Oh, how I absolutely adored this book!

Maddy thinks she has a brilliant life - a job she adores, a promotion on the way, designer shoes and bags.... then she's made redundant and. her world is turned upside down. Returning to her childhood village of Giddywell to seek some solace in her Mum, she finally catches up with her childhood best friend Beth. When Beth needs a hand at her doggy daycare, Maddy volunteers, and Beth sets out on a mission to show Maddy that there's more to life that working to earn other people money. Do the things that Maddy thought made her happy really do? The return of Beth's older brother and Maddy's childhood crush. only add to Maddy's new love of life. But then her old life and old boyfriend come calling. Will Maddy return to what she knows and what she thought she loved, or will she stay true the new Maddy?

There is so much to love about this book. The setting, the characters, the story, the messages in it, the dogs! It's been days since I've finished this and I'm still thinking about it. For me, I think it's because partly Maddy is very relatable. We're around the same age, I don't have children and I've been in her position where work has taken over my life and have reached the point where I've started to think about what's really important and so many of the things she considers in this really hit home. Nash does such a wonderful job of weaving the messages beautifully into the story, but really gets the reader thinking about them too. Not only that I'd absolutely love to be in her position of working at Growler's (of which I loved the name!).

Maddy has so much that has gone on in her life and lots she has to work through, and she has a wonderful support network around her. Beth is an absolute blessing and I loved her as a character so much. Alex is also fantastic, and of course I adored Baxter (obvs my favourite!).

The story was heartwarming and wonderful, and had me properly laughing out loud at times. Although there are definitely some heart wrenching moments in here. A few times Maddy made me question her decisions too... Overall, I honestly couldn't recommend this more. I 100% adored this book and everything in it. If you're looking for something that will make you smile and thoroughly warm your heart, whilst making you thinking about what is TRULY important in life, then this is for you.

Easy reading and enjoyable story about changing direction in life. Didn’t take too long to finish but was fun.

Super cute and fun story. Uplifting beat throughout the whole thing. You just can’t be sad and read this one. Great weekend read.

Escape to Giddywell Grange is a heartwarming, joyous and uplifting story.

When Maddy loses her swanky professional job, she thinks life as she knows it is crumbling around her. Feeling lost and alone, she reaches out to her mother and realises quite how obsessed with work she had become. Living to work rather than working to live. This proves to be the perfect time to reassess her life and take time for friends and family members she had neglected for years.

A wonderfully uplifting story about changing your life around with gorgeous romance woven skillfully through. Kim Nash has created a beautiful story, guaranteed to please fiction and romance fans. I look forward to reading more by this author!

Lovely warm cuddly book that you can't put down and miss when you have finished it, especially as I am a dog lover and can really relate to it

A feel good and cosy story, and when dogs are included that will always make me ask for more from the writer. I haven't read any of Kim's books before these but I will definitely be looking out for more from her.

What strikes me most when writing a book review is how the book made me feel and Escape to Giddywell Grange made me feel happy and content.

Maddie is living the life everyone dreams of with a fancy apartment, fabulous job, expensive car and enough money to buy whatever she wants. So it comes as a huge shock when she is made redundant and loses the lot.

When she meets up with Beth, her best friend from school, she realises how much she’s missed out on by not having time for anyone over the years. Beth needs to go into hospital and Maddie finds herself taking over her job at the kennels at Giddywell Grange.

Maddie loves being back at Giddywell as it brings back lots of happy memories from when she and Beth were at school together. Beth has other ideas for Maddie too and enlists her to help out at her volunteering jobs.

Maddie finds herself totally out of her comfort zone but discovers that helping others is the key to happiness and all the money in the world can’t buy that.

This story follows Maddie on a journey of self discovery and is filled with acts of kindness which give the reader that feel good factor. I loved her reacquainting herself with her mum who she simply never had time for when she was working in her high powered job and their relationship blossomed nicely although with a few hiccups on the way.

The thought of doggie daycare filled me with joy as we have a puppy and my daughter is working in kennels and she loves the characters of the dogs she looks after so that part of the book was very sweet.

I also enjoyed how each person Maddie met along the way have her a little piece of a much greater message and helped her to discover who she really was deep down.

I especially liked the cameo from Grace who was the star of Kim’s previous book.

Gentle, kind and just lovely.

What’s not to love. A feel good, uplifting read that will stay with you long after the final page. An incredibly heart warming story that had me sat with a smile on my face as I read it. A book about picking yourself up, self discovery and growth through the support of strong friendship. This book highlights how living simply, caring more about others than yourself will lighten your heart and open your mind to new experiences. A totally uplifting read that’s clearly written from the heart. I loved it and didn’t want it to end 💕 now when’s the next book out 😍📘

Maddy Young thought she had it all.
Swanky city apartment? – yep. Fancy car? sorted. High-flying career? – tick.
Even if she’s lost most of her friends because of spending all her time at work, and can’t remember when she last had fun, it’s worth it.
Until she’s suddenly made redundant. Now she’s 37, jobless, and after the breakup with the former love of her life, unhappily single.

Another beautifully written book from Kim Nash that is a wonderful follow up to her equally wonder first book.

I really enjoy how the author makes characters come alive and almost feel like your friends.

I can't wait for her next one!

Highly recommended.

Career-driven, city-girl Maddy, gets a reality kick-butting when instead of the promotion she was certain to get, ends up losing her prized position.

Now what?

Needing to heal some ex-boyfriend wounds and tend to hurt pride, Maddy decides to head back home and escapes to Giddywell Grange.

Comforted by the slower pace of life, Maddy reconnects with her childhood friend Beth. When Beth asks Maddy for help with her doggy daycare Growlers, Maddy agrees. Suddenly all-in, Maddy comes to love the daily routine and opens herself up to other needs in her community - even volunteering at the library.

Although somewhat unsure of it at first, Maddy falls fast for life in Giddywell Grange and its delightful charm and harmonious lifestyle.

When Maddy meets up with Beth’s brother Alex, she is reminded of the easy rapport they always shared. Maddy’s youthful crush on Alex can easily rekindle old feelings but she has to watch out for her heart as he is already in a relationship.

Out of the blue, her ex offers her a prime job and the chance to return to her posh way of life. Sorely tempted yet more than a little skeptical, Maddy has to decide out what she is going to do.

Maddy is a tremendously relatable character: real, insecure, warm, funny - the kind of friend anyone would love to have. Nash has done a wonderful job with all her characters by weaving their lives beautifully into the engaging storylines.

A hands-down, delightful read. Highly and heartily recommended.

Thanks to NetGalley and Hera Books, for the read of Kim Nash’s, Escape to Giddywell Grange.

Opinions expressed are my own.

I started this book before I read Kim’s post about her inspiration to the book, but I hadn’t quite finished the book. When I went back to the book I had fresh eyes and to be honest it made it all a bit more emosh for me! I finished the book and messaged Kim, and just said you made me cry again! This book is most definitely a book about finding yourself again and finding your place again, something I need to do now and again, a bit of mindfulness.


Maddy, she is just such a lovely character. She has so much love to give but heartache drove her to consume her whole life with work. Then one day work isn’t there anymore and we watch her pick up the pieces. We see at the beginning, her best friend Beth, pushing her out into the community and mucking in at Growlers, the dog home. Seeing her branch out into an allotment. The final third is when her past catches up with her and how she copes with it.

It is hard for Maddy as she has to come to terms with the fact she’s not been there for people, she’s been a bit snotty and she sees people like a bit of a burden. But at the same time, she is wholesome and she wants to do right again that you find it hard not to be mad with her. She was just coping with life and everyone copes differently.

I must admit in the final 3rd of the book I was shouting at Maddy a bit because I became increasingly concerned with her decision making and felt quite frankly I should be in charge, not that it was going to happen, but she pulled through at the final hurdle and all is at peace with the world.

It was the ending that got me. I won’t say why or how, but for me it was beautiful and it happened exactly the way I wanted it too. I closed the kindle with a smile on my face and maybe a few tears down my face…but mainly the smile!!!

I absolutely adored Amazing Grace (which you can check my review out on Anniversary day!) and for the “tough” second novel, Kim has smashed it. I just want to know when I can read another book by her! Knowing that this is partially based on facts, I want to know which bits!! It adds an extra layer to the story and makes it that bit more special for me as a reader. I adored it!

dog’s life is just what Maddy needs

Maddy Young thought she had it all.

Swanky city apartment? – yep. Fancy car? sorted. High-flying career? – tick.

Even if she’s lost most of her friends because of spending all her time at work, and can’t remember when she last had fun, it’s worth it.

Until she’s suddenly made redundant. Now she’s 37, jobless, and after the breakup with the former love of her life, unhappily single.

Enter Maddy’s childhood friend, Beth, the owner of Growlers, the doggy daycare centre at Giddywell Grange, on a mission to make Maddy see there’s more to life than work. Maddy finds herself kneedeep in dogs as Beth has to recuperate from an operation and we follow Maddy's story as she realises that there is an alternative lifestyle that doesnt have to include Prada Handbags! Thoroughly entertaining, full of love and laughter! Many thanks to netgalley for an arc in return for my honest opionion! Highly recommended.

I very much enjoyed this book, and was hooked from the first page. I thought the story was well-written, and the characters were realistic. I particularly liked Madison and her amazing bestie, Beth, who seems to understand what Madison needs better than she does herself.

Other main characters include Beth's brother Alex. From the first mention of Alex, I wanted him and Madison to realise their love for each other. Baxter the dog is also a great little character, telling us without words who can be trusted and who can't. And that brings me to Jamie - he made my flesh creep, so the least said about him, the better!

Madison thinks she has it all: a great career with the chance of a great promotion, and the lifestyle to go with it. She works continuously, in the office and at home to make sure she is giving her absolute all to the company. She has friends at work but has let other friendships slide. She is close to her mother, but over time her mother has featured less in her life because work is more important. Her mother has picked up on this and phones her less, and makes fewer demands on her time. Madison lives to work.

That is until the day she arrives at work expecting a promotion but finds herself made redundant instead. She cannot believe this is happening to her. She has given her entire self to the company. She must now find a comparable position to maintain her lifestyle. Her redundancy won't last forever, so she applies for a couple of less-than-suitable jobs, and when nothing works out there, her friend Beth suggests a temporary arrangement which would benefit them both - working at Growlers, Beth's kennel at Giddywell Grange.

As well as working in the kennel, Beth gives Madison little tasks which involve helping others in the local community. Initially Madison sees these tasks as nothing more than a list of things to do, but realising how valuable her contributions are to the people on that list, and deriving an unexpected joy from helping others, she is soon reevaluating her life.

Does she really need an all-consuming career which leaves her with nothing outside of work? No holidays; no social life; no partner; no children...

This is one of those novels that is not only an interesting and engaging as a story, but one which made me pause for thought. I particularly liked the pay-it-forward aspect, and the resulting good karma it returned to Madison.

Escape to Giddywell Grange is an engaging, amusing and thought-provoking story that I would wholeheartedly recommend.

This book was a brilliant read and one that is perfect to escape for a few hours and loose yourself.
A great read.

You’ll remember I read and loved Amazing Grace by the lovely Kim Nash, and was thrilled that there was a new author of heart-warming reads in the house. And with this, her second book, again I was not disappointed.

We meet Maddy, euphoric, buoyant and starry-eyed as she awaits news of a possible promotion. I’ve been here before in Rom com land, but very rarely with a character who was so so sure and, when the inevitable happened, I was gutted for her. This led into a part of a book that brought so many emotions forward as she recounted a number of regrets that have regularly visited me, that of not seeing family and friends enough. There was also the regret of never having to be able to get a dog and I, being the immature sod that I am, spent most of the book screaming at her ‘just get a dog!!’

This was a book of change, choc full of Maddy seeing what life was like when you were living it, meeting and talking to people, helping out and doing good deeds. With this came so many mottos and advice and I relished it all and even wrote down a few nuggets. I loved Maddy’s journey, although I had to slide my feet into her shoes to empathise with her in the man department especially after tweaking my own ideals to understand her obsession with work!! The dogs of course, made the book and helped me sail through this feel-good, heart warming, joyous read and I’d have taken even more doggy antics and love and read on and on! So enjoyable and recommended and thanks to Hera books  for the book in return for an honest review.

Rating:4.5/5

I really enjoyed this warm, upbeat book that features main character Maddy, a high flying workaholic with the lifestyle to go with it. When she is unexpectedly made redundant she has to dig deep and re-evaluate her whole life.

Helped by best friend Beth she finds herself wearing dungarees, cleaning kennels and visiting members of the community. Beth needs help at her doggy daycare business and Maddy has plenty of hours to fill, so she steps in and finds that she doesn’t miss the corporate lifestyle one bit.

There are a host of wonderful, warm characters all with wonderful stories to share. Of course, there are plenty of dogs, especially Baxter who just stole my heart. I found Maddy really likable and had my fingers crossed that she would find the romance she deserves. The story was inspiring, relatable and hard to put down.

This story is about Maddy who was striving to be financially rich, working hard but abandoning her true friends and leisure in the process. It is only after a personal tragedy and being made redundant that she starts to reevaluate her lifestyle and choices, reconnecting with her best childhood friend, Beth, and actually being willing to share time with her Mum.

When her best friend has to have an operation that will leave her unable to run Growlers, her doggy daycare centre, Maddy offers to help cover for her, not realising just how many things Beth is involved with in the community. This story shares her experiences in a moving and, at times, hilarious way. She is faced with new opportunities, time to connect with others in a meaningful rather than superficial way and lots of choices. It is a time for deliberation, contemplation, adventure and fun.

The author is brilliant at bringing her characters to life and making them feel like friends sharing their experiences, hopes, fears and love in this moving story. It is also a heartwarming story of second chances, of love lost and found, secrets and surprises. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and didn’t want to put it down. I have no hesitation in highly recommending it and hope to read more by this highly talented author in future.

I requested and was gifted a copy of this book via NetGalley and this is my honest review after choosing to read it.

I was not expecting to love this book as much as I did. this was sweet, heartwarming and just a breath of fresh air. I loe it and I will try to read all of this author's books now. Great book, thoroughly recommended!

Firstly what a great book, when I had finished it left me feeling all warm inside with a smile on my face. Well done Kim Nash I haven't read any of your books but I'm sure going to look them out now.

After working hard and giving her life for 12 years in a PR company Maddie has been asked into her manager's office, convinced her hard work is about to pay off and she will get the promotion she has been working toward, she is sorely disappointed when in fact she is made redundant.
She makes her way home to work out what her next step will be.
As she enters the house she hears noises and going upstairs to investigate finds her boyfriend Jamie in their bed bonking another woman. Distraught she seeks out her lifelong friend Beth, who runs Doggy daycare from her home in Giddywell grange with her father who Maddie calls uncle Tom and Alex, Beth's brother who is over from America to help out as Beth is on the verge of having a knee op and will be off her feet for quite a long time.

After sobbing and bearing her soul to Beth she is asked a big favour to run Doggy daycare and help out at the grange whilst Beth is off her feet. At first, Maddie is horrified, she is used to the high life, smart cars, posh hotels, fabulous holidays and designer clothes. This work is so polar opposite, wellies, mud and dogs.
And this is where the lovely story takes off, it has some lovely warm characters within it , that will make you smile with warmth and some frustrations with the secrets they hold.
This is a book for any time of year but winter curled up in a chair with a blanket warm & cosy is perfect. Enjoy!!
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book xxx