Within The Inn on Bluebell Lane, Kate Hewitt captures so well for us the sense of culture shock present when we make big moves to another country. We all speak English - right? Well yes, we do but there are small but significant variations that make us know we are out of our usual comfortable patch in the world.

As well the children are going to have to cope with new schools and loss of previous friends. Then there is for Ellie moving in with her mother-in-law and a husband who is rather at sea with a job loss.

There is a lot going on for this family and I was soon very engrossed in their lives. The book is told from three viewpoints and this worked really well for me. We have Ellie, the mother, Kate her daughter and Gwen the mother-in-law with what is happening for each of them. Each struggles with big  challenges and I was feeling for them and cheering for them as well.  It would be easy to be down on any one of them but seeing it from their eyes gave that window of compassion.

I very much enjoyed the story, I thought it ended a little bit soon, however I believe that this is the beginning of a series.

Thanks to the publisher for inviting me on this Blog Tour.

Ellie is an American and she’s made the move to a little village in rural Wales with her family as it’s her husbands hometown even though he’s lived in America for 20 years, have they made the right move?.

Even though they needed to move because of financial reasons it’s still a wretch for them all and what do they know about helping out at Matthew’s Mums B&B?.

The oldest daughter Jessica hasn’t spoke a word since they left Heathrow, it’s not looking good.

This is heartfelt family story that I loved, it has all the recognisable ups and downs of family life but set in a picturesque Welsh Village (not the perfect place for teenagers).

I’d feel exactly the same as Ellie and Jess if I had to move to different country and school plus try to understand the culture etc.

You’ll love going through all the major life changes with the lovely family and feel every emotion with them, roll on the next book.

I love Kate Hewitt's women's fiction novels and this one was excellent as it's life affirming and heartwarming.
It's the perfect novel to read if you want to escape to lovely places, follow the life of the characters and hope for the best.
There's drama and happiness, a cast of well plotted characters and a good story.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

At the start of the novel, Ellie, her husband Matthew and their four children – thirteen-year-old Jess, eleven-year-old Ben, eight-year-old Josh and four-year-old Ava – move from the United States to a small village in Wales called Llandrigg. They are going to help Matthew’s mother Gwen run her bed and breakfast there – Bluebell Inn.
The chapters are written from Ellie, Jess and Gwen’s points of view. I could sympathise with Ellie straight away, as I also have a big family and never got on with my mother-in-law. But it helped seeing things from both sides, as you get a more rounded view of what’s going on. I really enjoyed that aspect of the book, especially from Gwen and Ellie, as you can see they are both trying to be friendly, but somehow they don’t quite manage it.
It’s a huge change for all the family, except maybe Matthew who is moving back home and to his mother. But Ellie and the children struggle, finding Llandrigg a huge change from Connecticut where everything they needed was close by. In Wales, it seems everything is half an hour’s drive away.
The kids are very well described and jump off the page. Jess is a real angsty teenager, who thinks moving to Wales has ruined her life. The boys aren’t finding it too difficult, happy to just a kick a ball about with other lads. I loved little Ava, she’s so cute! There’s also a lovely dog - Toby the springer spaniel. I do like a book with a nice pet in it!
This is the first of Kate Hewitt’s books that I have read, but I’ll definitely be reading more. The Inn on Bluebell Lane is easy to get into, very well-written with beautifully described characters that draw you into their storylines. I loved the individual viewpoints as it felt like we could see into the characters’s heads and really understand what they were feeling and why.
The story is interesting and one that is easy to relate to. While not many of us will have moved from one continent to another, I’m sure most of us will have moved house, had to change schools or started at a job where we don’t know anyone. I could definitely relate to Ellie taking her kids to school and hoping another mum will talk to her, as I was in the same position four years ago.
Overall, it’s a lovely read that will take you through lots of emotions as you follow the lives of all these wonderful characters.

My first August read and it was just the book I needed to start the month with. A heartwarming read with family dynamics at its heart.

When Mathew is made redundant from his job in Connecticut he has no choice but to move across the ocean to his small Welsh village alongwith his wife, Ellie and four children. He decides to help his widowed mother, Gwen to rennovate their family inn and manage it together. But not everything goes according to plan and Ellie doubts if they should have made the big move in the first place.

The book is narrated from the PoVs of Ellie, Gwen and Ellie's thirteen year old daughter Jess. The move definitely impacts their lives in different ways especially for Ellie and Jess as they try to fit in. The author Kate Hewitt has beautifully explored the tense relationship between Ellie and Gwen with both making an effort to overcome their differences and work together.

A compelling and charming story of a family who realise that communication is the key to solving their problems, letting go of their fears and staying united. With relatable characters, rich in emotions and real life situations, this book will pull you right in and not let you go till the last page. This is the first book in a new series and I am looking forward to the next book already. A perfect rainy day read!!

Thank you @bookouture for having me on the #booksontour and @netgalley for an ARC to read and review.

The Inn on Bluebell Lane by Kate Hewitt was the perfect rainy day read, although I would have much rather have been able to sit reading outside in the garden in sunshine. But the sun seems to have left us, so the next best thing was to be curled up on the couch and enjoying the story of Ellie and her family. This is a quick read which I expected to be about a family transforming a Bed & Breakfast and trying to make a go of things. Instead, this was a really character driven story with lots going happening on individual and personal levels for all the characters. Renovating the B&B took a back seat although it was there in the background. Instead the focus is on how Ellie and her husband Matthew and their four children Jess, Josh, Ben and Ava struggle to adapt to a huge move across the ocean back to Matthew’s family home in the tiny Welsh village of Llandrigg. Not to mention how Matthew’s mother Gwen feels about having her life turned upside down with her house going from silence to being filled with the hustle and bustle of a young family.

Matthew has spent the last twenty years in America and having been made redundant he feels he wants and needs to move back to the family home in Wales where his mother Gwen still resides. Ellie is a born and bred American and is definitely not so sure about making such a radical move. She is not happy about having to upend her whole life and that of the children too but she loves her husband and knows he is unsettled and that coming back to renovate and turn the fortunes of the family guesthouse could be just what he needs. Ellie tries to remain optimistic for the sake of the children who really aren’t that over enthused about the move especially Jess aged 13 who feels she was finding her stride at school and had a good friend and now all that she knows and is comfortable with is being taken away from her. Ellie decides to view the relocation as an adventure where they can experience new things. But right from the moment they land at the door of Gwen’s home the tension between Ellie and Gwen is clear to see whereas Matthew goes off in his own world eager to rip rooms apart and get going.

Despite Ellie trying to put a brave face on things deep down she is filled with doubt and she would much rather be back in America surrounded by her home comforts and with everything she needs close to her doorstep. Rural Wales couldn’t be more different from what she and the kids are used to and they feel like a fish without water way out of their depth. It’s hard to move into a house which someone else has called their home for so many years and although there were never any troubling or harsh words spoken between herself and Gwen there is this distinct uneasiness between the pair. They tiptoe around each other and Gwen herself is always fearful of doing or saying the wrong thing. I admired Ellie in that she could see Matthew needed a complete change and that he was lost since the redundancy but I thought she should have been more vocal in how she felt. That’s actually what’s wrong with a lot of characters in the book. They never say how they feel and therefore they all think that everyone is happy and getting on great whereas inside they are racked with turmoil and in some cases even secrets.

When Matthew gets a bit too excited and adventurous in his renovation plans leading to a broken arm it means Ellie has to step up and take over and given she is struggling to adapt to the new lifestyle she finds this very challenging. Matthew was such a frustrating character and for the majority of the book I felt we needed a chapter or two from his perspective. He did get to say how he was feeling but I felt it came just that little bit too late in the overall plot because by that time I had made my mind up about him. To me he came across as selfish and he just had his own agenda which he wasn’t going to deviate from at all. He was the driving force in the move and it was as if Ellie and the children and in some ways Gwen too were just along for the ride without any proper consultation. He just seemed to wallow in self-pity once he broke his arm and the relationships within the house seemed to grow ever more fraught with the tension and struggles increasing. Poor Ellie felt like she was holding everything together by a bare thread which was in danger of snapping at any time. The raw homesickness experienced by Ellie and the children was in plain sight for all to see but Matthew was so consumed with his own self he failed to see this.

Jess, in particular, found things extremely hard and being so young and at such a crucial and impressionable age the anxiety, stress and loneliness she feels just radiates from the pages. She would give anything to be back at home with her best friend. She feels so out of place and abandoned in her new school. Similar to Ellie, she was fragile and flailing and as the grown ups were so caught up in their own issues and problems Jess was overlooked which could result in disastrous consequences. I enjoyed how such a well-balanced point of view was presented in terms of how this huge life change affected everyone involved. Gwen could have easily been forgotten and not being given a voice but thankfully she was. I will say though regarding her storyline for me it hit too close to home and it did make for uncomfortable reading. The selfish part of me wanted to gloss over those pages. Perhaps if it wasn’t too close to the bone I would have read through it fine but instead it affected me deeply. To Ellie, Gwen came across as brusque and that the family were a burden rather than a pleasure to have. But scratch that little bit deeper beneath the surface and Gwen is warm and just needs some affection and she will do anything to help her family. Each character has so many struggles and you root for them all (well in my case maybe with the exception of Matthew).With time and effort will things work out for all involved?

The Inn on Bluebell Lane was an enjoyable read but I did find the ending very abrupt. I was reading this on my Kindle and it ended at the 85% mark which I found disconcerting because in my head I thought there was 15% to go so lots more could happen. The epilogue felt rushed and I would have loved more detail about all the renovations and the ideas they had come up with to try and make the B&B a success. Yes, we did get a round up of what had gone on but I wanted another chapter or two. But at the end I was glad to discover that there will be a follow up book, Christmas at the Inn on Bluebell Lane which will be published in October. I’ve become invested in the life of this family and all the individual stories and I am keen to see what Kate Hewitt has in store for them in the future. But in the meantime, if you are looking for a read that has a good atmosphere about it along with some serious issues handled in a delicate and thought provoking manner than this is the book for you.

When Ellie’s husband Matthew loses his job, it causes them to almost lose their home. Matthew and Ellie move their family from Connecticut, across the ocean, to the small village of Llandrigg in Wales. Matthew’s mother, Gwen, ran the local Bed and Breakfast for many years when Matt’s dad, David passed away over twenty years ago. The Inn was old and run down and it became too much for Gwen to continue to run by herself. Matt and Ellie believe this could be the new beginning they need for their family. Things begin to go awry when the oldest daughter Jess hates her life in Wales and misses her best friend Chloe back in the States. Ben, Josh and Ava had their own issues with their new life, and their unhappiness shows in their actions. But the biggest problem was the tension between Ellie and Gwen. They tolerated each other but they can’t seem to agree on anything and that made Matt question why they ever made the move to Wales. But not wanting to give up and not having a home to go back to in Connecticut, they have no choice but to make things work and make Wales a place they can all learn to love.

The Inn on Bluebell Lane authored by Kate Hewitt was a wonderful, heart-warming and inspiring story. I love stories of new beginnings and starting over in a new place. All the characters in the story, from Gwen, Matt, Ellie and the four children were so likable, I found myself cheering them on, and hoping that they would love each other through the hard transition. I loved every member of the family and I felt a connection to each of them. Author Kate Hewitt does an amazing job of transporting the reader from the States across the pond to Wales. Her detailed description of the beautiful setting of the small village of Llandrigg, was such a wonderful escape. I could feel the warm sun on my face and the cool breeze across my cheek as I walked through the village. I am so happy that this is the start of a new series, and I look forward to reading the next installment. The Inn on Bluebell Lane is an absolute must read that I wish I could give ten stars. I loved it and I highly recommend it.

This is a heartwarming story that reminds us that sometimes things may be hard, but with supportive people around us, there is a way to move forward. Hewitt has a way with words and this book did not disappoint. There wasn’t a single character to dislike, and each had their reasons for being the way that they were. Once we learned about all of these reasons, it was easy to sympathize or empathize with each of them. This book also takes a look at bullying and the effects that it can have on a young girl. I never had to change schools but I was bullied so I was able to really sympathize with Jess the most. I loved that the author took this book were she did and wrote the ending that she did. Once again, small towns (or really small towns) always worm their way into my heart. This is my second book by this author, and I will continue to read her books.

Kate Hewitt - The Inn On Bluebell Lane.

I’ve enjoyed a number of Kate Hewitt’s Books, but I think The Inn On Bluebell Lane may just be my favourite so far.

The story scoops up the reader very quickly and carries you along with every high and low throughout the book.
Kate Hewit’s writing style is solid and engaging.
You won’t want to put this little gem down.

#TheInnOnBluebellLane has an idyllic setting. Kate Hewitt captures the beauty of rural Wales in all its colourful glory.

There are some fabulous characters in this book. And they all had a journey to travel.
Moving from America to Wales is a massive upheaval for the whole family.
Matthew and Ellie are a great couple. Elie fought to make their new life work and to save the Bluebell Inn, despite the resistance of her mother in law and Matthew sometimes being a little distant.
The children were a mixed bunch. For some a new life in Wales was a challenge while others took to their new surroundings with more ease.
Their family dynamic and struggles were well written and often relatable.

#TheInnOnBluebellLane is a compelling read. There are many twists and turns in the story, with characters and situations that I truly felt for.
It’s an emotional story, with a big heart.

#TheInnOnBluebellLane is beautiful, and gets five stars from me.
I’m impatiently waiting for the next book in this series.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

With thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for a digital arc of this title.
#BooksOnTour

I love Kate Hewlitt’s books. She knows exactly how to pull on your heartstrings. Thank you Bookouture for inviting me to be part of Books on Tour for “The Inn on Bluebell Lane”.

This book is told from three points of view.
Gwen- Mother in law to Ellie and grandmother to Jess. Trying to navigate life with her extended family living with her and cancer.
Ellie- moved her family from Connecticut to Wales, trying to adjust to her new lifestyle.
Jess- is a teenager and does not want to be in Wale

This book really gets to the heart of family dynamics. We love our family but sometimes it’s hard to live with them. Kate Hewitt did a great job of capturing a “real” family experience. I am looking forward to the next book in the series. Many thanks to the author, Bookouture and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of the book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

The Inn on Bluebell Lane by Kate Hewitt is a well crafted and beautifully written story with well written characters and vivid descriptions.
The characters are well rounded and well developed.
I think Kate Hewitt is very talented in her descriptive writing and these descriptions pulled me right to the tiny village in rural Wales. The writing style flows smoothly and the book is an easy read.
I will definitely be on the lookout for her next titles.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank You NetGalley and Bookouture for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing
eARC!

The Inn on Bluebell Lane is a lovely women’s fiction story by Kate Hewitt. Ellie and family moving back to her husband’s family inn reminds us that change can be difficult not just for the older but for the younger ones too. As all including Ellie’s mother-in-law must come to terms with the change this character driven story is interesting, honest and believable.

The setting is beautifully described as well as the work that is needed completed to the inn. The characters are realistically developed with Ellie as the wife and mother many times put in the middle of all the relationships. Emotionally rich story that will keep you reading until the very end to see how this family resolves all of the difficult situations.

An ARC of the book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley which I voluntarily chose to read and review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Inn on Bluebell Lane by Kate Hewitt is the first in a new series about a family, wherein Matthew, the Welsh father has lived in the United States for twenty years. He has married Ellie and they have four children. He has lost his job and his self-esteem and together they made the decision to move to Wales, remodel his mother’s bed and breakfast, and stay to help run the place. The children were not on board but the two youngest adjusted quickly, as did the second child, oldest son, because wherever there was soccer (football) he was a happy person. Ellie was having problems adjusting, too. She got along with her mother-in-law, Gwen, but there was distance between them that neither seemed to be able to bridge. Jess, the oldest, was thirteen and everything was a tragedy. Losing her best friend was the end of her world. Then, the best friend found a new best friend, before Jess did. It was an adjustment for all of them. The repercussions were many, some startling. What Matthew viewed as remodeling and Gwen’s ideas were far from the same. Matthew and Ellie had stopped communicating and Ellie felt alone. What was to be done?

This was a lovely story, told in Hewitt’s own unique style. I anticipate more stories about the family as well as stories about their guests. Ellie is a good character, embracing much with which female readers will identify. Matthew felt no longer able to take care of his family. He saw how miserable they were in Wales and he didn’t know what to do, so he just got depressed. This unemployment conundrum is something faced by families all the time so his symptoms are recognizable. Gwen has her own set of problems, including a family of six moving in all of a sudden. She was thrilled, of course, but it wasn’t always easy and it was so LOUD. This was an ordinary story, full of life’s little problems, beautifully told by Kate Hewitt and her fans will love it. It is the perfect introduction to her writing. The plot is easily identifiable, but not earth shattering. The characters are all ordinary and yet extraordinarily written. It is going to be a terrific series.

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of The Inn on Bluebell Lane by Bookoutre, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #Bookoutre #KateHewitt #TheInnOnBluebellLane

I’d like to thank Bookouture and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘The Inn On Bluebell Lane’ written by Kate Hewitt, in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Ellie, Matthew and their family move from Connecticut to Llandrigg to make a new life helping Matthew’s mother Gwen bring the family-run hotel ‘The Bluebell Inn’ up-to-date. Ellie realises that moving to Wales is going to take some getting used to and finds forming a relationship with Gwen challenging, but at times she can’t help wondering if she’s made the biggest mistake of her life thinking they can all live together in the one house.

You can always rely on Kate Hewitt to write a novel that’s charming and heartwarming and ‘The Inn On Bluebell Lane’ doesn’t disappoint with its engaging characters and beautifully written story. It tells of a family struggling to fit into a new country and is told through the eyes of Ellie who misses her speciality coffee, thirteen-year-old Jess who’s experiencing problems fitting in at school, and Gwen who’s been looking forward to having a closer relationship with her grandchildren but can’t help her prickly manner. This is a lovely novel with a storyline that works perfectly and characters who you can’t help warming to. I’ve so enjoyed reading this novel that I’d love their to be a sequel when The Bluebell Inn is up-and-running with an update on how Ellie, Matthew and the children have settled in.

Set in a beautiful country town in Wales, this heart-warming family story reeled me in from the first page and kept my heart emotionally raw. I could feel each person’s pain, discomfort, loneliness, sorrow, separateness and fear caused by the move and culture shock. They experience realistic growing pains which at first are severe. Trying to manoeuvre through unfamiliar territory is never easy. Matthew is returning to his home country but his wife, Ellie, and their four children are American born and raised. They lived in Connecticut but when Matthew lost his job, he decided to move the family to Wales to his mother’s home to help restore and run her B&B at Bluebell Lane. This pulling up of stakes wreaks havoc on the family members, exposing cracks in their relationships. For the Americans, it is particularly hard because everything familiar has been taken away. Gwen and her daughter are not immune either as they must learn to adjust and deal with their own personal issues.

The relationship between Ellie and her mother-in-law, Gwen, is rather tense at the start of the story. Coming from two different cultures, they bump heads on ‘words’ and ‘customs’ different in the UK from America. For Matthew it’s not as challenging (he grew up there) and he quickly slips into his old habits. Tensions increase, though, when he is injured while fixing the Bed & Breakfast. Doubt sets in, along with self-pity but a positive turn is on the horizon.

Valuable insight is provided through three viewpoints of three generations: a child, parent and grandparent. We get to see how each reacts and feels about the changes thrust upon them. Ellie has tried hard to support her husband’s vision but must work through her own disappointments and sense of loss. She is living in her mother-in-law’s residence so it is not easy for a woman used to looking after her own family and home. And Gwen, who has lost her husband, now has gained her son back along with his family. She is happy to have them but adjustments must be made for everyone to get along. Something negative happens in Gwen’s life that puts everything into perspective that becomes a catalyst for positive change.

Jess, the teenager, is the most heartbreaking. She has moved away from home to become a stranger in a foreign country. Being far from her close friends would be very hard. At that age, social contacts are quite meaningful. I believe offering her point of view was a good move. Seeing from a youth’s perspective, allows us to grasp how tumultuous a move can be.

The message of this novel to me is that home is where your immediate family are: it is not so much an address. ‘Home’ is a place of acceptance, love and shelter from the storms of change— a refuge during the upheavals of life. Moving means movement. And that can be scary. Drawing close to our family members can provide stabilisation, helping us to not feel lost when the familiar sands drift from under our feet as the tides of change come sweeping in. I was stirred watching this family trying to make sense of their new environment and at last realising communication is the key to solving their problems, to easing their fears and in drawing them together to obtain that sense of oneness and ‘home’ feeling. There are a number of events and scares that happen in the plot to bring this about.

The Inn on Bluebell Lane is also a story about uncovering and healing hurts. To acknowledge each other’s differences and desires, appreciating what you have when all that is known is taken away such as health, mobility, culture and familiar settings. Humans are resilient and exchange of environments can push us out of our comfort zone but if we allow it to work its magic, positive growth can happen. I loved this novel by Kate Hewitt. It is a strong relationship story with personable characters, relatable problems and believable solutions. The start of a great series! 5 Stars for a solid heart-centred emotionally packed positive story. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for my review copy.

When Matthew lost his job in Connecticut and they almost lost their home, he, Ellie and the children moved across the ocean to Wales, to Matt's mum's place on Bluebell Lane in the small village of Llandrigg. Gwen had been running her B&B on her own, since David had died twenty years ago, and the building was old and tired. A renovation of their old home would be work for Matt and Ellie, they'd all be company for Gwen, and the new B&B would flourish.

But things didn't go according to plan. Jess, their eldest daughter at thirteen, hated everything - school; Wales; leaving her best friend Chloe; even her parents. Ben was fine, boys usually were, playing soccer - or football as it was called in Wales. Josh was quiet, didn't say a lot, and four year old Ava was up and down with her moods. Then there was Ellie and Gwen. The tension was high between them, and although they both wanted it to be friendly, their relationship needed some work. While Matt started pulling things to pieces in the four guest rooms. A recipe for disaster perhaps? Ellie was tired, Matt was mentally absent, the children were mostly unhappy and there was something up with Gwen...

The Inn on Bluebell Lane is the 1st in The Inn on Bluebell Lane series by Kate Hewitt and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I'm glad it's the start to a new series! It's well written, with everything described being something that happens to most families when they move a big distance from all they've known. I liked the characters, especially Ellie and Gwen, and look forward very much to the next episode in the series. Highly recommended.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

The Inn on Bluebell Lane is a charming and wonderful read. I got so absorbed in this story and the characters. A complete change to my usual genre but I was totally captivated by this read. A book that had me both laughing and crying at times. Whilst it’s an easy read it’s also a very thought provoking one about doing what’s best for your family. I loved it and can’t wait to read the second book in the series.

I think we all have had moments where we were paralyzed with fear and thought what did I just do??
Elle and family relocate to Wales for many reasons. It’s a rough adjustment for all, focusing on Elle, Jessie, and Gwen.
I had empathy for all three because each was going through her own stuff.
But they all discover the Important ingredient: communication. When they open up and share what’s been going on it doesn’t necessarily fix all the problems but it eases some of the angst and pressure.
It’s a good family story.

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

Ellie is moving permanently from Connecticut to Wales with her husband and four children, she’s wondering whether it’s the right thing to do.

Her husband Matthew wants to go back home so that he can help his Mum run the bed and breakfast.

Ellie and his Mum Gwen haven’t spent much time together and she is feeling unsettled, as well this, the kids aren’t feeling at home, or settling into their new lifestyle.

Will this be a new beginning for them all, or will they have to move back to Connecticut again?

I recommend this book.

The Inn on Bluebell Lane. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ by Kate Hewitt

Matthew and Ellie pack up their 4 kids and move from Connecticut to Wales, to help Gwen ( Matt's mom) with her B&B. Leaving Connecticut is difficult for both Ellie and Jess (oldest daughter) and they have hard time fitting in. Wonder if they made the right decision. It takes something bad to happen for them to get that they made the right decision.

Pre-order your copy today so you have it when it releases an August 4th. you won't be disappointed.

I received an advanced copy of this book for my honest review from NetGalley