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Christmas at Hollybush Farm by Jo Thomas #Review

    Welcome to another festive read by Jo Thomas. Christmas at Hollybush Farm was published by Penguin on October 9th.   Jemima Jones is driving home to her family's magical hill-top farm for Christmas…  And on arrival, she soon learns that her dad has been keeping a secret – all is not as it seems, and Hollybush Farm is struggling to make ends meet! Worried about losing the childhood home she loves, Jemima must pull on her winter wellies and get stuck in. Amid the chaos of chasing after escaping sheep and organising the Christmas tractor run, Jemima begins documenting her slice of farming life on social media. As she builds a supportive online following, she also forms an offline connection in the shape of charming, retired rugby player Llew, her very own Santa's helper.  With a sprinkle of festive cheer and a dash of goodwill, might the community pull together to help save the farm in time for Christmas? My Thoughts Jemima returns home to find that her w...

The Astonishing Return of Norah Wells by Virginia Macgregor


I was sent an advance copy of this book by the publisher, Sphere (Little, Brown Book Group) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Astonishing Return of Norah Wells pulled me in from the start and proved to be a thoroughly enjoyable read. It centres around what happens when 'the Mother who left', Norah, returns to her family six years later, only to find that they have moved on and there is now  'the Mother who stayed', Fay, in her place. I admired how the fallout of emotions was dealt with as we explored the repercussions of Norah's absence on each of the family members, even their beloved dog, Louis. 

Virginia Macgregor maintained the pace of the story to the end. I was particularly taken with the little pauses through the book as she told us what was happening for each person. The telling of the story through the eyes of different family members was cleverly done. I felt that the voices of the different age groups were captured deftly, especially the younger daughter, Willa. 

 Behind the deceptively simple scenario, there were some probing questions to explore. What makes someone a Mother or a Father? Is it always better to know the truth? Can you love two people? I found parts of the story quite moving yet the author managed to balance that with a wry look at family life, not to mention the twitter fans and nosey neighbours who observed it all. 

In short: An enjoyable, well paced book which was intriguing  and at the same time, humorous.

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