Review: Foxglove Farm (Love Heart Lane #2) by Christie Barlow: 5 of my #20BooksofSummer21

Return to Love Heart Lane for friendship, romance and a community who will be be there for you no matter what…

Isla and Drew Allaway appear to have the perfect life – a strong marriage, two beautiful children and their picture-perfect home, Foxglove Farm.
 
But, new mum Isla is struggling.  She loves her little family but with Drew working all hours on the farm, Isla’s lonely.

When she discovers that Drew has been keeping secrets from her, Isla has to face losing the home they all love.
Can the Love Heart Lane community pull together once more to help save Foxglove Farm?  And can Isla save her home…and her marriage? (Goodreads)

Sequels to blockbuster films are as often as not have a lot of odds and challenges stacked against them and tend to receive mixed reviews.
This book, Foxglove Farm, the second book in the Lave Heart Lane series is as entertaining and charming as the first book, and I declare it’s a winner as far as I am concerned. Christie Barlow created a heart-squeezing, wonderful story and held me in thrall once again.

The village of Heartcross charmed me with the cosy, heartwarming feels and the vibrant characters, but you’ll soon find out things are not as comfy and easy for Isla and Drew in this book.

Drew seems to be much more irritable and grumpier than I remember he was in the first book and snaps at Isla at the most trivial provocations. Isla was as baffled and confused as I was by Drew’s drastic character change and has the foggiest idea of what had got into him.
The troubles are certainly brewing between them, and Isla was hell vent on mending the situation.
As part of the effort, Isla decides to give him a surprise birthday present, fully convinced it would lift his spirits.
Little did she know it would open a can of worms…

My, oh my, there are so many things happening in this book and you will be busy feeling all sorts of emotions from this book I’m sure!
Among many things, the theme of family and trust left the biggest impact on me, and I bet the way it was explored surely tugs at your heartstrings and resonate with you.

Isla and Drew found themselves in the most challenging situation they have ever faced in their marriage life. Miscommunication abounds and they come closest to losing their farm – and possibly their home too.
The luck seems to have turned against them, but Isla decides to tackle the challenges head-on instead of taking the avoiding tactic. She determines to take matters into her own hands and salvage their family and their marriage no matter what.

Just like Felicity in the previous book, Isla has a tendency to act on impulse. Deep contemplation doesn’t seem to be her strong forte and she is prone to making grave mistakes that deepen the rift in her relationship with Drew. There are moments when I wished she used a bit more caution and thought twice before she leaps, she just doesn’t seem to learn from mistakes.
Regardless of her foibles and flaws, she does display her great strength – the fighting spirits.
The situation she faces is dire and dismal, but she finds a way to get themselves out of the pickle. She comes up with some great ideas to turn things around.

Isla also showcases her strength to get her marriage back on track. Drew has completely closed himself off, but Isla tries everything in her power to knock down the door and open him up to her. To speak to her, to share things with her once again.

This book taught me how important it is to communicate with your loved ones – friends and partners alike. Relationships don’t develop themselves on their own accord, you need to work on strengthening them. That’s what Isla does in this book and the way she approaches the problem struck a chord with me. This book also drills into you the importance of acceptance and forgiveness. It’s okay to be NOT okay. You can share your misgivings and your vulnerability, and as a partner and a friend, you need to accept it without prejudice.
Christie Barlow has some beautiful dialogues up her sleeves in this book, and I must say they never failed to have my eyes welled up!
I truly appreciated how Isla saved her marriage and her precious family despite all the challenges thrown her way. Against all odds, she found a way to bring everything and everyone together, and the things are definitely on the up for her.

The ending is filled to the brim with happiness and a strong sense of community, it was absolutely stunning. A perfect fit for this beautiful, enchanting story of happiness and family, it put a huge grin on my face.

My only niggle is of technical nature; a big The End plastered in the end.
Having those three words right under the end of a story always spoil the afterglow however beautiful a story might be. I wish the rest of the page was left blank – then I would have been an absolute happy bunny.

That said, it doesn’t affect my overall impression of the book, so I will happily turn a blind eye and give this book 5 stars.

This is the 5th book of my 20 Books of Summer Reading Challenge.