A revisit to Wynbridge in this beautiful, heartwarming story about finding where you belong. I was so swept away in the story it had me reading until the early hours. We are whisked from Italy, to the village of Wynbridge, to a family and farm Fliss never knew existed. Heidi has a way of writing that really connects you to the characters. It was like visiting old friends, I felt apart of the village. Coming from Norfolk, this will always have a special place in my heart. I felt emotional after reading it. The family feel and sense of community was very touching. Now I need to read the start of this amazing series.

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Fliss drew me into the story from the beginning. She might be grieving but it doesn’t make her weak or vulnerable. It’s clear how much the Rossi’s value her and it’s that foundation that keeps her resolve strong and motivated to find out more about her UK family.

Her arrival isn’t what she’s expecting and I had to smile when her cover story doesn’t hold with her grandfather Bill. In fact, Bill is much more aware than he’s credited with. I loved their developing bond and thought that yes, her mum was right in her letter. There is one point where I felt all the emotions with Bill but even though things were left unsaid, this is a beautiful story about grabbing those second chances. Which he does 🙂 I felt really proud of him!

Fliss works really hard on Fenview Farm and has ideas on how to make the farm financially viable for the future. But conflict comes from a very sneaky source! There’s one scene that I thought Fliss was majestic in – protecting her family and fighting for what’s hers. Fabulous!

Not only is this story about working with the land, community and family but there’s a sprinkling of romance too. That sneaky source almost had me doubting my instincts about Eliot with his charismatic drivel … I loved the spark between Fliss and Eliot and was cheering them on.

A Taste of Home will enfold you in a loving community that’s set in a perfect landscape with characters you’ll come to love and want to be friends with. This is one of the most uplifting stories I’ve read in a while.

Oh what a treat to be back in Wynbridge in the summertime and this time we have that mix of family and returning home with an Italian twist! I defy anyone to read this and not find themselves looking at fruit farms in a whole new light every time they go past one!

I loved getting to meet Fliss. Like a lot of Heidi Swain's characters she begins the book being a little lost. The start of this book does have a care warning for recent loss of a loved one so just bear that in mind. I loved the bend that Fliss had in her upbringing. She had a single mum and definitely had a strong British identity mixed with Italian and then that wander lust that is always great to read about in other people especially during this time. I loved watching Fliss grow over the course of the book and I feel like this won't be the last we've heard from her, I really hope it isn't anyway!

This story does have a cross--generational element to it as well since Fliss learns that she has grandparents living just outside Wynbridge. It really love when we have two characters from different generations who get to each learn from one another and Heidi Swain made sure that this was a mutual process and not just one sided! I really loved getting to know our other new characters too-however it was so great to get to revisit old characters we have met in previous books.

Although this book does feature characters from Heidi Swain's previous novels it is definitely a standalone and you don't have to have read and enjoyed all of the previous books to fall in love with this one too. And fear not, you don't have to have an interest in fruit farming to allow yourself to be fully absrobed into this storyline, it works on so many levels but will almost certainly make you hungry for food and for more from this gorgeous author's world!

What a beautiful book! I read my first book of Heidi’s just before Christmas and loved it and have since added a few more books of hers to my collection, but I definitely need to get them all now! ⁣
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I was in a bit of a reading slump before I picked this up, I had no inclination to read and didn’t really know what I wanted to read next. I chose this one (obviously) and it was just the book I needed! I read it in two days because I couldn’t put it down. I love how easily Fliss slotted into Wynbridge life and even though she hit a couple of bumps in the road, it was like she always belonged there. ⁣
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I loved her relationship with her grandfather, Bill, which just so happened to be my Bampi’s name which made me love him and their relationship even more ❤️ And Eliot! (Also my brother’s name with a slightly different spelling, getting all the family in this one 😂) Eliot was just so lovely and the perfect character to help Fliss settle in to the English countryside life. ⁣
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What I love about Heidi’s books is just how amazing and close knit the communities are in them. There are such amazing people in there that help support the main characters. It has made me want to live in Wynbridge!⁣

After a few heavy thrillers it was so nice to return to an author I love and a lighter read.

This is the latest book in the Wynbridge series but can easily be read as a stand alone book.

It tells the story of Fliss Brown who grew up in Italy on a fruit farm with her Mum and a love,y Italian family who took them in and she classes them as her family. Her Mum sadly dies and Fliss finds out she has family in England and suggests she goes there to meet her family.

She meets her grandfather but the meeting does not go well due to him being unwell and she plans to go back to Italy but encouraged by her grandfathers friends she decides to give it time. She falls in love with the fruit farm which has fallen into disrepair due to her grandfather being unable to cope so she decides to help him get the farm back in track and then go back to Italy.

But do the locals and one man in particular and her plans for the farm keep her there?

Fans of Heidi Swain will love this book but new readers will also fall in love with her style of writing and her characters.

Thank you to Net Galley for my advance copy of this book.

I absolutely loved this book. I haven’t read any bad books by Heidi and this book is no exception. The reader is drawn into the story and real life is put on hold. The characters are all believable and locations come alive to the reader. The book is set in Wynbridge, Heidis fictitious town, and Italy.
This is a story about family, finding your roots and second chances. I enjoy Heidis writing style, and love the way previous characters from earlier books pop up in this one. This is a stand alone book
If you are looking for an escapist summer read which is beautifully written and draws the reader in , this is the book for you. I would highly recommend it
Thank you to Netgalley, Simon and Schuster, and Heidi for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Another great read from Heidi her writing really draws you in from the beginning of the book. The characters were believable and I felt I really got to know them and cared what happened to them, especially Fliss. The link to Italy was a nice touch and as it was set in the village of Wynbridge it was lovely to have the reference and involvement from characters from previous books. I would highly recommend this book.

A Taste of Home proves to be a welcome return to the lovely countryside town of Wynbridge (the setting for several of Heidi's earlier novels) and a lovely chance to revisit some old friends. Despite this, the book can be read as a standalone, although I would absolutely recommend reading Heidi's earlier works because they really are all lovely!

In A Taste of Home, we meet the very likeable Felicity "Fliss" Brown and join her as she travels from her home in Puglia, Italy to meet her long lost grandfather on a fruit farm near Peterborough. Arriving to find Fenview Farm in a state of disrepair and her grandfather in a poor state of health, Fliss is determined to return the farm to its previously prosperous state. Fortunately, there are a few friendly locals on hand to help out, but will Fliss succeed in putting things right or is she fighting a losing battle?

The cast are a likeable and believable bunch of characters, from grandfather Bill to blabbermouth Bec. I just wish we could have seen a bit more of Fliss' Italian 'family', particularly matriarch Nonna Rossi, maker of the famous cherry and almond tarte.  As with any such story, there is the usual element of romance to titillate our imaginations. For such a small town, Fliss seems to have her choice of men. Will she prefer the modest Eliot or the rather more flashy Anthony?

As with all Heidi's books, A Taste of Home is feel-good, cosy and very enjoyable. The story is a bit predictable, but in a good way - it's like a hug in a book! Although be warned, the descriptions of the juicy strawberries and wonderful Italian cooking will make certainly tantalise your taste buds!

A huge thanks to Sara-Jade at Simon & Schuster UK (Books & The City) for providing me with a review copy of this gorgeous book.

I needed a sunny summer escape and Heidi Swain’s warm, delicious and gorgeous A Taste of Home gave me exactly what I was looking for. I was just sad when it ended, as I wanted to get up every morning and read more, like yearning for another episode of your favourite TV series.

This is a lovely family story about finding your roots and sense of identity, and grabbing hold of second chances. Alongside that was also a hot romance as Fliss and Eliot circled around each other, promising just to be friends but both wanting so much more.

The settings of Wynbridge and Fenview Farm were the perfect backdrop for this story, and I loved the descriptions, especially of the fields and barn, and all the hard work Fliss does on the farm... and the cooking, oh, the cooking - at times my mouth was watering!

With a satisfying ending that left me wanting to read more Wynbridge books, I was left with a heartwarming feeling in my chest and the sense that I’d been on holiday in the countryside.

With thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the ARC.

Yet again, Heidi has come up with a stunning book. Lovely characters, especially Grandad Bill who Fliss has only just found out about following the death of her mother. Hoping it will be another bestseller. Thank you Heidi.

What a fab, fab fabulous book. Heidi gets better the more she writes, I don't know how because her books are always a real pleasure to read and enjoy. I wish this one could have gone on even further but then the characters could come back in a different way and give us all the joy of another novel. Praise to Heidi and 5 stars. I am sorry it can't be a great deal more. I recommend everyone to get a copy and enjoy this as I have done..

Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for this ARC.

Fliss Brown lives in Italy where she was raised by her nomadic mum and is staying with the Rossi family, working on their fruit farm. When Fliss's mum passes away, she leaves a letter with Fliss telling her about a family she has never met in Wynbridge, England. To escape her grief and embrace her newly found roots, Fliss travels to Wynbride to find a poorly grandad in a run down farm called The Fens. As luck would have it, fruit farming is in her blood as The Fens is solely for fruit produce, so Fliss decides to get stuck in and work at restoring the farm to it's former glory. It doesn't hurt that her grandad's helper Eliot is a tasty dish too! But will she be able to save the farm before someone tries to ruin it? 

I loved this book. I'm such a huge fan of Swain's gentle way of writing. I really liked Fliss and her grandad, Bill. I loved re visiting Wynbridge and the nods to characters from previous books. It's like visiting old friends. Swain's passion for community spirit and supporting small local businesses shines through, and quite frankly I want to move to the fictional village and immerse myself in this idyllic rural life!

A Taste of Home is an effortless read, so enjoyable and relaxing. Whether this is your first visit or not, this is a story that can be enjoyed as a standalone or a compliment to Swain's brilliant previous offerings. 

A wonderful story, perfect for spring nights.

A Taste of Home is an absolutely lovely lovely novel which I thoroughly enjoyed. Totally brilliant to be back in the wonderful village of Wynbridge!

In A Taste of Home we meet the incredible Fliss Brown. A very strong, kind hearted, determined lady, who when her mother sadly passes away, heads back from Italy to England on a very emotional and poignant journey to find her estranged family. Fliss' complete world has been torn apart and turned upside down with the loss of her beloved Mum. Her Mum was very keen for Fliss to find out more about her family. Fliss knows only too well how short life is and wants to connect to her family. Fliss grew up with her Mum on the Rossi family’s Italian fruit farm so is over the moon when she arrives at The Fens to discover that her grandfather owns a fruit farm himself! I found all the details about the fruit farm extremely fascinating and it shows the extensive research that has also gone into the book.

The farm needs a great deal of work but Fliss is just perfect to help get the farm back up and running. Fliss totally immerses herself into farm life at The Fens and building her relationship with her grandfather who has not been well - it was lovely to see their relationship grow and blossom throughout the book and how strong their bond became. Fliss loves the Wynbridge village life and gets very involved in the local community. It was so great to be back with old friends including Amber and Jake from Skylark Farm and Lizzie from The Cherry Tree Café. If you have not read Heidi Swain's other books then I highly recommend that you do!

In A Taste of Home we also have romance too! I enjoyed the character development and the relationship ripening between Fliss and Eliot - I was rooting for them to get together and was so glad they did - they make the best team!

A Taste of Home is an outstanding novel with a superb story line, incredible setting and great characters. I could not put the book down! I now want to go and grow my own strawberries and cherries!

I would have loved the recipes, especially Nonna Rossi’s recipe for cherry and almond tart to be included at the back of the book. I think this would have been a lovely inclusion.

A Taste of Home is a 'berry' special book! A 5-star read where the sun shines through on every page! A perfect spectacular Summer read.

This review is based on a NetGalley ARC provided in exchange for an honest, unbiased opinion. Thank you very much to Simon & Schuster UK for my advanced copy.

What a lovely book. I thoroughly enjoyed it and read well into the night unable to put it down. I now need to read the rest of her books. The characters are all so warm and friendly. Highly recommended for anyone to read.

Fliss lives in Italy with her adopted family. She stayed with them while her mum went travelling. After her mum's funeral, she is given a letter written by her and discovers that her mum's family came from the Fens. Her grandfather has a fruit farm and her mum wanted her to visit. So she journeys to the Fens, a remote area of England, and contacts her grandfather.
There are trials of making the farm pay and of course, romance.
Loved the characters, the situation and solution is plausible and Heidi has done her research well. A good read for the beach or to while away a rainy day by the fire

Heidi Swain takes me and you back to Wynbridge where we have been many times before. You might be in the lucky position to have never visited before and therefore I envy the joy you will have getting to know Skylark Farm, Cherry Tree Café or experience the off Christmas or two there! I urge you to catch up if you have never done before.

It is summer and the smell of the strawberries tastes sweet on the air and Fliss Brown having discovered she has a family in Wynbridge makes the journey from an Italian Fruit Farm where she has spent most of her life.

She discovers a grandfather who is not well, a farm starting to become run down, and desire to put down roots somewhere that means something. With the knowledge of what she has learnt whilst in Italy she soon settles into life in Wynbridge and starts to make friends and gets a feel of how this community works.

As some ideas bubble for Fliss to be able to bring the fruit farm back to making a profit, the most obvious one is not going to be without its setbacks as it seems some people are not destined to be Fliss’s friend after all.

A lovely warm novel that takes you through the delights of a summer in the strawberry fields and with the possibility that romance is found where you may perhaps least expect it and that even when you harvest it is still possible to put roots down.

This novel works well as a standalone and if you have prior knowledge to the books previous then of course you will find some familiar faces and places. This is the beauty of Heidi’s novels they are full of such community that it you are taken away and try to find where your place would be in it.

A book full of sunshine and therefore prescribed for everyone.

I have made no secret of the fact that I LOVE Heidi's writing - I have read all of her books and I have a Heidi Swain shelf in my office. I've had this book sat in my TBR pile since January but I've had reader's block and I've really struggled to pick up anything but I knew anything Heidi Swain would be the perfect book to break this block.

The book starts in Puglia, Italy and the aftermath of Fliss Brown's mother's funeral. We see Fliss with her Italian family, struggling with her grief when she is given a letter from her mother informing her that she has a family she didn't know about back in England. We see Fliss say goodbye to the lovely Rossi family and set off for the family farm on the outskirts of Wynbridge.

Fliss's character is really likeable (as with all of Heidi's characters) and it was lovely to be back in Wynbridge, catching up with old friends. I always feel like I am one of the locals at the Mermaid. The novel explores difficult family relationships, grief,  romance, deception, friendship, food....! As always, Heidi's extensive research on her main topic (this time its fruit farming) shines through, as does her love of food and baking.  

I really loved this book - it felt really summery for me. And Puglia is on my list of places to visit (when we can). If you are looking for something to fill a few hours, make you smile, uplift you and restore your faith in humanity then this is the book for you. 

Another cracker from Heidi Swain.

Thank you Netgalley for the advance copy. Felicity lives and works on the Rossi family fruit farm in Italy with her mother. When her mother passed away she gives Fliss a letter telling her she has a family in Wynbridge England. She tells Floss to go and find them as she will be a perfect fit for the family. When Fliss visits she finds her grandfather also owns a fruit farm that he is struggling to work and throws herself into saving the family business.

A lovely story of family, food, and new beginnings. I loved watching Fliss' relationship with her grandfather develop, and gradnparent/grandchild relationships are always something I love to read.

As food is such a huge part of this book, I would have loved to have seen some recipes in the back of the book, either for Italian dishes Fliss grew up with, or sustainable home cooking with ingredients from the farm. Perhaps it's something that can be done with the final copy.

Some aspects of the book, such as no one using a common platform such as WhatsApp, weirdly dated the book.

Overall, an enjoyable read.

This was such a sweet book, I always enjoy Heidi Swain’s books and this one drew me in straight away. The characters were all very interesting and I enjoyed the setting. This one didn’t disappoint. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.