Frances Brakespeare was born in All Saints Workhouse and she's adopted by a former suffragette, who encouraged her to be strong, independent woman and became a doctor. Frances lost her fiancée in the Great War, and plans on dedicating her life to healing the sick and delivering other women’s babies.

Frances is working at a hospital in London and here she’s treated badly by the male doctors, and when her adopted mother Izzy passes away, she finds herself homeless and without a job. She applies for a position in Somerset, they need a doctor at the Orchard Cottage Hospital in Norton Dene, a coal mining town. Of course there’s some confusion over her being a female, they were expecting a man and some of the members on the hospital committee didn’t pick up on her name being the feminine version and Frances is relieved when she's employed as the new general practitioner.

As you would expect Frances wants to make changes, some people are not keen, but she plans on starting an out patients and maternity clinic, and promote health and hygiene in the town. Frances enjoys life in the country, she becomes friends with two of the nurses, Lucy Daniels and Nancy Skittings, Reverend Gregory Sampson and she butts heads with Sister Harrison.

I received a copy of A New Doctor at Orchard Cottage Hospital by Lizzie Lane from Boldwood Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The classic historical fiction narrative is set in Somerset in 1930, as you would expect people are still getting over the Great War, every family either lost a love one or they were injured, and this is the case of one of the minor characters in the novel Captain Delvin Compton-Dixon.

I look forward to the next installment in the series, for Frances relationships to grow and hopefully flourish with the people she’s met in Norton Dene. However the mine owner’s son is a horrible man and Doctor Brakespeare is worried about his workers lungs and the accidents that happen underground.

Four stars from me, a character driven story, I found Ma Skittings antics amusing and one that takes the reader back to a quaint time in England, and set in a small country Cottage Hospital in Somerset.

What a great start to a new series by this wonderful author Lizzie Lane.
A lovely lighthearted romantic tale about Frances who succeeds in a male dominated world in a little cottage hospital. I raced through this book and am very much looking forward to the next in the series.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review.

This is a fast easy read. Frances is a female doctor in a male dominated world. She has to fight for everything and is lucky to have been brought up by a strong independent woman. She gets a job in a cottage hospital in Somerset.
It takes time for her to settle in as she meets lots of opposition but she meets some lovely people too and makes new friends. There are some great characters and some real nasty ones. There's one in particular that I really want to see get their comeuppance. The way women were still treated at this time is unbelievable, especially women who dared to do jobs previously seen as male only occupations. I'll never understand how women came to be seen as second class citizens and how the poor were looked on as worth nothing.
I gather this is the beginning of a series as when I got to the end I thought, 'surely that's not it'! Also the secret the vicar was keeping from Frances was a little dragged out.
I will be reading the next one, if there is one, to see what happens to everybody.

Thanks to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for an early copy of this book.

A New Doctor at Orchard Cottage Hospital is a heart warming story full of strong women characters who capture your attention and have you cheering for them as they fight the stigma of a woman's place in society,

Its 1930's, post WW1 and we meet Frances who is offered a job in the Orchard Cottage Hospital.

Some accept her as a woman doctor, many wont.

The town has many nice and not so nice citizens that keep the book interesting and the pages turning.

At the end of the book, I said what, I don't want this to end , I want more.

A New Doctor at Orchard Cottage Hospital is a great and promising start to a new series from Lizzie Lane who is a master story teller.

I cant wait to read Book 2.

Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the privilege of reading and reviewing this delightful book.

The new doctor arrives from London and we follow her journey at the Cottage Hospital during the 1930's. Good characters and Lizzie always gives us a book that can be enjoyed by many. 5 stars.

Thanks to Netgalley, author and publisher for this ARC

A lovely lighthearted romantic novel. France is adopted and wants to be a Doctor. Post WW1 there are a few and so she begins her training. On moving to a cottage hospital she also falls in love with the local vicar. Not everyone likes female doctors so begins her battle with some of the locals especially the wealthy gentry. A great storyline with different characters. Thanks to Lizzie and her publisher. Thanks also to NetGalley

A new doctor at orchard cottage hospital, a great book by the wonderful Lizzie Lane. A great story about Frances Brakespeare a woman doctor who has a fight on her hands trying to prove that she is as good a male doctor. After losing her job in London she applies for a position at the orchard cottage hospital in Somerset, again she has to prove her worth to all around her. A story full of wonderful characters, all who have their own story to tell, making this a great read. Cannot wait for the next instalment to catch up with all the secrets and stories. Definitely worth 5⭐️

A great story full of string characters. I am left wanting more. Hopefully we will get to see how the relationships develop.

Hello Fellow Readers,

I love strong female characters and Lizzie Lane's newest series is filled to the brim with them. The main character Francis will not let sexism and misogyny get in the way of her morals or keep her from being a doctor. After standing up for herself Frances loses her job at a hospital in London. To avoid homelessness and poverty she accepts residency at a small cottage hospital. Of course, not everyone is happy about her new position.

Honestly, there were so many great characters it was hard to choose who I liked the best. They were all unique, but still strong in their own ways. I do know who I disliked with a burning hot passion, I won't spoil it but if you read the book you will know exactly whom I am talking about. I love how Lane portrays her characters, even the villains, they are all just so complex and will have you turning the page to get more. The ending did feel rushed to me, I felt like it messed with the pacing of the book.

Overall, a strong start to, hopefully, a strong series.

Absolutely loved this book and the storyline was great, loved the characters and the setting and was gripped from start to finish can’t wait to read more about the cottage hospital

Historical drama set after World War One at a time when women doctors were seen as lesser than men. A heartwarming saga which hopefully has a sequel.

Rebelling against the unfair treatment of female doctors Frances is dismissed from her London post and things continue to take a turn for the worse when Izzy, her benefactress dies and Frances finds herself homeless.

With no employment or roof over her head her future seems uncertain until she’s offered a residency at the Orchard Cottage Hospital in Norton Dene, Somerset. a town where quarrying and coal mining scar the land.

It’s a far cry from London and towns narrow minds are not so welcoming of a young, female Doctor, but she’s determined to win through.

A great start to share I think will be the beginnings of a great series and what a wonderful character Frances is.

Set in 1930s Somerset, a female doctor, Frances Brakespeare, who faces adversity and challenges in a small town with secrets and sins beneath the surface. The themes of resilience, independence, and mystery are told in this great new book, really looking forward to more in the series.

Fantastic start to hopefully a new series.
Frances is a woman doctor just after the Great War. But many of her male counterparts don’t want to recognise that fact so she finds her day to day life very difficult. Then the only mother she has ever known passes away and with the grief of losing her fiancée in the war she’s ready for a new start.
She becomes Doctor at the cottage hospital but again has t9 win the trust and respect from the male members of the community.
Great read and looking forward to more of the story.

Francis Brakespeare is adopted by ‘Izzy’ who is a staunch suffragette alongside her friends, which proves useful, as the believe in being strong, independent women. It is this upbringing that encourages Francis to pursue a career as a doctor after her darling Ralph is struck down during the war.
When Francis goes along to an interview for a village doctor she is faced by the very attitude that Izzy and her fellow suffragettes have been fighting against, Francis does them proud. Not only is she met with this attitude, the Sister at the hospital can be equally as bad.
Thankfully nurses Lucy & Nancy are more welcoming. However the mine owners son has other ideas.
Read it in one sitting, interesting facts , especially about the unknown soldier. Favourite character was Ma Skittings, least favourite has to be Simon Grainger. Loved the name matron Molly. Felt the ending was sudden,

This was one of those books I couldn’t stop thinking about when I wasn’t reading. Was desperate to get back to it! A lot about this one really spoke to me. It’s rare I love a contemporary book like this so much, but definitely a hit for me!

Firstly thank you Netgalley for this ARC

Wow Lizzie Lane you have knocked it out of the woods absolutely brilliant

This is definitely a good start to a new series

Wow this book did not go how I was expecting it to it's so much better.
The way the truth about the unknown soldier was written about was so sympathetic it made me cry it was lovely as a lot of people don't know how he came about.
The normal every day life for Frances was just like it would have been in a village.

What a Great way to start a new series. From the start i knew it would be a good book. . I love the small town setting and the quirky characters. I could relate to them. . I am here for the next book in the series.
Thank you to netgalley for letting me read this e arc in exchange for an honest opinion

A lovely and very pleasant novel! I could relate to the characters whom I really ended up liking very much. What I also enjoyed in this story is that a well researched historical background has shown the reality of being a female doctor after WWI. What I also found interesting was to learn about the medical environment in cottage hospitals. I had not known about that. My first novel by the author, and I will read more of her work.
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I am leaving voluntarily an honest review.