Member Reviews

Really enjoyed this book - an easy read but not a flimsy storyline. Have enjoyed all of this author ‘s books and can’t wait for the next.

Was this review helpful?

This novel is amazing! It has an amazing plot, interesting character and message! Do try to read this book, definitely recommend.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you Netgalley for my copy of The Mill on Magnolia Lane by Tilly Tenant. This was a wonderful read that I really enjoyed . Lizzie decides to under go a huge life changing project by buying a dilapidated Mill after her father's death. In this story not only is Lizzie renovating the mill but it feels like she is renovating and reinvigorating herself too. Lizzie decides she will restore the mill to its former glory and start baking small batches of artisan bread to sell in the locality. I did like Lizzie' s gung ho approach to this, she lives in a caravan onsite whilst regeneration is taking place. Lizzie is soon introduced to her neighbour Jude and they quickly begin a relationship even though he is seemingly still has feelings for his the mother of bis child Harriet. This theme in the story shows that relationships are not always straightforward. There's a great mix of characters who all add a great deal to the story. Even Lizzie' s sister Gracie who enters the story after her own relationship breaks down. In fact relationships are talked about a lot in this book. Relationships between adult children and their parents, step parents and siblings. I thought this book was well executed, it's a brilliant book to take to the beach and enjoy on holiday.

Was this review helpful?

I recieved an early preview copy of this book from Netgalley in return for an honest review.
I have read and enjoyed books by Tilly before, so I was excited to read this one.
After the death of her father Lizzie decides to make the most out of her life, and buys a derelict Windmill in the town where her father grew up. It is a reminder of the trips that they used to make together when she was a child.
Lizzie is trying to make a fresh start, but she soon finds that her family, who do not always get along with each other descend on her.
She also finds out that her neighbour, Jude is attracted to her, but she doesn't know if she should get involved or not.
I thought that the setting of the book was stunning. It is a perfect read for warm summer evenings. I would have liked more details about the project, as I felt that this was skimmed over.
I did not warm to the character of Jude very much. I thought that the relationship moved to quickly, and lacked substance. I liked the character who was his brother though.
Lizzie's family were a mixed bunch, I liked some of them, but not all of them
I liked the storyline, but I thought that the book lacked a little detail and substance. It was an easy and enjoyable read, but not one of my favourites by this author.

Was this review helpful?

I have always enjoyed Tilly's novels but after reading some reviews on this particular book I wasn't sure if I was going to enjoy it. I love novels that help you feel uplifted and happy and I was worried that this wasn't going to be the case. However, I needn't have worried. It was a heartwarming and emotional novel to be sure, but it was still lovely and had a beautiful ending. It's a lovely story about love, relationships and about losing a loved one. Emotional, sometimes I had tears in my eyes whilst reading this! But at other points I had a smile on my face.

Would recommend

Was this review helpful?

This one just wasn’t for me.
I found the main character, Lizzie, to be quite annoying.
The story was quite boring as well- it took me too long to read this and I had to force myself to finish.
I have never read a Tilly Tennant book and unfortunately I think this one will be my first and last.

Was this review helpful?

I loved this book. It was a fantastic read.

Lizzie buys a run down mill in her fathers home village that he had always wanted to buy. She uses her inheritance and sets out to restore the mill to its former glory.

Along the way she helps out her sister, her step mother and meets some new friends in the village.

This book was so good that i could visualise everything happening as it unfolded. Tilly is a great writer and i look forward to reading her future books.

Was this review helpful?

Another absolute gem from Tilly Tennant, that was hard to put down.
A gorgeous comfort read, with characters to fall in love with from the start.
The story centres around Lizzie who follows her fathers dream to renovate the old windmill and the trials and tribulations it brings. The characters in Lizzie’s family along with the hunky next door neighbour and his own family bring their own additional storylines which have us falling in love with them all in their own unique way. Great summer read.

Was this review helpful?

On a whim following her dad's death, Lizzie buys an old mill that she is determined to restore and make a working mill again. I enjoyed the aspect of her visiting another mill to see how things worked and the renovation side of things but unfortunately this seemed very much a bit part to the story and I would have loved to hear more on this.

Lizzie's neighbour is Jude (male) and it just felt like I blinked and then they were in a relationship, there was very little build up to this. Jude has a friendly relationship with his ex Harriet, with whom he shares a son. Lizzie struggles with their close friendship and so ends her relationship with Jude and I may be in the minority but agreed she needed some time apart from him to understand her true feelings.

We are introduced to a wider range of Lizzie's family but I didn't really feel any warmth towards them but they certainly had more than their fair share of sadness throughout. The best character was undoubtedly Charlie, Jude's younger brother, who appears to have a form of autism and therefore tells it like it is and is very literal - I adored him and he was a fabulous inclusion in the story.

I did feel like there was material for a follow-on book and if there was then I would definitely read it so all in all I did enjoy this.

My many thanks to Bookouture via NetGalley for providing me with this advanced reading copy in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

I really enjoyed this book and I would highly recommend it. It has a great story line, excellent main characters and it is a real page turner. I read this book in one sitting and the hours just flew by!

Was this review helpful?

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. Another great book by a great author who certainly knows how to tell a story and always has great characters.

Was this review helpful?

A great read about love, loss and relationships. The story of renovating the old mill simmers away in the background as we get to live Lizzie’s life with her. The relationships she has with her family and any potential life partners are all interweaved together to create a moving novel. This book is relatable to most people and shows how complicated families are and how it effects your life.

Was this review helpful?

I enjoy reading Tilly Tennant’s books and this one certainly lived up to expectations.

Lizzie’s dad’s dream was to own the rundown mill on Magnolia Lane; so when he passes away, Lizzie decides to buy the mill and renovate it. The story follows Lizzie as she endeavours to bring the mill back to life. Lizzie’s life becomes complicated when her sister Gracie turns up out of the blue and brings trouble with her. Furthermore, Lizzie becomes friends with her neighbour Jude but soon realises that she has feelings for him. Can Lizzie stay on track with the renovations of the mill or will outside influences get in the way?

A good book with an interesting cast of characters. An easy entertaining read.

Was this review helpful?

Lizzie always used to pass by the old ruined mill with her father who used to dream about buying it and bringing back to life but it never happened. Now he is gone she determined to carry out his dreams. She needs to move on after a bad relationship so sells her house, buys a caravan and gets a builder. She gets to know her neighbours including beautiful Jude and his younger brother Charlie. As her project slowly starts to begin, life starts to get more complicated. I enjoyed this story but did find Lizzie’s vacillations to be a bit irritating. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Was this review helpful?

This is a nice easy book to get into. We meet Lizzie, who after the death of her father, decides to buy the windmill that they both loved. Its in a terrible state, so we follow her story as she tries to restore it. Along the way we meet her family and her rather dishy neighbour Jude and his brother. Will romance be in the air for someone? Read it and find out.

Was this review helpful?

3.5 stars – rounded

Opening at the funeral of Lizzie’s father isn’t necessarily the best introduction to the Lovell girls, and her mother is particularly put out by her ‘relegation’ to a lesser row as she is the divorcee, not the widow. And believe me – Lizzie’s mother Gwendolyn and her sister Gracie could have complained for England – and probably won it all. Fortunately, Lizzie is a bit too busy to always be negative and grousing – as she decided to, after being horribly misused by her ex, purchase a run-down mill on the outskirts of the town her father grew up in. Passing the run-down mill on their frequent road trips into the country left Lizzie with plenty of fond memories and perhaps a blind spot or seven when it comes to the potential of the old mill to be a working concern and home for her after renovation.

As if renovating (with no experience and a limited budget) an old grain mill isn’t enough – Lizzie is the one on the family who has taken on the role of “caretaker and fixer”, from checking on her mum and pushing her to move forward, to taking in her very annoying and rather spoilt sister: the only one in the family to whom their rather childish and immature brother will speak, and the only member of the Lovell family that is even remotely polite to (in fact – friendly with) her father’s widow Florentina. When you add in a gorgeous neighbor who was introduced by his little brother – a special needs adult-child who is an amazingly bright spot in the story – you get confusion, a family feud between Lizzie and her sister about their ‘stepmother’, a tragic ending for her brother James and a return (with a vengeance) of Lizzie’s deeply rooted trust issues when it comes to Jude and his relationship with the mother of his little son.

I love Tennant’s books and her writing – and for the most part her stories have a way of feeling very ‘real and plausible’ with plenty of intriguing dreams being chased by the characters she creates. This one, however, required a bit more ‘stick-to-it-ness’ than I normally find. Family and personal discord and upheaval, insecurities and conflicts all seemed to pop up when things were starting to progress – if not exactly smoothly, then a bit like a massive building project – one thing works and another seems to break down. But, I held onto the hope that the characters would find their way to new opportunities and outlooks – and that, like their grief, the drama and upheaval wouldn’t last forever. I was rewarded – the pieces so unreliably reliable for creating discord and ill-will were sorted out with cooler heads and a bit of time taking the edge off emotions and allowing a new outlook to present itself. With the sails working on the mill, a new baby and hope for new loves and happiness to come – the story came around to leave me with a smile.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Review first appeared at <a href=” https://wp.me/p3OmRo-alA” > <a> I am, Indeed </a>

Was this review helpful?

This one just wasn’t for me. Usually I enjoy Tilly Tennant’s books but this one missed the mark. Main character Lizzie was very annoying, her sister Gracie was even worse and their mother Gwendolyn takes the cake for most annoying character in this boo.k. Constantly complaining.

Lizzie strikes up a relationship with Jude who seemingly is still in love with the mother of his child Harriet. We never really get any closure on that. Harriet remains lurking in the shadows. The whole thing makes no sense.

The best things about this book were Derek and his wife, Charlie, and in some ways Florentina. But overall the characters seemed underdeveloped and the plot went in too many directions. We barely hear anything about the brother James then bam, a strange plot that the reader can’t reakky care about because what do we really know about this character? Nothing.

To me the “romance” here just seemed dirty and creepy, like Jude was somehow fooling Lizzie. Then there was Gracie and her selfishness, Gwendolyn complaining about Florentina but then they are bffs by the end of the book, etc.

I think if some of the plots here had been explored more maybe in a series rather than one book it could have worked better. As it stands the author tried to cram too much junk into a small book and just made an overflowing mess.

Was this review helpful?

This is another wonderful book from Ms. Tennant. I loved the storylines that wove together. I felt like I was friends with all the characters.
I highly recommend this and any of her other books.

Was this review helpful?

I like Tilly Tennant books and I liked this was.
It was fascinating and entertaining, the perfect feel good book for a cosy afternoon.
I love the plot that kept me hooked till the last page and the cast of characters.
The setting was lovely and it made me wish I was there.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for this ARC

Was this review helpful?

The story begins with the death of Lizzy's dad, and in his memory she buys an old abandoned mill that he always loved in his home town. Soon after moving there, she meets hunky Jude and his brother things become more interesting. Then her pregnant sister arrives without the father, her stepmother moves in after her house blows up, and Jude's ex-girlfriend is always around. A good book that was hard to put down. Highly recommend this book and author.

Was this review helpful?