Title: Ivy Lane
Author: Cathy Bramley
Publisher: Random House / Transworld Publishers
Availability: Paperback or Kindle
A Page of Love Rating:
BOOK DESCRIPTION:
From spring to summer, autumn to winter, a lot can happen in a single year...
Tilly Parker needs a fresh start, fresh air and a fresh attitude if she is ever to leave the past behind and move on with her life. As she seeks out peace and quiet in a new town, taking on a plot at Ivy Lane allotments seems like the perfect solution.
But the friendly Ivy Lane community has other ideas and gradually draw Tilly in to their cosy, comforting world of planting seedlings, organizing bake sales and planning seasonal parties.
As the seasons pass, will Tilly learn to stop hiding amongst the sweetpeas and let people back into her life – and her heart?
DAWNS THOUGHTS:
I first saw this book as 4 separate eBook installments available for the kindle and eReaders on Netgalley, but I decided to wait until the entire 4 parts was brought out as one book. I'm so glad that I did, because not only is the cover delightful (as they all were and are) but to read each part consecutively without having to wait, is perfect. I couldn't wait anyway, because no sooner as I;d finished one part, I HAD to continue into the next part.
Each part is dedicated to the four seasons, Winter, Spring, Summer, and Autumn (in that order) and it follows the lives of truly beautiful and heart warming characters who meet and become friends on Ivy Lane allotments. Reading this on a sunny weekend had me doing all I could to stop going outside and digging in my own garden! The main character whom we meet is Tilly and she starts a new job in a primary school and we get the feeling that she's starting over again because of something awful in her past.
Personally, I had no idea what had happened completely that made Tilly want to start over. She keeps herself to herself (or at least she intends to) and slowly she finds herself opening up to those at Ivy Lane allotments and shoots of fresh growth appear in her over time. She finds that she shares her allotment plot (16B) with Gemma whom has a daughter - who spends more time being grounded (no pun intended) than not. I loved how the friendhsip between Gemma and Tilly bloomed and blossomed. I'd love to have been friends with them - they were a right hoot!
Personally, I had no idea what had happened completely that made Tilly want to start over. She keeps herself to herself (or at least she intends to) and slowly she finds herself opening up to those at Ivy Lane allotments and shoots of fresh growth appear in her over time. She finds that she shares her allotment plot (16B) with Gemma whom has a daughter - who spends more time being grounded (no pun intended) than not. I loved how the friendhsip between Gemma and Tilly bloomed and blossomed. I'd love to have been friends with them - they were a right hoot!
Remember me saying that Tilly wants to keep herself to herself and just tend to her patch? Well it seems that Ivy Lane's residents have other plans... Gemma's Mum gets Tilly involved with the committee and before long Tilly finds herself staring at a camera talking about her allotment when Ivy Lane takes part in a TV show. But if that wasn't hard enough for Tilly, she finds herself having feelings for a certain producer. But does he feel the same way? And if he does, would Tilly even allow herself to act upon her feelings?
Ivy Lane is full of action, with community service being paid back with offenders, and Charlie falling for Tilly and Tilly just wanting to be friends.... then there is a heavily pregnant drama when waters burst, and places catching fire... oh it's non-stop and so damn enjoyable! I didn't want to leave Ivy Lane... EVER!!! I want to go back!!!
If I wasn't giving maximum rating hearts out of 5 on A Page of Love, Ivy Lane would have at least triple that amount, but I have to settle for 5 gorgeously humongous hearts for this book! Go get your copy now, fall in love, buy some vegetable seeds, grow a patch in your garden this year, and embrace the love that is, Ivy Lane.
ABOUT CATHY BRAMLEY:
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After four years of flinging herself round the dancefloors of Nottingham's nightspots, Cathy somehow managed to get an honours degree in business. She then plunged herself into the corporate world of marketing, working on high-powered projects such as testing the firing range of SuperSoaker water guns and perfecting the weeing action of Tiny Tears. After making it onto Timmy Mallet's Christmas card list, she realised it was time to move on and so in 1995 set up her own marketing agency.
She now lives in a Nottinghamshire village with her husband, two daughters and a dog called Pearl.
Random Facts about Cathy Bramley:
She now lives in a Nottinghamshire village with her husband, two daughters and a dog called Pearl.
Random Facts about Cathy Bramley:
Lucky charm: pottery frog out of a Christmas cracker
Favourite tipple: Polish cherry vodka
Best ever Christmas present: potter's wheel (toy version)
Hates the expression: 'Compliments to the chef'
Favourite tipple: Polish cherry vodka
Best ever Christmas present: potter's wheel (toy version)
Hates the expression: 'Compliments to the chef'
Find her here:
Posts
Oh Dawn, what a lovely review! I'm delighted that you enjoyed Ivy Lane and if you do plant any seeds, make sure you post pics on twitter so we all get inspired! Thank you xxx
ReplyDeleteYou are welcome, it was a pleasure to read. I most certainly will post them on twitter for everyone, and would love if other readers did that too! xxx
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