I love a knitty novel, and this cosy romance was sweet and a lot of fun. The protagonist got on my nerves a bit (first person narrative isn't my favourite, and there was so much business jargon) but once I settled into the story more it was fine. I thought the characters in this one were really likeable, and I also enjoyed the level of knitty detail in there.

I gave this one 3.5 stars

Fun, sharp and witty - but not too much. The wittiness was well balanced, between brother and sister. They were very punny with subtle details such as dogs on CATwalk! This book might be just what you need on a rainy day, therefore I added it to my for-a-rainy-day shelf.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the book.

Light and fun read but not my usual cup of tea. I couldn’t get invested in the plot or the characters, i’m afraid, but I’m sure others who enjoy books in this genre will find it more entertaining.

This book had some relevant story lines however I feel like it was a bit more wordy then necessary. It was not for me but shouldn't be discounted and others should give it a try.

Dee Blackthorn is ruthless when it comes to the corporate business world and she strives for one hundred percent success. She works hard and that is all she does, there is no stop, there is no pause. Dee lives for her work.

That is until one day she finds herself without a job and back living with her brother, JP. Suddenly working all the time is not the priority.

Which is not necessarily a bad thing because JP has managed to break both his wrists. JP becomes Dee's priority but also in some ways her project as she wants to help him get on better. JP is not any normal brother though.

JP runs the local haberdashery and has found peace and pleasure in his knitting. He is popular online and regularly helps anyone that he can. But how can he now when he can't even hold a knitting needle. Dee has to help him but there is a problem.....Dee cannot knit....

When she bumps into an old school friend, Becky in the supermarket who has just given birth to beautiful boy prematurely, she persuades JP that knitting little hats for premature babies would be a great way of just not helping Becky but lots of people in the same situation.

When Ben turns up looking for Dee, he becomes involved in the whole knitting furor and becomes friendly with JP. Trouble is Dee remembers what Ben was like to work with and thinks that there must be some ulterior motive. Ben becomes a surprise natural with the knitting, much to Dee's irritation but he does embrace the whole idea of expanding the premature baby hat campaign.

Dee's skills from her work life are in their element and what she can do is organise and make something small and successful, huge and mega successful. Is that what everyone and JP wants especially when it begins to hurt the people Dee loves. Dee cannot always see the real meaning sometimes of something so small and the pleasure that can be gained from a small number of people working for a bigger cause.

I loved this book, certainly one of my favourite of the year. Without a doubt because of the story but also because as a fellow knitter I can relate to all the yarn stories and the varieties of yarn, the difficulty in learning a new technique and being able to find someone to help you when needed.

This is a book which refocuses on the small little things in life because they are the most important and that sometimes having a big impact does not leave a lasting one. It is a great read and if you are a knitter as well, then this book is certainly a great read. Perhaps it might inspire you to pick up a pair of needles and knitting for someone.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A lovely story about the importance of family and friends and a group of people that come together to knit for charity (premature babies). It's a light-hearted, relaxing easy to read story with likeable characters. Perfect for a chilly dull Sunday.

I will definitely be looking out for more books from the author.

Delilah (Dee to her friends) is a successful PR consultant, totally dedicated to her career. That is, until her younger brother, JP, falls off a ladder putting bunting up at their haberdashery shop and breaks both arms. Then, despite being in the middle of an important meeting, she drops everything and rushes back home to look after him. When she returns to work she is called into the CEO's office and summarily sacked, allegedly for shoddy work and inappropriate behaviour. Reeling from the shock of the unjust treatment she returns home to lick her wounds.

JP, known in his online persona of 'About a (Knitting) Boy' is unable to keep his blog up to date, nor to do the simplest tasks in the shop – we really do need our opposable thumbs! Dee, therefore, becomes his 'arms' and his supporter whilst she hunts for a new job.

Whilst out shopping Dee runs into her old school friend, Becks, who has recently had a premature baby and who has her own problems; this helps Dee to get her own issues into some sense of proportion at least.

What follows is a light, charming, albeit somewhat predictable, tale of friendship, family squabbles and a run of disasters as everyone pulls together in a project to knit hats for the prem. babies.

I enjoyed this book, which comes under my heading of 'a good holiday read', especially, as I know you will have guessed, there is a happy ending.

You do need to suspend disbelief at the slightly unlikely plot, but don't let that stop you curling up with this book on a wet Sunday afternoon!

Pashtpaws

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.

5 Words: Betrayal, knitting, family, friendship, ambition.

This book was absolutely delightful. It was heartfelt and inspiring.

Before reading this book I had never knitted in my life. Now I'm a knitting machine (kind of) and halfway through the super-long, super-soft scarf of my dreams. I'm nowhere near knitting woolly hats for premature babies, but that's my goal.

Thanks to Netgalley and Canelo for the chance to read and review this book in advance in exchange for my honest review! Also, thanks to Canelo for inviting me on this blog tour. First comments: The cover, wow! I love the brightness, the colours, and most of all the simplicity of it. It’s gorgeous.

I loved this story. Everything was just warming, loving, and fun. The characters were funny, had depth, had great chemistry with each other and just worked really well. Seeing the change in Dee, or Delilah, from living her fast paced, city life to how she ended up was great. Seeing her change into this slower paced village person was a nice change to other stories that I have read recently. They all seem to go one way or the other.

I did suspect that the person who forced Dee into the position she ends up wasn’t who she though it was. There was something niggling me about the character and I’m glad I was right. Other characters, such as JP, were fantastic. He completely bucked the trend of what men are like in books like this. I was glad to find him in a wool shop than in his lawyer lifestyle.

Written beautifully, with fantastic witty characters and a slow simmering romance, you can’t really complain!!!

5/5 from me and I hope to read more by Poppy Dolan in the future!!!

The book tells the story of Delilah Blackthorn . She doesn't really have a very fulfilling job and in fact gets fired from it. Her brother JP is very close to her and she looks after him when he breaks both wrists.

JP is the brain behind a scheme to help Delilah 's friend Becky who has just given birth to a premature baby. Through the shop's website and YouTube channel amongst other events, Delilah and JP ask people to knit a woollen hat for the baby. This is a sort of "pay it forward" scheme that they hope will encourage people to help support the special care baby unit at a hospital and other mums with premature babies.

Multiple people end up responding to the request and Becky and her boyfriend are delighted.

I really liked the original ideas in the plot and was keen to read more. I'm a sensitive person who likes to do their best to help people, too and so the scheme fascinated me and I wanted to know how things would turn out for everyone.

Delilah and JP have had a difficult past because their parents did not have a lot of money. Even when Delilah does not have the job that she was working at the beginning of the story JP hope to see the positive side of life.

I was really taken by their aunt Mags, as well as Delilah herself and JP. Mags and Stan were cute together, too. Having been a premature baby myself, I really felt for Becky. After a brief period of feeling a little sorry for herself, Delilah is back on track and fighting to get her life back how she wants it. I loved her POV and was really cheering her on throughout the book!

Poppy Dolan does a great job of representing friendships and conflicts in her writing, and I wasn't bored by the story despite not being a knitter myself. The shop is a very busy and colourful place and is where a lot of the action is. There are some likeable chracters like JP, Delilah Mags Stan and Becky. I liked Ben, too and how he helped Delilah and JP in his own way. The storyline is natural and believable.

Poppy Dolan creates an interesting world of personal struggles versus work ones, and there's a good background (through what the characters go through) which allows readers to see what goes into setting up a business and trying to keep it going.

The book is not the first one that I have read by Poppy Dolan. I have also read The Bluebell Bunting Society.

The Wooly Hat Knitting Club is a wonderful story of fighting for what really matters to you and is a great feel good story with some funny parts and even romance within the plot.

The book is about looking deep inside yourself and seeing where your priorities in life lie. It's about that moment when you realise that what once made you happy does not any more and that you may have to find a different path in life, like Delilah had to. It's about embracing what, (or who) makes you happy and of finding out who you really are. It's a story of personal growth and development. I think this book will appeal to many people, whether you are a knitter or not. It is a great blend of drama and humour. It is an extremely British read, with lots of references to UK culture, but I think that will not deter from reading it you if you are not from the UK. All in all, it's a quaint and cosy read, and I would recommend it.

A cute book about second chances and not judging books by their covers... When JP has an accident and manages to need help with his knitting business, his sister must step in to help leaving her demanding life to come to a small town with lots of crazy neighbors willing to show her the slower way of life. This is such a cute story and filled with love and fun. If you love cute love stories, this is the ticket!!

I'm a procrastinating knitter was was delighted when asked to review this book. (I can knit, just hate sewing up!)

I've read a lot of books recently and many I have had to skim as they haven't held my interest. Not in this case!

And I certainly wasn't disappointed. Dee is a high-powered business woman forced to abandon her job when her brother breaks his wrists. There's more to it than that, but no spoilers. Her brother JP is a chilled guy into knitting and they come up with a brainwave to help premature babies.

But can Dee put her business head aside and do this for the love of the action, or will she have to spin it? Can she disregard her loathing of Ben long enough to see who he really is? And if he is the good man he swears to be, who was the troublemaker?

Lovely warm and affectionate read with laughs and tears - lovely read!

I was given an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was taught to knit by my grandmother and mother from the age of six. I spent many hours watching them both, listening to the clicking of their needles and attempting to knit myself. Although I mastered the art of crochet much easier than knitting, I like my sister am skilled in both. We definitely inherited the crafty gene!

I jumped at the chance to read and review this book, although I don't usually read romantic comedies, most of you who follow will know psychological thrillers is my usual gene. Over the past few years, I have made and donated many woolly hats to our local hospital, both the premature babies unit and blood clinic. I felt close to this book and drawn to read it, before I had even opened the first page!

Dee is an incredibly likable character, it is very easy to warm to her and her situation in the story. At the start of the book, she is a workaholic but quickly rushes to her brothers side when he has broken both of his arms. Dee loses her job, with speculation rife as to whether she was fired or quit. Over the duration of the story we see Dee change, consumed less with work and more caring towards family and friends.

The brother - sister relationship makes for an enjoyable read as Dee supports her brother at a time of crisis and turns his business around whilst he recovers. There is one very big difference between them. Dee does not knit, whilst JP knits, runs a shop, has a knitting gang who loves him and runs a blog.

This difference changes and Dee runs into Becky, an old friend who has a premature baby. Dee knows she can help with knitted woolly hats, before long parcels are flocking into the shop of knits for her friends baby and before long the challenge widens as they appreciate how many more babies they can support.

I don't want to give too much away... no spoilers here.... If you love knitting and reading, this book is a rare combination of both, a hidden gem.

This book is suited to those who enjoy reading comedies, built on family and friend relationships, with a touch of romance. This book makes for great reading, it leaves you with a warm and cosy feeling inspired to help others with the crafty genes.

Blog Tour review at www.serendipityloves.website

Poppy Dolan introduces us to some lovely characters, beautiful settings and a cute little storyline that just makes you want to snuggle up on the sofa on an autumnal evening with a hot cup of something, savouring every moment of this joyous book.

The main two characters; Dee and JP, are brother and sister with two very different personalities. Dee has a fast-paced job, very career minded and lives in the city. JP used to be all those things until he had a moment of clarity which led to him opening a haberdashery shop. He found a love in knitting when he needed it most, and with him being business minded still, he runs a successful blog, vlog and shop.

JP has managed to break both of his wrists which is not good for him and his business at all. He has a very close relationship with Dee, being his sister and also co-business owner, so she comes to the rescue and will do anything in her power to help him and also hold down her own tough job. That is until she finds herself unemployed after apparent “underperformance”. Will she manage to build a friendship with one of her rivals at her old company as a result…?! Sometimes things happen for a reason. There are many bumps along the way for Dee but she is a tough one, she can get through it with a little help from her friends…

Poppy writes beautifully, she has taken something she loves and turned it into a story that she can share with the world. This novel made me chuckle with the banter that passes between siblings, feel weepy with the premature birth aspect of the story – having given birth early myself I have seen firsthand what goes on in NICU and the emotions families go through – and The Woolly Hat Knitting Club has made me appreciate how important family and friendships are.

This isn’t your average chick lit, or women’s fiction as it is now labelled. It is refreshing, modern and I love the way Poppy uses a classic hobby to establish a story about hope, friendships and helping those in need. It is a truly lovely read.

Thank you to Canelo and Poppy for my copy and ‘cozy night in package’ – I loved it. For those interested, The Woolly Hat Knitting Club is available to buy now on e-reader only.

I am delighted to have Poppy Dolan on my blog today to talk about her latest book, The Wooly Hat Knitting Club.

Hi Poppy! To get us started, can you tell us a bit about The Wooly Hat Knitting Club and what inspired it?

I have to admit I didn’t have to look far for my inspiration for this book – I love knitting! I’ve been at it for more than ten years and it is my ultimate way to destress. When I set out to gather together some new ideas after I wrote The Bluebell Bunting Society, I wanted a heroine who was completely different from Connie in that book – someone not as emotionally intelligent but more confident, someone who put work first and people second. So I came up with Delilah. And then I wanted to make her a fish out of water, to put her through her paces, so I took her from her corporate career and stuck her in a haberdashery! She needs to help her brother rescue his wool shop business but along the way she also needs to save herself from becoming closed off and lonely. Plus, she needs to learn the different between knitting and purling. Essential life skill in my book!

Delilah is a real character! I loved her comments on Ben’s cello playing: ‘Apparently Ben is grade six. Whoop di doo.’ Can you describe her in three words?

Ha! Thank you. She’s intelligent, driven and loyal.

Delilah and her brother, JP, have both experienced high-pressure city jobs. What inspired you to explore that in the book?

I think it’s really easy these days to let your work bleed into the rest of your life – you can be checking emails in your sleep if you’re not careful. In general, it’s not a healthy way to live. I wanted to show a character discovering that there’s more to fill your days with and that you need to work on all areas of your life, not just your career, to be happy.

The Wooly Hat Knitting Club is your fourth novel. Has your writing process changed much since your first book?

I am so much more organised now! With my first novel it was definitely a case of ‘let’s throw everything at the wall and see what sticks’. Good grief. These days I’m more meticulous in plotting and planning and that definitely pays off when it comes to editing. Though I still have my fair hefty share of that…

Finally, can you give a shout out to a book that you’ve read and loved recently?

I loved Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine – so funny, so moving. I couldn’t put it down.

Me too – it’s one of my favourites of the year so far! Thanks, Poppy.

The Wooly Hat Knitting Club is a fun and cosy read, perfect for autumn evenings. It’s available as an ebook from Canelo now and you can catch the rest of the blog tour below.

I’m not into crafting, I learnt to knit when I was a teenager and there are a few booties around in our family made by my fair hands, but that is as good as it ever got. The idea of a group of people coming together and helping to make hats for premature babies is beautiful, and I bet that there are people up and down the country who do that very same thing.

The book is more than just about knitting though. There are numerous secondary plots running through the story too, all captivating and worked seamlessly alongside one another. The characters are all relatable. None are perfect, each had their own voice, and for me this made them very realistic.

The book was an utter joy to read, one I could just switch off from the real world and settle into a world where knitting was king. I was held to the pages of this heartwarming story. Not only is it a beautiful read, but it is poignant too. I’m glad that Dee finally understood that there is more to life than just work.

Oh my goodness me this was a brilliant story and a gorgeous book and best of all it combined two of my favourite things for me reading and knitting!  The book is written really well and I loved the story - I thought that the characters were great and the different relationships and friendships really made the story come alive for me!

This book really touched me on a personal level too as my daughter was born on the 11th July this year and was taken straight to the Special Baby Care unit as she was very poorly where she was kept for 9 days - there were signs all over the unit saying "Keep Calm and Wear A Hat" - I had knitted a few hats to take in with me for Ava but have since knitted and donated some more hats to give back to the unit to help the next set of babies, it's the least I could do.  Every autumn I get my knitting needles out and this book really inspired me to look at some thing different, I make items to sell at craft fairs and now with Ava being here after reading this I'm even more inspired!! I've already told my mum this is a book she will love as she taught me to knit! 

I've already purchased another of Poppy's books and looking forward to reading that and more future releases - she is most definitely an author for me to watch!  I thought this was a truly heart-warming read and have given it 5 stars!

I quite often see books described as 'feelgood' or 'heartwarming' and I can honestly say that these both apply to this book. There are all sorts of strands to the story which reinforce its endearing qualities. The emphasis on selflessness and family values, love and friendship and creating and nurturing just put a smile on your face. It feels grounded and is a real celebration of the power of craft to make a difference to people's wellbeing.

You can't help but empathise with Dee who starts off the book as a tunnel vision workaholic but who comes to re-evaluate her priorities. Likeable, and caring yet assertive and capable, she is a well-rounded character. Behind her is a colourful cast of people who all have something to teach her and a special mention must go to her brother, PJ who adds humour and wit to the story.

Warm and comforting, the premature babies theme is touching without being saccharine. There is an interesting debate going on below the surface about charity and whether business involvement actually is exploitative. Above all though, the book feels like a celebration of life and that's just gorgeous.

In short: a witty, warm romance which loves life

I have a confession to make I love the idea of knitting but I'm not actually that great at it. I do my best but I know my limits which appear to be knitting scarves. So when I saw the description for this book I knew I had to read it.

The characters are well written and instantly drew me into the story. The premature baby storyline gave an emotional pull that I wasn't necessarily expecting and really tugged at my heart strings. Even though there is emotion the story also has an uplifting vibe with plenty of funny moments that are guaranteed to make you smile. JP and Dee together made for some great scenes and I loved getting to know them.

Dee's character goes on quite a journey and it was just perfect to see how she makes certain realisations about her life. There are some wonderful themes of family, love and friendship all coming together to create a story perfect for seeing us into Autumn. With very likeable characters making this book a delight to read, Poppy Dolan has a lovely writing style that drew me right in. I really enjoyed the pace of the story along with the heart warming nature.

The Woolly Hat Knitting Club is full of love and heart!

With thanks to Ellie at Canelo for my copy. This is my honest and unbiased opinion.

As a knitter myself i seen the cover and fell in love with this book and new i had to read it. It was a lovely feel good book. Nice characters that all blended in well. Great story and well written