Another wonderful story from Love Heart Lane.

You cannot beat a heartwarming story from this series and always the introduction of new characters blended with old.

If you have been following me for a while you will know I have been a Christie Barlow fan for quite a few years so I was excited to read the next in the series, A Summer Surprise at the Little Blue Boathouse. The Love Heart Lane series is so fun, light-hearted, and uplifting it's always a pleasure to read one, and this one is no exception.

This time, we follow Bea Fernsby, who arrives at the village of Heartcross for a 2 week holiday after discovering how fiance has cheated on her....and not for the first time but certainly now for the last time. After overhearing, they are short on staff at the boat rental shop she offers to help out whilst she's there.

This job means that she has a purpose for staying a little longer and also comes with the added benefit of accommodation in the form of an adorable blue river boat. However, after an almost accident involving a visiting child and the realisation this part of the water has no lifeguard service, she takes it upon herself to help improve water safety in HeartCross. And of course it wouldn't be Love Heart Lane without a Love interest whom in this case is another newcomer, Nolan who sails into town for the festival, and like Bea only intends to stay there for a short break.

Out of all the recent Love Heart Lane novels I have read I feel like this one has the most happening as you have this story line and then you have the handsome, Nolan who turns up for the festival following in the wake of his late grandad who travelled the rivers and also had a summer romance whilst in the town.

This particular title isn't just a romance like usual. We also have the quirky detective story running alongside, which I adored as I love a good mystery. I will admit I predicted the outcome early on, but these books are just so cosy and comforting that it doesn't make any difference.

Bea is your typical fierce, independent woman with her own secrets and insecurities. She is hardworking and committed to helping the community and is the perfect addition to Heart Cross. Then we have Nolan, who is your typical good-looking, arty, slightly aloof gentleman who you can't help but fall for as the story progresses.

If you have never read a Love Heart Lane book and you like a fun, cosy, and light-hearted read set in Scotland, you need to pick one of these up. You can read them separately as they are about different characters, but the more of them you read, the better your experience is as you often see members of the community crop up in all the other books.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - a wonderful, cosy rom com with all the love, laughs, and emotion you could want all wrapped up in a quaint Scottish location.

This was such a charming read! I really enjoyed the humor and the easy-going characters. It gave the story a laid-back feeling. My favorite part about the book was the vivid descriptions of the village of Heartcross. I could actually hear the speed boat skipping over the wake and the water lapping against the shore as I read. It made me want to visit the charming village for myself and hangout with the characters. I also liked the mystery behind the painting of the woman in Nolan’s collection.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Collins UK, and One More Chapter for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

A brilliant read and one I really enjoyed. The characters are loveable and varied, the plot is one that is engaging and medium paced. I found myself completely drawn into the story and enjoyed the writing style.

Who knew time travel could be so believable, and happen while you re on a plane.

In fact given I'm flying tomorrow (at time of writing the review), I wonder if I can time travel too using the same trigger!

It's great the Elodie is given the chance to re-live some very key summers that shaped her life to this point.

It was interesting to see how the butterfly effect would impact anything going forwards too.

I loved getting to know Elodie and her friends, and discovering what did happen originally on that fateful night so many years ago.

This was a joy to read and I couldn't get enough of it.

Thank you to One More Chapter and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

Apologies for the delay in this review, i have been battling ill health.

Great story, lovely setting, enjoyed the charcters and the story very much. I thought it flowed really well and it was a really good read.

A Summer Surprise at the Little Blue Boathouse by Christie Barlow

This is book 11 in the Love Heart Lane series. I haven’t read any of the other books and it was not a problem at all. They are all standalones and I didn’t feel I was missing information.

A big thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter, One More Chapter for the opportunity to read this book.

Bea Fernsby books a vacation at Heartcross after deciding to leave her cheating fiance. She is planning to stay two weeks but what she doesn’t know is that she will fall in love with this beautiful town and leaving will be difficult, especially after she met the gorgeous Nolan Hemingway.

Bea is a wonderful, warm character and I immediately liked her. She decides to help out at the Little Blue Boathouse and quickly makes friends with all the townspeople. This is a town where people take care of each other like a family.

Nolan comes to Heartcross by boat. He is sailing his late grandfather's boat after he restored it by himself. During the restoration he found his grandfather's old logbooks and memorabilia box and decided to sail in his footsteps. Nolan also wants to find more information about his grandfather's true love and together with Bea they try to find her.

I really loved this book. I loved Heartcross, I loved the warm feeling in this town, like they were all one big family, helping each other out. This was such a feelgood book I immediately started one of Christie Barlows earlier books in this series.

This was a delightful story and it was great to visit Heartcross again. I really liked Bea and Nolan and the mystery of Nolan’s grandfather’s long lost love.
Many thanks to Harpercollins UK and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Bea has upped and moved after having a break-up from her fiance. She goes to Heartcross for a 2 week holiday but soon finds herself a job and some new friends. When boat owner Nolan arrives, the two strike up a friendship and uncover a bit of a mystery.

As this is part of a series, there are characters from other books (which I loved) however, you can absolutely read this as a stand-alone book if you want to. I'm sure it will make you want to go back and read the previous books though.

What I loved the most about this book was the mystery. Secrets from the past are intertwined with locals and the pair are desperate to find out what really went on. There was a lot of back and forth here, with little snippets being revealed as the book goes on.

As they say, once you've arrived in Heatcross, you won't want to leave.

Bea escapes to Heartcross following a relationship breakdown and plans a 2 week break. She finds herself volunteering to work at the Boathouse with it's adorable accomodation. She meets Nolan who is retracing his grandfathers travels in his boat.
Together they try to solve a mystery and you wonder whether they will both fall under the Heartcross spell, or whether further heartbreak could be ahead.
Heartcross is such a magical place, we've got to know everyone and newcomers get the same warm welcome and soon become new friends.
I loved thinking about the boathouse , and Logan's boat and all the artwork adding more mystery.
You are never disappointed picking up a book by Christie Barlow.

We are back in Love Heart Lane for the 11th book in this lovely series. Bea finds that her fiancé’ is cheating on her and dumps him. She heads for the village of Heartcross for a 2 week stay where she quickly makes friends with all the locals and ends up helping at 'The little Blue Boathouse' She meets Nolan , who is living on his boat that he inherited from his Grandfather and is undertaking a trip visiting all the places he visited. Also he is trying to unlock secrets of the past. Secrets that were also in the village. Everything slowly becomes clear. I felt the ending a little rushed and the ending was a little in the air. However I can recommend this book.

This was a really enjoyable read with some very likeable and familiar characters (having read over books in the series). Bea thinks she is heading to Heartcross for a holiday but quickly falls in love with the village and another guest, Nolan. What she thinks will be a short term holiday and fling quickly develops into something more.
I loved the way Bea and Nolan conducted their relationship and worked together on "mysteries". Cannot wait for the next instalment.

Thanks to netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Another instalment at Heartcross. Bea finds out their fiancé is not committed to her fully and decides to call off the wedding and take off to the Scottish Highlands. She secures herself a job at the Little Blue Boathouse and finds herself somewhere to live. Nolan an artist on vacation in Heartcross meets Bea, they join together to find out what happened to Nolan’s late grandfathers true love. Unexpected discovers are made and bring with them promising opportunities. After on planning on staying a short time will Bea leave Heartcross or will she end up staying?

This next instalment in this series was so cute! I enjoy spending time with this group of characters and coming back to visit them again and again is fun!

I love the theme of finding yourself in this one. When life changes, or you need it to change, and you find something you didn’t know you were looking for! That’s exactly what happened to Bea.

I will say, while I fully expected her ex to have his say about her decisions, the fact that her sister was not on her side from the beginning really ticked me off.

If you are looking for a find yourself book and a cute love story (and bit of a mystery!) be sure to check this one out!

Thank you to NetGalley, Christie Barlow and One More Chapter for a gifted copy in exchange for an honest review!

I enjoyed reading A Summer Surprise at the Little Blue Boathouse by Christie Barlow. The story and characters are wonderful. Happy reading!
**I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely**

Another chance to spend time in the lovely village of Heartcross, catching up with already familiar characters and introducing new ones. The newest book in the Love Heart Lane series from the wonderful Christie Barlow, as always can also be read as a stand alone.
A summer surprise at the little blue boathouse introduces us to Bea, who arrives in Heartcross looking for a break from her mundane job and her cheating ex, and Nolan who arrives for the annual boat festival, following in his grandfather’s footsteps. Bea is soon twiddling her thumbs and offers to help out at the busy boathouse, falling in love with the job and the flat it comes with Bea soon realises it’s where she belongs. Once again, Christie brings the magic of the Heartcross community to life and you feel you are there with your friends. A wonderful book, you won’t be disappointed.

Eleven books later and I am still revisiting Heartcross in the Love Heart Lane series as often as I can. I absolutely envy anyone first discovering book one and knowing that they have all the wonderful stories to catch up on.

Bea Fernsby has left behind everything, steady but boring job, family, fiancé and his wandering eyes and headed as far away as possible. She ends up in Heartcross and as it goes anyone that ends up there, never leaves.

Nolan Hemingway is determined to be leaving Heartcross on his adventure on his late grandfathers boat. It doesn’t matter who he meets, he no longer has the desire to settle.

Although it is meant to be a rest from everything that has gone on, Bea finds herself a little job in the Little Blue Boathouse and discovers she might have found the place to heal her heart. Becoming involved in the community, when a potential tragedy is averted, Bea finds herself determined to see safety to the river at the heart of this community. She then finds the pull of the community too much.

However Nolan is pulled by Bea’s enthusiasm and his humour and when she becomes involved in the real reason for Nolan’s landing in Heartcross, it seems that the community has a pull to Nolan that he never realised. Then of course there is Bea who has done something to Nolan, he never thought possible.

A book filled with mystery, warmth and laughter and plenty of old friends from Heartcross to become even more fond of if that is at all possible! What I love most is the fact that these books aren’t full of fluff, but tackle some real issues that many face and handles it with such skill, that you cannot but help cheer for more of the same!

As with all of the Love Heart Labne series, they can certianly be read as standalone novels but I implore you to just read them all. You will not regret it.

A cute heartwarming story about second chances with a bit of mystery. Somewhat predictable, but it doesn't matter because the characters are charming and it's an easy read. Apparently its already book 11 in the Love Heart Lane series, but it can be read as a stand-alone. I definitely wouldn't mind going back to Heartcross for more.

I got this arc in exhange for an honest review.

‘Heartcross is the place that just keeps giving,’

Bea needed a break from her life, from being the doormat girlfriend, from not being listened to, from not being Bea. So she heads to Heartcross – why not??! It’s summer and Heartcross is a beautiful place to forget your troubles!

Her stay to Heartcross isn’t just a journey of miles but Bea also takes stock of her life and makes changes; her personal journey is life changing. She finds joy in life and rediscovers her smile!

I don’t think I’ve made it through a trip to Heartcross without a few tears being shed and this was not different. I was blubbering like a baby. Barlow brings out both extremes on my crying, but this time they were happy tears.

A Summer Surprise At The Little Blue Boathouse is another brilliant addition to the Love Heart Lane series. Barlow has shown how a change of scenery can change a person, allow them to start afresh. Her writing captured my imagination, I had my own little boathouse by the river in my head welcoming all the tourists for some fun on the water. It’s the perfect escape for a Sunday afternoon, leaving me all warm and fuzzy.

This is such an enjoyable series, and this book is a lovely addition. Bea is looking for an escape, time to heal, recoup, and find out what she wants from life. Heartcross is the perfect place for this. She finds community spirit abounds, and there's a chance of love too. I love the complex characters, both new and old, the romance, the life lessons and the lovely rural setting. It's a perfect escapist read that will leave you uplifted.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher.