Flick fled to London eight years before leaving behind her mother, grandmother and heartbroken boyfriend, Fergus. She is drawn back by the recent death of her grandmother and her own doubts about her life which hasn’t turned out quite what she imagined. The problem is, Flick might be coming to terms with her past decisions, but those she ran from have not. Her widowed mother, Rona, having lost her own mother, Bonnie, finds she is less able to cope with the village teashop which, as well as the neat cottage of Flick’s childhood, have been left to decay.
Flick’s own doubts about whether she would be welcome or not in her childhood home are soon swept aside – temporarily. Old contacts are slowly re-established and Heartcross takes in their wayward child, all apart from the clearly wounded Fergus and his resentful mother, Aggie.
Taking into account her abrupt departure from Heartcross, at first I thought Flick was unreasonable in hoping to regain all the things she had left behind. However, it soon evolves that Flick’s reasons were deeply personal and her actions weren’t as selfish as I first thought., but more a way of her surviving her own loss and heartbreak.
Before long, Flicks has thrown herself into village life in an attempt to make amends for past neglect, which escalates beyond her imagining when a bad snowstorm following by a rapid thaw and the destruction of the bridge leaves the village stranded from the rest of the Highlands. [Shadows of Cockermouth and Pooley Bridges maybe, though somewhat further north?]
Flick steps in and takes charge of the crisis, but some of her tactics rub certain villagers up the wrong way and she finds she cannot do good without causing resentment as well. Flick’s homecoming turns out to be more complicated than she ever imagined.
I admit, from the blurb I expected a light, fluffy romance – a girl returns to her roots and re-connects with her first love – kind of story. However, Christie Barlow’s novel is much deeper than that with its handling of difficult emotions, her own as well as those who don’t know the full story of why she left and are quick to judge her. Flick’s relationship with Fergus is well drawn in that their former trust is not easy to re-establish. The reasons are complex and in the beginning I felt Flick didn’t deserve to walk back into Fergus’ life after so long and take up where she left off – but the past was more complicated than that and before long I found myself empathising with her completely.
Which shows how well-crafted this story is, in that I established a view about the characters in the opening chapters which altered drastically as the story panned out and past emotions and events were revealed. A story with a very satisfactory ending and although this is my first Christie Barlow novel, I look forward to the sequel in the Heartcross Series and getting to know more of the villagers like Isla, Drew, Allie, Rory, Rona and maybe even Aggie!

Eight years ago, Flick fled her home village of Heartcross in the Scottish Highlands, in favour of the bright lights of London. Acting on impulse she retreated to the big city after suffering a heart-breaking tragedy, leaving her friends and family behind with not even a goodbye. Now returning to the village after the death of her beloved Grandmother it’s immediately clear that not everyone is ready to forgive and forget, especially ex-boyfriend Fergus.

Planning to stay for only two weeks to help in the wake of her Grandmother’s death, Flick finds her Mum has had to shut the family business and is struggling financially. Add to that a powerful storm that hits the village cutting them off from civilisation and Flick soon realises just how much she has missed not only her family, but the whole community in which she grew up.

With the shine dimming on London’s appeal and the only thing waiting for her there a job she doesn’t even like, Flick decides to stay in Heartcross and re-open her family’s teashop alongside her Mum. However, it’s not only the teashop calling her home, but the realisation that she still has feelings for Fergus. The question is does can he forgive Flick?

Love Heart Lane is the first book in a brand-new romance series from Christie Barlow and the first of her books I have read. From the synopsis and cover you would be forgiven for thinking this is another light, fluffy romantic read, but it’s much more than that, dealing with some emotional, hard hitting subjects. I found the characters to be well-written and extremely relatable, the emotions just leapt off the page allowing me to empathise completely with each situation.

The very best part of this book for me was the reconnecting of friends and family and the way everyone within the community came together at a time of disaster. Its true message is one of community spirit and sticking together regardless of what has gone before, making it a real heart-warming read.

Love Heart Lane is a wonderfully written tale of love, heartbreak, family, friendship and loss which had me hooked throughout. Barlow has a superb easy writing style that was a pleasure to read which meant I was reluctant to put it down and finished it quickly. I can’t wait for the next instalment from Heartcross, I hope I’ll find out more about some of the other characters I’ve already met. If you want a romance with a difference then Love Heart Lane if the book for you 5 stars from me, I loved every second.

As usual, Chstie bowls me over with her incredibly detailed and absolutely delicious romance.
Such an easy book to curl up on the sofa with, with a G n T and a blanket.
Loved Flick and Fergus and all their families and friends. So looking forward to the next installment.

Thanks to Netgalley, Christie Barlow and Harper Impulse for the opportunity to read and review this wonderful book.

Another fantastic book from Christie. A lovely romantic feel good story. Great characters and setting. Looking forward to the next book Christie

A lovely book to warm your heart and make you believe in love again.
Take your time and get to know the residents of Heartcross.

It has been eight years since Felicity (Flick) Simons ran from the small island village. Nursing a broken heart, telling everyone she was chasing bright lights and big city dreams.
When those dreams fade, and life is not as satisfying as her young dreams had hoped for, she returns home, understanding it may have been too long since she last even visited. Disaster strikes while she is home and the village is cut off from the rest of the world during the most brutal weather.
Felicity pitches in to find her place and hold the village together. Can she also find the life she thought was not within her reach?

Second chances, dangerous situations, quick thinking and discovering people are not always what your first impression may may you think.
This is a series to fall in love with.

Every Christie Barlow book I read I always say it's my favourite. And I'm saying it again.
I truly loved this story. I completely fell in love with the characters and the location, all so fabulously described that I felt like I was there and living in the pages!
I seriously want to go eat cake at the tea-shop.
It’s got everything you could want from a book, community spirit, all pulling together in a crisis, family, love and loss.
I absolutely loved it.
It was an emotional read too.
I’m really sad that I’ve finished it, I just wanted to keep reading. Fortunately this is book one so there will be more stories from Heartcross, and I can’t wait to catch up with the locals.
Thanks to HarperImpulse and NetGalley for the review copy in which I give my honest opinion.

Love Heart Lane is a well written romance. I enjoyed the plot, setting and the author’s writing. I look forward to reading more books by this author. I received an arc from Netgalley and this is my unbiased review.

Could not put this book down. From the moment it started, I was drawn into Felicity;s life, and at the point the book moved to Heartcross, well I had to read it in one sitting, staying up to the small hours.

Definitely a book worth sacrificing sleep for!!

There is so much drama and action in Love Heart Lane, that I couldn't believe it.

it's all about the community of Heartcross who need to come together when their small Scottish village is cut off from the rest of the world.

It is about Felicity returning to Heartcross properly after 8 years, hoping that her friends will welcome her and wondering just what sort of reaction Fergus will give her.

There is a whole cast of warm and lovable characters, who I can't read to more about in the rest of this series.

I think I may be saying it with every book but Christie Barlow is getting better and better, her writing is fabulous and the way the story jumps off the page and gets under your skin is remarkable.

What a wonderful book, that I adored every second of.

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

Exquisite! So close to the end of 2018 (review written on 29/12/18) if you asked me to name my top 10 books of the year this would easily make the list....in fact I'd say it could even be in my top 5 and I've read over 100 books this year!

Let's start with the obvious - the cover is beautiful, so vibrant and would immediately make me pick up this book to read the synopsis. I love the colours and first look at Heartcross with it's bunting-clad trees.

The book follows Felicity (Flick) who returns to her home village of Heartcross (a small village in the Scottish Highlands)"from London following the death of her grandmother. When she arrives she is shocked to find her mum's cottage and business in disarray and more than a bit run down as her mum had struggled to cope with everything as well as caring for Flick's grandmother.

The business is a tearoom that Flick has fond memories of and resolves to leave her time in London behind and start afresh in Heartcross to aid her mum in rejuvenating the tearoom and indeed her own life again.

Flick reacquaints with friends from her past - it is alluded to that she left in a hurry but I won't spoil why but it was refreshing that she wasn't entirely welcomed back with open arms from everyone as that is how I'd expect it to be in reality.

Flick has to work her way back into her old friendship group and, as it has been years since she returned home, this is not straightforward in some cases. When catastrophe strikes can Flick step forward and use her skill set to help 'save the day'? This is usually the part I find a bit clichèd in romance books however I loved this storyline - it was very interesting reading the ideas Flick and the other residents came up with and was actually believable and well-written in general. I felt like I desperately wanted to be a part of the community as they pulled together in the very best of ways.

Of course, it wouldn't be right without a potential love interest and I adored this aspect - enter Fergus. Flick and Fergus were in a relationship when they were younger, I feel like I have spoiled enough so I will leave this heart-warming (& sad backstory) for you to find out for yourself!

Suffice to say I can't recommend this enough - my first read by Christie Barlow but I already have a few more of her books on my kindle that will be read very soon! The characters were superb (I loved Esme!) and the community spirit was heart warming and touching. The note from Christie at the end is clear there will be another book from the same setting and I am already on countdown for that!

My many thanks to Harper Impulse and Killer Reads via NetGalley for providing me with this advanced reading copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book is a really great read. I went into it thinking that it would be a quick, lighthearted romance story but it actually has some pretty deep emotions. Flick and Fergus have a complicated and traumatic history. After years apart they are reunited when Flick comes back to town but they still have lots of leftover hurt and resentment they have to work through. The characters are quirky, real, and engaging. The story pulls you in until you can't put the book down. 4 stars.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me a copy of this ebook via NetGallery. All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own.

I loved this book, from the cover you’d be mistaking for thinking it’s a light romantic read, but it actually deals with difficult subjects, and our main heroine Flick is a flawed individual who chose to leave everyone she loved in her dust when she fled her home village to go to London. Returning 8 years later after the death of her gran, she has to deal with the consequences of her actions as well as as rallying the village when the only bridge into town collapses. The story was well written, the characters were complicated and had a realness to them, especially Fergus...it was so refreshing to read about a man who showed real emotion. I was really pleased to find out there is another book coming out set in the same village, will definitely be reading that

Love Heart Lane was a wonderful book, I have read all of Christies fabulous books, I was so excited to read this one, I enjoyed every minute of it and so glad to hear there will be another series.

Oh I am so looking forward to the rest of this series! What a charming setting and enchanting characters. Sure but there was a bit of sadness and drama, a good cozy romance should always have some semblance of realism. Just enough to think the story is possible.

Loved all of the characters and can’t wait to read more. Esme was adorable and I look forward to reading more about her antics in the village of Heartcross.

Christie Barlow is becoming a master of the cozy romance.

Felicity Simons returns home to the wee Scottish Highlands village she grew up in after bereavement in her family. She left there years before because of another loss, brokenhearted and fleeing the pain. The man she left behind, Fergus, is not happy to see her again after all this time. Felicity has a lot of fences to mend with old friends as well whom she also hurt by cutting them all off despite still having family in the Heartcross. London has lost its attraction for Felicity, known as Flick back home, and now she considers moving back and reopening her grandmother’s tea shop.

During a massive storm, the village loses a bridge that connects it to the outside world. They must all pull together until help can come. Flick realizes she made several mistakes in leaving including losing the only man she has ever loved. Fergus had moved on, but once again for him, events have caused a major sadness. Now that she is back, they have a second chance at happiness if he can forgive her despite the pain and devastation Flick caused.

While this book is categorized under humor and is ostensibly a love story, Felicity’s spending a majority of the book wallowing in guilt, sadness, and regret drags down the tale. The decision she made as a young, immature woman has cost her and those she loves greatly. For a story set in the Scottish Highlands, there is very little dialect when seems odd. Readers who have enjoyed this author’s previous books will mostly likely be happy with this new series.

What a nice start to a new series! Flick and Fergus. Hmmm. Why did they split? Can they reconnect? Will he forgive her? Flick moved to London but comes home to Heartcross, Scotland when her grandmother dies. She doesn't think she'll be there long- of course- but then a snowstorm and a disaster with a bridge means she's stuck. Everyone in town pulls together and you'll meet some fun characters. It's light, it's cheery, it's about love, community, and friends. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. If you like novels about small villages, this is for you.

Love Heart Lane

As soon as I saw the title of this book I knew I was going to fall in love with it and it certainly didn’t disappoint. I was also thrilled to find it was the first book in a brand new series set in the Scottish Highlands.

Felicity Simons is disillusioned with her life in London and when her gran sadly dies she returns home to Love Heart Lane in the remote village of Heartcross.

Having hurt so many people when she upped and left eight years before, she is filled with trepidation and isn’t sure whether she’ll be welcomed back or not.
I was intrigued to know why Fergus, her ex, found it so hard to forgive and forget and wanted nothing to do with Felicity. It was interesting to observe the dynamics of what happened in their relationship from the two different viewpoints, especially when those two people were suffering so much.

When devastation hits the small village, Felicity manages to show everyone what she’s made of and even surprises herself with what she can achieve.

The love story that runs through the book is heartbreaking, heartwarming and joyful. Christie has a way of describing emotions that enables the reader to feel every bit of pain, confusion and happiness that the characters are going through.

Felicity works hard to rebuild the bridges between her and her family and friends. The relationship she has with a little girl called Esme is simply beautiful and extremely healing.

Christie has created a wonderful village in Heartcross with characters full of warmth and kindness and it was so endearing to see the community come together to face adversity.

This book is about love, friendship, forgiveness and acceptance and will totally melt your heart.

Actual Rating: 4.5 stars

I'll admit, one of the main reasons I wanted to read this book is because of the beautiful cover. The colors drew me in and the drawn depiction of Love Heart Lane is adorable. I love covers like this and am always happy to see that the insides of the book match the outside. With that being said, this is a wonderful story that not only brings readers to a charming setting but delivers characters that are instantly lovable. This isn't a surface level chick lit novel filled with fluff either. It's a story about reigniting lost love, saving a beloved town, and finding oneself again.

This is the first book I have read by Christie Barlow and it won't be my last! I can't wait to see how she develops the series and brings us more characters to fall in love with.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. I really really liked this book, it has some great characters and the village of Heartcross sounds wonderful.

What an excellent book. The sort of book that gives you a warm glow.
Loved the book and would recommend this to everyone

Excellent book! Loved the characters and it was a great storyline. I would highly recommend this book.