Cover Image: Lavender Blue

Lavender Blue

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Member Reviews

4.5 - "Here is my truth..." Stars!

We return to Blue Hollow Falls for the third book in the series; Lavender Blue. Donna finally gives the readers widower Will McCall’s story, this is a guy who has intrigued from the beginning, and the author has kept the information release in regard to him and his son Jake, at more of a slow trickle rather than a steady flow. Which essentially means I have been itching to read this book since before it was even written!

"It’s hard… Asking for help."

I knew before starting that Lavender Blue would be an emotional read. The one thing you do get to know about Will if you have read the previous books in the series, is that apart from his apparent love for his son, this is a man that keeps his emotions about everything firmly on lockdown. Not one to waste breath on words either, so if one word will suffice as an answer you won’t find him spilling unnecessary sentences if the conversation doesn’t require it.

They were not going to be wallowers. They were going to be warriors… Life warriors.

Hannah Montgomery, and her friends Vivi, Avery and Chey are new to the area, having bought a rundown farmhouse and the surrounding lavender fields, the four women are looking for a fresh start, opening new businesses and moving on with their lives. The one thing that binds them all – Grief, each of them has suffered loss, and they have built the foundations of their friendship by giving each other the strength they need when they are struggling with their losses. Something that also draws Hannah to Will, and vice versa.

His one baby step forward today had turned into a full on marathon and he wasn’t quite sure how he felt about any of it…

Although a romance, this is also a story about learning to live with loss, and move on from grief. Hannah you could almost say has embraced hers, while Will has locked it away in a box, and refused to deal with it. But it’s starting to now have an effect on his relationship with his son, and seeing how Hannah deals with her loss gives him hope and the push that he needs to open up and try to deal with the loss of his wife all those years ago. This can always be a tricky subject in relation to writing a romance where a dead spouse plays a part, but I think because the author touched upon Will’s guilt for having feelings for another woman other than his wife, it wasn’t overplayed, I think the length of time passed also helped in that regard as well, because although the grief for him is still fresh the loss of his relationship isn’t.

The whole thing had felt healthy, natural, and very real…

Not the fluffiest of reads, but then I wasn’t expecting it to be, Jake added the light to Will’s dark, and Hannah’s openness made it easier to digest the loss she was dealing with too. The romance isn’t heavy in this one, but when it came, it was touching, sweet, emotional and Will was everything I expected him to be in regards to how he treated Hannah.

"Sometimes three really is the perfect size crowd…"

According to Amazon Lavender & Mistletoe is the next book due for release from the series, which is in September, I am hoping that we do get to return to Blue Hollow Falls before then though, because this is a series I am coming to love more and more with each new addition to it.

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Lavender Blue is a beautifully written romance. Loved the plot, setting and writing. Donna Kauffman always delivers a good read. I received an arc from Netgalley and this is my unbiased review.

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Lavender Blue by Donna Kauffman is the third story in her Blue Hollow Falls series. This is a very touching story full of wonderful friendships, extreme hurts and loss that run deep, forgiveness, heartache and new love. Almost everyone has lost someone special to death. The two main characters are no exception. They may have different reasons for their grief but it is that grief that connects them.

As usual, Donna Kauffman does not disappoint. Her characters are rich and likeable. She creates them so beautifully that you feel they are your friends. The descriptions of the scenery are so vivid you can easily see them. It was great for me to revisit those we have met in the previous books about Blue Hollow Falls but know that you don’t have to read the other two to read this book.

Go grab a box of tissues and enjoy. I can’t wait to see what Donna Kauffman has up her sleeve for the next book in Blue Hollow Falls.

I would like to thank Donna Kauffman, the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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I LOVE this series by Donna Kauffman! Have plenty of tissues handy for a feel good read, that makes your heart feel good. Can't wait for another installment!

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I liked a previous book by this author about the lovely little town of Blue Hollow Falls in the book Bluestone and Vine, so I was looking forward to reading this story, but I was disappointed in this one. The descriptions that the author provides of Blue Hollow Falls and the lavender farm are vivid and I feel like I am there but the story in this one to me was one I had to work at to keep reading. It's definitely about real life situations but I found it depressing. I also felt like we really didn't know the story behind why all these women decided to uproot their lives and start over trying to run a lavender farm except for the fact they all experienced some kind of big loss in their life. This book just was not for me but I do hope that the author will have more in this series

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Lavender Blue is a story about people recovering from devastating losses & learning to trust & love again. Hannah lost her son when he was only 7 years old. While she was grieving, she had to deal with the end of her marriage & her husband cheating. Now she’s in a good place in her life. She’s moving on & is interested in Will.

Will is quiet & gruff. He’s having a hard time getting over the death of his wife. His son has started playing the fiddle & singing like his mother did. Will can barely stand to hear him because he sounds just like his mother. He’s drawn to Hannah but feels guilty about that too.

These are interesting characters & a difficult subject. It was interesting that Hannah was able to help others by explaining how she overcame her grief but she had the “head in the sand” attitude when she backslid. She wasn’t sure what was going on. The supporting characters added depth to the story & additional color. This book is part of a series but can be easily read as a stand alone. Characters from the first books pop in but there isn’t anything to confuse you.

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Entertaining and heartwarming

Engaging, likeable characters. A heartwarming story full of characters that tug on your heartstrings. An all-round entertaining story- enjoy....

I have voluntarily posted a review consisting of my honest opinions. I received this product for free from Netgalley.

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Wonderful, wonderful story.. It had friendship, romance, heartbreak and more. Hannah was partners in a lavender farm with 3 other survivors of loss. She meets Will who is repairing the chimneys and is very attracted to him and he to her. He has a son that is growing up fast. I loved the personalities of Jake and Bailey. Bailey is going to be a force to contend with as she gets older. I hope there is a book about her then. This was a wonderful heartwarming book that I would recommend to anyone.

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A heartwarming tale of two people dealing with tragic loss and finding love again.
Will lost his wife at Christmas many years ago and has been able to move on.
Hannah lost her son and subsequently her marriage blew apart and she is afraid to love again.
The healing magic of the loving community of Blue Hollow Falls helps them heal and find that the risk IS worth the reward.
I requested and received the ARC from NetGalley and loved every word.
Ms. Kauffman descriptions of the town and the people make you want to pack up and move there.

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Grab a box of tissues and enjoy. Everyone has lost someone special to death. The two main characters may have different reasons (persons) for their grief, but it connects them. It is great to revisit those we have met in the previous tales of Blue Hollow Falls. It is not necessary to have read them to enjoy this one. It would be wonderful if this place were real and it was possible to visit the winery, mill, and lavender farm. Oh yes, and to see the goats.

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Awesome! This is a very touching story full of friendship, lost loves, deep hurts, heartbreak, renewal, and newfound love. This book has its emotional ups and downs - both Hannah and Will are dealing with an intense loss that makes moving forward with life and love terrifying. With the help of Will’s son, Jake, and their friends at Blue Hollow Falls, they break down those fears and find love. Excellent read!

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Thank you for this ARC, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
I haven’t read the other books in the series but it definitely can be read as a stand-alone.
The setting of this story, and the main issues concerning loss and grief make this a beautiful novel. Love is hard to find at the best of times, and to discover it while holding onto pain seems impossible, but the author has made it work. The two main characters are lovely and you can’t help but feel elated whenever they’re together.
3.5 stars.

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Lavender Blue introduces readers to Will and Hannah. Both have sustained terrible losses, Will the death of his wife and Hannah the death of her young son. Neither has embarked on a new relationship since these tragedies; however, they find themselves terribly drawn to one another. Will is the stonemason who is doing restoration work on the property Hannah owns with three close friends. The better they get to know each other, the closer they become. While they agree to give a romantic relationship a chance, both have issues to work through. While the road to happiness is not smooth, they eventually get there. I’m hoping that this book will be the first in a series, as it would great to learn more about Hannah’s friends.

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Hannah Montgomery has bought a lavender farm with three friends. Each has a different idea on what to with the lavender and how to market it. Will is the stone mason who is fixing the chimneys. Both Hannah and Will have had devastating losses in there lives. They both have had a hard time finding love after loss. Can they work past there issues to make the intense chemistry they have work or is there too many obstacles in there way, I loved this book. I was rooting for them the whole book two wounded souls helping each other heel.

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I received an ARC for an honest review. This might be my favorite book in the series so far. I absolutely loved this book. The writing, as always, drew me in and kept me involved, connected, and made me feel as if I were there. I wasn't expecting to react so emotionally to this book it had me near tears - both happy and sad - a few times. I want to visit Blue Hollow again and hope it's soon!

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While this is the third book in the series, it can definitely be read as a stand alone. I didn't read the others in this series and I had no issue at all following along. If you're in the mood for a light-hearted romance novel this is definitely not the one for you. Both Will and Hannah have seen their share of tragedy. And in fact tit is their shared sorrow and grief that actually bring them together. Much of this book is focused on the characters learning to live again despite having faced tremendous personal loss. And finding that it is ok to find happiness again. It is an emotional book but fortunately it is a romance novel so you can expect the happy ending even if it is a difficult road to get there for the characters involved.

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Wow! This was a beautiful story about two individuals who have both expericend painful losses, but come together to overcome these hardships.

I thought it was a great book, and I really enjoyed getting to meet each of these wonderful characters who not only brought laughs to my day but also tears. 

I received an Advanced Readers Copy, and this is my honest review.

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Overall a good story. With four women, of different ages and interests starting up a lavender farm it sets up for at least a four book series. This is the first one. Hannah is an artist, and loves to draw and paint. In the past she illustrated children books for a living. When her 7 year old son died in a car accident the grief overwhelmed her, so while it is not stressed how they met, it is something all four women have in common: grief. When she meets handyman Will, there is an attraction right away. Turns out he is also struggling with grief after the death of his wife 12 years ago. Raising his 14 year old son, and moving back to the place where his grandparents were from he is slowing coming out of his shell. I did enjoy the story, but at times the concentration of dealing with grief got depressing, sad to say. Still though, it is a book and author I highly recommend.

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It feels like I have been waiting forever for Lavender Blue and Will’s story but in truth, it hasn’t been that long. It is just that this the third book of the Blue Hollow Falls series (no worries, it is a standalone, however I cannot imagine NOT reading about this small mountain community) with some novellas in between. For me, Will has stood out from the beginning so I was anxious to read his story and why he was the way that he was. My complaint to the author is that while I fell in love with Blue Hollow Falls, and the main characters of the other stories, I picked a favorite right from the first book. And then I had a second favorite. And then…well, you get the idea. The stories and people just keep getting better and better!

Lavender Blue is about Wilson (Will) McCall, his son Jake, and Hannah Montgomery. Hannah was a new character for me; she and some friends (talk about “characters”!) purchase a lavender farm and the story really focuses around the property. That’s where the title comes from.

I can’t do the story justice so I will give you some highlights – Will lost his wife oh so long ago, while he was serving overseas. He never had the chance to say goodbye and feels such grief, even after so many, many years. His son Jake…he is such a wonderful young man! Will has done an amazing job of raising him, with the help of the good folks in Blue Hollow Falls. Jake plays a big part in this story, as he should, because Will and Hannah grow closer and a teenage boy in the mix is a pretty big deal. Read LB for the wonderfully woven tale of why and how this comes to be.

Hannah and her friends are also dealing with some huge life-changing issues so all the people in Blue Hollow Falls weave themselves into each other’s lives…and of course, stick their nose into the budding relationship between Hannah and Will. I just adore these busybodies! And the animals, well, they play a part as well and I can just picture how soft and cuddly and crazy they are, from the book descriptions.

I cannot say enough about Blue Hollow Falls and all the people I’ve come to know and love. Lavender Blue made me read-sniffle again, but in an entirely good way, and I missed everyone when I finished the story. Definitely recommend this book and the entire series. Although I have my copy pre-ordered, I received a free, advance copy of this book from the publisher. This is my unbiased and voluntary review.

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Hannah is picking lavender , watching a half naked man on the roof of the Lavender blue farmhouse and tea room.He is fixing the chimney that goes to four fireplaces . The farmhouse was originally built during the Civil war in the blue Ridge mountains of virginia. Vivienne ,Hannahs friend and business partnerb, is 30 years older and a former costume designer and showgirl . Hannah was a painter, illustrator and now a lavender farmer.”As recently as Christmas neither of them could have told anyone anything about how to make tea,soap or essential oils or anything else from stalks of lavender. But now they could.” The man on the roof is will and he’s built with dark hair and green eyes.Avery and Cheyenne are also living anything working on the farm.Each woman has the bond of grief of loss of loved one.I instantly liked Hannah and rest of the farmhouse workers

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