Home on Folly Farm by Jane Lovering. #BlogTour

Home On Folly Farm

Escape the rat race by heading to the Yorkshire Moors in Jane Lovering’s funny, warm and magical new novel.

Needing an escape, Dora swapped city living for life as a shepherdess on her grandad’s Yorkshire farm. More than a decade later Dora is still there, now farming the fifty acres and caring for the one hundred rare sheep by herself. She never hears the call of the city, but instead relishes the peace and simplicity of life on the Moors.

When Dora’s glamorous but quarrelsome sister Cass, her teenage nephew Thor and his handsome tutor Nat, turn up for an unexpected and unreasonably long stay, life on the farm is thrown into chaos. Cass brings with her unwelcome memories from the past, and of someone who once stole Dora’s heart. 

Dora takes refuge in the comforting routine of the farm, the sheep never allowing her too much time to dwell. But, as the seasons change, the snow starts to melt, and as lambs begin to fill the fields, Dora can’t keep hiding in the hills. Because even though she’s trying, Dora can’t run away from a love that never really let her go…

Let Jane Lovering whisk you away to the beauty and serenity of the Yorkshire Moors, far away from the noise of the city. Just right for fans of Emma Burstall, Holly Martin and Kate Forster.

My Thoughts

When Dora takes on the farm on the beautiful Yorkshire Moor that was previously run by her grandfather and several generations before that, she has no idea at all as to how much she will enjoy this new way of life. Preserving the herd of sheep that her family have raised throughout the years, she finds herself rather enjoying the solitary life she currently leads.

She certainly isn’t lonely by any standards, as she has support from local farmers when needed, along with the local vet making regular visits to the herd, as well as helping out with the odd jobs that need doing around the farm.

Her quite, somewhat contented life is turned upside down as her sister Cass suddenly rocks up, with her son Thor in tow, and they are not simply making a flying visit. Not only have her family arrived, but they have brought Thor’s tutor Nat along with them too. At first glance Dora is convinced that Nat is an ex of hers from London, however she soon learns that he is in fact his brother, and this allows a friendship to begin to blossom between them.

This is such a beautifully written, heart warming read that really captures your attention from the start. I have always loved the way in which Jane Lovering tells a story as she has such a refreshing, immersive way with words that draws you in to the world that has been so wonderfully brought to life.

The characters were intriguing and well developed too. Dora was such a loveable, relatable character who it was impossible to not feel a connection to from the start. She obviously has some secrets, as most people do, and I found myself invested in her story as we began to learn more about her as an individual and what exactly she had left behind in London. Dora has such a strong work ethic, and I truly admired her determination to continue the legacy in which her family had built throughout these years.

I found Cass and Thor somewhat harder to like in that respect, as they have lived a rather pampered life. Cass seems incapable of comprehending how hard running a farm actually is, and how much of Dora’s life it consumes in the process. However, we do come to learn that despite our initial impression of Cass, she doesn’t necessarily have the perfect life either. And then of course there is Thor, who, as a typical teenager does tend to live most of his life through a screen. When Thor starts documenting his life on the farm, we get to see another side to this teenager, as an enthusiastic, engaging side begins to emerge.

I truly adored this story from the very beginning. There are so many emotions at play throughout this beautiful story it is impossible for it not to secure a place in your heart. With laugh out loud moments, followed by truly moving, heart warming scenes, this entire book was quite simply perfection.

You can purchase a copy of this book here: http://amzn.to/2Xlnl3a

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