Unfortunately, I have not been able to read and review this book.

After losing and replacing my broken Kindle and getting a new phone I was unable to download the title again for review as it was no longer available on Netgalley.

I’m really sorry about this and hope that it won’t affect you allowing me to read and review your titles in the future.

Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity.
Natalie.

I've always found Fiona Walker to be an author of two distinct style; the author of 'Snap Happy,' 'Lucy Talks,' and more recently, 'The Woman Who Fell in Love for a Week,' writes books that I have loved; however, the very same author who has also written 'Kiss and Tell,' and 'Well Groomed,' just doesn't do it for me. Everything about the two groups of books feel as different as if they were written by two completely different authors. Sadly, for me, 'The Country Set,' falls into the latter group. I just couldn't finish it. I found the characters unrelateable and their conversation, of which there was a lot, frankly, quite boring.
Please however, don't take my word for it. Fiona Walker has written many, many bestselling books, and I appear to be in the minority for this one, so if you are a fan, or even if you are new to this author, read it, and make your own mind up.

I normally love books by this author but for some reason, failed to really get into this one. It's worth persevering with but for me, not a page turner.

I have read many of Fiona Walkers books and find them to be easy going and fun to read, this one however just didn't do it for me. I had to re-start it a few times to get into it. Also the storyline is slower than usual. I think that in the second book it will be better so I will read that seeing how it goes. I did enjoy the setting as I live in that part of the world and the characters were all very true to life.

I hate to say this, but think it's only fair to write an honest and open review, but I couldn't finish this book. I don't know if it was my frame of mind, or the book itself, but I found the first few pages really dreary, I couldn't keep up with who was who and so I gave up.

I was really disappointed, as in the past I have devoured Fiona Walker's books, but this one didn't do it for me. Sorry.

This is the first of a series of books (Compton Magna series) and hence why the reader does need to suspend any annoyance that may be caused by multiple character development; note that it does slow down the reading initially but stick it out because it is worth it. By the half-way mark I was already anticipating being upset about finishing the book; I knew I would miss its characters and the storyline (it happens every time I read Fiona Walker’s books but at least I know this time she will be returning to these characters; especially because the book ends with many loose ends and so much to resolve yet.)

Lodged in the backdrop of the Cotswolds, the novel is rooted in place (Compton Magna). All action unfolds here – Walker’s characters come and go but the action/narrative follows its location, as if it were a stage (Shakespeare is quoted and referenced constantly.)

This is an absolutely riveting read and Walker’s characters (especially her three main heroines) are intriguing – they are different because they are at different stages in their lives but each one of them likeable due to their strong will, determination and cleverness.

And yes, of course, the novel is hilarious in places too. Walker has great talent in setting up situations that provide great drama and climax whereby all the characters come into play, (and come undone or reveal themselves) making for such an enjoyable, fun and gripping read.

Ronnie Ledwell ran away from Compton Magna years ago when she deserted her husband and children for a lover - but were there more reasons than meet the eye and how will the village feel when she comes back after the death of her father

Ronnie's children are not happy about her coming back to run the stud, can they ever really forgive her for the past or will they be able to work with her to protect their inheritance

The cat is certainly set amongst the pigeons with the return of Ronnie - providing plenty of gossip for the villagers - many people have different views - why is Lester the Stallion man at the stud so keen to avoid her and why does Kit Donne bear a grudge towards her?

Anyone who liked Riders will love this book - a good mixture of horses, intrigue and good old village gossip - my only criticism was that it was a bit long winded in parts and I found myself skipping through bits but well worth reading and looking forward to the next installment

This book has left me feeling incredibly sad. Back in the nineties, in the midst of losing two close family members Fiona Walkers Tash French series, Snap Happy and Kiss Chase, and a little later Between Males gave me an escape from reality. One that despite all we were going through helped me laugh again. She was the very naughtiest of the so called chick lit queens. But now twenty years on and for me the magic is gone. Where there were a few compelling characters to love of loathe before this book is packed with a cast so big that even at over 800 pages there wasn't enough room or plot to give justification to. Two stars.....one for the book and one for the memories.

I struggled a lot with this one. Most of all because I deeply dislike not finishing books but I guess that this took me one step closer to overcoming this long-lasting habit. After all, I still had around 500-600 pages to go so I'm sorry to say that since I've left it aside since August, I don't think I will go back to it - at least not any time soon.

The book and the writing itself were not bad. The plot was interesting but I couldn't toss the feeling that it wouldn't surprise me at any point. I'm very surprised that this seems to be only the first part of what is probably going to be a series of books because on its own, it's extremely long, has A LOT of characters and multiple stories interlacing (or NOT) with one another so I would think that this would be much better split in more than one books. Or, just skip the book altogether and make this into a tv series. I had a very hard time to get on with it, rereading through the first pages to try and distinguish between the characters, only to lose them entirely for the next chapters and quite a big part of the book.

I suppose that someone else might enjoy reading this, but all in all it's not my cup of tea. It ended up tiring me more than giving me pleasure to read and there are just a lot of books out there I would rather spend my time on.

I was given an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. It was a bit hard to get into - I'm not into horses and I didn't warm to the characters at first. But I persevered and I enjoyed the book. The ending was a bit predictable, and I never quite understood some of the characters' motivations but all in all, a nice light read.

Scandal, Fun and Frolics...
..in the new offering from Fiona Walker - The Country Set. Amidst a wonderful setting, the huge host of characters create mayhem country style. This book has it all - secrets, scandals, tangled relationships, jealousy and rivalry. The characters are, indeed, plentiful and varied - its a busy, busy book. I loved it. A great romp typical, I'm pleased to say, of Fiona Walker. It certainly did not disappoint.

I thoroughly enjoyed this and am really looking forward to there being a whole series. There is a rich and varied array of characters, with lots of storylines twisting and entwining. A definite must for fans of Jilly Cooper and early Veronica Henry, there's a strong horsey theme to this village.

I'm afraid this was a DNF at 30% for me. I tried and tried to enjoy the story but there were just too many characters, different storylines and a general disorganised feel to it for me to enjoy.

Having loved the author's books before, I was really looking forward to this story but it was just too exhausting to enjoy, sadly.

I had trouble getting into this book because of the amount of characters - there are a lot of names to remember. I persevered however, particularly enjoying the stories surrounding Ronnie, Petra and Carly. I couldn't warm to nosy parker Pip, but perhaps that was the idea. I wasn't too keen on any of the older male characters either (perhaps that was the idea), but Petra's teenage son was fantastic, and some of his scenes made me smile. How Petra put up with her mother-in-law I do not know! Ronnie's story was poignant in my opinion, whilst Carly's gift added an extra dimension. I think there's something for everyone here - I'm glad I carried on reading.

Loved this book and wanted it to keep going even though it is quite long to start with. Great characters, both human and animal, and lots of interweaving stories. Have read previous book by Fiona Walker & would definitely read more. Highly recommended.

I loved this book. It took quite a while to get into and there were a lot of characters but the story soon came together. I laughed out loud in several places and really enjoyed the read. I'm assuming there will be a follow-up book and I can't wait to read that too.

As a fan of Fiona walker previously, I had high hopes for this book. I am glad to say that I was not disappointed. I enjoyed the intricate different characters and how they all interconnected. The setting was wonderful too- lots of wonderful descriptions that transported me to rural England.

I love Fiona Walker books so was really looking forward to reading this one on holiday. It did take a while to get into it as there is a lot going on at the beginning with different characters but once you get going it was hard to put down. I really enjoyed it, it was a good old fashioned country romp and especially looking forward to the next installment in the series.

After loving Walker's earlier books like Kiss Chase and the Tash French series so much that I literally read them to pieces, I came to this looking forward to a witty read with a dashing hero and loveable heroine...
20% in and the book is still all over the place, flitting around name-dropping characters with no, er, character.
50% in and I'm floundering, the book is floundering...

Very much an ensemble read, this feels unfocused and too packed with mini-plots, most of which would be the basis for a book of their own if only they were developed fully. Lots of potential here but it's just not coming together for me: DNF after 50%.

This book has so many different characters at the beginning it is quite hard to get the gist of the story, but once you persevere the story comes together nicely.

Ronnie Ledwell ran away with her lover over 30 years ago leaving her husband and children, her father has just died and she has to return home to try and set things right. Intermingled with Ronnie’s story are several interconnecting stories.

As I said there are many different characters in this book, I particularly liked Fitz who had a crush on an older married woman but was trying to protect his mum from heartbreak. I also rather liked Ronnie who wasn’t the villain that she had been portrayed to be..

A good story with some excellent characters which makes me look forward to the next book.