Member Reviews

Foxglove Farm is meant to be a sweet romance. I suppose that it is - to a point. Isla and Drew are experiencing marital problems and Isla is unaware of exactly why. The man she loves is suddenly withdrawn and sullen but refuses to tell Isla why or what might be wrong. When a birthday surprise blows up in her face, she flees with her infant until she can sort out what to do. The fact is that they are having financial difficulties which Drew has not share with Isla. He is depressed and angry at not being able to provide for his family. Together they find a way to persevere and rekindle their love for one another once more but the journey is a difficult one.

There were multiple issues that the author introduced: lies and secrets in a marriage, the difficulty of having a newborn on a marriage and, of course, male depression and mental health. While all of these are very important topics - very - at times there was just too much hardship to be believed. There was one problem after another after another in such a short period and within a relatively short story. Yes, there are those who are faced with mounting challenges and generally when it rains, it pours. However, for the good of the novel and to really explore any of these topics thoroughly, either the book needed to be longer or there should have been fewer fires. Regardless, the story itself is well told, well-written and uplifting. This is the second in a series and each set of characters is different from the last, however, I felt as though I was missing some backstory that others might have known from reading the first book in the series. I would suggest reading them in order. They are quick reads so that shouldn't be a problem.

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Isla and Drew have always had a rock steady marriage with two lovely boys so why has Drew suddenly started getting so moody and criticising Isla all the time? Work on the farm is hard and Drew works long hours but they had always agreed that Isla would stay at home and look after the children so what has changed? When Isla discovers Drew's secret, that they are nearly broke and could lose their beloved farm she is devastated but she will rise up to the fight and get everything back on track

Another lovely book by this writer and great to be back in Heartcross with all the characters from the first book, a perfect warmhearted summer read

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This was the first book I’d read by Christie Barlow and I really enjoyed it. It was a cosy comfortable read and I couldn’t put it down.
I thought a the author wrote very well and I will read her first love heart lane too.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for letting me read this in exchange for a review. I will put this review on Amazon as well.

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Foxglove Farm was the first book by Christie Barlow, I have pick up. The book was very slow to start. After introducing characters I felt that I entered the story in the middle. Since this is the second book of a series, maybe I should have read the first book. I felt no connect to the characters or the plot and gave up as boring after reading about a quarter of the book.

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I enjoyed this book a lot and I will now look to read more books by Christie Barlow. Thanks to Netgalley for the arc of this great book!

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Foxglove farm starts as the perfect setting, happily married childhood sweethearts, with two beautiful children on their own wonderful farm. Everything is not what it is cracked up to be though! As Isla realises that Drew is becoming more and more uncharacteristically abrupt and argumentative so she starts to suspect what he is up to, is he having an affair? Isla is shocked to find her world turned upside down as it is something much worse... and she could lose everything!

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Another delight from Christie Barlow - How lovely it was to return to the residents of Heartcross, I was welcomed back into this cosy community from the first page and couldn’t wait to catch up with all the characters from the first book in the series Love Heart Lane. This time the books centres around Foxglove Farm, and Isla and Drew, as Isla struggles to manage a little one and a baby, Drew has his own struggles on the farm. If only they would talk to each other, as things reach a peak, the community of Heartcross once again pulls together to help one of their own. With Romance, village life and community spirit, Christie Barlow does it again and has us glued from the first page.

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Today is my stop on the Foxglove Farm blog tour with big thanks to Rachel’s Random Resources, Christie Barlow and Harper Impulse.
This is the second book in the Love Heart Lane series by Christie Barlow, although it is a standalone, however I would recommend reading Love Heart Lane prior to Foxglove Farm just because it was so good.
Foxglove Farm returns to the village of Heartcross, and from the first page I felt like I was right there in the village picking up where we left off with Love Heart Lane.
What I love about this book is how easy it is to read, that you get sucked in right from the beginning, and therefore it feels like you a living the story and feeling the emotions presented.
The characters are also a highlight of the book, they are not only realistic, but the relationships between each of them, between Drew and Isla, as well as Isla and her friends Felicity, Polly and Allie. And the introduction of Martha, Isla’s grandmother.
The only criticism I have of the book is that it does sometime feel a little repetitive. However, this doesn’t take away from the enjoyment of reading the book.
Once again with Barlow’s books I have read Foxglove Farm from start to finish with a big smile on my face.

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This is my first Christie Barlow book and certainly won't be my last. Revolving around the main characters Drew and Isla and their life on the farm, the story shows just how much we all really need our friendships with people outside our closest relationship, friends to turn to in times of trouble, who will share our hopes and fears without judging us. For me this book is an excellent introduction to Christie Barlow's style of writing and depth of emotion and I really enjoyed it.

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Isla and Drew have had the perfect life. Childhood sweethearts, now living on his family farm with their two young children. The book starts with Drew being verbal aggressive and little to no discussion. One thing after another hits, and Isla's head is turning around, as she has no idea what is going on. With a barn fire, and Drew is injured she goes through his desk and finds a lot of unpaid bills and no insurance policies. Yikes! I felt Drew's problems could have been explained more, as I felt the issue was a little too quick to resolve towards the end. Since so much had been emphasized in the beginning I expected a bit more. Might just be me. Still though, I enjoyed this book a lot and highly recommend it. Sweet story, and would love to get my photo with Mop.

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Foxglove Farm from author Christie Barlow is the second book, in the Love Heart Lane Series. The book can be read as a standalone, since I, whilst reading the book, I didn’t feel I was missing some relevant information.’

In Foxglove Farm the story revolves around Isla and Drew Allaway; soul mates, happily married and parents of two beautiful children and owner of a beautiful farm: Foxglove Farm. This picture perfect is disturbed when Drew is acting like a completely different person from one day to another. Feeling upset by his strange behaviour, Isla wonders what bothers him and at the same time she is afraid he no longer loves her.

Although it takes a while before things start happening it is a pleasure reading about the Heart Cross community where they all stand together, and everybody gives a helping hand in case of an emergency. Only after an unfortunate transaction by Isla to surprise Drew for his birthday, things accelerate and from that moment the story becomes to be more exiting.

The book was fun to read, and I almost felt part of the lovely village community Barlow’s describes credibly. A community where each villager has his its ups and downs, and even crime is lurking like in real life. The latter adds just that little bit of excitement to the story, where good ultimately triumphs over evil and they all live happily ever after.

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I struggled with this book to begin with because the subject matter was a bit difficult but I’m glad I persevered as I found the story very entertaining. The setting is particularly good and I look forward to hopefully reading more about the characters in the future.

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This is the second book in the Love Heart Lane series and Christie Barlow’s ninth book in all. This series is set in the fictional village of Heartcross in the Scottish highlands, one of my favourite areas to visit, and (not really a spoiler) this book features lovely cuddly alpacas, so it was a definite read for me. I found the story really pulled me in straight from the start and I finished it in quick time; I am already looking forward to the next book in the series.

As the title suggests, the action here takes place mainly on Foxglove Farm, and revolves around its inhabitants, farmer Drew Allaway, his wife Isla and their sons Finn and Angus. Many other villagers are added into the mix, including Isla’s girlfriends, Drew’s farmhand and the local vet. Then there is Isla’s grandmother, Martha, a real character, whose tales add a touch of comedy to the story. As we join the Allaway family in this book, we find Isla beginning to wonder what has happened to her happy marriage. Why is Drew suddenly turning away from her? What she uncovers shocks her, but, with the help of family and friends she is sure that everything can be turned around. Surprisingly, Drew’s birthday present is at the heart of their salvation.

I have really enjoyed reading this book. It is really well written, with a balanced mix of romance, suspense, danger and fortitude. I have to admit to shedding a few tears. The village of Heartcross sounds the kind of place I would love to visit, with its tea shop, welcoming pub and wonderful sense of community. While the farm itself comes across as having an idyllic setting, the reader is left in no doubt of what a hard life it is to build and maintain a successful farming business. There is a great deal of commitment from all members of the family. While I was suspicious initially about what was going on with Drew, I admired Isla all the way through the book. She was far more patient and supportive of her husband than I think I could have been in the circumstances. All in all, I think that this is a really entertaining read that I can heartily recommend and that has left me eagerly waiting for the next book in this series.

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This is the second book of the Love Heart Lane series. I loved the first one (Love Heart Lane) and couldn’t wait to read about this cozy, little town.

The book picks up right where the first one ends. While Foxglove Lane can be read as a standalone, I definitely recommend reading Love Heart Lane first. It will help to know the back story, with an introduction of all the characters.

While the first book focused on Felicity and Fergus, this one switches its focus to married couple Isla and Drew. Parents of an elementary-aged child and a new baby, stresses are at their highest point between the happy married couple. Accusations fly, feelings are hurting, and a wedge is formed between them.

Like the first book, this one is also light-hearted, the perfect read for Summer! I just love Love Heart Lane and the premise of living in a quaint, tiny town where everyone knows everyone. The community is tight, and in times of crises they pull together and help. One thing about Christie Barlow’s writing I enjoy is the characterization. They are easy to identify with and realistic. I could picture Isla being my neighbor and a good friend.

Never a disappointment, Christie Barlow’s new release, Foxglove Farm was a pleasure to read!

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I finished this books in 2 sittings, I absolutely loved it! Reading about Foxglove Farm and the family inside it.

The book touched on some deep themes which I think were dealt with very appropriately.

There was lots of action too and I was gripped in knowing about their relationship and resolving their problems from the very beginning! Lots of developments and not a single cold chapter.

The book was a very easy read and I’m glad I’ve now found Christine Barlow as I’m going to go and read all her others books too!

I would highly recommend this book!

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Such a lovely book, I really enjoyed reading this gorgeous book, fabulous characters and an interesting storyline.
Looking forward to reading more from this great author.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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was provided with a free ecopy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed Love Heart Lane. It was a perfect start of the series and a lovely introduction to some incredible characters and their relationships, so when I was invited to be part of the tour for book two, I couldn’t resist! While these books do not need to be read in order (it’s a perfect stand alone) book one really does give you an insight into the characters lives and personalities and I felt that really gave this book a solid backbone.

It had me giggling in lots of places throughout the book, especially with the older ladies and their Tinder discovery! But I also loved that it tackled real life issues straight on, and because I already had such a love for the characters I felt my heart breaking in places too.

Like all good chick lit books, this one had a few different stories all branching off the main book, this added an extra dimension to the book and added to the ‘unputdownable’ factor.

I’d really like to go into depth about the struggles the characters face in this book, however I feel that’ll be a bit spoilery and I really recommend you go on this journey for yourself, so go get yourself a copy ASAP.

I’m already looking forward to book three!

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I really enjoyed this book. It was told in a lighthearted, warm, and continually engaging way by the author (of whom I have not read a novel before but will certainly do so again in the future on the basis of this novel!). Great characters, structure and comedic essence. Thank you!

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Isla and Drew have what appears to be the perfect life, love, home and 2.5 children to make up their family. But everything is not what it appears to be.
A series of lies and deceits, complications from family and mental illness, lead Isla and Drew to face horrific challenges.

With the help of friends, family and a herd of alpacas, the two try and weather the crises that come their way. Will their marriage survive?

This books depicts how staying and fighting for happiness leads to it, life's not all easy and definitely not perfect.

All the characters were well written and played a pary in the bigger scheme of things. The twists were predictable and I could see the ending from a mile away.

This is the second book in the series but can be read as a standalone. I didn't read the first book and still enjoyed it. But I couldnt feel a connect with the characters.

I received a copy from Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

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A heartwarming and heartbreaking novel. A real raw look at marriage.
This is the second book in the series and it was full of heart.
The author has the ability to pull you into the pages of the book. By the end of the book I felt as though I knew the characters and had been to the village.

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