The power of lavender…

Synopsis

With nowhere else to go, Harriet Colgan has returned to the sleepy village of Cranfield to sell her beloved aunt and uncle’s cottage, the only place she ever called home.

When she arrives at Lavender Cottage, Harriet discovers plans to replace the beautiful lavender fields, her uncle’s pride and joy, with an industrial warehouse.

With time on her hands, she realises she must fight to protect her family’s legacy and the village of Cranfield as well.

Workaholic businessman Joe Randall was expecting an easy purchase of the lavender fields. But suddenly his quiet life is disrupted by protests from angry locals, organised by Harriet.

Can Harriet show Joe that there’s more to life than just business? And can Joe change his mind and help Harriet save the lavender fields?

Over a long, hot summer, and with the help of a stray dog, perhaps Harriet and Joe can find their way home too.

My review

After being forced to close her beauty salon in London, Harriet Colgan has no other option to return to Lavender Cottage, the place she inherited from her beloved aunt and uncle in Cranfield.
Despite it being the only place she ever felt at home, her initial plan is to sell the place as soon as possible, as she needs the money.
But when she discovers that there are plans to replace the lavender fields that her uncle has taken care of, by building an industrial warehouse, Harriet is determined to fight to protect not only her family’s legacy, but also the village of Cranfield.
And that is not something businessman Joe Randall expected, as the purchase of the fields would have been an easy purchase.
Will Harriet succeed in saving the lavender fields and show Joe the benefits of not only the wonderful fields, but also the beauty of Cranfield? Or is her fight doomed to fail? And how can there be an attraction between enemies? 

Alison Sherlock absolutely knows how to captivate her readers! With something as simple as a lavender field, she has written a compelling story not only about retuning home and fighting for the right cause, but also about finding a home, and finding peace. 

While reading, I felt so sorry for Harriet, as her own family just doesn’t seem to understand her. Even if she is a member of the family, she doesn’t fit in. Her parents and siblings are successful in whatever they do, and have an ‘important’ job, while Harriet is a ‘simple’ beautician. (For the record, absolutely nothing wrong with being a beautician, I just want to make clear that Harriet is not like the rest of the family!).
Yet she wants her parents to be proud of her, even if that means that she had to open a salon in London where she cannot afford the rent. 

It broke my hear to see her return to Cranfield, where she always felt at home, only to be faced with the absence of the only people who accepted her just the way she was.
I felt her pain every time she saw something specific in the cottage, remembering all the happy moments she has there. 

Yet I also admired her fire… because it would have been easy to just walk away from Cranfield, and making the inhabitants face their problems on their own. But that is not who Harriet is. The lavender fields are important to her, and she will protect them anyway she can! 

And seeing how the community was initially wary of her actions, it was marvellous to see how slowly they all started to stand by Harriet, fighting against the injustice. 

Somehow I think that the ‘powers’ of lavender, which are made clear throughout the story, also made sure that Joe wasn’t the big villain in this book.
First of all, it was nice to see which uses lavender has, I for sure have expanded my knowledge about them! 

But the calming effect of the flowers also had an impact on Joe.
Joe may seem as a strict businessman, but his own tale saddened me and I wished that he could find the courage and the strength to do the right thing and also put the hurtful past behind him.
The more I got to know Joe, I could see that he was being held back by what happened in the past. And reading how he couldn’t do something as easy as dancing, broke my heart… 

Seeing Harriet fighting together with the community against the injustice and seeing how Joe is also putting his weight into it (at the right side obviously) was lovely to read. And all the side characters, even those with a not so great reputation but with their heart at the right place, trying to change the situation and their personal situation too, show again what a close community can do. Because no matter how dire they situation may be, a solution may be found in the most unexpected ways. 

This was a marvellous story, and a great start of a brand new series. It was heart – warming, sweet and at moments I could practically smell the lavender while reading, and I could sense its maybe underestimated powers! The characters learned themselves and showed us that home is where our heart is and I cannot wait to return to this beautiful place!