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

This is such a sweet read. When slowly Annie's secrets were revealed one by one, I was surprised at her inner strength and courage because of what had happened to her. While she has issues because of her stepfather, somehow she isn't broken, just a little lost and needing a lot of love. She finds that in Arthur, who she cares for like the grandparents she doesn't have. That's why it was hard when Sam showed up as he thought the worse of her, making everything she did look ridiculous. Thankfully Sam's brother Will helps him see some sense, as does the travesty that is the cowboy builders.

I don't have words for them they are the worse builders in history! What they do is tragic, and no wonder poor Annie ends up eating a jar of nutella when their destruction (not reconstruction) reaches it's most devastating point. I nearly cried for how they were ruining the old hall that clearly could survive, if it was left in tact.

It takes a while but Sam does realise what an asset Annie is to his father and the hall. He realises she wasn't exaggerating about how awful the builders are (you have to read it to believe it), and with his childhood memories literally crumbling in front of him he digs deep in his pockets and soul, decides to make the hall a home again, and gives Annie a chance.

I like Annie! She is very sweet, kind hearted, and has a lot of oomph when she needs it. Yes she makes a few silly choices but they can all be rectified. I love her fighting spirit, although when a perfect occasion looks less than perfect she loses the plot a little, but it's her friends who rally round and make the event amazing. Annie has been hurt so badly, but as the grand house is rebuilt so too is her heart and soul. It's hard to tell who the title refers to, as all it's residents have a broken heart in one way or another. Definitely a sweet read (with next to no romance!) that'll be on my reread shelf.

It has been a while since I last read a book by Alison Sherlock and I'm really not sure why I left it that long, as I really like this author and her writing style and storytelling skills.

A House to Mend A Broken Heart drew me in even more than I was expecting it to, to the extent that I read it in a few hours flat, in pretty much one sitting. It just gave me such a sense of calm and good feeling as I read it, that I didn't want to let it go.

From the moment that Annie meets Sam I loved every interaction between the pair, there is some great banter, and there was a certain sense of satisfaction seeing Sam hire soe incredibly dodgy builders for trying to renovate his family home, Willow Tree Hall.

Both of our leads have things in their past which need to be revealed, while one of my favorite characters as Aunt Rose who was a breath of fresh air wherever she appeared - and I may be jealous of her wonderful wardrobe too.

There is a lot to enjoy in this book and by the end I had an incredibly clear picture of Willow Tree Hall, and just how amazing it could look. I loved the various story threads about family coming in many shapes and sizes and also seeing how Sam's character greatly changed from workaholic to well far more rounded man.

Plenty of smiles to be had reading this, and the characters are developed with a bit of emotional depth to them too, which made the book feel very real in addition to enjoyable.

Thank you to Aria and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

Hard to put down. I loved reading about the fun and quirky characters living at Willow Tree, a stately home in rural England. Annie works as the housekeeper, for elderly Arthur and his sister Rose. When Arthur falls and injures his leg his two grandsons come to help. Flirty Will and grumpy Sam. Sparks fly and heads butt together whenever Sam and Annie get together. Naturally a match made in heaven. A bumpy road, and a fun journey. Happily recommend this book, and have now started on the next one in the series.

The story is simple Annie takes up a job as a housekeeper to Arthur. A fall puts Arthur in the hospital and enter Sam Harris. And the story starts initially with antagonism between Annie and Sam, and this tension soon turns to love.
This is my first book by Alison Sherlock and I must say I was delighted with the dialogues between Sam and Annie. It was pleasant to go on a journey with seeing their dislike turn to love.
The other secondary characters played their parts and the plot worked aptly for them. Cassandra, especially, was truly a hated character, well depicted by the author. I wished Sam was a stronger person who stood up for Annie in the face of Cassandra's spiteful comments. And I wanted Annie to be more confident, but those are just tiny niggles.
Alison's description of the stately home of Willow Tree Hall made me long to see the inside of such a home.
On the whole, this was a romantic feel-good book, initially slow to develop but it does make a great read.

5☆ Full of charm, warmth and a sprinkle of Romance

A House to Mend a Broken Heart is the very first book I have read by Alison Sherlock, and I'm happy to say it won't be my last.

A House to Mend a Broken Heart is beautifully written, it's a book about family, relationships, love, humour, new beginnings all centered around the beautiful Stately home.

When Sam turns up to find his Grandfather Arthur in hospital he knows he should help to look after Willow Tree Hall but he is very reluctant to do so.

You see Willow Tree Hall is a gorgeous stately home and has been passed down through the generations and Arthur the current Earl and his sister Rose are the current owners, and Sam is set to be it's new owner and Earl.

However he has no interest whatsoever in becoming an Earl or acquiring his families estate.
He wants a different life, even though he is well aware of how much it means to his family.

Annie is the housekeeper at Willow Tree Hall and she has grown to love it dearly.
Annie has a very close relationship with Arthur, and Sam is not one bit impressed by her.
In fact sparks fly between Sam and Annie as he believes Annie's intentions are not honest.

Willow Tree Hall isn't in the best of conditions for a grand Stately home, it's in desperate need for some TLC, and renovations.
So what Sam decides to do.... is hire a cowboy company which causes nothing but trouble and mishaps.
It's time for Sam to step up and sort things out!

I adored Annie and Sam's relationship, the banter between them, the obvious chemistry.
I loved how dispite how Sam wants to dislike Annie and Willow Tree Hall, something obviously is softening him up.
Now whether that is the mischievous matchmaking Rose and Arthur are meddling with or the charm of Willow Tree itself..... I guess you will just have to discover that bit for yourself!

Alison has swept me away with the beauty and charm of Willow Tree Hall and the Characters within.

A very easy/ feel good vibe with a dash of humour and a sprinkling of Romance makes this book the perfect holiday read.
A great book for those who love Chick Lit and Humour, romance and holiday reads.

This is a delightful story set in the countryside of England. For me it was the perfect blend of romance and comedy with the wonderful backdrop of an estate in need of repair.

The two main characters, Annie and Sam, are so different yet become drawn to each other. Annie is the housekeeper hired by Sam's grandfather. She isn't trained as one, but rather took the job to escape from what she sees as a failed past. Sam is quite successful in business, but has let it take over his life and become distant from his family.

Sam is eager to get rid of the family estate and has no desire to run it as the next Earl of Cranley. Annie is desperate to not lose the first place that feels like home since her father's death.

Like all good romances, this book has the attraction build over time with some bumps in the road.

The description mentions more books to come with Willow Tree Hall being the cornerstone. I'm looking forward to them!

This is a relaxing, easy read; it's the sort of novel I like to take to bed at the end of the day. The characters are likeable, the plot unfolds smoothly and the house sounded gorgeous. A decent light read for chick lit fans.

Everyone has something they want to escape from and this is a perfect book to do it with. Join the brilliant characters and relax and mend your heart.

Annie loves her job as housekeeper at Willow Tree Hall, ok she might have lied a bit about her experience to get the job, but she has a great relationship with Arthur the elderly Earl of Cranley........that is until he falls on the stairs and is hospitalised.

Sam is the eldest grandson of Arthur and next in line for the title, but he doesn't want it and the last thing that he wants is to run the estate - he is far too busy running his company representing music artists. So when he has to come back home to help out he is not best pleased - and who is this girl Annie who seems to be loved by everything......he is sure there is something dodgy going on there!

He cannot believe that state of repair of the hall and realises that he has to do something about, even though his plan is to sell the lot, and so gets in a company of dodgy builders and goes back to America leaving Annie in charge. Annie is horrified, they are destroying the hall and when they take out the staircase leaving her upstairs it is the final straw - something must be done about it - Sam needs to step up to the plate!

A lovely story with some great characters and although it is pretty predictable it is still compulsive reading and I thoroughly enjoyed it

I’ve been in a big cute romance mood lately and thus when I heard about this book, I instantly added it to my TBR and I am so utterly glad that I did. This book definitely earns the description of a cute romance. I was absolutely gushing by the end of it and pinning all of my hopes that everything would come together in the end. It is one of those books that is heart-warming and hopeful and just makes you feel all gooey inside. Which is such a lovely feeling. While there was an obvious plotline that you could see forming from the very beginning, I still truly loved this book because the characters floated off of the page so easily. I would certainly recommend this book and may even add it to my re-read pile for sure. I will absolutely be making sure to read further Alison Sherlock stories.

A House to Mend a Broken Heart follows a very traditional story line about a man and a woman falling in love. But it is also so much more than that. Alison Sherlock has created a story that you cannot help but fall in love with. With shining and vibrant characters and a plot that doesn’t stay still, this is a charming book. What’s more, the book starts out with everything in pieces until everything comes together – which was a perfect metaphor for the house in the book too. Everything fell together neatly and I truly loved that about this story. What’s more, this book literally feels you with warmth, even as you imagine snow falling down the windows of the house.

I’ve mentioned this twice already but I cannot tell you how much I loved the characters in this book. Every single one of them. From flirty and fun Aunt Rose to gentle and kind Grandad Arthur, all the way to sweet, self-conscious but incredible Annie. Every character had a distinct and unique personality that made them shine. They all had emotions that they needed to sweat out and thoughts that needed laying on the table. But they were also just such an incredible bunch to read about. I truly loved the family in this book and how they all grew throughout the book. I felt so much for them all and felt such joy when everything went as they wanted it to. Let’s be honest, half the reason I cried and smiled during this book was because all of the characters were so magical.

A House to Mend a Broken Heart is a delightful, heart-warming, emotional read that I would urge you to read if you want a sweet and cute book to escape into. It’s not just a romance book either. Becuase part of the reason I really loved this book is that it is also about family and finding a place to belong and call home. It is about people coming together and caring for one another and just putting right all the wrongs from the past. This book was utterly lovely and I really don’t think that you will want to miss out on it. So, what are you waiting for? Go get reading!

A well written and thoroughly enjoyable book. I hadn't read any of Alison's previous books but will be looking out for them now. I really enjoyed this book.

I loved the setting of this book - the stately home Willow Tree Hall and how much the hall means to each of the characters in the story. I enjoyed the main characters as well as the supporting cast. I really liked Sam's grandfather Arthur and his sister Aunt Rose.

The story was slightly predictable with the havoc caused by the cowboy builders hired by Sam but this didn't detract from the story. It was an easy read, well written with warm likeable characters (apart from Cassandra).

A lovely story of family, second chances and love with a perfect ending. I look forward to reading the next book in the series.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This cover grabbed my attention and I knew I needed to read this book. This story contained family drama mixed with some relationship dilemmas and an old house whose owner has a big heart and who sacrifices for himself to provide for his tenants (and employees). I knew that Annie could get the cold-hearted Sam to open up and to see what he had in front of him. Delightful vacation read!

Addictive, uplifting and hugely enjoyable, A House to Mend a Broken Heart is an absolute joy to read from start to finish!

Willow Tree Hall was once the Earl and Countess of Cranley’s proud, magnificent and breathtaking ancestral home. But sadly, with the passing of time, this once majestic home had become a dilapidated ruin in desperate need of repair and some tender loving care. The future might be looking bleak for Willow Tree Hall, however, for Annie Rogers, it is the sanctuary and refuge which she has been looking for and which she is desperate to hide in. With a devastating past to escape from, Annie had had no hesitation in taking on the job as housekeeper at Willow Tree Hall -despite her lack of qualifications! Although she cannot help but feel out of her depth and scared that she is doing everything wrong, Annie begins to enjoy her job and spending time with the current Earl of Cranley, Arthur. However, when Arthur has a bad fall and is hospitalized, it is up to heir apparent Sam Harris, to step into breach and come up with a way of dragging Willow Tree Hall into the 21st century and making it a sustainable enterprise. However, his arrival at the Hall, makes Annie feel a little bit unsettled as he has unleashed feelings deep within her which she had thought dead and buried…

Just like Annie, Sam is also running away from a past he would very happily forget, but with the burden of responsibility lying heavily upon his shoulders, he knows that it is up to him to restore Willow Tree Hall to its former splendour and to revert its fortunes. However, that proves to be easily said than done – especially as lately he finds himself getting distracted by Annie. Sam soon realises that he has met a kindred spirit who has secrets of her own, and although he knows that he should steer clear, he soon finds her impossible to resist.

Will Willow Tree Hall manage to heal Annie and Sam? Or has there been too much pain, anguish and suffering in their lives for the two of them to ever be happy?

Feel-good reading does not get any better than A House To Mend A Broken Heart! Alison Sherlock will steal your heart with this joyous. witty, warm-hearted and captivating read and you will find yourself unable to put down this funny, romantic and enchanting tale!

A wonderful story of hope, second chances and house renovations, A House To Mend A Broken Heart is sure to go down a treat with fans of Katie Fforde and Trisha Ashley.

I really enjoyed reading this amazing romantic read

I guess I have to mention the lovely cover which definitely attracted my attention along with reading the description for the book my mind was made up. The story pulled me in straight away with an easy going writing style that made me feel so comfortable. I completely loved the feel of the book it had a wonderful sentimental feel to it that just may have slightly tugged at my heart strings. 

The whole family was a delight to get to know and I especially liked Rose with her lively ways and her matchmaking skills. From the disastrous builders to the prickly and reluctant heir Sam, Annie really has her work cut out trying to keep everything running smoothly. Annie is easily likeable, she really does try to do her best even if she sometimes makes mistakes. The house itself was easily imagined thanks to Alison Sherlock's lovely writing and I even felt a little heartbroken when everything seemingly begins to fall apart around them. All of the characters in this book are developed well and I really felt as if I got to know everyone at Willow Tree Hall.

It really was a lovely way to spend a few hours and relax with curled up on the sofa. I loved getting to know the characters and stepping inside Willow Tree Hall. I wished I could have spent a little while longer there which is a definite sign of a an engaging story.

Full of warmth it really is a delightful read!

With thanks to Yasemin at Aria & Netgalley for my copy. This is my honest and unbiased opinion.

Oh boy, guys, it is already three years since Alison Sherlock has published a new book! Amazing… I’ve read all of Alison’s previous books and loved all of them, so having seen she finally has a new book out was like getting an earlier birthday present – there is always so much warmth to Ms Sherlock’s writing, and the stories are simple but always very uplifting. I really couldn’t wait to start reading “A House to Mend a Broken Heart”.

The stately home Willow Tree Hall was a character itself in this story. I really liked to see all the refreshing changes being done to it, and I loved how much the characters adored the house, how they loved it and couldn’t imagine living somewhere else. Of course, not all of them, and Alison Sherlock has truly well captured the difference between the generations and their argumentation, and really, you could see the reasons of both sides. I could understand that not all young people are interested in inheriting stately home, look after it and its tenants, that they had other ideas for their lives, but I also could understand the older generation who wanted the places to stay in the families. The characters were not too complicated or too complex, but as the whole story was relatively simple it just worked perfectly and there was enough depth and background to them to just fall for them. Annie was lovely and she wore her heart on her sleeve, although there were moments that she seemed so indecisive and doubting in herself and they were annoying, those moments, even though we knew where all those insecurity was coming from.
Sam, well, Sam. To be honest at the very beginning of the book I was dead sure that I know how it’s going to end and who’s going to be Annie’s love interest, but I was wrong. I think that I fell a little bit in love with Sam, especially in the second part of the book where he started to show his real self and turned out to be the perfect guy. But what I liked most in the characters was that they were developing, not staying in place.
I also adored the background characters, well, maybe with the exception of Cassandra, but there is no way you can like Cassandra, she was made by the author to be disliked, but the rest of them, Arthur, Alex or especially Sam Aunt’s Rose, were colourful and vivid, I personally think that there was more life in them as in Annie, but pssst, Annie was also lovely. I really liked how Rose liked to shock Will and Sam with her stories and telling them what she was up to, and her passion to her vintage clothes was shining through the pages.

Annie and Sam’s stories weren’t rushed and they were developing in just the right way, with the right amount of bits being revealed about their backgrounds, letting us understand what made them and what makes them tick. This relationship was slowly developing and growing and I liked it, because it was not too wishy – washy, too sweet, it just felt realistic.

There were moments that felt too far – fetched for my liking, for example with Cassandra, the way she treated people and how quickly her thread has ended, and the way the big music mogul Sam has managed to hire the first builder he set his eyes on to renovate the house, and maybe I’d love to see some more twists and turns, as the story was on a very steady level, but altogether I really enjoyed it. I love Alison Sherlock’s writing style, it is warm and inviting, that was getting better and better with the story progressing, and I didn’t have any problems to feel a part of the story.

So yes, altogether the story maybe was a little clichéd and predictable, but you know what? It didn’t bother me so much this time because it just worked – all the elements worked well together. It was an easy, adorable read with likeable characters, a prefect mix of funny and poignant. The ending seemed a little too rushed for my liking and when at the beginning it was so hard and difficult with the house, at the end it seemed as if it was renovating itself but “A House to Mend a Broken Heart” really was a lovely, peaceful story about families, second chances, expectations, hope and love – a brilliant, uplifting mix of romance, drama and fun. Recommended!

Delightful! Annie is terrific and I loved her relationship with not only Sam but also with Arthur, who really is key to this whole thing. This is a good example of grown up chick lit- a wonderful set of characters (who you'd love to sit down with), a problem to solve (the renovation), and a skeptical pair of potential partners. Watching Annie and Sam work together was entertaining. Thanks to Netgalley of rthe ARC. Try this one for a well written, relaxing, and thoroughly enjoyable read.

First Alison Sherlock book I have read and I have to say, I was quite pleasantly surprised! It's a bit hard to know what to expect from a book when you haven't read any of the authors work, however, the cover of 'A House to Mend a Broken Heart' caught my eye when it was first put onto social media as I found it rather pristine looking. Obviously I was intrigued by the title, after all, how can a house mend a broken heart! Who's heart was broken? Why did it need mending? What did the house do to fix the broken heart?

So many questions.

The house in question is Willow Tree Hall; a stately home which has housed generations of Earls and Countess's of Cranley for years. However, Willow Tree Hall isn't looking its best, it's feeling a little sorry for itself. The current Earl of Cranley, Arthur, has been doing the best that he can with very little help as his grandsons are too busy in their own lives. Well, some say too busy, I say too selfish, but who am I to judge!

Poor old Arthur has a fall and finds himself in hospital, whilst his housekeeper, Annie, tries to keep Willow Tree Hall above water. Not literally.

If you're a fan of watching Grand Designs, you'll adore this book. When Arthur's grandson appeared on the scene, he decided to take it upon himself to hire a builder who seemed to think himself qualified after watching 'Bob the Builder' on T.V.. 
'It will be fine' he said
But it wasn't fine.

I'll be honest, after the first couple of chapters, this storyline had 'predictable' written all over it. It wouldn't have taken a genius to work out who, if any, were going to get their happily ever after. However, does it honestly matter whether it's guessed or not? 
No it does not!

It didn't bother me. I wanted to read a happy ending style book. A story where all of the characters involved go through some form of heartache, uncertainty, disappointment and regret, before they realise which new route takes them down the path to happiness. After all, everyone finds happiness in different ways, right?

'A House to Mend a Broken Heart' is predominantly a light read, with some rather quirky characters making themselves known along the way. Before I began Alison Sherlock's novel I was feeling rough, no energy and my brain had decided to go on standby. After reading Alison Sherlock's novel I felt cosy, relaxed, and calm, with a smile upon my face. I didn't have to over think the storyline. I didn't have to try to work out any of the characters. I didn't find myself getting too annoyed with any of the characters like usual. Reading 'AHTMABH' I was able to just....be. I was able to enjoy the re-birth of Willow Tree Hall. I was able to imagine Rose and Beryl's fashion sense. I was able to feel the chemistry between certain characters. I was able to envision the design work on all of the rooms. I was able to imagine sliding down the banister of the staircase like Sam and Will.

I never knew that a house could mend a broken heart. I never knew that a book had the power to make me feel calm. Until now. Not only is 'A House to Mend a Broken Heart' true to its title storyline wise; for the duration of this novel it became A Story to Soothe a Painful Body.

Thank You Alison Sherlock, you most certainly have a way with words.
Thanks Aria Fiction.

Having seen a lot about this forthcoming book, I was really looking forward to finally getting to read it - and I was not disappointed. This is a thoroughly entertaining rom-com, and Alison Sherlock knows her stuff!

This story centres around a stately home, the people who live there and their connections to the local community. It's a real feel-good novel, with a touch of romance, disaster and success all flowing between the covers. A perfect 21st century novel, proving that we are all more equal in these enlightened times.

There are some lovely little side tales in this one, some very funny scenes, and a few Cinderella and glamorous moments..The characters are individually created, and very amusing they are too! It's one of those books when you reach the end and the kindle tells you that's you reached 100% and you think "what, already?". Always the sign of a wonderful read, and I have no hesitation in recommending this one.

I received an arc via NetGalley in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.