Great for fans who are looking for romance, life and the problems it comes with and it is a book and series I would definitely recommend.

This is the penultimate book in the Hedgehog Hollow series and mainly focuses on Lauren who has briefly appeared in the earlier books.

I really enjoyed Lauren's story. She was married twice, her first husband left her suddenly and without explanation and her second husband was rather controlling. She has spent her life searching for answers and hiding from love when she meets Riley who shares her taste in music.

I didn't mind the focus of this book being on Lauren as we still had plenty of interaction with Samantha.

I enjoyed the various storylines and it's lovely to see everything coming together. As usual the sensitive topics covered in the book are handled very well

This is definitely a book I would highly recommend, roll on Book 6.

Thank you Netgalley, Boldwood Books and Rachels Random Resources for my gifted ARC.

Another great book in the series, the penultimate one. I just love this series and each book just gets better and better.

I read this novel on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review and I couldn’t be happier that Boldwood Books approved my request as I loved this novel. I love reading books about wildlife sanctuaries, rescue centres and vets and this book touched upon wildlife as well as family relationships, friendships and relationships too.
I loved the local Yorkshire setting. It was lovely reading a book set locally and see this area through someone elses’s eyes. You always appreciate the area where you live in more when you read about it in books.
I liked the characters and the character development, the plot and the furry companions. The book was a delight to read, and a heartwarming story.
I’m giving this book five stars and recommend it to other readers.

I have loved this series, and am happy that there is one more book to come. I would really encourage readers to start with the first book to really get the background on all that has happened at Hedgehog Hollow. Even though Sammy and Josh are now married, there are still issues they need to deal with. As does Josh’s Aunt Lauren, who has never come to terms with the sudden and unexplained departure of her first husband.

Self confessed Jessica Redland addict, devotee and general lover of any series she puts in print. You therefore won’t be surprised when I say I loved this , but I’m also hesitant as the next book is the last in the series abd I don’t want this wonderful world, one of my happy places to end.

I suppose I should restrain my grieving and tell you how amazing this is, because as always Jessica has given us another fantastic book, you could probably get away with reading this as a stand-alone but I don’t know why you’d want to. I thoroughly recommend starting at the beginning and experiencing the joy of meeting all the characters, this village for the first time.

In this book we get Lauren’s story and trust me it’s unexpected, it’s interesting and we get answers, decisions and ultimately we get to know Lauren so much better, there are the cameos from old favourite faces - I love seeing how they’re getting on and growing, of course, the prerequisite support cast of unique characters, adorable people you want to take home as your own friends and the most fabulous community spirit.

Jessica’s books are always so complex, not just a light romance here, Jessica regularly has me in tears, she covers with sensitivity story lines of ‘real life’ problems, she always breaks my heart and somehow manages to rebuild it for me by the end and then I’m crying tears again but at least they’re the happy kind.

I will always recommend a Jessica Redlands book to anyone, especially anyone who needs an uplifting read, a book to give you a hug , one that although may hurt at some points you know you’ll be better for it by the end. This and most of Jessica’s books are a friend when you really need one.

Thanks to netgalley , Rachel’s Random Resources and Boldwood Books for a free copy in return for an honest review

As a big fan of Jessica Redland generally but also of this series, it’s great to be back with all our friends (human and animal) at Hedgehog Hollow. Another great instalment of the series and it’s sadly the penultimate one – I don’t want this series to end! All good things though and Jessica had ensured there is plenty of storylines to see us through and tie things up for all involved.
Although you could read this as a standalone book, I cannot recommend starting the whole series as well as you really get to know and understand all the characters, living through their ups and downs, celebrations and commiserations.
For this visit we get to hear more of Lauren’s story and I have to say it is definitely not what I expected. We get some answers, make some life changing discoveries and really get to understand Lauren a lot more. There are some twists and turns (as always) but plenty of lovely surprises as well throughout this book. We do catch up with Samantha but, for me, it is a refreshing change to focus on someone else as well. They are a fantastic cast of characters and support each other in many different ways.
Jessica has such a way of drawing you into the lives of her characters, I feel like they are a bunch of my friends who I get to visit and catch up with. It’s just as if we could jump in the car to visit the hedgehogs!
As sad as it will be I cannot wait to see everyone for the last book in the series. I highly recommend this book, treat yourself and surround yourself with great characters, interesting storylines and cute hedgehog fun.
Thank you to Boldwood Books and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

This is a fantastic series: each book could be read as a stand-alone, but each one adds to the whole picture if read in the right order.
I've found Lauren's story to be a great addiction to the series: a more mature character who assesses her life to this point, her previous relationships and career choices.
There are some difficult topics that are handled with Jessica's usual sensitivity and empathy.
I couldn't recommend this series more and can't wait for the next (and sadly final) part.

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

I have loved this series from the first book and always keen to find the new book. In this one we get to know Lauren better. She was married to her best friend- but he broke her heart and we get to know the story behind that. She also has a chance meeting with Riley who comes to have a significant influence on her present day life.
Sammie and Josh's wedding is lovely and their honeymoon sounds a dream.
The fundraiser that takes place sees Lauren and Chloe join forces to come up with bigger and better ways to bring in money for the hedgehog rescue.
It's lovely to see all the characters and get to know them better- some are moving on, some are becoming more established. It's like having a new group of friends.
I can't wait to read the concluding book in the series.

I love this series! Jessica Redland has a wonderful way of balancing humor, drama and a little suspense. Reading every book in this series is like spending time with family and friends. The characters are diverse, realistic and relatable. I really enjoy the descriptions of the countryside and of the farm. The interesting hedgehog facts are an added bonus.

I may just accept the fact that when I sit down to read a book by Jessica Redland, nothing else is getting done until I have finished the book. I've never come across books that have such lovely cutesy names then have the ability to break your heart. Like with the other books in the series this was no different. I loved Lauren. I wanted to hug her so many times throughout the book. I just love the community spirit of these books and I'll be gutted when the series ends. Roll on Christmas for the next instalment.

If you’ve been to Hedgehog Hollow before, you’ll know that Samantha and Josh finally tied the knot on the first anniversary of the sanctuary’s opening – a lovely occasion, surrounded by friends and family (some of them a rather lovely surprise). But for Lauren, who’s Josh’s aunt, it was more a shock than a surprise – she’d rather come round to the idea of becoming more than friends with Samantha’s dad Jonathan, but she discovered that he seemed rather more interested in rekindling things with his ex-wife Debs. And this latest book is primarily Lauren’s story – although it never loses focus on developments at the rescue centre or Josh and Sam’s future lives – as we dip into the sadnesses of her past through her less favoured childhood and her two failed marriages. The second one might just have been a mistake – but the first was to Shaun, the love of her life, her true North, and she’s never really recovered from her heartbreak when he inexplicably walked away twenty-six years ago. And just now her present day life isn’t going too well either. While Sam’s away on her honeymoon, and her sister’s too busy with her new life to listen, she finds herself facing other big changes in her life – along with the unexpected opportunity to discover what really happened all those years ago.

Lauren’s whole story moves into rather unexpected territory that might have been a challenge for a lesser author – and I must say that I thought she totally knocked it out of the park. The issues were really sensitively handled, the whole subject so well researched, and the emotional side particularly affecting. And another part of her story that I really loved was her fledgling relationship with new friend Riley – such a lovely guy (shame about his job…), and I loved the whole handling of the common ground they shared and the way he stepped up when the chips were down. I wonder if I might find myself a Riley at my local garden centre? Ah well, if not, I’d certainly take some white mice as consolation!

Of course, life goes on at the Hollow – there are hedgehog lives to save, and the friends and family step in to keep things running while Sam and Josh are in Tanzania on their honeymoon. And we get to travel with them, although their storyline perhaps becomes rather more about honesty and trust and coming to terms with fears for the future than their experiences in paradise. And just for the sake of balance, I think I must mention that their trip was the only part of the book that might have disappointed me just a teeny bit – I never really got a strong sense of place, and it all turned a little bit too angsty for me. But I did thoroughly enjoy the ongoing stories of all the other characters – and, do you know, I think I need to drop the word “characters” because they’re all real people to me, and I feel totally invested in the way their lives move on.

If you haven’t read the other books in this lovely series (and, if you haven’t, why on earth not?!), you might just find that there’s rather a large cast to get your head around and to understand their back stories and the relationships between them. Sometimes too, when you’re reading a series, it’s easy to forget what happened last time, however involved you were in everyone’s lives for as long as you were reading. Worry not – there’s a really useful list of the recurring characters at the start of the book for you to refer to, and a “story so far” to bring you back up to speed. In fact, it’s all so well done that some people might just like to try this one as a standalone – but you might feel you were missing out on the background a little, and why deny yourself the pleasure?

I’ve written the sixth and final book in my head already – I know whose stories I’d like to read the most, and which of them I’d really love to find their happy ending. This is just such a perfect series of books – and as I think this was the best so far (and very highly recommended by me), could I dare to hope that the sixth might be even better?

How amazing! Each book in this series has been so much more than just a simple story of love and friendship, this author tackles very deep and poignant life story lines and does it so well and so beautifully. The amount of research, sweat and tears that they put into each word is so blatantly obvious and the final result is something spectacular that really resonates and leaves you thinking long after you’ve finished reading.
I really liked Lauren and Riley and how they were drawn to each other and found sharing their deepest darkest secrets with each so easily. Riley is the perfect other half for Lauren. The whole Shaun/Sasha storyline was unexpected but so sensitively done and I really enjoyed it, very much feeling quite similarly to Lauren as she learnt the truth.
It was great to see the regular characters and seeing them progress and grow, seeing Sam and Josh supporting each other and looking to grown not only their family but their business. I’ll be sad when this series comes to an end as I’ve enjoyed every single visit.

Fabulous visit back to Hedgehog Hollow!
This time it’s Lauren who shares the spotlight, and what a fascinating story she has to share!
Lots of twists and surprises, it was a real drama filled time.
So lovely to catch up with everyone else too, and to see the sanctuary continue to grow and thrive.
Already looking forward to the next book in this fantastic book series.

Thank you #NetGalley @BoldwoodBooks @BooksandTonic for a complimentary eARC of #ChasingDreamsAtHedgehogHollow by Jessica Redland upon my request. All opinions are my own.

Chasing Dreams at Hedgehog Hollow is #5 in the Hedgehog series. While Samantha and Josh are the main characters in book one of the series, each of the subsequent installments features a family member or a character in the community who is close to the couple. In this story, we learn about Lauren with a few chapters from Samantha’s point of view. In each installment, the author keeps us up to date with Samantha and Josh and the hedgehog rescue operation.

Stand-alone? Although this fifth installment of the Hedgehog series can be read as a stand-alone, a series is always best read in order for a richer reading experience (in my opinion). The author has created a large cast of characters (family and community) with complicated relationships that are somewhat difficult to remember and track unless you are reading the installments one right after the other. Redland does provide a list of characters at the beginning of the book for handy reference that I found myself referring to frequently. Despite the list, I think a reader jumping into the series with this installment might be a bit lost or overwhelmed with the number of characters.

I appreciate that the author keeps us up to date on Samantha and Josh, the foundational couple in the series. They won my heart in (book one) Finding Love at Hedgehog Hollow (my favorite of the series) and I continue with the series to follow their story arc.

Our main protagonist in Chasing Dreams at Hedgehog Hollow is Lauren (Josh’s aunt) and I love the themes of second chances and taking risks that her story explores. Lauren’s story is an interesting one. At midlife, Lauren has had two failed marriages and recently finds herself unemployed as a result of redundancy. This could be a story of despair, but the author infuses it with hope.

Several thoughtful themes include second chances, family and friendship, hope, sexual identity, secrets, starting over, supportive community/family, animal rescue, and complicated relationships.

If you enjoy stories that include animal rescue, the hedgehog rescue operation will add to your reading enjoyment! Jessica Redland has taught us a great deal about these cute creatures throughout the series.

Content Considerations: domestic abuse/controlling spouse, death from cancer (not a main character). ***The author explores difficult content in each of her books but with a light and sensitive touch.

Recommended for fans of heartfelt, page-turning women’s fiction, for readers who appreciate stories featuring animal rescue, and for those who love rural English settings. Again, I recommend the series in order.

As the title suggests it's another book in the The Hedgehog Hollow series and a definite must read
Samantha and Josh are back from their honeymoon and are back at work
While we do catch up with the other characters this book focuses more on Josh's aunt Lauren and her story
I wanted to get to the end so I could see what happened with her story but then didn't want to rush it as I didn't want the book to end !

This is book five in The Hedgehog Hollow series. It can be read as a standalone novel but it is such a lovely series and I highly recommend starting at book one to get the full experience. It is such a fantastic series. I had to wait until I wasn't busy to read this book as I know that I would struggle to put it down. I managed to read it in a couple of days, it is a fabulous book.
This book follows Lauren who we met in the last book, and Sam after she returns from her Honeymoon. It seamlessly moves between the characters.
There are lost of twists and turns in this book and just as I thought I knew what would happen, there was another twist. It definitely kept me guessing.
There were a lot of emotional and heartwarming scenes in this book. I really enjoyed reading it. I can't wait for the next book, although I'm also sad that it will be the last in the series.
Thank you to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for my ARC.

I do so enjoy the originality of this series and the effortlessly sensitive way the author explores contemporary issues through her characters. We begin where book four ends at Sam and Josh's wedding, and the story unfolds through Sam and Lauren's viewpoints. I like Lauren, and her secrets keep you turning the pages. Sam and Josh's honeymoon is featured, but it's their return to their home tugs at the heartstrings.

I love the ups and downs of the familial relationships and the sense of hope this story has. The final chapters are heartwarmingly poignant.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher.