Can a forever home be found with so many challenges in life?

Synopsis

New friends, new life, new love…

Single dad, Joel Grainger, is devoted to his little girl, Imogen, doing all he can to be a key part of her life. But with Imogen’s mum being ever more difficult and Joel’s job suddenly in doubt, he’s worried that everything is about to change. Joel has given everything to Imogen, and he doesn’t regret it, but maybe he’s lost himself along the way…

Since her dad’s heart-breaking dementia diagnosis, Poppy Wells has been struggling and desperately needs a break. An opportunity to stay in gorgeous Whisperwood Farmhouse nestled in the Yorkshire Wolds and a stone’s throw away from Bumblebee Farm couldn’t be more perfect. Finally able to breathe, Poppy begins to see a new life ahead, a place where she can heal her broken heart and be part of something special. But can she ever leave her beloved dad to get the happiness she craves?

When Poppy and Joel meet there’s an instant connection. But with both of them at a crossroads, a future together seems impossible. Can they find the strength to overcome their challenges to secure their forever home together?

My review

Poppy Wells is running from one place to another. Her job keeps her busy, yet her mind is filled with worries about her dad since he was diagnosed with dementia. She daily visits him, even if she sees him deteriorating each day more and more. So of course she is in dire need of a break, even if she struggles with leaving her father behind, even for a few days. But the opportunity of staying in Whisperwood Farmhouse is too good to let is pass. And it being set near Bumblebee Barn, it’s like it’s meant to be, with her love and passion for bees.
With finally being able to take a breather for once, Poppy starts to think about her own future, and where it may be, and what it may bring her.
And meeting Joel, with an instance click, makes Poppy think about the future even more.
But Joel is also in a difficult place at the moment. He loves his little girl Imogen more than anything else, but with worries about his job, and his ex making things even more complicated, Joel feels more lost than ever…
With the both of them not knowing where life will take them, is a future together even possible?

I don’t know how Jessica Redland is able to write each time wonderful stories, keeping me captivated from the first page until the very last one. And that without ever sounding repetitive even if some characters from other books and series make a (wonderful 😊) appearance.

This is the kind of book that you don’t know for which character to feel more sorry for at the start. Because on one hand there is Poppy, who has been through a lot already, and life for sure isn’t giving her any lemonade at al. On the other hand there is Joel, who would do anything for his little girl, but both his ex and his job are giving him more than just one headache…

The moment I realized all the balls Poppy is trying to keep in the air, the more I felt her pressure also on my shoulders. With her background, we see clearly how unfair life can be. She has to face struggle after struggle, without a chance to just relax for a moment…
If Poppy would be a more selfish person, there would be a lot of stress avoided. But then, would we love Poppy as much as we do now? I don’t think so…

I could understand her guilt of going on a break, but it’s also crystal clear that she needs the break so much. She needs to clear her head, but also think about her future, and herself a little bit.
And there couldn’t have been a more fitting place for her to stay! Not only on a Tizi – level, as we see several old friends again, but also on a Poppy – level! The people she meets there are just the kind of people Poppy needs to be surrounded with. All these lovely people welcome her with open arms, help her to process everything she is going through, and offer Poppy some wonderful, shared moments.

We can see Poppy’s stress level diminish, even if of course not all her problems suddenly disappear. That would be too easy of course 😊. But the presence of Joel also helps more than Poppy could ever imagine…

Joel… can I just swoon for a moment?

Thank you…

Joel, what can I say about him that isn’t a superlative? Yes, he is struggling, as he isn’t able to be the kind of father he wants to be for his girl Imogen. He couldn’t be more caring, devoted to Imogen, but the circumstances aren’t working in his favour…

Just when he thinks that job – wise things will move forward, of course there is a setback, ruining everything once again. He has an important decision to make, affecting more lives than just his.

I have to say, the end of a relationship or a marriage is never a happy occasion, even when things aren’t just working out. But I have to say, Imogen’s mother for sure is a person I immediately disliked…
Everything Joel does, or tries to do, is not good for his ex, it even ends  up in backlash for Joel. It angered me to read how instead of trying to work together, for Imogen and her best interest, I found it rather selfish how she acted…

Both Poppy and Joel are people that deserve to find happiness, and to quote the title, a forever home. And finding that special someone isn’t always the endgame. Because just you find someone, means that all your problems and issues are solved. Yet it helps to have found someone that you can ventilate to. A problem shared is a problem halved, or at least a way to look at things differently. And finding that someone special perhaps can also make you think how you want to see your own future.

Now, I have to address Jessica directly…
Something terrible happens to Poppy in this book, at the hand of someone else. And that got me worried a bit, because it seems that the same event happened already in a previous book/series. Is there something that you need to tell us, Jessica? Is there a dark side of you we yet have to discover? 😊

In this wonderful, amazing, heartfelt book by an amazing and super talented author, we see that life isn’t always easy. It doesn’t always go as we want or wish. And that sometimes you have to be a strong person to be able to carry around the weight of the world.
But we also see that sometimes taking a step aside, to get away, can give you perspective, hope and just what you needed the most.

Once again I gave up freely and happily the most necessary needs in my life in order to read this book, like eating and sleeping. But Jessica Redland is worth of every bag under my eyes, as she once again pulled at my heartstrings, making me fall in love with lovely characters and their heartbreaking yet most important heartwarming tale and search for their forever home.

Disclosure: no shortage of tissues in Belgium was found after finishing reading this book. Small victories…