That Festive Feeling - Heidi Swain

 

Holly has the place to herself this Christmas. It’s not her place, though – she is house-sitting for friends who live on Nightingale Square – just there to keep the place warm and cosy and only for long enough for her to sort her life out. Newly single and finding herself unsure about next steps for her career, she plans to hunker down and make some life decisions.

To clear her mind, she sets off on early morning walks around a nearby lake and bumps into May, an older lady who is also new to the area, and her dapper Dachshund Monty. Quickly, a firm friendship blossoms. Then when Holly meets Bear, a rather large and rather attractive man, at the local pub, and his rescue dog Queenie, her stay at Nightingale Square suddenly feels even more appealing.

As the community comes together for the season’s festivities, Holly must start thinking about where her life will take her next. Some big decisions need to be made, but distractions close to home make thinking about the future more tricky than ever…

Will she get that festive feeling this Christmas…?

My Review:

Want to get into the festive spirit? Heidi Swain’s books will always leave you feeling ready for the season and ‘That Festive Feeling’ is just perfect for doing just that.

Having created many wonderful settings for us, Nightingale Square is so special and even more so at Christmas time. It’s a strong community with a great cast of characters (or friends as us Swainettes see them).

Holly is a great addition to the characters we love so much. She is housesitting for characters we already have come to know a little about and all she wants is to hide herself away, have a quiet time to evaluate her life/options for roving forward. She is adamant that she will not be drawn in to all the frolics and activities in the square, not matter how much any of the neighbours try to cajole her. Even I know this is not realistic with the Nightingale Square residents and soon Holly is finding herself getting involved.

Holly does strive for some quiet independence and soon becomes friends with a dog walker called May. May is the absolute best, what a colourful breath of fresh air she is, I adore her and would love to have her tenacity and character. The bond formed between these two characters is gorgeous, really so heart warming and it’s very clear both are helping each other in so many ways.

After a collision with Bear, Holly’s festive season is about to get busier and perhaps a little more complicated than she expected. Bear lives in an ‘alternative’ home and is quite keen to show Holly she has options she had never considered.

An absolutely gorgeous story with friendship at the heart of it all. Encouraging people to take chances, make changes and putting a bit of trust in other people again. Although it is a romance, it gives us so much more – comedy, drama, heart warming messages of kindness and compassion. A story to inspire people to follow their hearts and dreams, think outside the box and to always add a little more colour to their lives.

Left me feeling all warm and fuzzy. Another Heidi Swain classic!!

Buy a copy - HERE! 

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The Summer Fair - Heidi Swain

 

Join Heidi Swain back in Nightingale Square for a sunshine and celebration filled summer....

Beth loves her job working in a care home, looking after its elderly residents, but she doesn’t love the cramped and dirty house-share she currently lives in. So, when she gets the opportunity to move to Nightingale Square, sharing a house with the lovely Eli, she jumps at the chance.

The community at Nightingale Square welcomes Beth with open arms, and when she needs help to organise a fundraiser for the care home they rally round. Then she discovers The Arches, a local creative arts centre, has closed and the venture to replace it needs their help too – but this opens old wounds and past secrets for Beth.

Music was always an important part of her life, but now she has closed the door on all that. Will her friends at the care home and the people of Nightingale Square help her find a way to learn to love it once more.?

My Review:

Heidi Swain stole my book heart many moons ago with her fantastic characters, wonderful communities and stories that warm even the coldest of hearts. With each book we fall more in love with one of her fictional settings and have another character to adore.

A little biased you may presume, but honestly, Heidi never delivers a book I don’t love. I know exactly how I feel by the end – like I’ve spent time with a really good friend.

The Summer Fair is fantastic, another trip to Nightingale Square and back to catch up with friends of old. We also meet Beth, who has shut her beloved music out of her life as it is too painful to hear. She is a broken woman who is desperate to forget her passion for music because it brings back memories. She wants to move on from the past but her arrival in Nightingale Square might mean that is going to be more difficult than she ever thought.

Oh how I felt for Beth, I was willing her on at every opportunity – at work, getting away from awful housemates and once she settled into Nightingale Square. I could empathise with her aversion to shut out parts of her past, but she didn’t make it easy for herself at all.

As Beth works in a care home (you may recognise a certain someone there) and what a brilliant, often funny, inclusion – full of funny, quirky characters. This is also where we see Beth come into her own and blossom.

Eli is a great character and although he had his own thing going on, he helps Beth more than he realises ay first. He is an important part of helping Beth heal and believe in herself again.

Music is such a powerful and emotional tool in terms of mental health. It can break us down or build us up and this is a theme that is woven into this story.

Heartwarming, charming and probably one of Heidi’s best, I cannot recommend The Summer Fair enough. What a treat!

Until next time Nightingale Square….

Treat yourself with a copy of 'The Summer Fair' - Available - HERE!

 

A Taste of Home - Heidi Swain

 

Fliss Brown has grown up living with her mother on the Rossi family’s Italian fruit farm. But when her mother dies, Fliss finds out she has a family of her own, and heads back to England with Nonna Rossi’s recipe for cherry and almond tart and a piece of advice: connect with your family before it is too late…

Fliss discovers that her estranged grandfather owns a fruit farm himself, on the outskirts of Wynbridge, and she arrives to find a farm that has fallen into disrepair. Using her knowledge gleaned from working on the Rossi farm and her desire to find out more about her past, Fliss rolls her sleeves up and gets stuck in. But what will she discover, and can she resurrect the farm’s glory days and find a taste of home…?

My Review:
Whenever I want a gorgeous, comfortable read from an author I adore I know I can always rely on Heidi to provide a hug in book form. Always warm and cosy, Heidi's books are special and leave you feel all emotional and fuzzy. I have been a huge fan for the longest time now and I always look forward for my next ‘fix’ #Swainette for life here.

‘A Taste of Home’ is a gorgeous, summer filled read that will have you craving strawberries like never before.
We meet Fliss after the death of her Mum, surrounded by her Italian ‘surrogate’ family. A letter from her Mum details last wishes that Fliss reconnect with family she never realised she had. So, a trip to the UK and our wonderful Wynbridge is quickly organised.

What Fliss discovers is so much more than she ever imagined, and I won’t spoil it and say too much but this book just highlights the importance of family and understanding where you come from. Although we haven’t met the majority of these characters, they are now firm favourites, and I can’t wait to see them again; you also come across some old favourites too which is always nice. Don’t worry – if this is your first Heidi Swain book, it is a standalone book, but I do recommend all her previous books as they are fantastic.

‘A Taste of Home’ is full of heart and emotion. It will make you laugh; make you cry and will leave you feeling content. I highly recommend, it will make the perfect summer beach read, cosy on up and take a trip to Wynbridge via Italy.

Purchase 'A Taste of Home' - HERE

About Heidi Swain:

Sunday Times Best-selling author with a passion for vintage, hearth & home.

Creating wonderful communities and characters. Find out more -

Website: https://heidiswain.co.uk/

Check out the blog: http://heidiswain.blogspot.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WriterHeidiJoSwain

The Secret Seaside Escape - Heidi Swain

Escape to the seaside with the brand new novel from Heidi Swain, the Sunday Times bestselling author of feel-good women’s fiction!
 
Tess Tyler needs a break. Weighed down by her high-pressure job and her demanding father, she’s left little time to take care of herself. But after a shocking discovery sends her spiralling, she flees to Wynmouth, the seaside town she fell in love with as a child, to escape it all.

With its sandy beaches, stunning rock pools and welcoming community, Tess feels like she can finally breathe again. And as she grows ever closer to local barman Sam, she dares to dream that she might never return to her real life. But when a familiar face returns to town, Tess realises that there are secrets in Wynmouth too, and that her own past may be about to catch up with her . . .   The Secret Seaside Escape  is the perfect read this summer, promising sandy beaches, stunning rockpools and breath-taking romance. Perfect for fans of Carole Matthews and Sarah Morgan.

My Review:


I’m a #swainette through and through...
This fantastic new book from Heidi Swain is perfect for a mental break away, given current circumstances this is the perfect read if you want to escape for a little while.
After reading (devouring) the book I just wanted to go and escape to the seaside myself (I wish), I’d love to fall into a community with characters like Heidi creates. All of Heidi’s books have such wonderful communities – as you may know if you’ve read any of Heidi’s other books – but this is a brand new one with wonderful new people who feel like friends by the end.
Tess is fed up working hard for her father and not getting the appreciation she needs. She takes herself away to the seaside, Wynmouth, the place she spent so much time growing up. Awakening old memories and secrets, Tess has decisions to make about her future but will the heart rule the head, especially when she realises her feelings for a certain local.
I love Tess. She’s sweet, kind and gets involved in the community straight away which I like. She soon settles into place and its clear she feels at home there with some brilliant friendships made early on. A great character! There is a whole host of supporting characters who add to the fun, George and his meddling, Sophie, Hope, Joe and of course, Sam.
Easy to be charmed by the amazing writing and descriptions, you will feel like you are part of the idyllic seaside neighbourhood. I loved the development, the twists that were unexpected but interesting. It’s a wonderful tale of friendships, community spirit, forgiving the past and learning to accept what is meant to be. Romance is as always a theme running throughout the book, but it isn’t the main focus, personal development and fixing relationships is in my opinion – although in my opinion a little bit of romance is always welcome.

I cannot recommend this enough, as I would any Heidi Swain book. A feel good, cosy read that will entice you in and leave you wanting more. Treat yourself to a trip to Wynmouth, you won’t be disappointed. Fingers crossed for a return trip!!
Available to purchase NOW: Amazon

About the Author:

Sunday Times Best-selling author with a passion for vintage, hearth & home.

Creating wonderful communities and characters. Find out more -

Website: https://heidiswain.co.uk/

Check out the blog: http://heidiswain.blogspot.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WriterHeidiJoSwain

 

COVER REVEAL - The Secret Seaside Escape by Heidi Swain

It is an absolute pleasure to be able to reveal the cover for the upcoming release from the ever-so wonderful, Heidi Swain. 

Ladies and Gentlemen, here it is - The Secret Seaside Escape.

How gorgeous is this cover! I cannot wait to read this one. 

Following a shocking revelation within her family, Tess Tyler is looking to escape her hectic city life – and where better to hide than Wynmouth, the seaside town she visited as a child, with its sandy beaches, stunning rock pools and welcoming community. But little does she realise, Wynmouth isn't quite the haven she remembers it to be, and her real life is still threatening to catch up with her . . .
Also returning to Wynmouth is Joe. Having fled over a decade ago after an accident that changed his life forever, he’s back and is determined to face his demons. But, like Tess, Joe realises that the town is nothing like he remembers and quickly his arrival brings old tensions to the surface.
As the pair begin to familiarise themselves with the town they once knew, they each realise that the secrets they carry are becoming harder to conceal – but will revealing them bring the answers they’re looking for? Will Tess and her new friends finally get the second chance they’ve been hoping Wynmouth will give them?

PRE-ORDER NOW:
Links to Amazon

Paperback

E-book

Audio

Heidi Swain is the Sunday Times bestselling author of nine novels. She lives in Norfolk with her husband, two allegedly grown-up children and a mischievous black cat called Storm. She is passionate about gardening, the countryside and collects vintage paraphernalia.

To find out more, follow Heidi on twitter @Heidi_Swain or visit her website: www.heidiswain.co.uk.