Trouble in Prior's Ford by Eve Houston

I was not dissappointed by the next installment from Prior's Ford! It was one of those books where I didn't want it to end because it was so good, but couldn't stop reading it so I could find out what happened next. All of my favourite characters were back and I loved reading about them again. Maggie, a character I had previously disliked, really grew as a person throughout the book so that now she is a character that I love. I loved the storyline of the Scarecrow Festival and it really made me wish that Prior's Ford was a real place so I could live there! I really enjoy reading a story about various characters which I feel really close to, and this is always achieved in the Prior's Ford series so I can't wait to read the next one. I give this book 10/10!

Drama Comes to Prior's Ford by Eve Houston

Another amazing Prior’s Ford novel! I was so gripped by the story that I couldn’t put it down and I’m looking forward to reading the next one in the series to find out what will happen next. At first, it took me a while to remember which characters were which, although this was helped by the character descriptions at the beginning of the book. But once I got my head around who was who, I was hooked! Some of my old favourite characters made appearances, but there were also some interesting new faces with stories to tell. Eve Houston has a really great way of creating loveable characters, all with their ups and downs, who I always feel empathy towards and care about, which I feel is a great sign in a novel. Therefore I give this book 10/10!

A Rural Affair by Catherine Alliott

I've loved reading most of Catherine Alliott's books, but this one was a little harder to get into than the others. I think the main reason was that I didn't like the main character, Poppy, at the start. She was a very bitter, angry and depressed person at the beginning, which is understandable in her situation, just something I didn't feel too comfortable reading. However, after about half way through the book, the story picked up for me. Poppy's character drastically changed for the better, and the plot was more attention-grabbing and made me want to read on. I loved finding out all the twists in the plot, for example when Jennie finds a positive pregnancy test in her bathroom, and about Hope Armitage's link with Sam. So although I felt the book got off to a bad start, it did make up for it by the end. Therefore I give this book 6/10.

Hidden Treasures by Fern Britton

This was a really enjoyable read, which kept me gripped throughout. The main character, Helen, was easy to like and I found myself admiring her strength of character. The village of Pendruggan sounded perfect, as did its many characters- from Queenie to Dorrie to Tony to Simon the vicar. The only character I did not like was Helen's best friend, Penny, who did not seem like a very good friend at all. And I did not think she and Simon went well together at all. Piran was not an amazing love interest, as he did not seem like a particularly nice person. In addition, his name was a bit strange! However, the story line from Helen moving to the village, to the filming of a TV drama, to the happy ever after was lovely to follow. Therefore I give this book 8/10!

Chocolate Shoes and Wedding Blues by Trisha Ashley

I really enjoyed this book - another great read by Trisha Ashley. I loved the main character, Tansy, and felt really close to her throughout the story. I felt similar emotions to her - sadness at Aunt Nan's death, anger at Justin's revelations, frustration at his inability to realise he'd done wrong, and the like. Aunt Nan and Bella were also lovely characters and I felt like they were personal friends. I also fell in love with Flash, who sounded adorable. So I was really drawn into the story and wanted to know what would happen next - which made it hard to put down! I also loved reading Aunt Nan's recordings and finding things out as Tansy did. The shoe shop sounded perfect, as did the whole village. I enjoyed reading about characters from previous books and seeing what they were getting up to. It was just a real feel-good story, with occasional twists and turns, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I give this book 10/10!

The Village Vet by Cathy Woodman

This book was an enjoyable read, but it wasn't one of Cathy Woodman's best. It was lacking something, but I can't quite figure out what. The plot was exactly the type of thing I love to read about, with an Animal Rescue Centre set in a countryside village. But I think the problem was that I didn't quite warm to the main character, Tess. I felt there was no need for her to take her fiance up the aisle and then to decide she didn't want to be with him. And the romantic interest, Jack, lacked a certain sparkle. It seemed strange that one moment Tess didn't like Jack in the slightest and the next minute she was head over heels in love with him. It should have been a more gradual process. However, I did enjoy reading about other characters, such as Libby and the committee members. And I loved reading about the animals, from Buster the dog, to Dolly to pony, to the baby birds. And as I got towards the end of the book and the action got quicker, I did find myself enjoying it more. But the one thing that still puzzles me is why the book is called 'The Village Vet', when Tess is not a vet and it isn't based in a veterinary practice. However, overall I give this book 6/10.

The Love Letter by Fiona Walker

This book was a real disappointment for me. After I read the synopsis, I thought this book would be an enjoyable read. However, there was a lot to the plot which I did not like. My biggest problem with the book was the main character, Allegra. She was referred to as 'Legs' throughout the book which thoroughly irritated me. I did not feel like I could connect with her because she kept doing really stupid things, such as wearing her nephew's clothes instead of just buying new ones and letting herself be held hostage by her own boyfriend. I never felt connected to any of the characters throughout the book, either. I did like Byrne to start with, but after he and Allegra got together, he became a different character. In addition, there was a lot of references to them making love, without there any need to, which really started to annoy me by the end. In addition, the ending was also a major dissapointment. The whole book was just generally long winded with too much going on and too many different characters and family dramas occuring which were hard to keep up with. It is such a shame, because the writing style was good and there were a few entertaining moments, but the story got out of hand and a little surreal in places. Therefore, I give this book 3/10.