I discovered Veronica Henry's books a couple of years ago and I have been a fan ever since.  This is her most recent novel.

Title: A Home From Home

Author: Veronica Henry

Format: ARC ebook

Publisher: Orion Publishing Group

About the Book:

Sunshine, cider and family secrets...

Dragonfly Farm has been a home and a haven for generations of Melchiors - arch rivals to the Culbones, the wealthy family who live on the other side of the river. Life there is dictated by the seasons and cider-making, and everyone falls under its spell.

For cousins Tabitha and Georgia, it has always been a home from home. When a tragedy befalls their beloved Great-Uncle Matthew, it seems the place where they've always belonged might now belong to them...

But the will reveals that a third of the farm has also been left to a Culbone. Gabriel has no idea why he's been included, or what his connection to the farm - or the Melchiors - can be.

As the first apples start to fall for the cider harvest, will Dragonfly Farm begin to give up its secrets?

My Thoughts:

As I said at the beginning of this post, I'm a fan of Veronica Henry's work and this book had me hooked.

There are a few story threads that you must follow and there is back story that is interwoven as the book proceeds, but I feel Henry succeeds in doing this.

There are various family members mentioned in the book from both families (the Melchior and Culbone) and as the book proceeds you find how even though there is a long standing feud because of a tragedy, their lives are entwined.

Utterly addictive reading.

What a wonderful book!!! Veronica Henry is the queen of this genre.

Set in beautiful cider drinking Somerset the book begins with the death of Gum the much loved uncle of Tabitha and Georgia. The girls have not spoken for several months but the tragic death reunites them. There is a definate Romeo and Juliet vibe with two families at war over a love story that ended tragically many years previously. There are several mysteries within the story in which the two families are embroiled which I won't go into as I'm a blabber mouth and no doubt will accidentally give away spoilers!!

In true Veronica Henry style everything is resolved at the end in such a lovely and moving way. Another fabulous book!

What a gorgeous cover Veronica Henry's new book, A Home from Home has. It's warm and inviting and urges you to open the book and begin reading as soon as possible and to quickly come under the spell cast by Dragonfly Farm. This is a story that is difficult to put down as you become reeled in by the dramas that exist and continue to develop between two families -The Melchiors and the Culbornes. Playing out amidst a stunning rural backdrop plenty of secrets are about to be revealed combined with challenging decisions to be made as the long running feud that has separated the families is about to come to a head. A Home from Home is filled with lots of different little storylines, all of which capture and hold your attention so much so that you are eager to discover just how everything will connect up. Love, life, loss, grief, secrets and tragedy all have a major role to play in this charming, well written and appealing story.

Tabitha Melchior has called Dragonfly Farm her home for many years having been taken in by her Great Uncle Gum and his wife Joy. Tabitha had been a wild child and very hard to get along with, she was someone who bucked against convention and any attempts to tame her were fruitless. But it was the unit of Gum and Joy who gave her sanctuary and a safe place to find herself when her parents who had split up could clearly not. The rebellious and stubborn nature of Tabitha can still be seen today but she has grown and matured to some extent as she continues to live with Gum following the death of Joy. The farm is not a proper working farm but it has been in their family for generations ever since it was won from the Culbornes of Rushbrook House in a game of cards many years ago.

Tabitha is not a career girl and she believes she should be answerable to no one and that she is happy living with Gum and the relationship that she has established with him ever since he took her in. She is content to tend the orchards, alongside a few other small jobs which earn her some money, and to create wonderful cider renowned for miles around and she even has ambitious plans to expand the range.

Dragonfly Farm may be very rough and ready but there is an aura around it that offers comfort and solace and security. So when tragedy strikes and Gum is no longer with them, how will Tabitha continue when her confidant and rock and security have gone? What happens when the reading of the will throws up a lot more surprises than Tabitha and her cousin Georgia could ever have bargained for? What follows is a story that moves back and forth between the past and present in order to unravel mysteries kept hidden for many years. The air of mystery pervades throughout the story and this helped make A Home from Home a very enjoyable and intriguing read.

Despite the exterior she presents to the world of a woman who is tough and can well fight her corner if needed to, Tabitha is deep down someone who is vulnerable and a person who really doesn't know how to express her emotions. She would rather keep them under lock and key than admit that she is terrified of the prospect of life without Gum and even more scared of the fact that the future of her beloved Dragonfly Farm is in doubt. When the will is read Georgia, who is a script editor and working and living in London, discovers alongside Tabitha that a Gabriel Culborne has also been left one third of the farm. Of course their reaction was normal and to be expected especially when a member of a rival family turns out to have a share in their home and future. They had never heard of Gabriel who does not even live in the area so the question immediately arises as to why on earth Gum would have left the farm to him. As the story develops we get to know Tabitha, Georgia and Gabriel much more which allows the reader to get a sense of each person and to form an opinion as to what we believe should happen to the farm.

Gabriel is married to Lola and they have a daughter Plum but are desperately trying for another baby. He runs a bespoke knife business but times are challenging and with this news of an inheritance he never saw coming on the horizon he wonders should he just sell up to get the money he needs to secure a better future for his young family? All I really wanted to know is why would Gum have even mentioned Gabriel in his will and Tabitha and Georgia feel the same. They thread a very careful balance between wanting to get to know Gabriel to suss out what his intentions could be but also there is a sense of hesitancy and reserve on their parts given the history between their two families. As Gabriel wrestles with his conscience he sets out to discover just why Gum included him in his will? Will he be happy with what he uncovers?

I loved how the end goal of reaching a decision wasn't the sole focus of the book instead alongside this main problem the other issues in the characters lives were allowed to develop and unfold and there was almost like a relaxing and enveloping atmosphere developing alongside an air of mystery. You really did genuinely come to care for the characters and would hope that an outcome that would suit everybody could be arranged as I feared for Tabitha if the place she loved so much was taken away from her. Her safety net and security blanket would be taken from under her feet and I wasn't sure could she cope with that. Even more so when Dash Culborne comes back to revitalise Rushbrook House and sets his sights on the farm too I think that would have sent Tabitha over the edge. Well that's the impression I got first of Dash but I was very surprised as to how his character turned out.

As for Georgia I don't think she was as connected to the farm as Tabitha was but still she felt a sense of duty and wanted the right resolution for everybody. I really loved Georgia as a character, she was ambitious in her career and loved being a script writer and her energy and enthusiasm just bounced from the pages. She had been stung on the romantic front and used for someone else’s career gain but I loved how she really began to stand up for her self and she wanted to see her long term of goal of writing her own tv scripts become a reality. I really enjoyed her back story that was revealed through chapters set in the past and it helped with joining up the dots of the clues scattered in the present. This section of the book set in the past really did help to make sense of events ongoing in the modern day and it was a vital inclusion to the overall story.

My only minor complaint about the book was that there were so many family connections and talk of great great great grandparents etc that I did become slightly confused at times as to who was related to who and why. At the time of reading, I think maybe a family tree at the very end of the book would have been useful to refer back to when you had finished reading but then when I thought about this maybe too many secrets would have been given away too soon. But apart from this I thoroughly enjoyed A Home from Home, it's Veronica Henry at her very best creating a delightful, heart-warming, engaging story. It's a book you can't go wrong should you make the wise decision to buy it as soon as possible.

A perfect holiday read, it had me tied to the sunbed. Veronica Henry has written another best seller. Tabitha has a prickly character, not helped by a member of the family that has been an arch enemy for many years becoming involved in the family business. Funny yet poignant.

Dragonfly farm is a safe haven for the Melchoir family set within the Somerset countryside.

A rivalry between the Melchoirs and the Culbones has meant that both familes have been at war for years.

The story unfolds as two cousins Tabitha & Georgia, who after a family tragedy pull together and renew their bond. Georgia lives in London and Tabitha lives on the farm. After losing their Great Uncle Matthew (who they call Gum), they are thrown off guard when his will reveals that Dragonfly farm is not just left to them but a stranger.

The mystery of the third person is a Culbone, and it is time to unravel why as they look through Gums history and delve into the past of both families.


Escape to Somerset for sunshine, cider and secrets all wrapped up with romance.

Two families – the Melchiors and the Culbones – have an historic feud and live on opposite sides of the river. Never the twain shall meet, until Great-Uncle Matthew (fondly known as ‘Gum’) leaves Dragonfly Farm to his two grand-daughters – cousins Tabitha and Georgia – plus Gabriel Culbone, in equal thirds.

How can two Melchiors share a farm and property with a Culbone? Gabriel doesn’t know why he’s been left a share, nor does he know what his connection is to Gum and to the Culbones. Gabriel lives in London and didn’t know that he was related to a family in Somerset.

Fortunately, the three get on well and Gabriel brings his partner Lola, and 3-year-old daughter Plum, to Dragonfly Farm for a weekend of bonding over cider-making. Then DNA tests are taken… and there is also Dash Culbone who has returned to the village to take up residence in the abandoned family home.

I’ve read all of Veronica’s books and loved every one. They always have me hooked from the first few pages. This is a lovely but easy read, and I didn’t want it to end!

Thank you to NetGalley and Orion for an ARC in return for an honest review.

Lovely gentle book, a great summer read and one for the beach. The characters drew you in and you want everyone to live happily ever after.

The perfect summer read, a wonderful story about family, rivalry, friendship , love and of course drama. A few twists and turns to keep you guessing. A thoroughly entertaining read

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

Well what can I say? I totally loved this book. It drew me in from the very start. I have only read a couple of Veronica's books before and loved those also. I was worried the ending would be rushed as some books seem to be but this was very well written. The story line developed at a lovely pace. I would certainly recommend to any one who loves a really heart warming story. Excellent. Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read this book.

Tabitha has always been grateful to her great uncle Matthew and his wife Joy for taking her in when things fell apart at home. They gave her a steady influence and helped her find her way. Now they are no longer around and she feels lost especially when the will is read and a whole load of secrets are uncovered. This is another amazing story from Veronica Henry dripping with detail and atmosphere drawing you in and keeping you intrigued until the very end. Loved it. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

What a fabulous read. Perfect summer reading material. Amazing characters & as always so well written absolutely loved it.

Dragonfly Farm is Tabitha Melchior's home and she spends her days working at The Swan pub making her famous pies which she learned to make quite by chance when the chef was off as well as providing pub goers with traditional food and also training horses.
This was a nice twist and it showed how resourceful she was. Life isn't all rosy for her, though. She has had her differences with her sister for years and they were close to their great grandfather Gum. His sudden death is the reason they find themselves forced to contact each other again.

There are so many characters in this book and each has a great backstory which is so well deceloped. The main conflict is a feud between two families in the town and life for the residents focuses in and around the river, Swan pub and an old house.

From the start, Veronica Henry pulls you into rural Somerset and you can just smell and taste the pies and cider. The sense of community is excellently portrayed and the sense of unresolved conflict and the unease it has on the area and its people is palpable throughout the entire book and creates wonderful unease and tension so that what is painted as picture postcard perfect at the beginning of the book is not really and you get the impression that the place is full of secrets.

Any hint at family secrets always has me hooked and the pace in this book was second to none given all the characters and intertwining plots.

Home from Home is my first title by Veronica Henry and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It's a real escapist novel and reminded me of West Country holidays in the past

Thanks so much to Veronnica Henry, and Orion for my ARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.

4 stars

Wow ! This is her 20th Book ! And what a fab read it is :) I loved it ! Here’s to the 21st book.
10/10

Jam packed with family secrets, I want to immediately move into a ramshackled barn, start brewing a sparkling apple fizz and live an idyllic country life! Loved this book, big 5* from me.

With a nod to Doone Valley and some old cowboy films with rivals set in a valley, this book is just a delight and what can be termed as 'feelgood'. I wouldn't have necessarily chosen this sort of genre, but I am glad I did in this case.

Set in rural Somerset it was a joy to read about cider making and life in a slightly run down Dragonfly Farm. Well developed characters and I warmed to Tabitha and Georgia..

The story revolves around two families - the Melchiors and Culbones living across from each other in a small valley - and a last will and testament following the death of a Melchior.

No doubt the author must have spent some time researching apples and cider making - what a dreadful experience!

Thanks to Net Galley and Orion Publishing for the chance to read this read and review this book.

I have read many of Veronica Henry's books and enjoyed them all and was really pleased to be offered a preview copy of this book. I thoroughly enjoyed this tale of 2 families and their rivalry The characters in all her books are so well written and developed and the stories are always believable. The different threads of the story are woven together well and it was a book I didn’t want to finish.

This was such a breath of fresh air and a perfect summer read.
Henry writes beautifully about families, love, loss and drama. Wonderfully warm and vibrant characters and overall an interesting plot.

What a wonderful story!! All the time I thought I knew what was going to happen, a 'Spanner' was thrown in, only small one each time, but enough to throw you off balance, and wishing you were right, willing them on, hoping!! A very nice read!!

Sometimes there are books that capture your heart, and Home From Home is most certainly one of those. Set in idyllic rural Rushbrook, the focus of this novel is Dragonfly Farm, complete with apple orchards that produce the mystical Melchior cider. A long standing rivalry between two families, the Melchiors and the Culbones is the starting point for the story and we are introduced to a cast that include Tab, Georgia, Gum, Joy, Dash, Gabriel, Lola, Chris and Nicola. Each has secrets and tragedy in their past, and Henry reveals these layers languidly, which was in perfect keeping with the feel of this beautifully paced story. Overwhelmingly though, each character has love flowing through their veins which made this a pure joy to read. I cried, I smiled, I was transported to Dragonfly Farm. Home from Home was like a warm blanket wrapped round me in the coldest of winter months and I wish I could bottle the joy it gave me, for it would surely sustain me during the depths of winter. By far my favourite read of 2019 and thank you Veronica Henry for your beautiful book.

I loved this book. Veronica Henry's tale of 2 families and their rivalry is very entertaining. The characters are likeable and the story believable. The different threads of the story are cleverly woven together to make a satising ending without feeling contrived. Great for whiling away time on holiday.