This has been a really enjoyable book for me as a few elements pulled together to make it what it is. The struggle of women post the suffragettes gaining the vote for them, and their moving into positions zealously guarded by men, such as doctors like Dr. Frances Brainspeare. The general struggles post WWI and dealing with the fallout of lost loved ones and/or maimed loved ones. A sprig of romance added flavor to the small town setting and these worked out satisfactorily to my way of thinking as women championed women, some of whom had gained male applause. The sprinkle of humor was the clincher for me right there alongside the author's wonderful way with words.

~Eunice C., Reviewer/Blogger~

Disclaimer: This is my honest opinion based on the complimentary review copy sent by NetGalley and the publisher.

A New Doctor at Orchard Cottage Hospital by Lizzie Lane is the first in a new series about a woman doctor, shortly after WWI, in London. She is jeered and given bad shifts simply out of malice and she speaks up. She is then let go. It is a tough pill to swallow as she has just buried her adoptive mother and has been notified by the woman’s heir to vacate her house. She really has nowhere to go and not much money, but happens to see an advertisement for a doctor in a village to run a cottage hospital. Lodgings are included as a rise in pay from what she is earning now. She packs her things in her small automobile and takes off. Upon arrival, there is a mine accident, one of the miners hurt badly. As the ambulance and hearse are one in the same, and there is a funeral, she drives the injured man to the closest hospital, where they x-ray him, operate, and settle him in to heal. When she goes for the interview with the board, her hiring is virtually assured.

Frances runs into many things in this small village she was not anticipating. Many of the people were very welcoming, some were not sure, and a few were outright hostile. She had many ideas, though, and she set about implementing them. She was nothing if not determined. Her mother had been a suffragist and spent her life fighting inequities based on gender. She was a good doctor and a sympathetic and caring person who saw through facades people were trying to project. She was a great character. The plot had several story arcs, many of which will carry over until the next book, It was also very much a slice-of-life novel, addressing many things about living in a small village and making a new life. It was a terrific book and I look forward to the next. Thanks, Lizzie Lane for an insightful story!

I was invited to read A New Doctor at Orchard Cottage Hospital by Boldwood Books. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #BoldwoodBooks #LizzieLane #ANewDoctorAtOrchardCottageHospital

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. A really inspirational story of Frances and her journey from losing her hob to being employed at Orchard cottage hospital and how she integrated into the local community. This was a real page turner which made you stop and think about the struggles of the difficulties faced by women doctors and how they persevered.

After losing her home when her adopted mother passed away and her job when she refused to be meek and mild Frances is desperately looking for a new position as a doctor. She is offered a position in a cottage hospital in Somerset, which sounds idyllic, but in reality it's a mining town with all that involves.
It's a scary thought that it isn't that long ago that women doctors weren't readily accepted and also Health and Safety wasn't high on the list of priorities. Set back in the 1930s times were hard for everyone, especially the women, and this book brought the era to life for me. There is romance and good friendships to counterbalance the harder scenes. This is the first book in a new series and I'm looking forward to reading the next one.
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley, however this did not influence my review of the book.

Frances is born in a workhouse and adopted by a former suffragette. When circumstances are beyond her control she finds herself homeless. Frances is offered a job and home as a doctor at Orchard Cottage Hospital. She is quickly mistaken as a nurse and as she settles in Frances makes some needed changes to patient care. This is the first book of a new series and it ends leaving you with a few questions which I believe will be answered in the next book. I loved the antics of the characters, it made me smile. The war is featured and one character has a tough time. There is also a mystery waiting to be solved and it had me guessing but I was sadly mistaken. If you enjoy historical fiction sagas then you will want to read this book set in the 1930s.

A wonderful heartwarming series by Lizzie Lane.Frances is a strong character a female physician that was so rare.Loved the setting the characters.Looking forward to the next in the series.#netgalley #boldwoodbooks

Nice historical novel by Lizzie Lane, this is the first book in a new series about a new lady doctor.

Great start and it will be interesting to see what comes next in the series.

Lizzie Lane is a fantastic writer, and whilst this isn’t my favourite book of hers I will still read the next instalment

Dr Frances Brakespeare was unusual for her times. Lady Doctors were few and hard to find and those that did practice were relegated to a second hand position, denied even their marks and spoken to in a very derogatory manner by their male companions. Frances had been adopted at birth and had a very loved existence until her adopted mother passed away.

Her confrontation with a fellow doctor along with the death of Izzie forced her to look elsewhere for a job and she was lucky to find a niche in a rural cottage hospital, where the people supported her but her male colleague along with many of his counterparts tried to undermine her.

Frances had served in the Great War and lost her love, so she was greatly surprised to find his name carved in the village memorial. That was a mystery she had to unravel.

The story had many strands including the hardship that working women faced, not just from males but also from their own. It seemed right for them to take on all jobs when the men were at war, but were expected to hand over when they returned. No one thought that many of the women were widows, or had men returning with mental or physical disabilities, many which prevented them working and in the case of mental handicaps not even recognized widely or treated.

Frances was one of the brave ones and this story is testament to that.

When Frances Brakespeare's benefactress died, and she discovered the home she'd lived in all her life was no longer hers, she was shocked. Frances was a doctor, and proud of it. But the male doctors at the local hospital in London where she worked, wanted her gone. They didn't believe women had it in them to be doctors - nurses, yes. But Frances had nursed on the Front in WWI and losing her fiancé was what made her decide to qualify as a doctor.

Finding an advertisement for a doctor in the small country town of Norton Dene in Somerset, Frances decided to apply. It wasn't long before Orchard Cottage Hospital housed their new doctor and while some were welcoming, others were not. But Frances had someone on her side. Frances was determined to make her mark at Orchard Cottage Hospital despite the secrets, lies and mysteries...

A New Doctor at Orchard Cottage Hospital is the 1st in a new series by Lizzie Lane and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The characters of Lucy, Nancy and Ned, plus Ma Skittings, were great! Set in 1930, not too long after the suffragette movement and the division between men and women, the attitudes of some were terrible. I'm really looking forward to the next in the series. Highly recommended.

With thanks to NetGalley & Boldwood Books for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

Not everyone's happy to welcome her...

Beginning in 1900 at All Saints Workshouse in London, where babies were born to women who could barely feed themselves let alone a little one. On one such morning, six newborn babies were laid out swaddled in blankets that prevented them from moving as Isabelle Brakespeare paid a visit with one specific child in mind. The doctor and matron were oblivious to Izzy's intentions so when she asked which baby was Mary Baker's they were momentarily speechless. Indicating a small baby girl, the matron handed Izzy the child that was to grow up under Izzy's guardianship - as an independent woman wanting for nothing...and knowing what she wants. Matron didn't let on that Mary Baker had intended to return for her child...but then they all say that.

Some three decades later in 1930, Frances Brakspeare has just lost her mentor and guardian Izzy and the family's solicitors have issued Frances a letter asking her to vacate the family home that had been hers since Izzy brought her home 30 years ago. The home that Izzy had living rights until the end of her days but no one else. Now the family wants the house back.

Frances had been brought up by former suffragette Izzy to be a strong and independent woman with no need for a man. Although she was engaged during the Great War to the love of her life, she also lost him just months before the war ended thus paving the way for her to follow Izzy's dreams of her becoming a doctor. Now at 30, Frances passed at the top of her class but had been downgraded so as to not outshine her male counterparts and had been working at a London hospital the past few years. However, she was as outspoken as she was driven which thus lead to her dismissal from the hospital for failing to apologise to a male doctor whose arrogance was well known among the staff.

Then Frances saw a posting for a doctor at a cottage hospital in Somerset, a world away from the hustle and bustle of London. A village which she discovered needing dragging into the twentieth century in terms of attitudes and medical advances. Her appointment was not without acrimony to begin with but she soon warmed the hearts of even the coldest committee member. Well, except for Simon Grainger, son of the Brigadier who ran the local mine. It seemed he was dead against change of any kind unless he was implementing it.

Within the village of Norton Dene, Frances made friends with just about everyone from the first. The two nurses who worked alongside her at the hospital also working part time to keep house for her - Lucy Daniels and Nancy Skittings - her ladyship up at Orchard Manor and of course the vicar Gregory Sampson, who carried with him a secret.

Overall, the book was okay. Not one of Lizzie's best as I found it a little sluggish to start and bogged down with nothing much in between. I was excited to read it but it didn't live up to my expectations a some of her other series which I have enjoyed such as Coronation Close (of which I hope there will be more).

I'm not sure if I would read another in this series though I am interested to see what Frances' answer to a certain proposal will be. A woman who had confined herself to remain a spinster after her beloved Ralph's death in the Great War.

I would like to thank #LizzieLane, #Netgalley, #BoldwoodBooks and #RachelsRandomResources for an ARC of #ANewDoctorAtOrchardCottagehospital in exchange for an honest review.

This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.

Serendipity played a relevant role in asking to join this blog tour and discovering this historical fiction series.
I was attracted by the blurb and couldn't put down the novel as I wanted to know what Frances was going to do and how she was going to disrupt very old medical tradition and bring the health care of a Somerset Village into the XX century.
I loved Frances as she's a fighter who never give up and she's not afraid to speak her mind and be blunt. She suffered a lot but was able to achieve her goal of becoming a doctor and now she's trying to become a respected doctor.
I loved the historical background and how the characters were developed. There's a lot going on and I hope I will be able to read another novel in this series soon as I want to know what will happen.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the Boldwood Books and Rachel's Random Resources for this ARC, all opinions are mine

The first in a new saga series this is set mainly in Norton Dene, Somerset in March 1930. Frances Brakespeare was adopted by Izzy as a single mother but after her death Izzy’s family told her she had to leave her home. Frances is working as a doctor in London and starts looking for a place near the hospital until an altercation with a senior male doctor causes her to lose her job. I’m not really a saga reader as I like my books tied up at the end and saga’s always have cliffhangers but I do like this authors writing style and found this very entertaining.

Briefly, after applying for a job in a mining village, Norton Dene, Francis is pleased to find that accommodation is included, and along with her car, Molly, gifted by her mother, she’s all set up to take on her new role when she’s offered it. She quickly makes friends with the local vicar, two of the nurses and has an unexpected ally in Lady Araminta Compton-Dixon. But not everyone is pleased to have a female doctor in charge of the hospital.

This was a quick and easy read with a compelling story but oh gosh I need the next instalment now! Did I say this is why I don’t read sagas! Frances is a great main character who has had heartache in her life but wants to help others less fortunate than herself. The supporting cast are equally good and I felt a particular pull to one of the lesser characters, Lady Araminta’s son Develin. This really is a very enjoyable story and I’m very much looking forward to book 2.

4.5⭐️rounded up

What a great start to a new series by this wonderful author Lizzie Lane.
A lovely lighthearted romantic tale about Frances who succeeds in a male dominated world in a little cottage hospital. I raced through this book and am very much looking forward to the next in the series.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review.

This is a fast easy read. Frances is a female doctor in a male dominated world. She has to fight for everything and is lucky to have been brought up by a strong independent woman. She gets a job in a cottage hospital in Somerset.
It takes time for her to settle in as she meets lots of opposition but she meets some lovely people too and makes new friends. There are some great characters and some real nasty ones. There's one in particular that I really want to see get their comeuppance. The way women were still treated at this time is unbelievable, especially women who dared to do jobs previously seen as male only occupations. I'll never understand how women came to be seen as second class citizens and how the poor were looked on as worth nothing.
I gather this is the beginning of a series as when I got to the end I thought, 'surely that's not it'! Also the secret the vicar was keeping from Frances was a little dragged out.
I will be reading the next one, if there is one, to see what happens to everybody.

Thanks to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for an early copy of this book.

A New Doctor at Orchard Cottage Hospital is a heart warming story full of strong women characters who capture your attention and have you cheering for them as they fight the stigma of a woman's place in society,

Its 1930's, post WW1 and we meet Frances who is offered a job in the Orchard Cottage Hospital.

Some accept her as a woman doctor, many wont.

The town has many nice and not so nice citizens that keep the book interesting and the pages turning.

At the end of the book, I said what, I don't want this to end , I want more.

A New Doctor at Orchard Cottage Hospital is a great and promising start to a new series from Lizzie Lane who is a master story teller.

I cant wait to read Book 2.

Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the privilege of reading and reviewing this delightful book.

The new doctor arrives from London and we follow her journey at the Cottage Hospital during the 1930's. Good characters and Lizzie always gives us a book that can be enjoyed by many. 5 stars.

Thanks to Netgalley, author and publisher for this ARC

A lovely lighthearted romantic novel. France is adopted and wants to be a Doctor. Post WW1 there are a few and so she begins her training. On moving to a cottage hospital she also falls in love with the local vicar. Not everyone likes female doctors so begins her battle with some of the locals especially the wealthy gentry. A great storyline with different characters. Thanks to Lizzie and her publisher. Thanks also to NetGalley

A new doctor at orchard cottage hospital, a great book by the wonderful Lizzie Lane. A great story about Frances Brakespeare a woman doctor who has a fight on her hands trying to prove that she is as good a male doctor. After losing her job in London she applies for a position at the orchard cottage hospital in Somerset, again she has to prove her worth to all around her. A story full of wonderful characters, all who have their own story to tell, making this a great read. Cannot wait for the next instalment to catch up with all the secrets and stories. Definitely worth 5⭐️

A great story full of string characters. I am left wanting more. Hopefully we will get to see how the relationships develop.

Hello Fellow Readers,

I love strong female characters and Lizzie Lane's newest series is filled to the brim with them. The main character Francis will not let sexism and misogyny get in the way of her morals or keep her from being a doctor. After standing up for herself Frances loses her job at a hospital in London. To avoid homelessness and poverty she accepts residency at a small cottage hospital. Of course, not everyone is happy about her new position.

Honestly, there were so many great characters it was hard to choose who I liked the best. They were all unique, but still strong in their own ways. I do know who I disliked with a burning hot passion, I won't spoil it but if you read the book you will know exactly whom I am talking about. I love how Lane portrays her characters, even the villains, they are all just so complex and will have you turning the page to get more. The ending did feel rushed to me, I felt like it messed with the pacing of the book.

Overall, a strong start to, hopefully, a strong series.