New Beginnings at the Old Bakehouse by Christie Barlow

 

When Heartcross’ resident clairvoyant tells Molly McKendrick to expect a whole lot of scandal and upset to blow in with the approaching winter storm, Molly doesn’t know what to think.

With a baby on the way any week now, and Christmas not far off, the last thing Molly needs is drama, but when she crosses paths with Bree, a sixteen-year-old homeless girl, and takes her in from the cold, secrets from the past flood the present and Molly, her partner Cam, and their son George, are soon experiencing a holiday season filled with unexpected festive surprises...

I never tire of books based around a bakery and when I was coming to the end of my staycation I wanted to read something light hearted and uplifting to provide a last dose of escapism before heading back to work and that’s when I came across New Beginnings at the Old Bakehouse by Christie Barlow. I did see that it was book 9 in the Love Heart Lane series which I haven’t read but the synopsis appealed to me so I took a chance on it as a standalone any way.

Molly is coming towards the end of her pregnancy and husband Cam wants to try and keep everything calm for her despite his own worries so when Molly then takes it upon herself to help Bree, a sixteen-year-old homeless girl he is not onboard with having this untrustworthy stranger in their home and shop.

This was such a heartwarming hopeful read that was easily read as a standalone and has just made me determined to work my way through the previous books in the series now. Molly has an absolute heart of gold determined to help those in need and to see the best in everyone. Cam was also a little sweetheart even if he wasn’t as trusting as his wife he still had good intentions in wanting to protect his family whilst struggling with his own problems.

I loved the baking element and the baking competition in the book it added charm and excitement to the storyline and yet again I am sat here desperate to open my own bakery…. If only I could bake!

Although there were parts of the storyline that were predictable I still enjoyed watching the events unfold.

The book does highlight the difficulties communities face when offering safe places and food for the homeless communities not just on typical day to day but also how much harder and more dangerous it can be when weather conditions take a drastic turn.

I loved every page of this book and raced through it in 24hours, it is certainly up there as my favourite by this author so definitely one I would recommend for an uplifting heartfelt novel.

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Kitty's Countryside Dream by Christie Barlow

New home.
New life. 
New beginning. 

Love affairs can blossom in the most unlikely places . . . When Kitty inherits Bluebell Lodge from her grandmother, a farm in the beautiful Staffordshire countryside, it's time for fresh air and a fresh start. Up to her elbows in chickens and ponies, Kitty soon realises there's an awful lot to learn about farming. Still, at least the locals seem friendly, not least her handsome neighbour Tom... 

But just as Kitty is beginning to find her feet, and the possibility of love, the discovery of a long-hidden diary, by a mysterious character called Violet changes everything. 
Who is Violet and what is her message for Kitty? 
As Kitty fills in the lost pieces of her family jigsaw and discovers some shocking revelations, will her countryside dream and blossoming relationship fall to pieces?

When it comes to life in the country, nothing is ever quite as it seems ...

The cover for Christie Barlow’s new book Kitty’s Countryside Dream is really eye-catching with its bright soft colours it had me wowed before I even started the first page and although you should never judge a book by its cover you sure can with this one as the cover complements the beautifully sweet storyline that is inside. I have previously started one of Christie's books before but I could't get into it so I was a little unsure how I would find this book but this book was right up my street!

Kitty has recently lost her mum and after so long being her mums carer she now doesn’t know what to do with her life but when she suddenly inherits Bluebell Lodge from a grandmother who she has long thought dead her life is about to have a purpose again. Kitty makes some wonderful new friends and gets a couple of hearts racing as she learns the ropes of running a chicken farm but Kitty is about to learn about more than just chickens!

The book starts off a light and cosy read as we are introduced to our main character Kitty who is a very good natured and friendly character. We know early on in the book that there is something amiss when we find out that Kitty had inherited the farm and yet had presumed that her grandmother had died years ago so I was curious as to what the mystery was going to be. There was a lovely group of warm and welcoming support characters from the handsome Joe to the excitable Jeannie and not forgetting the lovely Lucinda who made my mouth water throughout the book at the mention of all of her home made delicious treats. As the book progressed the storyline took on a deeper meaningful feel to it as we began to dig into the secrets of the past but yet not getting to heavy so it was still a wonderfully enjoyable read.

I found this book really enjoyable, the author has an engaging writing style that managed to draw me into the storyline and the lives of our character. The storyline flowed at a great pace and I raced through the book in no time soaking up the wonderful detailed descriptions and shaking my head at some of the frustrating points where I just wanted to shake Kitty because of how terribly wrong she got things!.

I found the first half of the book managed to keep me guessing about the events surrounding Kitty and Bluebell Lodge but smack bang on half way I had guessed what the mystery was which in one way was a shame but yet I still couldn’t put the book down as I was eager to see how it would be revealed.

I can see that fans of Cathy Bramley and Cathy Woodman would love this book as it had the cosy natural feel to it that I find in these authors books.

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