Lauren's first two marriages couldn't be more different, and the first half of the book was all about laying the ground work and the second half really drew me in.

It was good to get the history behind Lauren's story and her relationship with Riley. But was also good to read about Sammie and Chloe.

The book was carefully and sensitively written and a really pleasant read.

The Hedgehog Hollow books are some of the best on the market right now and a series not to be missed of you enjoy comfortably reads, you won’t regret it.

A really endearing read. It has everything you need..... Love, second chances, forgiveness, new beginnings and lovely animals. A joy from start to finish, with a few tears along the way.

This is the penultimate book in Jessica Redland's popular Hedgehog Hollow series and I absolutely loved it!

This instalment follows Auntie Lauren and explores her history and the reasons she has been anti-love for herself since we first met her in book one.

This is an exciting instalment and another hit out the park for Jessica Redland.

It was so good to return to Hedgehog Hollow once more
To reconnect with the folks there and the hedgehogs we adore.
An enthralling read with great characters, too,
One I have no hesitation in highly recommending to you.

With secrets, fresh starts and some tears,
A heartwarming story about overcoming your past and fears.
A wedding or two, confessions from the past
A decades old mystery resolved at last!

It is also about listening to others and making space
To support one another and whatever they face.
It explores relationships, expectations and dreams
And letting go of the past isn't as easy as it seems.

There's a character who I didn't like from the start
But now she's changed and has an interesting part
People don't always do what we expect them to
Most important of all is to your own self be true!

History, mystery, second chances?
New friendships, fresh starts, romances?
Another brilliant addition to Hedgehog Hollow books
This and all the others are definitely worth a look!

Now I can't wait to have the chance to read
The next (and final) book in the series - I need!
For my complementary copy, I say thank you,
As I share with you this, my honest review

A great series
These are books that you can just escape with
They will make you laugh and cry and just feel like your there with them
Love this ladies books
Thanks NetGalley

What a rollercoaster! I think this is the best book of the series. Completely unexpected storyline but thoroughly absorbing. Sensitively handled issues which were not made the focus of the book but part of the overall story and enabled the piecing together of the bigger picture. Less melodrama in this book which I appreciated. The whole story had a more steady feel which allowed the characters to develop. Always great to be back at Hedgehog Hollow. I laughed and I cried!

Thank you Netgalley

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book. I have chosen to write this honest review voluntarily and it reflects my personal opinion.
This is the first book I have read in this series but there are explanations of some previous events and a character list at the front of the book. There are a lot of characters, but all was made clear once I began reading and it was easy to understand and follow. The book cover presents the idea that this is a picturesque setting and the difficulties of running an enterprise depending on charity money and fundraising is clearly presented. Current issues, such as restructuring, are included giving realism to the overall romantic theme.
I thought the novel was interesting, and delightful, I think reading the whole series in order would be a pleasure for chick lit lovers!

Another phenomenal and gorgeous story within the Hedgehog Hollow series. Lauren wasn't my most anticipated story to hear, but nevertheless it completely blew my away and has now become my most favourite story told amongst these characters. I look forward to catching up with her on her new, blossoming romance in the final book!

Best-selling author Jessica Redland continues her heartfelt Hedgehog Hollow series with the latest superb installment, Chasing Dreams at Hedgehog Hollow.

Samantha is ready for the next chapter of her life with Josh. Having just returned from her honeymoon, she is looking forward to spending her future with the love of her life, but Samantha has a secret. A secret that could end up jeopardising her future at Hedgehog Hollow and the relationship that means the world to her. Is Samantha ready to face the music and to let go of the past once and for all? Or will old ghosts continue to control her future and destroy her life with Josh?

Lauren has long given up on love. Twenty-six years ago the love of her life Shaun had left and taken her heart with her. Since then, Lauren has tried to move on yet nobody has come close to Shaun and she is too scared of opening up to anyone. Two divorces later and Lauren is resigned to never finding happiness ever again. But life has a funny way of surprising you when you least expect it and the closure she had long been hoping for could finally be within reach. Will coming to terms with old hurts allow Lauren to move forward with her life and let love and light into her heart? Or will the past continue to exert its hold upon her?

Will Samantha and Lauren find the strength and courage to chase their dreams and find the happiness they seek? At Hedgehog Hollow, anything is possible…

Jessica Redland hits the jackpot yet again with her latest novel, Chasing Dreams at Hedgehog Hollow. Addictive, involving, compelling and sure to make readers laugh out loud and shed a couple of tears, Chasing Dreams at Hedgehog Hollow is a gorgeous romantic tale about second chances, new beginnings and healing from the past that is a joy to read from beginning to end.

Chasing Dreams at Hedgehog Hollow is a first class page-turner and I eagerly await the next title in Jessica Redland’s magical and enchanting series – roll on Book 6!

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC for an exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this lovely book.

A gripping, uplifting book, that had me captivated from the start, to the very last word, with the descriptions of Sam and Josh’s Tanzanian honeymoon proving particularly delightful.

I have thoroughly enjoyed this series of books, to the extent that I feel genuine sorrow at this being the 5th book in the set. If you have not read any of this series before, then rest assured it is a fantastic stand alone read, although once you have read one of the series, you will undoubtedly want to read the rest of the quilogy. My solace as we approach the end of this series, is twofold. The marvellous Jessica Redland will have time to come up with another new addition to her book family, that she will want to share with her family of readers/fans, and secondly we still have ‘Christmas Miracles at Hedgehog Hollow’ to look forward to towards the end of the year. I was however thrilled to read that this won’t be the last that we hear of the rescue centre, in Jessica’s books. I do however have a confession! I am very strict about reading books for review in order of publication date – but this beauty – I simply had to get stuck into it as soon as I got my hands on it, and I was not disappointed.

Anyway, enough of me extolling the literary virtues and talent of Jessica Redland; once you have enjoyed this book (which you invariably will), then try out the other books in this series if you haven’t already, and look up Jessica’s other novels – you owe yourself a treat!

The first couple of pages of the book offer a ’who’s who so far’ from the series so far – a fantastic reminder to both ‘Hardened Hoggers’ and those new to the series, together with an ’in a nutshell’ reminder of the story so far. Although I consider myself a HH, I still found these thoughtful reminders really useful, so a big thank you for them!

Prior to Josh and Sam’s wedding, there seemed to be ’relationship rumblings’ between Josh’s Aunt Lauren, and Sam’s Father, although this was seemingly knocked on the head at the end of the previous book in this series, when Jonathan was seen dancing with his ex Wife Deb (Sam’s Mum), with the pair of them looking close. This was a prime example of the kind of plot twists I have come to expect from Jessica Redland. She really is the Queen of the unexpected. Lauren featured heavily in this last book of the HH series, and I found it most revealing, to find out a bit more about her earlier life. The reality behind what had happened to her Husband Shaun was a compelling mystery and I found myself hooked – desperate to find the truth.

Debs, Sam’s Mother, is an astonishingly complex character, whom I had initially thought of as downright unpleasant, especially with her treatment of Sam. Over Time, however, it has been revealed that she is suffering from mental illness, to which her behaviour can be attributed. I have found her character fascinating – the way that experiences in her life have built up in the way they have. During this series, the reader has gradually been able to get a greater understanding of her character and the way she is like she is. Debs is the onion of Hedgehog Hollow and gradually we have been rewarded by being able to peel away layer after layer of bad experience, getting inexorably closer to the ’Real Debs’. Sam’s relationship with her Mother has improved over time, and I have great hopes for them having a more normal relationship one day. As for her relationship with Sam’s Father, Jonathan, one has to wonder whether there is any hope for a resurrection of their relationship?

Riley, with his mesmerising eyes, made for an intriguing character, and I enjoyed the initial dynamic between him and Lauren. It felt as though Lauren had been unlucky in love all too often, and was well overdue a little luck in that department. Why on earth had Shaun left her so suddenly over twenty years ago?

I found myself genuinely caring about Riley’s Cad-Factor (how big a cad he is, or isn’t). It is undoubtedly testimony to Jessica Redland’s writing, that one finds oneself caring so passionately about fictional people and events.

Lauren makes for a very interesting character. I empathise with her and the seemingly one sided romantic affection between her and Jonathan – an all too real situation, broached by the author, but would she fare any better with Riley, whose Cad-Factor seemed to be rising exponentially! Is his C-F rating off the scale, or should Lauren give him the benefit of the doubt? is she misjudging him unfairly?

I can honestly say that I enjoyed every word of this book, from start to finish. I positively devoured it, yet found myself wanting more, as soon as I had finished. I loved the continuity throughout the books and I am in awe off Jessica Redland’s talent and memory, for remembering exactly who is who and how they are related. The way Jessica dealt with Lauren’s back story was beautiful – written with such sincere empathy. I don’t have any personal experience of what Shaun and Lauren went through, but I felt as though I gained a whole more understanding of the issues they went through.

I really felt for Sam with the feelings she was going through, regarding whether or nor she was ready to be a Mother. People are often all too judgemental and demanding on the topic of having children/trying to get pregnant, and the subject can open up a whole can of worms. The subject was dealt with in a very sensitive way in this book though, and so I have hight hopes for the Christmas HH finale. I have enjoyed every single book in this series, and as I have finished each individual book I have wondered to myself how the next book can possibly live up to the one I have just read. Jessica Redland just manages to pull it off every time though, when each new book surpasses its predecessors. I have no doubt that the final book will be the best and I can only replace my sadness with the hope of a new series from Jessica, to get my teeth into.

In this fifth addition to the series, the characters seem to have moved on a little. Samantha and Josh have had their dream wedding and the honeymoon over, arrive back to the daily problems at the hedgehog rescue centre. However, you do feel that life moves on and their ideas about how the centre is going to evolve in the future gradually take shape. Nothing is standing still. They also have to work out how their family is going to be in the future which is not straightforward.

The main focus of the story is Lauren, who is facing a major upheaval at work. She also meets someone who is bound up in all the changes and is struggling to come to terms with the end of her marriage. In addition to any romance, there are some serious issues in the background and some sad moments to face. I can't wait to see how the series ends and how life pans out for the ever-increasing group of family and friends. Roll on Book 6!

In short: major life changing moments for friends and family
#blog tour

Chasing Dreams at Hedgehog Hollow was a 50/50 read for me. I really enjoyed the last 25% of the book - but the first 75% dragged for me and I found myself unable to be invested. Yet, when I reached the last final chapters I had tears in my eyes and a smile on my face.
Overall cute story, quick read, some eventful twists and turns and a beautiful town setting filled with adorable wildlife.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the complementary copy in exchange for my honest review.

Chasing Dreams at Hedgehog Hollow has a bit of a slow start. I wasn't a fan of Sean leaving. This book is centered around Josh's aunt and a potential new love interest. I was also hoping for a more fast-paced romance. I'm a fan of slow-burns, but this wasn't for me.

This book is like the warm hug I’ve been needing. It has been a pleasure to return to Hedgehog Hollow and I honestly don’t think Jessica Redland can write a bad book. Each one gets better and better.

There is absolutely nothing negative I can say about this gem. As always, we have real life issues thrown amongst some wonderful characters. This has been lovely and emotional to read.

Not only do I love the setting, but the characters in this have been completely fantastic. I have loved this book. This is completely unpredictable and unputdownable.

Jessica Redland has another absolute gem. I love the way I’m always transported and I am a ready eagerly anticipating what may come next in Hedgehog Hollow.

A definite recommendation from me. This is a must for the TBR.

Another amazing instalment of the hedgehog hollow series. Loved hearing Lauren’s story. Heartwarming yet heart breaking one of my favourites yet. Can’t wait for the next one.

The penultimate book in the series and just as perfect as before. Not as much Sam and Josh in this one but I loved Lydia.

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

We’re back at Hedgehog Hollow for the penultimate book in the series. I honestly think I may shed a tear when I finish the last one later this year. Poor Jessica Redland couldn’t even go on holiday without me stalking her around the Lake District earlier this year!

I know people who read this blog regularly are used to me sharing the dark worlds of Karin Slaughter and Chris Carter type authors but at the other end of the scale, I absolutely LOVE these books, it’s one of my most favourite series, hence my stalking of Jessica Redland.

The main character in this novel is Lauren (Josh’s Aunt), I won’t lie – I don’t actually remember her from earlier books 😮 and I was slightly disappointed not to spend more time with Samantha and Josh. They were present but not a much as in other books. It took a little while to get going but it was well worth the wait

As ever this book does include some difficult subjects (these could be TW for some) but they’re sensitively handled.

So we are back to Hedgehog Hollow, which is a rescue centre for hedgehogs, and we rejoin Sam who runs the centre after her wedding to Josh. They are happy and off on their honeymoon. It was lovely to see a snippet of the country they were visiting as well as flip back and forth back to their home.

This book mainly centres around Lauren and her storyline, she is Josh's aunt and twin sister to his mom Connie. Her story is one filled with absolute heartbreak, I was so emotional reading about everything that had happened to her throughout her life. The writing changed timelines so we were able to visit Lauren as she experienced the huge landmarks that shaped her life. She has never really got over her first love Shaun who left her in such an upsetting manner. She had never been given the chance to fully grieve the break up due to the way things ended. This had then impacted all her future relationships and decisions. It was heartbreaking to see the devastation she went through and how it had a knock on effect. However the friendship she has with Sam and Jonathan is a lifeline and you can see how important they are to her. Plus a new character Riley, enters the fray and has another huge impact on her life, although maybe not as you might expect to begun with! I thought the closure she receives was written beautifully and explained a lot about Shauns reasons behind what he did. Do read the acknowledgements at the end, Jesica explains a little about why she wrote the way she did and her research which is really interesting.

Old characters are still happily plodding on within the story and smaller storylines continue on from the previous books which is fabulous for consistency. We are still left with a few threads open which leads nicely to her final book that will be hitting shelves in September. I will be sad to leave the characters behind but I am also excited to see how everything ends up for each character in the final book of the series. Plus she has promised that we may well see them cropping up in other books in the future. This is another thing I love about Jessica Redlands books, because they are set around Whitsborough Bay, characters from different series pop up in other books when you least expect it!