Blog Tour – A New Dawn at Owl’s Lodge by Jessica Redland @JessicaRedland @rararesources @BoldwoodBooks #BookReview #BlogTour #PublicationDay #RespectRomFic #ANewDawnAtOwlsLodge

I always get excited at the prospect of a new book from Jessica Redland.  Her stories never fail to inspire me and bring warmth.  I’ve read each of her books and can highly recommend them.  If you would like to read a couple of my reviews, you can follow these links: Snowflakes Over the Starfish Café and Healing Hearts at Bumblebee Barn.

I’m grateful to Rachel Gilbey of Rachel’s Random Resources for the blog tour invite and support and to Boldwood Books for providing my digital review copy via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. You can read my thoughts below.

Synopsis

Could one chance meeting change your life forever?

Zara is at a crossroads in life. While she adores her job as a producer’s assistant working on hit TV shows, travelling around the country means she doesn’t truly feel that she has a home. With a fractured relationship with her family and unrequited love weighing heavily on her heart, she is torn about what her next step in life should be…

Snowy is hiding from the world. He’s devoted his life to home schooling his young son and caring for sick owls at his home, Owl’s Lodge, deep in the Yorkshire Wolds countryside. While he’s passionate about both, it’s a lonely existence and he’s starting to question his decisions. But how do you step back into a world you’ve pushed away for years…?

When Zara brings an injured owl to Owl’s Lodge, its frosty, reclusive owner is far from welcoming. Despite hostilities, there’s a connection that neither could ever have prepared themselves for. As they discover a shared passion, a new friendship blossoms, but both Zara and Snowy are used to shutting people out.

Can they both find the courage to open up and the strength to move on from their pasts? And what could this mean for their future happiness?

Escape to the world of Bumblebee Barn and Hedgehog Hollow with MILLION-COPY BESTSELLER Jessica Redland for this brand-new feel-good romance of family, friendship and hope.

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Review

This book is all kinds of perfect and I loved every minute.  We met Zara in Healing Hearts in Bumblebee Barn, and it was obvious that she was attracted to Barney’s best friend. There was a definite spark between them, so I was intrigued to see where that chemistry may lead them.

While Zara’s story is the main focus of the book, we do get to visit Bumblebee Barn and pop to Hedgehog Hollow for a quick catch-up. Please don’t worry if this is your first visit; Jessica handles her books in such a way that a reader can join at any point.

So, back to Zara, who works as the producer’s assistant on the regular TV series Countryside Calendar.  Her relationship with producer Amber is one of the constants in her life, and they have a friendship that is enviable.  They both share a passion for wildlife and have undertaken a new production that will focus on Wildlife Rescue centres. I was drawn to Zara at the first meeting and welcomed the chance to catch up with her. Her story arc was beautifully drawn, and I could not have been happier with her development.

We then meet Snowy, a withdrawn single dad who has been treated poorly as a result of his looks.  Bullied since school, it’s understandable that he’s happy to avoid contact with the world.  His focus is on homeschooling his son and caring for injured owls. Snowy’s character was definitely more complex, but his personality was gently developed to the degree that I felt a definite crush forming. His story was tinged with real tragedy, but his determination to raise his son away from the kind of abuse that he had encountered was heartwarming.

Once again, the research into the topics in this book was phenomenal. I learned so much about owls that I am now as intrigued by them as I am by hedgehogs. The other focus had me spotting the knowledge of a fellow blogger and author, so I was thrilled to see her mentioned in the acknowledgements.

This book is a triumph, and I loved everything about it. It’s packed with warmth, inclusive, inspiring, and wholly satisfying. It’s a welcome addition to my growing collection from this author.

Author Bio

Jessica Redland writes emotional but uplifting stories of love, friendship, family and community. Her Whitsborough Bay books transport readers to the stunning North Yorkshire Coast, where she lives with her husband, daughter and sprocker spaniel. Her Hedgehog Hollow series, set in a hedgehog rescue centre, takes readers into the beautiful rolling countryside of the Yorkshire Wolds.

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Please check out the other stops on this marvellous tour