Tizi’s Book Review

When the ghosts of the past are realer than you thought

Synopsis

Spring has arrived in the Cotswold village of Rowan Vale and everyone is in an optimistic mood.

Everyone except Danny. He’s had a rotten eighteen years stuck in a village where all his hopes and dreams were shattered. His annoying ex-work colleague, who seems determined to look on the bright side of the afterlife, won’t leave him alone. And – as if that wasn’t bad enough – he’s facing eternity dressed as Adam Ant.

Meanwhile, in London, Rory plans to whisk his wife Kirsty away to the Cotswolds for their wedding anniversary. But when they arrive in Rowan Vale, Kirsty is horrified. How could her husband be so insensitive?

Rory insists that they stay at The Quicken Tree Inn and face up to the issues in their marriage. Kirsty has no choice but to go along with him, hoping she can finally put what happened all those years ago behind her. But when she spots her long-dead cousin in the village, things take a decidedly difficult turn…

Will confronting the ghosts from her past be a recipe for happiness or disaster?

My review

Kirsty for sure feels that while being married ten years with Rory, things have changed between them. Kirsty feels that they have come at a crossroad and that now they both want different things from life. And when Rory tells Kirsty that he has planned a week away for their 10th anniversary, she is truly in shock. It is a lovely gesture, weren’t it for a fact that he has planned to stay in Rowan Vale. It for sure is a lovely place, but for Kirsty it’s the place where she lost her first husband Danny eighteen years ago in a terrible accident, where also her cousin Brooke lost her life. While Rory hopes that staying at the Quicken Tree Inn will give them a chance to resolve the issues in their marriage, Kirsty hopes that she can finally put the past behind her. But what neither Rory or Kirsty know, is that Rowan Vale is a special place, where not only the living people are residing, but also ghosts. And two of those ghosts are Danny and Brooke. While still alive, they used to be colleagues and as they were at a work party where they had to dress up, Danny is facing eternity as Adam Ant, and Brooke as a member of Bananarama. And while Brooke tries to see the bright side of everything, Danny cannot let go of the memories of the life he had. So when Rory and Kirsty arrive in Rowan Vale, it is only a matter of time that things will take a turn. But for better or for worse?

I have read all the books of this series, and if you have read my reviews of it, you know that I am rather sceptical whether ghosts exist or not. And with the first book of this series, that scepticism was very present. But the more I read into that book, the more I fell in love with the whole concept and how rather ‘normal’ the presence of ghosts have become while reading.

So with a new book out, of course I just had to grab and read it too! How can I not???

I have to admit, Kirsty isn’t immediately the easiest person to like. She isn’t a bad person, but to me it felt a little bit that about certain things, it should be her way or no way. And while it seems that with Rory she has found a kindred spirit (😊), she has very stubborn moments even with him.

But the more the story evolved, the more I just started to ‘get’ Kirsty and I even started to feel sorry for her. Not only after reading how she lost Danny, her first husband, but also how it is clear that she is carrying a burden about the past.

Right from the start, it is also clear that her marriage with Rory isn’t going that well anymore. In a way, it is normal after ten years, but on the other hand, it is also the past that is somehow hanging over them. And it for sure is to Rory’s credit that he wants to try to get everything back on track. And I could understand why he decided to go together to Rowan Vale, but side-tracking Kirsty, I knew it wouldn’t be going that well.

You would think that slowly, things would be getting better for Rory and Kirsty, once arrived and settled in Rowan Vale. But the truth is that it is the complete opposite… Because first of all, for us readers there is a shocking revelation, as there appears to be an unexpected connection…

And yes, while we understand where Rory is coming from, his behaviour in Rowan Vale is very odd in the eyes of bystanders, like Kirsty. And I could understand why Kirsty starts to believe that things are going from bad to worse…

Of course also Danny and Brooke are shocked on seeing Rory and Kirsty in Rowan Vale. And their reactions are very different. Where for Danny it is a dream coming true in a way, having the chance to see Kirsty again, for Brooke it feels like her worst nightmare.

And that left me a bit flabbergasted, because Brooke has been always this bubbly, cheerful young woman, making the best out of the situation she finds herself in. So why is she so against Kirsty being in Rowan Vale?

The most reasonable and palpable explanation, her own feelings for Danny, that makes sense. Because I was also cheering for Brooke and I hoped that her feelings somehow would be reciprocated.

But Brooke knows something about Kirsty, something she discovered on that fateful night, and that secret made me understand why she wants Brooke and Rory away as fast as possible.

And yes, when *that* secret comes out too, I was again a bit in shock. But in a way, it is also a way to show how things can change in a marriage, how it can go wrong. And we also see how something over the years can be romanticized. How we remember things, isn’t always how things actually are.

Of course in this book we see some old friends again. And it was lovely to see how their stories are progressing, without stealing the spotlight. Each character keeps on growing here too, proving just how amazing they are, worthy of me loving them 😊.

I absolutely adored reading this book. It shows us not only how difficult it sometimes can be to move on from your past, how you can be (literally) stuck at one place. We also see how secrets can be a real burden, how it can jeopardize everything you have been trying to build over the years. And we see how sometimes we see things through rose-tinted glasses. But and more important, we see how – even by confrontation – the ghosts of the past can be laid to rest (although in this book not literally 😊).

Check out this wonderful cover!

Synopsis

Prepare to escape to Scotland with a gorgeous feel-good romance this summer…

Returning to the Scottish Highlands was never part of Poppy Summers’ plan. But life had other ideas.

With her parents’ cherished holiday cottages losing money, Poppy is determined to carry on their legacy and save the business before they’re forced to sell.

Revamping the cottages is Poppy’s priority until she meets Mason Cooper, a charming historian drawn to the highlands for research. As their newfound friendship grows, is it possible that something more might be enough of a reason to make Poppy stay for good?

Pre-order Link

https://www.amazon.com/Secret-Castle-Highlands-feel-good-heartwarming-ebook/dp/B0FT1S9NHY/

Publication Dates

30th August 2026 for Ebook and 10th September 2026 for paperback

About the author

Julie Shackman is a former journalist from Scotland, who has always wanted to

write feel-good romance.

As well as being an author, Julie also writes verses and captions for greetings card companies.

Julie admits to having an obsession with stationery and handbags.

She has two sons and a Romanian rescue pup, Cooper.

The Secret Castle in the Highlands is Julie’s fifteenth novel.

The cover!

Take a look at this book!

Synopsis

When exhausted single-mum Jess returns to Manchester for her twenty-year school reunion, she’s hoping for nothing more than a well-deserved break from reality. What she’s not expecting is to bump into her secret teenage crush, hot single-dad Sam, or to remember quite how much they have in common. 

But they live so far apart, their kids aren’t always easy, and there are events in their shared past it’s best not to revisit. Surely the idea of a future together is just a crazy dream in their messy, adult lives? 

Though when Sam invites Jess to accompany him to a mutual friend’s high-profile wedding, the years they spent apart once again melt away. What will it take for them to be together? Can they use their second chance to finally get it right?

Purchase Link

https://amzn.to/3XRgWwC

About the author

Katharine Light was born in Glasgow and lived there until her family moved to Manchester when she was ten. While in her teens, she began writing stories for her younger sister Emma. These mostly centred around a naïve heroine and a 1980s pop star (some would say the hero was modelled on John Taylor of Duran Duran).

She did a degree in psychology at University College London, and after a year travelling, worked in corporate film production for several years, before taking a break to raise her children. 

For many years she wrote mainly during the holidays, around her busy work for a local church.

Her first novel Like Me, published in 2023, was shortlisted for The Selfies Book Awards 2024. Her short story My arms are empty which is based on an episode from her second novel Me Too recently won the City University competition City Writes. 

She is a director of the Romantic Novelists’ Association, with responsibility for organising their conferences, gatherings and awards ceremonies. 

Katharine lives in London with her husband and quite often at least one of their adult children. She loves singing, walking, painting, looking at art, and going to the theatre.

When wanting to live up the expectations, you are losing yourself

Synopsis

What if becoming the perfect wife meant losing the woman you used to be?

Christina Pemberton – born plain Tina Miller – may be a skilled restorer of antique silver, but to her husband’s old-money family, she is still tarnished goods. They won’t quite let her in to their rarified world, and it’s tearing her marriage apart.

Desperate to prove herself worthy, Christina makes a decision that weighs heavily on her conscience. But then a secret from her past threatens to resurface, and Christina faces an impossible choice between the world she aspires to join, and the life that shaped her.

This is a warm, gripping tale of family, legacy, love, and second chances, set in a beautiful house on the rugged North Devon coast, perfect for fans of Phillipa Ashley, Tilly Tennant, and Sue Moorcroft.A Perfect Devon Manor is a warm, emotionally satisfying midlife romance set in an enchanting Devon manor. Expect a marriage in trouble, self-rediscovery, second chances, and falling in love again, with high-stakes family drama, village intrigue, a glimpse into the rarified world of antique silver restoration, and a life-affirming happily ever after.

My review

Despite being married years to Hamish Pemberton, Christina still feels as tarnished goods. Even if she used to be Tina Miller, she is a skilled restorer of antique silver now. But that and having a daughter Elspeth, isn’t enough to let Christina feel that she truly is a part of the Pemberton family. Eager to show her worth, and her wish to help out her family, Christina finds herself in a situation that she doesn’t truly agree with. And when her past is threatened to come out, Christina feels more than ever that everything she has tried to built on during the years, could be falling apart in the blink of an eye…

How often have we read stories where the main characters are from a different background, yet the love is too big to ignore and in the end they find their happily ever after? But what would happen in the years to follow and when the ‘lesser’ party isn’t truly accepted into the wealthy family?

Right from the start I did not only felt sorry for Christina, but I pitied her too. Her life and marriage with Hamish is clearly not an amazing one, and it is obvious that Hamish lives in his own world, in the past, and that even if they are a small family of their own, they are still too close to Lady Flora…

And also the situation Christina finds herself in… she is very talented as a restorer of antique silver. So it angered me it to read how she is forced into using her skills for doing wrong things. I could understand how Christina initially agreed to it, in order to help the family. But it is clear that she is being used for not so genuine purposes…It even infuriated me, reading how Christina’s past is used as leverage.

I have to admit, I felt that anger throughout great part of the book. Not because of my dislike for the story, but I was so angry in Christina’s place. All she wants, is a happy family with Hamish and Elspeth, having a place to truly call home and to be just accepted by the Pembertons and people connected to them.

It is also crystal clear that in all the years wanting to please others, Christina has lost herself. She has been trying to hard to be liked, and during these years, it kind of feels that she has lost her essence, of what makes Christina in fact Tina.

My heart broke for her, as she finds herself in an impossible situation, or rather in several impossible situations… And with the fear of the truth of her past coming out, jeopardizing even more her present and her future.

A past that made my mind go wild, that went from a small crime to even the most criminal one. But when the truth came out, it wasn’t something that I could have imagined. So sometimes, a mind going too wild, isn’t a great mind 😊.

Now, I am sounding all negative in this review, but believe it is all because I am upset for Chrstina. And there are some lovely moments in the book, absolutely! For example, the love between Christina and Elspeth, just so heartwarming to read the connection between mother and daughter! And there is also how Christina wants to save and protect the family, even if their despise/dislike is obvious.

The more the story progresses, the more growth we also see. Of course Christina is slowly learning to stand up for herself, and even learns to play a little bit dirty. But in fact, all of the Pembertons, the good ones, are going through a whole process. Eyes are being opened, pasts are being accepted, and old ideas and ideologies are thrown out of the window.

So even if the book had me in an angry mood because of all the injustice, at the end of it, I was happy with the course of it. Yes, some things were perhaps concluded too quickly, without any real justice being done, but with the general feeling that the characters end with, that is also okay for me 😊.

To save not only the family’s legacy…

Synopsis

The perfect new cozy-up-with-a-pumpkin-spice-latte read that’s meant for fans of Laurie Gilmore and Rebecca Raisin!

Professional pastry chef Blaire Reese is blindsided when her beloved Aunt Rachel dies, leaving her the Sugar and Spice Pastry Cafe in Willow Grove. Returning to her hometown, Blaire discovers her beloved family business is in trouble, and—to make things worse—its most-cherished recipe is missing.

Her first love and former summer crush, Evan Hadley, is also back in town, having traded a corporate career to help manage his family’s Heath Acre Farm, famous for its autumn Hay Daze corn maze. Grown up – and with rugged good looks – he’s only charming when he wants to be. Like when he’s not tangling with someone over business matters, the way he is with Blaire after she cancels a large order for organic pumpkins.

Her sunshine is disappearing under his grumpy storm clouds, until he accidentally learns the truth about her situation. Now, he offers to help save her aunt’s legacy and her family’s pastry cafe. As they work together in secret, the ingredients for a very different recipe develop— one simmering with romance—but an unexpected turn of events melts their growing attraction into a mess.

Will Blaire save the beloved cafe and find the lost recipe that means so much to the pastry café’s customers? And can she save this last chance at love with the first boy she ever kissed?

Sugar and Spice at the Pumpkin Corner Café invites readers to dive into its cozy autumn escape this fall—for fans of grumpy x sunshine, small town romance, Gilmore Girls, pumpkin lattes, sugar and spice and everything else that’s nice about this magical season!

My review

Blaire Reese is working as a professional pastry chef, as baking has always been a passion of her. Yet when she hears about the passing of her beloved Aunt Rachel, Blaire is in shock. Even more when she hears that Aunt Rachel left her the Sugar and Spice Pastry Café in Willow Grove. Back in her hometown, Blaire discovers not only that the business is in bad papers, but also that Aunt Rachel’s most famous recipe has gone missing. In order to keep the business alive, Blaire is cancelling orders that aren’t needed anymore. But what she doesn’t know is that by cancelling the big order of organic pumpkins, she put her first love and former summer crush Evan Hadley in bad papers too. Evan made a big career switch and went from the corporate business into his family’s Heath Acre farm, famous for the Hay Daze corn made and their organic pumpkins. So when Evan learns about the cancellation, it is obvious that he isn’t thrilled at all. But when the truth comes out, Evan finds himself wanting to help Blaire out, and he wants to save the café too. The more time they spend together, the more the simmering attraction seems impossible to ignore, but not only baking can get messy at times…

It has been a while since I have read a book of this author, so when the opportunity came, I just had to read this new book, even if my personal connection with pumpkins isn’t that big 😊.

I don’t have a close bond with my aunt or uncles, so even if Blaire is living in the city and she doesn’t call or visit her Aunt Rachel that much anymore, it is obvious to anyone that their connection has always been a strong one. Aunt Rachel has always been Blaire’s biggest fan, wanting nothing more for her to achieve her big dream.

When we meet Blaire, I felt a little bit sorry for her. As baking ahs always been a big passion of hers, it felt to me that at her current job she hasn’t got the opportunity to let her imagination go wild. She cannot come up with great creations. And in a way, that is more saddening, finding a job that you think is your cup of tea, but isn’t, instead of not even getting close to achieve your dream.

But I also have to say, that I liked Blaire’s commitment. She has a job and a life in the ‘big city’ but she doesn’t give it up right on the spot to go back to Willow Grove. But that same commitment Blaire has for Willow Grove and the business her Aunt Rachel has been building. Blaire doesn’t want all that effort and passion seen getting lost.

It needs to be said, Blaire for sure does her best to save the café, but she doesn’t always use the most diplomatic ways 😊. I could understand that Evan isn’t pleased with the way the cancellation comes through. I think that I would have done it differently, no matter how awkward it may be. On the other hand, I cannot blame Blaire, as she has to make quick decisions and doesn’t always has the time or even strength to think about how to do thinks ‘properly’.

The first clash there is between Blaire and Evan, I have to admit, I wish I had some popcorn 😊. I could understand both points of view, but also in this case, things could have been handled better.

Evan does not make a great impression on Blaire, as he is the perfect example of e grumpy man. But while at first Evan also make a wrong impression with me, I knew that Laura Briggs wouldn’t have a terrible main character, and I just had to be patient to see the real Evan step out.

And the real Evan may be a bit awkward at moments, not thinking before he talks, or think about the right words coming out of his mouth, but it is obvious that his heart truly is at the right place.

It was for sure delightful to see how Evan at first apologies to Blaire, and is even willing to help her out with recreating the lost recipe. And is there a better way of getting closer than spending time in the kitchen together? It for sure would work for me! 😊

In Blaire’s and Evan’s case it for sure helps that there is history between them, that there already was an initial connection between them and that perhaps it just needed to be reignited.

Things aren’t going always straightforward between Blaire and Evan, and that makes this story very realistic. Blaire still has a life and career in the city, also is she doubting her own capacities and doesn’t believe that she ever will recreate her Aunt Rachel’s delight. And Evan is working so hard the farm, wanting to make a success out of it. And there are moments that he has the right intention, but it doesn’t always come out in the right way.

I truly enjoyed reading this heartwarming story, about not only a perhaps second chance at life, but a second chance at life and about refinding your passion and your heart again. And it was the cherry on top of the cake that when everything falls into place, it is actually *everything*, even the unexpected!

Seeking for independence, finding so much more

Synopsis

In Regency Cornwall, governess Miss Wilkins has always survived by being sensible, capable, and self-reliant. When she dares to take a bold step toward independence, she has no intention of complicating her life—or her heart.

Her encounters with James Pentarrant, the steadfast captain of the Delabole slate quarry, are marked less by romance than by spirited disagreement. Self-contained and disciplined, James challenges her views at every turn, even as he respects her resolve. What begins as wary sparring and mutual resistance gradually deepens into an understanding neither expected nor sought.

Alongside their unfolding story, a young heiress newly returned to Cornwall hides a calling that defies convention. When a moment of danger on the moor—and the inevitable gossip that follows—forces her into an unintended engagement, assumptions harden and emotions become dangerously entangled. Her growing affection for her own sparring partner, a gentle country doctor with the manners of a true gentleman and a secret of his own, only further unsettles what society is determined to set in place.

Set against the rugged beauty of Cornwall’s coast, quarries, and windswept moors, The Teacher’s Noble Heart is a tender Regency romance of intertwined lives, mistaken conclusions, and love discovered in spite of every sensible intention.

My review

Miss Persephone Wilkins has always been a governess, but as now she is no longer needed as a governess, she feels that the time has come to claim her independence. Something that she never dreamed of being, but Persephone needs a purpose in life, and with an unexpected inheritance, she feels that now she can take that bold step. Once setting up her life in Cornwall, Persephone befriends Sophia. While their lives and even their dreams couldn’t be more different, an immediate friendship and trust is built. But the last thing Persephone expected, was how much the encounters with steadfast captain of Delabole slate quarry, James Pentarrant, would challenge her, on so many levels. The same can be said of the Sophia, after her encounters with doctor Nathaniel Rowe, a gentle man but not always seeing the progress or comprehension. However, with society having rules of their own, can these two strong women find the independence and happiness they are both searching for?

Whenever I am reading stories that are set in the past, whether it is in the Roman era, Regency, Victorian era, I am always happy somehow, living in the present. And that has all to do with the freedom we all have as women, the wealth we are living in. Things that the characters in such book don’t have, yet as strong women, something they all desire to find.

Because with this book, we see how limited women are. They cannot pursue a career, and not one they truly desire to pursue at all. And then we are not talking about falling in love and marriage…

At the start of the book, I felt a little bit sad for Persephone. While she is happy that the truth is out about her connection with Antonella (explained all in the previous book, but given the necessary info in this book too), it is also very clear that Antonella doesn’t need Persephone in the form of a governess anymore, having found love herself. And I could comprehend how at loss that made Persephone feel…

Yet at the same time I also admired her, because she has a dream, to bring knowledge to the less fortunate children. And with the received inheritance, she is able to pursue her dream, how difficult it may be in reality.

It shows that Persephone is not a quitter, no matter how difficult it all may seem, and how much people are wary and reluctant to agree with her ideas and views… She will make people ‘see sense’ and she will fight against the injustices she sees in Cornwall.

And we see what an open character Persephone is. The way she quickly befriends Sophia, how in sync they are, just wonderful. And it is even greater as both women are very different from each other, especially in their upbringing. Yet they just connect in a way that is truly remarkable. Even without speaking out loud, they see what is happening, what is going on in their minds, even before they realize it themselves.

While Sophia would be having a privileged life, we also see how restricted that can be. Not only because her family’s wealth means that Sophia is not free to choose who to marry, but that she (and even more important to her), she cannot choose her passion and practice medicine like she truly wants.

I was very curious to read how their stories would evolve, how their feelings and emotions would change, grow. And in a way, it was funny to read how those feelings are starting to bloom with exact the person they are clashing the most! 😊

Because isn’t it also true that there are people that you clash with, but that that person is the person that perhaps can understand you the best. And that despite the clashing, there are so many other things that you DO share, that you are on the same wavelength. If only you can see behind the clashing bits.

Of course there is a moment in the book where everything seem to go for the worst, where there are choices to be made that will end up in heartbreak somehow. Not only because there are literally lives at stake, but also the ‘laws’ of society not allowing to truly follow your heart.

This story was of course a joy to read, to see the development in each character, seeing the revelation of a few secrets. It was so easy to like all the main characters, even if sometimes they are clashing with each other. But most of all, it made once again realize that not so long ago, people, and especially women, did not have all the freedom we have now, and that they truly had to fight for their dreams and happiness.

With a lovely cover like this, don’t you just want to read the book?

Synopsis

They’re off for the time of their lives. But are you? 

Book #1 in The Empty Nesters Series.

Single parent Heather isn’t neurotic (honest!) – she’s simply dreading the day her only child leaves for university – so her meticulous checklists grow longer by the hour. When she seeks advice on a parents’ forum, she clashes with Scott, a single dad whose “helpful” statistics and assertions about “helicopter parenting” leave her fuming. 

Move-in day delivers the ultimate surprise: their daughters aren’t just roommates – they are self-declared “besties for life”. Suddenly, Heather and Scott are thrown into a begrudging alliance. 

As they navigate the new status quo, Heather’s instinct to organise meets Scott’s philosophy of letting go. Their practical text messages about mattress toppers and emergency supplies evolve into conversations about dream jobs and bucket list aspirations. Despite their intentions to avoid relationships at all costs, unpredictable events keep throwing them together, meaning Heather and Scott find it increasingly difficult to ignore each other… 

Pre-order Link 

https://amzn.eu/d/0dbgIz37

Publication Date – 10th July 2026

About the author

Ko Porteous lived in a tiny fishing village in the north of Scotland before moving to Edinburgh aged 10.  

Ko loves meeting people with interesting stories to tell and is constantly on the lookout for knotty story themes, particularly involving women navigating the messiness of life. She has worked as a Research Chemist, Assistant Chef, Teacher and School Leader.  

As well as writing, Ko works as a Business Manager and provides listening services for a mental health charity aiming to reduce the number of deaths caused by suicide.  

In her free time Ko loves to run, meditate and travel; preferably all on the same day.   

Ko has been married for 25 years, has 2 children of her own and is now navigating her own empty nest.  

The Freshman Parents is Ko’s debut novel and is the first in ‘The Empty Nesters’ series.  

The cover!

When moving to a new place, can heal your heart

Synopsis

Some places are special enough to heal hearts… Welcome to Little Beaubrook

In a tiny English village hidden away for decades, the mists are parting to reveal a manor which glows gold and tumbledown thatched cottages that have been waiting for the right people to rebuild them.

On moving in day, a diverse group of new neighbours have only two things in common. Their hearts have been broken in some way, and they’ve all signed a contract with some very strange stipulations, including buying one of the cottages for a pound. As Chair of the commonhold association, Albie Curville hopes that by sharing his late wife’s rules for living he can bring these reluctant strangers together to fulfil her dying wish before he runs out of time… and before they discover his secret.

When their newfound community – built on kindness, friendship and a manor with a long history of helping those in need – is threatened by an outside source, can they finally overcome their pasts to save Little Beaubrook and seize the second chances they deserve?

Come and visit this magical lost village for a cosy, feel-good story about love, found family, new beginnings and the healing power of community. Perfect for fans of Debbie Johnson, Jenny Colgan, Evie Woods and Phaedra Patrick.

My review

Little Beaubrook isn’t the kind of place that you can find easily. Hidden in the English mists, the manor only reveals itself in full glory in front of the right people. And Chair of the commonhold association, Albie Curville hopes that the new neighbours will be able to fulfil his late wife’s dying wish. Because there are some very specific stipulations to become part of the community Albie hopes to be building. But with every neighbour having a broken heart for one reason or another, their priority is not building a community and save Little Beaubrook. However, when an outside source is threating their new homes, the community that is built and is expanding on kindness and friendship, is doing all they can to save their homes. And perhaps they can also get a much deserved second chance in life?

When I started reading this book, I didn’t know what to expect. Of course I have read the blurb, but let’s be honest, it doesn’t tell you very much does it? 😊And I was a bit afraid that the ‘magical’ bits would be too unbelievable to make me actual believe it.

So I had a bit of a difficult start with it, also because there are many new neighbours moving into the manor, with their own story. But the more the story progressed, the more I found myself totally captivated by it, and also relieved that the magic is not the Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo kind of magic, but more as signs of the progress.

Even with the difficult start, I immediately liked Albie. Not only was it sweet to see how much he still loves his late wife, and how he wants to honour her last wish, but I also got ‘caring grandfather’ – vibes from him. Even if all the neighbours are freshly arrived and not all that willing to be part of the community how Albie wants, Albie just wants to help everyone out, even if it is just offering to listen, or go on walks without further expectations of any kind.

Talking about the new inhabitants, I will not explain the story or background of each character, but what I can say, is that it is a very eclectic group. Women, men, married, single, straight or LGBTQ, they are all welcomed in the manor, even if their background couldn’t be more different.

In a way, it was a bit funny how everyone wanted to be left alone yet is it because of Albie’s determination, or the manor and its ‘powers’, slowly each separate individual becomes part of the community. And it was lovely to read those messages on the board, how it is working and how slowly, very slowly, the messages are getting through.

And a common goal, to save their homes, bring all the characters even closer, allowing themselves to open up, to trust, to speak out, to be courageous. And the beauty was how when all the truths are out, there is no prejudice, just acceptance and warmth. Unity makes strength, but unity also bonds, creates friendships.

Little by little too, we see how the characters are able to let go of their past, how they are able to defeat the demons of their past. Which is absolutely not easy, but ever since moving to the manor, meeting Albie and the other neighbours, it seems that slowly a weight is being lifted, that each of them is able to see the sunlight after all the rain they had.

This isn’t always an easy story to read, as not only we learn about some characters’ past, but also about their present issues. However, we see also a lot of strength in this story, and that makes it a hopeful, warm story. Because strength, whether you find it yourself, or with the help of others, is what can make you believe in a second chance again.

And with that strength, that courage, that united front that you find with strangers, everything will flourish and look brighter. In the case of this book, you can take that actually literally! 😊.