Book Thoughts on Welcome to Hollyhock Farm

Special thanks go out to NetGalley, Boldwood Books, and author Georgina Troy for graciously providing an advance copy of Welcome to Hollyhock Farm.

This contemporary romance story exudes a lighthearted and delightful vibe that is reminiscent of the warm, fuzzy feelings often associated with Hallmark movies. When Lettie finds herself at a crossroads after losing her prestigious fashion job, she decides to return to her family's farm and tackle the challenge of restoring it within a tight deadline of three months. Along the way, she reconnects with a former high school crush who now works as the town's veterinarian.

The plot unravels in a charming and expected manner, following a familiar yet gratifying romantic path. However, the conclusion felt somewhat rushed, leaving me wanting more.

Welcome to Hollyhock Farms releases on April 24.

Perhaps one of the most jarring moments for many young adults involves returning to a childhood home for the first time in a while. Parents look a little older. The house isn't quite what it used to be. And by god, was everything always this small?

That's partially why the opening to Welcome to Hollyhock Farm, Georgina Troy's newest novel, lands so effective. After her fashion career stalls out in London, Lettie visits her family back on the island of Jersey. In a double whammy only parents can deliver, it's revealed her father has suffered a recent heart attack and the their farm is to be sold to her uncle. Troy successfully captures Lettie's frustrations as she navigates both of her worlds—her new adulthood and previous childhood—suddenly crumpling. It's a testament to her tight writing that it feels as though Lettie, an otherwise affable narrator, might be on the verge of something drastic.

So it's not really a surprise when she suddenly volunteers to take over the farm. And, after a brief bit of business involving Troy's fantastic portrayal of a lovingly conflicted father, Lettie winds up playing farmer for three months while her parents are on holiday. If she can manage it properly, she just might be able to keep it in the family. These are some of the best sections of the book, with Troy exploring the backbreaking work this kind of solo operation entails. In her rich style, she showcases Lettie not just tending to animals and soil, but also the administrative finesse it takes to keep things afloat. Who knew farm math could be so compelling?

And that's all before addressing the romance aspect, which takes up far more of the book. Any good farmer needs a good vet, and Brodie happens to be a great one. He also happens to have a minor past with Lettie (he seems to have forgotten it—she has not). Their occupations make for a deliciously realistic reason for them to continually cross paths, and Troy wastes no words when crafting up tension. The addition of a potential secondary love interest, Joe, for Lettie does offer some brief competition, but the book also alternates perspective between Lettie and Brodie, making who she ends up with hardly a major reveal. That's not a negative criticism. Brodie, with a little help from a canine companion, is a catch. And Troy makes Joe so appealing and Lettie's moments with him so tempting that he would be a welcome addition in future series installments.

Which is to say I do hope there will be more to come after this first book. Hollyhock Farm is an utterly charming backdrop with a load of fun characters I wouldn't mind visiting again.

Lettie offers to run her parent's Jersey farm whilst they are on an extended holiday, hoping to take over the farm rather than them selling it. She meets Brodie, the new local vet, who doesn't remember her from a stolen kiss when they were at school together, but does help her in her endeavours.
This story highlights the sheer amount of work required ruining a smallholding, and Lettie finds it really tiring and is constantly worn out - I'm not sure that I could manage it either. She struggles to forgive Brodie for not remembering their kisses, but a stray dog does bring them together. The story though is as much about the farm as the potential romance between the two and does come to a conclusion, although I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series to find out how the story continues in this small community.
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley, however this did not influence my review of the book.

Lettie is going to run their family farm while her parents are on vacation.
She has some help from Brodie and Joe along the way.
It’s a nice rather sweet romance.i liked Lettie and her determination. I couldn’t help but feel tired along side with her. I did think it ended a bit abruptly.

When Lettie learns that her parents will sell their farm to her uncle she ask them to give it to her now that she has just lost her job . She has three months to prove them that she is capable to work it . And there is the new veterinarian Brodie who helps her . Will she be able to achieve her goals ?
I received this book from netgalley and the publicer as an ARC . Thank you . All thoughts and opinions are my own .

Lettie loves her home, Hollyhock Farm on the beautiful island of Jersey. When she discovers that her parents are selling the farm, she decides to take over the running of it in an attempt to keep it in the family.
It’s a long way from the life she is used to in London but, given three months to prove herself, and not afraid of hard work, Lettie is determined to make things work.
With help and support from friends old and new can Lettie cope juggling animals, crops and people, or has she bitten off more than she can chew.
This lovely story of family and friendship, set in idyllic surroundings is perfect to escape with this summer.

Lettie and her brother come back to their parents' farm. After a serious health scare, their parents decide to sell most of the farm, to make it a bit easier and travel more.

The news came as a huge shock to Lettie. She rarely came back, because it was getting harder and harder to get back to her big city life. She worked in fashion in London but just found out that she will probably be let go and on top of that she and her boyfriend broke up.

It seems like a perfect time to switch careers and exchange fast-paced city life for a simple country one. Only, she needs to convince her dad to let her.

With a little help from her uncle, she gets the farm, but only on a trial basis. She must do well if she wants to make a life for herself here.

When she runs into the boy she used to have the biggest crush on, it seems like her summer is just getting more and more complicated.

A love, but predictable small-town love story, of having a fresh start in life and getting a second chance for love. I liked the story, but it didn't stand out for me.

Thanks to the Publisger and Netgalley for an early review copy.

This was another book by Georgina Troy which I thoroughly enjoyed from beginning to end.

The story is set on jersey. We meet Lettie, who when visiting home, hears that her parents are looking to sell the family farm, so they can enjoy doing other things.

She wants to show her father that she can take over the farm. She meets Brodie, who she recognises from her teenage years, but he doesn’t recognise her.

Will Lettie be able to stop the farm from being sold?

I loved the setting and the furry companions of Lettie and Brodie.

I recommend this book.

I liked the premise but found that the pacing didn't work for me. There was a lot of repetitive information and quite a bit of exposition at the beginning that didn't really seem relevant (I didn't feel like I learned anything important about the characters, setting, or plot; OR the exposition repeated itself so I learned the same things 3 or 4 times in the span of a few pages).

Overall I feel like I lost momentum and wasn't really invested, so I ended up DNFing.

"Welcome to Hollyhock Farm" by Georgina Troy. What can I say other than I enjoyed it and read in one day. Who doesn’t want to escape to a small farm on an island in the English Channel…

Set sail for the idyllic island of Jersey in this gorgeous new romance, perfect for fans of Rachael Lucas and Phillipa Ashley...

The setting of a small farm on the Island of Jersey sounded breathtaking. It had everything you could want in a story love, family, community and second chances.

I found the characters to be well developed, and multi-dimensional. You had her childhood crush Brodie back on the island as the local vet, then the fireman Joe who all wanted to help Lettie with the farm while her parents were away. The story was told from Lettie’s perspective as well as Brodies .

I will definitely read other books by this author.

I requested and received an advance reader copy of this book from Boldwood Books and Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I wanted to love this book more but I didn’t. I think maybe I just wasn’t in the mood.

This was a very easy read that was like hallmark in a book, but found myself also getting bored.

Not a bad book, it had a cute plot and good writing, but I just couldn't get into it. I had trouble relating to the characters or believing the storyline. It seemed to jump around and not mover very cohesively.

This was such a beautiful romance in a one of a kind place. I wish I could visit! Definitely read this one.

Set in Jersey, what a lovely place, good characters and setting. Really enjoyable read and I did enjoy it very much. 5 stars.

Thanks to Netgalley, author and publisher for this ARC

Lettie has left London to come home to Jersey as her mum and dad insisted she visit. She's already facing a few choices in her career and is even more thrown when she has a chance to work and run the family farm.

Lettie soon makes friends with the new vet Brodie. Brodie is desperate to build up his new practise and establish his place in the community.

Told from both perspectives this is an easy to read summer romance.

Cute story, loved the setting and characters. Writing could have been fine tuned a bit more in editing but I imagine it may go through another round before final publishing (I read an advanced copy).
Fave things about the book - Lettie taking walks on the beach & Brodie surfing. Brought the point home that the sea is therapeutic.

Thank you NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is an easy to read modern day romance that gave me Hallmark vibes. Lettie moves back to her small-town home after she is let go from her big career as a fashion designer. She is determined to take over the family farm and has 3 months to prove herself. She encounters her high school crush who is the new town veterinarian.

Cute and predictable storyline. The ending was very abrupt and left me wanting.

The setting of this story was absolutely dreamy and wonderful. I felt like I was in the farm breathing in the fresh spring air with Lettie. The romance was sweet and I enjoyed the story. The only feedback I have is that the dialogue felt a little bit stiff at times. I prefer stories that sound like real people have conversations and not such proper, stilted sentences. Overall, it was sweet and fun and I enjoyed it!

This was a very good book. It was sweet and very well written. It is a perfect book for summer time. The setting was so perfect and it felt like I was there.

Enjoyable feel good story about a young woman who decides to take over the family farm. Easy read. Growing up on a farm myself, it resonated with me!