Member Reviews
Another beautiful book from Kate Forster.
Amanda is living in New York mourning the loss of her mother, when she discovers that she has won a house in England. When she arrives at Moorgate Manor, a beautiful country home despite it being rundown and having an overgrown garden, she falls in love with it and becomes good friends with it owner Diana (who now lives in the gate house. Love comes along in the way of Simon the gardener, who also has a difficult past. They all become great friends and love blossoms between Amanda and Simon, but jot without a few twists and tales along the way.
Fly Me to Moongate Manor is a simply lovely story.
Amanda has recently lost her mother, her job and her apartment. She's stunned to find out that her mother bought her a raffle before she died, and Amanda is now the proud owner of Moongate Manor. Leaving New York and heading to the UK to visit Moongate Manor, Amanda is to find a lot more than a house and an unloved garden.
I really enjoyed this book.
I loved following Amanda on her journey from lost and grieving New Yorker to optimistic and open to new adventures as the owner of Moongate Manor. She might have been a little heavy-handed with her declaring her and Simon friends, but she probably did need to push like that in order to get him to accept he wasn't alone. I also loved seeing how Amanda and Diana's relationship developed even before Amanda knew the entire truth of what was going on. Getting to see Diana develop new friendships was also very satisfying - she had closed herself off after what her parents had done so it was good to see her getting a chance to reclaim some part of her life. My only complaint about this book Simon's big confrontation with Anika and Charlie toward the end of the book is done completely off-page. We have followed Simon through his recovery from their betrayals and then we don't even get to see the moments when he gets his say with both of them. This isn't really a complaint about the story, but there were so many typos in this book it made me wonder if anyone had checked it before publication - there are misspellings, missing words in sentences, and just the completely wrong word for the sentence. This is actually something I've noticed in the last few books I have read.
Life is bleak for Amanda, she is dealing with a bereavement and her life isn’t how she hoped it would be. The surprise lottery win ignites something in her and she decides to go and see what life would be like in an English manor house.
Diana the previous owner of the manor house is friendly but reserved. Amanda senses there are things she’s not being told. Then there is Simon, the casual garden helper, who knows nothing about gardening. What is there in his past that he has run away from?
A treat for anyone who enjoyed The Secret Garden There is a definite feel that both the garden and the people are transforming. Easy and enjoyable reading. I loved it!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me a complimentary digital copy of this ebook in exchange for a full, frank and honest review. All opinions are completely my own.
This was such a lovely read that had the theme of second chances and a bit of romance. Amanda Cox lives in New York and is struggling after her mum dies. She loses her job but then receives notification that she has won a house in England in a lottery. Is it too good to be true? The house in question is Moongate Manor, currently owned by Diana Graybrook-Moore and she has enlisted the help of Simon Herald to bring the garden back to life. There is a real sense of community, each of the main characters has a great backstory and there are a few twists too.! I loved how each chapter was written from a different viewpoint and how there was also the looking back of Diana’s life in the 1960’s. All the characters were easy to imagine and I thought that the ending was great. Thank you to Aria and Aries and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.
Amanda Cox lived in New York in an apartment she shared with her mother until her mother had passed away. She had moved to New York when she was little as her mother had moved there to escape her life in England. Before her mother died she had brought a raffle ticket for Amanda. Ticket was a winner the prize was a Manor back in England with a plane ticket to receive the prize. With it came a few conditions which Amanda had to fulfil the keep the Manor. There was also Simon who was running away from a broken relationship and a business partner who had ripped him off in more ways that one. He ended up at the Manor employed by Diana Greybrook-More who lived in the gatehouse belonging to the Manor.
This is a story of 3 people who come together through circumstances. It is how they have to overcome their past lives and find out who they are.
It is a story of many feeling and life changing outcomes.
Well worth reading, nicely written.
I enjoyed this story about three very different people brought together by Moongate Manor and how working on the garden there brings them together and uncovers long hidden truths. Each character is great and the interactions beautiful.
Loved this book. Amanda is living in New York where her mother has recently passed away. She just finds out that her mother has entered her in a lottery to win a house in England. Amanda wins the house and she moves to England where things become much more complicated than she thought
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This was a pleasant book. I enjoyed all the characters.
This book is about 3 characters Amanda , Simon , Diana . This story was sweet and sad.
About finding friendships.
I loved the story.
Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this. Amanda's last few weeks have been a blur since losing her mother. When she finds out that her mother entered a contest and won a house in Britain, she is unsure what to do. She decides to take a leap of faith and go. I could not put thus book down.
I loved this story from start to finish. It has a great characters and a great plot as well.
Can you imagine winning a house in a competition? Well Amanda did and quickly makes friends in the area. They all set out together to fix up Moongate Manor. This is a story of a group going through their own grief who find each other and lean on each other to get through.
There is such a lovely sense of community in this book and i really felt i was a part of the story, love it!
This story still has me thinking about it… weeks later.
It’s a beautiful story about adoption, friendships, gardens and has a dash of romance. Kate’s beautiful way of weaving words has my brain picturing every last detail of the gardens and every character!
Another winner from Kate.
This is a wonderful story of transformation. Amanda at the beginning of the book is living a half-life, going to a job she does not like or want, has recently lost my mother to cancer (and she was her mother's caregiver), and has no other family. She is a wonderfully cheerful sparkly person, and she spreads sunshine wherever she goes. I took an immediate liking to her and wanted her to achieve all her dreams. Without giving away any of the plot, I will just say that her life is guided by coincidences/fate/angels, that guide her on the correct path. Although this is a work of fiction, I do believe this can happen in life. If you keep your eyes open, there is wonder and guidance all over.
Simon, who was recently dumped by his girlfriend, is a lost soul, wandering, trying to heal. He happens upon Moongate Manor, as does Amanda and the rest is a lovely tale.
I adore books with characters of various ages, and especially if there is one or more of the older population. This book undeniably has that feature! There are several older characters full of wisdom, knowledge and love to share.
I enjoyed this book so much. This was the first book I have read by Kate Forster. I enjoyed her writing style, her unique plot and the delightful characters. I definitely recommend this book!
A huge thank you Aria & Aries and NetGalley for giving me the immense pleasure of reading the advance reader copy, with no obligation to write a review. My review is written freely as a hobby, and is totally my own opinion, not influenced by receiving the ARC.
Sweet story of the kindness of human beings. Grief comes in many forms. Loss of a loved one, loss of trust, loss of faith in humankind....this book has it all. But we see the characters grow and heal through the help of each other as well as through the kindness of others. A story of friendship, old secrets and forgiveness. A perfect story .
Fly me to moongate manor is a wonderfully entrancing tale of three very different lost souls who coincidentally all end up at the magical moongate manor and in doing so become whole again, healed,loved and rejuvenated along with the manor and its wonderful gardens!
Told between the 1960s and the present day we hear Diana’s story a poignant memoir of growing up in an affluent family with many expectations and behaviours to abide by and the long term repercussions of that.
In New York we meet the lovely Amanda who has been sacked from her job after the death of her mother who she nursed to the end,whilst clearing out their home she finds a winning raffle ticket for a house in the UK, with nothing keeping her in New York she flies to London to claim her prize then travels north to claim her house moongate manor having no idea of the history and significance of her win!
Simon a lonely traveller on his trusty motorbike recovering from being jilted at the altar by his fiancée who had been having an affair with his best friend and business partner, meets Diana and is invited to become her Gardner at moongate manor a totally different role for him but nonetheless one that offers a healing therapeutic environment to lick his wounds and recover!
These three very different individuals brought together, in the most unusual of circumstances flourish, laugh, and heal as they become intertwined with each other and form the most wonderful cohesive little family unit.
A really special read that I would thoroughly recommend to all!
Thank you netgalley for this early read!
Amanda is miserable in NY. Her mother died of cancer, her boyfriend is a cheating jerk and she loses her job. On top of that she is evicted from her apartment. When she gets the news she has won a house in a lottery her mother had signed up for she is excited. Too bad it is in the UK. Taking a chance she heads over to see it, and meets Diana, the previous owner. She also meets Simon who is hired to work the garden over the summer. All three have voices in the story, and all connect towards a HEA. Was it predictable? Yes, but that was fine with me. Enjoyed this one, and would highly recommend it this sweet story. Hard to put down.
Thank you to Aria & Aries and Netgalley for an early review copy in return for an honest review. This is another heartwarming read from Kate Forster, where you can imagine yourself in the garden at Moongate Manor, relaxing in amongst the various plants. I adored the descriptions of the garden, as well as the local village. An enjoyable afternoon read.
Duel timeline story following 3 people. Slightly stiff in places but beautiful garden descriptions which appeals to me. Nicely finished. Thank you netgalley for the advanced copy
Amanda Cox is 26 and still lives in a apartment with mother which is a mess. But her mum has pasted away now so she needs to pack up and find somewhere to live, as she been given an eviction notice.
Lives in Asyoria, Queens US But she has lost her job, and cannot afford to rent an apartment by herself.
Simon Herald lives in Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland, four hours drovve Fled Cambridge where his ex girlfriend went to collage. He had been humiliation at his wedding when he found out his partner was having an affair for over a year. She went off with his business partner.
Simon 'born and bread in London'..
'He spent the last few months avoiding people. He rode alone, he lived alone, he worked alone'.
Diana Graybrook-Moore lives in gatehouse instead of the manor house with only 'Trotski' her dog 🐕 to keep her company
Diana POV in the 1960's and has just turned 18, friend Helen. Meets Douglas with his motorbike 🏍 'such an adult decision '
Back to present day and Amanda learns about moongate manor gardens. Paints 🎨 Charlie's?8
Gardening Club, later could they help in the big gardens
Diana 1960's
Sex with Douglas staying at hotel 🏨. Could talk about their future, however he tells her it's his last night here. He wants to makes one last trip before coming back and starting a life with
Diana pregnant 'Something to love and to love her' ❤ 'she had a purpose now'
Amanda 'Had a feeling that Diana was pushing her and Simon to be more than friends'
'An ally is someone who supports a marginalised community. It could be a person of colour, or someone with a different sexual identity' Amanda tells Diana
Simon left uni early to focus on business
'Wakes up happy every day'.
Not really speaking to his mother, she been speaking too his ex. an the mam she went . oSuch a deep betrayal".
Amanda drawing up spending time with Diana. When up to attic to look at old clothes and jewerelly.
'Life is a big adventure' phrase used repetitively' and in love that moto I think we can all take something from that.
I loved the difference POV and how the book 📖 weaves itself together with the different characteristics and past and present date sit very well together.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me a complementary digital copy of this ebook in exchange for a full, frank and honest review. All opinions are completely my own.