I have to say I really got sucked into this book from the start! It is a great, easy compelling read and I really enjoyed getting to know both Lucie and Arthur! Now I don’t think I have read a book that contains an actual castle in a very long time, and it was great to have the descriptions and history around the castle as well as the romance that comes into play. I also really liked that it had a bit of mystery and suspense thrown in as well. This is such a great easy going read and I would recommend for anyone who wants to spend an afternoon getting lost in a castle!

A definite 4 and a half out of five stars

Spring Skies over Bluebell Castle is a wonderful read and I read it in one sitting. Sarah Bennett has a way of making her stories seem magical and that is no different with this one! With a little bit of mystery and a dash of romance, I know this one is going to be a hit with readers! I loved it so much that I am super excited for the next one. I adore the authors work and this one was just as breathtaking as the others. I highly recommend it to fellow readers. This is the perfect escape!

This is a new author for me. Great characters and a great storyline! I can’t wait for books two and three to see what is in store for Arthur’s brother and sister. I received an ARC for a fair review.

I'm all for a story richly inspired by English history with a side order of fine art thrown in for good measure. But who doesn't love a good castle? With age old traditions, antique heirlooms and secret passageways to boot. I was in my element traversing this story and all the rich tapestries of excitement weaving their way through the narrative.
The plot was everything I hoped it would be and I was hooked from the opening paragraph. Bluebell Castle is the perfect setting for this story and I for one can't wait to visit this gorgeous pocket of the world time and time again, so I will be looking forward to future installments without a doubt.
The characters gracing the pages were crafted to perfection and the folks residing in Bluebell Castle were a treat to behold. From their namesakes linked to legends down to their quintessential English eccentricities I loved it all. Lucie was a simply gorgeous character, she has not had the easiest of lives to say the least but her penchant to put others first and her undeniable passion for the world of art had me championing her on every step of the way.
Spring Skies Over Bluebell Castle is a richly woven tapestry of English delights and I couldn't have loved it anymore if I tried. So grab your nearest copy and dive in today as this is the start of something special.

I must say that I really enjoyed this book and am saddened that I have to wait to find out what is next for the Ludworth family. Lucie Kennington is an art specialist at a well known and respected auction house. She loves her job and has just made an amazing discovery of a painting that had been hidden during WWII. When the painting is replaced with a reproduction, she is suspended from her job, accused of fraud. The head of security has been informed of her father's history of embezzling from clients and imprisoned, where he died. The comment of "Like father, like daughter" is never spoken, but that is what Lucie hears in her mind. As she sits despondent at home, her mother convinces her to apply for an advert in the paper. She is hired to catalogue Bluebell Castle's assets and determine if there is anything that has a hidden value that they might be able to sell. You see, the Baron Ludworth lost everything to a ponzi scheme just before his death and his son and heir, Arthur Ludworth, is trying to save the castle.

This is an enjoyable, fun, contemporary romance with nobility, mystery, suspense, romance, financial ruin, family dynamics and second chances all interwoven into a delightful story. It also has historical elements as the diaries of ancestors, artifacts and works of art are searched to find something to save the castle and the family from ruin. There was a bit of Downton Abbey going through my mind as I read this story. The Ludworth triplets: Arthur, Tristan and Igraine (who prefers to be known as Iggy) welcome Lucie with open arms. They are a delightful family who wear their emotions on their sleeves. Their teasing, love of dogs, love of family, home and the village will warm your heart. The King Arthur legend plays a role in this story as well, but I will let the reader discover how on their own. The serious part of the story deals with unwary investors who have suffered, along with their families and the families of the fraudsters. The romance is sweet, even if it is quick. I loved seeing how both Arthur and Lucie tried to keep their distance, but the pull of love was too strong. With wrongful accusations, secrets, mysteries and romance this is an engaging start to a new series. I do not hesitate in recommending this story.

What a lovely contemporary novel about love, trust and second chances!

Lucie is starting over again in a little, quit town Derbyshire. After a bad work experience at a prestigious art house, she left her home. Actually Lucie is running away to a place where nobody knows her or her past. From the first moment Lucie arrived, she knew, the job as a curator at the Bluebell Castle isn’t going to be a piece of cake. Arthur, the heir and her employer is not old and ugly, but young and very handsome. Lucie doesn’t need love in her life, even fate isn’t unpredictable. Even though she will experience new feelings and everything is going to change. Arthur and Lucie can’t deny their attraction, but will that be enough? One day Lucie has discovered the treasure to save his family and the almost ruined castle, but is she brave enough to act? Will Arthur trust her and is a romance possible between these two different people?

Spring Skies over Bluebell Castle is a charming feelgood-story with wonderful keyplayers, some humour, knights and art objects. It is indeed a bit predictable, but that doesn’t ruin the reading pleasure. When I closed the book I had a smile on my face and I am certainly going to read the next adventures of the family Ludworth.

If you loved to be taken to the world of an old castle, a blooming romance with beautiful characters and a touch of mystery.. just read this book!

If you are looking for pure escapism that will instantly brighten your day and put a smile on your face then look no further. Sarah Bennett always manages to capture my attention with her wonderful stories.

Spring Skies Over Bluebell Castle is the first book in a brand new series and I couldn’t wait to pick it up! In this story we meet Lucie who begins a new job in Derbyshire at the gorgeous Bluebell Castle. Lucie is a character that I easily connected with, her family has a troubled past that Lucie just can’t seem to shake off. As soon as Lucie was introduced all I wanted to do was tell her it would be okay. It was so lovely to see how slowly but surely Lucie blossomed at Bluebell Castle and seeing the pride she took in her work shine through. I loved reading about all the discoveries that were made in the castle as Lucie goes about her day to day work. Then seeing her connect with Tristan, Igraine and of course Arthur it was like the icing on top of the cake. Well what can I say about Arthur other than I think I was smitten straight away! There is such a gorgeous chemistry between Arthur and Lucie which always made me smile whenever they were together. I really enjoyed how Sarah Bennett built up first their friendship along with a will they, won’t they vibe.

The setting of Bluebell Castle is perfect and really helps to bring the story to life I could easily picture it thanks to Sarah Bennett’s wonderful descriptions. The fact that that there was also a little bit of a mystery at the heart of this story made everything even more special. I really can’t resist a mystery!

With family, romance and some adorable dogs you really do have a winning combination. I can’t wait to read the rest of the series! Spring Skies Over Bluebell Castle is loveable, heartwarming and has a setting that will capture your heart!

This is the first book in the Bluebell Castle Series, book two – Sunshine Over Bluebell Castle and book three – Starlight over Bluebell Castle are out in July and November of this year.

Quite a few generations of the Ludworth family have been named after characters from the Arthurian legend and the castle is filled with objects that are connected to this obsession. The upper echelon do have a reputation for being slightly eccentric, so I guess this is to be expected.

When I had my first child I scoured through the complete works of Shakespeare for names, so I can totally get on board with Arthurian names. Perhaps not much fun for the child in question, but when you end up a Sir Arthur, as is the case in this family, then it’s worth the odd Uther, Morgana or even Pendragon.

The Ludworth family is struggling to keep the family castle and grounds afloat, so they decide to get an art expert and historian to go through their vast collection to see if there is anything valuable they can sell to save their family home.

Lucie Kennington is at a loose end after becoming unemployed unexpectedly. Her troubled and dark past is following her around like a bad smell and it might just be a question of time until it follows her all the way to the halls of Bluebell Castle.

She doesn’t expect to find not one but two handsome men or a castle full of rescue dogs for that matter. It’s also fair to say that her reaction to the bouncy, yappy and often mud covered mutts is fairly important to at least one of the men.

It’s a fun, warm-hearted and light read. A feel good read that doesn’t ask you to try and out-think the plot or dive into emotional upheaval. It just represents few hours of pleasant relaxation. By the way I want an invite, so I can explore the castle and secret tunnels. Just Saying.

I thought that this was a lovely heart-warming story!

It is a very easy story to read and it is was easy to get lost on the detail used by the author.

I was fully engrossed in the story and found the characters very easy to identify with, I thought that they were well developed and I loved their interaction- it really made the story a delight to read!

Five stars from me for this one, very highly recommended and a brilliant spring read!

A lovely tale of Lucie, who lives under the cloud of her father’s deceit, and a crumbling castle in Derbyshire. Fun and great characterisations of hunky Arthur, gorgeous Tristan and fun Iggy plus the ancient retainers and the scary Aunt Morgana.

A well shaped story that develops nicely into an art historian’s dream, this was a great book to curl up with.

4* a really enjoyable read, another gem from Sarah Bennett. So much so that I’ve preordered the next 2 in the series!

My Review   4.5 stars  Art, Castles, Love and Spring what is not to love !

I knew I would love this book as soon as Rachel's Random Resources  invited me to join the Blog tour. Thank you Rachel for the gifted copy of the book in return for a fair and honest review.

I instantly liked the characters and empathised with Lucie with the loss of her father and his hidden past. I quickly felt part of the family at Bluebell Castle and I loved the strong relationship between the siblings as one of three children I could resonate with this. I  really hoped that Arthur and his family found a solution to their financial issues as they were a very likeable bunch.

I loved how the story developed and particularly the mystery of Eudora and Thomas which gave the book an extra dimension and I love the Pre-Raphelite connection as they are a particular favourite of mine.  It was a lovely joyful and comforting read that I enjoyed from beginning to end, and I didn't want it to finish.

I will be looking out for the follow on books to find out more about the Ludworths and Bluebell Castle and what happens next ........

This is the second Sarah Bennett book that I have read and she does write such lovely and engaging stories.

Lucie Kennington is an art expert, working for a prestigious auction house. But a mix up with a painting means that she finds herself under suspicion of fraud and she is suspended from her job. To make ends meet, she takes a position at Camland Castle, aka Bluebell Castle because of the beautiful flowers that come out aplenty every year.

The new baronet of the castle is Sir Arthur Ludworth and Lucie finds out that everything connected with the place has an Arthurian connection. I thought this was a really lovely idea and where, in the wrong hands, it could have been a bit naff, in fact, being in the right hands, it worked really well. This is a romance and so you can perhaps get an idea of what might happen between the lovely Lucie and the gorgeous Arthur.

Lucie has other demons in her past and so she finds it hard to give her all to Arthur and the castle but rest assured there are some delicious scenes between the two of them which made me smile and caused my heart to melt.

The writing is light-hearted (just as you would expect with this genre) but still meaty enough to give depth to the story. I loved Arthur in particular and thought he was the perfect hero. He is one of triplets and I thought Tristan and Igraine were really well-drawn too. As this is the first of a trilogy I'm guessing the other two parts will focus on each of them as the main character. And here's the tiny downside for me. I felt Lucie and Arthur's story needed more of an ending. The ebook finished very unexpectedly at 94% when I was waiting for more of a conclusion. I presume though that their story will be followed up in the next two books, even if they are not the main focus, so I don't feel too bad. I know what I'm hoping for for Lucie and Arthur - let's just hope the author feels the same way!

All in all, Spring Skies Over Bluebell Castle is a delightful romance, set in a beautiful and fascinating setting. It's a really easy and enjoyable read.

A sweet romantic read that felt like it was set in a past time 

I LOVED how this book was set out, I’m not usually a mushy book reader but Sarah Bennett awakens the girly girl in me with her books and this one didn’t disappoint!

A fun loving book (with a sprinkle of naughtiness) that can be picked up and put down or devoured in one go.

Book 1 of a series of 3, you know it’s going to be a book for each Ludworth, I can’t wait to see what Sarah has planned for Tristan and Iggy.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. This was just the tonic I needed after a really hectic week to just sit and smile and relax. Great story and great characters.

This is the first book in the Bluebell Castle series. This is also my first book by this author, but after reading this one I will definitely be going to find some more books by her. The two things that attracted me to this book was the beautiful cover with its blue skies, and also the name ‘Bluebell Castle’! It instantly filled my mind with wonderful images of stately homes surrounded by bluebells!

In this story we meet Lucie. Leaving her London job as an art specialist in an auction house, Lucie heads to Derbyshire to take up the job of Archivist at Bluebell Castle. The Castle is under financial threat and Lucie works with the owners Arthur, Tristan and Iggy to search the Castle to find all the valuable family antiques and heirlooms to save them. Whilst working with them, Lucie falls helplessly in love with Arthur, but tries to maintain a professional relationship with him, which really doesn’t work very well!!

This was a delightful story! Lucie was lovely and I did feel sorry for her at the beginning of the story when she runs into trouble at the auction house that she works in. Personally, I’d much rather work at some ancient castle in Derbyshire than some auction house in London so was really pleased when she decided to take the plunge and move there. I was drawn into Lucie’s story right from the beginning and when we meet the ‘Derbyshire’ characters, the story was just perfect!! It did make me chuckle with the King Arthur and Camelot connection and I thought it was wonderful that the family were all named after something to do with it! The triplets, Arthur, Tristan and Iggy were just wonderful and I have to agree with Lucie that Baron Arthur Ludworth did sound absolutely gorgeous!

I thought the plot was original and well thought out and I loved the fact that Lucie’s job was an archivist! I was also insanely jealous at this as what could be better delving into a stately home’s past looking for old heirlooms! The chapters alternate between Lucie and Arthur’s point of view and it is such an addictive read that I found it difficult to put it down. The characters are all so likeable and it’s obvious how much it means to the Ludworth family to save the Castle from financial ruin.

It certainly was the perfect book to get lost in and it had plenty of love and laughs in just the right places to help you along with this! This is a heart-warming and fabulous story that leaves you with a smile on your face! I can’t wait for the next book in the series to carry on the story of the Ludworth family and Bluebell Castle! Would definitely recommend!

After being a huge fan of the Butterfly Cove and Lavender Bay Series’ I was thrilled to learn about a new series – Bluebell Castle. Even better was when I received the email from Rachel offering places on the book tour – I think I replied in about 30 seconds.

As expected, Sarah Bennett creates a beautiful setting for her new series in the form of a castle set in acres of woodland and countryside. It’s owned by Authur Ludworth (Baronet) and his siblings Tristan and Iggy. Unfortunately they also own the debts and bills left behind by their late father so bring in an art expert, Lucie Kennington, to catalogue and value any art that may help to pay the debts.

Lucie Kennington has a family with a past and is currently dealing with her own issue from her previous employers. She finds herself falling for Authur but will her past catch up with her?

Told from both persepctives (Lucie and Authur), this wonderful romance novel is perfect for for those wanting a light reading experience. It’s so hard to put this book down once you’ve started and the time just flies by. It’s perfect for sitting in the garden reading or snuggled up under a quilt (so you can pretend you’re in the old castle).

Authur is a swoon-worthy character and Lucie is such a gentle soul and you are just rooting for them from the beginning. In addition to the romantic storyline I also became really involved into Lucie’s search around the castle and couldn’t put the book down until I know how the ‘work issue’ was going to be resolved.

Sarah always writes books with such wonderful characters, settings and storylines and did not disappoint with her new series.

I just cannot wait until Bluebell Castle – Book 2.

Spring Skies Over Bluebell Castle is Sarah Bennett at her enchanting and feel-good best. A fantastic tale about coming home, second chances and new beginnings, Spring Skies Over Bluebell Castle dazzles and delights from the first page until the final full stop.

The bright lights of London have started to prove a little bit much for Lucie Kennington. She needs to escape somewhere where she can start again, rebuild her life and begin anew in a place where nobody knows who she is. Lucie thinks that the quiet Derbyshire countryside will help her in her quest to leave the past behind and start over. The Bluebell Castle estate is sure to provide Lucie with plenty of opportunity to vanquish old ghosts and make new memories for herself. With only a wizened employer to worry about, Lucie cannot wait for her new life to begin, but little does she realise that things are about to get a whole lot more complicated when she finds out that far from being old and decrepit Arthur Ludworth is the most handsome man she has ever clapped eyes on!

Arthur’s good looks prove to be a terrible distraction for Lucie. Romance had been the last thing on her mind when she had left London behind for Derbyshire, but as the two begin to get closer and closer with each passing day, resisting one another might prove to be harder than they initially thought. With an estate to save, Lucie must put all thoughts of romance firmly on the back burner. When she stumbles upon a painting feared lost for centuries, Lucie cannot believe her luck. It looks like she might have just found a way to save Bluebell Castle and Arthur’s family from ruin. However, Lucie won’t be popping open the champagne just yet because her past soon catches up with her, threatening the new life which has come to mean the world to her.

Will Bluebell Castle ever be Lucie’s home? Can she and Arthur ever find a way to be happy together? Or is Lucie condemned to spending the rest of her life paying a bitter price for her past?

Spring Skies Over Bluebell Castle is a heartwarming, charming and engrossing contemporary tale that I simply could not bring myself to put down. Sarah Bennett never fails to draw me in from the very first sentence and keep me glued to the pages of her novels and Spring Skies Over Bluebell Castle is certainly no exception. Funny, poignant and a joy from start to finish, Lucie and Arthur’s love story is tender, witty and so emotional it will make you laugh and cry in equal measures.

Another winner from a writer who never disappoints, Spring Skies Over Bluebell Castle is a first class romance you will not easily forget.

Another fabulous book by Sarah Bennett.. Loved the premise and the story, I also liked the fact that although the past had a bearing on the story you didn't feel you were being refed the old story again and again which can often happen in novels of this genre. Loved the characters and was routing for them all from the start. Can't wait to see what happens next at the castle.

What a super read! Best news of all is that's it's the first in a new series.

Lucie needs to get out of London and a short-term contract living in a real castle seems like the ideal escape. Certain that she will find her new employer to be an older gentleman of the aristocracy, she is shocked to be faced by a contemporary, Arthur - or should that  be Sir Arthur to her? Having inherited the title but not the wealth to keep the estate going, the family are hoping that Lucie will discover some long hidden treasure to balance the family coffers. She quickly gets on with the job in hand, but finds herself ever distracted by the very handsome Arthur . . .

This is a well-written novel, packed with a wide variety of characters each with their own differing personality traits and lots going on to keep the readers' attention. The setting is sublime and with a bit of mystery and a touch of romance along with the everyday events, it's a light, happy feel-good read which I melted into - closing the final page with a sigh of satisfaction. I'm already looking forward to the second book, and recommend this to everyone who needs a bit of cheerful distraction in their busy daily life.

My thanks to publisher HQ Digital for my copy via NetGalley. This is my honest, original and unbiased review.

I don't know which castle inspired this novel, but it sounds amazing. You can call me biased since I have a castle crush with its memories and unwritten histories and well, finding a hidden treasure is everyone's childhood dream. Sadly, there are not many secret tunnels left to unearth anymore, and so, even though the novel is a tad bit unrealistic, it fulfils every romantic's dream.
The book offers a very light and enjoyable read with one of the perfect happy endings. The castle and its beautiful scenery come alive through Bennett's mesmerising diction and I so wish it were all real . . . you could have always counted me as the permanent visitor there.
As for the characters, we get a dual point of view through Lucie and Arthur and for my part I favoured Lucie. She has a vulnerability in her that invites our protective instincts. In spite of the dent in her confidence, she is honest and honourable, a virtue that is difficult to encounter these days.
The castle community, now reduced to a small number, shows a camaraderie that can only be found in some medieval era. The stiff-necked Maxwell transports us almost to another time period and Betsy and Mrs. W adds to the effect. Arthurs's siblings, Tristan and Iggie are equally lovable and I am so looking forward to their stories (especially Tristan's, no offence Iggie) in the upcoming books.