A new novel by Kate Hewitt is always a major cause for celebration for me and this gifted writer has done it again with another sensational story that will pluck at the heartstrings: The Inn on Bluebell Lane.

Ellie and her family had left all their troubles behind them in America and moved to run her husband’s family inn in rural Wales. Ellie has high hopes for her fresh start. This move to Wales is just the new beginning her family needs in order to forget about their problems and write a new chapter in their lives. However, on arrival, Ellie quickly wonders whether she had been too optimistic as the inn is in a very dilapidated state and her husband Matthew has got even more distant and haunted than he had been back in the States. Just what is going on with Matthew? Can Ellie get through to him? Or might this move turn out to be the biggest mistake of their lives?

Rather than reconnecting with Matthew, Ellie feels lonelier than she had ever been before. Yet, she cannot shake off this feeling that the inn on Bluebell Lane is where she was always meant to be. Can her family heal from the past, draw a line under everything that has happened and look to the future? Will they all find the happiness that has been missing from their lives lately? Or will moving to Wales spell the beginning of the end for their family?

Kate Hewitt knows what makes a story work and she never fails to deliver emotionally engaging tales of love, family and community and she has come up trumps yet again with The Inn on Bluebell Lane. Hopeful, heartfelt, believable and written with honesty, sensitivity and candour, The Inn on Bluebell Lane is another Kate Hewitt page-turner I adored.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.

Ellie and her family are making a big change. Goodbye Connecticut - hello Wales. After her husband was made redundant at his job and fifteen years of marriage, Ellie has agreed to move to Wales to Matthew's home. His mom runs a B&B and it is need of love and attention. Reservations have been declining over the years, so it is time for an upgrade. Matthew, Ellie, and their 4 kids, will help with the renovation. However, nothing is going to plan.

As this family moves through the pains of living together, can Ellie's marriage survive the renovation? Can the kids get along and embrace their new lives?

Gosh, I read this a lifetime ago, great read, enjoyed the character development and interactions. Sentimental and refreshing, Recommended read..

A wonderful heartwarming story that has me wanting to stay at Bluebell Inn just to meet the lovely characters. It's a rollercoaster of emotions in this family drama and I found it enticing.

Page Turner and heartbreaking. I am a huge fan of kate hewitts writing.
Thank you to netgalley for letting me read this e arc in exchange for an honest opinion

Ellie and Matthew move to a. family inn in Wales. They plan on bringing it back to its previous glory. What a Job and a prickly mother in law to boot! Ellie reaches the point where she wonders if it is worth it..
Then a family crisis brings them all together again.

3.5 Stars

Where ever you go, there you are.

Have you ever relocated for a fresh start?

Ellie and her family leave their less than happy lives in America to relocate to rural Wales. Ellie and her out-of-work husband intend to help his mother restore and run the family inn. Hoping for a fresh start, they discover that the inn is in worse shape than they had imagined. Despite the idyllic and charming setting, Ellie's husband is more distant that ever and Ellie is deeply unhappy and worried that she has made a horrible error in relocating her family and is incredibly unhappy, lonely, and bitter. Their older daughter is especially miserable.

Often, the mother sets the mood for her family and Ellie is whiny and wallowing in self pity for most of the story. No wonder her family is having difficulty with the adjustment! She provides minimal leadership or creativity.

The author expertly creates a multilayered and realistic story of a complicated family. A strong and relatable theme of doing what's best for your family runs throughout the story.

After a crisis or two, the ending of the story ends on a more hopeful note, but Ellie's attitude dominates most of the story, and I find it difficult to connect with her.

Fans of the author, women's fiction, and complicated family drama might appreciate this realistic story. It does have a lovely ending.

Thanks #NetGalley @bookouture for a complimentary eARC of #TheInnOnBluebellLane upon my request all opinions are my own.

The Inn on Bluebell Lane by Kate Hewitt is the first book in the new Lovely and sweet The Inn on Bluebell Lane series. This was a heart-warming and unforgettable emotional page-turner so you will need some tissues up your sleeve! All Kate's books I have read have been a wonderful read and this latest book was no different It's an absolute page-turner…........Just beautifully written and from the heart.

Big Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher Bookouture for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

Ellie and her husband Matthew, and their four children, have moved from the US to Wales, Matthew’s hometown. When Matthew lost his job due to redundancy, he lost his purpose. However, moving across the pond to help his mother Gwen with their family’s bed-and-breakfast would require big changes and huge sacrifices, but Ellie and Matt felt that it was the best decision for their family.

Not only does Ellie have to acclimate to her new environment, one of their children, Jessica, misses her friend back in the States, and has trouble adjusting. Meanwhile, Matthew attempts to make repairs and update the bed-and-breakfast as they all try to make Wales their home. With tensions on the rise, this is something that is not easy.

What a thoroughly enjoyable story. It was easy to imagine what it would be like to uproot one’s life to start all over in a new country, with a moderately large family. I loved the growth that this book displayed while this family grew to love their new home and country, much more than they ever expected to.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

What a lovely, heartwarming and charming read. This is a book about family, new beginnings, life and change.

This is apparently the first book in a new series and if that is the case I do look forward to seeing what comes next. And as a person who moved house, countries, schools and jobs on a regular basis I can relate to the trials and tribulations of these changes and this book.

Ellie, Matthew and their family move from suburban America to Wales, a big move for the family of six and moving in with Matthew's mother Gwen makes it even harder. This is a story that is told from the perspective of numerous members of this family and tells the story of their troubles and how they are coping.

A great read and a book that has characters you can relate to and feel for. It flows well is easy to read and is a story almost anyone can enjoy. Looking forward to the second installment to see what happens next.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

EXCERPT: After fifteen years of marriage and a lifetime in the suburban US, Ellie wasn't at all sure she was ready to embrace country life in all meanings of the word - living deep in rural Wales, and in a foreign country to boot, where they spoke another language. What did bore da pawb mean again?

After several years of toing and froing about whether they would ever make the move, how the children would cope, Ellie was now wondering how they would cope or, more to the point, how she would. After twenty years in the States, Matthew was as American as Ellie was - or almost. He liked a latte as much as she did, certainly, but he seemed to have embraced the idea of moving with more enthusiasm and alacrity than she had. But then, he was going back to where he had grown up, the comforts of childhood, the familiarities of youth, whereas she was going somewhere that just felt strange.

ABOUT 'THE INN ONBLUEBELL LANE': As Ellie gazes up at the inn, with its white walls and purple flowers, she can’t believe this charming place is her new home. It looks like an idyllic image from a postcard, but will her troubled family fit into this picture-perfect setting?

When Ellie and her family move to a tiny village in rural Wales to run her husband’s family inn, it’s meant to be a new beginning for all of them. Having left their troubles behind in America, Ellie has high hopes for a fresh start, and a chance for her family to forget the stress of the last year.

But when they arrive, Ellie realizes everything is in a far worse state than she’d imagined. And as her husband, Matthew, begins to tackle the renovations before the guests arrive, stripping flowered wallpaper and sanding floorboards, he becomes even more distant. Ellie had hoped being back in Wales would help him recover but, if anything, he seems more haunted than ever. Is there something he’s not telling her? As Ellie tries and fails to reconnect to him, dodging pots of paint and ladders, she finds herself feeling lonelier.

As things go from bad to worse with the renovations, Ellie’s reality feels a million miles away from the rural bliss she had imagined for her family. Why did she think a run-down inn would be the place to reignite her marriage?

But as she stares out at the rolling fields beyond the windows, she can’t let go of the feeling that the Inn on Bluebell Lane needs her family to restore its fortunes, and that this magical place might bring the husband she remembers back to her once more…

MY THOUGHTS: I am delighted to see that this heartwarming read is just the beginning of a new series, one that I will definitely be reading more of. Kate Hewitt is such an accomplished writer she seems to excel at whatever genre she turns her pen to. She has a great understanding of interpersonal and family dynamics and puts that to good use in The Inn on Bluebell Lane.

The characters are oh so relatable, the storyline compelling and entertaining. From thirteen-year-old Jess to four-year-old Ava, the children find the move a bit of a culture shock! Jess is ostracised at school because she dresses differently and talks funny. The other children have a slightly easier time of it, but it is still a huge adjustment. They are swapping their much loved and frequently seen grandparents, Ellie's parents, for the 'Faraway Granny' who talks funny and makes food they don't like. And Faraway Granny really doesn't know how to cope with suddenly having a houseful of loud, unhappy children and their parents when she has lived alone for so many years, even though having them close is something she has always wanted, longed for. Even Matt starts to have doubts as to whether he has bitten off more than he can chew especially when his and his mother's ideas of renovating the B & B are poles apart. Gwen was envisaging some fresh paint and wallpaper, while Matthew has his heart set on marble ensuites for each room and a gym in the barn!

Anyone who has moved to a new town, a new country, or had to move in long term with family will be able to relate to this beautifully written story. Emotions run high as family members try to adjust to their new living arrangements and a shock medical diagnosis for one of them. There are fraught moments, tender moments and some downright funny ones.

The Inn on Bluebell Lane is an absolutely lovely read that left me smiling and content.

⭐⭐⭐⭐.3

#TheInnonBluebellLane #NetGalley

I: @katehewitt1 @bookouture

T: @KateHewitt1 @Bookouture

#contemporaryfiction #familydrama #smalltownfiction #womensfiction

THE AUTHOR: Kate is the USA Today-bestselling author of many books of both historical and contemporary fiction. Under the name Katharine Swartz, she is the author of the Tales from Goswell books, a series of time-slip novels set in the village of Goswell.

She likes to read women's fiction, mystery and thrillers, as well as historical novels. She particularly enjoys reading about well-drawn characters and avoids high-concept plots.

Having lived in both New York City and a tiny village on the windswept northwest coast of England, she now resides in a market town in Wales with her husband, five children, and two Golden Retrievers.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Bookouture via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Inn at Bluebell Lane by Kate Hewitt for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

I enjoyed this book but there may be a few people who find it unsuitable for themselves. It took a few pages to get into this but suddenly everything came into place, read it for yourself and be your own judge. Giving this 4 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for this ARC

When Matthew and Ellie undergo a change in circumstances in the US, they take their family to Wales to live with his mother and help with running her Bed & Breakfast. The move is a challenge for all concerned, especially their teenage daughter. A lovely and heartwarming read with wonderful characters, a beautiful setting and a satisfying plot.

BLOG TOUR REVIEW


Review for 'The Inn On Bluebell Lane' by Kate Hewitt.


Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Kate Hewitt, Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous


Publication date 4th August 2023.


This is the sixth book I have read by this author. I have also read 'My Daughter's Mistake', 'When We Were Innocent', 'The Child I Never Had', 'That Night At The Beach' and 'The Wife's Promise' which I would highly recommend. It is also the first book in 'The Inn On Bluebell Lane' series.


This novel consists of a 36 chapters and an epilogue. The chapters are short to medium in length so easy to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!


'The Inn On Bluebell Lane' discusses some topics that may upset some readers or may not be suitable for others. I like to point this out ahead of time in my reviews so you can judge if this book is for you or not. In this book Kate discusses/includes cancer.


WOW!!!! What can I say?!?! One thing I have got to say before getting into my review is clear your schedules and grab the tissues as you will need them!!!


This book is beautifully written with vivid descriptions setting the picture perfectly in the readers mind. The title, description and cover works perfectly with the storyline.


This book is devastatingly heartbreaking and beautiful. It is an absolute rollercoaster ride of emotions filled with heartbreak, anger, family, love, loss, secrets, friendship and so much more. I absolutely LOVE, LOVE, LOVED the fact that it is based in Wales but not just Wales, South Wales which is where I live. I loved recognising the place names and trying to work out where Llandrigg is based on, I came up with a few ideas but would love to know if I was right!!! Kate portrayed Wales perfectly and I my sister in law is from America so I adored all the similarities I was reading. The storyline was just absolutely stunning, not that I ever expect any less from the fantastic Kate Hewitt who, whenever I pick up a copy of her book I just know I am going to fall in love with it and the characters!!! Kate's fantastic and evocative writing skills brings everything and everyone to life leaving the readers smelling the fresh Welsh (although also cold) air, hearing the (many) sheep in the field and visualising the beautiful Bluebell Inn. I completely related to the storyline having moved to a different part of Wales and feeling out of place in an area where everyone is already closely linked and a new face sticks out. I loved that we get to see and feel how each of the main characters are feeling and what they are doing and I really felt I was right next to them all throughout. Reading this book really does make you feel that you are standing with them and going through their pain, love, and suffering. While you are reading this you are going through a journey of love and loss, heartbreak, secrets, love, and anger and so, so much more. It really is a rollercoaster ride of emotions. I was utterly glued to the pages and I could not bring myself to put it down. I was carrying my phone to read it in kindle every chance that I got. I adored the gorgeous ending and cannot wait to get stuck into the next book in this gorgeous series which is called 'Christmas At The Inn On Bluebell Lane'. This book really is an absolutely gorgeous and fantastic start to a new series. You need to clear your schedules and get the tissues at the ready because you will not be able to put this book down. There are some tough topics are explored with realism and sensitivity, that all culminated in a very gripping and powerful page turner. This is one of those books that will stay with me for a long time and although it could be a difficult read at times with emotions running high I would seriously recommend it to anyone and everyone!!



The characters are strong, realistic and I became completely invested in each and every one of them. They all had their own problems, secrets, feelings and all had unique personalities and I just absolutely loved getting to know them all. I felt each of their pain, heartbreak, happiness, anger, sorrow and so much more. My heart broke for each of them who went through so much change and more (but I can't say more as I don't want to spoil the storyline for anyone). I enjoyed getting an inside look into their family lives and relationships with their husbands, children, as well as sibling interactions, that added another layer to the story. Kate does an absolutely amazing job of bringing the story to life and the characters leap out of the pages as your turning them. It is so hard to say what I feel about the characters without giving anything away so I won't say anymore about them as I don't want to go into too much detail at the risk of spoiling it for other readers but yet again Kate has done another amazing job at bringing each of the characters to life. Well done Kate!!!


Congratulations Kate on yet another absolutely gorgeous, heartbreaking beautiful book!!! I am looking forward to reading more of your previous and future books, especially the next book in this srunning series. I would absolutely love to see this book turned into a movie!!! This is why you are on my favourite author list and here's to your next success 🥂


Overall an absolutely unputdownable, thought provoking, addictive and compelling devastatingly beautiful heartbreaking book!!!


365 pages.


This book is just 99p to purchase on kindle, free with kindle unlimited and £8.99 in paperback (at time of review) via Amazon which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!


Rated 5 /5 (I LOVED it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.


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I thought this story was quite depressing at times. Spoilt, sulky children a wife who really didn't know what was going on and couldn't seem to help around the house and a mother-in-law who really had enough to cope with without the family angst. Although it all turned out alright in the end it left me unsatisfied. My thanks to netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

A fabulous read. I really loved this story and can't wait for the next one in the series.When Ellie and Matthew and their children decide to leave America and start a new life in Wales to help Matthews mum renovate her little boarding house they face many problems as they try to settle in a new country and the relationships between the family members are not as good as they hoped but can they eventually pull together and make a new life for themselves.A story of friendships, relationships and family but with love very much at the heart of the novel its full of warmth and charm and I highly recommend it

A story about a multigenerational family that try and cope with some major life strain. This is the first in a new series. A move to a new country, fitting in, illness, life stress. It’s told from three women of different generations. Gwen the mother in law, Ellie and her daughter Jess. It makes you think about what you have and what could happen. What family is and where home is.

I really liked all three women telling the story and my heart went out for them for many reasons. I rooted for them to connect and find strength in each other. The characters are well developed and grew during the book.

The author really knows how to draw the reader in and then keep them with an emotional story with ups and downs and hope. Full of adapting to real life changing situations, this resilient family comes out a little stronger by the end of the book.

If you are looking for a quick emotional read, you should pick this one up.

The Inn on Bluebell Lane
Kate Hewitt

4 stars

Thank you NetGalley for my copy of The Inn on Bluebell Lane by Kate Hewitt. I have not received any compensation for this review. All thoughts and opinions contained in this review are my own and mine alone.

In summary: a family drama, covering the ups and downs of family life, especially uprooting a whole family from Connecticut, US to Wales, UK while trying to renovate a bed and breakfast as a family.

I liked the idea of this story. A family drama, the husband/ father has lost his job through no fault of his own, a Welsh native who married an American, lived in America with his wife and kids. America is all the wife and kids have ever known. Uprooting the clan to the father’s home in a local village where this B&B is situated with his mother, who currently runs the inn.
The author delves into family relationships covering loss, grief, change and family dynamics. I liked how the grandmother is honest and works to make amends. I liked the mother, Ellie how she is shown as a woman who has to bear the weight of an international upheaval, the initial cool reception her mother in law gives her, her sister in law is unable to relate to her, Ellie has to support her husband despite being alien to a place her husband Matthew grew up, she has to be the strong one as her children try to adjust to their new life. The eldest daughter isn’t coping well with her new life which also adds strain to Ellie.
The story progresses well, I didn’t feel bored reading the story. That said I felt the ending was rushed and somewhat incomplete. I was left wanting more. I wanted to see more from Matthew’s point of view, but maybe it wasn’t necessary. While I liked having the inclusion of Jess as a character, I feel like her point of view did detract from the story a little. I wasn’t sure why the reader needed the teenage daughter’s perspective. To be fair, I understood (and I think other readers will also) Jess’s angst and what it was like to be a loner and unable to to make friends easily, especially on a foreign country.
There is no romance arc, however I did feel Ellie and Matthew’s story was believable and how they handled their struggles.
Would I have liked to see a romance plot in there? For this story, I don’t think it needed one. The plots carry the story forward sufficiently.
Overall 4 stars. I did actually enjoy this book.

Took a while to get into this book and I did contemplate not finishing it. The writing seemed clunky in the first few chapters and there were a few sections that could have been edited better. However it suddenly changed and the story became more engaging.

I really enjoyed reading about Ellie and her family and the challenges they faced adjusting to their new life in Wales.

I like that it was told from three viewpoints- Ellie, her daughter Jessica and her mother-in-law Gwen.

I loved the relationship between Ellie and Gwen and how it developed over time.

I give it 4 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thank you to NetGalley, Kate Hewitt and Bookouture for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!