When a much needed solitary holiday turns into a not so solitary one…

Synopsis

Young and quiet, Lucy Granger leads an introverted life in Reading, living in a flat and working in design at a graphics company—until it is upended when she both sells her idea for a mobile game and suffers an unexpected medical diagnosis shortly afterwards.

Facing a mandated medical rest period, she decides to use her windfall earnings to take a year’s holiday, renting a farm on New Moon Lane in a country village in Yorkshire. As Lucy settles into her holiday home for some tranquility, she soon learns that she is not the only tenant, when a llama named Llarry strolls out of the farm’s supposedly-derelict barn. He is shortly followed by others in a menagerie of abandoned animals left behind—from a sickly donkey who likes eating crisps to a flirtatious cockerel sleeping in the back garden.

To Lucy’s consternation, no one is willing or able to take them on, leaving her with a strange mix of furry and feathered friends to find homes for. Reluctantly adapting to her circumstances in order to deal with this problem, Lucy will discover other surprises about the animals in her care, and the place she is temporarily calling home. About herself, as well.

Will her ordinary life ever be the same after her experience on New Moon Lane? More importantly, should she really want it to be?

My review

Lucy Granger is living a quiet life in Reading. Her job doesn’t require that much interaction, ideal for an introvert like her.
And then two things happen at the same time: she sells her idea for a mobile game, which is great news. But the other thing, is not a good one, as she has suddenly a medical condition that requires her to have a rest period.
For Lucy is this the perfect opportunity to take a year’s holiday, finding a peaceful place to stay, while she can keep on developing her mobile game.
Her heart is set on a farm on New Moon Lane in Yorkshire, but no matter what she expected from her holiday, she didn’t expect it to be filled with llama’s, a donkey and a cockerel.
With no one else willing to take the animals in their care, it’s up to Lucy to look after Larry the Llama, Dimitri the Donkey and Kenny the Cockerel…
And slowly Lucy discovers the importance of these sweet, stubborn and cocky animals and even some new arrivals…

A brand new series always feels like opening a Christmas present for me. Will I like it? Or will I hate it?
And with an author you already know and like, it’s always even more terrifying, as you hope that you will like it, but then realize that the latest book just wasn’t your cup of tea.
Now, before I am giving Laura Briggs a complete heart attack, this book wasn’t the latter!

Lucy is a character that people will relate very easily to. Just like I did, because no matter how much people think I am an extrovert, deep down I am an introvert. I can enjoy more the quiet, the being on my own, than large crowds.

Yet even if I had could relate with her very easily, I also felt sorry for her. Because where I at moments can talk to people without feeling too much of of my comfort zone, we can clearly see that Lucy does have those struggles.
I think we will never ever see her having a chat and have just a small talk about the weather. So I am very eager and curious to see how her character will develop further, and I truly hope she will be able to open up, becoming a bit more extravert, without losing her own essence.

While her medical condition is a bit mysterious, I could feel that her holiday on New Moon Lane is exactly what she needs, even with the (un)pleasant discovery of the animals.

Ooh, those animals! They for sure stole my heart! And not only mine… Even if cockerels aren’t my favourite animals (thanks to my neighbours who have one and keep me awake night and day…) Kenny for sure is the exception as even he managed to steal my heart!

The disadvantage of reading the first book of a series, that I was eager to read more, I was ready to see what adventures would be waiting for Lucy. Yet this book felt more like a first meeting, you know you like the characters, but you don’t have the complete picture yet.

However, with the many glimpses, meeting several side characters, it’s clear that this series has a great potential!