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Book Review:  The Village Midwife (Book 1) by Tilly Tennant  @tillytennant6000  @bookouture

The Village Midwife
(Book 1)
by Tilly Tennant

 

Amazon  / B&N / BB

Welcome to Thimblebury, the charming stone village nestled in the rolling hills of the Lake District, where midwife Zoe is hoping for a bright new beginning…

When midwife Zoe Padbury moves into Kestrel Cottage, high on a misty hill above the village of Thimblebury, everyone rallies round to make sure she doesn’t feel lonely. And as she begins her job at the doctor’s surgery, dealing with expectant mums and helping to bring newborns into the world, warmth begins to flood back into her battered and broken heart.

But the evenings are long and as Zoe sits on her cornflower-blue sofa, looking at the golden peaks crowned by clouds, she can’t help but wish she had someone to share her new life with. Her ex-husband treated her badly, but it’s still hard to resist his warm and loving messages begging for a second chance.

Distraction arrives when she meets Alex out walking his shaggy grey dog, and discovers that he will be moving in next door. As she chats to Alex, Zoe finds it hard to ignore his thick dark hair and eyes the colour of chocolate, and her heart clenches at the worried frown that creases his brow.

She soon learns why Alex is anxious when she pays his pregnant daughter a home visit and learns of the tragedy that has brought them to Thimblebury. Zoe is no stranger to sadness, and as she and Alex lean on each other, a tentative spark begins to flicker.

But when Alex gets the wrong idea and thinks Zoe has betrayed his trust, followed by Zoe’s ex appearing on her doorstep, swearing he’s a changed man, will that spark be snuffed out? Coming to the Lake District was meant to be a fresh start for Zoe. But what if the pull of her old life is too overwhelming to resist?

A completely beautiful and life-affirming read that will sweep you up, steal your heart and remind you that new love and hope could be just around the corner. Fans of Jessica Redland and Shari Low will fall head over heels for The Village Midwife.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

I’m sure we’ll barely get out of the car before she’s upon us, like one of those cloaked things out of Harry Potter.’ ‘Cloaked thing? Like a wizard?’ ‘No… You know, the big flying hooded things that suck the joy out of everyone they touch.’

Zoe was at once captivated by the tranquillity of narrow roads, so clean and ordered there had to be an army of elves patrolling when everyone was asleep, keeping it tidy.

‘Magnus,’ Geoff said. ‘Put the shovel down– you’re only digging deeper every time you open your mouth.

They looked normal enough, if it helps. I only counted one head on each of them, so that’s a good sign.

‘You didn’t move here because you were drawn by some mystical force?’ she asked wryly. ‘Were you?’ ‘Oh yes, it was called a job offer.’

Are there any village weirdos? There must be, right? Anyone with six fingers married to their sister?

Some men can be grown-up about these things, and then there’s Ritchie.

My Review:

 

Tilly Tennant is one of my favorite go-to authors for a relaxing, easy-to-fall-into, and gentle read. And I need those between the tense heart-pounding thrillers I alternatively pick up. The Village Midwife is a continuation of the Village Nurse tales and features the same quaint Lake District village and its eccentric villagers of Thimblebury. The storylines are thoughtful, colorfully detailed, relevant, and easy to follow while populated with authentic and knowable characters. It was a leisurely paced and pleasant read.

 

 

About the Author

From a young age, Tilly Tennant was convinced that she was destined for the stage.  Once she realised she wasn’t actually very good at anything that would put her on the stage, she started to write stories instead. There were lots of terrible ones, like The Pet Rescue Gang (aged eight), which definitely should not see the light of day ever again. Thankfully, her debut novel, Hopelessly Devoted to Holden Finn was not one of those, and since it hit the Amazon best seller lists she hasn’t looked back. Born in Dorset, she currently lives in Staffordshire with her husband, two daughters, three guitars, four ukuleles, two violins and a kazoo.