Poppy’s Recipe for Life

By Heidi Swain

Published by Simon and Schuster

What it’s about?

From Goodreads:

Things haven’t always been straightforward in Poppy’s life but her dreams are finally within her reach.

She’s moving into a cottage in beautiful Nightingale Square, close to the local community garden, where she can indulge her passion for making preserves and pickles. She may not have the best relationship with her family but she is surrounded by loving friends, and feels sure that even her grumpy new neighbour, Jacob, has more to him than his steely exterior belies.

But the unexpected arrival of Poppy’s troubled younger brother soon threatens her new-found happiness and as the garden team works together to win community space of the year, Poppy must decide where her priorities lie and what she is prepared to fight for …

What I think:

This is a lovely escapist read.

Nightingale Square is the perfect t place to live. Everyone know each other and gets on well. The community garden project brings out everyone in the square and nobody is ever too busy to help support.

I didn’t warm to Poppy at all at the beginning of the book. She hasn’t spoken to her mother for so long that no one had even told her that her step-father had died – they just thought it was a bit strange when she didn’t attend the funeral. And yet when she rings asking for money, Poppy hands over the deposit she had saved for a house with no arguments! This seemed a bit unrealistic.

As the book went on I found I liked her more. She is friendly, kind hearted and genuinely wants the best for her brother, Ryan. She works hard on the community garden and her recipes and she tries to support her friends and neighbours.

Jacob is the classic chick-lit hero. Grumpy and rude but gorgeous it turns out he has been hurt before and just needs to learn to trust again. Which of course he does thanks to Poppy.

Overall this is a charming, easy read with no surprises that is perfect for the summer.

Discover Poppy’s Recipe for Life at:

Waterstones: click here

Amazon.co.uk: click here