What a fantastic book. The story and writing was brilliant as were the characters. It was light hearted and I found it difficult to put down!

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

There was nothing remarkable about this book, but it was a pleasant enough book to read.

The book took a while for me to get into after what seemed a long introduction to the family dynamics but I persevered. It was an enjoyable read but not riveting, it never fully captivated me like many books do

I enjoyed this story of triplets Eva, Hannah and Rosa so much, there were lots of twists that kept you turning the page and some very funny moments. I couldn’t wait to read to the end to find out what happens for each of them. The first part of the book is the backstory and I found this added layers to their story and I also felt more engaged with all the characters knowing the history. This is a charming and cosy book based on familial relationships, small village and lost love and newly found love..

The Village Vicar is an enjoyable, heartwarming story. It is not my normal sort of book as I prefer thrillers but it was a nice change to read something lighter and uplifting.

Thank you to NetGalley and Aria & Aries for my ARC.

Triplets Rosa, Eva and Harriet have always had a close bond, although they pursued very different careers and live different personal lives. Eva is a dentist, married, but longing for something more in her life. Rosa became a vicar after some life changing events and Harriet is a youth worker who is carrying on an affair with a married man. There is lots of family drama, and some surprising twists and turns!

The story begins with a young, independant artist named Alice, who is staring down the knife weilding wife of her French lover. Deciding to flee back to her family in England, fate leads her to sit next to Bill, the Marquess of Stratton, on the plane and after a night of passion their worlds are intertwined forever.

It's almost 40 years later and triplets Rosa, Eva and Hannah are back living in the village. After being adopted by their maternal Aunt Susan and Uncle Richard, they grew up together within a short drive of Bill's estate and have always known their heritage.

Rosa has only recently returned to the village after giving up her finance career to become a vicar! Eva is married with two daughters and a true career woman with a booming family dentistry practice. Hannah is working in youth justice and has been having an affair with a married man that she just can't kick. All three believe they know all they need to about their family, but fate has a way of changing everything in the most unexpected ways possible. Something these three are about to experience...

This book had some brilliant twists, and the last one left me reeling!! I loved diving into the world of the triplets and the fact that the story cleverly jumped between timelines to provide further depth. This book was not what I expected at all, but in a brilliant way, although I will admit I was a little confused at the start when the story didn't seem to match the blurb at all.

Thank you to Netgalley, Author Julie Houston and Head of Zeus - Aria & Aries for the ARC copy. The book is publishing today: 19th January 2023!

Rosa, Eva and Hannah are triplets who are all living their own lives. Eva and Hannah stayed in Westbury where they grew up but Rosa moved away where she eventually found her calling as a vicar.
After a breakup with her boyfriend she decides to move back to Westbury to be closer to her family but she is also about to become the local vicar.
As she moves in to the vicarage she finds out that she isn't the only one moving back to where they grew up as her ex and first love is also back
An enjoyable read finding out more about the triplets and their stories

This tale of three sisters us an enjoyable read . Although triplets, Rosa, Eva and Hannah are so different in personality but so close. Family dynamics are complicated but at the same time, there is an acceptance of what is important in blending a family together. You get a lovely insight into life in the village through the church volunteers and I liked the community feel that runs through the story.

Rosa, as the new vicar, turns out to have a surprising backstory which makes her decision to become a vicar credible and you always sense her sincerity. Eva is dissatisfied with her home life but on the face of it is an extremely successful professional woman and parent. Hannah seems the most troubled and is torn between what she knows to be right and her competing desires. There are some real surprises at the end of the story but the sisters support each other through them. This is a feelgood read with interesting characters and a plot which keeps you involved.

In short: heartwarming story of family and love
Thanks to the publisher for a copy of the book

The wait was finally over, to read and review the new Julie Houston offering. Some interesting characters, but well written and very enjoyable.

I always enjoy the mix of drama, emotion and humour in this author's stories. The Village Vicar moves between the early 1980s and the present day and explores the life of the Quinn family in Westenbury. The setting is authentically vibrant, and the mix of the historical and present-day makes this multilayered story engaging. The dynamic between the sisters is believably complex. I like the characters. They are realistically flawed, which makes them endearingly human. The intricate plot, with its many twists, keeps you turning the pages, and I read it in one day, wanting to know what happened next to the Quinn sisters.

I like the characters, the sibling connection, the mystery and the many laugh-out-loud moments this book provides.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

As the book starts with an advert – distinctly contemporary – for Westenbury’s new vicar, it might come as something of a surprise when the book’s action begins in 1984, with artist wild child Alice returning from a stay in Paris and continuing to act rather unconventionally (and a tad recklessly) at home, despite her strict vicar father. I’ve noticed that some other early reviews mentioned that made them feel the book was slow to start – but no, I most certainly didn’t. It’s all wonderfully told, and gives the foundations for the story that then unfolds in the present day about the Quinn triplets – now in their late 30s – as one of them, Rosa, returns to her childhood home to take up her post as Westenbury’s new vicar.

It’s a big change for her – she’s been through a massive health scare, has walked away from her high-flying career, and also suffered the most painful end of a relationship that involved a considerable measure of betrayal. But her decision was made easier by the prospect of being closer to her sisters – Eva and her husband have a young family and a very successful dental practice (their marriage though, might have become a little stale), and Hannah has a career working with young offenders (although her private life – an ongoing affair with a married man – is rather less rosy).

The book then moves into the territory you might have expected from the author’s books – the sisters’ lives, the relationships between them, the start of Rosa’s time in her new parish, and the waves caused by the arrival in the village of a hot new dentist to work at Eva’s practice. And there are more waves to come – the news that there’s another new arrival in the village, and it’s the one person that Rosa hoped she’d never cross paths with again. And in the background, there’s always the story of the triplets’ unusual parentage – and it’s one I won’t spoil – that goes on to take the story in a direction I really wasn’t expecting, and I really, really loved it.

This book was filled with so many of those wonderful set pieces that I love about the author’s writing – sometimes very funny, sometimes emotional, and some (aargh – that confrontation in the church!) that make you gasp. The characters are so beautifully drawn – and not just the three sisters whose lives you’re drawn into, but the whole supporting cast – and the relationships between them, especially that special bond of sisterhood (and across the generations), wonderfully handled. Some of the characters are gloriously quirky – particularly Eva’s mother-in-law Azra, taking over her home, replete with some great one-liners that strongly reminded me of the Lithuanian lollipop lady I so loved in the author’s earlier books. And then there are the ones that totally capture your heart – for me, that was certainly Bill, the Marquess of Stratton.

There’s a developing romance in the mix too – well, there is a hot dentist after all – and it was a slowly developing one that really engaged me emotionally. The humour, I thought, was perhaps dialled down a little compared with the author’s earlier books – a little more gentle, but perfectly judged, still with more than a few laugh-out-loud moments. But the story-telling – that was quite superb, perfectly paced, shocks and surprises aplenty, and with one of the most satisfying and uplifting endings I could have possibly wished for. Yes, it was a book I really loved – and highly recommended by me.

When it comes to sisters, vicars and villages my mind always goes to Some Tame Gazelle by Barbara Pym.
I'm wondering what would she write now and I think she would like this story about a triplets, complex families, and village life.
A good story that mixes family relationships, romance and a lovely village.
I thoroughly enjoyed it, recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

The Village Vicar follows the story of Rosa Quinn who decides on a career change swapping her high flying London, City life and instead dons a dog collar and leads the flock in the Yorkshire village of Westenbury as their new vicar. This is no new parish for Rosa as previously her grandfather was the parish priest there and she was born and raised there alongside her triplet sisters Eva and Hannah..

We hear the back stories of the three sisters as they unfold and it’s amazing how three women who are connected in a very unusual, albeit, complicated way, live different lives.

When I first picked up this book, I suppose I was expecting something completely different judging by the title and the book cover (that old adage of “never judge a book….”) I think I was expecting a cosy story of a parish in Yorkshire, a bit like the Miss Read books, however this book was punchy and captivating and I adored every word that was written.

There are sad parts of the story, parts where you are screaming for a character not to be taken in and other parts which will warm your heart – for me this book had it all. There are also some characters in there who you won’t warm to (for me, this was Alice) but I don’t think we were meant to like her selfish life choices.

This was the first book I’ve read by this author; however I’ve seen on Amazon that she has written plenty more books which is great especially when you discover an author you love because you just want to devour everything they have written! I now have A Village Affair on my Kindle, the kettle boiling in the kitchen for a cup of coffee and peace and quiet in the house so I can dive straight in to that! I think Julie Houston is going to fast become one of my favourite authors.

This is such an enjoyable book! A delightful cast of characters, a storyline that with several layers that takes many surprising turns makes up to a wonderful read. It is about much more than the village vicar, as Rosy’s two triplet sisters have equal star billing. I can not recommend this book highly enough!

3.5 stars
An engaging story full of family secrets and the loving support of siblings.
Beth, Hannah and Eva were fun and interesting main characters - each fiercely loyal to their triplet sisters, they stood together when needed, but had the familiar battles as sisters often do. I loved seeing their clashes of personality and the competitive side of each of them fighting to have their part of the story.
The story took a little while to get going as we learnt the backstory of the triplet’s mother, Alice -but once it was clear how everyone linked together the story flowed well.
I thought Beth was the most developed character- her decisions in changing her life direction were cleverly written and enabled me as the reader to empathise with her.

The Village Vicar by Julie Houston is a lovely story mostly about three sisters with some family drama, small-town drama, and a bit of romance.

Story Recap:
Rosa Quinn is returning to her home village as the vicar. She’s been away for years, and never expected to return, especially as the vicar! She had a high-powered job in finance, and after a health scare, she re-evaluated her life and became a vicar.

Rosa also wants to be closer to her sisters, Eva and Hannah who are her triplet siblings and they grew up very close. Eva is a dentist, married to another dentist who is bored with her marriage, and Hannah is single, but dating a married man. Each of these sisters has a lot going on, but the book is mainly about Rosa.

My Thoughts:
I love a good book about sisters and this one fit the bill. I loved that they are triplets and yet they each have separate and very distinct personalities. Rosa is my favorite sister and the book is mainly about her. She’s had a tough time with a bad health scare and a cheating husband, but she’s optimistic and ready to serve the village as the vicar.

The pacing was good. It did take a bit to get into, but the pace picked up soon after and the rest of the book flew by. I also enjoyed the sisters interactions, as they felt authentic to me. I hope to get a book about Hannah, as I enjoyed her character and would like to know more about her, and Eva.

Recommendation:
I highly recommend The Village Vicar to anyone who enjoyes women’s fiction. I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Thanks to NetGalley and Aria & Aries for the review copy!

"The village vicar" by Julie Houston is a sweet and cute book.

Julie Houston is a skilled writer, and she is incredible at writing these cute kind of stories. There is not a whole lot of drama and wild action, but there is on the other hand, a whole lot of landscape descriptions and character development, which works out perfectly fine. It is a quiet and calm story.

Julie Houston writes sweet, small and funny stories. The language is humorous at the same time as it is a well-written book.

I will say, however, that I have read novels by Julie Houston, in which I have been way more interested and excited about the content. I would have liked a bit more action, even though I enjoy the calmness.

A fun, sweet and cute novel.

Rosa's moved home to be the vicar in the village of Westenbury where her sisters Hannah and Eva still live. The triplets have always supported each other, even though they are very different, in part because of their unusual upbringing. Know that this is heavy on back story for the women even delving into their parents. Rosa's switch from finance to the church hasn't been easy but she's pleased to be home. And so is Joe,, the man the three all liked as girls. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. There aren't many surprises here but it's a pleasant read.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

I absolutely enjoyed reading this book. It portrayed the differences in families and their lives. I felt the characters were relatable and loved each of the triplets, Rosa, Hannah and Eva.

All three girls, the children of Alice & Bill who she had a “one-night stand” with. Bill, who’s the twelfth Marquess of Stratton.

Then Alice made a decision to put them up for adoption, instead, Susan(her sister) and her husband adopted them.

But something soon, changes are taking place, and the twists that came made this story a page-turner.

I hope there’s more to come after this book, I’d love to know what happens next.

Highly recommended read.