After losing her husband, Ottilie Oakcroft moves to the small village of Thimblebury, in the Lake District, where she has bought Wordsworth Cottage.

Ottilie was a nurse in a large Manchester hospital, but can’t bring herself to live there anymore, following her husband’s death. She is now going to be working from the local doctor’s and for some of the surrounding villages.

She very quickly comes to know her neighbours and soon realises she will never be off duty! When a flood threatens to change all of Ottilie’s plans, the neighbours all come together to ensure they keep their nurse.

This was a lovely and easy story to read. I couldn’t help but feel for Ottilie & sympathise with her pain, she had been through so much.

I loved the characters in the story, having grown up in a tiny village myself, everything about this story was spot on - especially the different characters. They made me smile, and also took me on a trip down memory lane.

I liked the on/off feelings between Ottilie and Heath, I understood Ottilie’s alarm at the thought of being with someone else after losing the love of her life.

A beautifully written romance, that made me not only laugh, but cry too. Lovely descriptive writing that made me feel as though I was there in the village. This story really was a joy to read.

My thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Ottilie Oakcraft is a new widow and is starting life over. She has taken a nursing job in new surroundings in the village of Thimblebury. She found the perfect home in Wordsworth Cottage and everything around her is quite idyllic. Hitting it off with her new neighbors and patients is really helping her to deal with her grief. The villagers are wonderful and Ottilie has one geriatric patient named Flo who she really finds a connection with.

Keeping busy might be enough to help Ottilie deal with her grief. Just as she is getting her bearings, she finds that she might be losing her home due to a natural disaster. The villagers are not about to let that happen and Flo’s grandson Heath is there for Ottilie in a huge way with helping her with repairs. While Ottilie reluctantly finds herself drawn to Heath, she feels she is tarnishing the memories of her husband, and feels keeping distance from him is a very good idea.

This touching story is so warm in so many ways. Ottilie, the villagers and the village itself are absolutely wonderful. As the story develops, there is a such a nice feel to it. There is a slow romance that grows between Ottilie and Heath, all while letting herself deal with her grief and be able to show herself grace, and allow permission to herself to be happy. I love that this book is the first book in a new series. I can’t wait to see the next story and characters that Tilly Tennant will be bringing to her readers.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

i dnf-ed this at 10%. i couldn’t get over how SLOW it was moving, and it just wasn’t for me. tilly tennant’s writing is nice, but just drags on and on.

This is the Ottile who was recently widowed. She sold their house and moved to Thimblebury village where she bought a cottage and was fitting perfectly into the village and had met most of the people. She went to many activities . As as she was feeling a part of the village, they had a rare episode of rain and her cottage flooded. She had no flood insurance so the only thing she could think of was going back where she came from, but the village wasn't going to let that happen.. They all worked to get her cottage restored.. She stayed with Corrine and Victor at the farm. Then there was Flo's son Heath. See what happens . A GREAT READ.

Really enjoyed this book. Was disappointed when it ended. Would love for it to become a series. .

A Helping Hand for the Village Nurse by Fully Tennant

Ottilie Oakcroft never thought she’d live in a place like Wordsworth Cottage. Nestled close to the river, her new home in the tiny village of Thimblebury means all her patients are just a stone’s throw from her front door. As they drop in for cups of tea and cosy chats she ignores all the jobs on her to-do list and gets to know her new neighbours.
Loved this book. I live in Cumbria and many areas are renowned for flooding so this title was very apt and believable , throw in some romance and people pulling together and it's a perfect read.

It's a beautiful book which brings the scenic, green, vibrant, and breath-taking view of the English countryside right in front of your eyes. More than the storyline, the way the author has narrated the settings and surroundings is unique and natural. The village Thimblebury plays an important character in the story. I wish the author had continued on and elaborated a little bit more on Ottille and Heath's love story. It's a good read. Going with 4-star.

I wasn't prepared for this book. it sucked me in and had me so invested. Parts of this book genuinely made my heart hurt. Ottilie sets up home in a tiny village, she's settling into her new life, job and home when disaster strikes. She has already faced so much devastation oin her life and can't see how to battle once again, the community come together to try and save the day and Ottilie meets a special someone.

Ottilie decided to pack her belongings and relocate from Manchester to the quaint village of Thimbleberry. Embracing a freshly available nursing position, she welcomed the chance for a new beginning. Her husband's passing in the hospital where she worked had rendered her unable to continue in her previous role. After settling into her new surroundings over a few weeks, a sudden rainstorm flooded her cottage, presenting repair challenges beyond her means. Facing the prospect of abandoning everything, she found unexpected support from her newfound community in Thimbleberry.

This novella offered a charming escape, though I felt it attempted to juggle too many storylines within its brevity. A deeper exploration of character development would have been welcome. Nevertheless, I found delight in the villagers and the picturesque village scenery. Having experienced floods in my own town annually, I appreciated the portrayal of community solidarity in the aftermath of such natural disasters. Despite their devastation, they often reveal the inherent kindness of people.

Gratitude to Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview this title ahead of its release on May 24, 2024.

This is the gorgeous first book a brand new series by Tilly. She is quickly becoming an author to watch. This is a beautiful story about Ottilie Oakcroft and learning to trust people as she is loved by the people around her. A prefect book for around the pool this summer.

This is one of my favourite authors and I was excited to see they had a new series out and I couldn’t wait to get stuck in.

This was a heartwarming and engaging read with great characters and set in the beautiful setting of the Lake District which is one of my favourite places so this added to my enjoyment.

I loved the community feel and how everyone pulled together to help each other. This was a lovely heartwarming read of making a fresh start and finding happiness and making
New friends.

Looking forward to the next instalment

Love Tilly Tenant books. Ottilie Moves to Thimblebury to help her get over the tragedy in her life. She doesn't realise how much she'll be drawn into village life as her role of village nurse continues. She gets included in all the villagers lives.

I loves this small town. It was adorable. I am from a big city so it is nice to immerse myself in a small town.

Otillie Oakcroft moves to the lovley village of Thimblebury in the lakes after husband Josh is tragically killed while at work. She needs to move away from Manchester and away from the constant worry about living in Manchester.
She quickly fits into village life as there new nurse and friend.
After a terentantial down poor the village is flooded and Otillies house is the worse hit. All the locals rally round to help her sort her house out aswell as do a bit of matchmaking.
Love Tilly Tennant books a really good story that kept you captivated.

I really enjoyed this book, it was an easy read with some great characters and fab descriptions of the Lake District.

Ottilie is a great character and her warm and caring personality really shines through, she connects with people and makes them feel seen and worthwhile. Heath was an interesting character too, he was guarded but really loves his gran so kept getting thrown together with Ottilie and we see little cracks to his true self, who over time we finally get to see.

A lovely community has been created and I really hope we get to go back again and catch up with these great characters.

A Helping Hand for the Village Nurse ARC by Tilly Tennant — ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Tropes 🌷
- small village
- found family
- slow burn
- forced proximity

“She had Heath to thank for that, there at the right place and the right time, like a knight on a horse coming to rescue her.” — Ottilie

I loved books like this — nurses or a medical practitioner as main characters. It’s just so warm, and you get to feel the reality that they faced in the medical field. 💗

This book had me daydreaming of living in a small village. The found family was everything I could ever ask for. They helped Ottilie get through her toughest times, and in a way, she helps them by being her self; kind, caring and her love for helping others. 🥹

And the tension and slow burn were giving off such a spark ✨ It had me grinning, smiling and laughing while reading this. 💗

I really enjoyed this book and can’t wait to see what’s in store next for Ottilie and Heath. I badly need to know what happens next. 🫶🏻

If you want a warm and fuzzy story that will make you giggle and get emotional at the same time, this is the book!! ‘A Helping Hand for the Village Nurse’ will be out on May 24, 2024 🗓️💗✨

PS: Thank you for this beautiful book @tillytennant6000 @netgalley and @bookouture . I had so much fun reading this book, and I can’t wait for people to read how amazing it is.💗💗💗✨

Read and reviewed in exchange for a free copy from NetGalley. I really enjoyed this book. Tennant created an engaging cast of characters and I was invested in the book. I'm looking forward to reading future books in the series - maybe one focusing on Fliss?!

I really really wanted to love this and I thought it would be perfect vibes for my weekend getaway. But, it just didn't do it... Flo was my favourite character throughout - I loved her wittiness and no nonsense attitude. The characters were attachable, funny, caring in a cozy way. The rural vibes were there and on point.

One of the biggest downfalls (without giving away any spoilers) was that there was very little chemistry between Ottilie and Heath. I just kept wanting more *chemistry*. It was predictable and obvious that they were being set up from the beginning but there was no chemistry AT ALL. I was rooting for them but I feel like everything happened so suddenly...? This is one of those books that was good but just lacked a little something.

This was such a fun read - Ottilie is dealing with heartbreak after loss and moves to a new village for a change and fresh start.

After her place is flooded, lovely Heath comes to help her and of course sparks fly. I loved the different characters in the village and their stories as the book goes on. Heath is a dreamboat character and they both seem perfect together.

This book is perfect escapism to the lake District and I really enjoyed this book!

Set in a picturesque village in the Lake District, I loved the location.
Ottilie wanted a new start away from her native Manchester after tragedy struck her perfect life. Ottilie is the new nurse at the village medical centre and she is so beautifully caring.
A gorgeous story about the fabulous community of Thimblebury and the way the residents pull together.
Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for the early copy, and this is my honest review.
I loved it!