It is my pleasure to bring you my review for The Lake House by Christie Barlow as part of her fabulous blog tour!

There’s a newcomer to the village of Heartcross and she’s never been more in need of a friend. 

Ella is ready to start afresh ––and that could mean there’s love on the horizon in the form of the gorgeous Roman, the local water taxi driver. Every day Roman is there to ferry Ella to the restaurant on the other side of the lake and every night he makes sure she gets home safe. But Roman has secrets of his own…

Can the Love Heart Lane community offer Ella a chance of a new life? Or will the ghosts of her past catch up with her?

I am so excited to talk to you today about the next instalment in Christie Barlow’s Love Heart Lane series, The Lake House. If you would like to re-familiarise yourself with the other novels in this series, then please check out my reviews below;

*BLOG TOUR* Love Heart Lane by Christie Barlow

Foxglove Farm – I’m ashamed to say I haven’t read it yet. I own it, I just haven’t got round to it!!

*BLOG TOUR* Clover Cottage by Christie Barlow

*BLOG TOUR* Starcross Manor by Christie Barlow

The Lake House is book 5 in this wonderful series (and I’m thrilled to say that book 6, Primrose Park is due out in April 2021 so not long to wait!)

Ella has not had a good time. After losing her parents, she thought that she had found someone who could support her through her grief. Instead he betrays her in the worst possible way. After struggling alone for 6 months, her friend Callie finally persuades her to leave her home and join her in Heartcross, offering her the love and support she so desperately needs. Heartcross offers her the new start she needs; a new home, new friends and maybe even a new romance!

I love returning to Heartcross, it is such a lovely tightknit, supportive community and it is so easy to immerse yourself in it. As our real world continues to fight the challenges thrown up by a pandemic, it is such a delight to be able to lose yourself in such a wonderful place. As I’ve said many times before, I love getting involved in a book series because I love to revisit places. I like to see characters we have met before and find out where they are now. But what makes The Lake House stand apart from rest is that this time our central character is Ella, an outsider. Having a character join the village and see it with fresh eyes really does give a new perspective. Ella’s heartbreak is very real, but it’s inspiring to watch as she attempts to rebuild her life back up with nothing but her new found community. In the times that we currently live in, there is a lot we could learn from a place like Heartcross, fictional or not.

It would be remiss of me to not mention two other characters who I feel really help the book ‘pop’. Roman is the local water taxi driver, and he is of course suitably handsome (love interest alert!!). Naturally there is some mystery surrounding him, which doesn’t always tally up with the warm, giving character that he is portrayed as. As we learn more about him though, it becomes very clear that everyone has their secrets and their struggles, even if they have a smile on their face.

Finally, I cannot end my review without mentioning Dolores…what a legend! I can only hope to have lead a life as colourful as hers when I reach her advanced years, and she just goes to prove that it’s never too late when it comes to love!

For me, the sign of a good book is one that is talked about. I introduced my two sisters to the Love Heart Lane series during lockdown number 1 (I know, I hate that the lockdown now have numbers!) and they have loved them. So much so that they have both been sat waiting for The Lake House to be released (I may or may not have mentioned to them how lucky I was to get an early copy!). If you find a book that you enjoy, then tell your friends. Now, more than ever, we all need a little lighthearted relief and books most definitely offer us that.

So, grab yourself a bar of chocolate, a glass of wine and snuggle up on your sofa with a copy of The Lake House – you won’t regret it!

Thank you to Christie Barlow and Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources for inviting me to be a part of this wonderful blog tour, and for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

Purchase Links

Amazon UK

Amazon US

Author Bio

Christie Barlow is the author of ten bestselling romantic comedies including A Home at Honeysuckle Farm, Love Heart Lane and Clover Cottage. She lives in a ramshackle cottage in a quaint village in the heart of Staffordshire with her four children and two dogs. 

Her writing career has come as a lovely surprise when Christie decided to write a book to teach her children a valuable life lesson and show them that they are capable of achieving their dreams. Christie’s dream was to become a writer and the book she wrote to prove a point went on to become a #1 bestseller in the UK, USA, Canada and Australia.

When Christie isn’t writing she enjoys playing the piano, is a keen gardener and loves to paint and upcycle furniture.

Christie is an ambassador for the @ZuriProject alongside Patron of the charity, Emmerdale’s Bhasker Patel. They raise money and awareness for communities in Uganda.

Christie loves to hear from her readers and you can get in touch via Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Social Media Links

Instagram

Twitter @ChristieJBarlow 

Facebook page Christie Barlow author