The Vintage Flower Van on Love Heart Lane – Christie Barlow

The race to save the vintage flower van is on!

Flowers are Florrie Appleton’s life, so when her beloved Aunt Ada passes, and she’s swiftly issued with an eviction notice and told to vacate Rose Cottage, shutter her Vintage Flower Van business, and leave behind Ada’s gorgeous gardens, she’s devastated.

But Florrie is not one to go down without a fight, even if the developer she’s taking on is run by Tom Houston, the man who broke her heart at uni all those years ago.

Tom may have had the upper hand then, but Florrie has the whole of Heartcross behind her now, and as history has shown, there’s nothing this tiny Scottish hamlet can’t accomplish when they band together…

Love Heart Lane – where friends are there for you no matter what.

The Vintage Flower Van on Love Heart Lane is the fourteenth and final book in the Love Heart Lane series by Christie Barlow. If you’ve been here for a while you will know how much I love this series and a tear was definitely shed when I got to the end.

Florrie’s Great Aunt Ada has died and left her Vintage Flower Van business and her cottage with its gardens behind and a promise from Florrie to continue her business. But Florrie is soon handed an eviction notice for Rose Cottage, with the developers threatening to demolish all that Ada had built. It hits harder when Florrie discovers it was the boy who broke her heart at uni, Tom, who is now in charge of the property developers dealing with this. Can Florrie and Heartcross win the battle to keep Ada’s legacy alive.

This final book feels like it has come full circle from the first in the series. The community of Heartcross come together to face this adversity.

Florrie and Ada’s stories are lovely and the addition of the Vintage Flower Van and floristry business felt really wholesome, something that certainly fits within the Love Heart Lane books.

As with all the series we see all the wonderful characters we have visited in the past come together and it is great to see them come together to fight for the Vintage Flower Van and Rose Cottage. And it was great to find out a bit more from residents that have featured in the past, Dolores sounds like a blast!

Christie rounds the series off in such a beautiful epilogue.

Completing this series does feel like I am going to be leaving my friends behind. It has brought me so much joy and I have felt like I have been a part of them. If I could move to Heartcross then I absolutely would!

Heart-warming and feel good this is a beautiful end to a wonderful series.

The Library on Love Heart Lane – Christie Barlow

Don’t miss this very special standalone novel in the Love Heart Lane series. Previously published as Evie’s Year of Taking Chances but now rewritten and improved by the author!

Love, life, and libraries.

Growing up in foster care, Elle Cooper always felt a piece of herself was missing. Now, as her thirtieth birthday approaches, she’s ready to find it. But when instigating the search for her birth mother leads to a while host of unexpected events, this librarian’s quiet life suddenly gets very loud!

With new friends, old flames and surprising influences keeping Elle busy, she soon starts to see that there’s more to life than where you came from – and that where you are right now, and who you have in your corner, is what might just matter most of all…

Love Heart Lane – where friends are there for you no matter what.

How could I not come back for more from the Love Heart Lane series.

Elle is the librarian at the Love Heart Lane library and enjoys a quiet life. As her thirtieth birthday approaches she decides to start the search for her birth mother having grown up in foster care. The search sets in motion a host of events which turns Elle’s life upside down.

Elle is another lovable character that Christie Barlow has created and you find yourself cheering for her as she goes on the journey of searching for her birth mother. Elle’s friend Pippa is also a great character, the opposite personality of Elle but the two complement each other and their friendship brings a smile to your face.

As well as the feel-good heart-warming story, this book also talks of more difficult issues and is done so sensitively and with care.

Despite this being the thirteenth book in the series, you could easily read this as a standalone novel. Although if you haven’t read the others then I highly recommend them.

This is one of my favourite series, it feels like catching up with old friends each time I return and as if I am part of the community. I can’t wait to visit Love Heart Lane again.

A Winter Wedding at Starcross Manor – Christie Barlow

Snuggle up ready for winter with this gorgeous cosy romance!

Love Heart Lane – where friends are there for you no matter what.

Fashion designer Libby Carter has always loved weddings, so when her brother finds himself in a bind and asks her to step in and plan the perfect winter wonderland wedding for guests at his hotel, Starcross Manor, she happily takes on the challenge. But this is no ordinary Christmas wedding and when everything starts to go awry Libby asks gorgeous videographer Guy Hart for help.

This isn’t single dad Guy’s usual gig – and he is not a fan of weddings – but saying no to vivacious Libby isn’t an option – especially when saying yes leads to one very unforgettable kiss under the mistletoe!

I absolutely adore the Love Heart Lane series by Christie Barlow, and this one might just be my favourite one yet (I know I say that every time).

Libby goes to her brother, Flynn’s, rescue when his hotels wedding planner resigns unexpectedly, and organises a Christmas Eve wedding, not one that comes without its challenges. That’s where she enlists the help of the videographer, Guy. Despite not being a fan of weddings Guy can’t help but come to Libby’s aid.

This is the twelfth book in the series but could be read as a standalone, although I highly recommend the full series. They are easy, feel-good reads and we get all the lovable characters returning each time.

Libby and Guy are great characters who connect instantly. My favourite in this have to be Holly and Pickle, both are so adorable. Not forgetting the returning characters like Flynn and Julia.

This one is the contender for my favourite in the series because of the Christmas elements, that are added to what are always delightful reads. And those huts I want to move into one of them, they sound perfect.

They aren’t kidding when they say one you arrive in Heartcross you don’t want to leave, because I never do.

A Summer Surprise at the Little Blue Boathouse – Christie Barlow

Love Heart Lane – where friends are there for you no matter what.

When Bea Fernsby discovers her fiancé’s eyes have been wandering, she calls off the wedding and hits the road. The village of Heartcross in the Scottish Highlands is about as far away from home as she can get, and when she stumbles into the ideal summer job at The Little Blue Boathouse and meets gorgeous vacationer Nolan Hemingway, things finally start looking up.

Now, as an old mystery surfaces and Bea and Nolan band together to find out what happened to his late grandfather’s one true love, fate throws Bea some unexpected curveballs…and promising opportunities.

Bea’s stay is only supposed to last a couple of weeks, but as the old saying goes: ‘One you arrive in Heartcross, you never want to leave…’

They say that once you arrive in Heartcross, you never want to leave, and it is so true. I love the Love Heart Lane series by Christie Barlow, and reading each book feels like coming home.

Bea finds herself heading to the village of Heartcross after discovering has been having an affair. Whilst there she ends up with a job at the Little Blue Boathouse, getting involved in the community and staying longer than the two weeks she had planned. All of which is helped by Nolan, who is staying on the water by the boathouse. Bea and Nolan become friends and look at uncovering the mystery of his grandfathers love for Heartcross and the woman he left behind.

Inevitably I absolutely adored this book, every time I can’t think that these stories can get any better and yet every time I fall in love a little bit more.

The chemistry between Bea and Nolan is obvious from when they meet. Each of them helping to unlock things in each other after their recent personal struggles. As individual characters they were great, and we got to catch up with our favourites from the previous books.

This is the eleventh book in the Love Heart Lane series, however you could easily read this as a standalone book. Although, if you haven’t already, I highly recommend you read them all.

A heart-warming easy read. I can’t wait to return once again. I wish I could move to Heartcross!

The Hidden Secrets of Bumblebee Cottage – Christie Barlow

Love Heart Lane – where friends are there for you no matter what.

A new start…

When Jinny Birdwhistle is pushed over the edge one time too many and quits her job as a tabloid journalist, an impromptu – and rather unconventional – job search leads her to a new house, car, and career making honey and chutney in the small Scottish village of Heartcross. And with handsome beekeeper Gabe Warner to help her learn the ropes, she’s ready to embrace ‘country girl life’ and leave the past behind her.

…uncovers an old secret.

Yet there’s more to strong and silent Gabe than meets the eye and though Jinny planned to leave her journalistic instincts in London, she can’t help doing a little digging. Now, as she uncovers a mystery that links to her own history, Jinny realises that you can’t outrun the truth and the only way to move forward is to face the past. But now that she’s at home in Heartcross, she won’t have to do it alone…

I absolutely love the Love Heart Lane series; it is one of my favourites. Every time I get lost in the village of Heartcross and its latest story, and this time was no exception.

Jinny moves to Bumblebee cottage in Heartcross to become the new honey and chutney maker after she quits her job as a journalist. Swapping city life for country life she is ready to learn the ropes from beekeeper Gabe, but that’s not all she learns. Unable to leave her journalistic skills behind she does some digging on the secretive Gabe and uncovers a secret that links to her own life too.

As with all of the Love Heart Lane series, the newbie, in this case Jinny, is welcomed into the village with open arms from the start and is soon part of the community. She is a lovable character and is able to make friends and settle into this new way of life easily.

One of my favourite things about the series is that we get to catch up with previous characters of the series and it feels like returning home. However, this shouldn’t put you off as it can be read as a standalone, as can all the series, but I urge you to read them all.

Christie’s writing always makes these books so easy to read and get completely lost it, and you can’t help but smile.

I loved it and can’t wait to return to Heartcross again soon.

New Beginnings at the Old Bakehouse – Christie Barlow

Love Heart Lane – where friends are there for you no matter what.

‘A letter, a death, and a baby girl whose name will begin with ‘L’…’

When Heartcross’ resident clairvoyant tells Molly McKendrick to expect a whole lot of scandal and upset to blow in with the approaching winter storm, Molly doesn’t know what to think.

With a baby on the way any week now, and Christmas not far off, the last thing Molly needs is drama, but when she crosses paths with Bree, a sixteen-year-old homeless girl, and takes her in from the cold, secrets from the past flood the present and Molly, her partner Cam, and their son George, are soon experiencing a holiday season filled with unexpected festive surprises….

It’s no secret that I adore the Love Heart Lane series by Christie Barlow, but I have to say this one might just have been my favourite.

This time we follow Molly and Cam’s story, we’ve met them before but life looks very different for them now. And it’s about to change even more for them because with the winter storm comes scandals and past secrets.

Molly welcomes into their home a sixteen-year-old homeless girl, Bree, and in doing so a whole can of worms is opened and secrets from both the bakehouse and Molly’s pasts are revealed.

We know that Heartcross comes together as a community in times of struggle and once again that is what happens. This book features homelessness and gives an insight to what this could be like for those on the streets, especially young kids. I found that the way this was woven into the story was great, and it makes taking Bree into our hearts easy.

Bree was such a lovable character and Dixie was fab too.

This may be number nine in the series, but it could definitely be read as a standalone.

I can’t wait to return again to Heartcross and see what’s instore for the villagers.

The New Doctor at Peony Practice – Christie Barlow

Love Heart Lane – where friends are there for you no matter what.

All’s fair in love and….medicine?

Dr Katie O’Neil has only been in Heartcross a few hours when she finds herself already ruffling feathers – not least with medical school nemesis and new colleague Ben Sanders.

Katie’s the woman Ben loves to hate and until now he’d hoped he’d never set eyes on her again but now she’s back – and living next door!

When a charity boat race down the River Heart puts the two in direct competition, sparks fly. The winner takes it all, but who will it be? And will their prize be far more than they were expecting…

The Love Heart Lane series by Christie Barlow is one of my favourites because they are so easy to read and to get lost in the characters stories, the latest in the collection, The New Doctor at Peony Practice is no exception.

This eighth installment in the series is the story of Ben and Katie. Ben has taken over at the Peony Practice and he has a new colleague arriving to share the workload, however he is shocked when his medical school rival turns up filling that position. Ben and Katie haven’t seen each other since medical school and they have a love hate relationship. From Katie’s arrival you can feel the chemistry between them coming through the pages.

This book highlights dementia with this being a key underlying story to one of the villagers as well as Katie personally. I feel that this has been tackled beautifully.

As always with the Love Heart Lane series it features the wonderful community of Heartcross, and here with the return of characters from the previous books, the village comes together to fundraise for dementia with a boat race, one that sees Katie and Ben go head-to-head.

All my favourite things from the previous books in the series, are evident here to which is why I really enjoyed it. A wonderful setting, community spirit, great characters, a touching story line and easy escapism.

I’m thrilled that we don’t have to wait too long for the next book.

Heartcross Castle – Christie Barlow

Love Heart Lane – where friends are there for you no matter what.

A second chance…

When her grandfather Marley passes away Grace Power discovers she’s been left the beautiful but crumbling estate of Heartcross Castle. As a single mum of three, Grace has no idea what she’s going to do with it – but who can say no to a roof over their kids’ heads and a chance to get away from past hurts?

And a forever home

Heartcross Castle is full of secrets – especially a lost security deposit box that holds the truth to everything…But when celebrity chef Andrew Glossop sets his eyes on the castle and, to make matters worse, mistakes Grace as the new housekeeper, Grace tells him there is absolutely NO CHANCE he is getting his hands on her home.

Devastated to have got it so wrong, Andrew will do anything to make it up to her – but is she willing to listen?

Today is my stop on the Heartcross Castle blog tour. A huge thank you to Rachel’s Random Resources, Christie Barlow and One More Chapter to for the chance to take part.

Heartcross Castle is the seventh installment of the Love Heart Lane series by Christie Barlow. This book can be read as a standalone but I love this series so much that I urge you to read them all.

This latest edition is like you would expect from the series, it is full of lovable characters and a heartwarming, feel-good story.

Grace Power returns to the Highlands village of Heartcross after discovering she has inherited Heartcross Castle from her grandfather. Returning to the castle after running away years before, Grace is now a single mother of three young children and they are escaping an unstable and unhappy relationship and ‘home’. On her return to the castle though things aren’t as she left them and now the celebrity chef, Andrew Glossop, is living in the servant quarters and is after the castle itself.

We are introduced to Grace as the lead character of this book, and her three young sons. The boys are completely adorable and mischievous, whilst Grace is a strong woman who is trying to her best by her boys in difficult circumstances. We also get to know Andrew Glossop more after he has appeared in previous books from the series, whilst we catch up with some of our favorites such as Isla, Felicity and Allie, who were Grace’s best friends before she ran away.

As you would expect from the residents of Heartcross, they all come together to welcome Grace and her family back home.

I loved Heartcross Castle, in fact it might be my favourite but don’t tell the others, and I can’t wait to read the next book later this year.

Love Heart Lane Box Set – Christie Barlow

I am a massive fan of the Love Heart Lane series by Christie Barlow and released today is a box set which includes the first three books in the series as well as an inclusive Christmas short story.

Love Heart Lane

When Flick Simons returns to the cosy village of Heartcross she only expected to stay for a few days. The white-washed cottages of Love Heart Lane might be her home, but the place holds too many painful memories, and of one man in particular – Fergus Campbell.

Foxglove Farm

Isla and Drew Allaway appear to have the perfect life – a strong marriage, two beautiful children and their picture-perfect home, Foxglove Farm.

But, new mum Isla is struggling. When she discovers that Drew has been keeping secrets from her, Isla has to face losing the home they all love.

Clover Cottage

When Vet Rory Scott inherits ramshackle Clover Cottage in the quaint village of Heartcross, Allie MacDonald just knows this is their happy ever after. A place to call home with the man she loves – it’s her dream come true!

Until Rory drops a bombshell. He loves Allie but he has dreams of his own to follow – to live and work in Africa. Clover Cottage will have to wait just a little longer…

Christmas at Heartcross Castle – exclusive short story

Celebrate Christmas with all your favourite residents from Love Heart Lane – a short Christmas story not to be missed! Merry Christmas! X

Primrose Park – Christie Barlow

Vet Molly has always been career driven and focused on caring for her animals, but when she meets a gorgeous Mystery Man at a conference and their connection is off the charts, well, one night off work won’t hurt anyone…except the next morning he’s vanished and all Molly knows about him in his first name.

Three months later, back in Love Heart Lane, everyone loves the story of Molly’s amazing one-night stand. It’s so unlike her! But when Mystery Man turns up walking his dog through Primrose Park and their night together seems to mean nothing to him, Molly needs her friends and neighbours more than ever. And especially when she’s left with the most unexpected of surprises…

Today I am taking part in the blog blitz for Primrose Park by Christie Barlow. Thank you to Rachel’s Random Resources, Christie and One More Chapter for the chance to take part.

Primrose Park is the sixth installment of the Love Heart Lane series by Christie. I can’t believe we’re on number six already! Each of these books focus on a different lead character so each can be read as a standalone, but they are all lovely, feel-good and heartwarming books so I highly recommend reading all of them!

I have loved each and every one of the Love Heart Lane series so far and this one was no exception. This time the focus of the book is on vet Molly. We have met Molly briefly in previous books and she is good friends with Isla who we know well. This time round though we find out more about Molly.

At the start of this book Molly attends a conference where she meets a handsome man and falls for him instantly. She throws caution to the wind and they spend the night together, for him to have disappeared the following morning. Three months later, Molly bumps into him again but this time he doesn’t acknowledge her. From here we go on a journey with Molly of trying to find out what is going on with the handsome stranger.

Primrose Park is a feature in this story and it is the park in the village of Heartcross. There are many links to the park that are interwoven into the story, featuring a number of characters.

Not only are we reunited with a number of characters that have featured in the other books in the series but we are also introduced to more including Cam, the mystery man, and his family, Dixie and Birdie, playing key parts in the story. Dixie is a wonderful character, so full of life and energy. And let’s not forget Darling, Dixie’s dog that Molly ends up taking care of. Darling doesn’t appear to live up to her name though and she certainly is a little character.

From the very first page I was hooked on Molly’s story, and loved that chance to revisit the Scottish village of Heartcross. I hope it’s not long before we are back there again.