Written by Julie Houston
Charlie Maddison loves being an architect in London, but when she finds out her boyfriend, Dominic, is actually married, she runs back to the beautiful countryside of Westenbury and her parents.
Charlie’s sister Daisy, a landscape gardener, is also back home in desperate need of company and some fun.
Their great-grandmother, Madge – now in her early nineties – reveals she has a house, Holly Close Farm, mysteriously abandoned over sixty years ago, and persuades the girls to project manage its renovation.
As work gets underway, the sisters start uncovering their family’s history, and the dark secrets that are hidden at the Farm.
A heart-breaking tale of wartime romance, jealousy and betrayal slowly emerges, but with a moral at its end: true love can withstand any obstacle, and, before long, Charlie dares to believe in love again too…
Five Pulsing, Glowing, Sparkly Stars! 
How lucky am I to have another novel by a favourite author to read and enjoy? Not only does Julie Houston never disappoint, but each book exceeds even my high expectations!
Charlotte Maddison – Charlie to her friends and family – returns home at the end of a working day to find her boyfriend’s wife outside the flat she’s been sharing with Dominic. Suddenly homeless she does what most young women would do and heads home to Yorkshire. Expecting only her parents in residence, she is surprised to encounter her younger sister Daisy is also home. Visiting their great-grandmother, temporarily living in a nursing home, they find out she’s been sitting on a secret of gigantic proportions for sixty-odd years, and the revelations to follow could provide them both with a way to further their chosen careers.
What a fabulous read! Set in the same area of Yorkshire, there are brief appearances from a few characters in Julie’s recent novels ‘Goodness, Grace and Me’ and ‘The One Saving Grace’ both of which I recently read and reviewed. This, however, is an entirely new scenario, concerning a family I hadn’t met before but who are funny, entertaining, and have one of the most beautiful love stories in their history that I have come across.
A thoroughly satisfying read and one which I have gloried in and loved everything about. It’s a well structured, beautifully written book and I couldn’t find fault even if I wanted to. Such a great read deserves only the highest of recommendations and I’m more than happy to give it five pulsing, glowing, sparkly stars!
My thanks to publisher Aria for my copy via NetGalley, and to Victoria Joss for inviting me to take part in this Blog Tour.
Tags: family saga, romance
- Format: ebook, paperback
- Size: 428 pages
- Publisher: Aria
- Publication Date: 5 February 2019
- Purchase Links: Google Play
- Barnes & Noble
- Kobo
- iBooks
- amazon
Meet the Author
Julie Houston is the author of THE ONE SAVING GRACE, GOODNESS, GRACE AND ME and LOOKING FOR LUCY, a kindle top 100 general bestseller and a kindle #1 bestseller. She is married with two teenage children and a mad cockerpoo and, like her heroine, lives in a West Yorkshire village. She is also a teacher and a magistrate.
Follow Julie
Twitter: @juliehouston2
Facebook: @JulieHoustonauthor
Follow Aria
Website: www.ariafiction.com
Twitter: @aria_fiction
Facebook: @ariafiction
Instagram: @ariafiction
Ooooh now I am excited to read this book thanks to your fabulous review. Omg it was so great 😍
LikeLike
What can I say to you, Grace except a great big, fat, squashy thank you. If I wasn’t being flung around windy mountain roads on way back to Cape Town and airport I’d be sending you flowers. As it is I’m terrified , feeling bit sick and will have to sign off….
Julie xxxxxxxxd
LikeLiked by 1 person
What a marvelously glowing review! Obviously I have to find this book immediately!!
LikeLiked by 1 person