Romance takes a back seat is this emotional journey from the grief and anger of loss to hope and joy.

Seven years ago, Mel lost everything when her son died. Since that time she's been hiding from anything and anyone who reminded her of what she lost. But after returning home for a family celebration, Mel starts to take a good, hard look at her life and realizes she's stagnating. Maybe it's time to force herself to move on.

Returning home is hard. But after being offered her dream job and making some new friends, she begins to see light where before there was only darkness. Each new experience is the beginning of the next stage of her life. The hardest step, though, may be the one she needs most to reclaim the life she's been hiding from.

This story follows Mel on a sometimes painful, sometimes frustrating but ultimately joyful journey past the pain of loss. Mel often took two steps forward, one step back. Just when a bit of light would enter her life, she would get stuck in her head, and fear would push away the positivity. AT times, that got frustrating. and affected my enjoyment of the story.. But there was so much in this story,. Loss, grief, the love and support of family and friends and not a little bit of introspection. In the end, everything contributed to help make this an inspiring, uplifting story. I give this book 3.5 stars..

An emotional read and ultimately uplifting story. Melanie has stuck in the trauma after having lost her beloved son 7 years ago. Of course she is for it is the worst thing that could happen to a parent. Her way of dealing is to keep moving away from anyone and anything that can make her feel…. anything. This is about caring to let people she loves and who love her back in, metabolizing the terrible loss and the after effects of it. It's a story about the power of love, loss, friendship, grief, communication and the power of home. Some laughs, some tears and a lovely ending. This is a beautiful series.

this was a hard read but also a great read. no one should have to bury their child and this book explores a mothers (and wider families) emotions.
it’s a story of loss but also finding light after darkness

It took me a little while to get into the story which is rare for me with Jessica Redland books. I just felt it was not as whimsical as many are. It did however grow on me and by the end I felt the love and happiness for the characters that I always hope for in this genre.

This is the fourth in the Escape to the Lakes series, and as usual, the book focuses on new characters whilst including a few familiar ones. It's written from the point of view of Mel, a 52 year old conservation architect with some very difficult times in her past. We meet her and her family whilst getting to revisist Rosie, Oliver, and Alice at Willowdale hall, Emma with her Alpacas and Autumn and Dane.

I've said this before, but Jessica's books really are like a warm hug and a catch-up with friends. You can guarantee some misunderstandings, old wounds, personal growth, and healing of wounds. In the current climate, a bit of light relief is very welcome - a great holiday read or something to cheer you up. Heartwarming and uplifting, it's a good dose of family, friendship, and looking to the future.

While I absolutely adore Jessica, I have to admit to being behind on her “Escape to the Lakes” series, so Sunshine After The Rain is my first venture into it. But what an adventure!

Seven years after she fled, Mel is back in her hometown and, finally, decides to stop running. She has a lot of fences to mend, although she does think that’s easier done than it truly is – she’s so stuck in her past that she sometimes doesn’t realise that time’s moved for others.

That said, the past Mel is stuck in is one I dare anyone to handle. Her 18 yo son died from a drug overdose while at home. She’s convinced that she missed something and let him down. As a mother myself, I do understand that powerful drive to protect… and the guilt that comes when you can’t.

Being a Jessica Redland book, Sunshine After The Rain is full of characters, many of whom have been introduced in earlier books. However, it does truly stand on its own feet; I never felt as if I’d missed something or disconnected in any way. There is a glossary at the start, explaining who everyone is, though I’m not sure it’s necessary (and honestly, I forgot within a few pages!)

What I love about Jessica’s writing is how she makes every character an actual character. No one is a cardboard cut-out. Along with the descriptions – and the Lake District is on my doorstep, so I know it well – the story comes to multicoloured life, pulsing with emotion and heart.

What I didn’t love was the amount of telling. There’s more retrospective details than usual, with large sections that feel info-dumpy. I’d like to have seen these better integrated with the main story, especially that of Mel’s mum and dad getting engaged – the distance here removes the reader from what’s gone on and lessens the impact. This is, of course, my option and your mileage may vary.

Overall, however, I adored Sunshine After The Rain and give it a well-deserved 4 stars.

Wow - what an emotional rollercoaster read this proved to be!
Dealing with loss, grief and tragedy.
But don’t let that make you think this is a depressing read
It’s heartwarming, insightful and could help those in need!

A tragic loss has Mel angry and running away.
She can’t cope with the grief and what others might say.
Till a big birthday celebration has her returning for a few days
Rekindling memories, family links and her attitude sways.

The offer of her dream job at Willowdale Hall
Has her returning and good times starting to recall.
However she still has so much to sort out in her head
Maybe she should have been running home instead?

A story of family, romance, grief and much more.
Totally the kind of read that I adore!
With a gorgeous community that’s a delight to visit again
And there really is sunshine after the rain!

For my copy of this brilliant book I say a huge thank you
As I share with you this, my honest review.

I absolutely loved this series set in the Lakes. This instalment is a wonderful emotional experience of love, loss, friendship and family ties. Jessica has the ability to draw her readers in and keep you enthralled right up to the very last page. It is always enjoyable to catch up with characters from previous stories within a collection. A must read!

Seven years have passed since Mel fled from her home in Willowdale – but her new life in Newcastle hasn’t healed the emptiness inside her. A rare return for a family occasion makes her realise that her relationships will need rebuilding, but she knows in her heart that this is where she feels at home – and when offered the job of her dreams, helping with the remodelling of Willowdale Hall, she makes the difficult decision to return. The sorrow that drove her away slowly becomes clear, and we share her pain as she faces up to her past – but we also share in the slow rebuilding of her life, the mending of those family ties, the support to be found through friendships.

It’s a particularly emotional story, but so beautifully told – I really ached for everything Mel had lost, and was frequently moved to tears, but admired her tremendously as she found new reserves of strength to embrace what her future might bring. Her parental relationship was, I thought, particularly well-handled – laced with misunderstandings, but with love finding its way to help in the healing. And then there’s her former husband – so much hurt on both sides – and that’s perhaps the most difficult relationship to repair, especially when she’s aware there’s the same pull between them that there always was, but that the mistakes of the past need to be acknowledged.

But it’s certainly not all pain and anguish – the friendships are really special, and there’s joy to be found in small things like walking the alpacas, or when solving some of the knottier problems around renovating the hall. And those friends are people we know well from the earlier books – they’ve been through their own difficult times, and are always there to understand her struggles and to hold her up when it’s most needed. There might be moments that throw things off course – life’s sadly like that, but Mel’s heart will slowly mend. And as well as the people, she draws strength from her surroundings – the descriptions are quite wonderful, and the natural world proves to be a balm to the soul.

Read as part of a series, there’s the opportunity to revisit the lives of other characters whose stories have equally touched the heart – but the author has made this a book that would be entirely readable as a standalone, with gentle catch-ups on the earlier stories. And it’s a book I’d thoroughly recommend to others – as engaging and beautifully written as the author’s books always are, emotional and ultimately uplifting, and entirely filled with love.

I adore Jessica Redland's books and this newbie was no exception. Jessica's books are comforting and reliable, yet they always feel fresh and addictive.

I read this as a standalone as I've not yet got to Jessica's 'Escape to the Lakes' series. Mel was a likeable and sympathetic character and I was totally pulled into her journey and growth as the novel progressed.

There were really relatable themes within the book, including grief, regret, second chances and self-belief. It was a book that really touched my heart and completely pulled me in.

Jessica is one of the finest in the business when it comes to believable, emotional romance and this book was no exception.

🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟

Sunshine After the Rain is the newest edition to the Escape to the Lakes series by the exceptional author, Jessica Redland.

In this episode, we meet Mel who fled from Willowdale, seven years previously due to a traumatic family event. During those years she has lived in Newcastle and only rarely been back to the Lakes. She stayed connected to her beloved sister but only occasionally did she contact her parents. When she returns for a family event, she starts to wonder if she could move back home, despite the healing she has to do. Her lifelong dream of seeing Willowdale Hall close up, could be a reality when she's offered the chance of a lifetime... Is she brave enough to accept?

As always, Jessica pulled me right in and kept me mesmerised throughout. Her storytelling is outstanding. I really felt for Mel and her family’s story - I cried copious amounts, I'm sure you will too! You really must get your copy ASAP (you don't need to have read the previous books as it can be read as a standalone but it will give you a better understanding of the village if you do.

Mel moved to Newcastle away from her family and her grief of losing her son, Noah but events take her back to the Lake District and to Willowdale Hall with a new job. But her ex husband Flynn is also still living in Willowdale too, is Mel ready to face her demons in Willowdale?

Oh wow what another fantastic story by Jessica. I love how it can be read in order of the series or as a standalone too. I just didn’t want to put this down and when I did I couldn’t stop thinking about it!

Jessica takes you on a journey in itself with Mel and her family. This story is full of friendship, family, grief, reconciliation and most of all love ❤️

There were moments I felt sad reading this story but then Jessica found a way for me to smile too. I am a massive fan of

Thank you to Boldwood books for an advanced copy of this book via NetGalley.

Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

A huge fat obvious five stars before I've even read the first page! I have adored each and every single book Redland has written, so why would this one be any different?

It's the fourth book in her 'Escape to the Lakes' series and it turned out to be quite the emotional journey we went on with Mel.

We get to reconnect with familiar faces and connect with some new,who I'm sure will be popping up in books to come.

And I got to appreciate the beauty of the Lakes all over again!

It's a heartwarming slice of comfort that pairs perfectly with a cup of cosy.

This fourth in the Escape to the Lakes series re-acquaints you with life in Willowdale and you get to find out how life is evolving for the characters we have come to known. Mel is introduced into the mix and it is soon clear that she is still trying to live with her grief at a family tragedy which decimated her life.

Family, as ever, is central to the story and as Mel moves back to Willowdale, it is clear that family dynamics are complicated. In addition, there are some concealed secrets which come to the surface and change perceptions. She makes some new friendships and finds herself , professionally, in her dream job. The environment has a healing effect. Beneath the surface of some hurt feelings, you glimpse a growing romance.Visits to Willowdale always give you a glimpse of a beautiful part of the world and offer a warm and uplifting read.

In short: second chances and new starts

Jessica Redland is an Author that has been on my radar for a long time; I'd added some of her books to my TBR but hadn't got around to reading any yet. After reading Sunshine After the Rain I really regretted not reading her books sooner! I was immediately hooked by her writing and the gorgeous setting in The Lake District. This is book four in the Escape to the Lake series but can easily be enjoyed without having read the first three, although I definitely will be reading them.

The book follows Melanie who by her own admission has been hiding from life and her family ever since running away from her home town seven years ago. Devastating events led her to flee but despite putting distance between herself and her old life, the dark clouds have never lifted, and she recognises that it's time to return home to gorgeous Willowdale.

Whilst this was a feel good read it also explores some difficult topics that we've all been through in our lives so it was very easy to connect and empathise with Mel as she deals with profound heartbreak and grief. Being able to connect with her made the book so much more enjoyable as I was very invested in her happiness. I found the title to be very apt since Mel has experienced an awful lot of rain in her life recently, but in order to let the sunshine in she needs to find a new way of coping with her grief and let her family back in.

Overall this was an emotional story with some incredibly sad and difficult moments; but it's also full of love, hope and forgiveness. I read it in two sessions so I'd recommend reading it when you have a plenty of free time. Sit down with a cup of tea and some tissues because you'll be needing both!

Following a return visit to her family home in the Lake District Mel is forced to face some difficult truths as not only has she run away from the people she loves the most but she has also been hiding away from her greatest fear, that of confronting her past. When the opportunity arises for Mel to move permanently to Willowdale she does so with some trepidation but a determination to face her demons and make a new future.

Sunshine After the Rain is a really lovely story not just because we are once again in this fictional corner of the Lake District, which the author writes about with such love and care, but it also gives us the opportunity to get to know even more wonderful characters who call this place home. The story flows beautifully and as we get to know the reason why Mel ran away from Willowdale seven years ago so we start to realise that this is a story about facing hurtful truths, about reaching out to grab a second chance when it appears and of the healing power of love. There’s a lovely reference in the story to the Japanese art of Kintsugi and the fact there is beauty to found in brokenness which really struck a chord and I must admit to shedding a few tears as Mel discovers that the broken pieces of her heart could be put together again.

Beautifully written as ever, this Escape to the Lkes series just continues to go from strength to strength and although each book is a standalone story it really does makes sense to start this lovely series from the beginning as that way you fall in love with the place, the characters and the wonderful writing.

So happy to return to a Jessica Redland book, they always give me great pleasure and satisfaction, although warning on this you will need tissues, it’s a very emotional read. I loved seeing returning cha, in gorgeous familiar and beautiful settings. (I want to move everywhere Jessica writes about)

Sunshine After the Rain does deal with grief and is so heartbreaking at points, but there are so many hopeful and heartwarming moments, hence the title, although no spoilers from me. I always love how deeply involved I become in the characters lives and pasts, present and futures.
I particularly had a soft spot for the journey/relationship between Mel and her ex-husband, how they were moving forwards. The ending was just perfect and comforting. An emotional and uplifting story from Jessica ‘I’ll make you feel all the emotions’ Redland, long may she continue to write and make me feel. .

I was eagerly awaiting the next book in the Escape to the Lakes series, and I certainly wasn't disappointed when I read it.

This is the story of Mel, a more mature character, who runs away to Newcastle following a death in the family as she thinks this will help her heal.

Making the bold decision to move back to the Lakes is easier said than done and she faces a lot of hurdles when back. With a wonderful new job and the love of her sister and new found friends she learns to navigate her way through her grief.

Jessica has written a beautiful and heartwarming story covering loss, grief, forgiveness and second chances. It was such a emotional rollercoaster of a read and had me reaching for the tissues.

Thank you Netgalley, Boldwood Books and Rachel's Random Resources for my gifted ARC copy and spot on the tour in exchange for my honest review which I am leaving voluntarily.

When Mel lost everything she couldn’t stay living in the Lake District, even visits back became so hard. She moved away for seven years and hid away from all her family and friends.
Her mums 80th birthday meant Mel has to come back but she has no intention of staying. She realises though that family is what she has been missing, can she put the past behind her and start to heal.
She lands her dream job at Willowdale Hall and moves back and slowly starts to feel more herself at last. One very painful part of leaving was losing the man she loved. Can she see through all the darkness and reconnect again with everyone?

Mel and Flynn suffer a devastating loss. Mel is beyond heartbroken and thinks her only choice is moving away.
This was another really good book by this author.
It’s full of emotion and will have you reaching for tissues. You won’t be able to put it down