After losing her job in New York, Amber Green isn’t looking forward to visiting her godmother in the sleepy village of Cranbridge. With its empty lanes and rundown shops, it’s hardly a place to mend her lonely heart.
But when Amber discovers that Cranbridge Stores, owned by her godmother Cathy and son Josh, is under threat of financial ruin, she realises that her skills as a window dresser might just be able to help save the struggling shop.
When disaster strikes, Amber and Josh must unite to save both the shop and the village from flooding.
Can Cranbridge Stores become the heart of the village once more?
And as the village begins to come back to life, perhaps Amber will discover a reason to stay…
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Review
At a loose end after being made redundant from her fancy job in New York, Amber agrees to visit her godmother in the quiet village of Cranbridge. It's only meant to be a stop on her way to live with her parents, newly emigrated to New Zealand. Her godmother's general store is overstocked and struggling, and the entire village has a feeling of desolation, but it might be the perfect place for Amber to get back on her feet.
Amber and Josh were adorable. From a rather unfortunate meet-cute to shenanigans renovating the store and mutual pining, I loved the way they saw the best in each other and gave the other a reason to be their best selves. They each start the story deeply unhappy but find happiness and fulfilment in the life they build together. It's incredibly wholesome.
There are so many things I really liked in this book: the friendships Amber made with Belle and Molly, the growing sense of community in Cranbridge, the snarky side characters all with a heart of gold, and the thought and care put into the shop renovations. It did feel a tad tell-not-show at the start and end, but that's a minor quibble in a lovely book. I can't help but hope we return to Cranbridge soon.
Five stars, because this book made me happy.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley and Rachel's Random Resources; all opinions are my own
Author BioAlison Sherlock is the author of the bestselling Willow Tree Hall books. Alison enjoyed reading and writing stories from an early age and gave up office life to follow her dream. Her new series for Boldwood is set in a fictional Cotswold Village and the first title will be published in July 2020.
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