What a truly stunning read this book is and Jane never fails to disappoint. Heart warming and beautifully written.

There’s something about Jane Lovering’s female leads that I always love, and Alice Donaldson is no exception. She lives an unexceptional kind of life – very aware that she’s a bit plain and rather overweight, she’s content to fade into the background, doing the same admin job at a window fitting company for the last eighteen years, living her solitary life and marking time by the dog walking man who lives on one side of her and the noisier family who live on the other. Her life’s been marked by disappointment – when her husband Grant walked out and disappeared six years ago it wasn’t particularly traumatic, they really didn’t have much of a marriage.

But when the police turn up on her doorstep in the early hours, her life’s about to change a little. Grant has apparently been killed in an explosion at Fortune House, an isolated house on the moors with something of a ghostly reputation – a bit of a surprise when he barely left the sofa throughout their time together. And when she decides to visit the place where he died, she comes across Max and his sister Jenna – he’s a psychologist (and certainly makes her heart beat rather faster), and Jenna was Grant’s new partner, entirely devastated by his loss – and their lives become increasingly entangled when she agrees to help Jenna find out what happened.

The characterisation in this book is just wonderful. Its voice is Alice’s, and I adored her from the very beginning with her absence of any self confidence, her self-deprecating humour, her essential awkwardness – but also her warmth that brightly shines through. Max’s interest in her – he can see beyond her appearance to the beauty within – sees her blossom, to find some bravery, to contemplate making changes to her humdrum life and to see the possibility of a different future. But she’s not the only character who’s struggling – Jenna’s wonderfully flaky, but with good reason given her recent life experiences and having lost the man she planned to make a future with. It’s brave to focus a book on such a small cast of characters, but I enjoyed every moment of their interactions as Alice was drawn into their privileged lives at Hatherleigh Hall and the relationships developed.

Another thing I really enjoyed about this book was the setting – the deserted house on the moors, its isolation and inaccessibility (well, it certainly proved difficult to get to at times for Alice…), its history and ghostly reputation, the accounts of paranormal activity that are interspersed throughout the narrative. I’m often not a particular fan of spooky elements in a story, but the author pitches things just perfectly – nothing that gave me nightmares or kept me awake at night, but always enigmatic and intriguing.

And it wouldn’t be a book by Jane Lovering without that great balance between the ever-present humour – the set pieces and the wonderful one-liners – and the sensitively handled issues and emotional moments. There were times in this book when I found myself laughing out loud – always with Alice, never at her – and other times when it really made me a little tearful. The central romance is a really lovely slow-burn one, authentic and believable (I rather fell for Max too…) – and I also really enjoyed the book’s surprises and the distinctly unexpected path the story took at times.

And you’re waiting for me to say “her best yet” again, aren’t you? Yes, I think I just might – it’s a really different read for all sorts of reasons, but filled to the brim with absolutely everything I love about the author’s writing. Highly recommended by me.

A huge contender for book of the month for June, this has been an absolutely superb read. I was hooked from the dramatic opening and found it difficult to put this book down.

I found the character of Alice completely likeable and very relatable. I could identify with some elements of her background too which Jane brings through in her well developed back story. I loved seeing both sides to Alice: the self-depricating, vulnerable side as well as the cheeky, determined and independent side. She becomes a truly 3 dimensional character for me and not many authors manage to achieve that.

As I continued reading the book, there are some absolutely brilliant twists that I didn’t see coming. The romance between Alice and Max is a slow burn for reasons which become completely obvious and seem entirely reasonable, which only added to the authenticity of it.

There is also a mystery element to the story which has some connections to a supernatural theme. I am the last person you’d likely expect to enjoy this sort of strand in a book, but I actually found it very entertaining. It added another layer to the story and provided lots of the opportunities for the romance storyline to develop, as well as bringing the fore a discussion about why people have beliefs about ghosts etc, which to be honest is not something I’ve ever really thought about.

Overall, a heart-warming, entertaining and uplifting book about the importance of human connection, self-acceptance and making the most of any opportunities that come your way! I absolutely loved it and could not fault it.

A little romance, a mystery and lots of humour made this book a delightful read. Alice is shocked from her mundane life when her supposedly dead ex, Grant, shows up on her doorstep one night. Alice’s life takes a decided turn for the better when she meets Grant’s girlfriend Jenna and her brother Max.

I went into this expecting my usual chicklit, romcom type read. Turns out it was that and a whole lot more, with a haunted house, a presumed dead ex husband and a Boobie room!

It's the first book I've read of Jane's and I'm looking forward to reading more of her books.

All of the characters brought their own personalities to the story and I found them all to be likable.

A highly entertaining, engaging read full of humour, romance and mystery.

Many thanks to Rachel's Random Resources for my tour spot.

Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I was not disappointed with reading my first Jane Lovering novel and can understand why so many readers love her books. While romance is a key element, this book is packed with mystery, ghost stories and personal growth making it an engaging read.

I was perplexed at the start with why Alice, when woken up by the police to be alerted to her husband’s disappearance, wasn’t overly upset but it soon became clear. As a character she has flaws I could relate to including crippling self-doubt and putting herself down and combined with her believable backstory this made her a rounded protagonist. It was a joy to see her discover the possibility of different future while she digs into the history of the creepy Fortune house, in an attempt to solve the mystery around Grant’s disappearance and get closer to Max.

The stunning beauty of the Moors leapt off the page with the descriptions and I could easily imagine being there, immersing me into the ghost story that Max is investigating. The novel is regularly interspersed with personal recollections from locals about their spooky experiences on the site. These kept the paranormal thread going and kept me hooked. I adore paranormal books.

With the brooding Yorkshire landscape, a ghostly mystery, and romance between two believable characters, this was a refreshing read. It is a fun, gripping read for a summer’s day but also perfect for those Autumn nights on the run up to Halloween.

Alice Donaldson is just coasting through life after her parents death, living in their dumpy home, staying at her boring yet comfortable office job, with zero self confidence and constantly fat shaming herself. Her husband left her after a completely unromantic marriage and she hasn't seen or heard from him in six years. So she's completely shocked when the cops are knocking on her door at four a.m. to tell her he was killed in a freak accident at an abandoned house on the moors. She visits the site and finds a woman, Jenna, crying in grief over Grant's death along with her brother Max who had been researching the abandoned house and its ghostly encounters for his book.
I loved Max, down-to-earth despite being an actual Lord of the Manor and the fact that he likes curvy women. I like how he described himself as Heathcliff yet nicer to women. The "booby room" scene was hilarious. Alice lacked all self confidence and I was frustrated with her constantly being down on herself. I get it with her history, especially with Grant, but didn't want to read about it every few pages. Overall, I liked the mystery, the setting in the major house, the flashback descriptions of ghostly encounters, and the lovely descriptions of the moors.
I received an advance reader copy of this book. The views and opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily.

Alice hasn't seen or heard from her ex-husband, Grant, in several years. And then one night the police show up to let her know that he's died. And she just cannot wrap her head around the details of his death. So much so that she starts doing some digging on her own. 

Well, not really, because she ends up meeting her ex's girlfriend, Jenna, and Jenna's brother, Max. 

This story was at times mysterious and confounding. There were definitely some funny moments, as well. I found the way Alice thought about herself both deeply horrifying and humorous. 

The romance involved was just enough to keep me invested, but not enough to take away too much from the central story.

This book is fantastic, do not judge a book by it’s cover (like I frequently do) because this is so much more than it appears to be. I would call it a mystery, ghostly romance full of humour, because The forgotten house on the moor is full of suspense, paranormal/ghostly activities and a fun romance

I really loved Alice,I loved most the characters but especially Alice, I think I connected more because of her anxiety and self esteem issues, I thought she was so well written and thee constantly doubting herself, questioning and lack of trust in herself is so accurate and fully believable. I loved Ma ax additionally because he sensed this and was encouraging and reassuring in his approach, I really appreciate that it is emphasised about them being equally intelligent, that university or a traditionally accepted education isn’t the only form of intelligence.

I found the paranormal activities really interesting, especially the first person experiences and ghost as stories that from over the years, this is addictive reading and and I wasn’t able to put it down, I just wanted, no needed to know what had happened and the story behind The Fortune House.

I would love to read more of this story in future and see what the future holds for Alice, Max and the Hall.

Thanks to Rachel’s Random Resources and Boldwood Books for the free copy in return for an honest review

This book had so much to it, love, mystery, ghosts, skeletons, family, friendship and secrets, I mean I don't think Jane could have packed any more of a punch into this book! From start to finish I read this in a matter of hours as I found myself hooked on the story and wanting to know what had happened and the truth behind The Fortune House.

I loved all of the ghost stories and felt they really added to the suspense and questions lurking throughout the book, I had my theories but I wasn't quite the clever detective this time and didn't guess the ending. Well, I guessed one of the romantic elements but not the mystery and definitely not the truth!

I'm not sure why but at the start of the book I was picturing Alice as an older lady and it was probably about a third of the way through that I realised she wasn't. Not that this affected my enjoyment of the book or of Alice, I actually really liked her as a character and found myself wishing I could be that organised and quick thinking! The friendship between Max and Alice also kept me wanting to turn the pages and see how things were developing and also when they were going to unearth that vital piece of paperwork!

Such a good book with a little bit of everything in it so I feel like it's going to be loved by loads of readers, there is something for everyone in this! A great read that had me gripped and eager to keep turning the pages.

Alice Donaldson is awakened early one morning by police officers knocking on her door. They informed her that her husband, Grant, who left her six years ago, was killed by a gas explosion. It happened in a derelict house on the moor called the old Fortune House. It has been recently used for ghost hunts (seances).

Alice decides to visit the place and put closure to Grant’s demise. There she meets Max and Jenna Allbright, brother and sister, who knew Grant. Jenna and Grant had been a couple. Alice is surprised that the lovely Jenna had been Grant’s girlfriend because she remembers him as a dull man who said he left her to find himself.

Max is an author who writes books on paranormal and the psychology of ghost hunting. He is also a professor. He and Grant would hold seances at the Fortune House. Max is trying to discover who truly believes in ghosts and who doesn’t.

Max and Jenna own and live at Hatherleigh Hall, a huge country “pile.” Jenna wants Alice to visit them and be her friend so she can learn more about Grant. Max is quite taken with Alice as he likes her sense of humor and her intelligence. He wants her to work with him and help him with his job.

As the story builds and the relationship between Max and Jenna grows, I found myself drawn more and more to them. Even though Max is a PhD and Jenna did not go to university, both are equally intelligent people. There are bits of humor thrown in here that made me chuckle throughout the book. The story also adds little vignettes of people in the area of Fortune House who have had paranormal experiences over the years. Very compelling read with an ending that left me stunned. Enjoy!

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Thank you Netgalley and Boldwood books for access to this arc.

I wasn't quite sure what to expect after reading the blurb for this book. Yorkshire Moors and some kind of mystery, yes - but ghosts? Hmmm, okay, maybe. I'm still turning over what I think about Alice's self esteem issues and how often they were mentioned. Plus there is one character I just didn't get at all. Still I guess there's someone for everyone.

As the story is told from Alice's first-person POV, I'm glad I liked her. I can relate to Alice as sometimes housekeeping doesn't hold my interest either. She might not have thought of Grant anymore but Alice shows an all to human reaction when she compares herself to slender and beautiful Jenna and wonders what Jenna saw in Grant. Honestly, the man couldn't have changed <i>that</i> much in six years, could he? Jenna and Max share Alice's befuddlement at why Grant was where he was at 2 am. Grant had only known about the house on the moor because of Max's professional and personal interest in it. 

Soon however Alice isn't thinking much about Grant (beyond still being amazed that he was dating Jenna and they had planned a life together) but has shifted her attention to the reason why Max was studying the moor house. She's also gobsmacked that handsome and posh Max appears to be interested in her. Alice has never had men be interested in her beyond Grant, who ended up leaving her, and can't bring herself to believe that handsome Max would pursue very curvy her. This is detailed at length for most of the book. I get Alice's reluctance to accept that Max's interest is real but after a while, when she started down the same rutted mental path yet again, I wanted to take her hand and gently lead her away from her self denigration. 

The romance mainly consists of Max telling Alice (yet again) how smart, intuitive, clever, and intelligent she is and how delighted he is for her to (at first) be helping him, then working with him, and then starting a relationship with him as all the while Alice can't trust that it's not just some way for Max to get her assistance and then end things. It's a long, long road that the reader must travel before Alice believes. She's written so that I understand her hesitation but yeah, it's a lot of the same again. Her self deprecation is matched in a way by Max's difficulty in forming a relationship with women who have only been interested in his poshness or the fact that he owns a large estate (although one that needs constant tending in order to pay the bills).  

There is another relationship that bemused me - the one I mentioned earlier - and I remained this way until the end. One character hadn't changed as much as Alice initially thought - which seemed realistic - but did show later signs of growth. Another character I never could understand their interest in the romantic relationship and don't think it was either well explained or shown beyond "I'm in love." It was a puzzlement. 

The ghost stuff was interesting, especially the first person reports of unusual sightings and experiences that had been sent to Max for his research. There is some closure in regards to one mystery that Alice and Max are trying to solve but another one that, to me, remained  unexplained. Perhaps the last bit of info that Alice found partially solves this or maybe I just missed this.   

I did like that Max shows Alice in a variety of ways (some of which were odd but still he showed her) that he finds her attractive and desirable - both physically, emotionally, and intellectually - just as she is. He's kind, attentive, and thoughtful as well. Hmmm, maybe he's a touch TGTBT but hey, who wouldn't want a handsome Lord of the Manor madly in love with them? But I wanted Alice to start believing in herself sooner and I needed some closure on the "ghost." B-

(link to review to be added later)

Alice receives the unexpected news that Grant, her estranged husband, is missing after a tragic accident at the mysterious Fortune House high on the North Yorkshire moors. However, knowing her ex-husband well, Alice can't believe that he would be walking on the moors in the first place, so she is intrigued to find out more. With some trepidation Alice sets out to visit the place where her husband seemingly disappeared and there she comes into contact with brother and sister, Max and Jenna, who seem to have known a very different Grant and whose connection to the spooky Fortune House can't be ignored.

What then follows is a gently, haunting story about the lure of Fortune House and the mystery and spooky goings on, into which Alice, Max and Jenna get involved. The brooding nature of the moors comes across as do the unexplained sightings of some mysterious happenings at Fortune House. There's a nice amount of seriousness which is offset against the warm-hearted relationship between the main characters which the author has written with a light touch and a nice eye for detail. It took me a little while to warm to Alice, I felt that she was so much more than just worrying about her body image so it was good to see her personality blossom over the course of the story.

The Forgotten House on the Moor is a light-hearted story, with a nice sense of mystery, and a lovely smattering of romance.

This is a very different and unique story. It has suspense, mystery,supernatural and humour. I really enjoyed reading this book, I think that it is one of Jane Lovering's best books out of her books that I have read so far.
Alice is a lovely character who finds herself in an unusual situation. I loved the setting on the Yorkshire Moors.
Thank you to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for my ARC.

This book was not what I expected. We experience the death of Alice’s hubby, six years after he left her. The mystery surrounding his death, a visit to the Yorkshire moors, unexpected friendships, ghosts?. All mixed in with a Manor House, a visit from the dead and finding love, laughter and good sex. A really enjoyable read

I do enjoy a Jane Lovering book she always hits the mark!
This one had a slightly supernatural feel, and I liked the little twist at the end.
The story line was slightly unique, but still had lovely characters that you would like to get to know.
I think that this might be her best book to date.
Thank you netgalley

If I was to try and use a single word, to sum up, Jane Lovering’s writing style, it would be ‘atmospheric’. She paints such beautiful scenes with her words that I am transported to a different plane and can imagine all manner of otherworldly forces at play. This time, we are introduced to Alice, whose abandonment by her erstwhile husband, Grant, has left her feeling adrift and somewhat indifferent to life and romance. She is contented in her safe world of office admin and raucous window fitters, so she surprises herself by seeking out more information after Grant’s sudden death.
Alice learns from the police that Grant died in an explosion at an abandoned house on the Yorkshire Moors. On exploring the site, she is shocked to discover that Grant had a whole new life including a girlfriend, Jenna. Jenna and her brother, Max, live at Hatherleigh Hall, a fabulous estate that is partially open to the public and crying out for an injection of cash.
Alice soon finds herself drawn to the siblings and discovers Max has a special interest in the ethereal happenings at the site of the explosion. Grant had been helping Max with his research and Alice soon takes up the opportunity to work with Max.
This book is perfectly composed, and I felt captivated by both the mystery behind Grant’s death and the obvious chemistry between Max and Alice. Of course, Alice feels suspicious of Max and doesn’t believe that he could possibly be attracted to her. He comes up with the most beautiful way of settling her doubts which was both romantic and powerful. I think that single moment was possibly my favourite, but there are many highlights and twists as the story unfolds.
Of course, there are no spoilers from me, but I can promise that this book is wonderful. I found it utterly enchanting, and when I reached the final chapters, I wanted it to go on much longer. The writing is simply stunning, and the characters are thoroughly developed.

A mystery starts when Alice finds out her estranged husband is dead. But what really happened to him? Along the way she meets his new girlfriend Jen and her brother. How is everything linked together and will they find out what really happened at the house on the moor?

I am a big fan of Jane Lovering’s books, as you will know if you are a regular reader of the blog. She has a real knack for creating great characters and writing the perfect blend of romance and humour often with some more serious issues included. Her books will make you smile for sure but are also often rather emotional. I’ve still not quite forgiven her for actually making me cry when reading one of her earlier novels I Don’t Want to Talk About It!

This book had me giggling from the first page! When Alice is wakened by the police at 4am she was most annoyed that they had interrupted her dream about Ben Whishaw and a trumpet – the mind boggles! They are bringing the sad news that her husband Grant has had a serious accident and can’t quite understand why Alice seems unperturbed by this. This led Alice to meeting Grant’s new girlfriend Jenna and her rather gorgeous brother Max.

I really felt for Alice. She had so little self confidence in herself. She is used to being under valued and unappreciated, she expects it in fact. And she is very critical of her body, something I think many women will relate to. She feels she’s very plain and overweight and that no-one could fancy her.

Thank goodness for lovely Max! He helped her see that not every man likes the same body shape and that he was most definitely interested in hers! He was interested in her kindness and intelligence too though, not just how she looked. Together they embark on some research to find out exactly what happened at The Fortune House both with Grant and the many spooky happenings reported there over the years. This element of the story added and element of intrigue and poignancy to the book.

I love Jane Lovering’s books, all the quirky lovable characters she creates and the situations she puts them in. I think she is a really talented storyteller and she never fails to make me smile. The Forgotten House on the Moor is romantic and it’s funny – a proper rom-com!

The Forgotten House on the Moor
by Jane Lovering

In the early morning Alice Donaldson’s door goes - It has to be bad news no good comes at that time by the police. She is being advised her ex husband Grant is missing on the moors and believed killed in and explosion at an abandoned house and she is listed as next of kin . Alice goes to view the sight and meets Max who is writing a book about ghosts and whether the fortune house was haunted. Jenna , Max’s sister was Grants girlfriend and she has many questions regarding Grants disappearance.

This book is very slow , disjointed and in some parts very repetitive but the main story actually becomes clearer in the last third of the book. So if you can follow the intrigue and mystery and the minor romance involved all will become clear.