Poppy Dolan does it again. She creates a cosy village with characters that are both interesting and fun.

Any Brits will identify with the village hall being a focal point. Connie’s Gran ran The Bluebell Society, which is a type of Brownie group in the town of Hazlehurst. She left it to her when she died. Flip, Steve and his teenage daughter Polly, as well as Susannah are vivid and relatable characters. They create activities for the May Day fete, and also for what they call Funday Sunday and Funday Monday which is where young and old get together in the village hall.

While I wasn’t completely taken with the emphasis on bunting, because I suppose I was hoping for an outing somewhere with the Bluebells or something. The Hall is run down and it’s Connie’s job to save it. I did enjoy Connie’s, Steve’s and Polly’s personal dramas, as well as the events that showed the coming together of the community. That was what made the book for me .
This is the second book that I have read and reviewed by Poppy Dolan after the Woolly Hat Knitting Club. See my review of that book here.

Thank you very much to Canelo and Poppy Dolan for an ARC of The Bluebell Bunting Society. It’s a quick and lighthearted read about helping others and the importance of community spirit.

4 stars

Such a nice uplifting read that would be perfect for Summer. I’m in the love with the cover aswell. Definitely will be checking out more books from this author in the future.

A sweet story centered on Connie but which will appeal to those who enjoy the "it takes a village" tale. She's trying to thwart evil real estate developers and the village joins in. Is there love as well? A quick light read.

Really enjoyable read. Good characters and a Good story. Well worth a read. Think others will enjoy.

Connie is trying to keep Bluebell Hall open as numbers are falling. Her gran was the caretaker before her. The villagers decide to make bunting for the village fete hence the name. The original owners have given Connie a deadline to get the numbers up. Different things keep happening as there's been no money for repairs. There are some very funny moments and some sad ones as well.

A really fun and quick read. I loved the community feeling in this book. Finding who you are and where your place in life is by looking at who is around you supporting you. I have to say what I really enjoyed so much about this book was that it was more about the main character's relationship with herself then it was about getting her tied up with a guy. Such a refreshing and fun book to read. I can't wait to read more by this author.

Hazelhurst would not be the same without its village hall or would it?

The village may be about to find out as Connie, the young caretaker, is discovering it is difficult to keep the hall open in a world that is all about how good the wifi signal is and can you get a latte with that? It seems the hall may about to be closed to make way for Costas as there are no longer the funds to keep the hall open. Connie has been following in her grandmother's footsteps running the village hall including the local Bluebell group for young girls but attendance at events in the hall is small and the hall, itself, has seen better days requiring a great deal of maintenance if it is going to remain standing.

Connie, though, is not going to go down without a fight, which includes standing up to Alex, financial guy and new Scout Master, who has been brought in to perhaps facilitate the closure of the hall. The village rallies behind Connie as she introduces a sewing group whose project becomes creating bunting. Yes, bunting - something I knew very little about and quickly became highly entertained by.

This is a feel good novel with plenty of friendship as well as romance. You just wanted to grab your sewing machine (something I don't even have) and join right on in to save the hall. Connie has the most wonderful old friends who are joined by a number of new ones by the end of the story and all of them leave you with a smile on your face. There was just nothing I didn't love about this story even when not everything was a happy ending.

I really enjoy entering a world that Poppy Dolan has created and this was a good one.

The Bluebell Bunting Society is a lovable, heart-warming book, about friendship and community spirit. Ms. Dolan has created a beautiful setting, just how I imagine a rural village to be. From beginning to end there are plenty of special moments, alongside lots of laugh out loud ones too.

The characters are all so charming and are extremely likeable, especially ever-so-caring Connie. Although I would put this book in the ‘Chick-Lit’ genre, some of the characters have complex issues, such as Dom, who has been finding it difficult since his wife died, to know the best way to care for his teenage daughter Polly.

The story is written beautifully and is captivating. It has that feel good factor to it. It certainly will give you a ‘pick-me-up’, when you’re feeling down. It has a calming affect, even-though the villagers are giving their all to save the hall. A superb book that will take your mind wandering to a little place with a big heart.

This book is about life in a small village in England, it is about friendship, family and extended family, and it's about building and preserving a community, especially in our fast progressing times.

I loved all of the characters, not only Connie the MC of the book. I loved the writing, the cultural and pop-culture references. When I was about a quarter into this book, I said on Litsy that this book makes me miss life in a village and life in the UK in general.

I enjoyed every minute of this novel and will certainly read more works from Ms Dolan.

This book was very enjoyable and such a lighthearted read so thank you to Canelo, Polly Dolan and Netgalley for a chance to read this book in return of an honest review.

I've never read anything before by Poppy Dolan but from now on I shall be looking out for more of her books! This type of storyline is exactly the type of Chick Lit book that I look for. Also, how cute is the cover? I was totally drawn into this book by the pretty colours and illustrations.

I'm quite a big fan of bunting myself, I think it's so pretty, so to have a society where they make bunting sounds perfect to me! This book was fascinating by the start and I really love stories about life in little picturesque villages so this was a great book for me to read. The whole descriptions about the societies and the hall and the fete's that the village has, I just fell in love with. And I couldn't put it down!

The book follows Connie on her journey to saving her beloved Bluebell Hall in the cute village of Hazlehurst. It was quite a short book I found (just under 200 pages on Kindle) and to me it felt like it was over too soon (was that just me?). The characters blended perfectly together and I loved Flip as well as Susannah and Lucy (and of course Connie) and found is really amusing in parts. Chick Lits with humour are the perfect combination!

So overall, a really enjoyable book with loving characters and an interesting storyline. I love books that are a little unique with their storylines so if you do too then this is the book for you!

If you are a fan of Cathy Bramley, Trisha Ashley, Katie Fforde to name a few of my favourites, then you will love this book.

Connie finds herself coming up to 30 having not achieved anything that she really wanted to. Life certainly has not gone the way she thought it would. She is currently the caretaker of the local village hall, aptly named Bluebell Hall taking on the mantle after her grandmother died.

It might not be what she wanted to do, but she loves Bluebell Hall and the community and it all it stands for. If the numbers using the hall do not increase then it means the hall will have to be used for another purpose - one that the residents of the community will not want. It is a common problem, small villages do not want to see part of their history taken over by a big corporate entity but they do nothing to use the existing buildings until it is almost too late. Connie has ideas to draw people into the building and increase the numbers........

................. this one involves material, thread and sewing machines.

Of course disaster is waiting to happen and you can see it hanging over their head (literally as it turns out) but with the determination of Connie and the friends she has suddenly made in the village it looks like Bluebell Hall could be staying for a little bit longer.

This is a heartwarming novel, which taps into the themes of friendship, loss and community. There is a smattering of romance, but for me that did not overtake the main substance of the novel, it nicely simmered in the background. Add into that the village feel, crafts and a lovely bright cover what more could you want from a novel.

Actually I do want more - I want to go back and see how Connie is faring and the other villagers.

This was my first book by Poppy Dolan. It has a brilliant, bright cover, which is enough to draw any reader to it, promising all sorts of country village-related activities. There are, of course, plenty of bunting pictured too, fitting in with the title of the book.

The story revolves around 29-year-old Connie, who is caretaker of the village hall in Hazelhurst, a role she has taken over from her late grandmother, to whom she was very close. Bluebell Hall, as it is called, should be the hub of the village, as these places tend to be, but it is in poor repair and thus not attracting great numbers of people. When the trust that oversees the hall seems to be threatening its closure, Connie starts a campaign to save it that requires getting the whole village behind her. Amongst the activities is the establishment of the Bluebell Bunting Society of the book's title. Interest in a variety of crafts is also sparked by the bunting making activities.

I loved Connie's passion and determination to save her hall. It is her life, and she is fazed by the thought of losing it. It is great to see how friends old and new, young and not so young are inspired by her to pull together in their efforts to preserve this building. Truly community spirit at work. I also enjoyed meeting some of the other characters in the village. The girls in Connie's Bluebell troop added a bit of amusement, while there was the promise of possible romance in the guise of Alex, the scout leader.

Although largely entertaining, I found this story a bit slow at times and really not one that pulled the reader in and begged to be read. It definitely lives up to its description as a feel-good story, but personally I felt that there was not enough going on at times to really grab and keep my attention.

New author for me, but I decided to give it ago as the cover really appealed to me. It was a truly wonderful light easy and fun read. Thoroughly enjoyable with lovely characters.

The story is delightful and well thought out, a few funny moments and I loved it from start to finish.

Look forward to seeing what this author brings out next.

3.5 stars.

Oh joy! The new Poppy Dolan's book! Guys, you've no idea how much I've waited for this novel. I've read all Poppy's previous books and they were all just SO right up to my street - the brilliant writing, my kind of humour, lovely characters and the stories flowing so effortlessly and seamlessly. I can't believe - or no, I take it back, I CAN believe that it's already four years since Poppy's last book, it is really SO long. When I've heard the news "The Bluebell Bunting Society" is up for request on NetGalley it has really made my day, even more so when I was accepted to read it - which I almost immediately did, needless to say. Judging the book on its cover and its title you can think that it's going to be an inviting, warm, funny, light read - and it's true!
As I have two left hands when it comes to sewing, bunting and so on I always do love a read about people who can do such things. It's real magic, no, to put together two things and produce a patchwork blanket, right? I can truly understand all the fuss, really.

There are many threads in this story, guys! It is multi - layered, just like a flower, and here unpeeling the layers makes you laugh and the story is sweet. The chapters are short and they really cover many issues, so that the story felt really dynamic. There is some drama, there is a romance, there is a lovely community. However - and I am incredibly sad that there is "however", because I wanted to love this book so desperately! However, the story felt too flat for me. It was not as sparkly and fresh as Poppy's previous books. There were moments it dragged too much for my liking and there was nothing that I could say wow, I haven't read it or I haven't seen it coming. It's just Poppy Dolan has already shown me she can much, much more and I have expected much, much more from this book. Somehow, I just couldn't get into the heart of this story - which probably is my own fault, and it makes me furious with myself.

Connie was lovely! I loved her passion and desperation to keep the Hall going. It was palpable that she has fond memories of it, especially as she has spent her best times there, together with her Grandmother, and she now enjoys her role as Bloom Mistress, preparing a dance or two with her charges. But Connie is torn - there is this side to her that want to satisfy tradition, keep the hall and run it just like her Gran did, and the other side, where Connie is not sure what it is she want to do, if she wants to stay in Hazelhurst for ever or do something different, somewhere else?

The cast of supporting characters is as bunt as the title itself. The author lets them all to have their own say, to shine through the pages. We have Lucy's best friend Steve and his wife Lucy and they all want to support Lucy in so many ways! The community spirit in this book is brilliantly captured, it was just my favourite kind of a small, lovely village with people who know everything about each other and when it comes to a crisis they stand up for each other and do whatever they can to help. The duo of Dominic and Polly, father and daughter, has added so much poignancy to this story, the emotions there were so raw and so genuine, and Polly was so incredibly talented and creative, it was a real joy to read about her ideas.

Altogether, "The Bluebell Bunting Society" was a cute, warm, inviting read. It is this kind of read when you know what's going to happen but it doesn't bother you and it only makes you feel better. The characters are so lovely that you can't help but fall for them all, and keep your fingers crossed for them. A heart - warming, uplifting read with a feel - good factor - recommended!

The Bluebell Bunting Society is the latest novel from Poppy Dolan, author of The Bad Boyfriends Bootcamp and There's More to Life Than Cupcakes. And it's a perfect read for spring!

Connie is the caretaker of Bluebell Hall, an old building in the little village of Hazelhurst. Returning to her rural roots wasn't exactly Connie's plan, but after the death of her much-loved grandmother, taking the reins of Bluebell Hall, Gran's passion, was a must. Taking care of the Hall, a piece of Hazelhurst's history, is a job that's been handed down through the generations, making it a staple of village life for the residents, as well as the Bluebells (Hazelhursts's version of the Brownies!)

But it's in dire need of TLC. Not to mention the villagers have lost interest in the Hall, with its dodgy ceiling, mould and general state of disrepair. When Connie's latest efforts fail to entice the yummy mummies of the village, it's time to go back to the drawing board. And fast.

When the loyal ladies of Bluebell Hall hear that property developers are intent on taking over the building, it's time to come up with a plan to try and save it. All they need to do is make Bluebell Hall a cherished village venue again. But it's easier said than done.

That is, until Connie comes up with a crafty idea...

The Bluebell Bunting Society is a sweet, charming story guaranteed to make you smile. I'll be completely honest - this is not the kind of book I'd usually opt for as on first glance, it seemed a bit too sugary sweet for my liking! But I decided to give it a try, and I'm glad I did, as it's a lovely novel, and one perfect to lift your spirits. It was nice to step away from the city tales and venture into Hazelhurst instead for some funny antics, a bit of romance, and best of all, some community spirit!

Rating: 5/5

Connie, caretaker and Bloom Mistress (Hazelhurt's answer to Girl Guides/Brownies) is doing a job she enjoys and also feels it's her sense of familial duty. Going back as long as she can remember her family have been entrusted as caretakers/guardians of Bluebell Hall. Paid for by an ancient benefactor, there is a stipulation that the hall must be used by a certain percentage of the community - and Connie knows the numbers are seriously lacking as Hazelhurst is moving into the (more) modern ages and leaving the crumbling old village hall behind.

To try and increase their numbers she hatches several plans, not all so successful, but as it becomes apparent that property developers are keen to take over, and an audit is suddenly done, she knows she needs to take serious action, and enlists some friends and new faces to help out...

The Bluebell Bunting Society is born!

I love the community ethos in this warm and really funny story built around some fabulously constructed characters. The craft theme throughout is lovely and relaxing, and really draws you in. I even wanted to dig out an old sewing machine and take it up!

Of course it was the beautiful cover that attracted me to The Bluebell Bunting Society when I first saw it revealed on Twitter and then that title just screams a warm, charming, inviting read awaits you once you pick up the book. I had never heard of the author Poppy Dolan before but it seems she has previously written two books. This is definitely a chick lit read and it was perfect for the mood I was in at the time of reading. I didn't want anything too taxing or something that required your full attention to keep track of the many strands of the story. Instead here was a nice, simple, light easy read that I flew through in a few hours. The chapters were short and snappy and moved the story along at a nice pace whilst all the time building a picture as to what was going on as our main character Connie battles to stop Bluebell Hall from being torn down for redevelopment. As it says on the cover when the going gets tough, the tough gets sewing and that's exactly happened in this book in the nicest way possible with a few other dramas and some romance thrown in for good measure. Really the perfect formula for this kind of book.

Connie Duncan is 29 and the caretaker for Bluebell Hall, a job which she inherited upon the death of her beloved Gran. Bluebell Hall has been more or less an institution for the residents of the small village called Hazelhurst for so many years. But now the hall has reached a turning point in its existence and in a way Connie has too. It's not the place it once was with damp patches in more than one place, the roof could cave in at any minute and really it's so old fashioned that why would anyone want to come for Funday Sunday or even hold meetings or events there? That's the main problem facing Connie and she is torn in two as to what she can do to change all this for the better given the serious lack of finances and resources that are at available to her. The hall was left as a gift by the late William Herbert who donated the hall as a place for the community to gather to share good times and bad and now the bad times far outweigh the good and something needs to be done. Unless visitor numbers improve the trust that manage the hall will sell the land it sits on and Connie will be left with nothing.

Throughout this story Connie truly wore her heart and emotions on her sleeve. You could see she had a deep affinity with the hall given all the fond memories she had of spending time there with her Gran and now she relishes her role as Bloom Mistress - Hazelhurst's answer to the Girl Guides. OK maybe she doesn't quite relish her role all the time but it's a tradition and the scenes featuring the little girls and their attempts at dance manoeuvres were hilarious and one girl in particular was so blunt and to the point you couldn't fail to smile when she made an appearance. Connie has continued to do her best since her Gran's death to keep the hall running the way it always has but that's just not good enough any more and with the help of many friends she takes the bull by the horns and is determined Bluebell Hall surely won't go down without a fight.

Connie is driven and passionate in her long term goal for the hall so much so that at some points the reader wonders is she giving it her all for a positive outcome only to forget about herself and what she wants to achieve personally? Connie gathers a few close friends together and they come up with a plan to attempt to get an extension on the time left to save the hall. It's this cast of supporting characters which also help to make The Bluebell Bunting Society the lovely read that it turned out to be. Amidst all the new ideas that come flooding in Connie wonders will the hall be enough for her for the rest of her life or is there more she wants to be doing outside the confines of such a small village as that of Hazelhurst? She continuously battles with her emotions, those that are connected to the past and also long held sentimental memories and questions is she doing this for herself or the village? Could the village survive without the hall or is it just what it needs to bring the community together in a gratifying way?

As I have mentioned the more minor characters, well at first they seemed minor in comparison to Connie, but then they were given their opportunity to come to the fore and shine. Her best friend Steve who was a teacher was always so supportive and the fact that he was a teacher like myself I found I could really identify with him. He is struggling with marking and putting on a school performance and I thought the author had his characteristics and mannerisms down to a t. But when push comes to shove he is there for Connie and his wife Lucy was just as good a character. They seemed to be a great team together and brought this through with helping out with the bunting idea allowing a real sense of community, friendship and togetherness to develop at a lovely pace that felt natural and in no way forced.

Flip a fairly new resident to the village could have been your typical yummy mummy character newly arrived from the big city and throwing her 'ways' around and it was such a relief this wasn't the case. She was practical and to the point and her ideas were all valid and even if people didn't want to participate in the plans to save the hall she nudged them in the right direction without being overbearing. Father and daughter duo Dominic and Polly really did tug at my heartstrings with their storyline. It was emotional and realistic and written to perfection making it easy for the reader to feel sympathy and in some ways respect for the way their story line all played out. The only thorn in the ointment apart from the threatened loss of the hall seemed to be new Scout Leader Alex who had more than one role to play and I was curious to see how this all panned out.

The Bluebell Bunting Society was a gorgeous read that definitely did prove when the going gets tough the tough get sewing and if you wonder how everything turns out you wouldn't do much wrong in picking up this colourful, delightful read to discover the outcome.

This was such a charming story set in a small village. Connie took over as caretaker of Bluebell Hall when her gran died and she is now faced with trying to save it from closure. It needs the villagers to embrace it and use it fully.
She enlists some friends to help her try and raise the ratio of villagers using the hall and there are some very amusing scenes whilst they try out various ideas. They come up with a sewing group making bunting for the village fete.
It’s a lovely tale of friendships, village community, romance and family issues. The village fete sounded absolutely wonderful and I could just imagine walking around all the stalls and signing up to join the sewing club!
Connie makes some new friendships and also shows her nurturing, caring side with her mum, her oldest school friend and the teenage girl that she is trying to encourage to blossom.
I’d love a follow up to see where the characters go next.

5☆ ++  Review

The Blue bell Bunting Society is a story about determination, courage, making new friends, New Beginnings and a whole lot of Community spirit.

I absolutely loved this charming gem of a book. It made me laugh out loud, feel warm inside and I really wanted to join the Bluebells Group. (As fellow Brownie & Girl Guide this was right up my street)

Connie's Gran was the previous caretaker to the Bluebell Hall.
When she passed away she left the running of the hall to Connie.
The hall was left as a charity donation to the local Hazelhurst village.
The hall would be kept open providing the hall is being used by half the village population.

This was all well and good but with the uprising of new houses Connie is finding this more and more difficult to pull in the numbers.

The hall is in a bad way and some of the regular groups regretfully had to abandon using the hall for health and safety reasons. With no money Connie is struggling.

However one Funday Sunday afternoon is about to change Connies life forever.
In walks Flip new to the village and an exciting Zest for life.
She falls in love with the Bluebell hall charm and wants to help Connie.

Connie soon learns that Alex the new Scout leader is working for the charity that supports the hall and wants to shut Bluebell Hall down.
 However Connie and her friends are not willing to hand it over without a fight.

What is Alex's agenda and is he really the bad guy in this?

Then so begins the exciting and challenging task of getting people into the hall to make the members numbers up. In order to save the hall.

The group decide to start a Bluebell Bunting group where they all make bunting triangles to piece together to help spread the word and engage the community.

Flip worked in PR and she is fabulous at coming up with new ways to get them noticed. Such as using media attention.

The Bluebells play a huge part in the story and it's so lovely to see them getting involved with things such as Maypole dancing.

Polly is a young teen who her Dad brings to the Bunting club as a way of bonding with her since her mother passed away.
 She takes a liking to Connie, and the group help this shy and grieving young girl grow in confidence so much so she decides to run a Art Therapy group which proves to be very popular.

The fun ideas to raise numbers are not without some fairly major hiccups, some crazy dance routines, a lot of tea and cake  and great friendships.

Connie is stronger than she realises. She's not without her own personal issues. Her Mum has suffered depression and anxiety for a long time and the passing of her Gran has only triggered her anxiety more.

Connie is coming up 30 and her life is the Bluebell Hall and Hazelhurst Village. So when things don't quiet go to plan she has to 're evaluate her life choices.

This is such a fabulous story of hope and determination I wanted to climb right into the story and get sewing. I was rooting for Connie and her friends to save the hall.

All of the characters in the story were well developed and each one added a unique quality to the story making it believable. I loved all the characters even Alex, towards the end, who which I really didn't want to like.

My only slight personal opinion was the ending for me was not what I expected.... but it's not always the happy endings that make the book it's the story behind the ending.

I can honestly say I don't think this is the end of Hazelhurst village. Well at least I hope it's not. There is some fabulous characters and some new budding romances.
I didn't want it to end! I only hope Poppy decides to write more!

Thanks Netgalley. This is a feel good read and could not put it down. I liked everything about this book