Hattie was once thrilled to call the beautiful city of Paris her home. But when her heart is broken by her boyfriend and she loses her dream job, she bids farewell to the city of love and hurries home to Gillypuddle, a sleepy village on the Dorset coast. But as she returns home she finds her parents struggling to cope with a terrible family tragedy.
In a desperate search for a new start, Hattie takes a job at the donkey sanctuary nearby on Sweet Briar Farm where Jo, the taciturn owner, certainly loves her animals far more than humans. Hattie can’t help but fall in love with the donkeys (and the opportunity to get close to dreamy Canadian vet Seth) but Jo is harder to get to know and when she finds her boss sobbing in her sleep one stormy night, she knows that her new friend is hiding a dark secret.
And when handsome newspaper reporter Owen does some digging into Jo’s past he finds something that connects her to Hattie on a whole new level. Can Hattie trust what Owen says, especially when he seems intent on standing in the way of her blossoming romance with Seth? And can Hattie help Jo to start healing and the donkeys of Sweet Briar Farm?
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Many thanks to Bookouture via NetGalley for my copy of Hattie's Home for Broken Hearts to review and to Sharon for having my review on the blog.
If the stunning and colourful cover for Tilly Tennant's new book Hattie's Home for Broken Hearts doesn't instantly draw you in and make you want to read this book then the brilliant story inside the covers will make you do that. I mean that cute little donkey alone against the backdrop of the sea just made me want to read this book as soon as possible. What a marvellous read this was infused with warmth, humour, emotion and genuine human understanding for the situation that the characters find themselves facing and all written so well that this was just the most glorious of books and definitely one that should be on your reading radar.
I loved every minute of my time spent with Hattie in Gillypuddle (isn't that just the cutest name for a fictional village) so much so that I raced through the story finishing it in an afternoon. But it was certainly an afternoon well spent in the company of wonderful characters, not without their faults admittedly, but over the course of the book they undergo worthwhile and necessary changes to make life better for themselves and those around them. This was an uplifting read with a picturesque setting following those who sought guidance, redemption, forgiveness and understanding in order to move forward. I loved every minute of this beautiful read filled with depth and honesty and without doubt this is Tilly Tennant writing at her very best and long may it continue.
Hattie Rose has spent two years living in Paris but her time in the city of light has come to an end due to unforeseen circumstances that really she had no control over as things took on a life of their own. She is reluctant to have to return home to the small village of Gillypuddle given she left under a cloud as she wanted to follow her own heart but she knows the time has come to go back. Her parents weren't best pleased when she left on a whim as she believed love beckoned and they didn't fully back her choice but will they support her now that she is returning home? Hattie had left many troubles behind but there were good people and memories waiting there for her too.
As she arrives back home there is a sense of sadness surrounding her and reminders of what was lost and what could have been. We are told fairly on what had had happened in the past to bring such feelings about and how in turn it deeply affected Hattie's relationship with her parents and I was glad this was the case. I didn't think there was a need for any secrecy and as there wasn't any I thought it allowed the reader to really understand Hattie and comprehend why she said certain things or why she felt the way she did. It also showed how events in our childhood, traumatic or not, can have a deep and lasting affect on our lives but it is up to us as to how we overcome them and move forward. That is exactly what Hattie has come home to do. To stop and take a moment, to consider her next move, to take a breather. She is seeking direction to find out exactly who she should be and not be the person who conforms to a mould of her parents creation.
As Hattie embarks upon finding yourself you would be forgiven for thinking this is another story where a woman goes on a journey, there is a splash or romance and all is well with world. OK there are some elements of truth to this but really Tilly Tennant has written a story with so much more to it. There is real depth to all the characters and plot lines and everything is given plenty of time to develop. Important issues and feelings are not skirted over and I thought the reader was given a real chance to get to know the inner workings of the characters, their pain and their joy. Yes there is a very small dash of romance thrown in but in way is it the central focus of the story and I was glad this was the case. It was almost like an afterthought and I mean that in a good way and really if it had literally occurred on the very last page that wouldn't have bothered me in the slightest.
No instead the spotlight is on Hattie and how she finds a job at Sweet Briar Farm perched high on the cliff-tops over the village. It's a job people have warned her off because Jo the owner has not really enshrined herself into the community and subsequently she has earned a bad reputation. But Hattie is not one to heed the comments of others unless they are offering sound advice. She doesn’t judge people on first sight or at face value she likes to dig that little bit deeper and get to know people better before forming rash and hasty opinions.Initially I thought Hattie was a bit mad to accept a live in job with Jo with very little pay. She knew nothing about running a farm or specifically caring for donkeys and people told her she was crazy to go for it. But Hattie really wanted people to stop interfering in her life and although her decision may have been impulsive she wanted to be the one who controlled her life decisions and therefore she would deal with the consequences or fall out of what she judged to be a good choice. I admired her for taking a brave step into the unknown especially as Jo was so standoffish. I thought good for you. You are showing maturity and a willingness to try something different and that is what life is all about.
I loved all the scenes set on the farm as Hattie gets used to the ways of life in an area she has no experience of. Of course the donkeys and in particular Norbert stole the show and I think anyone reading this book will have a new found appreciation/devotion to these unique animals. But it's the emotional atmosphere created at the farm that was a real stand out point. It was almost like at times Hattie and Jo where isolated up there away from the outside world, even though the village wasn't that far away, and that there was something special and unique about the place. That caring for the animals and living in close proximity to each to her meant at some stage both Hattie and Jo might confide in each other. There is no doubt that Hattie really did feel drawn to the farm, that there was a reason she had to be there apart from getting funding to make it viable so the good work of the sanctuary could continue. But would Hattie crumble as she faces her ultimate test as opposition seems to block her every idea and solution?
Jo was a very closed book and even now having finished the story I'm not sure I fully understand her although I know the reasons for her demeanour. Ever since she bought Sweet Briar Farm several years ago she has kept to herself avoiding community involvement and in the process coming across as horrible, rude and obnoxious. This is all in stark contrast to the way she offers such tender loving care, attention and affection to the donkeys. She is a major contradiction shying away from human contact becoming gruff, distant and uncommunicative and really she is an enigma. But there had to have been a reason behind this exterior and the strong walls she had built up around herself. I wondered would Hattie be the one to crack her tough outer shell but I knew she was facing a battle. Jo was written in a way that I thought she was much older than Hattie and at one point Hattie does mention that too but I think the personality she had established for herself made her seem that way. There was also an air of melancholy and vulnerability about her and I was sure there had to have been a very significant reason for isolating herself from everybody. I did have a slight suspicion as to what it could be but I never quite put my finger on the actual reason.
The tentative friendship/work relationship that developed between Hattie and Jo felt natural given their circumstances and I am glad that Hattie kept pushing and pushing to help Jo and the farm out but also to delve that little bit deeper in order to understand Jo more and hopefully bring happiness to her life. Nothing Hattie did felt fake or contrived or just thrown in to add drama to the story. The book didn't need unnecessary dramatics just to fill the pages. Instead the wonderfully crafted characters and the storylines spoke for themselves. I am so glad this wasn't your normal run of the mill boy meets girl story I have so read so so many of them and I think it was excellent that Tilly Tennant focused on two women who don't really realise that they share a common bond and a connection. That if they take the time to stop and focus and scratch beneath the surface that they really have a lot to offer each other in order to come to terms with the challenges and heartache they face in their lives.
Hattie's Home for Broken Hearts is easily Tilly Tennant's best book to date and I have really loved her Honeybourne series and her Unforgettable Christmas books so that is saying something. If there was any way she could perhaps write more about Hattie and Jo that would make me one very happy reader indeed.
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