I have read a few of Jessica's books now and I have thoroughly enjoyed every one of them. I read the synopsis for 'Finding Love At Hedgehog Hollow' and it certainly sounded like another first class read. I wasn't wrong either because it truly is an amazing read and I thoroughly enjoyed every single second of the story. I adored this book but more about that in a bit.
I absolutely loved the character of Samantha Wishaw and I took to her from the very start. In fact, Sam felt more like a friend than just a character in a book. She is a lovely lass, who has prioritised the wellbeing of other people above her own wellbeing. She has bent over backwards for other people with very little thanks. In fact people have used and abused her and then dropped her. Sam is a nurse who is dedicated to her job. At the same time, she is also passionate about animals. The majority of Sam's wider family just sound like a toxic bunch of passive/ aggressive bitter and twisted numpties. I won't go too far down the road of why and how the family treat her but needless to say it is the sort of treatment that made me want to jump inside the pages of the book to give certain people a darn good slap with a wet flip flop. I was keeping everything crossed that things would work out well for Sam and that she would find the happiness that she so deserves.
I was drawn into this amazing story right from the very start. I found that I was simply unable to put the book down. Not because it was glued to my hand because it wasn't, but I was so desperate to find out what happened that my Kindle travelled everywhere with me. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. Despite my best efforts to ration how much I read in one go so I could prolong my enjoyment of the story, I soon raced to the end of the story.
For me, part of the reason why I enjoyed this book was so much is that I drew parallels between Sam and myself but also Sam's family and my own family. Like Sam, I have bent over backwards for people who didn't appreciate my efforts and I have prioritised their wellbeing over my own wellbeing. Certain members of my family are toxic and passive/ aggressive, only getting their kicks when they treat somebody or something like dirt. That's enough of the personal stuff so back to the review I do go.
'Finding Love At Hedgehog Hollow' is a first rate read and it is superbly written, although I have found that to be true of all of Jessica's books. Jessica has one of those writing styles that is easy to take to and easy to get used to. In fact, reading one of Jessica's books feels more like a chat between friends rather than reading a book. I hope that makes sense. Jessica grabs your attention with a unique title and combines it with a bright and breezy cover, before compelling you to read the synopsis (I mean that in the nicest possible way) and then you simply cannot resist starting to read the story within the covers of the book. That's how I felt at any rate. Once Jessica has your attention she will not let you have it back until the moment that you read the last word on the last page. In Sam, Jessica has created a lovely and truly wonderful character and Jessica describes Sam so well that she seemed just as real as you and I.
In short, I simply adored reading 'Finding Love At Hedgehog Hollow' and I would definitely recommend this book to other readers. In fact I would go so far as to say that 'Finding Love At Hedgehog Hollow' is right up there on my list of top reads of 2020. I will definitely be reading more of Jessica's work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.

Finding Love at Hedgehog Hollow turned out to be quite different from what I had expected. In fact, it surpassed all my expectations.

There are so many themes running through the novel — kindness, jealousy, infidelity, loneliness, estrangement, and love. It’s a wholesome story but not removed from reality.

It doesn’t set out to right all wrongs, instead it sends a message that there are some things that cannot be remedied because that’s just how life is.

The overwhelming sentiment is that of kindness, but it also points to the fact that usually people take advantage of kind-hearted people and consider them pushovers to be manipulated at will.

The novel is extremely well-researched as it shows from the details about hedgehogs and setting up and operating a rescue center. There’s also an entire poem dedicated by the MC to another character!

It was difficult to read about how (and later why) Samantha’s mother treated her with such indifference. Unfortunately, the bitterness between the two spans the entire novel.

There were many twists and turns in this novel that I thoroughly enjoyed. I thought the title pointed to a new love that the MC found at Hedgehog Hollow, but it turns out that that’s not the entire picture.

I’ll leave it to you to find out!

(I received an ARC from Rachel's Random Resources in exchange for an honest review.)

Finding Love at Hedgehog Hollow was my first book by Jessica Redland although it's not the first featured on my blog. I did the blog tour for the Whitsborough Bay series which has extracts of the books.

The charming setting of Hedgehog Hollow as well as the cast of characters who are likeable and some not so much, is realistic and true to life. Gorgeous cover and I loved the cute hedgehog images at the start of every chapter, they were a gorgeous touch to the eARC.

I'm so glad this was first in a series so I got the characters' history and backstory rather than coming into the series late and not having that.

Jessica has a gift for creating setting, incorporating animals and real life issues. Do not be fooled by the cute cover, for this is not a truly escapist read because of some of the issues covered. That said, I think that makes it realistic and all the more gripping. The pacing was good.

Thanks to Jessica Redland, Rachel's Random Resources and Boldwood Books for my ARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.

4 stars.

I saw the cover reveal for this book and thought it was the cutest thing ever! Such a pretty cover ❤🦔

So when I was offered the chance to take part in the blog tour I jumped at it.

And I wasn’t disappointed.

Samantha is such a lovely, kind and relatable character. She sees the best in people even when they are quite unpleasant to her.

The book begins with poor Sam having to be bridesmaid for her frenemy/cousin Chloe. Chloe is marrying Sam’s ex-boyfriend, the man she thought was the love of her life. And Sam is expected to look happy for them even though her heart is breaking.

Getting lost on the way to the reception, she ends up helping Thomas, an old man and this act of kindness changes her life.

Her relationship with Thomas and Hedgehog Hollow is absolutely delightful. He is rude and grumpy but Sam’s relentless kindness and persistence gradually wears him down and a lovely friendship develops.

Sam learns that it’s alright to walk away from toxic relationships no matter who they are with, and find happiness and a sense of purpose as she focuses on Project Prickles – setting up a hedgehog rescue centre.

I don’t want to say anymore because this book is lovely and I don’t want to spoil it. But as the title suggests, Sam finds love and more at Hedgehog Hollow.

This is a fantastic, heartwarming and joyful book. It’s the perfect cosy read. And to make it even better there are little hedgehogs at the beginning of each chapter!

I saw hedgehogs in the title for this book and as I love hedgehogs, I was like yep, I need to read that.

Sam watches the man she loves marry another woman, not only that it’s her cousin and best friend! On her way to the wedding party she stumbles upon Hedgehog hollow and saves owner Thomas’ life.

Thomas is none too happy about this but Sam wears him down with kindness. Sam vows to turn Hedgehog Hollow into a hedgehog sanctuary that he and his wife Gwendoline always wanted and maybe even find true happiness along the way.

I’ve read a couple of Jessica Redland’s Whitsborough bay series so I already knew that I was in for an enjoyable rollercoaster ride of emotions. I won’t deny there were certains parts of the story that even made me tear up a little.

Sam is just one of those sweet, kind hearted characters that you know deserves better than she gets from people. I couldn’t help but root for her happiness although there were a lot of times where I felt like shouting at her, ‘stand up for yourself woman!’

Finding Love at Hedgehog Hollow is a charming and delightful read that will give you all those warm fuzzy feelings.

What a magical tale! Jessica Redland has spun A beautiful story packed with charm, compassion, hope and heart. Oh and I mustn’t forget all the lovely hedgehogs. The book kicks off with Samantha attending the wedding of her cousin chloe to The man that Sam thought she was going to marry. Rough, right? To pour even more salt in the wound cousin Chloe sends Sam on a wild goose chase to pick up a plant that she left at home that absolutely MUST make it to the wedding reception. Sam gets all kinds of lost on the way back to the wedding reception and when she gets there she finds out the plant is for an aunt that absolutely cannot stand her. Then this Aunt gets all rude, and then Chloe has the nerve to get mad at Sam when Chloe is married the guy Sam was dating first. Talk about a bad day... but wait it gets worse, to top it all off Sam’s mother *a true witch* finds it necessary to throw even more unkind words at her daughter. Ugh! The silver lining to this very dark cloud is that when Sam was all kinds of lost she ran across a farm called Hedgehog Hollow where she pretty much save the life of the owner Thomas. A beautiful friendship develops between Tomas and Ssam even though Thomas is reluctant in the beginning. This begins Sam’s passion for the hedgehogs and turns her life around. Even though this sounds like sad start, there is so much more to this amazing story.

Sam was such a wonderful character, so kind, so caring, so unselfish. I really did not understand why so many of her family members treated her so poorly, especially her mother? I really did like her dad, but I could not understand why he did not stand up to his wife, tell her that she needed to treat their daughter better? Seriously all of the interactions between Sam and her mother were so painful. That’s why I think the relationship between Thomas and Sam, and then ultimately the hedgehogs was so special. There were also several other Great supportive people in Sam’s life throughout the story. There was also a love interest, a sweet and touching romance. This was truly a gorgeous story of hope, sprinkled with some sweet magic.

This book in emojis 🦔 💕 🦔 🐱 🦔 🏡

*** Big thank you to Boldwood Books for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***

Wow, that was quite the rollercoaster ride!

Sam is not having a good time. Bridesmaid at the wedding of her cousin and her ex, she gets lost on the way to the reception and meets Thomas, a grumpy old widower. As her personal life spirals out of control, her friendship with Thomas gives her the courage to set proper boundaries in her relationships and live life on her own terms.

I loved Sam. Despite life (and her family) knocking her down again and again, she persisted in kindness and optimism. She was saved from doormat status by standing up to the people who hurt her in some immensely satisfying pieces of prose. I was rooting for her happiness from the get go, even as her troubles were only just getting started.

There's a generous cast of characters here - some who support Sam, some not so much. I enjoyed seeing them grow and change (as did their relationship with Sam) over the course of the book, and for those who wronged her and realised it, I appreciated the conversations (and the grovelling) that preceded her forgiveness. Family rifts always hurt, and forgiveness seems hollow when the pain isn't acknowledged on both sides, but this was not the case here. Things don't go back to how they were, and that's okay.

The romance here feels a little shoehorned in. The love interest (and I could spot him from a mile off, despite an inauspicious first meeting) doesn't make an appearance until about halfway through the book. They then make up for it by getting together after their fifth meeting (and their first positive one). I simply couldn't buy into their relationship due to the speed at which it progressed. It's not bad, it's just not my favourite part of the book. Perhaps if they'd met earlier or had more positive interactions before the tipping point it would've won me over.

If you're looking for a story about family, friendship, forgiveness, and hedgehogs, pick up this book and grab a tissue or two.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley and Rachel's Random Resources; all opinions are my own

Part of the blurb describes this book as the perfect uplifting, feel-good read. That’s absolutely true, but only after you’ve cried your eyes out!

Samantha is a wonderfully rich, sympathetic and compelling heroine. I just wanted to pick her up, give her a bear hug and tell her everything would be alright. There were moments I wanted to shout at her and tell her to move on and away from the toxic people in her life. But then, upon a deeper reflection, I realized I too have been guilty of much the same. How much easier it is to tell others how to solve their problems! I even wanted to give her beloved Dad a what’s for but by the end, I grudging accepted that he was also in a most difficult situation and he too remained ever hopeful.

As wonderful as Sam is, is she reliable narrator in terms of her judgements of others? This is a question I ended up asking myself towards the end of her story. She’s pre-disposed to think well of others. When she says, earlier on, in the story that certain people are ‘good’ and ‘kind’, I took that at face value. Then, the truth of some of those characters was revealed… It’s juicy, people! The characters are complex and you’ll enjoy uncovering their many layers- the good and the bad.

Perhaps one of my favourite parts of this story (and I think this holds for many other readers) is the relationship between Thomas and Sam. What starts out as a most inauspicious meeting, turns into one of the highlights of both these character’s lives. They are so very different but yet so similar in heartbreaking ways, and they each provide, for the other, a truly beautiful source of comfort and joy. I dare you to keep a dry eye while reading this book!

The romance: there’s always a romance and that’s always the part where my greedy side comes out and wants more, more more! This is a story about Samantha and how she is challenged, grows, develops and triumphs. Finding love is simply the icing on the cake. Her love interest doesn’t really show up until the last third of the story…. we do meet him about halfway in, though. He’s introduced as Jeep Pratt, Chris Pratt’s look-a-like. You’ll have to read the book to understand 😉 I could easily have devoured another hundred pages watching Sam and Josh fall in love. By the time they meet, however, they’ve each worked through the worst of their personal angst and are now open to finding, understanding and accepting love… so that’s just what they do.

Love, hate, families and relationships are all explored against the delightful setting of Hedgehog Hollow.

The flawed and relatable characters are the driving force of this story. Samantha is lovely, always willing to help. Her outlook on life makes her loved by everyone, except her mother? This relationship is distressing. You empathise with Sam and marvel at her resilience. Sam's interaction with Thomas is particularly poignant, and more than a little serendipitous.

Gentle romance and genuine heartbreak make this an emotional story. Angst tempered with lighter moments means this is heartwarming and uplifting to read.

I received a copy of this book from Boldwood Books via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

One of the most beautiful books that I have read in this lifetime. Author Jessica Redland is truly the queen of hearts. She knew how to dip each word in the ink of emotions and wrench my heart into a state that I could not help but sob. The feelings were like a tempest of waves that couldn’t be controlled.

The story unfolded so brilliantly that at times my heart shattered into a million pieces where each piece was laden with so many emotions that I didn’t know where one began and the other ended. A rich tapestry of a story, it bound Sam to the other characters with silken threads giving them a choice to be stronger or set free. The author knew how to wrap those same bindings around me, giving me inner joy and the most blessed peace.

So this book was everything I dreamed it would be and more! I desperately want to start to run a hedgehog rehabilitation centre and move to the village in this story. I don’t even know where to start with this review.

Sammie’s the only bridesmaid at her cousin’s wedding. She should be happy right? Wrong. Sammie’s watching the man she loves marry her cousin with family members she dislikes around her. When the aunt from hell tries to stir up trouble, Sammie’s rejected by her family despite doing nothing wrong.

This book just hit me hard in the feelings. There’s some really toxic family dynamics and equally some amazing relationships in this story. I found myself despising some of the characters and really feeling for the protagonist, Sammie. Sammie’s Mum is so emotionally manipulative and controlling towards her it’s hard to read at times. Personally, her mother’s horrible attitude adds to the story and highlights how kind Sammie is, even to people who don’t necessarily deserve her kindness. Her dad on the other hand was one of my favourite characters in the book.

It’s well and truly a feel good story with a gorgeous Yorkshire setting and amazing characters. Thomas was probably my favourite character and you need to read this book for his grumpy character alone. Sammie and Thomas’ friendship is beautifully written and he reminded me much of my own granddad.

You can tell that the author did so much research about nursing, teaching and hedgehogs. It made it feel more realistic and made the book such a joy to read.

I absolutely adored this book and will be reading more of Jessica Redland’s books!

Jessica Redland, what a fabulous novel, you really gave this book your all. Firstly, many thanks to Auntie Gwen who was the first hedgehog lady, giving you Jessica, plenty of advice on how to become a hedgehog lady yourself. I know you have a real passion for hedgehogs making this a love of your life story. This book was a real pleasure to read and I loved every word of it. I would loved to have been a character in Hedgehog Hollow so long as I was never Sam's mother, what a hateful person she was. Finding someone from your past and then to friendship and love as well as losses along the way makes this a wonderful book to read. I loved, loved, loved this and am looking forward to reading your next one. Brilliant writing and a brilliant read, sorry that I can only give you 5 stars, this is worth a great deal more. Please everyone, read this book and enjoy it as I have done.

Some family members simply aren't worth the effort, and hats off to the author for making me hate Sam's mum and the rest of her female relatives so much that I seriously wanted to slap the lot of them.

This story is so much more than a romance - it's about friendship and kindness, moving on and letting go. It's also about loss, and trust, and realising that blood isn't always thicker than water.

A real page-turner.

I lost count on how many times I cried while reading it but do not runaway with the idea that it is a sad book; yes, it has its emotional scenes but it is overwhelmingly warm, funny and uplifting. The characters sneak into your heart especially Thomas Mickleby (I love his name) and Sammie. It is this deep connection that allowed me to experience their feelings, hence the sobs. Tissues are required.

The principal character, Sammie, is lovely and someone I would love to have as a friend even if she is underappreciated by many around her. I related to Sammie within the first few pages and the more her life was revealed, the more I cared. Many of Sammie’s experiences with toxic relationships hit a nerve and they were dealt with in a sensitive, loving way. It highlights how family members influence our lives for the better and worse and in turn help form our personalities. The depth of characterisation drew me into the story before I met the hedgehogs, and there are many references to them. Hedgehogs are one of my favourite animals, and reading about them made me reminisce about the hoglets we cared for over a harsh Yorkshire winter. It was a special experience, but very pongy at times. The hedgehog storyline has been well researched and a lot of information is dripped into the story so anyone who reads this will come away learning something about these delightful creatures and their plight for survival.

The setting for Hedgehog Hollow is stunning. I currently live in the Wolds, and the descriptions in this novel capture the essence of the landscape perfectly. I longed to be there and sit with Sammie and Thomas to experience the meadow in its full bloom.

The relationships Sammie forms with the people she meets have a magical quality about them, especially between her and Thomas. I enjoyed watching them grow and evolve into a family-like bond. This is a story about friendship, hope, and learning to believe in your ability to shine.

This was my first book by Jessica Redland and I really enjoyed it.

This was a lovely story which sucked me in from the start. The story is about Sammie, who saves the lives of a very grumpy man called Thomas. This then triggers a series of events that change Sammie's life. Sammie is juggling a new job and issues within the family and I felt that the author takes us on a journey with Sammie through this. I think my heart broke for Sammie at times in this book especially near the Beginning. It was great to see Sammie grow especially as Hedgehog sanctuary grows.

The story has lots and twists and turns which keep you hooked and it has a good pace. I also loved the cute little hedgehog picture at the start of each chapter. This story explores friendships and relationships and the ups and downs of them. It has great characters that added to the story and Sammie's journey. Overall a great read and I'll be checking out Jessica's other books!!!

Thank you Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A lovely story of how you can find love, and friendship, when you just don't try. The harder you try, the more likely you will never find it. Sam in the book learns that if you put your efforts into helping someone else, you could just find everything you wish for!

This was a fun, cute story with fantastic friendship and a happy ending.
I enjoyed the characters, I felt myself intrigued to keep reading, so I was invested in the story. I loved the beautiful, descriptive Yorkshire setting.
A fun, easy read. Perfect for summer.

Ok, maybe I’d have liked to see just a few more hedgehogs… but I’m most definitely not complaining, because I really thought this book was pretty close to perfect. This is a series I’m SO looking forward to following.

It’s very much a book of two halves. In the first, we really get to know Sam – her family background (goodness, her mother is truly horrendous – but her lovely dad more than makes up for that), her friendships, and the sad story of her relationship with the man who was the love of her life but who just couldn’t love her in the same way. And we really see how enormous her heart is when she befriends Thomas – a sad and lonely old widower with a broken heart – and slowly breaks down his defences. And then… well, I just had to put the book down for a while because I couldn’t read through the tears.

The second half of the book then focuses on Hedgehog Hollow, its restoration, and Sam’s mission to deliver on her promise to Thomas. And as the restoration work continues, Sam rebuilds her own life too – a fresh start, mending fences (although there are some that will always prove beyond repair), making new and very special friends, and perhaps even finding a little romance coming from a totally unexpected direction.

So that’s the story – well, more or less – but it doesn’t even begin to tell you how thoroughly gorgeous this book is. The author always has such a special touch with relationships – the complexities of families, the way people can hurt each other, the support of friends – and I’ve never seen her do it any better than she does in this book. I felt sheer rage at the way Sam was treated – how could they?! She’s so warm and caring and lovely, and I really hurt for her as everything in her life went haywire – and what’s more, there was a real legacy of injustice and unfairness too that she did absolutely nothing to deserve. Her sadness made me ache inside – all the emotional content is just superbly handled. And as well as the relationships, there’s also some real threat and drama – edge-of-the-seat writing, and so very well done.

The characterisation is exceptional – not just Sam and Thomas, but every single individual in the book, fully rounded, entirely real people behaving as well or badly as people do. The dialogue – another thing she always does so well – is better than ever, conversations and interactions you feel you’ve been allowed to overhear and be part of. And I absolutely loved the setting too – not the familiar surroundings of Whitsborough Bay this time, but the winding lanes of The Wolds, with Hedgehog Hollow itself described in the most loving of detail (goodness, I could smell that wildflower meadow!).

This whole book entirely enchanted me from beginning to end – I lived every twist and turn of the story, and felt a real sense of loss when I reached the end. All I can say is thank goodness it’s the start of a series… I’m going to really look forward to the time I spend at Hedgehog Hollow.

Truly lovely and moving story!😪. A real hit for me😌🤗

5🌟stars for sure😍
I totally fell for this story of a young woman with so much hurt, betrayal and rejection in her life, who escaped the negativity to fulfill a beloved friend's dream. So many instances when she could have just wallowed in her hurt and setbacks but, inspired by her beloved grandfather, she keeps on truckin' and reaching for the good karma she's due.

With so many secondary characters, many supportive but a good number against her, I was happy that the characters were so distinct and relevant to Samantha's story that I had no trouble keep them straight. There's romance, a bit of inspirational magic and heavens to Betsy, let's not forget the hedgehogs (though, truth be told, they are bit players in a story that encompasses so much more). Tearful, sad moments, fragile family relations and even vandals all play important roles in Samantha's journey. The author also paints beautiful pictures of the Yorkshire countryside with her words.🌄

So totally emotion-packed and with a bittersweet side: I loved this book. This was my first time reading a Jessica Redland work but I will be looking for others.

Thanks to publisher Boldwood Books and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.

Finding Love at Hedgehog Hollow by Jessica Redland Isn’t my first book by the author, in fact I’ve read several of Jessica’s books now. What keeps me coming back is her lovely writing style, the warmth in her stories and the loveable and relatable characters she writes. I loved Samantha so much, wasn’t as keen on her mum even with the reasons, but Sam was so great, watching her development as the story went along is just lovely. For me it has animals, drama, love and family what more could you want from a story. Heartwarming

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