It is unfortunately still something of a taboo so the fact that miscarriage plays such a big part in Kate Hewitt’s latest book, A Vicarage Reunion, feels like an important step to me.
Having experienced two early pregnancy losses, I was drawn to this novel – the second in this series – but what kept me reading was the fact it's a brilliantly told story, with barely suppressed emotion, which I knew had to come out eventually.
While it might be too raw to read if you’ve just experienced it, nearly seven years after my first loss I found the book comforting. Obviously everyone grieves differently but I could relate to the way not just Esther but also Will were dealing (or maybe not dealing) with what happened.
I’ll admit I wasn’t sure about Esther at first but the more I got to know her, the more I liked her - and in the end I desperately wanted her to have a happy ending.
The miscarriage was a catalyst for them splitting up but I also felt it helped them to understand each other better. They had settled into a rut after years of marriage, as can so easily happen, but this was their wake up call.
Despite the fact I haven’t read the first book (yet), I was able to easily understand the family dynamics at the vicarage and really enjoyed meeting the engaging cast of characters.
I thought the whole story was exceptionally well written and can’t wait to read more.

With thanks to Tule Publishing for the ARC (via NetGalley) in return for an honest review.

The trouble with reading Kate Hewitt’s stories is that as soon as you finish one and discover the next is not due out for months you wish you’d read the current one more slowly and really savoured it.
I’ve loved this, the second Holley Sisters story, from the moment I started reading it. Kate Hewitt creates characters that are truly three dimensional, carrying the sorts of burdens you or I might carry, yet facing those challenges head on and growing as a result. This series is set in England’s gorgeous Lakes District and each story has all the charm of a small country village.
Will and Esther are so thoroughly English, not quite stiff upper lip, but holding their feelings and their hurts close to their chests and suffering as a result. Their story was unutterably sad at times, yet truly joyful at others as these two solid, reliable people learned to trust and share and lean on each other. I felt for each of them at different times in the story. I couldn’t help it. I was right there with them living each tiny nuance of pain and anguish as they dealt with their problems, and oh my goodness it was good when finally they sorted things out and started to live again.
This has been such a gorgeous story I’m really tempted to go right back to the beginning now and start again. I guess that’s the mark of a real keeper and this one definitely is.

Esther and Will were at a crossroads, even though Will wasn't aware of it. Esther has decided to move back to her parents, not all that far away, Esther has had a miscarriage and she's feels great guilt that she was glad when it happened. She doesn't shre her thoughts with anyone - finally seeks some counseling which helps. Will really doesn't understand, but eventually they talk, he suggests starting over....good job Will. A good read.

Second in the series, A Vicarage Reunion by Kate Hewitt takes place in the English village of Thornthwaite. I loved this realistic women’s fiction story. Marriage is difficult, loss is difficult and in general there are heartbreaks along life’s journey. This book deals with all of that. It is a true second chance story for the two main characters.

Esther is the vicar’s daughter, so I imagine her life has been one of expectations. Time has come that Esther just can’t meet expectations especially her own and in her marriage. I found this a hopeful and refreshing look at starting over. Sometimes that is the only way to go forward. I don’t want to give too much away in this gem of a book but will say I couldn’t have been happier than I was with the conclusion. A Vicarage Reunion showcases why I love Katie Hewitt’s stories.

I’ve enjoyed other books by Kate Hewitt, but this one was a bit of a miss for me.

After a false pregnancy, Esther can’t deal with the emotions she feels about both the pregnancy and the state of her marriage to her husband, Will. She decides that the best thing to do is for her to leave him, although she’s unable to bring herself to be honest about why. Will is completely blindsided and understandably hurt by her decision. However, he loves her and wants to find a way for them to reconcile. Esther then has to decide what she wants, not just in terms of her marriage, but for her life as a whole, since the one she was living wasn’t making her happy.

One thing I really like about Hewitt as an author is that she isn’t afraid to tackle heavy topics. The cover of this book might make you think that it is cozy and twee, but that’s not the case at all. There are a lot of issues to unpack here: grief at the loss of a child, the pain caused by a lack of communication in a relationship, uncertainty over a job Esther no longer enjoys, even the changing dynamics of her family as her parents prepare to leave the home she grew up in.

What disappointed me about this book was that Esther resolves all of her problems so easily that it didn’t feel realistic to me. It takes her about a month, maybe a little longer, to work through the worst of things. For example, she decides to take a redundancy package and leave her job, and she immediately finds something more rewarding to fill her time, which is just so unlikely. I wish Hewitt hadn’t had such a compressed timeline for this book, because I think it would have benefited from giving the story a little more time to develop. (Although she may not have had a choice, since it seems like this four-book series may have one book set in each season of one year.)

Hewitt’s fans will find a lot to enjoy about this book, but I don’t know that I would recommend it as a starting point for anyone who is unfamiliar with her work. I think she's written better novels than this one.

A copy of this book was provided through NetGalley for review; all opinions expressed are my own.

A Vicarage Reunion is a wonderful tale of a young couple who's marriage is rocked following a miscarriage. Unhappy and not knowing what to do Esther leaves Will and returns to her parent's home. Still unhappy but determined to restart her life. Esther finds herself exploring dating life with disastrous results. Then Will shows up demanding her to give him a second chance and he plans to show Esther just how special she is by courting her all over again.

This is a very well done book and I definitely recommend it.

I enjoyed Esther's story for it had a simplicity about it which made it easy to cheer for the characters as they sorted their messes and emotions.

This is my favorite type of novel. It was sweet, clean and very entertaining. Don't let this fool you into thinking it was light and fluffy, because it is not. Kate captures your heart from the very start of the book. It contains a lot of heartache and lost, but the way her characters work through them makes it a must read. Will and Esther were such strong main characters in this story. Even though they were married eight years and together ten, Esther felt there was nothing left in their relationship. Having a miscarriage, was the last straw for her. There were lots of other family members, as well as church family that added interest to the story line. Kate's characters were all well developed. I related so many times to Esther and what she was feeling and some of the things she had to go through. A quote from the book sums it up for me. “tears were streaming from her eyes and her shoulders were shaking and she felt as if she were falling apart. Literally falling apart right there on the kitchen floor, bits and pieces breaking off until there would be nothing left.” I've been there, how about you. The good news, it doesn't end there. There is so much more to this beautiful story. I whole heartily recommend this book.
I received a copy from Net Galley and Tule Publishers and it was not required for me to give a review.

I've shed more than a few tears as I've read The Holley Sisters of Thornthwaite books. I lost my son almost four years ago and following the Holley family dealing with the far reaching ripples surrounding the death of their young brother has rang so true for me. As always, Kate Hewitt's characters are real people dealing with real everyday problems we can all relate to. The love the Holley family shares is tangible and will touch your heart.

Kate, thank you for being the treasure that you are. I look forward to Rachel's story!

I couldn't wait to read the second book in this series and it didn't let me down. Full of romance and families and finding happiness again great characters and story line and has you hooked from the first page. Has you really thinking at times and shows sometimes you have to go back to the beginning.
Esther has been married to will for a while and she finds out she has lost a baby and in doing so she finds she's wants different things in life so she decides to leave will and tells him she never wanted a child and walks out and turns up at her parents house the vicarage. Her parents are upset got her and her mother suggests she goes to counselling but can she do this. She also throws herself in to work but isn't happy. Her and will go to a wedding pretending they are still a couple but it's clear she's not happy but he wants to give it another go. She finds an email from her work offering redundancies and she decides it's time to move on. Will makes a phone call one night saying their beloved dog is passing away and she goes straight over and she stays the night and will talks with her saying why don't they start at the beginning and date again and see if they can make things work. Is this what Esther wants it not and can she enjoy herself on the dates and move forward together or is the end really what is best. Her parents are moving away as well and can they sort the house and every thing out with all the sisters.
This is a must read so well written with amazing characters and great to curl up and read.

Reading A Vicarage Reunion is very enjoyable. We get to the centre of the conflict at the same time Will, Esther husband know there is a problem in their marriage. Being separated seems the most logical choice for Esther after having miscarriage and only continue on to survive, not to live on her life. While Will, confused, angry and heart-broken continue to find the why’s and then decided to Esther to go dating again.

As a married woman, the story is easy to relate to. The boredom of the marriage is inevitable if we trapped on the daily routines. The main characters also developed well, we get to know their thoughts, feeling and see the flaws that make them more human.

At first, I thought that this is the first book on the series, yet this is the second book. But the author doesn’t make me feel that I’m missing something.

The things that I could take from this book are; spice up your marriage and do communicate honestly with your spouse. If you can’t be brutally honest with your life partner, then to whom you could tell all your inner feelings and secrets?

I would recommend this book for women who’s already marriage or thinking about marriage, because the marriage start after the wedding reception for (hopefully) the rest of our life.

Although this is part of a series I enjoyed this book and am looking forward to reading the next installment. A recommended read.

A Vicarage Reunion by Kate Hewitt is a heartfelt women's fiction story. Romance, marriage, miscarriage and family life are put to the test. A journey that sucked me in from the first page. A young married couple have been suffering silently for a long while. Until one day, the wife decides she can't take it anymore. Losing their baby, was the last straw for Esther. Esther is a daughter of a vicar. She knew her faith should be stronger but she felt broken, sad, and unhappy. Esther decided to leave her good husband Will. Only fate has plans that neither adult saw coming. Will loves his wife and alway will love her. He felt sad, broken, and unhappy that she left him. Worried about what he did to make her leave, Will goes about trying to woo his wife back into his arms.

It was so easy to like the characters. Relating to the married couple was like breathing in air. Their personalities made them believable. Heartache, fear, and their little flaws make way for a path of discovery, renewal, and acceptance. Both Esther and Will have a lot to figure out before they can get their lives back in-order.

Overall, A Vicarage Reunion, is sweet, thoughtful, and deep. I enjoyed following the protagonists as they fell and rose. Their dilemmas were understandable. The story was clean, well-developed, and engaging. I highly recommend this title to all readers.