I loved this. This was such a lovely story. This is definitely a low stakes, slow burn, cozy story. I really went into this blind and I wont lie, I was initially disappointed when I realized this was a romance, mostly because I thought "why! she just lost her husband, she doesn't need to move on, she can just focus on herself" but honestly the romance was done really well. I loved all the villagers, the characters were just so lovely and sweet. This book was exactly what I needed, and I'm so glad I picked it up.
I loved the narrator of this audiobook Katy Sobey, she did such an amazing job. I really enjoyed her voice and pacing. I tend to listen at around 1.5-1.75 speed and this was so perfect.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for an early copy of this audiobook.

A Helping Hand for the Village Nurse by Tilly Tennant

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Blurb

Ottilie Oakcroft never thought she’d live in a place like Wordsworth Cottage. Nestled close to the river, her new home in the tiny village of Thimblebury means all her patients are just a stone’s throw from her front door. As they drop in for cups of tea and cosy chats she ignores all the jobs on her to-do list and gets to know her new neighbours.

Yet maybe keeping busy is just what Ottilie needs, even if she’s barely had a minute to unpack her suitcase. Heartbroken after the death of her husband Josh, as she offers advice and hot soup from her kitchen to the villagers who clearly need a helping hand, she starts to feel part of a community again.

But disaster strikes when a terrible storm causes the river to burst its banks and flood Ottilie’s ramshackle cottage. She has sunk every penny she has into what she’d hoped would be her forever home, and now she’s faced with the prospect of losing it.

My Opinion

Ottilie is trying to start over again following the death of her husband. She moves to Thimblebury where she is surrounded by a lot of friendly, welcoming characters. With the way that the residents come together when they are needed, this was a heart-warming read. This is the first book in the series so I am looking forward to getting to know these characters through the series.

Rating 4/5

👒 "A Helping Hand for the Village Nurse" is a heartwarming tale of grief, healing, and the power of community. Ottilie Oakcroft, a recently widowed nurse, seeks a fresh start in the picturesque Lake District town of Thimblebury. As she adjusts to her new life, Ottilie finds solace in the warmth and support of the local residents.

🏞️ Tilly Tennant's novel beautifully portrays the complexities of grief and the process of rebuilding one's life after loss. Ottilie's journey is both relatable and inspiring, as she navigates the challenges of a new environment while grappling with the memories of her past. The author effectively captures the unique dynamics of a small-town community, where everyone knows everyone's business and offers unwavering support in times of need.

📚 "A Helping Hand for the Village Nurse" is a delightful read that will leave you feeling uplifted and inspired. Tennant's writing is both sensitive and engaging, making it easy to connect with the characters and their experiences. If you're looking for a cozy and comforting story that celebrates the power of human connection, this book is highly recommended.

Bookouture Audio, NetGalley, and the editorial team - thanks for giving me the opportunity to review an audiobook ARC of this publication!

For more reviews, make sure to follow me on GoodReads! #AHelpingHandfortheVillageNurse #NetGalley #LifeLongLearning

<i> Note: This review is based on an ARC copy. </i>

"A Helping Hand for the Village Nurse" follows Ottilie Oakcroft as she goes through the loss of a husband she adored and works to put her life back together again after his death.

Part of her plan for healing is to change locations so she doesn't have the constant reminders of what she's lost. So she takes up the position of a small-town nurse in the Lake District. Thimblebury is nothing like Manchester and gives her plenty of distractions to keep her busy. But what she hadn't quite expected was how quickly the community would grow on her and how precious having a place to belong would be to her as she continued healing from her loss.

Of course, as with many small communities, there's a fair bit of meddling in her business too, but all with her best interests in mind.

I have to admit, I loved this story. The characters were wonderful. The struggle with grief was realistic without being overblown. And the second-chance this provided Ottilie for a life she could love was inspiring. I look forward to reading more from this author!

Thank you to Tilly Tennant, Bookouture Audio, and NetGalley for an advance review copy.

This was a cute story. I love nurse stories and I love romance. Audiobooks can be kind of tricky. I am picky with them. The pacing of this one was maybe a little slow. I found it hard to not wander off mentally while listening but all in all a cute story and light read.

Cosy feel-good book, great for a summer afternoon at the beach.

Thank you to NetGalley aan the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The town in this book was so charming I think I’d like to visit there! No really, it was the typical small town where everyone knows everyone and their business. There was a lot of cute characters and I love how the newbie quickly worked her way right into their hearts and good graces. The romance was a little lack luster if you ask me though.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC!

This book was not for me. I tried a few times to read this but could only get past the first few chapters. I really wanted to like it but not for me. It is a cozy story just wasn’t for me.

Nice cosy quaint murder mystery/love story ... very predictable. I did love the little village and the characters that lived there but felt I was left wanting more from this book . It was a nice easy listen though that didn't take much thought process.

A Helping Hand for the Village Nurse by Tilly Tenant is a sweet story about Ottilie’s life as she adjusts to life after her husband’s death. This was the first book I’ve read by this author. The book address issues involved with grief and having to “start over” in life. I enjoyed the characters and the relationships Ottilie developed in her new community. The romance was less important to me than the friendships in this story. After reading this I will definitely keep the author in mind when in the mood for a cozy story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for the advanced copy. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

A sweet small village(town) story about loss, love old and new, friendships, kindness, the importance of community, new beginnings and more. Ottilie is in need of a new start after her police officer husband is killed in the line of duty. She needs a place to feel safe and needed where she can get through the day and maybe, just maybe start to mend her broken heart and soul. She buys an lovely new home near a river in the village of Thimblebury where she gotten a new job as a nurse. She is hoping to keep so busy so she can the heartache she is experiencing can heal and she can again feel needed. This is a story of 2 steps forward and 3 backwards and just when she is ready to call it quits, she finally finds the community, acceptance, comfort hope she is craving. The narration was wonderful.

"A Helping Hand for the Village Nurse" by Tilly Tennant is women's fiction set in Thimbleberry, a small village in England.

After Ottilie has a personal tragedy, she moves from the city to a small village to start over. She is the village nurse, and over time, the villagers take her into their circle like family. At the same time, curmudgeonly Flo needs help, and Flo's adult grandson, Heath, is distrustful and harsh. Over time, he opens up to Ottilie, and then we have an enemies to lovers trope. It's a sweet romance with no spice.

This book is about starting over, dealing with grief, overcoming hardships, and the strength, support, and love of community. And there are alpacas!

For a relaxing kind of book and a good break from thrillers or horrors, try this one.

Characters - 5/5
Writing - 5/5
Plot - 4/5
Pacing - 3/5
Unputdownability - 4/5
Enjoyment - 4/5
Narration - 5/5 by Katy Sobey
Cover - 4/5
Overall - 34/8 = 4 2/8 rounded to 4 stars

Thank you to Netgalley, Bookouture Audio, and Tilly Tennant for providing this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

This was a cute book, but man was the romance SLOW. I don’t know if the author is just waiting for the rest of the series or if anything will actually ever happen.

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

being a nurse, i loved this book!!!! it's so cute and the narration is very well done also. highly recommend to all audiences!!

Thank You Net gallery for the advance copy,

Having read other Tilly Tennant books, I knew that they have always been enjoyable.

This was no exception.

This book was about Nurse called Ottlie who had experienced the worst kind of bereavement, and moved to village called Thimlebury.

After a not so warm reception she began to be accepted and start to enjoy life until a flood strikes and ruins her home.

The village pull together and an unlikely friendship develops with Heath.

This book was fantastic and a really enjoyable listen would really recommend.

I can't put into words how much I enjoyed this book. Wasn't expecting it to be so refreshing, and the fact that it was a very quick read just adds on. I have no complaints of this audiobook. The characters, setting, narration, storytelling, everything was completely on point. The MC is a young newly widowed woman, who makes the move to a countryside town to get a fresh start. As her life changes, she makes new friends, learns more about herself, faces some hardships, and has a little romance. I love the combination of tropes and sub-genres in just the right proportion to keep the story engaging and fun. Highly, highly recommend this novel, better still in audio format.

First and foremost, this is not a romance story, but rather a story of self-discovery and acceptance of one's emotions following a trauma with a romance sprinkled in.

A Helping Hand for the Village Nurse by Tilly Tennant follows Ottilie Oakcroft as she transitions to a new life as the village nurse following the traumatic loss of her husband. As Ottilie moves into her new cottage (Wordsworth Cottage) in Thimblebury from Manchester, she crosses paths with countless characters who support her as she recovers and settles into her new position in life, both personally and professionally. She quickly earns the support and familial affection of her neighbors and patients, and when disaster strikes Wordsworth Cottage, they are quick to help her rebuild.

During this time, Ottilie meets Heath, the grandson of one of her patients, who is processing his own trauma. Throughout the story, Heath provides Ottilie with support, friendship, and a safe space for her to process and overcome her loss. Overtime, their acquaintance grows into friendship and eventually something more.

Tilly Tennant did a wonderful job creating a space for her characters to grieve and grow. Each member of Thimblebury is going through their own obstacles, and the small-town relationships reflect the unconditional love of a found family. I also really enjoyed the fact that while Ottilie and Heath came together in the end (and I mean the very end), the storyline did not focus on the development of their relationship. Instead, story focused on Ottilie and her processing her husband's death and how her newfound family supported and uplifted her, and how she in turn supported and uplifted the other residents of Thimblebury during their times of need.

I would like to thank the NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing me with this ARC edition in exchange for my honest review.

Tilly Tennant's “A Helping Hand for the Village Nurse” introduces readers to the charming village of Thimblebury and a delightful cast of quirky but realistic and endearing characters. From the feisty Flo to the food-motivated alpacas, to the gossip-loving, matchmaking villagers, this book is an absolute treat. The story is full of emotion and depth. The banter and slow-burn romance between the main characters is fun to see play out. I could also listen to the narrator, Katy Sobey, narrate any book. Her voice is up-beat, she uses different voices for each character, and really brought the book to life. I'm looking forward to listening to the next addition to this cosy series.

BLOG TOUR REVIEW

Congratulations Tilly on yet another absolutely stunning page turning read!!! A stunning start to a new series!!!

Yet another absolutely stunning escapism page turner by the extremely talented Tilly!!! Her fantastic and evocative writing skills will pick you up and sweep you away to the stunning Lake District leaving you looking at the beautiful scenery surrounding you, smelling the fresh air and warm your heart throughout!!! I was completely invested and immersed in the storyline and was absolutely devastated when I came to the end and realised I had to unpack my suitcase and return to rainy Wales. The scenery, atmosphere, village and characters all came to life around me and I am absolutely landed that this book is just the first in what promises to be a gorgeous series!!! What an absolutely gorgeous start to a series it is too!!! An absolute emotional rollercoaster coaster ride of emotions from laughter to heartbreak, joy to devastation and everything in between!!! The storyline is filled with tragedy, romance, friendship, family, community and everything you could ever ask for in an amazing page turner!!! I gave up counting how many times I told myself one more chapter just to HAVE to know what happened next as this happened over and over until I ended up devouring the whole book in one sitting!!! This would make an absolutely gorgeous movie that I would love to see made!!! This book is a stunning page turner which will have you feeling warm and fuzzy inside. Living in a small village myself Till portrays life in a small community perfectly with everyone knowing everybody else and also willing to help out when disaster strikes! The atmosphere was gorgeous and I loved the setting. It made this book a perfect book to read anywhere and anytime from on the beach in the middle of the day or curled up in fire in the middle of the night. I would love to see this book turned into a movie I would be the first in line to watch it!! I listened to the audiobook version of this book which is narrated by Katy Sobey who did an absolutely fantastic job of narrating the characters ensuring you could really hear their emotions in their voices. Between Tilly's fantastic descriptions and Katy's brilliant narration regardless of which version of this stunning book you read prepare to be swept away to Thimblebury in a blink of an eye!!

Well done Tilly on yet another stunning book!!! This is exactly why you are one of my favourite authors and here's to your next success 🥂!!!

The characters were are well defined, strong and realistic. I became completely invested in not only Ottilie and Heath but every single one of the fantastic, unique and larger than life characters. Each and every character was brought to life thanks to Tilly and Katy and I really felt as if I was right next to them throughout feeling and seeing absolutely everything they were seeing and feeling. I loved seeing the interactions, friendships and more between all of the characters and they will definitely stay with me for a long time. I cannot wait to meet them all again in the next book in 'The Village Nurse' series which is called 'New dreams For The Village Nurse' which is out on the 29th July and available to preorder now! I am already counting down the days!!! Congratulations Tilly on creating another fantastic group of amazing, relatable and unforgettable characters!!

Overall a stunning emotional page turner that will sweep you off your feet and take you on a gorgeous break away.

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Otillie moves to this village for a fresh start. New place, new people, new job. Ones where people do not know her husband was recently killed in the line of duty. As she struggles to make it work, and create connections, she keeps bumping into Heath. A man hurt badly by his ex-wife. Otillie and Heath find comfort in each other.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.