Heartcross Castle – Christie Barlow

Going back to Love Heart Lane and Heartcross is like picking up with old friends and making new ones. Of course the wonderful scenery, the landscape and the thought of staying in a castle adds to the wonder and enjoyment of it all.

Grace Power and her three sons make an escape when she is left Heartcross Castle by her grandfather. However she was never reconciled with him by the time of his death and she is left wondering what she is going to do with this pile of bricks.

However bad it maybe, coming back to Heartrcoss and being able top provide a roof over the heads of her three sons is the most important thing in the world to Grace. The greatest of pleasures and achievements can be found in the smallest of things.

That can’t be said for her new neighbour Andrew Glossop, a famous household name with money behind him and a reputation of being flamboyant as a television chef. His first encounter with Grace is less that positive.

Grace though shows Andrew something about how to live a life that he has never seen and it seems that perhaps everyone’s life is going to change.

I was immediately in awe of Grace and her boys, their strength of a family unit come what may made me eyes fill with tears. I was so worried that the past was going to come along at some point (it could if there was a need for a sequel – hint hint!) the castle was a balm to soothe the soul of those reading the book as well as the main characters, added into the mix the lovely gardener and the joy from dealing with nature.

I think what I enjoyed the most was not just the change in Grace and her sons but also the change in Andrew. It took me a while to warm to him, bit like Grace I suppose and I was quite amused at some of the scrapes he managed to get himself into, but when he saw what a difference actions and reactions can make, his eyes were opened!

Yet again, Christie Barlow has hit the spot with this wonderful novel and for me is one of the standout ones of the series so far. All the books can be read as standalone but why would you not want to indulge in them all – you will want to move to Heartcross immediately.

Thank you to the publisher via netgalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Heartcross Castle is out now.