What a beautiful, emotive read this book proved to be, a story of someone who seems to keep getting figuratively kicked when she’s down by those who really should be loving and supporting her. Despite this, she’s always there to help and support others, prepared to go that extra mile to help someone else even if they don’t appreciate it at all.

Sometimes getting lost can help change your life for the better, even if you don’t realise it at the time! This is the story of Samantha Wishaw, who gets lost whilst trying to do a favour for her cousin Chloe for whom she’s being a bridesmaid. Sam ends up at Hedgehog Hollow where she finds Thomas, an elderly widower, collapsed. Sam’s a nurse and calls for an amubulance. This introduces her to a paramedic who will become a supportive friend and helps her get back on route to the wedding reception but that’s when everything hits the fan and her dysfunctional family show their true colours.

Sam’s Dad is lovely but the rest of them, especially her Mum, are absolutely awful to her! I just couldn’t believe how they treated this kind young lady yet, despite this, she carries on striving to help others and rarely retaliates despite terrible provocation. It is heartbreaking . . . . but keep on reading as this is a delightful story of overcoming the negativity of those around you, helping others, discovering true friendship and romance as well as helping others achieve their goals. I admit to spending a lot of time with tears running down my face as I read this story. Sam deserved so much more praise and support from her female relatives. She definitely made a huge difference to Thomas and I was rooting for her throughout the story and loved the ending. I will definitely be looking out for other books by this author in future and have no hesitation in highly recommending this book.

I requested and was gifted a copy of this book and this is my honest review after choosing to read it and crying my way through it! I have to say this is now one of my all time favourite books.

5☆ Utterly Charming, Uplifting and Heartwarming Must Read!

When I picked up the blurb for this story and it featured hedgehogs I was sold!
Finding Love at Hedgehog Hollow is a utterly charming, uplifting and beautiful story.

Samantha isn't having a great time, she's attending her cousin Chloe's wedding which should be a happy and joyous day, except it's not. As the man her cousin is marrying is the man Samantha is in love with! Rough right! My heart went out to her!

But then she meets Thomas. The grumpy man who owns the Utterly charming Hedgehog Hollow. I mean who wouldn't fall in love with a place called Hedgehog Hollow that literally has Hedgehogs.
The two reluctantly become friends and Sam's life begins to start looking a lil brighter. Not only does Sam need Thomas, but he needs her too!

I love Jessica Redland's books and once again she didn't disappoint.
Her characters were wonderfully developed and relatable. The setting was charming.

This is a heartwarming story of friendship, family, drama, Ups and Downs, relationships and finding love.
If you adore animal's as much as I do then you won't be disappointed there is quiet a bit of animal love to go around!

If you haven't yet had the pleasure of reading Redland's books then I highly recommend you picking up a copy of Finding Love at Hedgehog Hollow you won't be disappointed!

Thank you to Rachel Random Resources for this copy which I reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

Even hardened cynics won’t be able to resist Jessica Redland’s enchanting new novel, Escape to Hedgehog Hollow.

Samantha Wishaw has had it with relationships. After watching the love of her life marrying another woman, Samantha has come to the conclusion that a happy ever after is simply not in her future. However, could Samantha’s fortunes be about to change forever after a chance encounter with grumpy widower, Thomas? Elderly Thomas lives at derelict Hedgehog Hollow and he wants Samantha to help restore it to its former glory. Desperate for a distraction, Samantha gleefully accepts and gets ready to roll up her sleeves and do some serious work. But it will not just be elbow grease and back-breaking labour that will prove to be Samantha’s salvation…

When she had accepted this mammoth task of making Thomas’ wife Gwendolyn’s dream a reality of transforming Hedgehog Hollow from a dilapidated ruin into a majestic location once again, Samantha never imagined that she would end up finding not just a refuge from her own troubles and worries, but somewhere she feels she belongs – not to mention the love and fulfilment which have eluded her so far. Hedgehog Hollow is about to make Samantha’s dreams a reality, but only if she has the courage to take a leap of faith and a chance on happiness.

Finding Love at Hedgehog Hollow is a sparkling, heart-warming and charming tale that makes for perfect summer reading. Feel-good, romantic and deliciously witty, Finding Love at Hedgehog Hollow is a brilliant novel about renewal, healing and second chances that ticks all the right boxes.

Jessica Redland writes escapist and enjoyable novels set in wonderful communities you would just love to move to and Finding Love at Hedgehog Hollow is certainly no different. Witty, entertaining and a joy from beginning to end, Finding Love at Hedgehog Hollow is a treat you cannot afford to miss.

When I saw the cover and title, I thought to myself "this looks like a cute and sweet romance story" and "I need it". So obviously, I requested a review copy because I knew I would be in the mood for a book like that. Unfortunately, my expectations weren't exactly met. My biggest issue was Samantha's family. They made me so angry and it tainted my enjoyment of the book.

Honestly, Sam seemed a bit pitiful because she let herself being the victim and never stood up for herself. She put everyone else's needs before her own and yet, she still found herself being blamed for loving her ex-boyfriend. Because apparently, giving him up to her cousin Chloe and giving them their blessing to be together (even though she was in love with him and thought he would be her future) wasn't enough. It was a pain to listen to her family treat her horribly and I just wanted to shake them all. If that part would have been shorter, perhaps I wouldn't have felt so frustrated.

The best part of this book was when Sam saved and met Thomas, an old man who lost his wife and had lost his will to live. They connected and were adorable together. Sam managed to give him a bit of happiness and it warmed my heart. When Thomas was gone and left her his property as heritage, I was hoping to finally meet the love interest but we were already 60% in when that happened. I felt like the romance with the veterinarian was a little flat.


<i>(Thank you for letting me read and review an ARC via Netgalley)

Sam has always been “overlooked” - from her family’s insistence on a childish nickname to watching the love of her life marry someone else, nothing is ever quite as she would hope. Between dealing with family drama (lots of it) and her own heartache, she’s needing something different and new, where she is in charge of her destiny. Surprisingly enough, a grumpy widower named Thomas also happens to be at the wedding, and piques Sam’s interest – particularly as he lives in a place called Hedgehog Hollow that has ACTUAL hedgehogs. (It was also one of the reasons I GRABBED this title when available – who can resist the cute little pincushions?)

Hearing Thomas’ story and how he still mourns his late wife stirs something in Sam – and she’s soon discovering that the friendship with Thomas, and the project to save the Hedgehogs is just what is needed to allow her to move forward. Very much a story of two halves, where we often find Sam straddling a line of razor wire that is her relationship with her family members – from a mother who dislikes her (actively), aunts who use her, cousins who take everything from her that they can and a wholly ineffective father – dealing with Thomas’ grief seems to be simple in comparison.

Understand that while the first half of the story unpacks the issues and dramas, and we get lots of background information as Sam untangles her own fraught family relationships while discovering friendship, support and no judgment from Thomas as his dreams for Hedgehog Hollow slowly become hers. It is not a story without some tears or anger –but the characters come to life, with heart, desires and hope ever-growing, and the story is uplifting and life-changing for Sam – and readers are left wanting more. A lovely story from Redland, and consistent with other books I have read from her that drag you into the story and allow you to escape and enjoy the hours spent reading.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Review first appeared at <a href=” /” > <a> I am, Indeed </a>

I absolutely jumped for this book on seeing the gorgeous cover and was thrilled to be rewarded with a book that gave everything I love in a book-animals, a life change and the promise of a beautiful story.

This is the story of Sam, who we meet at her cousin Chloe’s wedding. The only thing is, Chloe is marrying the love of Sam’s life! I beyond fell for both Sam and her lovely dad very early on, but was perplexed by the emotional beating the two of them took throughout the book, in particular by selfish relatives that had me shaking my head and frowning regularly.

I willed both of them on and cheered for Sam when her second chance came in the form of the loveliest friendship that was formed with the brilliant Thomas, an elderly man who was bereft after the death of his lovely wife. I’ll admit Sam’s own love story wasn’t totally necessary for me, the relationships of the day were most definitely our father/daughter team and the earlier grandfather/granddaughter relationship (and of course her beautiful friendship with Thomas). All in all a beautifully told story with a beautiful lead character. Thanks to Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources and Boldwood books for the book in return for an honest review and for allowing me to be part of the blog tour.

Rating: 4/5

This was a good read, a book that I wasn't expecting to have drama and angst but it was the right amount and at the right time.

Samantha story was kind of sad, I was sad that nobody will ever make any effort to understand her, I feel like she was always so miss understood and her family was never there for her.. her father was the only one who constantly gives her support but he mother was a terrible character for me.

Samantha is trying to recover her life after a fall in her path, but life and her family are making this situation almost impossible is like everything she does is wrong no matter how much she is trying to recover the love of her mother, if it ever exists but nothing seems perfect or right for her mom, she is angry, and always complaining about Samantha making her feel not welcome almost like she didn't love her at all.

Sam is just trying to recover her family, she is nice and is always trying to make people happy, even her best friend Chloe's was never really there for her, she also turned her back on her when things got bad. Sam suffers so much after seeing the love of her life marrying her best friend.. but life will bring so much more to Sam that eventually, she will find herself again.

This was a roller coaster of emotions, I cry a few times especially when Sam got hurt by her mom, she was a mean woman no matter how many excuses she tries to say, there is no amount of excuses to make feel your daughter that way .. completely unacceptable.

many great secondary characters that gave so much to the main characters

Great book great story, a great book I really recommended.

“Finding Love at Hedgehog Hollow” presents readers with the story of Samantha, who seeks to resolve the loss of her boyfriend (the jerk married her cousin) as well as her relationship with her mum. Samantha encounters obstacles as she courageously gets on with her life and learns to stand up for herself. In the process, she befriends an elderly gentleman who completely changes her life (no spoilers here!), meets a new man, changes jobs, and finds everlasting love and friends who care about her.

Readers should be prepared for some ups and downs, tears and smiles as they navigate life with Samantha. This is a clean read, without strong language or graphic sexual descriptions. The characters are likeable, and differences among people are dealt with in a sensitive manner. The plot moves along well, and short chapters encourage readers to keep on reading.

I received this novel from the publisher and from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

Lovely book about unexpected friendships and love. It was a completley captivating read with lovely characters and a lovely area to live in and how a dream from many years ago can come true after an unexpected meeting.

This story had me by the heartstrings the entire time.
Sam had more than a little bit of ups and downs, but with the kind words of her Gramps ringing in her ears, she never truly gave up. She had a wonderfully giving nature, always thinking of others before herself, and yes, sometimes it was to her own detriment, but there's never a wrong time to be nice. There's never a bad moment to show compassion, turn the other cheek, or even if it means a happier heart in the end, cutting ties. She gave up so much in her life, unknowingly of course, and in the time we get to know her, she still loses even more, but we also get to see the blessings her good nature eventually returns to her. Everyone gauges riches differently, but to me, she was top notch. She may have wanted different things from her life, yet by book's end, she can see the forest for the trees, or perhaps better put, the meadow for the flowers. The lives she touched and was touched by, the friendships she lost, gained, and rebuilt anew along the way, the familial connections that gained new strength as she added new members to the clan by choice versus blood, and finally, yes finally, her chance at true, meaningful love.

I had a wonderful time in Hedgehog Hollow and despite the bad times she experienced, the good always won out. Take a trip to a place overflowing with character and characters. A place where good people look out for each other, and there's always room for one more at the table. A place where home truly is where the heart is.

Sam has some great challenges in her life Men problems - Mom problem - self esteem but she is the kindest person you will ever met. She meets Thomas and rescues him and in the process rescues herself. You will love this story of the Hedgehog Rescue and fall in love with the characters. Great Read!!

Good storyline. great charcters, the story flowed really well, and it was a fun read. I sat and read this in the garden and it was a great way to while away an afternoon.

I cannot lie the title of this book drew me to it. It sounded too cute to pass on. And it was a complete and utter delight. The characters were engaging and the plotline was well done. And there was an abundance of animals!

Oh, i knew from the get go this book was going to be a me book and it was. It was just a delight but heart breaking in parts too and i certainly cried at least 3 times for Sam.

We meet Sam, her cousin is marrying the love of Sams life, her mother isn't speaking to her and tensions are rising. When Sam is asked to head away from the wedding to grab a gift she ends up lost and a chance meeting changes everything. She comes across an old man who is really not well, but Sam been the caring woman she is - tries to help. This encounter changes Sams live and plans to restore Hedgehog Hollow take over and she throws herself into the task at hand.

I loved Sam, she is the ultimate leading character, her transformation is wonderful. Life is throwing so much at Sam and she is the kindest most caring character i have come across. She deserves her shot at happiness and i really rooted for her.

It was such a delightful read, the narrative flowed and so much happened yet it never felt rushed. The descriptions were just lovely, i could picture every single thing. Yet the thing that stood out the most was the way Jessica has written emotions into it. I felt every single thing Sam felt, i was weeping hysterically, i was beaming and cheering YES GIRL in other moments.

A wonderfully written read that makes you want to hold the book close, and share it with the world too. Beautifully written, heart warming, and sweet.


I was gifted an e-arc for the blog tour, you can get a copy here -

This book was wonderful. I read it in one sitting, as I had to find out what was going to happen to Samantha, her family and Hedgehog Hollow. Samantha has had to get back up several times after being down, but what she experienced at her cousin's wedding, had me wanting to reach through the pages and smack a few people. She and her father had an amazing relationship, but her and her mother had a severely strained one, and she never knew why. Fortunately for Sam, she was able to find a teaching job in a new town and planned to move there to leave all the heartache behind. Hopefully, her life will change for the better.

This is such an amazing story. Samantha's life and experiences broke my heart. She is such a sweetheart, smart, generous, friendly, yet she seems to be the brunt of such bad behaviour from others. When she meets Thomas, her life begins to change and we see a new woman emerge. One who sticks up for herself and things she believes in. I loved her new life. She makes wonderful friends, has a job she loves and a surrogate grandpa. Unfortunately when the heartache you are suffering is caused by family, it is hard to leave it behind, but she has her father in her corner. All was not roses though, she suffers more setbacks and troubles that once again had the tears flowing. This story had my emotions all over the place. I was rooting for Sam and wanted her to find her niche, along with a happily ever after, but she had to fight for it, and never give up. This was a well-written and plotted story that was full of great characters, some tense situations, forgiveness, new beginnings and second chances. I definitely recommend this one to anyone who loves an emotional story with a HEA.

I would reccomend you this book if you want to be inspired and to realize that you can get up even after the life hits you multiple times. But just keep in mind the trigger warning. Full review can be read on my website

I loved this story so much, I have never read any of Jessica's books before but I am certainly going to be reading them from now on. This book cover looks so summery and inviting which made me delve in straight away.I read it in a day as I didn't want to put it down. I loved the story line and really warmed to Sam, the strong bond she has with her grandad reminded me how my grandad and I are together which was nice. I loved Thomas even though he was grumpy to begin with you knew deep down that he had things on his mind that he didn't want to talk to any one about. It upset me how lonely some people can be. Sam's dad seemed nice too, shame about her mum but everyone has their own story shame she took it out of Sam her whole life. I loved the idea of setting up a hedgehog charity, I can really see Sam excelling at that, I am glad after all she has been through there is a light at the end of the tunnel. I would love a follow on to this book as I would love to hear more about the hedgehog side of things and go back and meet all the characters again. I loved it and it definitely deserves more than 5 stars.

I have read, reviewed and liked a recent rerelease of the first books of the Whistborough series. I had high expectations for this book because of my previous experience.
The leading lady here is quite simply put a charming doormat. She has a heart of gold and puts everyone's needs before hers. The worst part of this situation is that she does not see herself in that role and therefore, cannot correct the situation. This lack of self-realisation goes on till she is pushed off the deep end, a majority of her family turn on her in the most atrocious of ways.
Her growth through the book is the more appealing part of the story as is the seamless writing. The hedgehogs are a bonus, but they only feature as a concept and are only physically present at the very end. Sam lives with the need to keep people around her happy, which includes being there when the man she hoped to live happily ever after with marries her cousin. On the same day, her paths cross with an older man who will change her life. The people who stand by her make for a very entertaining read and even an uplifting one. On the flip side, her mother's relationship with her seems almost caricaturish because if the final reveal is true, the behaviour should have been extended to Chloe (the cousin) too, which did not happen. Also, I wish the rushed romance was not part of Sam's story because she is so much more exciting and vivid without that thrown in there. Maybe if there were a second or third book, I would have liked to see the gradual entry of a man in her life then.
Finally, I should say this did make me tear up in many places and overall was satisfied with the content but given the draw that my previous reads by the author held, this wasn't one for me. I have already queued two more books by her and will get to them in the next month and am looking forward to it.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley. My review is entirely based on my reading experience, as well as my prior reading of the author's books.

In this warm and inviting tale, there is an undercurrent of dysfunctional family life and the bitterness left from deceit and disloyalty. However, it does not detract from the overall hopeful tone and the strength of the central characters light up the story. Sam's intrinsic kindness and determination to find the best in people shine through and she is an immensely likeable character.

During the story you get to see Samantha develop and mature as she works out what she wants to do with her life. There is a feeling of fate putting her in the way of certain people at the right time, as if everything exists for a reason. The plot has plenty of content. There is a lovely touch of romance which emerges but probably the most touching parts centre around Sam's relationships with her Grandfather and later, Thomas. That is when you see the depth of her heart.

Thanks to the author for a copy of the book

This is a truly uplifting novel, enjoyable at any time of year although it makes for a perfect beach or sun-lounger read.
There’s a lot more to the book than the joyous, sweet title suggests. Yes, just as we want from romantic novels, there’s happiness in store but there are also some prickly (figuratively and literally) issues to deal with along the way. Family relationships frequently aren’t easy, and our key characters Sam and Joshua have more than their fair share to deal with. However, whilst not able to solve all of them they still discover that blood’s thicker than water and that there’ also endless love and loyalty within families too.
I particularly enjoyed the inter-generational friendships, and the wildlife element which was handled in a practical, non-cutesy way. The author has an easy, friendly, sparkly style, a wonderful imagination and lovely light touches of humour.
All in all, this is a super story which I’m sure you’ll enjoy no end.