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Once Upon a Thyme by Jane Lovering #Review

  It is a pleasure to feature Jane Lovering's  Once Upon a Thyme which was published by Boldwood Books on June 24th.   All her life, Natalie Fisher has been taught not to ask questions. Why risk uncovering uncomfortable truths, when you can stay in the safety of blissful denial? Since taking over the family herb farm, Natalie has stuck with what she knows, rarely venturing much further than the nearby village where her invalid mother now lives. But then, one day, everything changes with the arrival of unexpected visitors. First comes Zeb, employed by Natalie’s mother to help with the business but soon hinting at other motives. Then comes Simon with the famous band he manages, wanting to film in Natalie’s beautiful garden. The band causes chaos and the attitude of one particular member throws Natalie’s ordered life into confusion. Over one magical summer of revelations and of uncovering secrets, Natalie starts to blossom and by the time autumn arrives she knows n...

The Second Love of my Life by Victoria Walters



In The Second Love of my Life, Victoria Walters tells a tale about a fairly recently bereaved young widow, Rose, and her thoughts and feelings as she tries to move on with her life. It starts with her having lost her childhood sweetheart to a drunk driver and she is still gripped by the grief and shock at that traumatic event. An artist, she is finding her creative urge to have stalled.

    Rose has always lived in the town of Talting, a fictional place set in Cornwall. The setting is always present throughout the book and you are always aware of the inhabitants who are so supportive of her. Robert Green, a stranger to the town, appears in the story and unsettles Rose.  Of course there is more to him than meets the eye but he is very interested in her art and is encouraging her to start painting again. A large part of the book centres on Rose being able to articulate her feelings through her art

    The Second Love of my Life is described as women's fiction. Although it is not the genre I have read a lot of, I did find it a very enjoyable read. The pace of the story was well controlled and the plot was believable. As a character, Rose is well drawn and you learn about her through her friendships and relationships with the other characters. You can follow her working through her issues and living with the loss she feels for Lucas, her husband. This is Victoria Walker's debut novel and I would like to read any subsequent books she writes.

In short: A bitter sweet portrayal- a great holiday read.  

Thanks to Frances Gough at the publishers, Headline Review for a copy of the book. 
     
     

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