Home will always be home…

Synopsis

When your heart’s broken, all roads lead home…

London City Vet, Phoebe Dashwood, finds her partner Hugh and their boss in a passionate clinch beneath the mistletoe at their works Christmas party.

Heartbroken, she bolts to the New Forest, her childhood home to regroup and soul search.

Being home gives Phoebe the chance to reconnect with friends and family and especially with her fiercely independent gran, widower Maggie Crowther, owner of Puddleduck Farm, and makeshift animal shelter New Forest Neddies.

Deciding not to return to London, Phoebe hunts for work locally, hoping she can also help Maggie, who’s clearly swamped and not coping. But will Maggie accept Phoebe’s help?

Her quest is hampered by stubborn grandmothers, meddling mums, an attractive childhood friend, a real-life Lord, a remorseful ex, and a best friend who’s determined to play matchmaker.

Can Phoebe find happiness professionally and personally in the place she calls home, surrounded by those she loves or does fate have other plans for Phoebe?

My review

Vet Phoebe Dashwood is heartbroken when she finds her partner Hugh and their boss kissing underneath the mistletoe. She knows what the tradition is, but it’s the passion and emotion during that kiss that Phoebe sees that makes her return to New Forest, her childhood home.
Reconnecting with family and friends, and especially with her grandmother Maggie, makes Phoebe decide to stay in New Forest.
Phoebe now is looking for a new job, while also helping out Maggie at Puddleduck Farm even if Maggie is adamant she doesn’t need help.
Has New Forest always been and always will be her place to call ‘home’, where Phoebe is surrounded by not only her loving (yet sometimes interfering) family, a childhood friend who for sure has the looks, and a mysterious and also sometimes rude Lord? 

Could I ever skip the opportunity to read a book of Della Galton, especially if this is the start of a whole new series? Of course not, are you crazy!!! 

Before I started to read this book, I already imagined the whole story in my mind. And even when I was reading the first chapters, it looked like my imagination would seem to be correct and that I would be reading the story how I imagined.
But the more I was reading, the more I started to realize that the author didn’t follow my thoughts. And I didn’t feel sad about it at all, on the contrary! 

The main focus is on Phoebe, that after the end of her relationship returns back to her childhood home. I can only imagine how awful it is not to only break up with your partner, but having the break – up in the Christmas period.
I liked how Phoebe was determined to not let the break – up ruin the festivities with her family and how she put on a brave face. She even reassures everyone that celebrating the good things in life while her life is a little bit in pieces is not a bad thing. 

I loved how Phoebe cares about her family and is even ready to move back home, not only for herself to move forward, but also to help out Maggie at Puddleduck Farm. Is there a possible cuter name for a farm, that also turns out to be an animal shelter? 

The residents of the shelter for sure made me laugh. The donkeys are adorable, the dogs adorably loyal and even the most evil cat in the world stole my heart a little bit!
And the author managed perfectly to show us the importance of having dedicated people to look after the animals in need! 

Now, in this story there is also focus on two male characters, Sam, Phoebe’s childhood friend and actual Lord Rufus Holt.
I saw these two characters being contenders for Phoebe’s heart and initially I had my own preference as that one was obviously the nicer guy.
But like I said, this wasn’t that kind of story, and getting to learn both characters better, we got to know them better and even saw the pain behind the mask… 

And while I would have liked if there would be romance in it, I understood what the author was doing here.
Of course if Phoebe found someone new, how would the rest of the series continue? But also, Phoebe doesn’t need to be in a relationship to find happiness, especially so quickly after her previous one. Being in a relationship is a wonderful thing, but it has to be with the right person, at the right time. And in this book, it isn’t the right time yet for Phoebe, as her focus now is to start her new life in New Forest and at Puddleduck Farm. 

This was a wonderful, delightful story, with strong, lovely characters, human and animal. Starting over is never easy, but with resilience, good intentions, a kind heart, realizing who you truly are, putting your best food forward, and being surrounded by those who love you, things can be a little bit easier.
I cannot wait for what else Della Galton has in store for the characters of Puddleduck Farm!