Frost Falls at The Potting Shed

Sweet holiday read with moments to pull you in from the start. I felt so cozy reading this book wishing for Christmas!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

This was my first book by this author and I am looking forward to reading more of their books.

The title of this book drew me in as I have a love of gardening and I found this to be a very poignant read as gardening is something that my dad introduced me to as a young girl and a passion that we continue to share.

This was so much more than a romantic read as was a story of grief and rebuilding family bridges and making new friendships and trying new things.

Once I had picked it up I couldn’t put it down and read it in almost one sitting. I am already looking forward to the next book in this series to see where maddie and sabi life at the garden centre takes them next and to catch up with and delve more into the lives of the other characters.

Lovely British contemporary romance. Although Maddie is the main character, the story also flips between Sabi, Henry, Ed, Jake and Petra, so you can get a good sense for how all the stories intertwine.

Most of the story seemed a bit tense, with sibling arguments taking over quite a bit. Would consider more of a women’s fiction/drama rather than my normal romcom. But still a good read!

I really adored this book. I really liked Maddie and how she fought for the Potting Shed.
I didn't really love Sabi and how she wanted to live up to a certain stigma.
I loved Petra and Jake. Goah those two were both so sweet and really help each other be better.
I liked Maddie's renovation ideas and her new blossoming relationship with Ed.
A lovely read. Can't wait to read more in the series with these characters.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC!

Firstly, I am a massive fan of this author and have been looking forward to reading this.

The Potting Shed is a special place to Maddie and when her sister starts making noises about selling up Maddie is more than determined to prove herself to Sabi.

We have an amazing cast of characters and each one grows as the story unfolds.

A brilliant start to a new series and I am looking forward to reading more about The Willands and their friends.

I haven’t read any books by this author before and this book has totally made me question why. I loved her style of writing and felt deeply connected to the characters from the very first page. I like how we see from the two sisters point of view as well.

Would definitely be looking for more books by this author in future

Absolutely loved this book, couldn't put it down no matter how hard I tried, lovely storyline about saving a family legacy, great characters and loved how they come together in the end to over come the problems they face

I loved this story . Two sisters and a fathers wish . I loved the gardening centre. There was romance and young love. . I would have preferred it as a stand alone read as it had a neat ending but there is another coming out. I have pre ordered it but too many books have sequels these days

'Frost Falls At The Potting Shed' is the first of a new series from Jenny Kane. I came to this with high expectations and it had a lot to live up to after I fell in love with the Mill Grange series. However, I'm pleased to say that this series shows all the signs of being every bit as good as its predecessor. In Maddie there is a strong female lead - damaged and a bit battered, but still upright and fighting for her family’s legacy and the supporting characters are equally well drawn.

It took me longer to warm to Sabi, but as her character developed and her motivations became clearer, I felt much more sympathetic towards her. I understand the feeling of trying to remain true to yourself whilst simultaneously trying to fit in with a friend or group of friends whose interests (and sometimes values) are vastly different to your own. However, I love that although Miriam is the ‘ideal’ Sabi strives to emulate, not only does Sabi realise that ultimately this is futile, but she also recognises that her friend has faults. Nevertheless, Miriam is not a one-dimensional ‘villain’, the reader is definitely invited to feel some sympathy for her and I did wonder what her own story might be. We all want the best for our children and it’s easy to empathise with someone who takes that a bit too far and stops listening to what their child actually wants - it’s not a lack of love, just the desire to do what they feel is best and to ensure that said children doesn’t waste their potential.

There are elements of romance dotted throughout the book, but ultimately, this is a book about family. However many bumps there are in a relationship, the love found within a family is tremendously important to most people and it is this relationship which comes to the fore in this book. It will be interesting to see if this continues throughout the series or if future books go more down the traditional romance route.

Whatever happens, it’s safe to say that I will be eagerly awaiting the second installment in much the same way as I did with Mill Grange. The characters already feel familiar by the end of book 1 and I can’t wait to see where Jenny takes them over the course of the rest of the series.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Goodness, how much do I adore this book?!

I will admit that it was the title and the cover that turned my head and made me want to pick this book up, it's so charming and eye-catching and the story within didn't disappoint either. I do have a love of gardening, so this appealed to me straight away.

This tells the emotional story of Maddie whose beloved father passes away leaving the family a little adrift, he left his plant nursery; The Potting Shed to Maddie and her older sister Sabi. Maddie wants to carry on but her sister wants to be rid of the business. Things become a lot harder for Maddie as a large garden centre chain wants to buy the nursey, she can't lose everything her father built up she has dreamed of having this nursey her whole life and now it's at risk of being snatched away.

You can really feel her heartbreak at the prospect of losing the nursey, having lost her father she doesn't want to lose The Potting Shed too, she does the only thing she can and seeks legal advice...in walk lawyer; Ed!

Can Ed use all his legal knowledge to help Maddie save her Potting Shed or will her sister get what she wants and sell it to the garden centre chain?

I won't say too much about what happens, just know that this book pulls at all your heartstrings, it's full of romance and friendship, and there is so much warmth threaded through the story. Despite the sadness and seeing the characters cope with grief in their own way this is such a charming and feel-good story of love.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Frost Falls at the Potting Shed, it ended up being completely different to what I originally thought, I was thinking it would be light-hearted and full of love and fun. Well, I was right about the bit of romance, but this had so much more depth to it which kept me engaged throughout.

A definite must read!

A sweet, fun story. I enjoyed the storyline and connected with the characters. I thought the book was great. A fast read for me!

This was the first book that I read by Jenny Kane. I adore this story! It is filled with many misunderstanding since the characters do not speak to each other as they should, but that is how life is sometimes. The two sisters at the heart of the story are dealing with the death of their father, two years prior, and the fate of the family business, a garden nursey. Also, as in life, the sisters who were so close as children, have grown into very different people. I appreciated the honesty in the story to explore their relationship and why it has become fractured.

I am a gardener, so reading a story about a gardening business was a true delight! I have been known to talk to plants, just as Maddie does.

The plot was well thought out. The characters were developed perfectly and I have definite likes and dislikes with them. The descriptions of scenery and surroundings made me feel as if I were there with the characters.

I totally enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more of Ms. Kane's books.

A huge thank you to Aria & Aries and NetGalley for giving me the pleasure of reading the advance reader copy, with no obligation to write a review. My review is written freely as a hobby, and is totally my own opinion, not influenced by receiving the ARC.

I love Jenny kane's books they all so feel good, cosy books that really lift your heart and make you smile. This book is no exception.

In this book we meet Maddie Milland whose big dream has always been to take over the running of her father's plant nursery. However she thought that it would be along time in the future when her father was living life in luxury having a grand time in retirement.

However when Maddie's father dies suddenly. She is thrust into running the plant nursery. Buy things aren't as easy as Maddie thinks it might be and she is devastated to discover that she might lose the potting shed forever. All thanks to the fact that her older sister Sabi who is the joint owner of the nursery. Is convinced that the beat thing for them to do would be for them to sell up.

But Maddie is convinced that she can make a go.of it and start turning over a profit. Maddie is determined that she wants no distractions and that she has to stay focused. Just as Maddie thinks that she might be getting a hang of this a major chain garden centre puts in an offer for the potting shed. Maddie needs legal advice fast. In walks lawyer Ed who is a very big distraction.

Will Maddie be able to keep the potting shed going and to make her dreams come true?

This is another really gorgeous uplifting, feel good, romantic and slightly Christmasy book. I really enjoyed it.

Combine my love of reading (listening thanks to Siri text to voice) and gardening and in my opinion Frost Falls at the Potting Shed is a winner.

There have been a tremendous number of "save the local library" books, Frost Falls at the Potting Shed has the a similar feel except substitute "library" with "local garden shop".

A sweet little book that is inspired by Jenny Kane's local garden shop (The Old Well in Willand, Devon) ... how cool is that!

I do have a comment/suggestion that I'm going to make to the author/publisher, but I'll keep it between us. Just a little tweak would really make a difference to me. Rounding up to 5 stars, probably really this is 4-4.5 stars.

Once again, I thank NetGalley for introducing me to a "new to me author"; Jenny Kane has published a several books ... glad I finally had the opportunity to read one. Thank you to NetGalley, Jenny Kane the author and the publisher in the UK by Head of Zeus; the advance read copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.

This novel is set in Devon and shows the two very different POV two sisters have about selling their farther company. They end up being joint owners of 'the pottery barn', Maddie the younger of the two sisters lives on the land and runs the business with the help of one part time member of staff Jake. His story is an interesting one and is told throughout the novel, he started working at with Maddie's father when he was 16 and is now 20 years old. You also see POV of several other characters so this, I feel, is the author attempt to build more layers more than your average  romance novel. 

Maddie dreams of turning the simple nursery into a garden centre and you can imagine it just by the extensive  descriptive narration, her run down nursery with it fences thaf are in need of painting, faded sign posting and desperate need for a presence on social media. This was a dream that she shared with her father and we are told how her father 'taught her everything she needed to know about plants and love I'd nature'. She went onto do a degree in horticulture and made it her first career choice.

However in stark contrast we meet Sabrina the older sister, she dreams of owning a holiday home and living off the income she wishes to sell the pottery barn. So this would enable her to buy her second home and have a more lavish lifestyle like her friend has, we are told she has an ' ability to persuade her husband to do anything she askes' so she can make him get the second home and rent out their first. Maybe she feels she has this power over her sister and that's why she makes decisions with our information Maddie.
Oh and I almost forgot about the love interest that comes in the form of Ed Tate the solicitor cute but he is not the main focus of this novel.

I enjoyed how this book,  it was set in the aftermath  of the covid pandemic in 2020, as it explains how the businpess has lost money and need to build itself up again. This placement and explanation will be good to look back n in ten years time. It states how 'shaking hands is not into vogue after lingering affects of the pandemic', nicely put it was awkward to know what to do!

One thing I think that was not needed in the novel  was Maddie's incessant talking to the plants, all plants over her house and the nursery it is just not required. There are other ways of expressing a characters on internal monologue.  Also there is really no need to set this as a Christmas novel, it's just that's when the nursery sells Christmas tree's at this time of year and that is the date to sell the lottery barn by. So if it's a Christmas book you want to cuddle up with and drink not chocolate by the fire This book is not for you.

This is one book in a series of three books so if you enjoyed the characters it's great.This appears to be the style of the author as all book are written in three books series which I find endearing. 

Many thanks  to NetGalley and the publishe as I recieved a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Jenny Kane is a new to me author and I loved the story especially the setting that of an independent nursery. It was easy to keep turning the pages and root for the underdog.

When family are involved nothing is simple. Two sisters inherit their dads potting shed. It was well written even story does jump a lot.

The book was very well written and flowed well. The plot was great. Everything I thought it would be from the description

Thank you to NetGalley and Aria and Aries for the eARC of this title. All opinions are honestly given and are my own.

After the death of her beloved father, Maddie Willand always assumes that she will continue his legacy at the family plant nursery and nurture it for the next generation. When her pragmatic older sister, Sabi, shocks Maddie by saying she wants to sell the nursery, Maddie is determined to do everything she can to show her sister the importance of keeping The Potting Shed in the family. With a new potential love interest and sale deadlines looming as the weather turns to frost, will Maddie be able to keep The Potting Shed past the festive season and maybe find new love in the process?

I had the loveliest time reading Frost Falls at The Potting Shed! It was a wonderful heart-warming read to prepare me for the holidays, with warm characters, festive spirit, and a moving story of family. This is the perfect read for lovers of cosy women’s fiction and romance, and it’s sure to be a hit with fans of Kate Forster, Linn B Halton, and Rachel Burton. 4 stars.

Lovely book. Maddie's father had agreed with her and her sister Sabi that he was changing his will and that the Potting Shed would go to her and their mother's furniture would go to Sabi. Unfortunately before this could happen her father died. The Potting Shed needs major work to turn it into the garden centre Maddie wants but her sister wants to sell

Maddie and her dad had big plans for their nursery The Potting Shed. But before these plans could be set in motion and a will changed, their dad suddenly passed away and the global pandemic hit The Potting Shed.

Now Maddie and her sister Sabi clash over the future of The Potting shed. Sabi wants to sell The Potting Shed, giving her sister only until Christmas to make the nursery viable again. When a major garden centre puts an offer on the nursery, Maddie turns to lawyer Ed for legal advice.

I enjoyed reading this book, Maddie is one of those protagonists you are rooting for the whole way through. She is kind and determined to prove her sister wrong with the help of her employees Jake and Petra. I didn't care for Sabi though, I found her thoroughly annoying and entitled. But when she and Maddie start working together, she does help save The Potting Shed in the end.

This is a very cozy Christmas read!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher Aria & Aries in return for my honest review.

Maddie and Sabi are sisters. Maddie wants to follow their late Father’s ideas for their nursery. Sabi has dreams of selling so she can buy her dream house. For most of the book the sisters are at odds and it seems like nothing will get resolved.
It’s a nice story,I found myself getting annoyed with both sisters. I wanted to shake them. It’s has a nice romance too. I didn’t realize it’s book one in a series so I’m excited to see what happens next
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the early copy

This is such a festive cosy story, a bit more than the average romantic novel it deals with a lot of issues and deals with them well.

Highly recommend to anyone wanting to get into the festive spirit!

There is so much going on in this book, but it never fells like too much. You've got the big corporation coming in to destroy the small family business, friction between sisters, and two romances in their early stages. I liked Maddie from the beginning and felt bad for her that the universe seemed to be against her so often. It took until about 3/4 through the book for me to like Sabi. Her focus on getting her dream house no matter the consequences was so frustrating. I did like that Maddie and Henry confronted her about what she was doing but never really gave up on her. Of course so much of the conflict between Sabi and Maddie could have been averted had they had an open conversation. I'm hoping at some point in the series Maddie will tell Ed about the relationship that made her no longer trust men so that he has a little more understanding of why she sometimes pushes him away. Good thing for Maddie that he likes her so much and is willing to keep trying with her. The relationship between Jake and Petra was really sweet and I loved that they both pushed and inspired one another to go after what they want. I hope we get more from these two in future books. I'm sure there will be more confrontations between the Potting Shed and BIG and I'm hoping the Potting Shed always comes up on the winning side.

My cheeks hurt from smiling through this delightful book. This one kept me hooked and entertained until the last page… The characters each have these little pieces that make them such believable characters! This fabulous summer read is a gentle reminder love never gives up on anyone.

What an enjoyable romance story this was, with a lovely storyline and great characters I thoroughly enjoyed reading this first book in The Potting Shed series. Set in Devon at a small garden nursery I really felt I was there amongst the plants and bags of compost on those frosty December mornings. The storyline quickly acquainted me with the characters and their lives and I was really rooting for Maddie all the way through.

I loved the characters, they were really well written. The misunderstandings that led to overreactions and confusion seemed very real and believable. With a few exceptions I liked all the characters, and those few I wasn't supposed to like anyway.

This story had it all, family, love, good friends, gardening, coffee and winter days. Set where I live anyway, I could easily visualise the towns and roads described but even if I didn't I would have felt at home. This author can really immerse you in her stories, with her characters and settings. I look forward to more adventures in the Potting Shed and seeing how things develop and grow.

Good read. Great characters, enjoyed the setting, lots of side stories weaved into it and it flowed really well. A good read for a rubbish day. Will make you feel better!

I do enjoy a Jenny Kane book. Easy, enjoyable reads & this book follows a tried & tested format. Girl meets boy, will they won't, they get together, lots being thrown at them, & then things turn out for the best.
Maddie is running The Potting Shed, a nursery & shop that is struggling. The business belonged to her late dad & was left to her & her sister Sabi. Sabi wants to sell!
A good story & a recommended read.

There was so much to enjoy in this book, when I wasn’t reading it I was thinking about the characters. Two sisters who are left wanting different things when their father dies. A young solicitor who goes out of his way to help and a plant nursery that needs money for refurbishment.

A book with a Christmas market, a Father Christmas grotto, cute dogs and splashing in puddles is a hit with me. I loved how Petra and Jake became friends and Jake overcame his insecurities. I would recommend this book and give it five stars

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. I really enjoyed this cosy mystery story, great characters and a great storyline. Good read

Maddie can't believe her sister Sabi wants to sell the garden center her father ran for years! These two are approaching their grief very differently but Maddie is determined to fend off Sabi's plans, even though Sabi has control. She engages Ed. a lawyer to help her and that relationship will turn to more than friendship once Maddie comes to terms with some relationship issues in her past. This a "it takes a village" sort of novel set in a garden center complete with fun employees in Jake and Petra. No spoilers from me but .....Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A nice read.

A great start to a new series. Most of the characters were well written but Sabi remained evil to me, even in the end. She never fully learned what she did wrong, and was only quickly soothed by her husband every time she did something absolutely insane. Who does these things?

Maddie was a delight to read about as were the other characters (outside of Miriam). I think the story could have benefitted more from Sabi not being an evil witch to her sister. I personally would have never forgiven her actions.

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

For Maddie, The Potting Shed is a really special place, after a sad time, her sister begins to talk and selling it.

But Maddie is determined to prove to her sister Sabi that she’s capable of keeping the business going.

The characters were relatable and grew as the story progressed.

A brilliant start to a new series, I am looking forward to getting to know more about The Willands and their lives.

I highly recommend this book.

I really enjoyed this book, it was different but gave a lovely read. There's always a big giant of a company along with a crooked person in their midst. Well worth 5 stars and I recommend this to all.

Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for this ARC

Amazing. This was my first book by this author and I wasn’t sure what I was going to get. To begin with I was really undecided if I was going to enjoy it, initially I found Maddie hard to connect with but as soon as Ed came on the scene I was hooked. Bizarrely all the male characters, Ed, Henry and Jake really resonated with me and I enjoyed reading each of them, each supporting a strong woman and being supported in different ways. I loved the blossoming relationship of Jake and Petra and Maddie and Jake. Seeing a strong and supportive marriage between Henry and Sabi was lovely too.
This was a wonderful Christmas read and beautiful community spirit.

An enjoyable Christmas read. Full of family, fun, friendships and festivities.
I really enjoyed reading this book, following the life of Maddie who is faced with the prospect of losing her home, business & potentially her relationship with her sister, Sabi, as a big garden centre chain threatens to build opposite the small garden centre her father began & where the girls grew up. Thrown into turmoil by the prospect of losing everything she loves, Maddie turns to the family’s solicitor & meets Ed.
The story of the potential relationship between Maddie & Ed, their developing feelings and subsequent mix-ups and misunderstandings add to the enjoyment of this story. Fully-formed believable characters feature within a storyline that kept me interested from start to finish. Peppered with humour & touching moments, this is a perfect book for Christmas.

What a treat this was! I love gardening and I really enjoyed the theme mixed in with Christmas.
I loved how your opinion and interpretation of the characters changes throughout the book as the characters grow.
It's a sentimental and heart warming read exploring loss, family relationships and of course a whole load of festive cheer thrown in for good measure. An absolute delight to read!

I really enjoyed this book. It wasn’t my normal read, but I curled up with a cup of tea and it was such an easy read. It was a good solid story for the holiday season.

What a great story! Really enjoyed reading this and couldn’t put it down.
Two sister, Maddie and Sabi, suddenly lose their dad before he changes his will. Instead of the Potting shed, the nursery centre, being left to Maddie and other stuff left to Sabi the old will states it is left to both of them. Maddie and her dad had big plans for the potting shed but when the firm Big, a large garden centre, try to buy them out, Sabi thinks it’s a good idea whereas Maddie wants to keep her and her fathers dream alive. Sabi gives Maddie a month up to Christmas to prove that the business is worth keeping.
A real cosy Christmas book that kept me guessing until virtually the end as to which way this story would go. Looking forward to reading the next 1 in the series

Another festive book for you this week, although probably more seasonal than overly Christmassy. I love taking part in these Blog Tours because they introduce me to authors that I haven't read before. Jenny Kane is huge in the cosy romance sector and has published a number of book series already. Frost Falls in the first in her new Potting Shed series.

Maddie Willand has always dreamed of taking over her father's little nursery, The Potting Shed. After his sudden death she is shocked to discover that she has to share the nursery with bossy older sister Sabi Willand-Harris. Sabi doesn't really get her hands dirty and is much more interested in her status as wife to her architect husband, Henry.

Maddie is determined to try and keep the business going even though Sabi is tempted by the purchase offer from BIG - a major garden centre chain. With the money Sabi could buy the house of her dreams but it would mean stomping all over Maddie's hopes and aspirations. Even with the help of Ed, the handsome junior partner at Lyle & Tate solicitors, the future does not look bright.

Frost Falls is a lovely gentle read that explores family dynamics and the relationship between sisters with a little romance thrown in for good measure. It makes you wish that the Potting Shed really existed so that you pop along for your Christmas Tree and Poinsettia and catch up on the gossip with Petra in the shop. Looking forward to the next instalment already.

Supplied by Net Galley and Aria / Head of Zeus in exchange for an honest review.

UK Publication date: Oct 27 2022. 372 pages.

I REALLY enjoyed this story. It has some great characters that are fun to get to know and to follow along with them, and the cast as a whole was really great. I appreciated that there was a couple different topics in here that are not always seen in books: the first I have seen in different ways, but wage bracket differences. In this story we see two different examples. One being someone who has money and still feels the need to have more and more and more at the expense of those around her (and feeling as though she knows what is best for someone who is living in a lower wage bracket than her.) The second is actually someone who is in a lower wage bracket judging another character because they come from a family with money. Very interesting conversations were had!
The second topic was illiteracy. I feel that this is something that is not addressed frequently in stories and it was refreshing to see the representation of it in this story.

While I would not classify this as a Christmas story it certainly takes place around Christmas time. This book has a lot of heart and shows the kindness that can occur between humans. Would read it again as well as more stories by this author!!!

Thank you to Jenny Kane, Aria, and NetGalley for a gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Potting Shed has been in the family for years. Maddie helps her father run the business and they are having a family meeting to talk about what is going on with the business. But sadly, before they her dad can change his will. He passes away so unexpectedly and Sabi, Maddie’s sister thinks the best thing they can do is sell the business to a huge nursery business, but Maddie does not want to do that because she loves running the Potting Shed. With the help of workers at the Potting Shed Maddie thinks she can turn the business around before the deadline Sabi has given her.
I enjoyed watching the characters in the book come together and I am looking forward to the next in the The Potting Shed Series.
Thank you NetGalley, Jenny Kane and Aria & Aries for the book Frost Falls at The Potting Shed. This is my personal review.