I’ve been a huge fan of Jane Lovering’s ever since reading her award-winning Please Don’t Stop the Music (now republished as Secrets at the Little Music Shop), when she was with Choc Lit. Since then, I’ve not missed a single release. We recently joked (I think it was a joke) that I was her stalker! If you’d like to read a couple of my previous reviews, please follow these links: The Monday Night Heartbreak Club and Lost Secrets at the Scottish Castle.
My thanks to the team at Boldwood Books for sending me a widget via NetGalley for a digital review copy. You can read my thoughts below.
Synopsis
When Faith loses her beloved father, famous TV historian Richard Macintire, she is baffled to receive a final letter which sends her on an intriguing quest across the freezing Yorkshire moors.
To help solve the puzzle, Faith enlists the help of George, Richard’s mysterious but rather handsome Welsh protégé, her best friend Ivy and Ivy’s chaotic labradoodle, Teasel.
As they set off across Yorkshire, hindered by Teasel’s disastrous antics, they begin to unravel Richard’s clues. What they discover makes Faith reconsider the father she idolised and the happy childhood she’d taken for granted. Because, despite being devoted to Faith, Richard had secrets. And if Faith can get to the bottom of them, with George by her side, then a whole new future could open up to her, and even an unexpected romance…
Review
A Winter’s Trail is another smashing read from one of my favourite authors. Jane Lovering creates quirky characters and writes with humour and heart. Her heroes tend to be more cerebral than usual, and their dialogue is always whip-smart with an impressive vocabulary.
It was easy to like Faith. She was mourning her father’s death and struggling to come to terms with her future without him. As I would expect from Jane Lovering, Faith did not come across as worldly-wise; in fact, she seemed more reserved as she protected her heart.
I did like George and loved the way he fitted into the story. A tour guide and protege of Faith’s father, with a specific knowledge of ancient places of worship, was suitably quirky and perfect for a book from this author. Of course, there was the added comedy created by Teasel the Labradoodle.
The story isn’t just about a potential romance between Faith and George; it’s a story of discovery as Faith follows a request from her late father to visit a list of sites and sign the visitor’s books.
Each of the locations the pair visit is described in such a way that I could almost smell the mildew and feel the cold and dampness permeating my bones. I must say, I have no desire to revisit the space beneath the ancient tree. These locations contributed to creating an incredibly atmospheric story, which was the perfect backdrop to the comedic episodes also interspersed between the pages.
I was fully invested in this story and found myself reading until way past my bedtime, determined to discover the secrets hidden in her father’s past. No spoilers from me but the reveal is jaw-dropping.
One of the many things I enjoy about Jane’s books is her command of the English language. I love discovering new words and only wish I could retain that information and extend my own vocabulary. Her writing is immersive, and I am already excited for what comes next.
Author Bio
WINNER – CONTEMPORARY ROMANTIC NOVEL OF THE YEAR 2023 with A COTTAGE FULL OF SECRETS (Boldwood Books) ROMANTIC NOVEL OF THE YEAR 2012 with PLEASE DON’T STOP THE MUSIC (Choc Lit publishing), RoNA ROSE (NOVELLA OF THE YEAR) 2018 with CHRISTMAS AT THE LITTLE VILLAGE SCHOOL AND FANTASY ROMANTIC NOVEL OF THE YEAR 2019 with LIVING IN THE PAST
Jane was, presumably, born, although everyone concerned denies all knowledge. However there is evidence that her early years were spent in Devon (she can still talk like a pirate under the right conditions) and of her subsequent removal to Yorkshire under a sack and sedation.
She now lives in North Yorkshire, where she writes women’s fiction novels with funny bits and labours under the tragic misapprehension that men are queueing up for her. She owns possibly the world’s worst dog, a Patterdale Terrier who answers to – well, who knows, since she rarely comes back; she is also the owner of five practically grown-up children, and she has to spend considerable amounts of time in a darkened room as a result (of the dog, not the kids).
Jane’s likes include marshmallows, the smell of cucumbers and the understairs cupboard, words beginning with B, and Doctor Who. She writes with her laptop balanced on her knees whilst lying on her bed, and her children have been brought up to believe that real food has a high carbon content. And a kind of amorphous shape.
Not unlike Jane herself, come to think of it.
She had some hobbies once, but she can’t remember what they were. Ask her to show you how many marshmallows she can fit in her mouth at once, though, that might give you a clue. Go on, I dare you.
The restraining order was recently lifted!
Great review – I’m looking forward to reading this later on the year.
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Thank you. Jane is one author I can’t leave for later. Isn’t it strange how an author can do that?
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I’m saving it for all the festive/wintry reads ❄️
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