A new author for me. Lovely to have a book set in a different location. This one ticks all the boxes for me and didn't disappoint.

I really enjoyed this! The descriptions of the Lake District were stunning. It's one of my favourite places and this just captured it perfectly. Also loved all the foraging and food. It definitely left me hungry especially for that ice cream!

I loved all the different types of love represented in this - friendship, family, romance, love for nature and food. It was stunning.

The different characters' stories - Anna, Rose, Olivia, Dani, Jackson - were so interesting and I just wish we'd had more of it. It made the twist at the end feel less believable.

Having said that, this was just a real treat to read and I was gripped right from the start. It provided the perfect escape into a delicious, chaotic, beautiful world.

It's also a joy to read books set in the North West (where I live hehe). It made me feel so connected to the story!

Anna Carleton is a driven, hard-working chef running Hesta, the best restaurant in Buttermere. With her impeccable, high standards, Anna uses local food, seasonal recipes and foraged ingredients, and her delicious food entices diners from all over the world to her little corner of Cumbria.

Rose has spent her life farming the fells. It’s a hard life that’s not for everyone; Rose and her dad run the farm alone, and she can see they need to change if they’re to keep their home – even if change is hard to accept for some.

Olivia knows people patronise her for being a social media ‘influencer’ – but she makes a living from her videos and beautifully curated pictures of her seemingly perfect life. As an online star, she’s used to getting things for free – but when real life threatens not to be so photogenic, she realises there are some things money or fame can’t buy.

The magic of the Lake District and the very best of food will ultimately unite these three very different women, enabling them to find the 'missing ingredients' in their lives, and their own recipe for happiness.

Born and bred in Cumbria, I love a novel set in my home county, and this one was a delight. Ellie Wood has created a varied cast of characters, each struggling to reconcile themselves with their pasts in a story that looks at themes of friendship, empowerment and finding your own version of happy.

A book you can easily dive into, which keeps you turning the pages...and makes you very hungry!

Thank you to Harper North for a access to a Netgalley proof in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4

Anna runs a successful, sustainable, foraging restaurant (Hesta) in the Lakes. Her past efforts to be successful have earned her a reputation and a broken heart. Does everyone want a successful restaurant in their village?
Rose works on the dairy farm next door - she needs Hesta's business but it's still not enough. Her dad is stuck in the past, can she find success with Anna's help?
Olivia wants to review Hesta for her socials, but bad timing means she might be more of a threat than positive advertising. When things go wrong, can she change for the better?

I really enjoyed this book. All the characters are well written and there are some genuinely tense moments, where I just had to keep reading. There was a lot of heart on the book - Anna's dad living with grief, Anna putting her past behind her, Rose struggling with her mum leaving. The characters make you want to keep reading to see if it all works out.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced ebook copy in exchange for an honest review.

There was a lot of description, too much at times in my opinion, and I skimmed over some of it. Yes, the author captures the beauty of the Lake District, but I think goes a bit OTT on the detail as it detracts from the plot. Anna, the main character, seems a bit wooden to me upon occasion. I didn't feel much emotion from her. I liked the other characters. As for the ending, well, a happy ending is hinted at, but I would have preferred something less subtle here. Loved all the foodie descriptions. With thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Restaurant at the Heart of the Lakes by Ellie Wood

Enjoyed reading this book , part due to my love of good food and great restaurants but also because it is set in the county that I call home .
We meet Anna who runs a restaurant in Buttermere ( in true life 2 pubs & a cafe , and an ice cream palour ) and two other main characters , Rose & Olivia.

Once they meet and come together the book follows them and we find out about their lives and how the restaurant goes along way in helping them forge true friendships .

This was a lovely read. It was first by this author and it won’t be my last.

I liked the fact that the lead character was an older woman who was seemingly content to live her life with out having to be romantically attached, Anna wasn’t looking for love and she doesn’t find it, at least not romantically. She does find love in friendship and connections. Anna has a way of connecting to people and supporting them when they are in need the most. Rose is trying to start a new business and Anna helps and supports her, she even helps Jackson when he wasn’t always very nice to her. She sees past the labels other people might put on others and tries to see the heart of a person. She even manages to connect with Will after stepping back and trying to look at things from his perspective.

The added twists about her brother and his family were unexpected and added another element to the book that made me want to read on to see what was going to happen next.

From start to finish I loved this book, such a simple message, be true and honest with yourself and enjoy the simple things.

This book is basically a live letter to the Lake District. The descriptions are fantastic and it does make you appreciate every single detail. It’s a nice heartwarming story and I really enjoyed it, also liked the fact that it had a happy ending without being completely predictable as the twist did surprise me and I liked that

The Restaurant at the Heart of the Lakes by Ellie Wood was such a great book! I love the three women coming together each dealing with their own issues to help get a restaurant back up and running and finding themselves along the process as well. This was definitely a fun feel good book that was easy to read and enjoy and I know potential readers will love picking this one up because it is such a sweet treat!

I agree with the first review that this book is written in an odd way, it lacks openness. It was a nice enough story Once I got the hang of the writing style..

This is a lovely story. Written in a strange way that I can not explain but it still gripped me. Set in the Lake District . Intresting hearing both sides of having a famous restaurant in your area. So many twists you did not see and family connections. I loved the use of local ingredients . A very clever ending. This is a brilliant read . My review is not doing the book justice . Just read it.