I am delighted to be part of the celebrations for Kate Hewitt's second novel in her new Holley Sisters Series, A Vicarage Reunion. I have reviewed the first in the series, A Vicarage Christmas and you can read my review here.
It is the most viewed post on Books, Life and Everything so I know that Kate Hewitt has a lot of fans. You also have the chance to win either a £10 Amazon Giftcard or a paperback copy of A Vicarage Christmas. Details on how to enter are at the foot of this post. (International)
Welcome to Thornthwaite, a quaint village tucked up in
England’s beautiful but rainy Lake District, where homecomings and surprises
await the four Holley sisters…
Esther Holley, the eldest in the family, has always had her
life firmly in control until a miscarriage knocks her off course. Two months
later, still emotionally spinning, she separates from her husband Will, a sheep
farmer and man of few words and moves back in with her parents.
Life as a singleton thirtysomething living in her parents’
house is miserable, but Esther is determined to re-boot her life, including
going on a few unfortunate dates. She’s shocked when tight-lipped Will shows up
on her doorstep determined to woo her back. They’ve been married for seven
years, but Will wants to return to the beginning, dating and getting to know
each other again.
New challenges face them as they start over--and new chances
too. Can Esther and Will save their marriage, especially when faced with the
hardest decision of all?
My Thoughts
The second in the Holley Sisters series is centred on Esther who is at a crisis in her marriage to Will, a local sheep farmer. She has always seemed the one to be in control of every part of her life and as everything begins to slip, you find out why she has chosen to be like this and understand her actions a little more. This is certainly not a typical hearts and flowers romance. There are some difficult themes tackled, such as miscarriage, motherhood, lack of communication in a marriage and the long term effects of loss in the family.
I found the portrayal of Esther and Will's marriage to be quite touching. Not used to talking about their feelings, they have found themselves at a loss when their baby miscarried. They don't seem to have the tools to even start to tell each other how they feel and a lot of this book shows them learning how to do this. Esther is forced to address all her attitudes towards each portion of her life. She has to come to terms with her parents' imminent leaving and has major decisions to make about her career. Does she want to start all over again? Her parents understand her better than she realises and try to point her in the right direction so that she has the space to come to terms with her feelings.
With a great village setting and a range of characters who are all well drawn, I can recommend this series and look forward to what the third sister has in store!
In short: a family tale of change and renewal.
About the Author
Kate is the USA Today-bestselling author of over 60 books of women's fiction and romance. She is the author of the Hartley-by-the-Sea series, set in England's Lake District and published by Penguin. She is also, under the name Katharine Swartz, the author of the Tales from Goswell books, a series of time-slip novels set in the village of Goswell.
She likes to read romance, mystery, the occasional straight historical and angsty women's fiction; she particularly enjoys reading about well-drawn characters and avoids high-concept plots.
Having lived in both New York City and a tiny village on the windswept northwest coast of England, she now resides in a market town in Wales with her husband, five children, and an overly affectionate Golden Retriever.
Thanks to Kate Hewitt, Tule Publishing and Jenny of Neverland Blog Tours for a copy of the book and a place on the tour.
Don't forget to take a look at these other great bloggers!
Giveaway (International)
For a chance to win either a £10 Amazon Giftcard or a paperback copy of A Vicarage Christmas, just follow the link below and good luck!
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