Unfortunately a DNF. Rating ⭐️

In this story we are following Tallie who owns & runs a herb farm. It’s the cutest farm with beautiful sceneries & animals. The story literally starts with a pig in a kitchen!

The setting of the story was so lovely but immediately I was put off by our MMC Zeb & our FMC’s mother. Tallie has an estranged relationship with her mother. Her mother can’t quite let Tallie run the farm on her own (or her own life), which leads her mother to send our MMC to the farm for a job that doesn’t exist.

On the first page our FMC walks in to a stranger in her kitchen asking for a job (Thanks to Tallies mother) but im confused on why this man allowed himself into her home without permission? Zeb our MMC ends up having a short part time job that essentially wasn’t Tallies choice. After Tallie saying there was no job to have, Zeb still found his way to get one.

As if that isn’t a huge red flag in its own. Zeb lied in his first conversation with Tallie then proceeds to literally break in to Tallie’s farm at night after she said “please go away” at this point I decided to DNF. Which is super unfortunate considering the premise of the story is intriguing.

I am so grateful for the opportunity to read this book before the publication date but I don’t want to be dishonest. I found myself forcing myself to read because I knew when requesting an arc & being accepted in return I leave a review. But at the end of the day I read to have fun & I wasn’t. I want to give my unbiased opinion no matter what.

I hope my review didn’t come off as rude because those aren’t my intentions, it’s just hard to leave a review for a book you DNF.

I made the mistake of glancing at a couple of Goodreads comments before starting this book, and genuinely wish I hadn’t. I’m at odds with what I read because this is one of Jane’s most delightful books yet — packed with the expected quirky characters, Once Upon a Thyme takes the reader on a gentle journey of exploration and self-awareness.
Natalie is a complex character with a backstory that reveals a difficult childhood and an awkwardness that would be a challenge to overcome. Bizarrely, I was drawn to her and found myself willing her to discover more about her mother’s mystery illness and get to know Zeb a little better.
Zeb was a revelation, and I genuinely liked everything about him. His calm demeanour and inexhaustible patience were just what Natalie needed to provide her with the support to learn more about herself. I was totally invested in this story and rooting for Zeb to knock through Natalie’s defences.
The characters are all relatable, except for Natalie’s mother, and I found myself trying to predict the outcome; yet this didn’t detract from my enjoyment for a moment. As the stitches securing Natalie’s life begin to fray, she must be brave and continue to follow the path that she has started down.
Whilst this book is romantic fiction, I am familiar with Jane’s writing and instinctively knew that there would be a conclusion that created a feeling of satisfaction and maintained my love for this quirky wordsmith who has never failed to delight me with her craft.

I was totally immersed in this story from the beginning. I am a gardener, and although I don’t possess Natalie’s skill set, I could relate to her passion. The description of her gardens brought wonderful peaceful images to my mind. Well, peaceful, until Big Pig got out his fencing and daintily pranced all over the herbs. I must admit that I am fond of Big Pig, even with her escapes.

The characters are wonderfully created, and I quickly became fond of them. (Most of them anyway.) I had ideas of what I thought would happen, and was somewhat correct, although I had a couple surprises.

Natalie is such a beautiful person, and I thank the author, Jane Lovering for gifting me this forgiving, lovely women to carry around in my mind now. She could have become a bitter human, but she chose love.

The book cover is beautiful book and fits the story so very well. That is important to me. I think the artist has Natalie perfectly drawn and painted. Actually, I would love this cover to be blown up and framed.

A sincere thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for giving me the pleasure of reading the advance reader copy, with no obligation to write a review. My review is written freely as a hobby, and is totally my own opinion, not influenced by receiving the ARC.

Fabulous book by Jane Lovering. Well written with a storyline that kept me from putting the book down. Highly recommend.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received an ARC of Once Upon a Thyme from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review. I'm giving it a 3.5 rounded up to 4 stars, because despite the flaws, I thoroughly enjoyed the book.

Once Upon a Thyme is a charming, slow-burn romance set on a picturesque herb farm, following Tallie, a hardworking woman juggling her family’s herb business and a difficult relationship with her ostensibly ailing mother. When Zeb, a surprise business consultant is hired to help boost the farm’s fortunes, a sweet connection slowly develops between them amid family secrets, a famous band’s surprise arrival, and a journey of self-discovery.

Things I loved: Zeb, oh Zeb. Despite the wacky name I wasn’t totally sold on, he was a breath of fresh air: wonderfully non-toxic, compassionate, and supportive without ever being aloof or overbearing. His gentle kindness and awkward charm made the slow-building romance feel genuine and heartwarming. The herb farm was quaint and original - I’m not sure I ever read a book in that setting before. I also enjoyed the band subplot. The Goshawk Traders were beautifully absurd (harem pants! washboards! Mika!) and helped spark Tallie’s personal growth in a fun and earned way. Big Pig was a delight, adding humor and a touch of exasperation to the story. The characters felt their age, which made their interactions and struggles feel authentic. The mom, while incredibly unlikeable (as she should be) was believably toxic

Things I didn’t love: The pacing was uneven. The first quarter of the book dragged with repetitive moaning and groaning over Tallie’s burdens and her mother’s illness: “Oh no! I love the farm, I have a secret, I’m the boss, my mom sucks but I love her anyway!” The big family secrets unfolded at a reasonable pace, and the fact that I put things together lots faster than Tallie (and a little faster than Zeb, tbh) felt fair, although the depth of the secret pushed the bounds of believability. The problem was that everything after that point happened too quickly near the end, feeling rushed and crammed. Tallie’s sudden decision to break into the wedding industry came out of nowhere, lacking foreshadowing or buildup, and I wanted more chapters after the big reveal to see how she integrated her new insights into her life before the epilogue.

Overall, Once Upon a Thyme is a sweet, cozy romance with a lot of heart, set against a vivid rural backdrop. It’s not perfect, but it’s a quick and pleasant and summer read.

Perfect for fans of: Herbs, gardening, farms, Days of Our Lives, quirky animals, coming-of-age stories, cinnamon roll heroes, and happily ever after epilogues.

When a book starts with a pig in a kitchen eating a satsuma, then you know you're in for a great reading experience!! And that's exactly what I had with Once Upon a Thyme!! I loved it from the first page to last, and I now want to run my own herb farm!!

Tallie is at the heart of the story, running the farm she took over from her Mum, but her Mum is still there in the background 'helping' - often to the annoyance of Tallie, but she's been brought up to not ask questions and to keep her Mum happy as she's suffered ill health for as long as Tallie can remember - anything for a quiet life.

It's only when Zeb shows up at the farm to help out, employed by her Mum!, that Tallie starts to find her own voice and wanting to make some changes to how things are run and how she wants to take the farm forward. There's a few bumps in the road along the way, and she discovers some shocking news that really rocks her to the core.

There's always something going on at the farm to raise a smile - Big Pig is my favourite! - and some worries, and I really loved the setting and characters we get to meet along the way! Highly recommended!!

Tally is a woman in her late twenties who runs a herb farm. It has always been a part of her family, first belonging to her grandma, then her mother, before Tally buys it outright from her mum.
It's a tough gig, especially as she has caring responsibilities for her mother, unwell with an unknown illness, but she loves being with the plants, and her guinea pigs, and especially Big Pig, her sow.
She ends up with Zeb, a marketing consultant appointed by her mother, tagging along as she goes about her life.
A chance visit from an up-and-coming band who want to use the farm to shoot videos gives Tally the chance of some more income, much-needed funds to continue her small, struggling business, and under the guidance of Zeb, she hesitantly agrees.
But there are lots of things going on, with thinking about a certain band member, as well as looking out for her mother, and trying to quell feelings that are building about someone else.
It's a slow-rumbling romance, with a slightly darker moment when secrets are uncovered; however, it's a lovely summer read.
A gorgeous story filled with love, a twist of mystery and a lot of hope.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an ARC.

Tillie has a small life. She runs the family herb farm and is at the beck and call of her ailing mother. When her mother arranges for Zeb to come and assist with the business, Tillie gradually starts to question her life choices and her story unfolds.
This is a nice story, fairly unsurprising and I did feel it had been unnecessarily padded out in the last third. Very long chapters too, if you're a "grab a quick chapter" person, be prepared!
This is my first Jane Lovering book and I'd definitely read more.

This book took me a little while to get into, but I enjoyed it! Tillie and Zeb are great characters with great stories, I would have loved to see a bit more of their story together, and hear more about Tillie’s emotional journey.

Thank you boldwood for arc when I started reading I realised it’s long chapters which I don’t like nothing to do the author but I did struggle to read it because of this and took me longer than normal for a short book

The book is about a self discovery on the main character herself and she works in a herb shop and when later on her mum brings a band to make a video in the garden I don’t want to spoiler it for people

Overall it was ok pacing and lack at times I struggle to read some characters end up skipping a few pages I was a bit slow for me the plot was ok and it was nice to the development of the main character 3 stars

A good read, got a bit frustrating in the middle. The main character had had a strange life. She ran a herb farm and supported her mum. I loved the pig, You got some great twists which I did not see coming. A neat ending. Also got romance .

I knew this was going to be another winner from Jane Lovering from the opening scene with the pig - what a brilliant start to the story! This book has all the things I love about Jane Lovering’s books: a glorious Yorkshire setting, real and flawed characters, and lashings of heart and humour. Jane isn’t just a great storyteller, she’s a wonderful writer too: her sentences are so skilfully constructed and make all her books a delight to read. Highly recommended to anyone who enjoys romance with real depth and feeling.

This is a quietly powerful and emotionally rich story about finding your voice, uncovering long-buried truths, and stepping into a life of your own choosing. Natalie Fisher has spent her entire life in service to others—first as a child caring for her chronically ill mother, then as the reluctant caretaker of the family herb farm. She’s used to putting her own dreams aside, so when unexpected opportunities arrive—a helpful newcomer named Zeb, and a musical group looking to record an album on her land—Natalie begins to glimpse the life she might have had.

As she opens her world to new people and new experiences, Natalie also opens the door to long-suppressed questions about her family and her own identity. The novel skillfully balances the slow rhythms of farm life with the emotional urgency of Natalie’s self-discovery. Her journey is both tender and deeply resonant, with moments of revelation that are both painful and liberating.

The writing is lyrical yet grounded, and the characters—especially Natalie—are drawn with warmth and complexity. Zeb and the musicians bring charm and change, but it’s Natalie’s transformation that holds the heart of the story. This is a beautifully told, character-driven novel that lingers after the final page.

“Once Upon a Thyme” is by Jane Lovering. This is a really sweet book about a woman, Tillie, who runs her family herb farm. Not that I ever want to run an herb farm, but man that sounds like an amazing job to have. But I digress. While at work one day, Zeb appears and it’s discovered that Tillie’s mother has hired him to improve the marketing of the farm. Then, later that same day, a famous band shows up at the farm wanting to film their next video at the farm. In amongst all of this, Tillie’s mother is in ill health - so amongst all her duties (running the farm, doing the billing, arguing with Zeb about things, wrangling pigs into their enclosures) when her mother calls, Tillie drops everything to help her. I will agree with other reviewers who said that the pig escapades became a bit repetitive. Also, I quickly worked out how things were related and really felt like the mother was even a bigger piece of work than before (didn’t like her throughout the book). This was a quick okay read for me; descriptions of the farm were lovely!

Tallie owns and runs a lovely herb garden once run by her grandmother and mother. Her mother is a serious bother, suffering all her life from some mysterious ailment. She hires Zeb as a market analyst behind Tallie’s back. This further alienates Tallie. The story moves through a band making a video in the garden, Tallie and Zeb’s relationship, and her mother’s persistent demands. A captivating story.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A lighthearted read which captured my imagination from start to finish. A romantic story with humour throughout. What’s not to like?
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.

I love Jane Lovering's books, so I requested this as soon as it popped up on Netgalley.
Tally runs a herb farm (and looks after her sick mother). She's pretty busy keeping the farm running. Then this band turns up and wants to film the video for their latest album in the herb farm - they'll hire the place out for a few days. Tally needs the money, so she agrees.
The band brings with it all kinds of disruption.
There is a romance in the book - with this guy who comes in as a business consultant to help her with the farm (hired by her mother, not Tally!), but the book is more about Tally herself and her relationship with her mother. There's a mystery element that runs through the story as well. I love a good character driven story, so I loved this one. There are animals and shenanigans and funny moments - which I've come to expect with a Jane Lovering book, but most of all it's a heartfelt story about a woman coming into her own.

I was so excited when I began reading this novel. I thought how much fun it was to meet a pig having a snack on a kitchen counter. It reminded me of Katie Fforde's novels which I so enjoyed reading in the past. Unfortunately, Tallie's tale did not continue in that entertaining vein. It's a solid 3.5 Stars, though.

Tallie is a late 20's owner of an herb shop in a small
english village. The shop was once her grandmother's and she now owns it, having bought out her mother. She is subject to her mother's whims and summonses but knows nothing about her (late) father or her own history.

Enter a passing folk rock group who want to rent her property for a new release album video. Also enter a former chef hired by her mother to help manage Tallie's business. From this point on, the rest of the novel is predictable and lacking in suspense. No surprise ending for me here. But it's a quick read anyway.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC copy of this book.


I was so excited when I began reading this novel. I thought how much fun it was to meet a pig having a snack on a kitchen counter. It reminded me of Katie Fforde's novels which I so enjoyed reading in the past. Unfortunately, Tallie's tale did not continue in that entertaining vein. It's a solid 3.5 Stars, though.

Tallie is a late 20's owner of an herb shop in a small
english village. The shop was once her grandmother's and she now owns it, having bought out her mother. She is subject to her mother's whims and summonses but knows nothing about her (late) father or her own history.

Enter a passing folk rock group who want to rent her property for a new release album video. Also enter a former chef hired by her mother to help manage Tallie's business. From this point on, the rest of the novel is predictable and lacking in suspense. No surprise ending for me here. But it's a quick read anyway.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC copy of this book.

A book full of so much heart. And one that pulled at it too.
I felt so strongly for this story. It had way more to it to truly get involved and and love.
Natalie was such a golden egg. She truly deserved so much and yet many people including those closest didn't seem to treat her right. Not right at all.
Then 2 men pop into her world. One wants to use her work for their band. The other is said to be someone who can bring good Pr to said work.
With one there comes a kindness. A fresh likable person to even trust with herself. The other well...you will see.
Jane writes her books so beautifully. You fall for the place and the people. I couldn't read enough of her books and look forward to her books more than I could ever begin to describe in review.
This book felt even more clever. Because realistically we don't all have the cliche trope good mum you see in books(which are still blooming fab as they fit into their stories wonderfully) and it felt real to put a mother like NAtalies. It felt like something others could definitely see themselves in and feel once again held by a book.
The title and place of work was also a cute winner for me.

This quick read genuinely captivated my attention. As I read it, I believed it was taking a more sinister turn. Tallie, the owner and operator of a herb farm, was unexpectedly visited by Zeb one day to work part-time. He quickly became an integral part of her business, and I couldn’t help but worry that this was more of a tale of a “naive farmer falling prey to an interloper” than a budding romance. Fortunately, it wasn’t as sinister as I had anticipated, but it certainly delved into some heavier themes. The central focus was Tallie’s complicated relationship with her chronically ill and codependent mother. As the story unfolded, several intriguing truths were revealed, forcing Tallie to confront and reevaluate her life. This is a closed-door romance with minimal romantic tension. I recommend checking it out.

Thank you, Boldwood Books, for providing this book for review consideration through NetGalley. All opinions expressed are solely my own.