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See the Stars by Eleanor Ray #Review

  See the Stars by Eleanor Ray will be  published on February 5th 2026 by Piatkus .  Do you ever feel that life isn't going to plan?   When Alice Thorington collapses in the street after a particularly hellish day at work, she must finally admit to herself that her outwardly happy life - steady relationship, well-paid job, beautiful flat in the city - isn't everything she'd hoped it would be. Burnt out by long hours and living a life that doesn't fulfil her dreams, Alice returns home to Yorkshire.  Her childhood home brings complicated family dynamics, a rediscovery of her passion for stargazing and two new friends: Berti, a boy who finds it easier to count the stars than interact with people, and Matt, her brother's best friend and Alice's teenage crush. With each of them facing their own struggles, can the stars that meant so much to Alice in her past help them to find their way in the present?  Filled with heart and warmth, this uplifting novel...

Love Heart Lane by Christie Barlow #Review


I am so happy to be on the tour to launch Christie Barlow's latest novel, Love Heart Lane. I thoroughly enjoyed A Home at Honeysuckle Farm, so I leapt at the chance to read this one. This is the first in a possible series based around Love Heart Lane but it can be read as a standalone.

Welcome to Love Heart Lane…

When Flick Simons returns to the small 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.

When a winter storm sweeps in, the only bridge connecting the village to the main land is swept away! As the villagers pull together, Flick finds herself welcomed back by the friends she once left behind. And as the snow begins to melt, maybe there is a chance that Fergus’s heart will thaw too…


My Thoughts

This has all the  ingredients for a great series. I loved the range of characters and the setting is superb. It all hangs together so easily, you really get a sense of what living in a remote village like Heartcross would be like. I took to Felicity from the start. There are some sombre issues in the background, especially around Felicity and Fergus' past but nevertheless, it is a heart-warming and hopeful read.

    Felicity is so proactive, without being overly pushy. Not afraid to step forward in an emergency, she certainly proves her mettle to the village. In addition, there are some great supporting characters in the village and I am hoping that we will find out more about them in future books. In Love Heart Lane, we get to see how friendships and family ties have formed strong, unbreakable bonds. There is a touch of humour in the story and some romance of course but ultimately I loved it because of the great, fluent writing style and the beautifully observed characters.

In short: Bring on the next one!
 
About the Author



Christie Barlow is the author of A Year in the Life of a Playground Mother, The Misadventures of a Playground Mother, Kitty's Countryside Dream, Lizzie's Christmas Escape, Evie's Year of Taking Chances, The Cosy Canal Boat Dream, A Home at Honeysuckle Farm and Love Heart Lane. Her writing career came as somewhat a surprise when she decided to write a book to teach her children a valuable life lesson and show them that they are capable of achieving their dreams. The book she wrote to prove a point is now a #1 bestseller in the UK, USA & Australia.

Christie is an ambassador for @ZuriProject raising money/awareness and engaging with impoverished people in Uganda through organisations to improve their well-being as well as Literary Editor for www.mamalifemagazine.co.uk bringing you all the latest news and reviews from the book world.

You can follow Christie here: Website   |  Twitter   |   Facebook

Book links: Amazon UK   |  Amazon US  

Thanks to Christe Barlow, Harper Impulse and Rachel of Rachel's Random Resources for a copy of the book and a place on the tour.

                                                         Check out the rest of the tour!


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