This book was a complete delight to read and I was lucky enough to read it when I was away from home for a few days on a short holiday - it was the PERFECT holiday read for me and I was able to completely relax and immerse myself in the story!

I loved the plot and to be honest any story that has pets or a dog in it is always going to be a winner with me. This was really well written, I loved how well it flowed and I flew through the pages. Excellent.

No hesitation, definitely a five star book for me - very, very enjoyable!!

3.5 stars

Another sweet entry into the Willow Tree Hall series!

I loved getting the chance to see what Annie, Sam, and all our favorite characters have been up to while getting to know Eleanor and Tom.

Eleanor is at a crossroads in her life, having returned home after losing her job. I admit, I wasn't sure I would like her much at first. However, as the story progressed, I found her to be a realistic character and easier to empathize with than I originally thought.

Tom is one of the music artists Sam manages and has come to Willow Tree Hall to spend time working on his new album. I liked getting glimpses into his song writing and wish I could have seen more of his songs.

Tom is vastly different than what Eleanor expects when she hears he's staying at the house, and it's fun to watch the two of them get to know each other better.

***I received an e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for this opportunity.***

This was a great book. The story was captivating and kept me interested throughout. Can’t wait for more from this author.

Great storyline with good strong characters. Very well written. I would recommend this book to anyone.

Escape to the Country was a fab read. It follows journalist Eleanor as she heads out of the city and back to her home town after her personal and work life implodes. Once back in the pretty village of Cranley, she finds herself drawn to pop star Tom who’s hiding out in the local manor house – where her best friend just so happens to live. But with a menagerie to look after at her mums, a job to find, not to mention helping to renovate the manor and organise various charity events, will life get in the way of the connection they seem to have?

I absolutely loved this book. It was the perfect read about second chances and starting over and one I really needed to read right at that moment.

Note: I received an Advanced Readers Copy of this novel from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts expressed in the review are my own and are in no way influenced by the author nor the publisher. A major thank you to both Netgalley and the publisher for giving me this opportunity.

I’ll admit it. I absolutely fell in love with Willow Tree Hall… and of course all the characters that live there. I wasn’t sure if I was going to like the book at first but to my surprise it was actually really enjoyable to read. I love my fluffy romance novels and this certainly ticks those boxes.
I really enjoyed the beginning of Tom and Eleanor’s relationship and that it wasn’t just “instalove”. Later on of course they became really cute and honestly just good for each other. Of course however, there were moments when you just wanted to smack the characters upside the head and go “are you serious?!?”, but that’s only natural. Unfortunately humans make mistakes and the characters in this book are certainly human.

Congratulations to the author on this book! I really enjoyed it and will definitely be reading Annie and Sam’s story (even though this is technically a sequel to that)

Update: I jjust finished reading the first book in the series (A House to Mend a Broken Heart) AND OH MY GOOD LORD I LOVED IT! There is reportedly a new one coming this year and I am so so excited.

The Blurb :
Journalist Eleanor McCartney leads a glamorous life in London exposing the sordid secrets of famous celebrities for Hot Gossip! magazine. But her perfect life is a sham. So when her world collapses, she has to reluctantly head home to her mum and friends in the quiet country village of Cranley.
Willow Tree Hall is still in the midst of extensive renovations under the careful eye of Eleanor's best friend Annie and her fiancé, record producer and future Earl of Cranley, Sam Harris.
With a recording studio now in the grounds of the estate, it should be the perfect place for global singing sensation Tom Kingsley to hang out. But Tom is burnt out after a gruelling worldwide tour and is escaping the paparazzi after yet another scandal. Eleanor cannot believe her luck. A story on the world's biggest superstar would be the ticket that gets her job and glamorous life back in London.
But soon both Eleanor and Tom begin to fall under the spell of Willow Tree Hall. Eleanor begins to wonder whether she can really betray his trust. And does she really want her old life back or is home really where the heart lies?
As a heatwave soars, friendships are made, truths are told and, with the help of a stray dog, perhaps love can be found as hearts are healed. By escaping to the country, maybe Eleanor and Tom have found their new beginning.

My Thoughts :
Eleanor McCartney has just been sacked from her job as a Journalist with a gossip magazine and in the same time broken up with her boyfriend, so what better way to mend a broken heart than to return home to her mum in the village of Cranley. She is also looking forward to seeing her 2 best friends, but things just dont stay the same.
She soon discovers that famous singer, Tommy Kingsley is staying at her friends house and wonders if its an idea to do a story on him in the hope it will reinstate her career. But can Eleanor bring herself to do the story once she gets to know him.
I really enjoyed the charactors of Annie and Sam, also Eleanor’s mum who has a heart of gold and will take any rescue in.
Although I have not read the first book this can be read as a standalone.
This story is a delight, full of love, twists and turns, family and friends. I am looking forward to the next one.

If you are looking for a fun romance this is the book for you, I really enjoyed the great characters and glamourous settings - with all the animals too! It's a perfect premise for a romance and with the strong cast of characters it's very easy to read and enjoy.

This really was a heartwarming story about friends, family and love. I found the characters to be very relatable and our heroine was sincere and sweet. There are lots of twists and turns in the plot of this book and it never disappoints.

This was a great read and I will definitely be on the lookout for more books by Alison Sherlock.

Quirliger Geschichte mit liebevollen Charakteren, voller Turbulenzen und Charme. Wahrhaftig ein Wohlfühlbuch, das ich sicher gern noch einmal lesen werde.

Wonderfully witty, gloriously romantic and a joy to read from start to finish, Escape to the Country is the second delightful novel from fast rising star Alison Sherlock!

Celebrity journalist Eleanor McCartney’s glamorous life is the envy of all her peers. A dizzying whirl of glitzy parties, designer handbags and salacious gossip, Eleanor spends her days digging the dirt and exposing secrets celebrities would rather keep hidden. However, the glitz and glamour of her enviable life is a smokescreen and when Eleanor’s world comes crashing down around her ears, she finds herself heading back home to her mum’s in the tiny village of Cranley, where she soon discovers that life is far from quiet in the countryside – especially as global singing sensation Tom Kingsley has been spotted hanging round their bucolic rural idyll.

After a grueling world tour, Tom wants to kick back, relax, recharge his batteries and recuperate while hiding from the unforgiving glare of the paparazzi’s lenses. Willow Tree Hall, the estate record producer Sam Harris has just inherited, is the perfect spot for him to get some much needed R&R, but he is unaware that Sam’s wife is best friends with a celebrity journalist who is desperate for a shocking exclusive to get her job back in London.

Just when Eleanor had been about to kiss her old life in London goodbye, she stumbles onto Tom Kingsley and finds herself determined to uncover the dirt and get the exclusive of the year – only she hadn’t counted on falling madly in love with him! As her feelings for Tom begin to deepen, she wonders whether she can betray his trust for the sake of her career – and whether her happiness does not lie in London, but in a tiny village in the country!

Will Eleanor choose her career over the one person who could provide her with the happiness she has been searching for all along? Or will Tom be able to prove to her that home is where the heart is?

Alison Sherlock is absolutely wonderful and Escape to the Country is a gorgeous, indulgent and captivating page-turner readers will not be able to put down! Funny, poignant, moving and absolutely irresistible, Escape to the Country is a breezy-paced romantic read about coming home, second chances, redemption and the many paths to happiness that you will read with a great big smile on your face.

Eleanor is such a great heroine. She is smart, intelligent and flawed just like the rest of us and Tom is a terrific hero you are simply going to love. It was an absolute joy to return to Cranley and Willow Tree Hall and I do hope that there will be more visits in the not too distant future!

A writer who is well on her way to becoming as big a name as Jill Mansell, Katie Fforde and Trisha Ashley, Alison Sherlock is a fantastic writer romantic comedy fans must add to their auto-buy list!

I have a little confession to make. Although I have a few of Alison’s books on my mountainous ‘TBR’ (to be read), I haven’t actually read one. Sorry Alison. Well let me tell you that as of today I have finished one of her books and I absolutely loved it but more about that in a bit.
I have to say that it took me a little while to warm to the character of Eleanor McCartney. At first she seems rather selfish but once you got beneath the surface, she is actually quite vulnerable and sensitive. I warmed to her and I really felt for her when things start to go wrong. In the space of a short time she loses her job, splits up with her boyfriend and then is thrown out of her house. Eleanor goes to stay with her mother. I can understand that she doesn’t want to tell people the real reason that she is back in her home village but the longer she keeps the secret, the harder it is going to be to tell everybody. Her family and friends are not even aware that she works for a gossip magazine, as she has led them to believe that she is a financial journalist. It’s as if Eleanor is embarrassed about the fact that she is a tabloid journalist. Eleanor has been through some tough times. Her father walked out of the family home and left only Eleanor and her Mam. Eleanor deeply cares for her mother but at the same time she feels slightly peeved with her. Eleanor’s mother has a huge heart and she is a sucker for an animal sob story. If any animal needs a home or needs rescuing then Eleanor’s Mam is your woman. I do think that Eleanor is a bit harsh on her mother. Whilst Eleanor is at home, she learns that a hugely famous pop star Tom Kingsley, renowned for iffy behaviour, is staying at the ancestral home of her best friend’s fiancé, who manages him. Eleanor thinks that an article on this huge pop star could be the huge scoop that means she can get her job back. Tom is one sensitive soul. He lost his parents at an early age and he entered the care system. By the sounds of it, Tom was shunted from one foster home to another and as a result he has never felt settled or wanted. Tom created a shell around himself and to a large degree his pop/ rock persona is a caricature or an alter ego. Underneath Tom is one damaged and vulnerable soul, who just needs to feel wanted and loved. Will Eleanor get her scoop? Will Eleanor and Tom hit it off? Is romance on the horizon? Well for the answers to these questions and more you are just going to have to read the book for yourselves to find out as I am not going to tell you.
When I picked up ‘Escape To The Country’ I didn’t realise that it was actually a second book in the series ‘Welcome To Willow Tree Hall’ series. The first book ‘A House To Mend A Broken Heart’ was released last year. ‘Escape To The Country’ works perfectly well as a standalone but because I am a bit OCD, I fully intend to read the first book and then follow on with this book.
This book had a hold over me from the moment I picked it up and didn’t release me from its grip until the moment I had finished reading. The author’s writing style is such that I found I was hooked on this book from the first word and reading it became a serious addiction. I picked up this book, only intending to read a couple of chapters…. ha that so did not happen, as I read 35 chapters before looking up. I became wrapped up in the story and the characters, who I came to view as friends. To me, the writing was so good and so realistic that the story seemed to come ‘alive’ and I began to ‘live’ the story myself. I empathised with some of the feelings that the characters were having, whilst at the same time I wanted to shake a couple of the characters by their shoulders to give them a reality check. Reading ‘Escape To The Country’ was a nice change to the books I usually read. There was a great deal of humour, drama, silliness, romance and the odd disagreement thrown in for good measure. ‘Escape To The Country’ is a perfect summertime read or perfect to pack in your luggage for your summer holiday. It’s light hearted and pure escapism.
In short, I absolutely adored reading ‘Escape To The Country’ and I can’t wait to read ‘A House To Mend A Broken Heart’. Alison Sherlock is now one of my favourite authors and I look forward to reading her other books. Happiness for this Ginger Book Geek is discovering that a new author (to me anyway) has quite a back catalogue of books for me to catch up on. Bliss. I would definitely recommend this book, this series and this author to other readers. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a well deserved 5* out of 5*.

Escaping to the Country seems to be everybody's dream nowadays, but Eleanor had the perfect country life and longed for the bright city lights of London. After a few years, she doesn't recognise who she is. Tom is living the dream but he still he's lonely. Serendipity decides to give them another chance and when Eleanor loses her job and Tom has an accident they both end up in the country and have a chance to start again.

Eleanor is a likeable, flawed character; appearance is everything to her because its the only thing she can control but her health is suffering, and she needs to recapture her former friendships and values to recuperate. Looking for someone to love the real man is all Tom wants; it's all he's ever wanted and losing his Gran makes him evaluate his current choices of companions and lifestyle. Eleanor and Tom's encounters are stormy, but gradually circumstances make them value the other, but both have secrets, and Eleanor's could ruin their romance.

There are many humorous scenes in this story and some questionable choices and values, but the message is clear, be true to yourself and don't live a lie. The country setting is idyllic, and Sam and Annie and Rose and Arthur who provide an oasis for Eleanor and Tom are lovely characters, vividly described and realistic.

Dylan is a star and makes this a must read for any dog lovers.

The second book in the Willow Tree Hall series, this reads well as a standalone story. It's a lovely breath of fresh air with conflict, humour and romance making an ideal summertime read.

I received a copy of this book from Aria via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Whats not to love. Well written book. Nice loveable characters. One where you escape the dreary weather we have and wish you were there.

In the space of just 24 hours, Eleanor McCartney is sacked from her job and dumped by her boyfriend. The book starts off like so many escapist reads where the protagonist leaves their old life to have a break. Eleanor heads to the tiny village of Cranford and to her mother’s house and her childhood home, The Forge. Amongst dogs, cats a goat a tortoise and a donkey, she spends time with her mum after 8 years working at a gossip magazine.

Eleanor reconnects with her friends Annie and Megan, which is great for her. However, her real plan is to dish the dirt on superstar singer Tommy King, now staying at Willow Tree Manor where Annie is engaged to the future Earl, Sam. Sam is a music producer and manager. Tommy has finished a world tour and is still grieving for his grandmother. He is at the hall too, recovering afer injuring his ankle.
Eleanor’s dad left when she was 12.

Working in London made her love the City lifestyle, and she loved glitz and glamour of designer labels. Will living as a country girl change her? Will she find love? Will she return to London?

Escape to the Country, despite a slow and slightly predictable start, is great mix of friendship, challenges and being string enough to make changes in life. It is also a story about secrets, issues and rekindling lost ties. Of course, there is romance too and in the end I can say that the book grew on me. I want to read book # 1 in the series.

All the characters are different and I enjoyed watching Eleanor grow and change.

Thanks to Alison Sherlock and Aria, an imprint of Head of Zeus, for my ARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review as well as an opportunity to take part in the blog tour for this title.

This is the second book in the "Welcome to Willow Tree Hall" series and it introduces us to new characters but also some of the old ones that we got to know in the previous book are on the scenes as well. The first book, "A House to Mend a Broken Heart", introduces us to Annie, the housekeeper to an Earl of Cranley, Arthur. Even though "Escape to the Country" is a sequel, it focuses on new characters who also fall under the spell of the beautiful Willow Tree Hall, and it can be read as a stand - alone.

After eight years of doing her job as a celebrity journalist Eleanor gets herself fired. Moreover, she also breaks up with her boyfriend, so the only thing that she can do right now is come back home to help her mum who's broken her leg. Only a good story about a big name could get her back in the game but well, it's not London where she's living now, right? It's only a tiny village. However, as it turns out, a big rock star lives currently at Willow Tree Hall, and who runs it? Only Eleanor's best friend Annie! Is Eleanor going to revive her career with the unwitting help of Tom?

The characters were - again - really well developed. As I have already mentioned, there were characters from the previous book, Annie and Sam, Arthur and Rose, and it was really nice to get a glimpse into their lives as well, to see what they're doing after their stories ended, and they didn't disappoint, especially Rose with her antics and a corset - and they still had a story to tell, which was a double bonus. I liked how down to earth Alison Sherlock has created her celebrity. Tom was very understated and I liked his approach, he loved his music, and writing songs and he didn't abuse his position. Eleanor is a celebrity journalist and her career is actually on a bad patch and well, she's fired. Only a good story can save her career and as hers and Tom's paths accidentally cross she hopes it could be his story.

It was a story about rediscovering the important things in life, to finding the real sense and depth of life and what's important is usually hidden deep under the surface. It was warm and light - hearted, for me personally though the book could be much shorter. There were much too many moments for my liking that were dragging on and I just had a feeling that many chapters were added only to make the book longer, as there was nothing in particular happening, they were telling the same thing in other words. Nevertheless, it was a nice enough read about families, relationships and values, about realising what is really important and that sometimes it's better to give up. It also touched upon second chances and new beginnings, so there was really something for all readers to find.It was funny yet wise, and I really liked this mix, it was perfectly blended. Sure, it was predictable, you knew from the very beginning how it's going to end and what twists are going to try to complicate the characters' lives but sometimes it's nice to read such uncomplicated - and I mean in a very positive way - tale of friendship and values. Recommended!

A wonderful light hearted read. Eleanor the main character tries to move on in her career, but finds the journey does not go as planned- thankfully. I loved it.

What a delicious read! Perfect for either cuddling up with inside out of the rain, or enjoying outside in the sunshine - I've done both, all in the space of a day!

Eleanor's Mum and her friends think she leads a glamorous life in London as a financial journalist. The truth, however, is a bit different. Working for a celebrity magazine, Eleanor's life has turned out far from where her ambitions lay. She hopes change is on the horizon but it turns out to be a bigger change than she bargained for.

Returning home to the village of Cranley under the pretence of caring for her Mum and her injured foot, Eleanor is still living a lie. She realises, however, that in order to get her relationship with her two childhood friends back on an even keel, she must own up - and soon. Then a famous musician arrives in the village and she delays coming clean as the paparazzi make his life hell and she doesn't want him to discover how she earned her living until very recently.

It's a pleasure to return to Willow Tree Hall, and pick up the story from 'A House to Mend a Broken Heart'. I love that there is little - if any - reference to that book - too often sequels are spoiled with constant repetition of the first one, and Alison Sherlock hasn't fallen into that trap. This is a full length novel with a completely different story to the first, although it is joyous to meet all the characters again and find their lives advancing. The setting is idyllic; the characters well-rounded and beautifully created. This is a very easy read - fast paced, packed with goings on and truly enchanting. It's thoroughly satisfying to get to the last page with no questions remaining! Such a well-written novel deserves the highest recommendation, which I'm happy to give.

My thanks to publishers Aria for pre-approving my copy via NetGalley. This is my honest, original and unbiased review.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the Publisher, Aria for this review copy which was given in exchange for an honest review. Also thank you to Melanie from Aria for organising the Blog Tour.

Eleanor McCartney is a journalist for a trashy gossip magazine, exposing the secrets of famous celebrities. It’s not really what she wants to do, but she’s hoping that she will get the upcoming promotion which would mean that she won’t have to go looking for celebrity gossip. Unfortunately, the worst happens and she heads back home to her mum and friends who live in the quiet village of Cranley.

Tommy King is a rock sensation who has just finished his worldwide tour. After injuring his ankle, he decides to hide from the paparazzi in his manager, Sam’s (and the future Earl of Cranley) stately home, Willow Tree Hall. Sam is due to be married to Eleanor’s best friend, Annie and when Eleanor finds out that Tommy King is staying in the village she thinks this is her chance to get her job and glamourous lifestyle back with a celebrity scoop. After getting to know Tommy and discovering that she actually likes being back in Cranley, Eleanor begins to have doubts whether she could betray her friends trust.

This is part of the Willow Tree Hall series, but it can be read as a standalone novel. This is my first book by this author, but when I found it was part of a series I marked the first book A House to Mend a Broken Heart to read as I really enjoyed this one!

This was lovely! – a story of love, family, friendship and priorities! All of the characters are lovely and all gel together really well. I have to admit I didn’t really like Eleanor’s character at the beginning. She seemed quite conceited and stuck up, and I did cringe a little at the suggestion that she was embarrassed about her mum’s “untidy” house. As the book moves you, you realise that this isn’t the real Eleanor and I’m so glad that my opinions on her changed as I really wanted to like her!

The plot of the book is quite simple (as in most books of this genre) and to be honest you know how it’s going to end up! I loved the chemistry between Tom and Eleanor and their relationship as ‘friends’ was quite amusing! They definitely bought out the best of each other. It is certainly a story of ‘rediscovery’ with many of the characters working out who they should have become a long time ago and becoming better people for it!

It was a fun and easy read with a moral undertone which I thoroughly enjoyed! It also has the added advantage for animal lovers being jam packed full of pets of all shapes and sizes! Absolutely perfect for a light summer read and I would definitely recommend this one!

This was such a wonderful read. The characters were so warmly drawn that you feel for each of them.
Eleanor has just lost her high flying city job and has come back home, trying to keep her job loss a secret from her mum and friends. When she discovers that a famous singer is staying at her friends country house she wonders whether she could possibly sell a story to reinstate her career.
Willow Tree Hall sounds lovely and I enjoyed 'seeing' it come to life. I also loved hearing about all the animals at Eleanor's family home. We also join in with local celebrations as Annie's friends rally round her.
Eleanors stress levels come under control as the spell of Willow Tree and a certain male characters weave their magic around her.
I look forward to reading more by Alison Sherlock