Orchard Cottage Hospital #2

Somerset, 1931: Doctor Frances Brakekspeare continues to settle into her new life in rural Somerset at Orchard Cottage Hospital, striving to improve the medical treatments on offer to the community. After successfully establishing a mother and baby clinic, Frances is determined to move with the times and add family planning advice to her roster - but are the residents of Norton Dene ready for such progress, or will she face opposition? In her personal life, her relationship with Reverend Gregory Sampson becomes her safe haven whilst battling with an embittered family relative in London. As always, Frances strives to honour the values inherited from her late benefactress Izzy Breakspeare. As further dark family secrets and sins unfold, it seems the Brakespeare family name will have more resonance to Frances than she ever imagines.

With the changing of the times, Dr. Frances Brakespeare wants to develop the medical care provided at the Orchard Cottage Hospital by opening a mother and baby clinic. Frances also tries to find out more about her adoption.

This is a well -written story about how things in the medical profession and the introduction of a family planning service was just starting to take place in the 1930s. The characters are well-developed, the pace is steady, and I always like the authors writing style. I have not read the first book in this series, but it does read well as a standalone.

Published 3rd October 2024

I would like to thank #NetGalley #BoldwoodBooks and the author #LizzieLane for my ARC of #FamilyAffairsAtTheOrchardCottageHospital in exchange for an honest review.

An Amazing book , as good as the previous entry, it's excellent entry in the series but suffers from spoonfeeding and while attempts of creating tension are there they get dissipated within a chapter or two

Family Affairs at Orchard,Cottage Hospital by Lizzie Lane

Doctor Frances Brakespeare continues to settle into her new life in rural Somerset at Orchard Cottage Hospital, striving to improve the medical treatments on offer to the community.

After successfully establishing a mother and baby clinic, Frances is determined to move with the times and add family planning advice to her roster – but are the residents of Norton Dene ready for such progress or will she face opposition?

I love the author and she writes about the era in such a way you can almost feel she lived through it.
Fab , fab , fab character in Dr Frances Brakespeare , who is a women before her time , and she certainly wants to make a difference for the women of Norton Dene and the surrounding areas.
Brilliant.

A great folllow up to the first book. Dr Brakespear is still struggling to bring the cottage hospital up to date and help the women, her family planning clinic is causing problems but she she is determined to carry on. Her life takes a change when a stranger comes to the hospital looking for her, and she’s she’s still battling the sister of her adopted mother, this time fighting for her name. A great book and already looking forward to the next instalment ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Dr. Frances Breakspeare was one of the first female doctors at Orchard Cottage Hospital in a small country town in England in 1931.
Dr. Breakspeare was adopted by an independent single woman from out of a Children's workshop when she was young.
Dr. Breakspeare introduced family planning to this small country town and this is told with truth and feelings for the best interest of the women, but not without resistance.
It shares the struggles and loves of the doctor, nurses as well as her patients. Plus, the mysteries of children put up for up adoption by poor young single mothers and the results of never forgetting those children.
#LizzieLane
#FamilyAffairsAtOrchardCottageHospital
#Boldwood
#NetGalley

Doctor Frances Brakespeare continues her work in Somerset at Orchard Cottage Hospital, she wants to improve medical care for the whole community, and especially women and children and she's started a mother and baby clinic. Frances has witnessed firsthand the toll of having multiple pregnancies takes on woman’s bodies, and some haven’t gotten over the previous pregnancy and find themselves expecting again, the financial impact of having so many mouths to feed and the same amount of food has to be stretched further.

Frances knows she will encounter resistance and opposition about her advice regarding female reproduction and family planning in Norton Dene, but she determined to advocate for women and use her medical skills and knowledge to help them. Frances personal life adds another interesting facet to the story, she was born in a workhouse and to a teenage mother, she was adopted by a former suffragette Lizzy Brakespeare and her younger sister is still making trouble via her lawyers in London and sending her threatening letters.

I enjoyed catching up with characters from the previous book and in this case, Reverend Gregory Sampson, Frances friend, confidant and suitor, sister’s Lucy Daniels and Nancy Skittings, Sister Harrison and Ma Skittings, Captain Delvin Compton-Dixon and his mother Lady Compton-Dixon.

I received a copy of Family Affairs at the Orchard Cottage Hospital from Boldwood Books and NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review. Another well written and thought provoking story by Lizzie Lane and the perfect choice for fans of English historical fiction and saga's.

The narrative highlights topics such as the challenges and plight of women, pregnancy, childbirth and contraception and how new and controversial it was, family and unexpected connections, secrets and discovering the truth, how times were changing and advances in medicine and people’s health.

Four stars from me, I recommend both Family Affairs at the Cottage Hospital and the previous book A New Doctor at Cottage Hospital and I’m eagerly looking forward to novel number three in the series and what happens to the two new characters a young boy and an older woman called Mary.

A great follow up book and it didn’t disappoint. Dr Frances continues to explore her adoption and who her adoptive Mother was. Alongside this the hospital looks to develop its work amongst women and children much to the disapproval of some men. Thanks to Lizzie Lane and hr publisher. Thanks also to NetGalley

A great return to Doctor Frances Brakespeare, who continues her good work within Norton Dene as doctor to all and running the mother child clinic which the villagers appear to more accepting of, will they be ready for the good doctor’s next step! A few raised eyebrows maybe! In her free time Frances continues to see local reverend George who is always her voice of reason which she needs a lot more of this time round as her adoptive mother Izzy’s sister Beatrice has an axe to grind (jealousy is a dangerous thing)!
We also follow nurse Lucy Daniel’s treatment of Devlin Compton-Dixon who was injured in the war and is now blind. Someone has plans for them.

I really enjoyed that there was so much going on in this story, the build up to the Beatrice story, proving that you should be careful what you wish for.
Introducing Mary Devonshire and the unfolding of her life. Minty controlling Devlin's life if only he knew it, while helping along with his independence at the same time. The boy’s story introducing the evil Greville (getting his comeuppance from and unlikely source).
Lucy’s tale brought the love element, not forgetting Polly ( the baby story brought tears to the eyes)
Favourite character was Frances, least was Beatrice.
I do hope there will be a third book?

Another visit with Dr France’s Brakespeare and the Orchard Cottage Hospital. She is settling in well and after puttting together a mother and baby clinic she now wants to expand to a family planning session with the ladies whom she sees as worn out by baby after baby who are often sickly and underfed. She faces strong opposition from certain members of the community.
She is still getting pressure from her adoptive mothers sister who at every turn is trying to bring her down, but 5en an unexpected visitor brings so much to light Frances feels that she’s now on an even footing with the Brakespeare family. Secrets that are dark and hard to comprehend.
Brilliant book loving this series and hoping for further visits.

Firstly thank you Netgalley for this Arc

Another brilliant book in this series by a brilliant author

Family saga wartime what more could you want

Can’t wait to read more