Thursday 2 June 2016

Review of The Secret of Orchard Cottage by Alex Brown - Four **


Blurb:


The wonderful new novel from Alex Brown, bestselling author of The Great Christmas Knit Off, perfect for fans of Trisha Ashley and Jill Mansell..
April Wilson is wondering what to do next – her life has been turned upside down after the loss of her husband so she’s hoping to piece herself together again with a visit to her elderly great aunt, Edith. Arriving in the rural idyll of Tindledale, she’s dismayed to find Edith’s cottage and the orchards surrounding it in a sorry state of disrepair. Edith seems to have lost interest completely, instead she’s become desperate to find out what happened to her sister, Winnie, who disappeared during WWII.

April gets to work immediately, discovering that the orchard still delivers a bumper crop each year, and with the help of some of the villagers – including Matt, the enigmatic Farrier – begins to unravel the mystery of the missing Winnie. Slowly, April can feel things coming to life again – but can Orchard Cottage work its magic on her too?




Review:

This was my first visit to Tindledale - but it won't be my last. Have now bought the other 2 books in the series as well!

April is still trying to cope with the death of her husband and her step-daughter Nancy suggests that she visit her great aunt in Tindledale. April has fond memories of summers there before her parents were tragically killed.

She finds Edie becoming rather confused and she keeps calling April Winnie. April decides to investigate "Winnie! and the results are startling to say the least!

In the process, she gets to know the other villagers and the community spirit. She also meets Matt, a divorced single father and there is a mutual attraction.

The book is warm and friendly, the villagers (particularly Edie) are all strong characters and it was lovely to watch April start to heal. There are modern problems to be dealt with - bullying, suspected dementia, gossiping and Alex handles them all sensitively.

I enjoyed the book and always like a book that pays tribute to the dangers that some of our families faced in the wars. 

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.



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