Cover Image: Hattie's Home for Broken Hearts

Hattie's Home for Broken Hearts

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I received a free copy of HATTIE’S HOME FOR BROKEN HEARTS by Tilly Tennant in exchange for an honest review. Hattie Rose just can’t seem to live up to expectations. Most recently, she blew her one big shot in Paris by setting a fashion show on fire, literally. In the fallout out of the flaming career disaster, Hattie moves home to Dorset where her parents have turned their home into a shrine to Hattie’s beautiful, perfect, deceased sister. At loose ends with few employment prospects, Hattie accepts a live-in minimum wage position as a farmhand at a local animal sanctuary. This is the tale of Hattie’s attempts to help the animals, help her employer, and help herself find a way to do something important. How will Hattie help the animals and her employer when her boss is so closed-off and mean the villagers call her the witch or the medusa on the hill? Will Hattie’s determination get her through her employer’s repeated rejections?

I liked this book. Though it has some romantic elements to it, it is primarily the story of a young woman who insists she be allowed to be herself, even though she’s still trying to figure out what that means. Hattie’s got determination, kindness, and a genuine love for others, but when your heart’s wide open, heartbreak and discouragement abound. I recommend this book to fans of women’s fiction, to readers who want to spent time with some nice folks, and to those who would like to see a damaged heart heal.

#HattiesHomeForBrokenHearts #NetGalley

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Overall, I really liked this book but the writing and language wasn't my favourite. I really did enjoy the plot and found it somewhat unique but the way it was written just wasn't the best. The characters are great though and overall it passed the time nicely.

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Cute story. Loved all the donkeys and Armstrong the ancient toothless cat. Hattie has a knack for running from one bad situation to the next. She doesn't want her parents' advice, but always relies on them for help. I feel her frustration for always being compared to Charlotte. Hattie doesn't know what she wants to do with her life. Jo was hard to to like. I don't feel like I really got to know her, besides her rough exterior. There was so much more to her story. Seth was another mystery. He's a main love interest, but I felt like he wasn't actually in the book much and didn't have a ton of interaction with Hattie. Hattie's reaction when she learns the truth about Owen was a little over the top. They were hardly dating. They only went on two dates and didn't know much about each other. I question Melinda and Stu's name choices- Sunshine, Ocean, Rain and Daffodil.

I recommend the book. I really enjoyed the story and writing style. I felt their could have been a bit more information on some of the characters, but overall I enjoyed the book. It's the first book I read by the author and look forward to reading more.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bookouture through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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This story is a hotpot filled with ingredients!

The cover is fun and promises you a light hearted story, but that's not all there is to it.

What do you do when you want to help someone who clearly does not want to be helped? Do you go behind that person's back or do you try with everything that you have in you hoping you can convince them to see it your way and accept what you are offering?

When you feel you have tried everything and your head hurts from hitting a brick wall time and time again and when the situation escalates, you don't have a choice anymore and you have to give up. But do you really give up or do you force someone to talk when they don't want to and risk making it worse?

Add a devious boyfriend, a sexy potential boyfriend and you have the romantic side covered as well.

The only thing that is missing still is a wonderful friend to have fun with and in comes Melinda.

Et voila! A great story is born. 4 stars.

Thank you, Tilly Tennant, Bookouture and Netgalley.

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Hattie’s Home for Broken Hearts is the latest story penned by British author Tilly Tennant. Hattie Rose has returned to her family home in Gillypuddle, England, after having spent a couple of years in Paris working for B list designer Alphonse. After a mishap at a showing Hattie organized, heated words, and being fired, Hattie is seeking refuge.

Back in Gillypuddle, Hattie is hoping to develop a better relationship with her parents, reconnect with old friends, and find direction for herself. While she would like to devote her life to something meaningful, Hattie emphatically states that more schooling is not for her. Her mother, a retired lawyer, suggests checking with the couple who has the Willow Tree restaurant to see if they have something she can do while she is seeking herself. While they do not, they tell her that the only job they know of is to work for “medusa” up at Sweet Briar Farm.

When Hattie approaches Sweet Briar Farm owner Jo Flint regarding a possible position, she learns the position is live in to help care for the stable of rescue donkeys, room and board included and a minimum wage. Her father, a retired doctor, and her mother try to dissuade Hattie from this venture, but she has a gut feeling that it will lead to something promising.

As Hattie learns some things about the untalkative Jo, she works towards helping Jo with shelter funding, but rather than being happy for the help, Jo is angry. Not only that, but Jo becomes even more withdrawn. Hattie begins to feel that everything she is doing back home is going awry and decides to head back to Paris when Alphonse carves out a place for her. But the night before she takes off for Paris, all her efforts come to a head.

This is an interesting read that addresses traumas at different stages of life and the effects trauma has on a person. It also looks at how one very determined albeit unorthodox young woman works to find herself while she strives to help others. I very much enjoyed this book and I do recommend it!

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I usually love Tilly Tennant books but this one was a miss for me, so slow to start it was halfway through the book and I was still bored and waiting for it to pick up. Then in the second half it’s like she remembered it’s meant to have some more plot than donkeys and all the characters flipped personalities so it didn’t sit right with me. Could have been so much better and Tilly’s books usually are. Hoping back to normal in future books

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

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Hattie has returned home to her parents’ house in the small coastal Dorset village of Gillypuddle. She feels she is a disappointment to her parents, who always wanted her to go on and do bigger and better things than what she is doing. Hattie though has other ideas, and to earn a bit of money she takes a job on at Sweet Briar Farm helping the unsociable owner, Jo tend to the rescued donkeys. Discovering that Jo is finding it difficult to pay for the animals’ upkeep, Hattie persuades her to open the farm up to visitors to raise some money. When she finds out Jo is hiding a secret, Hattie is not quite sure how she help her….

I love this author’s books, so was really pleased to be reading this one. The idea of featuring a donkey sanctuary was a completely new one on me! I’ve read books with cats, dogs, chickens, even alpacas, but never one with donkeys!! Thankfully I love donkeys and they bring back warm and happy childhood memories, so I just knew that this book would make me warm and happy too! The location was perfectly set along the Dorset coast, and who couldn’t help but fall in love with the name of village – Gillypuddle!

I liked Hattie’s character although I did feel that perhaps her parents were right about her needing to do something worthwhile with her life. As the story goes on, we get to see that Hattie and her parents have obviously had this conversation many times before, but you also get to see the reasons why they feel this way. I really liked Jo’s character and it was clear from the start that there was something she was hiding. She came across as cantankerous and moody, but I loved the parts where she was cooking Hattie her favourite meal or dealing with the donkeys so tenderly. Her story is a sad story though and I wish we could have had a little bit more about her recovery and how she deals with it.

The book on the whole though was a delightful insight into the running of a donkey sanctuary, with a few tears, some laughs and a little bit of romance thrown in for good measure! It does have a theme running through it of loss and grief, but is written very sensitively. A completely different story to what I expected, but one which I really enjoyed! The characters were great, the scenery was perfect and the donkeys were the stars of the show!! Would definitely recommend!

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My Rating: 4.5 Stars

Hattie Rose felt like she had to make her own path in life when she chose to move to Paris. After a broken relationship and the loss of her dream job, she was truly disillusioned and returned home to Gillypuddle. Her family suffered a very sad tragedy and things with her parents are hardly smooth because of it.

Hattie is desperate for a job, and they are few in the small village. When she hears that a donkey sanctuary called Sweet Briar Farm, has an opening, Hattie jumps at the chance, despite the many obstacles facing her. One of the issues is Jo, her new boos. Jo is distant and practically lives the life a a hermit. Despite anticipated problems, Hattie takes on the job.

When Hattie meets the vet, Seth, she wants to jump at the opportunity to get to know him. Dealing with the town's rumors, as well as an even bigger issue in the form of a newspaper reporter, things become a bit complicated for Hattie.

This book certainly has quite a bit of conflict, and I think it was all handled beautifully. I love how Hattie worked hard at bringing Jo out. Hattie could see into Jo's soul, so she did her best in this regard. Meanwhile, Hattie has own own healing to do, especially when it comes to her relationship with her parents.

What a delightful read by Tilly Tennant. This is only my second read by her, but when this book came up I jumped at the opportunity to read it. She has a way of writing an emotional read, one where readers are easily able to care for the characters. In this book, we also get to fall in love with the donkeys, especially Norbert. A first for me!

This enjoyable book, albeit sad at times, is one that I am glad to have read and I am looking forward to reading more by this brilliant author.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC to read in exchange for my honest opinion.

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I have read a few books by Tilly Tennant and they are all easy reading novels with great characters, lovely settings and I wasn't disappointed with this one. I really enjoyed this book - a lovely heartwarming story. I loved the setting of this book in a donkey sanctuary and Norbert was my particular favourite! Lovely characters who I empathised with immediately. Idyllic setting. The story was funny in places but also moving too.

Perfect for a cosy afternoon on the sofa, or relaxing in the garden or on the beach.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

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I always look forward to a new Tilly Tennant novel, and this one was no different. The covers are always easy on the eye and always so pretty and colourful! I love the pink cottage in the centre, surrounded by the bright blue sea with a cute, little donkey floating about on a field next door! It looks so summery and inviting.

The story starts with Hattie in Paris, thinking about home. I was a little confused when I first started reading this book because I wondered just how much was set in Paris but it was literally just a chapter and then Hattie had decided to come home because everything was going wrong for her. Upon a whim, she booked a flight and headed home to her parents house in Gillypuddle (what an amazing name!!). Her dad was a bit of a shocker when I first read his response as to what she was doing in their home, he was quite harsh and not very inviting so I felt really sorry for Hattie after that. We're then introduced pretty early on to the donkey sanctuary and to the mysterious Jo who runs the sanctuary.

I fell in love with the donkeys straight away, just like Hattie! They all seemed to have their own personalities and I thought that they all were so cute! But, my favourite was definitely Norbert. I could understand why Jo seemed so distant and just wanted to help the donkeys! When Hattie suggested to Jo that they open the sanctuary up to paying customers, Jo is quite obviously against the idea. However, she gives Hattie a month to trial the idea otherwise she has to leave. Pretty harsh but I was hoping everything would go well for them all!

When Hattie met Seth, it was clear that there was an attraction and spark between the pair. They seemed to get on really well from the off and I was hoping that things would develop between them as Hattie really deserved to be happy with all the bad luck she had been getting! However, then Hattie was introduced to Owen, a journalist, and that certainly threw a spanner in the works to say the least! I wasn't as keen on Owen as I was with Seth, I thought he seemed a bit arrogant so I was hoping that things would heat up between Hattie and Seth! They seemed like such a perfect match!

Overall, this was a heartwarming story that I thoroughly enjoyed. I loved getting to know all the characters and the setting sounded idyllic. I also liked how Jo transforms throughout the book, it was so lovely to read about her coming out of her shell. Thank you to the publisher for a chance to read an advance copy of this novel, which I have reviewed honestly.

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Another fabulous story from Tilly. A fantastic summer read with the feel good factor.

Enough to almost draw tears but then break out in a big smile. Wonderful.

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Hattie, after a disastrous accident and fire during a fashion show in Paris has returned to Gillypuddle in Dorset, the small village where she grew up. Arriving was a sudden thing, spur of the moment, and she hadn’t clued in her parents, not wanting to hear the ‘I Told You Sos” that would come with her latest ‘failure’ in Paris. Of course, the house looks the same, with most of the family photos being of her sister Charlotte, dead from meningitis at 18, with all of her promise unfulfilled. Hattie has always chafed against the spoken and unspoken plans and expectations her parents had for her, always feeling as if she’s being compared to what was, not being seen on her own. And, in truth, at twenty-six she is rather uncertain of what she wants to ‘be’ when she grows up, but does know that she wants to make a difference and do something that matters.

Being home has allowed Hattie to reconnect with her best friend, now mum of 4 and scraping by in love with her husband and kids, the local tea room owners who just hired an elderly (if eminently cheery and positive) server, a new vet and the expected guilt and discussions with her parents. But, Hattie is determined to find a job, locally, and is informed of the new owners of a cliff-top farm who are looking for help. Everyone comments to the owner’s unfriendliness and unwillingness to make an effort, but Hattie heads off anyway. And how could she resist the lovely donkeys and Norbert, the elder statesman of the bunch and one that seemed to take right to her? Jo is everything that Hattie had been warned about, but she is convinced that it is shyness and an overload of work with isolated nights that have Jo near monosyllabic and gruff – and she takes the job.

From the mystery that is Jo’s behavior to Hattie learning about the animals and truly trying to make the sanctuary an entity that supports itself, as money is obviously tight, she makes several well-intentioned yet unwelcome moves – and Jo is not best pleased. A cousin of the café owner is a dating possibility for a short time, and it is he who uncovers the story of Jo’s nightmares with the death of her sister, only making Hattie more determined to make inroads into a friendship. But with the loss of Norbert and a slip of the tongue, Jo is incensed and Hattie is fired – leaving her again at loose ends with plans to return to Paris for yet another job with the designer whose show set went up in flames. Peak excitement on the eve of her departure means that Jo finally accepts Hattie’s dogged determination to help – and the donkeys (and chickens and a cat) all have the chance to start afresh with plenty of hope. A lovely and uplifting story with room to laugh, to aah and even to empathize with Hattie and her good intentions, and you have to love the fact that the donkeys have a sea view that is ever-changing and inspiring in their new forever homes.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Review first appeared at <a href=” https://wp.me/p3OmRo-at5/” > <a> I am, Indeed </a>

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This is a unique story that I enjoyed reading. A donkey sanctuary was a wonderful addition to the story of Jo and a few love interests as well. I am a fan of Tilly Tennant and have read many of her books, and this one was at the top of my list. For me, definitely a 5 star review .
Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and Tilly Tennant for this ARC.

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This is the first book I've read by this author and I wasn't sure what to expect. I loved it! This is a heartwarming story that holds your attention, I fell in love with the donkeys. I will be looking for more of this authors books. Thank you Bookouture via NetGalley for the ARC copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

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I struggled with some of the donkey stories in this book as it's set at a donkey sanctuary. Overall, it was a quick, easy summer read.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

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This is an easy summer read, set in a Donkey Sanctuary. It features Hattie, who has stumbled through life, always feeling like second best after her Sister died. Back living with her Parent's again she finds herself working in the local donkey sanctuary.
I enjoyed reading this book, but I felt that there could have been more details and background to the characters and the storyline. It was still a nice book though, and worth a read.
I received an early preview copy of this book from Netgalley in return for an honest review.

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I really liked this story. I liked the characters and the storyline was very diverse. This story made me want to adopt some donkeys and I shed a few tears too. My favorite story to date by this author.

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Not a bad read. Hatties is working in Paris for a fashion designer but comes home and starts work in a donkey sanctuary. She finds out a lot about herself and makes friends with someone that everyone hates.

There is a little bit fo romance but i found it quite boring and non believable. I also felt that the ending was really rushed and there was no real resolution to the story.

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I have been a big fan of Tilly Tennant since the very first of her books that I read. I was delighted to see another new one in the offing and sat down to read it as soon as I could. This one has the most eye catching cover, with an idyllic country scene that just speaks of peace and quiet (apart from the occasional braying donkey sound).

Hattie Rose, the lady in the title, has returned home to the wonderfully named Dorset village of Gillypuddle after her job working for a fashion designer in Paris has gone wrong in a really spectacular way. In the time she was away, a local farm has been bought by Jo Flint, a somewhat mysterious woman who has made herself unpopular with the locals due to her brash manner and overall rudeness. When Hattie learns that Jo has homed some donkeys and is looking for help with her sanctuary, she decides to apply, even though her family and friends think she must have lost her mind. Living with Jo isn’t easy, but Hattie’s love for the donkeys and visits from the handsome young vet, Seth, go a long way to compensating for that. However, Hattie is keen to find out about Jo’s past and the dark secret she suspects is lurking there. When newspaper reporter, Owen, comes into Hattie’s life, will he uncover some of the mystery, and what effect will that have on Jo?

I thought that this was a truly moving story of unlikely friendships and the way in which animals can help to heal even the most damaged of human hearts, as evidenced by the marked contrast between Jo’s relationships with humans and with the donkeys. Although I might not have enjoyed living with the frosty Jo, I absolutely loved the setting and envied Hattie’s view of the sea from her bedroom window. Hattie herself had a troubled past, and I could understand her parents’ despair at her ever settling down. I found myself worried about her choice of men and wishing I could steer her in the right direction. All in all I would say that the book is an easy read and perfect for popping in the holiday luggage, the only problem being that you might be thinking of buying, or at the very least adopting, a donkey by the final page!

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This is escapism at its best. An engaging and entertaining book that made me feel better.
I loved the plot, the well written cast of characters and the setting.
I read other books by Ms Tennant and this one was up to my expectations.
Recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

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