Reading a Jessica Redland novel is like sinking into a warm bubble bath. You feel enveloped and cozy, and time just disappears. This story made me cry, and made me smile in equal measure, and I was sad when it finished.

Melanie’s world imploded when her beloved son Noah died. He was only 18, with the world ahead of him, and she blamed herself for not noticing the recent anomalies in his life. Angry at herself, and the world, Mel left her beloved Flynn behind, and moved away, divorced and tried to move on with her life. Many years later, the pull of her family became too much and after a family visit Mel decides to move back home – but what will happen when she sees Flynn?

A brilliant sequel to the ‘Escape to the Lakes’ series. I loved every minute of this story, and it was wonderful meeting ‘old friends ‘again such as Emma and her Alpacas. A fabulous story that would work as a stand-alone book or part of the series.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7493766548

https://maddybooksblog.blogspot.com/2025/04/sunshine-after-rain-by-jessica-redland.html

Another brilliant visit to the Lakes, catching up with friends old and new.
Mel has been running for a long time, after the death of her son and the end of her marriage she can’t face her beloved village of Willowdale in the Lakes.
She returns for a family event and soon realises she’s missing her family and Willowdale more than she thought, she needs to heal and amyber coming home and the support of her family will start that journey.
Mel lands her dream job at Willowdale Hall and soon with the help of everyone’s kindness starts to see light at the end of the tunnel. She gets stronger everyday and soon she’s ready to face the one man she’s always loved.
Great to catch up and loving this series.

Thank you net gallery for allowing me to read and review.

I Was really looking forward to forward to reading this book and it didn't disappoint.

Mel has had a lot gong on in her life so runs away to Newcastle. Hoping this will help heal after the tragic death of her son, and leading to the divorce from her husband.

The story has so many twists and turns along the way but end wonderfully.

A real Feel good book.

This is a big warm hug in a book, this is the 4th in this series if you haven’t read them give yourself a treat and settle into this lake side greatness. The character are so well written and have depth but the books aren’t “padded” like some others, I am already looking forward to number 5,

this is a book in a series but can be read as a standalone. It has recurring characters and some new ones, always love a trip to the Lake district.

Another installment in the Lake District with the recurring cast of characters but don’t let that put you off as this can be read as a standalone book. It deals with some quite heavy topics but it still leaves you with a smile. For me, the best character is the location which is described beautifully but I enjoyed the really relatable characters, a good bit of escapism that could leave you with a tear in your eye.

After a tragic event Mel left her home and everyone she loved to start a new life in Newcastle. For seven years she has had limited contact with her family for fear of what getting too close might mean.
Now she is ready to move back to Willowdale in the Lake District, the place she always felt happy. Ready to re-connect and face the demons that still haunt her and colour her life grey.
Getting a job working on Willowdale Hall, a place Mel has always longed to get inside, is a good start.
A lot of bridges need to be re-built and some difficult conversations need to take place.
But Willowdale Hall is a special place and as Mel immerses herself in work and making new friends she begins to relax and find ways to accept the past and face the future.
Can Willowdale Hall work its magic and help Mel bring the colour back to her life and be happy again?
A book that will take you on a roller coaster of emotions, with characters you will instantly connect with, set in a beautiful place.
It can be read as a standalone, there are lots of back-story reminders, but I would absolutely recommend the full series, as all of the books are wonderful reads full of vibrant characters and great stories.

This is an emotionally heavy book dealing with loss. That said, I think it was well written with well-developed characters. Mel and Flynn are crushed when their 18-yr old son Noah dies of an accidental overdose. He hid his drug use and Mel was determined to learn who gave him the drugs. It caused a huge divide in their relationship, especially when Mel goes off to another town to escape everything including her family. When she returns home for her mom's 80th birthday, she realized how much she had missed and how she hurt her family. She decides to move back and is given the opportunity to remodel her favorite building and live there while doing so. There is a lot to this story but most importantly is talks about dealing with grief and letting those who love you be there with you. Flynn was my favorite character as he graciously let Mel work through her grief. I received an advanced reader copy of this book from NetGalley, and this is my honest review.

Simply stunning.

I've laughed and cried at many points throughout this book. It is beautifully written and I loved being back in the Lakes. Jessica's books always transport me into the pages and this one was no exception.

I loved catching up with characters from the other books and Mels journey was one that just got me.

I say this with every book by Jessica but she is one of my favourite authors and her books just find a way to slot perfectly into my heart.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

An excellent read for any and all readers! Author comes at you with both barrels and knocks you out of your shoes! Great job fleshing out all the characters. I give this book FIVE stars! Definitely recommend!

An excellent read for any and all readers! Author comes at you with both barrels and knocks you out of your shoes! Great job fleshing out all the characters. I give this book FIVE stars! Definitely recommend!

Another wonderful story from Jessica Redland, but do make sure you have your tissues at the ready!!
This instalment follows Mel as she visits her family home and also her past. She decides to move back home and not hide from difficult events in her past.

It’s lovely to see returning characters, it’s always great to catch up on what they are up to! And it such familiar and beautiful surroundings.

This story does deal with quite a bit of grief and can be quite heart wrenching in places. The more you read the more you become involved in this families lives and appreciate just what they have all been through.

I did really enjoy it, just found it quite an emotional read, which some may find a little difficult if they have suffered loss too.

I loved the blossoming new friendships with characters we have met previously, how accepting they are and willing to help someone new. Also the dynamic between Mel and her sister is really good.

I also loved the relationship between Mel and her ex-husband as they take steps to mend what shattered for them in the past.

All in all another wonderful book, just with a lot of sadness and heartfelt moments, so have those tissues at the ready as you delve into this one!

This is book four in the series, but luckily it works perfectly as a standalone—which is how I read it. I truly enjoyed this story and will definitely be picking up the first three as soon as I can. Much like the author's other books I’ve read, it’s full of lovable, realistic characters. Her writing always feels so homely and heartwarming, yet it still takes you on an emotional rollercoaster in the best way.

Free courtesy of Netgalley.

Another visit to the lakes with Jessica Redland. I love reading books with characters I have been introduced to before, it makes you feel like you are part of the community.

This book centers around Mel, who is a middle aged woman, who has run away to Newcastle and has very little contact with her family, after the death of a loved one.

The book covers the process of grief, and how there is never a good time to "get over it", how it can completely consume you and ruin your whole life. The book follows the healing that Mel needs by reconnecting with her family and making bold choices with her work.

Making new friends and learning to live again, shows the healing process that Mel needed to go through. I loved this book as it shows understanding that everyone is different when faced with the hardest part of life, losing someone you love.

There is a lot of light heartedness in the book also and it is a beautiful book to read. You do not have to read the books beforehand to enjoy this book but it does touch on the other books that precede it, so you may want to go back and read those too.

Love Jessica Redland books especially the ones about Willowdale. Mel hasn't been back for years but has to go back for a family event. She ends up getting a job at Willowdale Hall, a place she's' always loved even though she's never been inside it

This is book 4 in the series but could be read as a standalone although I recommend starting at the beginning for maximum enjoyment

This was another beautiful instalment of this series and loved being taken back to the lakes. This instalment focuses on the character of Mel and the events which have led up to her returning to the lakes. This was a sad and emotional read at times but also very heartwarming and uplifting at the same time. (It’s hard to review without giving away any spoilers) it is also a story of second chances and that it’s never too late to start again.

I am looking forward to the next instalment of this series.

this is the fourth book set in the lake district and carrys on the story .
mel has come back to willowdale for her mums 80th birthday party she hasnt been back here since her son died and her marriage broke up.
she feels left out of the celebrations.
Flynn has always hoped that mel would come back when she was ready to restart there relationship.
He didnt move out of there family home for a long time incase she did.

When Mels mums health is deteriating she feels guilty for not coming back sooner.
Things change when she gets offered her dream job at the local statley home she and flynn always dreamed of working on together it brings her closer together with her family and she begins to gets answers that heal her from her sons death and she starts to feel the depression shes been in lift.
When Flynn bumps into her in a cafe one day he hopes they can talk and clear the air and hopefully become close again.

Although this is the latest book in a series of 4 centred around the Lake District area for Jessica Redland, you can pick it up and read it without having necessarily read the others as there are character glossaries at the front and plenty of explanations of the back history throughout the book. At times, despite having read the other 3 books, I did find there was perhaps too many characters and plots intermingled so a chunk of the story was taken up by these explanations whereas I think I'd have preferred it to have felt more "standalone" but with the odd cameo reference as for me this did overcomplicate the story.
I took a while to warm to Mel, she felt quite an emotionally immature character and going through a lot of unprocessed grief and trauma but this created quite a barrier to getting to know her or like her initially, things were very centered around her self and that felt unlikeable to me. However there is a character arc and things do open up and become more multifaceted as the book progresses.
It is quite a heavy book, there is a strong theme of loss and grief and if you are looking for an uplifting or comedic book this definitely isn't it. I did find it sad and challenging in this respect, but it is well written and emotive.

Another book in the Willowdale series which can be read as part of the series or standalone. I’ve read all the books now and have got a lot of pleasure from them. The latest book lives up to its title, Sunshine After the Rain. It started off in a very bad place from Mel who has suffered a big tragedy in her life some years ago and not managed to move past it. She eventually returned home to Willowdale and gradually the ‘rain’ stopped and the ‘sun’ started to come out again. An excellent read.

Mel returns back to her birthplace, after 7 long years away. She has a lot to work through and still not in the right headspace. A chance meeting, a new commission and a place top stay lead to new friendships, a full on work project and a lot of grief reignited. However, she also get the chance to lay some ghosts to rest, to reconnect with her past and ultimately feel at home again. A sad but uplifting read.