This was a perfect holiday read for me - light-hearted romance with some hilarious, quirky characters - that's you Esterlita!

The book starts in London in the middle of a huge PR disaster for Orly (this in itself is quite humorous to read about and the ensuing fall out!) which is then compounded by her boyfrien'd's actions. All of this sparks a desire for a fresh start which is Honeysuckle Hall.

The book then continues in the countryside, portraying the gossip mills in a small village brilliantly. There is plenty of romance to be had, as well as some mysteries to be solved (who is sending Orly those threatening notes?). I especially loved the spider in the shower scenario!

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this read and would recommend it.

**Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read an advanced e-copy of this book. All opinions are my own **

A delightful read and a great story. After Orly is blamed for her fiance Harry's mistake at work and then he

dumps her for a client, she is more than ready for a change.. She makes a huge decision to buy Honeysuckle

Hall and run it as an adventure camp for burnt-out adults.. Set in beautiful surroundings, Orly prepares to

welcome her first paying but someone doesn't want her to succeed in her new venture.

I loved this book from page one. till the end. It warms the spirit.

This book is like sitting down with a hot cup of coffee on a miserable day. It cheers you up and makes you smile. Easy to read with a simple storyline and
Likeable characters. You want everything to work out for Orly and the camp. And you are not disappointed

This book is hilarious, mysterious, and full of mischief. It grabs you at the beginning and doesn't let go until the very end.

Orly needs a fresh start when her boyfriend dumps her for a celebrity. Honeysuckle Hall is just the place she is looking for as she endeavours to set up her new business: a country retreat for people that are stressed out. With an eccentric neighbour and a hunky carpenter on hand to help, will Orly be able to fulfil her dreams?

An easy and enjoyable lighthearted story with a good mix of characters and a touch of romance which made for an entertaining read.

Took me a little while to get into this one but I grew to love the main characters - quirky, clever and a heartwarming end to new beginnings. A feel good read.

Orly works in the drama and scandal fuelled world of celebrity, so it seemed almost appropriate in this fun filled book, that she should be dumped for a celebrity – although Orly does have plenty of one thing that others tend to lack, especially in this celebrity enhanced world – she has compassion, a prime example being her worrying about how John anyone’s’ ex wife will feel about his huge OTT proposal, so soon after their divorce. I found it comforting that this character still had such compassion, having worked in the industry that is celebrity, for so many years. I found it ominous that a female client had chosen Orly’s life partner Harry for her music launch because he is ‘well connected in the music industry’ and I found myself warming to Orly very quickly in this story, hoping that alarm bells in my head about Harry were completely unfounded!

The PR disaster at the start of the book, is by its very nature a disaster – but it is portrayed perfectly from all directions and the fall out / cover up activity is exactly the kind of reaction I could imagine, should this kind of event happen in real life!

I must mention the ‘word’ ‘Ooomphfzwark’, when Orly gets hugged by her friend Bai, when she goes to meet another friend, Maya at Bali’s restaurant – onomatopoeia at its very best! I loved the portrayal of Maya too – such a contrast to the stereotypical surgeon – yet an utter delight to be which. The quote ‘I don’t know many surgeons who’d scoot off and make a patient a pot of tea’ just about characterises what makes Maya different to the average surgeon. It did strike me that the two best friends could barely have more different lives, despite both requiring elements of the cutthroat.

I felt that Orly’s partner did her a favour, when he cheated on her; it gave her the push to try something new and I loved the idea that she had for running retreats for stressed business people like herself. A series of serendipitous events, resulted in Orly being the proud new owner of Honeysuckle Hall, which ‘only needed a lick of paint’. I found myself greatly looking forward to Honeysuckle Hall’s offerings for the stressed individuals of Kent.

I found it hard to decide whether Esterlita, Orly’s new neighbour, was a hoot, or was terrifying! Initially I thought way she was portrayed was positively terrifying – suddenly appearing in your new home, but once one became accustomed to her, I felt that she was more on the ‘a little whacky’ scale, than terrifying – an easy conclusion for me to come to, when she’s not residing in MY kitchen! Esterlita made a telling comment, ‘You can stay home and have the babies!’ – I wonder if this is where Orly’s life is destined to go, in this book, despite there being no current live interest on the scene!

The storyline is full of mystery – enough to captivate me throughout. Esterlita is a big mystery, with her cryptic past, although one thing seems clear – her love for her late Husband, Edward. Another cause of intrigue is the inexplicable notes that Orly keeps finding. They aren’t particularly welcome. Would someone rather Orly wasn’t there? I liked that way that the mystery letters kind of tied in with Orly’s passion for all things philatelic. The biggest mystery of all though, seems to be why no one else has ever seemed to show any interest in buying Honeysuckle Hall.

Take a leap of faith and pick this book up for yourself – I defy you not not to

Orly co owns a Exec's - who look after the seriously rich and famous. They organise over the top proposals , birthday parties for the elite and any other celebration/event they might need co-ordinating. After a disastrous proposal ,where her life partner who is also one of her business partners seriously messes up, Orly is left to pick up the pieces yet again. She starts to question if this is really want she wants to do with the rest of her life .Often working seven days a week and only managing a few hours of sleep a day she is burnt out, miserable and totally ready for a change. With a push from Harry she decides to sell her share in the business and follow her dreams. The story follows her making new friends , renovating a cottage for herself and Honeysuckle hall as part of her new business venture. There are some fabulous charcters (Esterlita and Maya being my favourites) and a few surprises a long the way. A very enjoyable read.

I really enjoyed this book and look forward to finding more of Rebecca Raisins books in the future. I finished it in record time too as I wanted to find out how it all ended!!

"A fresh start brings a second chance at love...

When Orly’s boyfriend and business partner dumps her for a celebrity fling, she finds solace in tacos, tequila and tears. One terrible hangover later, she’s packed her bags and swapped her London apartment for the overgrown grounds of Honeysuckle Hall.

After years spent catering to others’ whims, Orly is going after what she wants: a simpler life, surrounded by nature. Her plan to set up countryside retreats for burned-out city-dwellers means she soon has the social life she’s been dreaming of – and gorgeous carpenter Leo is always around when she needs something fixed...

As Orly’s new life blossoms, so does her friendship with Leo, and she wonders if she’s finally found somewhere to put down roots - until she discovers a series of anonymous notes, warning her off. Was she wrong to trust Leo? Or is someone else trying to sabotage her future?

A heartwarming romance full of humour and friendship, perfect for fans of Debbie Johnson and Holly Martin."

I want to ditch my apartment and go to Honeysuckle Hall as well! At least I can through my frequent flyer miles with armchair air!

Orly leaves her job as an executive who arranges for people's dreams to come true - as long as they are rich - and buys run down Honeysuckle Hall with the idea of turning it into a retreat for those with more modest means. .
This is a commonly used theme, with a small community, an abusive ex, a handsome handyman and a cast of eccentrics. The author has, for me at least, managed to bring this to life with a combination of romance, humour and a touch of mystery. The retreat sounds marvelous and I would certainly love to visit and stay and relax (although my wife would no doubt say what would the difference be?). I can definitely recommend this book for those who enjoy humour with their romance and I'll have to find the other books by this author that I know are sitting in my TBR list.
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley, however this did not influence my review of the book.

Addictive, compelling and an easy comfort read!

I found Orly to be extremely likeable and ambitious; after having her heart broken, she quickly moves on to lead a getaway adventure camp for burned out adults. Following Orly on this particular adventure was addictive as you just wanted to see her succeed.

However, I had too many unanswered questions at the end of it; what happened with Freya and the other girls who were spreading malicious gossip about Orly and her camp? What was so mysterious about the carpenter and love interest? I just felt that as much as I enjoyed the book I still had so many questions at the end.

If there's a sequel, or another book to create a series, it will make the unanswered questions seem unimportant but at the moment, these were what stayed with me after reading the book, rather than Orly succeeding in her path and journey to who she was at the end of the series.

I have always really enjoyed Rebecca Raisin’s previous books and this one was no exception.
I loved:
- The setting of Honeysuckle Hall, and the change in pace from the rush of London to life in a village.
- The main characters: Orly, Esterlita, Maya and Leo all gelled well together and brought different elements to the story. Orly was a determined protagonist who knows exactly what she wants after she is cheated on by her fiancé. Esterlita is the firecracker of a next door neighbour who barges her way into Orly’s life and tries to interfere at every turn. Maya is Orly’s best friend who has her best interests at heart and can always be depended on and Leo is the carpenter who comes into Orly’s life when she isn’t looking for love but who makes her heart race anyway.
- The mystery that surrounds the hall and the notes that keep appearing that Orly must try to work out who is leaving, is it just kids messing around or something more sinister?

I flew through this book and I definitely recommend if you’re after a fun summer read to escape into.

A really good summer holiday book. This is a nice rom com with a couple of interesting characters, especially the cats! A bit predictable but who doesn’t love a happy ending!

I really enjoy Rebecca Raisin’s book but I did not find this as good as her others. It started of well but I found the fact that Orly was setting up a team building, camp like retreat for those to find themselves a bit far fetched when she appeared to never have been to one or know much about it. I found the story a bit weak but if you want a quick read in the sunshine then this fits the bill.

Book Review of Escape to Honeysuckle Hall by Rebecca Raisin.

Published by HQ Digital

Published date: 5th August 2021

Orly is burnt out and fed up with her job making celebrity dreams come true at her job at Excès. When she finds out her boyfriend is cheating on her with popstar Carly C, she decides to buy Honeysuckle Hall in the countryside. Her best friend Maya helps her move in and Orly discovers she is going to have a lot of work on her hands if she is going to restore the hall and open her wellness camp. Whilst work begins, she finds herself drawn towards carpenter, Leo. Could the pair be heading for romance? Will Orly’s dream come to fruition?

My thoughts

This book was everything that I hoped it would be. Orly was a likeable, unlucky in love and brave character. I followed her story right to the very end, rooting for her, whilst being utterly engrossed in the romance and the mystery in the novel.

I loved the other characters in the novel, her friends Maya and the Firecracker aka Esterlita, who was flamboyant and full of fun. I thought she was like a surrogate big sister to Orly. As for Leo – reliable, caring yet totally gorgeous – what’s not to love? The theme of being burnt out and wishing to escape from it all will, I’m sure resonate with a lot of people.

I laughed out loud in a few places. A really great feel-good Rom Com, just the right tonic to cheer up a rainy day.

Would I recommend it?

Yes, I loved it! 5 out of 5 stars, with thanks to the publisher HQ Digital (an imprint of Harper Collins Publishers Ltd) and Netgalley for this ARC, which I received for free in exchange for an honest review.

An enjoyable, entertaining, laugh out loud story, full of some interesting characters, both likeable and not so likeable., I absolutely loved the character Firecracker. A real page turner of a book. I recommend putting this on your to be read pile.

This is a book I love! I enjoy these kinds of books with numerous authors but Rebecca raisin has captured my heart with this!

It’s funny, happy, beautifully written and will take you away to a different place for a few hours

Lots of stories and characters and beautifully written

For a whole variety of reasons Orly decides to change her life and renovate Honeysuckle Hall into a retreat. There are a whole host of fun, funny and downright joyful characters in this book who join Orly on her adventure. There is humour, warmth, joy and love crammed in her and it is a genuinely feel good book which is very much appreciated in these strange times. Read it, love it and spend the rest of your day smiling!

OMG. This was a wonderful tale which filled me with so much happiness that I felt my heart would burst. I really needed this book.

Orly decided to start life anew by converting Honeysuckle Hall to a retreat. Along the way came friendships and romance. The secondary characters added to the overall goodwill and support with a few hilarious incidents.

Author Rebecca Raisin has delivered another wonderful book where the characters had me cheering for them. Humor along with emotional moments marked the story. With multiple threads running parallel, it was wonderful to see them come together into a heart warming story.