Cover Image: Trouble and Temptation in Little Woodford

Trouble and Temptation in Little Woodford

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Member Reviews

The setting is amazing!!!

It was good...not stellar but good!

**OMG! I cannot believe that these reviews haven't been done! I am so sorry they are so late!!!**

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Thanks to NetGalley for an early copy in return for an honest review
Again a very good read and one I can highly recommend to others.
Thoroughly enjoyable.

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I have never read a Catherine Jones book before, but I was intrigued by the title and the idea of the book, so I jumped right in. But I have to say that nothing quite prepared me for the story I was going to be wrapped up in.

So the story’s central focus the church bells of Little Woodford and the residents that love or loathe them. The main character is Olivia Lewthwaite and her husband are facing hard times after his gambling has damaged them financially, so now they are moving from their beloved Grange in the middle of Little Woodford, next to the bells that she played at the church every Sunday, to a nondescript new build. Olivia seems to be the heart of the village, and a formidable opponent, even though a reserved one, when the new owner of the Grange starts trouble.

This book was an absolute riot! The characters are were awesome! And the author's storytelling is fantastic! And I don’t think I will ever get over the shoe-gate saga!

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Quite a good read, kept me engaged, really enjoyed the plot and the characters and i would read more from this author.

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What an absolute pleasure this book was to read. I looked forward to getting back to it each evening.

It was a while since I’d read the first book in the series, but I found that it was easy to pick up with all the characters again. Having said that, it could easily be read as a standalone if you wished, though it would be a shame, as they’re such lovely books.

There’s new residents in Olivia’s old house, and Miranda certainly causes a stir. She comes into the town, having moved there from London, and then criticises and tries to change the ways of this small town, getting many people’s backs up in the process. She’s a difficult character to like at the beginning, but as we get to know her better, we can see why she is the way she is, and sympathise more.

It’s all change for Olivia and for Bex also, with some major life events happening for them. But they learn to cope and adapt.

We see the wonderful sense of community in Little Woodford, as everyone pulls together to help each other. There’s some truly laugh-out-loud moments, and some wonderful heart-warming moments also.

This is a book to savour and enjoy, I was sorry when it finished, and hope we get to read more from Little Woodford another time.

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After having reviewed Catherine Jones’ previous book Little Woodford: Secrets of a Small Town, I was eager to get into The Bells of Little Woodford. Set in the same quaint rural town as the last book, this one takes us on a journey with memorable characters and a relaxing soothing pace. The visuals and character development are Catherine Jones’ strengths and I really felt like I was there.
Olivia is a gossip and is always getting involved in other people’s lives which is especially destructive in a small place like Little Woodford. For all its charm, there are secrets and intrigue. Olivia finds herself having to face up to reality when she is forced to sell up due to her husband’s debts. With new neighbours moving. in, will things go well?
Read more if you want to find out. I think it’s best to read the first book first to get character and setting background but The Bells of Little Woodford is a refreshing read alone.
Thanks to Catherine Jones and Head of Zeus for my ARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review and my spot on the blog tour for this title.
4 stars.

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An intriguing, entertaining and captivating village drama, The Bells of Little Woodford is a must-read for fans of The Archers, Katie Fforde and Veronica Henry.

Little Woodford is a picture perfect town that is absolutely beautiful. With its majestic old church, immaculate allotments, manicured lawns and bustling marketplace, Little Woodford is a peaceful, tranquil and enchanting town most people would simply love to live in, but do not be fooled by its serene facade because it is far from peaceful in the countryside. There is trouble in store for the residents that looks set to shake up the lives of the entire community. Will life ever be the same for the people of Little Woodford? Or is their community about to be changed forever?

This is certainly the case for Olivia Lewthawite. The former town councillor lived in a beautiful house that had been her pride and joy, however, the pillar of the WI and town busybody found herself backed into a corner by her husband’s substantial gambling debts and with destitution looking like a very likely prospect, Olivia and her family had had no other choice but to sell the family home which she loved more than anything else in the world. As if the wrench of selling her house wasn’t enough, Olivia is shocked when she meets the new owner of her beloved Grange. A thoroughly obnoxious woman who delights in putting everyone’s backs up, Little Woodford’s newest resident begins objecting to the town’s traditions and customs and making enemies left, right and centre. The town is soon in total turmoil, but will peace ever return to this beautiful part of the world? Or is Little Woodford about to be altered beyond all recognition?

Funny, compelling and wonderfully enjoyable, the trials and tribulations of Little Woodford are sure to keep readers engrossed and entertained from beginning to end. Full of characters readers cannot help but love and packed with plenty of drama, gossip and charm, The Bells of Little Woodford is a heartwarming read that is simply unmissable!

Catherine Jones has written another winner with The Bells of Little Woodford and I cannot wait to return to this charming market town for another exciting visit.

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If you love small town values and interactions, ‘The Bells of Little Woodford’, will appeal. The second book in the series, it reads well as a standalone, but it’s such a lovely series, read my review of ‘Little Woodford – The Secrets of a Small Town’ and enjoy this too.

Olivia, is coming to terms with her fall from grace, too involved in everyone else’s business and the town’s many organisations, her own family took second place, and now she has to pick up the pieces.

Losing her home is part of the price she has to pay, but the new owners seem determined to disrupt and dismantle everything important to the town unless someone stops them.

This story has a comforting, realistic ethos, the characters, values and peccadillos of the town, and it’s residents are recognisable and make this an enjoyable book to read. The plot is simple, but it reflects ordinary life in a small town. Coupled with the complex, easy to like or dislike characters this story is a wonderful escape.

Grab yourself a cup of tea, a slice of homemade cake and wallow in the camaraderie, gossip and ordinariness of Little Woodford.

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THE BELLS OF LITTLE WOODFORD by Catherine Jones is as charming and wonderful as its cover and the perfect read to cosy up with in your comfiest chair and settle down for a good time.

Picturesque, quaint, and everything one would hope for in a village community, Little Woodford has a wonderful array of personalities which work together to make this beautiful slice of the countryside feel like home. While things cannot always be perfect, this is a community that watches out for each other as much as possible and there is always someone with a cup of tea ready for a chat. So when Olivia is forced to downsize her home and her place in the community due to her husband's actions, the village awaits the new arrivals at the Grange. But the newcomers are not exactly what everyone expected and things are about to change in Little Woodford, whether they like it or not!

With a great cast of characters that really encapsulate the small town community vibe, THE BELLS OF LITTLE WOODFORD drew me in immediately and I was whisked along effortlessly to the end of this enjoyable story. This is a sequel and while you do not have to read the first book to love this one, you may as well read both books for double the entertainment! There is drama, gossiping, friendship, and the whisper of love, and there was nothing about this book that I didn't enjoy.

Definitely a thumbs up for THE BELLS OF LITTLE WOODFORD by Catherine Jones!

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What a lovely warm and easy read! It's like settling down into a big fluffy cushion and totally relaxing.

Little Woodford is your quintessential English village; picturesque and peaceful. Like a swan gliding along the surface of the water, there is some mad paddling going on underneath by the movers and shakers. Olivia Lewthwaite has been one of the more influential residents, but with the sale of her house due to unfortunate circumstances, she loses her place in the hierarchy.

I had only read a few pages before I realised that this is the sequel to the first in series which I read and enjoyed last year. Whilst this is an entirely new story, it's wonderful to catch up with the lives of all the familiar characters along with making the acquaintance of a few new ones. This village consists of an array of residents which most small communities can boast: the nosy-parker, the gossip, the business owners and families of all ages and sizes. Living in a village myself (Scottish, not English) I really identified with the tale of the incomer who wanted to change everything - so true to life as we have someone like that near us! 

Beautifully written, this is a true-to-life and extremely satisfying novel which I have really enjoyed reading. I have been able to sink into it whilst laughing and revelling in the antics of the characters. A fabulous book - with a gorgeous cover - and one which I'm very happy to award five shining stars!

My thanks to publisher Head of Zeus for both my copy via NetGalley and for inviting me to take part in this Blog Tour. This is, of course, my honest, original and unbiased review.

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This is the story of a little village called Little Woodford , it’s a quaint place where everyone knows their neighbors and even more so the gossip about them, adding to the charm of the story .
The story is told from a lot of the villagers perspectives but primarily from Bex’s point of view , Bex is a much loved resident , a widow and mother . I instantly loved her . In the story we have a whole host of interesting characters with colorful lives and traits . It’s safe to say life here is anything but boring and it becomes even less so with the arrival of new resident Miranda ( ice queen) and her adoring husband Roderick .
Miranda is an incredible nightmare of a new resident and does not give a hoot if anyone likes her or what she stands for , she is very opinionated and those opinions differ wildly from her neighbors adding to many tongue in cheek moments while reading this . . Now every story needs a villain and she most definitely wins this role hands down , she is insufferable and thrives upon disapproval .
If you had. It guessed already I loved this , from the setting of the story all the way to the end this was a delicious read , a truly heartwarming story . Read and enjoy !

I was lucky enough to receive this copy from the lovely people over at Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book is now published and is available from all good bookstores .

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This is the second book in the Little Woodford series, and I think readers would get the most from this book if they have read the previous one as the same characters continue their tales. It is a fairly standard village novel, and fans of these should enjoy it. I found it a bit too irritating that one woman is still expected to do all the cooking, cleaning etc for her husband and adult children, and the resulting arguments were not an entertaining read!

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Back to the veritable hotbed of gossip and secrets that is Little Woodford. Following on from the first book, simply titled 'Little Woodford', life goes on in the seemingly sleepy village. It is ,of course, anything but sleepy as layers are peeled back to expose underlying tensions beneath the innocuous exterior. A nicely written village drama with some good characterisation and nicely woven storylines. An enjoyable, gentle and entertaining read. I very much look forward to more.

(Review to be published on Amazon. Top #100 reviewer)

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This is a really cosy, charming story. I had no idea this was a follow up to a previous book, as this read so well as a stand-alone story.

The story centres around the inhabitants of Little Woodford, who are a close knit community. When the bell tower is discovered to need extensive and expensive repair, it is up to the vicar and his wife to try and find the funds.

We also have the added drama of a couple who move into the town and do their best to get fed backs up of the locals. The redults of this are some very funny incidents!

Thank you Head of Zeus and Netgalley for the arc of this book. This is my unpaid, unbiased review.

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I really enjoyed this book and I would highly recommend it. It has a great story line, excellent main characters and it is a real page turner. I read this book in one sitting and the hours just flew by!

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Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the town of Little Woodford and all its inhabitants. Hope there is a another one.

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This book is lovely, engaging, and entertaining.
I liked the plot, the well written characters and the setting.
It's the perfect read for cosy afternoon.
I look forward to reading other books in this series.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to Head of Zeus and Netgalley for this ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book, all opinions are mine

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I love this book! When I downloaded it I didn’t realise I had read the first one in the series so it was a lovely surprise to return to Woodford and follow Bex, Amy, Heather and Olivia again.
Olivia has to move home, which is where we left her in the last book, and this one goes in to explore how she and her family manage that

Amy continues to gossip round town and she doesn’t always get th8ngs quite right...

Bex has a shock, a huge shock and she and her family must make a decison

Heather has to raise tens of thousands of pounds to repair the church bells

And there is a new couple who have just moved into the Grange .....but many of the locals are far from impressed.

Love it!

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