I really enjoyed this book from Katie. I usually enjoy all her books, but some are amazing and some are just okay,I think they divide into three categories. Those I would happily pay full price for, those I would definitely buy if I saw the price was reduced to £3, and those that I would pick up in a charity shop. The stories and characters vary in quality from book to book.
This book however falls into the first category, I would be willing to pay full price for it. I love the mother and daughter’s storylines. They are both enjoyable, and though predictable, I think that is where the pleasure lies. The son/brother is perhaps just a tad unbelievably awful at times, but I think it just about gets away with it.
Definitely a fun book to read this spring.

I’ve been a Katie Fforde fan for many years now, so I was very pleased to be given a copy of A Springtime Affair by NetGalley. I wasn’t disappointed!

I loved this book, it was the perfect spring romance (or, in fact, two romances). It was gentle and relaxing to read, and very well written. I enjoyed the slow pace, the characters were (apart from the villains, of course) lovely, and of course, a happy ending. Everything one expects from a Katie Fforde.

I’d recommend this book to anyone looking for a fun and relaxing romance.

I was given a free copy of this book. My opinions are my own.

I do love Katie Fforde, you know what you are getting before you read each of her books. This was an easy read with the obligatory happy ending. I liked the main characters and the storyline. However I would say this isn’t one of my favourites simply because it seemed a little too simplistically wrapped up at the end. The baddies in this were really bad, a little over the top so. And at times the relationships felt rushed and not complex enough. This won’t stop me reading more of Fforde’s books, but I wouldn’t read this again.
Thank you so much to netgalley, the author and publishers for gifting me this book in exchange for an honest review.

Well, what a joy to read, especially at this incredibly awful time!! It really cheered me up I can tell you!! Such a feel good story, that you want to know more about ALL the characters futures!! Even the 'oh no' moments, got my blood rushing so much, I couldn't put the book down!! Loved it!! Thank you!!

Unfortunately, this followed the recent pattern of Fforde novels of having too much plot, not enough character development and just generally not feeling very real. Helena and her mum Gilly are both quite wet and all the men are high-handed and a little bit irritating. You never really understand what Helena sees in Jago beyond him being attractive. Gilly is incapable of standing up for herself in the face of a string of awful men, and even the one she ends up with has his moments, despite being mostly nice. The awful men mean it's really hard to see a satisfactory resolution for Gilly's part of the story, and as far as Helena goes, although she gets her man, and with it somewhere to put her loom, because there is so much plot her business seems to fall by the wayside somewhere in the book, meaning it feels like her personality has been subsumed by Jago.

All of which made me quite sad - I've been reading Katie Fforde for 15 years, after discovering her in my final year at uni and reading all of her back catalogue to help me get through the stress of finals, and she was an auto-buy author for me for years and years, but recently something seems to have changed. As Fforde has got older she's had trouble writing younger heroines - they never sound real, but there's more than that going on here. Contrast this novel with Stately Pursuits, which has another mysterious hero, or any of the novels where the heroines have a career and they manage to find love *and* get some progress in their chosen field. They also have one main plot alongside the romance, and not eleventy billion little ones.

Another great book from Katie, I don’t think I’ve met a Katie book I haven’t liked yet. A romance for both generations and I’d love her to write a sequel because there’s so much more to know (and I needs it) As always a well written book, with well developed characters and a great, addictive story. Thoroughly recommended to make you smile and help you relax

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

A Springtime Affair
Katie Fforde
This is another great novel from this author. I particularly liked this one as there was the key boy meets girl story as well as a slightly disconcerting sub plot involving the mother and brother of the leading lady character. This was a very enjoyable read.

A fine romance for both mother and daughter

Katie Fforde is one of my go-to authors when looking for a light and airy romance in a beautiful setting. This one doesn't disappoint. Set in the Cotswolds, it starts with Helena rescuing a kitten owned by handsome new neighbour Jago. What could be cuter, especially as Helena and Jago begin to form an attachment. The downside is that Jago is the new owner of the building Helena uses to weave the wall-hangings and scarves from which she makes her living. He intends renovating it and Helena fears her huge loom will lose its home.

Meanwhile Helena's Mum, Gilly, who runs a B&B, falls for Leo, a local estate agent. I wasn't sure at first about Helena's 'super-recognition' power that flagged up something she would rather not have known about Leo, but then I discovered it is a real phenomenon. Enjoyed the twin romances with all their twists, but it's the ongoing themes of crafts and baking that kept my interest. 3.5 stars. A fun read.

I loved this novel!
The characters were vibrant and well thought out, each with very clever quirks. Gilly runs her own B&B and her daughter is a weaver with a very expensive loom. Both find love in unexpected places and it was excited to see both their stories develop. I’m wondering if there will be a sequel about Amy and James, a budding romance that only just hints at blossoming.
Overall a well written book that kept me turning page after page. I didn’t want it to end!

Really enjoyed this book which is a nice easy read with some lovely budding romances combined with a con artist and family dramas!

A really great read.The story revolves around Gilly a divorcee who runs a B and B and loves making people feel welcome with her great baking skills, but also her daughter Helena. They both find themselves in new relationships but things dont always go to plan as secrets from the past have a habit of coming out. A lovely family feel to this book and great characters with just the right mix which makes for an interesting and enjoyable novel

A nice easy read but lacked depth. The storyline felt all over the place and even though the main characters were relatable it seemed to jump around.

A nice holiday read though as it's easy to dip in and out of!

This is in true Katie Fforde fashion, lovely story line and an easy read foe the lockdown that we are all in at the moment. It a change from being a single romance as it is in most novels as this is about a mother and daughter both getting their wishes and romance at the same time. \very well written and a pleasure to read. I recommend anyone who enjoys a romantic novel to read and enjoy this book as I have done.

I’ve been a longtime reader of her books. From Living Dangerously to A French Affair. Somehow I hadn’t picked up her more recent titles till now.

The main characters are all very adorable. Plot feels all over the place, keeping up with the love lives of mother and daughter. I can’t tell who is suppose to take center stage, Helena or Gilly? Probably both.

Having nasty and hostile characters peppered throughout isn’t my thing. I dread it so much thinking something will happen to my favourite people in the book. They got off easy for whatever they did!

The ending felt messy? Yeah, story-wise it isn’t all that great.

I will miss William and Jago though!

2 stars

I really enjoyed this book. The characters were authentic and relatable, the storytelling was fantastic and the plot was captivating!

This didn't have much in the way of angst - everything got resolved pretty quickly. And in fact, people seemed to get engaged very quickly too. The things I liked were: time being spent on older characters, lots of food descriptions, and weaving. The characters were mostly likeable. I loved Gilly and Jago. Helena was childish at times. Her brother, Martin, was too, and extremely selfish. I wish Gilly had been a bit stronger at times, and also that Helena had taken Jago to task over a sexist remark! That said, this is an enjoyable read, but don't expect too much in the way of emotion. Everything's kept light.

A lovely, pleasurable read with a good cast of characters.

It's spring and romance is in the air for both for Gilly and her daughter Helena. Gilly meets Leo when he stops outside her B & B to ask for directions. Helena, on the other hand, finds herself moving closer to her landlord, Jago, who turns out to be very supportive of her small business. Both mother and daughter wonder if they've found themselves long lasting loves . . .

This is such a wonderful book to sink into. The characters are honest and flawed, well-described and very easy to imagine. As with real life, things don't always go smoothly and the situations both Gilly and Helena find themselves all come about in a perfectly natural and believable way. Katie Fforde is another author who understands family dynamics and her writing is smooth and flows well, her talent shining through. A light-hearted, easy read which I'm very happy to give 4.5*.

My thanks to the publisher for my copy via NetGalley; this is - as always - my honest, original and unbiased review.

I love books by this author so was looking forward to reading this. It didn’t disappoint a lovely story about a family, Gilly runs an upmarket B&B, in her family home after a divorce, son Martin is married to a wife who is preoccupied with healthy eating and the best things in life while her daughter Helena is a weaver who is about to be evicted from her workshop/home as her landlord needs the space to renovate into housing. Martin wants his mum to sell up her house to release funds so he and his wife can buy a large house and move Gilly into a granny annexe so she can look after their daughter. Gilly has two admirers along the way, one who has her best interest at heart and another who hasn’t. An easy read and a page turner.

The perfect escape read during lock down. A light, easy read with several strands to keep the reader's attention plus multi generational romance. Some delightful characters, but also some absolutely awful ones making a good mix as they bounce off each other. Cosy and warm with a feel good factor with certain predictability but that is what makes it so perfect for a holiday or escape read with loads of tea, sympathy and shortbread

Katie Fforde novels are a pleasure to read. They're nice. In a good way. In that you don't have to worry about main characters being killed off in a dramatic twist, or the girl not getting her guy.

A Springtime Affair is no exception and what is different about this novel is there are two romantic storylines, featuring a mother and daughter. At first I was a bit apprehensive at reading about mum Gilly's exploits but it's so well written that the story just flows along. You're as much engaged with Gilly and the men in her life as you are with daughter Helena and her made up / real interest in Jago.

Katie Fforde - you didn't disappoint with this one!