Reviewed by Emma Crowley
A second chance…
When her grandfather Marley passes away Grace Power discovers she’s been left the beautiful but crumbling estate of Heartcross Castle. As a single mum of three, Grace has no idea what she’s going to do with it – but who can say no to a roof over their kids’ heads and a chance to get away from past hurts?
And a forever home
Heartcross Castle is full of secrets – especially a lost security deposit box that holds the truth to everything… But when celebrity chef Andrew Glossop sets his eyes on the castle and, to make matters worse, mistakes Grace as the new housekeeper, Grace tells him there is absolutely NO CHANCE he is getting his hands on her home.
Devastated to have got it so wrong, Andrew will do anything to make it up to her – but is she willing to listen?
Many thanks to Harper Collins UK via NetGalley for my copy of Heartcross Castle to review and to Sharon for having my review on the blog.
Thankfully Christie Barlow is keeping her readers happy by publishing two books a year in the brilliant Love Heart Lane series because quite frankly I really can’t get enough of these books. Without doubt Love Heart Lane is my favourite ever series, with not a dud book in sight instead each story just gets better and better and my love for the characters, the plot and the setting only ever increases. You’d think by now perhaps the series would be running out of steam but that’s not happening at all and I think Christie just gets better and better with each new story she brings to us and you can tell how much she enjoys the writing. Long may it continue I say, if you are on to a winning, successful formula, which she clearly is, why go and change it or deviate from it at all?
Heartcross Castle is book number seven in the series and again as with all the books it can easily be read as a standalone but let’s face it why would you do that and leave it at reading just one book? Read them all for the community spirit, the fabulous setting of the village of Heartcross, the true and heart-warming friendships and also the brilliant storylines which make this series a real page turner and one you will relish. In this new story we are introduced to Grace Power in a brief but informative prologue. She has been estranged from her Scottish family since she was 16 and has taken up with Cole and for the last two years they have moved around a lot. Now she is beginning to tire of moving and questions whether she made the right choice? She feels lonely and not quite sure where she belongs. With no real friends who can she count on given Cole’s mood swings and the arguments that always escalate. But a surprise proposal and a secret changes things or so Grace thinks.
Fast forward six years and three kids later and Grace is in the depths of despair, stuck in an apartment block living on a knife edge in fear of what Cole will do next. Life has been more than tough for Grace and she knows her young boys are suffering just as much as she is at the hands of Cole. Years of empty promises, being constantly let down not to mention the abuse, both physical and mental, have taken their toll on Grace and when a letter arrives from a solicitors saying her grandfather Marley, owner of Heartcross Castle, has passed away and she is the only living relative Grace wonders is this the opportunity she has been waiting for? Will inheriting the castle be the good luck she needs to turn her life around? She steals away with Freddie, Joey and Billy having finally stood up to Cole but at the back of your mind you do wonder will Cole rear his ugly head again?
Grace is a character who is battered and bruised from her experiences but I found she pushed how she was feeling aside and always focused on the wellbeing of her children. They were her life and always front and foremost and at the heart of everything she did. But yet she has her own past hurts apart from what when on with Cole and guilt eats away at her. In the past she was hurt, rebellious and grieving the loss of her mother and was in no way prepared for the strict supervision of her grandfather. At first scant details are supplied as to what actually happened that made Grace flee the castle but as the story unfolds and develops all becomes clear and you can see why Grace escaped but that doesn’t make up for the fact that the guilt remains that she never made amends with Marley. But will the castle will prove a valuable lifeline for her and the boys now when they need it the most? She wonders will the residents of Heartcross and the friends she so abruptly left behind welcome her back with open arms or will they give her the cold shoulder?
Grace certainly has bridges to build back in Heartcross and you could feel her apprehension at returning oozing from the pages. This nervousness was all very real and valid but she needn’t have doubted her friends and the villagers as throughout the series they are known for their ability to rally around to help those in need, to offer a shoulder to cry on and just the feel good factor and cosiness is always abundant in spades. All the regulars that I have come to know and love were once again present and I loved all their connections to Grace. Isla and Drew, Felicity and Fergus, Allie and Stuart and so many more all pop up every now and again but the sole focus is on Grace and the journey she undergoes to find her new direction in life. I loved spotting the old familiar faces but it’s also become a bit of a game at this stage to see what new characters are briefly mentioned and to wonder will they get a book of their own in the future? I have my suspicions as to who future books could be about and hope these come to fruition. But in the meantime Grace’s story completely absorbed me, so much so that I really couldn’t stop reading until I had reluctantly reached the last deeply satisfying page. The descriptions of Heartcross Castle were wonderful and even though it’s not in the best of condition and fairly empty, still the memories Grace evokes of the years where the gardens were packed with visitors all made for a wonderful picture.
Soon the castle becomes a safe haven for Grace and the boys but an unfortunate encounter with celebrity chef Andrew Glossop, with him mistaking her for his new housekeeper, doesn’t see himself and Grace get off on the right foot. Andrew has leased the servants quarters as his new home and a filming location for his new TV show. He is passionate about his subject matter and money seems no object. He has no clue as to the struggles of everyday life and Grace is determined to keep her financial difficulties secret from him especially when she thinks he’d love to get his hands on the entire castle if she is forced to sell it. Grace is the complete opposite to Andrew. She is not motivated by wealth, success or materialistic things but instead is motivated by family and the love of her children. A tentative friendship develops between the pair and I loved how this aspect of the story unfolded with both Grace and Andrew bringing out the good things in each other and in doing so learning some important life lessons.
The three boys also provide plenty of comedic but also heartfelt moments and I found myself laughing at their antics, the boys have lots of fun and become settled and really go back to basics and nature especially as the grounds of the castle prove fruitful. It’s so far away from the life they had previously endured and experienced and Grace is just ever fearful that this will all be taken away from them. Will Grace have the strength, tenacity and fire in her belly to save the castle? Or will it all go horribly wrong? Is Andrew just out to get one thing? To discover the answers and lots more besides I have no hesitation at all in recommending Heartcross Castle. It’s exactly what I have come to love and expect from Christie Barlow and boy does she deliver every time. Peony Practice will be with us in May and I am already counting down the days. Do yourself a favour and make sure you are up to date with all the books by that time, you’ll be ever so glad to have discovered the Love Heart Lane series.
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