Heartcross sounds a bit like Hotel California as once people come, they “never leave.” I adored the character of Roman, of course, he could only exist between the covers of a book as he is too good to be true. I’m enjoying this sweet series as the storylines are relatable, the characters are likable, and each book can stand alone quite well with the previously featured characters and locals continuing on with updated storylines in subsequent volumes. And no obnoxious cliffhangers insight. This is how a series should be!

Although the 5th book in a series, you can easily read this as a standalone. I hadn’t read any of the other books and I was able to read this one without any confusion or gaps.

Ella has had what you can only call the most horrendous break up ever. Scammed, lied to and now completely broke and in debt her friend Callie comes to the rescue and offers her a place to stay in Heartcross where she can start over.

To start with, I loved the setting. It sounded like a super friendly town with lots of amazing characters including the very colourful Dolores. Ella was well written and with an interesting backstory and I was intrigued about her figuring out her life and getting herself back on track.

Although I enjoyed the characters and the idea of the plot, I wanted the book to be a bit longer. As soon as Ella moved to Heartcross some aspects seemed rushed, including the meeting of love interest Roman. Ella was a bit too upfront and confrontational for me, although I did sort of get it due to what she’d been through. I needed more time with Ella and Roman on their own, getting to know one another. However, I really loved everything that was happening at The Lake House and how it really tied together other aspects of the book.

The Lake House is part of a series called the Love Heart Lane series and this was my first novel I have read in the series.This particular novel focuses on Ella Johnson who has had possibly the worst 12 months you could imagine. To start afresh her best friend, Callie invites her to come live with her in a small Scottish village called Heartcross. A community where everyone knows everybody and are supportive of each other. Callie gets her a job as a waitress at a beautiful, lakeside restaurant which is struggling for business. On her first day at work she makes a suggestion to save the restaurant which not only could put it back on the map but also helps her find her way back to happiness.

This book is the perfect cosy read for lockdown. It has everything you could want in a romantic comedy from drama and tears to love and laughter.

Once again the location of Scotland and the description of the village makes me want to visit the country even more. You have a great variety of characters in this from the eccentric and elegant neighbour to the typical dark, tall and handsome stranger. There are also some nice little twists but nothing too stressful or tense.

Overall it is just a nice, comforting, cosy read, perfect for these cold lockdown days and nights.

If you are looking for a light read to perk you up and help you look on the positive side of things this is a great read.

This book is a great reminder that however bad things get there is a way out of it and you will get through it. Just like this lockdown!!

I will certainly be reading the previous books in the series as soon as I can get my hands on them.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ - fun, feel good read for lockdown, recommended if you need something to put a smile on your face

I’ve heard a lot about Christie Barlow in the cozy book corners of Bookstagram and book blogs, so I was really looking forward to reading The Lake House! I was utterly charmed by Christie’s characters and the picturesque village of Heartcross. Everything about the book radiated warmth in the best way possible. I rated The Lake House with five heartwarming stars. ❤

From the moment Ella moves into Heartcross, we get to see her being fascinated by how friendly and welcoming the residents are! I haven’t read the first four books of the series, so this was my first time travelling to Heartcross as well, and I was amazed by the characters just like Ella was! My favorite person was definitely Dolores – she won my heart with her sense of style and way of life. She was definitely the rockstar of the book for me! And Callie, oh Callie. Everyone needs a friend like her in their lives. She made sure that Ella always had a strong support system around her, and took care of her when her life turned upside down. Strong female friendships + adorable elderly characters are the best recipe for cozy books, am I right? :’)

The romance between Ella and Ronan was perfectly written as well. The chemistry between them was evident from their very first encounter, and I loved seeing their relationship grow throughout the book. Both of them had their own fears about being in a relationship, which added such a realistic touch to the storyline in my opinion. The conversations between them were so wholesome!

My heart broke for Ella after knowing about how she was betrayed by the person she trusted the most. Seeing her find herself again in the little village of Heartcross was just… the best thing ever. Ella’s character development was definitely one of the highlights of The Lake House for me. The community feel, along with the descriptions of cozy, village life were just the things I needed for starting 2021 with. :’)

If you’re looking for a charming book to lose yourself in, I definitely recommend picking The Lake House!

Ella had to make a new beginning after being robbed out of her money and deceived in love. And Heartcross village was the perfect place to start life anew. To help her sail through rough waters, Roman was just the guy.

Heartcross is a lovely village, and so are its people. I love the feeling of community with wonderful friendships and how everybody wants to help each other. When reading this book, you can’t help but feel your heart rise in spirits.

The Lake House is a story that’s going to make you wander away from reality and get swept up in this wonderful fiction story. At its finest, it is pure entertainment. The author has built such a picturesque world with fantastic characters that you won’t want to be anywhere other than inside the pages.

I have read all of Christie’s books and they have unanimously enthralled me. I therefore have no hesitation in recommending this book to anyone, owing to the fact that I just know it will be a great read.

Having finished the book, I can confirm that Christie Barlow did not fail to deliver, interweaving a village and characters that we already know and love, with equally lovable new characters, and an unputdownable new story.

The main character in the book, Ella, has the most awful start in the book, when her doctor boyfriend fails to come home one night, and it turns out that he was a scammer who has both fleeced her bank account and run up a huge credit card bill in her name. 6 months later sees her going to stay with a friend in the nurturing epicentre that is the Scottish village of Heartcross, a place that will be familiar to Christie Barlow Novel aficionados.

Roman, the main male interest in the book seems to have it all – handsome, single, altogether nice, but he has secrets – a Daughter that we have hints of, but no sign of a wife or partner?

Roman and Ella end up thrown together, organising an event to revive the fortunes of the ailing Lakehouse restaurant. the night promises it all; glamour, music and sophistication abound, but what about love?


I am not going to spoil the ending, just urge you to buy the book and read it for yourself.

My first book read by this author and will not be my last. Follow Ella from the depths of despair to a new career and love.

It’s hard not to have a ‘favourite book series’ but I’ll let you in on a secret the Love Heart Lane series by Christie Barlow is one of my favourites. The Lake House is book 5 in the popular romance series set in Scotland and although each story is centred around a different character I would highly recommend reading all the books in the series in order. You will then appreciate the idyllic setting, the wonderful community spirit and you will learn of the back history surrounding well loved characters and also they are just wonderful stories.

We have had a little glimpse of The Lake House and the dream of the owner Flynn’s thoughts for this iconic building along the River Heart in book four. The restaurant has been fully refurbished and has been re-opened a little while now but it’s still finding it’s feet on the hospitality map of the area.

We meet Ella who has just moved in with her best friend Callie and is due to start work at the restaurant. Ella has experienced a very tumultuous year resulting in much heartbreak, loss and anguish. Moving to Scotland is the new start she needs to pick herself up from the events that nearly broke her.

Ella didn’t expect her move to include the blossoming of new friendships with a local singing starlet and a handsome man. A man who she feels hides vulnerability and sadness behind his charming persona.

With the Lake House in need of a much needed boost all the staff get together to try and figure out how they can improve custom. It takes a newcomer with fresh eyes to highlight that what they need to promote is staring at them all around the walls of the iconic building.

Another gorgeous feelgood story oozing with community spirit, friendship, new hope and new beginnings. I think Ella and Roman are perfect additions for the community of Heartcross and I always feel most welcomed each time I join them.

What an absolute treat to be back in the village of Heartcross in the 5th book in the Love Heart Lane series. The focus for this story is on Ella. After losing her parents, her fiances disappearing, her inheritance all gone she is definitely on a low. She is struggling with life and it takes her good friend Callie to give her a hand up. Callie insists that Ella comes to live in Heartcross with her.

As anyone who has read any of these books knows, Heartcross looks after those who are struggling and it wraps them in its fabulous embrace. The author really does nail the sense of community and friendship.

Callie has lined Ella up with a job in The Lake House, a bistro that is accessible by boat only. Enter the gorgeous Roman as he ferries visitors, friends and workers to and fro from the island. Like Ella, he has had his problems, while Ella's seem to be settling, Roman's are still causing heartache. Becoming friends is something that both characters gravitate to and as they say, a problem shared is a problem halved.

Now as much as I adored these two characters I have to mention the fabulous Delores. Wow! She is a brilliant character and I absolutely adored her, she could have very easily taken over as she is definitely a handful, in a very good way. I am impressed by how the author kept her under control. The emphasis is on Roman and Ella, and as is appropriate in love stories there are some choppy times.

I love this series and the sense of coming back to friends I get whenever I pick a new book up. The author really has made the village of Heartcross something special and the characters are definitely unique. The only problem with this book is that I didn't wan tit to stop, I finished it far too quickly!

I am going to say that all of the books work well as stand-alone, but read in the order you get so much more out of them. There are relationships and events that have happened in previous books that show the links between friends and community and it is this that makes the books very special. Also, you would be missing out on more fabulous reads.

Another book in the series that I would definitely recommend and

Another charming book in the Love Heart Lane series. We catch up with old friends and meet some new ones cleverly wound together to produce another delightful book.

I really enjoyed this book, it had a nice story and was light to read. Typical with Rom-Com’s there is a damsel in distress (who turns out to be a bad-ass) and of course, your much wanted happily ever after. Having said that, the book does cover lots of other themes too.

I wasn’t aware this was book 5 in the Love Heart Lane Series until after I read it, but I think it works easily as a standalone book too!

I absolutely loved Dolores - she could have her own books!

Highly recommend this for a feel good read.

This book came highly recommended by a blogger friend. I wasn't sure about requesting it, seeing as it's part of the series and I haven't read the previous books before but I was assured that it can't be read as a stand - alone. Nevertheless, when I started reading, I had a feeling that I've read this story already, and indeed, it turned out I've read one of stories out of the series. Nevertheless, I DNF-ed "The Lake House". I couldn't stand the deja - vu feeling, the I've been there, I've seen this notion. Everything in this book was perfect, from the characters to the setting. Perfect, lovely, angelic - the conversations, the actions, people were oh so lovely and nice - simply, everything happens for a reason, the good will be rewarded, the bad will be punished - too perfect, too simple and too predictable. I am probably not the right audience for this story, sadly.

This book is fifth in a series, I have to admit I haven’t read the previous books before reading this one, but I don’t think that detracted from the story. The author Christie Barlow is also a new to me author but after enjoying this book so much I think I will go back and read the previous books.

This instalment introduces Ella, having just been though a really bad relationship she decides to re locate to Heartcross and move in with her friend and try and get her life back on track. With a new perspective, a new job and some wonderful new friends Ella tried to do just that but her past comes back to haunt her. And her love life tarts to blossom.

The book has wonderful colourful characters and was a joy to read. And the Lake House sounds amazing,ho wouldn’t want to visit the exclusive restaurant.

Thanks you to Netgalley, the author and published for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley, Christie Barlow and HarperCollins UK,One More Chapter for The Lake House.
This is my personal review.
This is the first in the Love Heart Lane series I have read and I adore the book The Lake House.
Ella had a very nasty few months and she turned to her friend Callie who lives in Heartcross for help.
Callie took her in and got her back into life. She helped get her a job as a waitress in the restaurant she works. This was the beginning of the life changes Ella needed.
Ella soon makes many new friends she can call family.
The characters and story line kept me kept me turning the pages and involved in all their lives.
I can not wait to go back and read all the other books in the series.

I have been in Heartcross since the very beginning, a village in Scotland which is unique because the love that emanates from the whole community will drag you in and hold you there in its heart. That goes for the readers as well as the characters!

Callie brings her friend, Ella to live with her in Heartcross. Ella has hit rock bottom over the last 6 months or so after losing her parents, her heart and her inheritance. She needs to escape and recuperate and what better place than with Callie the only friend who stood by her.

Sharing a flat with Callie, Ella gets to meet her new neighbour Dolores, who is a star. She has a past and when Ella discovers that her past involves singing and singing at The Lake House where Ella is now working it seems that everything is meant to be.

The Lake House whilst trying to be unique as a restaurant (it is only accessible by boat) is losing money and they need to do something to keep a float. As does Roman the boat's main skipper to the restaurant, he is trying to keep it all together when life has dealt him a bitter blow and he needs some support.

In steps Ella and Dolores and what follows is a captivating tale of showing everyone that there is always a second chance and even a last chance in life to have what you want and be loved wholeheartedly.

If you have been in Heartcross since the beginning then you will see some of the regular characters pop in and out of the story, but this book's focus is very much on Ella, Roman and Dolores. There is some real depth to the storyline and some frightening episodes which make you question what we believe and who we trust.

A novel that had me hooked and I devoured it quickly as I was so invested in Ella and what had happened to her, that I wanted to see her succeed and show that she and in fact everyone can come back stronger.

Great addition to the series and I implore you to read them all - you won't be disappointed.

I love these little books & set in the tiny village of Heartcross, this was one of those books that makes you feel you are on a personal level with the characters, making them feel more like friends.

Romance wise you knew what was going to happen very early on, but it didn't distract from the beautiful scenery that this style of writing helped me envision what Heartcross & The Lake House were like, it sounds such an idyllic place to live.

Many thanks to Netgalley for my ARC in return for my honest review

𝗜 𝗴𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗮 5 ⭐ 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴

Another brilliant story. .You caughter with favourite charactrs but it could be stand a lone read. . Dolores was a fab character. I loved her little black book. Alex was a bounder and got what he deserved. I would love to stay at the Lake house

Once you get past the first chapter that sets some background, you get into some very good world-building. You can picture the setting with ease and begin to get to unwrap the different characters. I gave this book three stars because of the overly sweet and too good to be true little town and I found it hard to get past the first chapter. If you can put aside your disbelief and go with the flow you will enjoy this good solid romance with a lovely setting.

- The blurb from the publisher, as they do it best -

Preorder the next book in the heartwarming and bestselling Love Heart Lane series
Love Heart Lane – where friends are there for you no matter what
There’s a newcomer to the village of Heartcross and she’s never been more in need of a friend.
As the new manager of local bistro, The Lake House, Ella is ready to start afresh ––and that could mean there’s love on the horizon in the form of the gorgeous Roman, the local water taxi driver. Every day Roman is there to ferry Ella to the restaurant on the other side of the lake and every night he makes sure she gets home safe. But Roman has secrets of his own…
Can the Love Heart Lane community offer Ella a chance of a new life? Or will the ghosts of her past catch up with her?

Thank you to NetGalley & One More Chapter for an advance copy.
#TheLakeHouse #OneMoreChapter #NetGalley #BubblyBookReviewer

A picturesque setting, loving characters, an atmosphere of warmth and goodwill stood at the backdrop of this book with some terrific writing by author Christie Barlow.

I needed something light yet substantial to mark the end of the year. Having not read the series, this was book 5, didnt hamper my enjoyment in any way. I loved getting to know both the characters, Ella and Roman.

Having been cheated out of her money and betrayed in love, Ella had to make a new start. And the village of Heartcross was the right place to start life anew. Roman was just the person to help her sail through rough waters.

The words juxtaposed on paper marked its significance on my heart. I felt happy reading the book as if I were starting life with Ella. Roman as her love interest too had his own secrets, and it was fun to see their chemistry blossom.

The Lake House was a complete feel-good story with a villain to add spice to their lives. Heartbreak, friendship, and love were at its core and beautiful prose evoking my emotions gave it a delightful flight.

What an absolute treat to have another book in Christie Barlow’s amazing Love Heart Lane series to round off another year of reading. Without doubt it’s my favourite ever series and what’s even better that Christie has said there are five more books to come so my wish for these stories to continue as long as possible has come true. The Lake House, with yet another stunning cover, is the latest book that follows the residents of the little village Heartcross in the Scottish Highlands. It’s another fantastic read and one that I regret racing through because I have to wait for more.

But the time I spent reading it was thoroughly enjoyable and only cements the fact that the author goes from strength to strength and is building up an overall set of books that will forever remain my favourites. Usually I find myself becoming a bit jaded with series of books, that the further the books are developed my enjoyment of them seems to taper off. This is not the case at all with Love Heart Lane and I honestly can’t get enough. You can really tell that Christie is getting so much enjoyment from writing these books as her readers are from reading them. I wouldn’t normally pay too much attention to a dedication at the beginning of a book but the dedication here certainly raised a giggle from me.

This time around we meet Ella Johnson, her life is in turmoil as she is consumed by worry and confusion. Her so called secure life has shattered around her as her doctor fiancé Alex James left for work one day and never returned. There is no trace of him and Ella’s distraught state only increases when she discovers exactly what has happened. Her only crime was to fall in love with him but it seems Alex had other major crimes on his mind. Everything she thought she knew about him was a carefully constructed web of lies, he was never the person she thought he was. Instead everything he said and did right down to his so called profession was a complete and utter lie. The persona he presented to Ella appeared to be so real. Instead he was out to get her and her money.

Devastated, heartbroken and broke Ella has no choice but to close her gift shop and retreat and thankfully six months later her friend Callie has given her an ideal solution and an offer of help. With Callie offering to have her live with her in Heartcross and also a job will be provided at the Lake House bistro owed by property tycoon Flynn Carter. Ella takes the bold step to leave behind everything she has known in an attempt to get her life back on track. She deeply wishes she had never encountered Alex but knows she has to put the past behind her in order to begin to embrace her new and uncertain future.

You couldn’t help but feel desperately sorry for Ella and the precarious and lonely situation she finds herself in. Without Callie she would have had no one to turn to as her parents are dead. She was brave to make such a big change but it was a necessary one. Heartcross will hopefully provide Ella with security, comfort and friendship as it's renowned for its community spirit and the residents willingness to always help someone in need. The village is welcoming, familiar and kind as readers will know from previous books and those feelings are once again here in spades and that’s what makes this set of books such a special, gripping and enjoyable reads. Ella is welcomed and embraced right from the get go. Her wounds are there for all to see and hopefully taking on a new job and living in a new area will give her the urge she needs to get going once again.

Being with Callie and meeting all the residents will do Ella the world of good. Callie is a loyal friend, always well intentioned and with such a good heart. She really steps up to the mark when her friend needs her the most. After all isn’t that what friends are for? We do get the chance again to meet old familiar faces such as Felicity, Isla, Aggie and Julia. I’m glad they get to feature every now and again as I hate when characters you have come to love in previous books are forgotten about like they never existed. But also new characters are introduced, two being very significant.

The first is Dolores, a neighbour of Callie’s, she seems a little eccentric and is obsessed with singing and Dolly Parton. Initially I couldn’t see why she was getting such a prominent role but as the story develops all becomes clear and she has the most touching and heartbreaking of stories and it will being a tear to your eye. She becomes central to Ella’s journey as she has a big task to pull off and with Dolores’ history maybe she can change the fortunes and future of the cherished Lake House? The Lake House holds such a special placed in Dolores’ heart and the same can be said for Flynn and his father Wilbur. I loved how this part of the overall plot was woven amidst Ella’s story.

The Lake House seemed to be such an idyllic, secluded setting only accessed by boat. Flynn being a property developer could have been presumed to be just expanding his empire but he had other reasons for wishing the Lake House to continue on for many years. But the problem was that just not enough people were coming to enjoy meals in such a special and unique setting. Ella worries that will lose her job before it has even properly begun and that her money worries will only increase rather than dissipate. I really enjoyed the storyline of the community led by Ella working together to make what could be a terrible wrong and loss a right. It highlighted once again that everyone who lives in Heartcross always pulls together in the most ingenious of ways to battle for something they firmly believe in. It also gave Ella a goal and a focus to work towards and in the same way it was part of her healing process. Even if a major spanner did throw itself into the works to rightly upset the apple cart. I was certainly on tender hooks when that happened and wondered could the Lake House ever be saved?

The second new character who brought so much to this story was Roman. He was the captain of the boat/water taxi that brings customers and workers to the Lake House. Roman was very secretive about his private life and never seemed to be fully there in the moment when someone was talking to him. His mind appeared to be on other things resulting in him being late for work or always rushing off to take phone calls. Ella is really intrigued by him as was this reader, dark, handsome and brooding are words that spring to mind. Ella certainly found him attractive but was it too soon after such trauma and upheaval in her life to want to venture down a new path of romantic entanglement? Not that Roman seemed that willing to try as he was so taken up with whatever was going on with him.

Too often when characters are keeping secrets, when they are eventually revealed they can be such a let down and you think meh was that it? But twice during reading this book when secrets come to the fore, I thought well done to Christie for including such relevant and important storylines that prove this genre doesn’t have to be light and fluffy romance. That’s not to say The Lake House takes on dark tones. It doesn’t at all but it was great to see some more serious issues being explored. Neither is it light and fluffy instead the perfect balance is struck between romance, community and exploring some problems that could affect us all.

Ella finds Roman attractive but is she willing to let someone get close again? The romantic tension oozed between the pair and I desperately hoped they would give into each other and enable Ella to once more find her sparkle having had it so cruelly stripped from her. Both herself and Roman needed to realise that sometimes you have to swallow your pride and allow people in to help and with the residents of Heartcross behind them maybe they could do that on a personal life but also a professional one and secure the long term future of the restaurant. The community of Heartcross, welcomes you with open arms and encourages you to be the best you can be and I absolutely love that sentiment which has come across so strongly in every book so far.

The Lake House is another fantastic addition to the series. I’m always completely taken in from the very first sentence and I am utterly lost in the magic until the last word. I really can’t recommend this new book and the series as a whole enough. Hurry up to the next publication day in April so I can see what is next in store in Primrose Park.