I think that the best thing about Christie's books are they are just so easy to read and envelope you as a reader into an idyllic place. Yes they have their issues and yes things don't always go smoothly, but I love the atmosphere of the village that they live in and the amazing friendship groups.

Roll on the next instalment!

Thanks to NetGalley, Christie Barlow and Harper Impulse for the opportunity to read and review this lovely book.

What a lovely book! Set in the Scottish Highlands, we follow Isla, a farmer’s wife and a busy mum of 2, who seems to be struggling with her marriage. Her husband Drew is being secretive and moody and she doesn’t understand why. With a community of close friends and relatives around them, we see them struggle through a tough few months which includes alpacas and disasters. This is a light read, but the pace is fast and it’s easy to concentrate on. I also grew to really like the characters in the story and will now be heading to amazon to buy the other 2 books in the series.

Drew and Isla appear to be the picture perfect family, happily married with two young children living on an idyllic farm. Behind closed doors Isla lonely and struggling as Drew works all hours. Then Isla discovers Drew has been keeping secrets and they could loss their home... will this tear them apart?

This novel is a delightful feel-good-read. The characters are charming but not without their faults, after all they are only human. I particularly loved Martha, so eccentric and full of life. The plot is a touching story about the reality of happy ever after, the unconditional love, trust and honesty needed to have a successful marriage. It addresses some sensitive topics such as depression and highlights the importance of talking about concerns before they become overwhelming. The way the community comes together to support this couple gives it the perfect feel good factor. Although Foxglove Farm is the second in a series it can be read as a standalone.

Thanks to Rachel's Random Resources for sending me this in exchange for an open and honest review.

Reading this book was sort of confusing because I didn’t read the first one but it reads perfectly well as a stand alone concentrating on Drew and Isla. This book is essentially how their marriage was once perfect then started getting worse as Drews behaviors began to change. Isla felt like she had no support from friends and they had a child. When you’re reading you feel like they aren’t going to last. Some primatial issues are addressed in this story and they needed to be discussed before they became overwhelming. I think this was a great family centered book and unleashed issues real relationships deal with and how to work through them.

I’ll happily tell you I adored ‘Love Heart Lane’ – this first book in this series so I could not wait to read this. Saying that, if you haven’t had chance to read that brilliant book rest assured you can read this as a standalone too.
Foxglove Farm focuses on Isla and Drew, married with a family and their farm; I was a big fan of these characters in Love Heart Lane so was really pleased that they were the focus of this book. What seems to be a perfect relationship and a perfect life slowly starts to unravel around Isla and she must rely on the support and guidance of the community, her friends and family to make sure she doesn’t lose everything.
This is a wonderful story based around a gorgeous sounding, close knit community. It’s so endearing to read this and feel part of a community that rallies around each other, Christie Barlow has created such warm, funny and caring characters that I genuinely cannot wait to read more about them all. (I’m so pleased to hear there will be a return visit!)

I feel like Isla and Drew had a mountain of hurdles to overcome in this one; just when I thought everything was ok there was another sucker punch that threatened everything. Honestly, how much could two people go through in one book. It held my interest and had be gasping, talking out loud at parts. As if my ‘telling off’ Drew would do something. What impressed me was how such serious topics were introduced and handled – encouraging people to talk about problems, reach out for help and trust in the ones who love us.
In this book we meet the crazy but kind, Martha. What a whirlwind she seems and it’s a breath of fresh air that balances some of the tougher parts of the book. I’m glad she came back to the village when she did, Isla needed her and what a rock she turned out to be.
I was totally absorbed by Christie’s wonderful writing, a beautiful style that will fully engage you in this story. I adored Love Heart Lane and Foxglove Farm is probably even better – I think the more we discover about this place and its characters there more we will enjoy.
I highly recommend this romantic, funny yet sensitive book. Thank you to all involved for the chance to read and review.

I completely fell in love with Love Heart Lane so when I heard about FOXGLOVE FARM by Christie Barlow was released I was really excited to read the next instalment in this series. But like all series there is always that worry that the next book won't live up to the first but I am happy to say that FOXGLOVE FARM is even better.

Isla and Drew have been married forever, have their beautiful family, and their farm, and everything seems perfect. But 'seems perfect' are the operative words here. Beneath the surface they are are struggling with their relationship and their responsibilities, and when secrets come to the surface, they may not be able to get past it all.

A wonderful story about relationships and the level of work that is needed to make a marriage work, is just one part of this plot and there is so much about this story and these characters that I loved. Friendship, community spirit, issues of trust and respect, are all elements that worked really well for me but it is Isla that really made this story shine. I found it easy to connect with her and I was invested in how her life would turn out.

FOXGLOVE FARM by Christie Barlow is an excellent story about trust, love, and forgiveness and I highly recommend it to fiction fans everywhere. It is the second book in this series but can easily be read as a standalone.

This is book 2 in the series, but don’t let this put you off if you have not read the first one! It can easily be read as a standalone because even though we reconnect with people from the previous book, the story focuses on other characters.

Ok, it’s true you miss some background information but once you have finished this one, you will run to the bookstore and buy the first part as well.

If you love reading stories about those little close knit communities, then you will be in for a treat. I for sure adore them. They are always so heartwarming in this often cold world.

Life is always easier when you have a lovely family and close friends. Of course they can’t keep disaster at bay, but when you are in trouble, they are the first you can call and you know they will be there to help you anyway they can.

The author certainly served the main characters a plate full of problems. Some are so huge that they do not seem to be able to get through, but where there is a will, there is a way. You only have to find it!

Some problems do not dissapear overnight, but talking about them and face them is one big step in the right direction.

I adored this book. Can’t wait to see who will be next in the spotlight. 5 stars

Thank you, Christie Barlow and Rachel’s Random Resources.

I'm a relative newcomer to Christie Barlow's writing with Foxglove Farm being the 2nd book that I've read by her. There are so many great authors to discover and Christie Barlow is one that has firmly shot to my favourites list … I can't wait to binge read all her back catalogue! Her writing style flows effortlessly with relatable characters written with warmth. The settings in her novels are described as idyllic and full of community spirit and as a reader you soon start to feel included in the neighbourhood. The stories behind the characters are real and heartfelt and you start to champion them.
Foxglove Farm is a return to the village of Heartcross and Love Heart Lane which we visited back in January. You can find my review for book one in the series here. Foxglove Farm can be read as a standalone story but to fully appreciate all the characters, the setting and the whole ambience I would highly recommend reading all the books in the series in order, which are:
Love Heart Lane
Foxglove Farm
Foxglove Farm is Isla and Drew's story; after recently giving birth to her second child life on the farm is busier than ever for the young couple but trouble is brewing when Drew starts to display unusual mood swings. Isla is confused about Drew's sudden change and starts to worry for her family's future. When tragedy strikes Isla has to rely on the good nature of her family and friends to keep her home and livelihood in business.
Once again the warmth from the characters that Christie Barlow has created shines through and you feel welcomed into their lives. I particularly liked how the author dealt with a sensitive subject with grace and empathy. This area the author has touched on is hardly spoken about and has almost felt like a taboo subject for a long time but slowly the world is opening it's eyes to an issue that is quite commonly felt.
Foxglove Farm is a lovely heart-warming story that will make you fall in love with the village of Heartcross even more, especially now that it has some new additions with added cute factor :)

Inspiring, heartwarming, and sweet!

Foxglove Farm is an emotive, charming story that takes us to the quaint English countryside and into the lives of Isla and Drew Allaway who after years of marriage find themselves drifting apart and struggling to keep both their farm and their relationship afloat.

The writing is sincere and light. The characters are genuine, hardworking, and supportive. And the plot is a touching, dramatic tale about life, love, family, friendship, community, taking chances, starting over, and happiness.

Overall, Foxglove Farm is an uplifting, humorous read that does a beautiful job of reminding us just how important communication, trust, honesty, forgiveness, and unconditional love are to the success of a marriage. And even though it is the second book in the Love Heart Lane series, it can easily be enjoyed as a standalone novel if so desired.

I really like this Author and was totally sold on Love heart lane (I have the first book on my shelf ready to read).

I had mixed feelings about Foxglove farm. It’s written beautifully and all the characters are what I would expect from this town I’ve come to love. My problem with this book is it’s not what I would class as a romance. The conflict is money between a married couple.

Drew hasn’t told his wife the farm is struggling instead he’s struggling to deal with the emotions of the burden. Isla doesn’t know why her husband is acting out. When she buys him a birthday present the lie of their happy marriage becomes more apparent. Isla needs to figure out the problem before she loses everything.

I really liked the characters and the revisit to this sottish town. I will be reading more of this Author however this book wasn’t really for me. 3 stars out of 5.

*I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I requested this book hoping for some light reading, but I found the story disappointing and a little predictable.
Isla wonders why husband Drew has become so moody and when a storm hits the farm she gets an unwelcome surprise. Isla is not a character I warmed to and the treatment of Drew's issues was far too simple. Trust me as someone whose husband suffers from the same there is no quick fix.
Disappointed

Great story line. Loved the characters. This was a page turner and I really enjoyed it!

Thanks NetGalley, Harper Impulse & Killer Reads for the ARC.

Although this is book two, it reads perfectly well as a stand alone concentrating on Drew and Isla with appearances from the characters we became familiar with in Love Heart Lane.

Isla thought she and Drew had the perfect marriage. Recently, completely out of character for him, Drew seemed to be withdrawn and short tempered most of the time, blaming whatever is bothering him on Isla. She knew how hard Drew worked, running the farm, but with a young child at school and a three month old baby, Isla had her hands full too, and lack of sleep wasn’t helping. As tempers fray, the crack in their marriage widens.

Hoping to heal the rift she doesn’t understand, Isla goes all out with her birthday present to Drew believing it’s something he’ll love. She wasn’t at all prepared for his reaction. Isla is confused and upset, she doesn’t know what she’d do without the support of her close friends. When her grandmother Martha turns up unexpectedly, and after some initial misgivings on Isla’s part, her return to the village proves to be a blessing in disguise.

As things go from bad to worse with challenges morphing into danger and drama, once again the tight knit community pulls together to help one of their own.

It was lovely to revisit the residents of Love Heart Lane and the beautiful setting of the Scottish Highlands. I loved Martha, what a character! Eccentric, full of life and always ready to help, she balances out the more serious aspects of the story. There are several side stories bringing us up to date with other characters too, which was good.

Sensitive issues were addressed, most prominently the necessity to be able to talk about concerns before they become overwhelming. The story also touches on some of the problems facing farmers today, when events conspire to make life more difficult, showing how easily things can quickly spiral out of control.

Foxglove Farm is an enjoyable and moving story about family, friendship, love and community.

I really enjoyed this book. I adored the story line and loved the main characters. I read this book in one sitting and would highly recommend this book.

I loved being back in the close community of Heartcross in the Scottish Highlands for another rollercoaster of emotion.
Life has moved on since the storm that featured in Love Heart Lane. Flick has settled into life in Heartcross but her best friend Isla is having serious woes. My heart broke as Isla’s world started to crumble around her and there was nothing she could do about it.
Barlow knows how to write relationships, real relationships and human dilemma. The characters in her books go through the real life problems many face (well other than farming llamas). But the tight friendships definitely ring true for me, I can see elements of the friendship group not too dissimilar to parts of my own friendships.
There is something about Barlow’s writing that allows me to block out the world around me (I actually ignored my own family). I’ve found this with every book of hers that I’ve read. With Foxglove Farm, my kindle was on fire as I raced through, devouring it in a matter of hours. And yet again, I shed a tear or two as I read.

There's an awful lot going on in the story perhaps, on occasion, a little too much when it came to Drew (without giving anything away, I didn't really think that was needed or added to the story). Saying that, the mystery was actually quite a good one, and built incrementally throughout the novel, until it reached a very satisfying conclusion.

The mystery was supplemented by the marriage difficulties between Isla and Drew, highlighting the fact that there is often an awful lot more going on after the "happy ever after" wedding bells, and  that's what makes a marriage.

It made a pleasant change not to read a story about girl meets boy and falls in love. The love had already happened, and there was a very real danger of falling out of it completely. It just goes to show, marriages, even the ones that look idyllic on the outside, can have hidden issues on the inside.

A delightful story with an intriguing plot line and a satisfying ending.

Christie Barlow takes us back to Love Heart Lane with her wonderfully uplifting new tale of romance, friendship and loyalty that is delightful, engrossing and absolutely impossible to put down: Foxglove Farm.

Isla and Drew Allaway look like they’ve stepped out of a glossy magazine photo shoot for the perfect family. People cannot help but envy and be jealous of the Allaways with their beautiful home, Foxglove Farm, their rock solid relationship and their two beautiful children. Everybody seems to think that Isla and Drew sail through life and have no worries or problems troubling them, however, little do most people realise that the Allaway’s marriage isn’t as perfect as they initially thought and with each passing day, the chasm between Isla and Drew keeps on getting bigger and bigger. Could their marriage be on the line? Will Isla and Drew go their separate ways? Or will love find a way to bring the two of them closer together again?

Life for the Allaways is hard. Drew works every single hour God sends on the farm. With mouths to feed, a roof to keep on his family’s heads and mounting bills to pay, Drew simply cannot afford distractions of any kind. All it takes is for one bill to go unpaid and the family could lose everything – and Drew will do whatever it takes to ensure that his family does not suffer. However, Drew’s dedication to his farm has seen him neglect his family leaving new mum Isla to struggle and to feel increasingly lonely and isolated as she struggles with juggling the demands of her family with wondering why her husband is being so secretive lately.

When their house and their livelihood is threatened, Isla realises that she is in danger of losing not just her house, but also the man she loves. But with the Love Heart Lane community behind them, will Isla and Drew manage to save not just their home, but also their marriage?

Warm-hearted, intensely emotional and wonderfully feel-good, Foxglove Farm is a gorgeous romantic read that had me laughing and crying on the same page. Christie Barlow writes with flair, sensitivity and style and plumbs the depths of the human heart with great compassion and wisdom without resorting to cliche or melodrama. Foxglove Farm is a funny, poignant and brilliantly written tale that will keep readers on the edge of their seats and eagerly turning the pages desperate to find out what happens next.

Moving, hilarious and far too good to miss, Foxglove Farm is a fabulous read that has made me even more determined to move to Love Heart Lane!

I very rarely follow a series of books, but was really looking forward to seeing how life had moved on for the characters I’d taken to my heart. But I did particularly like the fact that my enjoyment didn’t depend on my remembering the events of the earlier book: this one is entirely self-contained, following different characters but with all the other familiar ones in supporting roles.

It’s a surprisingly emotional story – a marriage in a state of disintegration, every attempt to mend it only making things many times worse, some moments of high drama and more than a few tears along the way. But there’s lightness too – this is a romantic comedy after all – and I particularly loved the introduction of grandmother Martha, who initially seemed like the most unwelcome of house guests but played such a central role as the story unfolded. One of the author’s great strengths is in creating characters who are real people – the good, and the ones who perhaps aren’t quite what they at first appear to be – and in the way she creates a community that you entirely become part of, enjoying the supportive friendships, entering the hearts of its families.

I really liked the original and well-meaning birthday gift that exacerbates so many of Isla and Drew’s problems – and the path they found towards their fresh start and putting things right again. I also very much appreciated the fact that the book didn’t shy away from issues – personal, and at a relationship level – as the story moved towards the hoped for and increasingly unlikely happy ending.

I’m not always a fan of romantic comedy, but this book is many miles away from the usual boy meets girl and the challenges they overcome – it has depth and a really sure emotional touch that makes you feel for its characters, plenty of mystery and drama to make the pages turn faster, and a real authenticity in the way the relationships are portrayed. And the writing is excellent – a well-drawn setting, real-life characters with all their faults and foibles, perfectly paced, well-written dialogue that moves the story forward and gives insight into the characters, quite a few surprises, and a beautifully crafted and heartwarming story. I very much enjoyed this one – and I’m already looking forward to the next…

This was my first book by Christie Barlow so I was unfamiliar with the characters and the setting. I must confess I found it was a little rocky at the beginning and got off to a slow start. I had some trouble warming up to the main characters at first. However, I stuck with them and the book and found them all growing on me. Before it was all over, I really cared what happened to everyone and was pulling for the characters to stay together and succeed!
Those alpacas were just so darn cute and little Mop stole my heart!

Thank you to Harper Impulse and Killer Reads and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I was really looking forward to dream away on the Foxglove Farm, but I have to say that my trip to Love Heart Lane was a little disappointing.
Foxglove Farm is the second instalment of the Love Heart Lane series, but it can be read as a stand-alone without any further problem. I haven’t read the first book in the series either, but that is not really a problem. Of course you feel that you miss a little background story, but I think most of the details were filled in by the author. Ideal for new readers and a nice little refresh for people who read the first book.
The story focusses on Isla and her husband Drew, who run Foxglove Farm. But the couple is struggling and Isla tries to understand why her husband is moody and distant. From that moment the story really kicks off.
All in all the story wasn’t all that bad. The overall storyline was quite entertaining and I loved the whole idea of Isla finding a solution to all there problems and by finding that solution finding that she is a strong, independent woman.
But the author completely lost me with a certain storyline dealing with a certain medical condition. I really hated the way that storyline was executed. Sadly enough I have seen this disease wreak havoc in my family and seen what it can do to people. So it kind of hurt if that makes any sense to see it played down in this story. Things like this don’t disappear just with a few hugs and kisses. Not all is good in the world because you have mentioned the unmentionable to your loved ones. I just wanted to throw this book away and yell to the author while reading this. A strong reaction, I know and maybe a little exaggerated. But if she ever experienced anything like this in real life I don’t think she would buy her own storyline.
Such a shame because I actually quite enjoyed the rest of the story. I absolutely adored Isla’s grandmother Martha, who is a force to be reckoned with. And the whole book breathed such a strong community feeling. So lovely.
Maybe this book just wasn’t for me. I might give one of her other books a chance in the future.