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nannykaren's review
5.0
My first Ellen Berry novel and I'm definitely going to find time to read the other 2 books in the series. I loved Lucy's journey, cried at her loss and laughed with Kenny; her mum reminded me of my gran! Thank you
nannykaren's review against another edition
5.0
My first Ellen Berry novel and I'm definitely going to find time to read the other 2 books in the series. I loved Lucy's journey, cried at her loss and laughed with Kenny; her mum reminded me of my gran! Thank you
jo_bookworm's review against another edition
4.0
Lucy fell in love with Rosemary Cottage when she was a girl, plundering berries from the garden in fear of the owner catching her and her friends. It was her dream home.
Years later when her life takes an unexpected path, Lucy can buy her dream home and embrace life with her children and husband in the countryside and run a B & B. However, when a tragic accident leads to a completely path again it seems that there is only one more year left at Rosemary Cottage and life in Burley Bridge.
James is back in Burley Bridge as it appears his father needs some care as he has exhibited some rather worrying behaviour. James also recalls playing in the garden of Rosemary Cottage as a child and playing with Lucy so he is shocked to see her again.
James patience and kindness though is what Lucy needs right now as she tries to decide whether she should really leave her dream, Rosemary Cottage and go back to a world that seems to have left her behind.
This is a welcome return to Ellen Berry’s series of books featuring the village of Burley Bridge, but you do not have to visited before to get a feel for the place. Familiar faces soon become your friends and the author draws you right into how a village can help a newcomer as well as a stalwart resident.
A nice comfortable read which is not full on Christmas but is more to do with love and sorrow, grief and happiness.
A book with lots of positivity amongst all the sadness and a lot is packed into the pages, that the story skillfully takes you over a large time period in a clever way without ever feeling bogged down or dragging a plot out for the sake of it.
I hope one day we perhaps return to visit Rosemary Cottage as I feel there is more to know about Lucy and James. The ending was left very loose……
Years later when her life takes an unexpected path, Lucy can buy her dream home and embrace life with her children and husband in the countryside and run a B & B. However, when a tragic accident leads to a completely path again it seems that there is only one more year left at Rosemary Cottage and life in Burley Bridge.
James is back in Burley Bridge as it appears his father needs some care as he has exhibited some rather worrying behaviour. James also recalls playing in the garden of Rosemary Cottage as a child and playing with Lucy so he is shocked to see her again.
James patience and kindness though is what Lucy needs right now as she tries to decide whether she should really leave her dream, Rosemary Cottage and go back to a world that seems to have left her behind.
This is a welcome return to Ellen Berry’s series of books featuring the village of Burley Bridge, but you do not have to visited before to get a feel for the place. Familiar faces soon become your friends and the author draws you right into how a village can help a newcomer as well as a stalwart resident.
A nice comfortable read which is not full on Christmas but is more to do with love and sorrow, grief and happiness.
A book with lots of positivity amongst all the sadness and a lot is packed into the pages, that the story skillfully takes you over a large time period in a clever way without ever feeling bogged down or dragging a plot out for the sake of it.
I hope one day we perhaps return to visit Rosemary Cottage as I feel there is more to know about Lucy and James. The ending was left very loose……
bhunsberger's review against another edition
3.0
Lucy grew up with great memories of the cottage on Rosemary Lane. Her dream comes true when she and her husband are able to purchase it later in life and open a bed & breakfast. Tragedy then strikes, and Lucy is forced to make decisions on how to move forward and whether to stay in the cottage or not. To me, this book was fairly predicable. I thought it was going to be a Christmas story, but the holiday season was not a primary focus.
craftyemma's review against another edition
3.0
I loved the first two in the series, but this one was not it for me. I went into hoping for a gentle festive story, but instead I got family drama. What a shame, as I had chosen it for my first christmassy book of the year.
prdgreads's review against another edition
4.0
My Thoughts: I went into this without really reading the synopsis, it was a total “judge a book by its cover” moment, but can you blame me, the cover is beautiful.
I initially thought this was going to be a soppy Christmas romance, but honestly I couldn’t have been more wrong, we follow Lucy, who after just losing her job decided she needs a change of scenery so when she notices the house she fell in love with as a child is up for sale it kind of feels like fate, after all she told her friends back then that one day it would be hers!
She moves into the house of her dreams with her husband and 2 kids and is looking forward to their first Christmas together in the village, but then tragedy strikes and all of Lucy’s hopes and dreams are shattered into a million pieces and she’s left wondering if she did the right thing in moving from Manchester to West Yorkshire.
It was heartbreaking to see Lucy change so much and doubt her husbands love and devotion to her, but it felt so real that I found myself doubting everything too.
Witnessing Lucy open up and let people in again was a truly beautiful, heartwarming thing to experience it made me want to see where her story goes next!
This book is more about friendships old and new and learning how to trust and lean on people in your time of need.
I urge everyone to pick it up, you won’t be disappointed.
I initially thought this was going to be a soppy Christmas romance, but honestly I couldn’t have been more wrong, we follow Lucy, who after just losing her job decided she needs a change of scenery so when she notices the house she fell in love with as a child is up for sale it kind of feels like fate, after all she told her friends back then that one day it would be hers!
She moves into the house of her dreams with her husband and 2 kids and is looking forward to their first Christmas together in the village, but then tragedy strikes and all of Lucy’s hopes and dreams are shattered into a million pieces and she’s left wondering if she did the right thing in moving from Manchester to West Yorkshire.
It was heartbreaking to see Lucy change so much and doubt her husbands love and devotion to her, but it felt so real that I found myself doubting everything too.
Witnessing Lucy open up and let people in again was a truly beautiful, heartwarming thing to experience it made me want to see where her story goes next!
This book is more about friendships old and new and learning how to trust and lean on people in your time of need.
I urge everyone to pick it up, you won’t be disappointed.
claudiafeneley's review against another edition
3.0
Before I started reading Snowdrops on Rosemary Lane by Ellen Berry I was expecting it to be a light-hearted, festive novel about a family running a B&B in the English countryside. The image on the front cover made me think about one of my favourite Christmas movies, The Holiday. I imagined that the book would be a bit like that movie: a bit sad at times, but ultimately a fun read that I would want to enjoy year after year. Perhaps my expectations were a bit too lofty though, because I was ultimately disappointed by Snowdrops on Rosemary Lane.
In every creative writing class I have ever participated in, it has been taught that the protagonist of a story needs a purpose. It doesn’t really matter what this purpose is exactly, they just need to yearn to do/say/learn/accomplish something by the end of a story. The purpose should naturally make sense for the character in question. If a character lacks a purpose, then there isn’t really much point to the story being told. This purpose is what keeps the reader engaged with the story. The main issue I have with Snowdrops on Rosemary Lane is that the protagonist Lucy lacks a consistent purpose.
During the course of the story, Lucy experiences a significant personal tragedy, and she spends the rest of the book trying to emotionally heal and move on. In most circumstances, this would constitute a meaningful purpose for a protagonist to have, but it doesn’t really work in the case of Snowdrops on Rosemary Lane for a few reasons. Firstly, this tragedy does not occur until about 40-45% of the way through the book. This meant that for the first hundred pages I found myself wondering what the plot of the book actually was. I read this first section of the book waiting for the drama to actually pick up, because it really constituted little more than a summary of the character’s lives for the first hundred pages. I feel that this could all have been summarised a bit more succinctly. The tragedy was also not entirely unexpected – I had a general idea of what was going to happen about 40-50 pages before it actually occurred.
Secondly, I think it would have been fascinating to read about the immediate aftermath of the tragedy. Instead, the author pushes the fast forward button, and before you know it you are reading about Lucy’s life two years after this tragic event. The pacing in this book is, quite frankly, awkward. Thirdly, the plot still does not pick up after this tragedy. I read this book with a sense of impatience, waiting for something to happen. There were a few attempts at creating drama, but these quickly tapered off before they became interesting. I feel like this story had real potential, but it just never really picked up. There are several minor plot points in Snowdrops on Rosemary Lane that I would have loved to read more about, but I never got the chance.
If I were to change one thing about this book, it would be the timeline. I would make the period before the tragedy a bit shorter, and focus a bit more on the immediate aftermath of the tragedy as well. I agree that it was nice to see how the characters moved on after two years, so I would not make any changes to that part of the book. Ultimately, I think that the primary issues with this book are the pacing and the fact that the plot never really picked up.
That being said, I did really enjoy the author’s writing. I love the world that she has created in Burley Bridge, so I will certainly look out for other books by the author. Snowdrops on Rosemary Lane is part of a series of books set in Burley Bridge, but it can be read as a stand alone novel.
I struggled with what rating to give this book, but I ultimately decided on three star instead of two. It’s not a bad book by any means, its just not a great one either. I would like to thank NetGalley and Avon Books for my advance copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
In every creative writing class I have ever participated in, it has been taught that the protagonist of a story needs a purpose. It doesn’t really matter what this purpose is exactly, they just need to yearn to do/say/learn/accomplish something by the end of a story. The purpose should naturally make sense for the character in question. If a character lacks a purpose, then there isn’t really much point to the story being told. This purpose is what keeps the reader engaged with the story. The main issue I have with Snowdrops on Rosemary Lane is that the protagonist Lucy lacks a consistent purpose.
During the course of the story, Lucy experiences a significant personal tragedy, and she spends the rest of the book trying to emotionally heal and move on. In most circumstances, this would constitute a meaningful purpose for a protagonist to have, but it doesn’t really work in the case of Snowdrops on Rosemary Lane for a few reasons. Firstly, this tragedy does not occur until about 40-45% of the way through the book. This meant that for the first hundred pages I found myself wondering what the plot of the book actually was. I read this first section of the book waiting for the drama to actually pick up, because it really constituted little more than a summary of the character’s lives for the first hundred pages. I feel that this could all have been summarised a bit more succinctly. The tragedy was also not entirely unexpected – I had a general idea of what was going to happen about 40-50 pages before it actually occurred.
Secondly, I think it would have been fascinating to read about the immediate aftermath of the tragedy. Instead, the author pushes the fast forward button, and before you know it you are reading about Lucy’s life two years after this tragic event. The pacing in this book is, quite frankly, awkward. Thirdly, the plot still does not pick up after this tragedy. I read this book with a sense of impatience, waiting for something to happen. There were a few attempts at creating drama, but these quickly tapered off before they became interesting. I feel like this story had real potential, but it just never really picked up. There are several minor plot points in Snowdrops on Rosemary Lane that I would have loved to read more about, but I never got the chance.
If I were to change one thing about this book, it would be the timeline. I would make the period before the tragedy a bit shorter, and focus a bit more on the immediate aftermath of the tragedy as well. I agree that it was nice to see how the characters moved on after two years, so I would not make any changes to that part of the book. Ultimately, I think that the primary issues with this book are the pacing and the fact that the plot never really picked up.
That being said, I did really enjoy the author’s writing. I love the world that she has created in Burley Bridge, so I will certainly look out for other books by the author. Snowdrops on Rosemary Lane is part of a series of books set in Burley Bridge, but it can be read as a stand alone novel.
I struggled with what rating to give this book, but I ultimately decided on three star instead of two. It’s not a bad book by any means, its just not a great one either. I would like to thank NetGalley and Avon Books for my advance copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
booklady72's review against another edition
4.0
When Lucy was young she used to go to Rosemary Cottage to spend time with her family. Thirty years on, she is married with two children when Rosemary Cottage is for sale. She is going to raise her children in Burley Bridge and transform the cottage into a B & B with her husband Ivan. But a year can change everything...
Now Lucy is juggling two children and a B & B all on her own. Christmas looks like the last one she and her children will spend at Rosemary Cottage, until she meets James, a face from her past who might offer a different kind of future.
A lovely uplifting book which makes you laugh and feel sad for Lucy on occasions. I loved the way we follow Lucy and her family for years through the book and how strong she was thoughout. A good storyline which keeps you turning the pages.
Thank you to TBC Reviewer Group and Ellen Berry for a copy of this book in exchange for my review.
Now Lucy is juggling two children and a B & B all on her own. Christmas looks like the last one she and her children will spend at Rosemary Cottage, until she meets James, a face from her past who might offer a different kind of future.
A lovely uplifting book which makes you laugh and feel sad for Lucy on occasions. I loved the way we follow Lucy and her family for years through the book and how strong she was thoughout. A good storyline which keeps you turning the pages.
Thank you to TBC Reviewer Group and Ellen Berry for a copy of this book in exchange for my review.
claudia's review
3.0
Before I started reading Snowdrops on Rosemary Lane by Ellen Berry I was expecting it to be a light-hearted, festive novel about a family running a B&B in the English countryside. The image on the front cover made me think about one of my favourite Christmas movies, The Holiday. I imagined that the book would be a bit like that movie: a bit sad at times, but ultimately a fun read that I would want to enjoy year after year. Perhaps my expectations were a bit too lofty though, because I was ultimately disappointed by Snowdrops on Rosemary Lane.
In every creative writing class I have ever participated in, it has been taught that the protagonist of a story needs a purpose. It doesn’t really matter what this purpose is exactly, they just need to yearn to do/say/learn/accomplish something by the end of a story. The purpose should naturally make sense for the character in question. If a character lacks a purpose, then there isn’t really much point to the story being told. This purpose is what keeps the reader engaged with the story. The main issue I have with Snowdrops on Rosemary Lane is that the protagonist Lucy lacks a consistent purpose.
During the course of the story, Lucy experiences a significant personal tragedy, and she spends the rest of the book trying to emotionally heal and move on. In most circumstances, this would constitute a meaningful purpose for a protagonist to have, but it doesn’t really work in the case of Snowdrops on Rosemary Lane for a few reasons. Firstly, this tragedy does not occur until about 40-45% of the way through the book. This meant that for the first hundred pages I found myself wondering what the plot of the book actually was. I read this first section of the book waiting for the drama to actually pick up, because it really constituted little more than a summary of the character’s lives for the first hundred pages. I feel that this could all have been summarised a bit more succinctly. The tragedy was also not entirely unexpected – I had a general idea of what was going to happen about 40-50 pages before it actually occurred.
Secondly, I think it would have been fascinating to read about the immediate aftermath of the tragedy. Instead, the author pushes the fast forward button, and before you know it you are reading about Lucy’s life two years after this tragic event. The pacing in this book is, quite frankly, awkward. Thirdly, the plot still does not pick up after this tragedy. I read this book with a sense of impatience, waiting for something to happen. There were a few attempts at creating drama, but these quickly tapered off before they became interesting. I feel like this story had real potential, but it just never really picked up. There are several minor plot points in Snowdrops on Rosemary Lane that I would have loved to read more about, but I never got the chance.
If I were to change one thing about this book, it would be the timeline. I would make the period before the tragedy a bit shorter, and focus a bit more on the immediate aftermath of the tragedy as well. I agree that it was nice to see how the characters moved on after two years, so I would not make any changes to that part of the book. Ultimately, I think that the primary issues with this book are the pacing and the fact that the plot never really picked up.
That being said, I did really enjoy the author’s writing. I love the world that she has created in Burley Bridge, so I will certainly look out for other books by the author. Snowdrops on Rosemary Lane is part of a series of books set in Burley Bridge, but it can be read as a stand alone novel.
I struggled with what rating to give this book, but I ultimately decided on three star instead of two. It’s not a bad book by any means, its just not a great one either. I would like to thank NetGalley and Avon Books for my advance copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
In every creative writing class I have ever participated in, it has been taught that the protagonist of a story needs a purpose. It doesn’t really matter what this purpose is exactly, they just need to yearn to do/say/learn/accomplish something by the end of a story. The purpose should naturally make sense for the character in question. If a character lacks a purpose, then there isn’t really much point to the story being told. This purpose is what keeps the reader engaged with the story. The main issue I have with Snowdrops on Rosemary Lane is that the protagonist Lucy lacks a consistent purpose.
During the course of the story, Lucy experiences a significant personal tragedy, and she spends the rest of the book trying to emotionally heal and move on. In most circumstances, this would constitute a meaningful purpose for a protagonist to have, but it doesn’t really work in the case of Snowdrops on Rosemary Lane for a few reasons. Firstly, this tragedy does not occur until about 40-45% of the way through the book. This meant that for the first hundred pages I found myself wondering what the plot of the book actually was. I read this first section of the book waiting for the drama to actually pick up, because it really constituted little more than a summary of the character’s lives for the first hundred pages. I feel that this could all have been summarised a bit more succinctly. The tragedy was also not entirely unexpected – I had a general idea of what was going to happen about 40-50 pages before it actually occurred.
Secondly, I think it would have been fascinating to read about the immediate aftermath of the tragedy. Instead, the author pushes the fast forward button, and before you know it you are reading about Lucy’s life two years after this tragic event. The pacing in this book is, quite frankly, awkward. Thirdly, the plot still does not pick up after this tragedy. I read this book with a sense of impatience, waiting for something to happen. There were a few attempts at creating drama, but these quickly tapered off before they became interesting. I feel like this story had real potential, but it just never really picked up. There are several minor plot points in Snowdrops on Rosemary Lane that I would have loved to read more about, but I never got the chance.
If I were to change one thing about this book, it would be the timeline. I would make the period before the tragedy a bit shorter, and focus a bit more on the immediate aftermath of the tragedy as well. I agree that it was nice to see how the characters moved on after two years, so I would not make any changes to that part of the book. Ultimately, I think that the primary issues with this book are the pacing and the fact that the plot never really picked up.
That being said, I did really enjoy the author’s writing. I love the world that she has created in Burley Bridge, so I will certainly look out for other books by the author. Snowdrops on Rosemary Lane is part of a series of books set in Burley Bridge, but it can be read as a stand alone novel.
I struggled with what rating to give this book, but I ultimately decided on three star instead of two. It’s not a bad book by any means, its just not a great one either. I would like to thank NetGalley and Avon Books for my advance copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
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