I always enjoy Katie Fforde and 'A Country Escape' was no exception. It was a comfortable story to read, enjoyable and witty dialogue but no twists or surprises. It was a perfect beach read, but not something I'd read a second time.

A light-hearted love story about a girl who may inherit a farm from a distant relative but she needs to save it first - which she tries by making cheese! A lovely read.

You can rely on fforde for a chick lit with intelligence read. Very funny in parts and fast paced, a brilliant holiday read

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an ARC of this lovely book!

Fran makes the massive move from London to the country to take over the running of a farm owned by a distant but ageing and in poor health relative, Amy, Amy has promised Fran that if she can turn the farm around in 12 months, then she will inherit the farm. Fran makes a good start with the help of her best friend Issi, (who comes to enjoy the country life as much as Fran thanks for a blossoming relationship), the farm herdsman Tig and a wealthy and positively eligible bachelor neighbour called Anthony. With no farming background, Amy puts her culinary knowledge to great use by diversifying into cheese making with great results...

A spanner in the works appears in the form of Roy, the other long lost relative from Australia that Amy had written to at the same time as Fran with the same offer... He is a two-faced swine saying all the right things to Amy but doing the exact opposite and openly counting down the days until Amy dies...

The story culminates at the reading the will ................ no spoilers here, but I thoroughly enjoyed this great summer read and would not hesitate to recommend it to others!

Lovely read from Katie Fforde. Great story with a happy ending. Beautifully written and easy to read through quickly. A good relax and chill type of book. Characters you can relate you and you want them to get what they deserve. Thanks Katie for another fab book

Has there ever been something you've always wondered what it would be like to do? Maybe as a child you wanted to be a chef, or a hairdresser, or - like in Fran's case - a farmer.

A Country Escape follows Fran's journey as she delves into the task of running her Aunt's farm, with rolling hills and a charming old farmhouse, that - even though I have no inclination for farming whatsoever - sounds idyllic and beautiful.

I have read quite a few of Katie Fforde's books, and was rather excited when I got the chance to get my hands on a copy of this one.  It did not disappoint.  From beginning to end, I truly did not want to put this book down, and in fact I didn't and stayed up until 1am so I could finish it!

I loved the quiet determination Fran has to try her best to make the farm a success, and make her Aunt proud.  I was cheering her on from the get-go! With fantastic characters, a great fun-filled plot, and plenty of drama to boot, A Country Escape is the perfect read to curl up on the sofa with amidst the April showers (or never-ending rain like we have here).

****stars from me!

I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.

This is the nicest book I have read this year. Easy to read and a delightful story. Highly recommended

Katie fforde doing what she does best. A little bit insta-love and a lot unreal, but nice escapist read, which is all one wants really!

As a child Fran dreamt of being a farmer, but instead she became a chef in London as you do! So when her Aunt Amy sent her a letter saying that if she ran the farm for a year successfully it would be hers when she died. Fran full of determination sets out for Shropshire....... but obviously things are not going to be that easy......especially as it is a dairy farm and Fran is scared of cows!

A lovely book full of great characters and humour and obviously a bit of romance along the way....Katie Fforde is one of my favourite authors and I always look out for new books from her and this one definitely doesn't disappoint

Absolutely lovely, felt like I was right there going through everything with the protagonist.

A really enjoyable read. I always enjoy a new Katie Fforde and this one didn't disappoint.

With an idyllic countryside setting and lovable characters that you are genuinely rooting for. This is just the type of book that you can pick up and get lost in - I did!
Fairly predictable as is typical of this genre but with some unexpected twists. An easy read that was very enjoyable in-between other deeper and more meaningful reads - sometimes something cheery and light is just what I need.

Thank you Netgalley for an early copy in return for a review

I absolutely loved, loved this book. It was clean, passionate, and filled with characters who were delightful, both good and bad.

Fran gets a letter from a distant far-off relative, Ms. Amy Flowers, with a stipulation that if she makes a go of the Hill Top Farm for a year, she would inherit it, after Aunt Amy has passed on.

Now the problems — Fran is asked not to socialise with her neighbor Anthony, she has 1000 pounds along with her savings to make a go of it, there is a bank loan which has to be repaid ASAP, there is another relative Roy who stands to inherit and who is not above using flattery as his weapon to inherit, and lastly but not least, Fran is scared of the cows on the farm.

My first book by Katie Fforde, and I have long last fulfilled my wish to read her book. And I can see why readers all over the world are big fans of her writing. I absolutely adored the determination with which Fran makes a go of it, finding ways to make the farm survive. It was nice to see her finding her place with the people of the town and the love of her life.

The characters are delightful, each one is so well developed. Fran has her hardworking, honest, and ethical nature, her best friend Issi has her supportive nature. Anthony is kind, generous, and enigmatic. Tig is the strong, silent types. Aunt Amy is the old, crotchety types but with a keen sense of intuition and intelligence. Roy was hateful, money-minded, who couldn’t wait for Amy to die. And I loved hating him; he raised my blood pressure and my indignation almost in every scene that he appears. I loved all these characters.

The making of cheese is so well incorporated in the story, that I was almost egging Fran to make more and describe the heavenly flavor (I don’t like or eat cheese). I loved the way I was so immersed in the story and invested in the life of Fran, I was her biggest cheerleader in all her ventures.

This is a feel-good holiday book, where you just have to go with the flow of the characters and their lives. And that is why this book was perfect to read over the weekend, for me.

Just. Simply. Loved. It.

A lovely easy read, with sufficient plot twists and a fine 'baddy'. I enjoyed this light read very much.

Another great book from Katie Fforde. A lovely heartwarming story that will stay with you afterwards.

Can't wait to see what Katie has coming next!

Nothing taxing, just a nice read with some great characters and a good storyline.

This is a sweet, cozy book with a rather straightforward plotline that is nevertheless charming if you're in the mood for a light read.

Fran is one of the last living relatives of cousin/aunt (I can't exactly recall) Amy, who is too elderly now to run her beloved farm. If Fran spends a year on the farm and makes a go of it, she will inherit. So Fran ups sticks from London and takes the biggest chance of her life.

Previously a chef, she dreamt of being a farmer when she was a child. Only problem is that managing a herd of cows and a dilapidated farm isn't something you can pick up over the weekend. But Fran is super plucky and hard-working and wins just about everyone over along the way. And if she gets swept up by a wealthy neighbour along the way, what's not to like?

This isn't the book for you if you like complicated and edgy (sometimes I do, sometimes I need fluff). But it's a lovely book to read in the bath or on holiday or on one of those grey days when it seems like the sun may never shine again.

A Country Escape was a lovely feel good read based on a dairy farm, the characters in this book were a brilliant contrast to eachother with each bringing something different to the overall story. When you pick up a Katie Fforde book you are looking for a light hearted entertaining read and this book did not disappoint.

I loved the story of Francesca and how she kept trying to win approval from Aunt Amy and the various adventures and mishaps she had throughout the story and the many people she met along the way. Another brilliant book from Katie Fforde that I thoroughly enjoyed.

This was a very entertaining romantic story, with everyone ending up with the right inheritance and the right man. Mostly predictable, but enjoyable all the same. Basically a story about a long lost relation being found to take over a farm and more importantly a herd of rare cattle on untilled land. With the complications of the local neighbour, the herdsman, another long lost Australian relation and the dying old lady who has clearly struggled to keep the farm going in her latter years. Happy ever after ending.

Review: I always feel sad when I finish a book by Katie Fforde as it means I have to wait until she has another book published. A good thing her books are so likeable I can re-read them.

A Country Escape is just as good as all her other books, I adored it. I could easily have read this in one seating but wanted to take my time.

I feel in love with Fran and really wanted her to succeed, I love the character Tig he really sums up a person who is totally dedicated to his job, he is a quiet but very important part of the story. I enjoyed reading the developing romance that Fran has and how it comes about. The puppy scenes were amazing so well written. There is one character I hated strong word I know but I did and you well understand when reading the book. 

This is another great read from Katie Fforde and one I really enjoyed.

A very typical romantic novel. Once you have read the first chapter you know how it will end. Katie Fford fills the 'bit in the middle' with ease. A really good story with believable characters that you care about. A great heartwarming book.