Like in the author's previous work that I reviewed on my blog, here too, we have slightly older protagonists than your average book of this ilk. This age change provides a different set of issues and plotlines to work into the story.
We have the silent struggle between an established person in the community (George), who has not made any inroads into being part of the community and a new entrant (Nessa) trying to integrate herself into the town's life the first day. This latter part means that Nessa wants to befriend George as well, given that he is one of her closest neighbours. This is where George's careful set routine is shaken since he literally does not allow anyone in.
The time window for the bulk of the story is within a short window, but it has some drastic life moments for many people within the pages. I almost read it in one sitting!
Given a chance, I think I would pick up another of the author's works because the two that I have tried were both easy to read and had very different protagonists with various baggage- before they reach their happily ever after!

I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley, the review is entirely based on my own reading experience of this book.

I wanted to read this book based on its cover - I didn't entirely read what it was about and I just expected your usual easy summer read, with a bit of romance.
But this isn't like your usual summer romance book, as firstly the main characters aren't your usual young people - in fact they are of retirement age (or thereabouts).
And secondly the main male character George, is a hoarder, which is not something I have ever personally seen covered in any sort of book at all. And although the book is mainly a lighthearted book, it does also have a sadder underlying storyline, as to why he ended up this way and how he didn't let anyone come close.
Great read, that I really enjoyed - would definitely recommend.

the cover of this book is very bewitching and the description is very inviting, so i was really excited to read it. and i wasn’t disappointed. it’s a very light, heart-warming story about two lonely people who find a company in each other.
what i was very interested to read about (apart from the romance part, of course) was george’s hoarding. i have very basic knowledge about this subject and never came upon it in any book, so i was very excited to know a little bit more about it. that’s definitely something worthy of note.
george and nessa’s relationship itself was also very compelling. it was sweet, moving and, above all, very healthy. i absolutely loved how supportive and patient nessa was; that is, in my opinion, a recipe for the perfect relationship.
i think i would enjoy this book more if i was a little bit older, since there is a really big age gap between me and the characters and we’re on a very different stages of life, but i still can appreciate an interesting and well-written story. 3 stars.

- arc kindly provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I started reading Waste Not, Want Not in Applewell and I really didn't like the characters at all. I mean, I seriously did not like them. However, since I'd received an advance readers copy from Netgalley I felt it was my duty to keep reading. I'm glad that I did. The story is a simple one. However, there were a few twists that made it more than might have been expected. It truly was an enjoyable read and I thank the author, the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read it.

George is a hoarder, a loner and miserable. After coming home from Liverpool to look after his ill father George continues his fathers mantra of waste not want not to the extreme of keeping everything. Nessa is a retired nurse who buys the house next to George and trys to befriend him much to George's annoyance. What follows is one of the loveliest stories I have read in a long time. Older well written characters taking the lead, a heart-felt story with a beautiful ending. Totally recommend

I'm so sorry I just couldn't get into this book, I did try but it wasn't for me. I read a good 100 pages but it just didn't seem to hold my attention and I got a bit frustrated. I don't usually like abandoning a book, but I'm afraid this one left me no choice. x

Heartwarming, Sweet, and Clean
This sweet story deals with a hoarder and his nosy neighbor. This is a tender story dealing with a form of mental illness and the associated loneliness. It explores the many reasons this man became such a recluse. It likely paints too easy of a picture in how they deal with his hoarding. And, of course, it all works out in the end. I received this ARC book for free from Net Galley and this is my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley, author Lilac Mill, and Canelo publishing for giving me a free arc of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
4.5 stars
TW: Hoarding due to the death of a parent (the death occurred in the past)
This is a heartwarming book about two lonely people who find love next door. This book alternates between the two main characters' povs, George and Nessa. George is an grumpy middle aged man, who is reclusive and really has not interactions with the people of Applewell. Then one day, Nessa, a middle aged woman looking to make a fresh start, moves into the cottage across from George. Nessa is determined to make friends with the people of Applewell, but especially those who live near her. Nessa begins to slowly get to know George and discovers a man who just needs a friend to draw him out of his closed off world.
These characters were so sweet! I bought completely into their romance. I liked how these characters were middle aged, which made for a more realistic bond as well as a lot less drama. I felt sorry for George at times throughout this book. He seemed to turned into himself in order to grieve the loss of his father and the life he had by taking care of him in his latter years. I appreciated how patience Nessa was with George and his hoarding. She never pushed him to make the changes he needed, but allowed him to move at his own pace. Mary was also a very endearing character! I loved the friendship that developed between Nessa and Mary! The writing and pacing was very well done! There was a lot of wonderful dialogue that had me, at times, laughing out loud and then had me tearing up. Overall, this had a wonderful message of new beginnings can happen for all ages. This was my first book by author Lilac Mills and it will not be my last. I would recommend this book to those who are looking for a feel good middle aged romance!

Another stunning book by Lilac. Nessa moves to the village and her way of making friends is to bake cakes for her neighbours. However, she struggles to befriend George. A heart-warming story.

This is such a lovely, beautiful book. It certainly has the feel-good factor. I really enjoyed reading it.
This book is written with Nessa and George narrating alternate chapters. They are both middle aged and it is refreshing to have protagonists who are getting a second chance of a new beginning.
I liked Nessa's optimism, and like her, I would also think that a beach 2 miles away is almost a seafront property! The village of Applewell sounds nice.
George was a character who I couldn't see changing that quickly. He was very set in his ways, as well as being a hoarder. I was intrigued as to how his character would develop, as well as really hoping that he would find happiness. It is not often that a romantic novel has a protagonist with such a big problem to overcome.
The subject of Waste not want not is interesting, I often reuse or upcycle my belongings, so I liked this theme. This book is different and refreshing with its storyline and age of the protagonists. It
is heartwarming and engaging.
Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for my ARC

This is such a heartwarming and feel-good book!
I was in the right frame of mood for this book. A bit of lightness, happiness and perfectness to cheer me up amongst all the gloom. However, if I had read it in the wrong frame of mind, I could have found the characters a little too saccharine. Nessa was a bit too overkill with her kindness and friendliness, but luckily I was in the mood to lap this up and wished I lived next door to her.
George was such a mercurial character. The way he lived gave me the heebie-jeebies, but it really made him interesting. How he would have to find new places for things and how his life had become so small because of his obsession; it made for fascinating reading.
I loved the mention of Lampeter, where I went to university, hardly anyone has ever heard of it, but there it was popping up in this book. I’d sit and just stare at the word for a while, lost in my memories before I could move on. It also helped me envisage the area and remoteness that they were living in. I went to university there in the late 90s, and trust me; it was remote. I’ve even sat at Aberystwyth train station waiting hours for a train, so again it was lovely to be able to immerse myself in the scenery and my memories.
So, Lilac Mills has pulled on the heartstrings and written the perfect cheer-inducing book. Lovely characters and fascinating subject matter all wrapped up in the ideal surroundings. I hope there is going to be more set in Applewell?

I've read a bunch of Lilac Mills books before, and she does not disappoint! The bond between Nessa and George really reminded me of Iris and and Arthur in the movie The Holiday, and I love them! It's a cute and heartwarming story, and I loved that we got to read it in dual pov! If you're looking for a quick read that is witty, has emotional depth and is just an overall cosy read....this is the one!

<b> Thank you to NetGalley and the author for kindly providing me with an eArc, in return for an honest review. </b>

George is a hoarder whose life is jolted out of its rut by the arrival of his new neighbour, Nessa.
I came across this book almost by accident and it definitely struck a chord with me, I can relate to the hoarding (who hasn't put something aside as it might come in useful one day?) plus the main characters being shall we say not being in the first flush of youth. It is sweet, set in a background of a small community where George rightly or wrongfully feels that he is being judged. There is a real feel good sentiment in the book where not everything is as George fears, attraction at first sight sounds unlikely until you experience it for yourself.
I can firmly add Applewell to the small list of places that I'd love to live in and I'm sure that there is scope for more stories set here. I definitely recommend the book to those who want something a little bit different, not sickly sweet, covering some real issues whilst still being throughly enjoyable.
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley, however this did not influence my review of the book.

Will be reviewed on blog (allinwitha.com) and instagram (allinwitha) on May 2nd. As well as mentioned in anticipated May releases on April 30th.

Rating: 3.75/5

Genre: Contemporary Romance, Adult Fiction

Warnings: Hoarding and death of a parent (off page)

Read if you liked: The Switch

Review: George Nightingale has never let anything go, living by his father’s phrase of “waste not, want not” and for years he’s kept it a secret. He rarely leaves his house unless strictly necessary but now things seem to be changing with the addition of his new neighbor.

Nessa Millbrook is excited to settle in her new home of Applewell after her retirement. Everyone in the village delightfully friendly except for her neighbor and she isn’t one to back down from a challenge. As Nessa keeps reaching out, does George take a chance to change his life and make a friend?

It did take me a bit to get into this one but I am so glad I finished it! The story was told from dual perspectives, so I think you got a good gauge of the two main characters. The romance between them was really heartwarming, major slow burn. It was refreshing to read a story about a couple in their 50s, love is for everyone!

I spent a good amount of this book wanting to shake George while also feeling his pain. He was a warm and kind man behind his gruff exterior. I loved how kind Nessa was to everyone, especially with her neighbor Mairi. The side characters were also delighful and really cared about each other. If you need a feel good/hallmark movie vibes read, this should be on your list!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for proving this ARC for my honest opinion. Waste Not, Want Not in Applewell is released on May 6th.

Waste Not, Want Not in Applewell - Lilac Mills

Having previously read and thoroughly enjoyed Sunset on the Square I was so excited to be approved this book via NetGalley. Once again the author enabled me to get lost in the setting of the story (Applewell) and fall in love with the characters (I just loved George and also Nessa's older neighbour Mahri). This was such a cosy heart-warming read, which also touches on the subject of hoarding....who knew this could be so interesting - loved it! I'm really looking for ward to Lilac's next book whether it is another visit to Applewell or elsewhere, I would be happy to follow this author anywhere. Overall another corker of a read from Lilac Mills! Thanks to much to Canelo and NetGalley for allowing me the chance to read and review this book.

This book got off to a slow start. It's a novel that doesn't race through the plot, but rather gently unfolds. And I loved it. It was wonderful. I'm not normally a person who gets emotional while reading, but there were several points during the book where I started to connect with the characters so much that I started to cry.

Lilac Mills has recently become one of my favorite authors after reading her holiday series. So I am jolly excited when I got a chance to read this book, a brand new book by Lilac Mills.

Meet George, who is a loner, grumpy and always keeps to himself, never really talks to anyone in Applewell. Then meet Nessa, who moves into the cottage just opposite to where he lives. Nessa is determined to be friends with her neighbor George, even though her new friends tells her that it was fruitless. George seemed to be interested in Nessa and didn't realize that his life will change for good.

I actually enjoyed reading the story! The story is told from the perspectives of George and Nessa so we know as a reader, how the characters feel about each other. The romance between them is so cute and heartwarming that I was so hooked into the story and vowed that the two will eventually date--which they eventually did!!! Despite George being a grumpy character in the beginning, I got warmed to his character and even Nessa too. The author did a good job, keeping the reader into the story! Besides, I really like the book cover too, which got attracted me to the book besides the author. Though the ending was a bit predictable, I was happy with the ending. One of the cutes, heartwarming romance novels I have read.

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for the ARC! The review is based on my honest opinion only. Worth five stars!

A sweet story of finding love in middle age. Set in Wales, the descriptions of the scenery and village are enjoyable. The relationships and conversations between the villagers seem slightly old fashioned, but I hope that life like this, where people look out for each other and have almost instant friendships goes on somewhere. The romance part was sweet, but maybe a little too unbelievable in this day and age.
A pleasant read, following the traditional romantic book formula .... I need something with a little more bite as my next book
Thank you to Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

I really enjoyed Waste Not, Want Not in Applewell. It's refreshing to read a story where the main characters are older and proves love and lust is not just for the young. I wasn't sure how well a book whose hero is a reclusive hoarder would work, but I was happily surprised by the story and my depth of feelings towards these two lonely people.

Both George and Nessa are well-rounded and believable main characters and their kept me turning the pages. There were plenty of emotional and heart-warming moments and the ending was perfect.

The supporting cast of Applewell village are a friendly bunch and, as this is the first book in the Applewell Village Series, I'm looking forward to many more stories set there. Lilac Mills is right up there as one of my favourite romance authors.

A special mention for Sylvia the cat - she always managed to bring a smile to my face. I do love it when a character has a furry friend.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this advance review copy.

Waste Not, Want Not in Applewell is my first Lilac Mills book and I absolutely loved it, finishing it pretty quickly because it's one of those books that has you wanting to know what happens next all the way through.

George is a long time resident of Applewell and Nessa has recently moved in next door to him, much to his annoyance. She wants to be friends with him whilst he'd rather have nothing to do with her, but not because he doesn't like her. In fact it's quite the opposite; he does like her but he's afraid that she'll find out his secret. I found George to be such an endearing character and Nessa complemented him beautifully, with her sunny and compassionate nature. I really enjoyed the way this story unfolded and the deepening connection between George and Nessa really was a delight to read. There were moments where I was laughing out loud and moments which brought a lump to my throat - a sure sign that the book is a winner for me.