Review: Hope and Happiness in Bluebell Wood

Hope and Happiness in Bluebell Wood Hope and Happiness in Bluebell Wood by Ali McNamara
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I’m a long-time fan of Ali McNamara, so I’m always excited by a new release from her. I found Hope and Happiness in Bluebell Wood particularly appealing, as I used to live down the road from a bluebell wood when I was a child.

The narrative voice is very gentle, and so I immediately felt relaxed as soon as I started reading. This is one of the things I love about this author.

I loved the gentle plot, the lovely cottage, and the friendly village setting. The wood is a huge character too. The character development was excellent, especially Ava’s. I really liked Ava, and of course I loved Merlin, who does such a great job of looking after her. I love the hint of magic that runs through the story - only a subtle stretch from things that do happen. It’s these kind of touches that make Ali McNamara’s writing so special.

I also really enjoyed the gentle love story (in fact there are two), I liked the fact that although there are issues to deal with, it’s not over-dramatic.

Overall, this was such a lovely story, with romance, and mystery, and a sprinkling of subtle magic. Just perfect. I so look forward to whatever the author writes next.

I was given a free copy of this book, my opinions are my own.

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