Living in a castle must be like a dream come true, right? Well, wrong. Often castles are money eating things and dreams are often turned into nightmares thanks to decisions made by previous heirs.

As much as I hate to burst your bubble, living in a castle is not a bed of roses or should I say bluebells? ;) But sometimes you only need that one stroke of luck to turn everything around.

When you see the cover, you just wish you could be teleported there. It shouts romance and that's indeed one of the things you will get. Besides you will also be amused by the little jokes and funny situations and a bit teary-eyed at times as well.

The author stole my heart by making the Ludworth family such a big dog lovers. I would not mind living there surrounded by all those furry treasures.

It's a fluently written, very enjoyable story and in my opinion a superb start of a new series. I, for sure, can hardly wait to pack my bags and return to Bluebell Castle. 4 stars.

Thank you, Sarah Bennett and Rachel's Random Resources.

The strength of a good book in this genre are in its character depictions and the amount of attachment we can form with them given the time we have once they are introduced to us. This is a trilogy with a trio of triplets as the main leads.

First up we have the new Baron Ludworth. The second eldest of the three but the eldest male is now heir to a rambling castle and a sizable cash flow problem. He is heartbroken over his father's death but is putting together as stable a plan as possible with the help of his siblings. This relationship as well as all the others that we are to encounter are so heartfelt (and I do not say this lightly) that I felt warmed by them and it has left me itching to find out what happens with the other two siblings as soon as I can.

Lucie is the female lead, a woman who has some things in her past that she would rather not recollect but overall an enthusiastic worker who specializes in valuable art. When their paths cross in the time when both need bolstering, and all the numerous dogs in the background, things get better for both of them. I cheered for them as well as shed a tear or two, overall a very enjoyable read.

I enthusiastically recommend this to readers of this genre. Recently I have not clicked with books in this variety because of one reason or the other, the predominant reason being the narration. This particular tale has made me feel fresh and hopeful that there are authors out there I can still personally recommend(not that the others are bad but I can only recommend something I actually had good experiences with).

I received an advance review copy thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but it has not effected the review in any way, which remains unbiased.

Writing Style
For some books I find this really hard to describe, and this is one of those books. It almost felt like at times it was character driven, while at others it was driven by the story or the location. I don’t know if there’s a technical description for it, but I found the balance of all those different approaches really relaxing.

This let me just absorb what was on the page and feel like I was there with them as much as possible. I did find myself wishing I could enjoy reading them in the bath, but by the time I realised I wanted that it was too late to run a bath. And unfortunately, I don’t own a portable bath to travel to and from work in (not that I’m sure that’s socially acceptable?) to get my extra level of relaxation that way.

And man, those bluebell descriptions reminded me of the park behind the house I grew up in. But for me it was a field of daisies not bluebells. Not quite as fancy. But you still get the whole running in a field of flowers feeling which is amazing. So those descriptions brought me back to those childhood summer days where I’d read in amongst the flowers and my dad would almost trip over me coz, he couldn’t see me coz the flowers were so tall.

Those were good times so it’s nice to remember them sometimes.

Initial Thoughts
I was a bit confused as to what was happening in the first 2-3 chapters because it didn’t label the time to show we were covering certain days across winter with months between them. Once I realised this, I was OK, especially since it was pretty much entirely based in spring/early summer after that.

Since I’d been held on tenterhooks waiting for this book to arrive, I was ready to dive straight in and get immersed in the story. And I found this super easy to do, especially with a glass of wine on hand late on a Saturday afternoon and throughout Saturday night.

This book felt like a really great reading companion for a weekend night, which I really haven’t felt like I’ve had for quite some time.

Final Thoughts
Throughout the whole book I found myself picturing the countryside, the types of stones used, the layout of the castle, all those dogs running around and how picturesque it must be. Living somewhere like this would be a dream for me. Minus the money issues of course.

To read about how the other half live was mesmerising for me. But what I really liked were the moments when Lucie and Arthur were able to recognise their own faults and do something about them. They may have needed help sometimes to see their own faults. But they didn’t run away, gloss over or hide from them in in fear of what others would think of them.

Except a small moment from Lucie. But I can understand that and respect her for making sure Arthur found out the truth from her regardless.

My only fault with this book was the ending. I wanted more than like the 2 pages of them meeting up and making up to know what happens to them. An epilogue would have been perfect to wrap it up nicely. Unless it’s a series? Is it a series?

I did enjoy this it was a light easy read, but for me it couldn’t quite keep me as interested as I would like. It was predictable and I couldn’t quite care about the characters they seemed to lack chemistry. Enjoyable but not my favourite read of these books.


Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

An adorable modern romance - quick to read and easy to love. My only "complaint" is that the ending could have had a bit more depth but we all love a happily ever after and that was definitely implied and it would be my hope that the author will weave some more bits of their story in the continuation of the series (which have been added to my TBR shelf.)

Overall, a fun little book to escape in with likeable characters, a bit of mystery and drama, and of course, the whimsical romance. I enjoyed it.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher and/or author for a complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

The story of Arthur and Lucie - the first in this new series, and I'm looking forward to reading the rest!

Arthur has recently inherited the castle and is having mone worries. In order to try and make some cash, Lucie is employed to review the contents of the castle to see if there is anything of value.

Lucie is running away and keeping a secret, but the more time she spends with Arthur the more she wants to stay with him, but when a potentially valuable painting is found she runs away from Arthur. She has her reasons but can he ever forgive her?

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I can honestly say I judged a book by it's cover here, and expected a light easy story that I’d forget in a months time. It is easy to read, but in a way that’s delightful and interesting. The characters that live in the castle have personality and gumption, and throughout the story you keep crossing your fingers hoping for the best. The writing and plot were realistic and I felt like I was really there, at Bluebell Castle. Am very keen to read the next two novels in this series, what a great beginning.

I loved this book!!! If you are a fan of Caroline Robert’s ‘The Cosy Teashop in the Castle’ you will love this!

It’s a great story and a perfect opening to a trilogy of books. I’m impatient for the next instalment! Lucie and Arthur are well developed characters and I can’t wait to see what happens next!

I am in love with this story. Sweet and tender and laugh-out-loud funny, Sarah Bennett has crafted a wonderful, heartwarming tale in Spring Skies over Bluebell Castle. When a rugby-playing baronet with an authentic castle stuffed with ancient historical paintings and knick-knacks and an art historian meet, there’s love and hijinks to be had in the stone circle replica in the backwoods as well as around the shelves of a Beauty and the Beast library.

Sir Arthur Ludworth is one of a triplet of siblings and on whom the weight of the title and lands of Camland :"Bluebell" Castle have fallen, including the state of near bankruptcy on which they hover. While their father was full of bonhomie and goodwill, he was disastrous where financial matters were concerned. In order to save the estate, he decides to capitalize on their ancestors’ fascination with all things Arthurian, to draw in paying visitors to the castle. In order to do so, they need someone who can appraise and archive all their musty, neglected collections

Lucinda “Lucie” Kennington has a degree in art history and specializes in pre-Raphaelite paintings. When the rare painting she discovers is set up as the star of a highly respected auction, but turns out to be a fake, she’s accused of stealing the original and replacing it with a forgery. Now, at loose ends at home, Lucie spies an advert for an art historian and archivist wanted at Camland Castle.

When Lucie betrays his trust, the path back to trust and thence to love for Lucie and Arthur is very rocky indeed. Hovering over the tale is also the mystery of the lost painting from the auction, the redemption of Lucie’s reputation in the art world, and the rescue of the castle. If you haven’t read Bennett, this book is a treat. Bennett has a light but sure touch in her writing that works superbly well for this type of sweet and tender story.

https://frolic.media/the-heart-of-a-story-spring-skies-over-bluebell-castle/

Lucie thinks her sojourn in the Derbyshire countryside will be a tonic to what happened to her in London. She wasn't expecting the new Baronet at Bluebell Castle to be dishy. Or that his family would all be named after character in Arthurian legend. The Castle and the family are on the rocks and when Lucie, a curator, finds a painting that might be valuable, there's cause for celebration. These two are cute, as are Arthur's siblings (and the two other triplets), Igraine, and Tristan. The family works and if some of the references get to be a bit much, well it's worth googling the names just for a learning experience. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

Lucie is on the run. On the run from something she did not actually do, but in the world of antiques, auction houses and reputation she needs to disappear for a while. Holed up in a castle seems a good as place as any.

But there is work to be done at this castle - answering the job advertisement for a curator to record all the artefacts held within Bluebell Castle. Lucie has visions of Arthur Ludworth the current Baronet as some old relic who is going to be as difficult as he is helpful.

What Lucie does not realise is she is about to walk into something out of an Arthurian Legend.

Arthur Ludworth, eldest of triplets by minutes is left the legacy of Bluebell Castle and all the bad investments and therefore debts that his father left behind. He knows that he needs to capture the idea of perhaps opening up his home to cash in on the Castle's history as well as its artefacts, but there is also talk of a missing painting which might explain the obsession that all Ludworths have had with Arthur, Lancelot and the Knights of the Round Table.

Lucie finds herself enthralled by the story of the legend, the artefacts in the castle, the diaries and Arthur Ludworth certainly not an old relic but one who is distractingly handsome.Will the missing painting remain a legend?Will Lucie's past catch up with her?

Will Bluebell Castle survive the debts, the intrigued and the new love burgeoning within its walls?

Not up for me to tell you - go and read this wonderful new novel in the first of a new series from Sarah Bennett.

It has everything that I could possibly want from a really good story; romance, mystery, history, a castle and even a Butler!

If all or any of these things, fascinate you then read the book, it will bring joy to you in abundance.It is like the Antiques Roadshow meets Downton Abbey and I am totally in love with it! Sarah Bennett has done it again and I think this is going to be her best series to date.

The pages flew for me. I was fascinated with Arthur and Lucie falling in love while Lucie was uncovering the past love of his great grandfather.

“Take the advice of a woman who knows: when you find love, grasp it in both hand and don’t ever let go.”

Fancy some British literary fiction? How about interesting characters you will truly bond with, a lovely British landscape, and lots of love? Spring Skies over Bluebell Castle is as happy and entertaining a book as its title and pretty cover suggest.

Lucie is a young, professional woman, working in London at her dream job in a prestigious art house. She has overcome a past fraught with major upsets. But, on the day she achieves a major accomplishment at work, everything is ruined.

Meanwhile, at a partially ruined castle, Arthur and his brother Tristan and sister Igraine, triplets, are facing their own problems. Their father has passed away and now Arthur as the eldest is the new Baronet. But his “kingdom” mainly consists of beautiful bluebells that bloom every spring, a bunch of odd Camelot pieces, and lots of bills. Fortunately, he has a good heart and a loving family, which also includes his Uncle Lancelot and Great-Aunt Morgana. (Yes, you are right in noticing that the family has a Camelot/King Arthur “thing”.)

When Arthur advertises for a curator to come to the castle and inventory the contents, Lucie takes the position and hopes it will be her lifeline. Will it be more than that? Will the spring skies also awaken love?

This book will make you smile. If I were at the castle, I would be vying for Arthur’s attention, too! He is a fine fellow. I may still have a chance to win him, as there are two more books planned in this series. Good news- so start reading this book and enjoy your visit to Bluebell Castle.

Thanks to the author, NetGalley, the publisher and Rachel’s Random Resources for a review copy. This is my honest review.

This is the first novel in a new series for Sarah Bennett and I can honestly say that it was every bit as enjoyable as I thought it was going to be. The cover is so cute and pretty, I love the light blue sky, the purple flowers surrounding the cover and of course the big manor house that takes pride of place in the centre of the cover. I also love the font, it's just so cheerful and pretty and finishes off the cover nicely.

I really enjoyed the way the novel started, as I feel we got a real insight into the characters and Arthur's family as well. I enjoyed getting to know each character in turn and I liked that we got to know them separately, ie we read about Arthur and then we read about Lucie. It was nice to see both points of view. I also really loved the setting of the novel. It all sounded so magical and so grand! It definitely made me think about going up to that neck of the woods and exploring a little!

This was a heartwarming novel, and although I feel it took me a little while to get into it, once I got into the flow of the story I couldn't put it down! It was so enjoyable and for me I kept searching for times during my day where I could read more. The blossoming relationship between Arthur and Lucie was lovely to read and I really felt a connection between the two of them. The ending made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. I can't wait to read the next one in the series!

This novel was lighthearted and easy to read. It'll leave you longing to learn more about the other characters and more of course about Bluebell Castle. Thank you to the publisher and Rachel from Rachel's Random Resources for a chance to read this novel, which I have reviewed honestly.

This book is the first of a new series for Sarah and will be a trilogy of delightful books. I loved the introduction to some truly wonderful characters including Lucie and Arthur, the main focal characters for this book, and the rest of the Ludworth family.

As a Derbyshire lass I loved instantly that this book is based here, though fictional in its setting, there are many places that I can relate certain scenes and landscapes to such as the railway station and the bluebell wood. The castle with its wings, library and secrets was enchanting and provided the perfect escape for a story.

Lucie's crippling doubts in her own abilities brought about by a difficult childhood and complicated career issues was endearing and well written. You can tell she is quite a strong but introvert character that is tied to her Mum and her love of art deeply, but needs to step out of her comfort zone, which her employment at the castle certainly is.

Arthur and his triplet siblings Tristan and Iggy make such great characters. They're also reeling with loss and a sense of betrayal, but despite their privileged upbringing they are decent, empathetic and caring. I am looking forward to finding out more about Tristan and Iggy in the future books I hope.

This book is about second chances, family, integrity, and the true value of what we love. I really enjoyed reading this book, it is light escapism and perfect for Spring!

Lucie is a lady whose past she can’t seem to out run. No matter where she goes she is always reminded of it and struggles to escape it. Bluebell Castle seems to be the perfect opportunity to start a fresh though.

I loved the history of Bluebell Castle. At times it felt like I was in another era with characters names like Arthur and Lancelot. I was almost waiting for the knights of the round table to turn up! I think it makes this story almost magical at times and was certainly spellbinding as I was engrossed in finding out more about the estate and characters.

There is a little bit of mystery in the story and the blossoming romance between Lucie and Arthur was a joy to read. It certainly makes you feel all warm and tingly inside.

Spring Skies Over Bluebell Castle is an enjoyable story to lose yourself into. Great to see that this is just the first in a series of books featuring Bluebell Castle, of which I hope to see lots more of Lucie and Arthur also. A heartwarming and light hearted read.