Rebecca Alexander does a great job in writing this book, it had that element that I was looking for and enjoyed from the genre. It was everything that I was hoping for and was glad I was able to read this. The characters felt like real people and worked with the family secrets being told in this.

What a lovely love story and general story. Set between Devon and London. I like Rebecca Alexander as an author .You move between the Second World War and present day. Sad parts but true love too. The descriptions of the ammunition factory were very moving. A really good read. I read in one night. Perfect ending

I loved this book. It was beautifully written and the characters were great with very interesting backgrounds. Hazel was such a wonderful characters and so very helpful - everyone needs a Hazel in their life. A story of hardship. friendship and romance with a few twists and turns along the way made for a real page turner.

A heartbreaking novel set in England that will have you crying throughout the story. Zosia (the main character who has left her abusive husband) arrrives with her young son to help Hazel with her cottage/cafe to restart a business founded by Hazel's parents. Through letters left by Hazel's father and translated by Zosia. the reader learns about the love between Hazel's parents and what they endured through WWII. Included in the letters are stories of the Polish Air Pilots and the atrocities that the Polish people endured during the war. Also, one learns what is was like for women working in munition plants in London during that time.. Zosia , through the people around her, discovers a new life and is able to move forward. A great read that I will highly recommend.

Secrets of Foxglove Cottage by Rebecca Alexander is a captivating and emotionally rich novel that weaves together the stories of resilience, love, and new beginnings across two timelines. Set against the backdrop of the Second World War and the present day, this book offers readers a deeply moving exploration of the human spirit.

In the present timeline, Zosia Armitage, fleeing from an abusive marriage with her young son Krys, seeks refuge and a fresh start at Foxglove Cottage. Hazel Wojcik, a warm-hearted septuagenarian, welcomes them with open arms, offering a job to help restore the family’s café and translate her father’s wartime memoirs. The evolving bond between Zosia, Krys, and Hazel is tender and uplifting, as they become a surrogate family, leaning on one another to confront past traumas and present challenges.

The historical timeline introduces Casimir, Hazel's father, a courageous Polish pilot who crashes on the Moors and is rescued by Rosie. Their love story blossoms amidst the chaos of war, with Cas facing peril in the skies and Rosie enduring the dangers of working in an explosives factory. The dual narrative masterfully conveys the bravery and sacrifices of wartime, from the heroics of Polish pilots to the harrowing realities faced by women in munitions factories. These details are gripping and vividly portrayed, making history come alive on the page.

Rebecca Alexander excels at blending suspense, romance, and history into a seamless narrative. Zosia's journey of self-discovery, healing, and finding love again, alongside Leon, a kind-hearted former policeman turned vicar, mirrors the resilience and hope evident in the wartime storyline. Themes of courage, family, and second chances are explored beautifully, leaving readers both inspired and deeply moved.

While some might feel the dual timeline is ambitious, it enriches the novel with depth and variety. The wartime scenes are as compelling as the contemporary storyline, offering an insightful glimpse into the challenges and triumphs of two extraordinary eras.

Secrets of Foxglove Cottage is a heartwarming tale that captures the enduring power of love, friendship, and the human capacity for renewal. With its well-drawn characters, rich historical detail, and emotional depth, this book is a must-read. Whether you're drawn to historical fiction, stories of resilience, or heartwarming romances, this novel has something for everyone. Five stars! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing a review copy. All opinions are my own.

SECRETS OF FOXGLOVE COTTAGE by REBECCA ALEXANDER is an interesting and exciting read, which, as we follow the inhabitants of Foxglove Cottage during the war years and in the present day, we are drawn into a family with all their secrets, emotional upheaval and bravery…….
Hazel Wojcik, whose father Casimir was a Polish fighter pilot who escaped the Germans to fight with the British, employs Zosia Armitage to help her restore the Fairy Cafe started by her parents after the war. There are also memoirs written by her father in Polish about the war years that she wants Zosia to translate for her. Zosia has a son Krys, who, together with his mother, has been traumatised by his father. I like to see how these three, Hazel, Zosia and Krys, become a strong little family, and how they, together with ex policeman and Anglican vicar Leon, stand strong against an unknown agresssor……...
Casimir and Rosie’s love story, which started when she rescued him out of the plane he crashed practically on her doorstep, is beautifully told. We see their courage as they face danger everyday, Cas in the air and Rosie in the explosives factory, their love for their friends and famiies, and the constant fear that they live with……
I really enjoyed the novel and found it interesting on many levels.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Bookouture. The opinions in this review are completely my own.

Zosia arrives with her son Krys to start a new job with Hazel cleaning snd sorting out the cafe for opening. Also to translate Hazel's husband's memoirs

I absolutely loved Book 1 titled Secrets of Foxglove Cottage of the new Wildflower Secrets series by Rebecca Alexander. It is deeply romantic, heart shaking and engaging. I enjoyed both timelines equally. This novel covers a lot of emotional territory that highlights the myriad faces and fears of war, spousal and child abuse, mental instability, bullying and broken relationships to name a few. But it also holds positive aspects such as new beginnings, the meaning of family (both blood and adopted members), building a new life and career, finding and trusting love again and becoming part of a caring community.

Zosia, in the current timeline, has escaped with her six year old son, Kristof, from the control of an abusive ex-husband who is violent towards them. Zosia gets custody and heads to a new place to start over and try to reclaim some stability, peace and joy in her life. She lands at Foxglove Cottage looking for a job and place to stay. Hazel, a warm and welcoming seventy year old kind lady, after an interview discussion, decides to take her in –along with her young son. Zosia is hired to help restore the Foxglove Cottage with its garden, re-open the lore-laden enchanting old café and be a general assistant in anything else Hazel needs—which ends up being a translator for some old letters. Zosia is off to a good start but her past begins to infringe upon and affect her new life. Although she meets new townspeople like Leon, who offer kindness in her new landscape on the craggy Dartmoor moorland, she is uncertain of what to do when trouble comes knocking at her door and threatens both her son and her landlady who has become like family to her.

The past enters the story through a diary owned by Hazel’s father. It contains a remarkable love story as well as Casimir’s adventures as a war pilot which leaves poor Rosie in constant worry. He is Polish and after he literally crash lands into her life, she draws very close to him. But the circumstances that continue to surround them both, lead the reader on a tumultuous journey that see the couple deal with many ups and downs that pertain to war. Although Rosie’s family are not keen initially with her romantic choice and actions, they offer her wonderful support when most needed: especially once she begins her new job near London to be near Cas when he is home on leave.

Learning more about Rosie’s job was quite an eye opener. It was a reminder of how frightening it was for women who worked in munitions factories during the war. The author gives us an accurate description that really gripped my heart. I had previously read a bit about the topic but this story really brings home how dangerous, unpleasant and lethal it was to perform such a job. The female workers had limited protection against the deadly chemicals they had to use. Many lost their lives through explosions, accidents or poisoning from handling chemical explosives. It did make me wonder how much it may have affected their health. Did women like Rosie have much higher risks of miscarriage, stillbirth, and birth defects in their children? I found this part of the novel quite informative and it posed questions in my mind.

There is a theme about living for the moment and dealing with issues when they come. In giving words of encouragement to her friend, Rosie talks about grief and how it eases over time. She experienced it ‘when her grandfather passed away, when her school friend died of TB, when her favourite animals had been put down.’ Her father has always said, that ‘death is a part of life.. to truly live you have to accept death.’ Wise words.

This is a beautiful, honest and warmly written tale that captured me from page one and held my heart captive to the last page. The pacing and two timelines are finely executed plus the physical and emotional landscape moving. I totally recommend The Secrets of Foxglove Cottage with its genuine leading characters, solid romances, well researched WW2 issues and second chance theme. 5 Splendid Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for a review copy.

thank you for this story i felt like i can relate a lot to this story because of the polish in it with the words i could understand i am born in the balkans so the language is very similar certain words. I loved the character how she gets a job to help hazel with her son an they are starting out in a new place dont know anyone and look like they were poor too especially with the back story with the war back in the day and there was a lot of twists/secrets in this story. I love how she fell in love again, it was a really sweet story.

thank you netgalley for giving me this book to review `100% my opinion.

A most glorious, romantic and incredibly moving take, spanning the second world war and the present day. Zosia has escaped her abusive husband along with her little son Krys, both traumatised and scared. However, in Foxglove cottage and the the kind Hazel, they find a home and a family. Hazel has asked Zosia to translate her Polish father's memories from his war years , when he crash landed his plane on the Moors and met his darling Rosie. We alternate between the timelines as Casimir and Rosie 's story is revealed. The horrors of war, the bravery of the pilots, particularly the Polish pilots like Cas , plus the incredible bravery and hardships faced by the factory workers like Rosie and her friend Audrey are brought home in vivid , heartbreaking detail. Throw in a handsome vicar and a some heart warming romance and you have the perfect feelgood uplifting read. I would love to contribute Leon and Zosia 's story so please schedule a return to the Fairy Café very soon!

This is the first book I’ve read by this author, but it won’t be my last. This book deals with a number of different deep issues. The one that might be a potential trigger for some readers is the topic of spousal abuse. The author broached the subject in a sensitive manner. I hope that it will encourage readers finding themselves in such a situation to seek help. Aside from that, as a dual time novel, there’s a truly romantic WWII story going with links to the cottage. It gives a fascinating glimpse into the circumstances under which British women worked during WWII, doing their part to put an end to the war. I had read about all kinds of different war jobs for women, but this is the first book that I’ve read that described life in an ammunition factory. Some mysterious events, bringing an element of suspense, the renovation of an old café and the celebration of life in a small town are all part of this lovely book. Absolute favorite character was Auntie Hazel. Who wouldn’t want her in their life? I feel the book would benefit from fewer events that are more fleshed out. It did not even need to have a dual timeline, the current day story was strong enough on its own and that is the main reason for 4 stars instead of 5. I anticipated a fun, lighthearted romance novel. It wasn’t. Lighthearted at times, without a doubt. Enjoyable, absolutely! Is there something new to learn? Better read it to find out!

Está narrado en dos tiempos: el pasado, durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial, y el presente. En el pasado se cuenta la historia de Rosie y Casimir: cómo se conocieron, lo que tuvieron que hacer durante la guerra y cómo les afectó, así como su vida posterior. En el presente, seguimos la historia de Zosia y su hijo, quienes buscan empezar de nuevo, lejos del monstruo que es su marido, y por casualidad termina trabajando en el bed and breakfast de Hazel, la hija de Rosie y Casimir.
En esta parte podemos ver como a Zosia le falló el sistema policial y ahora debe vivir con miedo, hasta que llega a Foxglove Cottage y encontrará amigos que la cuidaran.


Aparentemente, es un libro ligero, pero aborda temas fuertes como la violencia física y psicológica, trata de personas, la muerte, venta de drogas, abortos e infertilidad.


Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.