Reviewed by Emma Crowley
A mile outside the Cotswolds, everyone knows everyone in Honeystone, and for many years the villagers have lived quiet, steady lives. But a wind of change is here...
Anthea is the new owner of Spindle Hall. A renowned perfumer who lost her sense of smell, she's not interested in making new friends. Yet somehow that seems impossible in this idyllic village.
Years ago, Peony left Honeystone with a broken heart, and now she has returned with it freshly bruised. Her single father, Robert, is struggling with slow business at the Hare and Thistle pub. Perhaps this time they can help each other?
Izzy has never known what she wants to do in life other than be at Raspberry Hill Farm and care for her little niece, Clover. But when a new doctor shows up in town, she starts to wonder...
Many thanks to Orion publishing via NetGalley for my copy of The Honeystone Village Diaries to review and to Sharon for having my review on the blog.
I’ve only previously read one or two books by Kate Forster which I had thoroughly enjoyed. For some reason or other she had fallen off my reading radar but when I saw the beautiful cover for The Honeystone Village Diaries I thought this looks like something I would enjoy so why not give it a try. The fact that I was laughing within the first page is always a good sign but would this last? A once in a lifetime wind blew the streets of the village which lies on the wrong side of the Cotswolds and therefore is bypassed by visitors and tourists. The wind, well more like a mini tornado, harbours change but are the villagers ready for what is coming down the road?
From this point on, the wide range of characters are introduced and this makes for a very slow start to the book. I understand completely characters have to be introduced to the reader but this went on for too long and the book needed to going. Once, I did get past this point things did pick up but then I felt at times it went in the opposite direction in that things were glossed over and everything was dealt with too quickly and easily. There is definitely a quirky and diverse cast of characters in this story and there are some serious issues dealt with and this aspect of the plot was very well done and realistic. All of the people we met have things that they are dealing with and they each bring their own problems and issues to the story but it’s only overtime as they come together that these are slowly resolved and it proves working together sharing the load and establishing friendships and connections are truly worth it.
Anthea is newly arrived to the village having bought Spindle Hall which had been abandoned for 50 years. The villagers can’t believe someone has finally bought it and hope that it will once again become a focal point for the village. But soon fences and signs saying keep out are erected. Anthea, for the first few chapters, was cold, aloof and standoffish. She had made and lost her money thanks to her ex-husband and was now in recovery mode following a bout of Covid which had left her seriously ill and her unique talent was gone. What does the most successful perfumer in England do when you have lost your sense of smell? She had previously had synaesthesia, the ability to associate fragrance with colour and nature and to see scents. She is bereft that this no longer works for her and would rather lock herself away in the hall seeking a quieter existence than become part of the community.
I loved that initially Anthea had some angst to deal with and that she wasn’t all nice as pie and that she added a bit of drama to the story. But over the course of a few chapters all of a sudden she did a complete 360 and was there in the thick of things. I know this is what happens in a book of this nature and normally I love it but it was all too fast and didn’t feel realistic especially the romance aspect of her storyline. Again just too quick even by usual standards. I wanted a bit more toing and froing and more difficulties for her to go through before emerging stronger out the other side. A slowed down pace for her overall story would have worked better.
Peony was one character who I loved as she had been running from the village for so long believing it wouldn’t offer her what she needed in life. But when her boyfriend Fergus steps up to the plate when Peony dithers for so long and calls time on their relationship. Well this as the push she needed and coming back to the village and deciding to live with her father Robert again and help run the pub. Being a social worker in a hospital has burnt her out and she needs time out but there is a surprise in store for her and she must decide is the best thing for her. Returning to the village stirs up old memories and even more so when she meets her old friend Connor who runs Raspberry Hill Farm which ironically grows apples as its main focus.
There was a connection between Connor and Peony which was evident from the time they set eyes on each other and we learn of their past history. I desperately wanted for them to get together and perhaps they should have been together ever since they were teenagers but there had been so much water that flowed under the bridge and there is a lot of extra baggage that they have to deal with. It was lovely that Peony’s father Robert got to feature and has his own mini storyline but again it felt too rushed and that it almost occurred without it being said. It was almost as if with a turn of the page there was a resolution for him and another character and I thought oh did I miss a chapter where this happened. As nice as it was more detail was needed.
Izzy is the sister of Connor who helps him rear his daughter Clover ever since her mother abandoned her at the hospital once she had given birth. The relationship/bond that Clover and Izzy had went way beyond that of aunt/niece and it was so lovely to see. Clover had a physical disability but this didn’t let her stop her doing anything and I loved her determination. The way she spoke she was wise beyond her years and I think she knew an awful lot more that was going on than she was given credit for. Something niggled at me the way Izzy was written and the way she spoke and thought about things. Nothing was ever specifically said but I did wonder about her personality. She was the truth teller of the village, abrupt and very literal hen speaking. She was exactly what she said she was and did what she said she would. The new doctor seemed to be quite taken with her but given she was so caught up in the life she led with Clover and Connor at the farm I wondered would she be ready and willing to break free from Honeystone.
For me the best written character was Dora. Hers was a very serious storyline and it was deftly handled throughout the book. She is married to Barry who more or less thinks he owns and runs the village with his expectations, rules and regulations. A perfect life and marriage is presented to the village but behind closed doors things are very different and I found myself really engrossed in Dora’s chapters as things slowly start to make themselves known. Despite the issues I found with this book Dora’s storyline made up for them and this was one aspect that was dealt with well and sensitively and it was given the time it needed. The last quarter or so of the book, I enjoyed how the individual storylines started to come together and in doing so the characters showed their true natures, some good, some bad. The sense of community and friendship really did start to emerge and I was glad of this as it had been there but lacking until this point.
The Honeystone Village Diaries was very different from the other books that I had read by this author. It’s very busy and by that I mean there are so many characters to get to know. The majority of the first quarter of the book is spent introducing the characters and there is a lot of information for the reader to take in and get straight in their head. At one point, I thought ok this is enough, let’s get on with the story because it was slowing things down before they had even gotten going. Each chapter is told from a different characters perspective and as there were so many at it felt like things were overstretched a bit and that we barely scratched the surface of some them and they needed more development. But look pushing those issues aside this was a lovely, charming and quick read which although at times it did suffer from the influx of characters. It did turn out to be an enjoyable read even if things were solved too quickly or glossed over and therefore character development suffered. It’s not my favourite from what I have already read from this author but I was glad I gave it a go as it would be a perfect light-hearted holiday read or even just to while a few hours away in the sunshine in the garden.
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