I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Very cozy magical realism with romance and mystery, and, of course, ghosts! I read a lot of fantasy and so often the main characters are in their late teens or early twenties. It was so refreshing to follow one woman in her early 50's and another (ghostly though she is) in her late 30's.

Shona's romance was very sweet and I really enjoyed the conversations they had about how they were affected by their past partners and how their relationship could progress. Yay for healthy communication!!

I was very invested in what happened to Polly. Each time we got more clues I would try to figure out what it could mean, but I wasn't able to predict the ending at all. Once I hit a little past the half way mark, I could hardly put it down. I read the last half in one evening.

I read this without having read the first book, and had such a great time. I definitely plan to go back and read it soon so that I can get Callie's story.

This was a really sweet love story with a murder mystery wrapped up in one.

It was great to come back to this village where there were so many ghosts and see some of the supporting characters from the previous book, as well as meeting new ones. Although it had been months since I had read it, it was easy to slip back into this world and remember all the characters. I just wish we'd seen more of Brodie. I loved learning more about the characters pasts and unravelling some of the mysteries that the first book had set up. I think it is perfectly acceptable as a standalone book but having read the first one certainly helped.

It was a little obvious as to what had actually happened - Polly's reactions meant only one thing made sense - but that didn't detract from my enjoyment or the bittersweet pain when it was revealed. This was a sweet tale of loss, of love and the cruelty of war. I loved how empathic the whole thing was, nobody was evil, it was terrible things done because of terrible things.

And all the descriptions of food made me hungry!

I really enjoyed this, much more than the first one. A massive improvement in everyway. I am truly excited for the next book in this series and already wondering what we are going to explore next. The hairdressers? The newest ghosts? Maybe dig a little deeper into the why of our resident Hall ghosts? So many delicious possibilities.

This book is the second installment in the Ghosts of Rowan Vale series. I´m going to kick off this review by saying that I´ve never read the first book. Even without reading the first book, I enjoyed this one. There was just enoguh information about the setting and events of the first book that everything was clear to me as a reader, without spoiling too much about book 1. So I´m considering reading that one as well eventually.

About this book: It is a cozy story set in a very english town which also happens to be filled with ghosts. In this book we follow Shona the manager of the tea shop and the story of her murdered aunt Polly, who is a ghost.
This book doesn't have many surprises. Fairly early on you connect the dots about what is happening and who will be ending up together. Which is not a bad thing. That made this for just a fun cozy read with not too many high stakes. You know from the beginning there will be a happy ending and sometimes you just need a book like that.

Thank you to Netgalley for the free arc in exchange for an honest review.

IT was cute read. Lots of characters though to the point that i was taking a break from reading just to write out a list of the characters and "ghosts" and it bothered me a lot at one point but after i got over that confusing hump the story was very unique and interconnected with all the family's and rivalries. I really enjoyed some of the smaller ghost characters' wit and wisdom.

Loving Spirits at the Vintage Teashop by Sharon Booth is such a good story. I loved this book and I rated it 5 stars. So so good. Totally recommend this book for everyone.

this is the second book in a series, I think you need to read the first book, before you read this one, it has lots of characters and I think it would be easier to read if you had read the previous one. very sweet story.

3~3.5 ⭐️ A super cosy warm ghost filled mystery book with a sprinkle of romance set in a village in the Cotswold.

This was definitely a step away from my usual reads but a cute 350-pager non the less! I definitely wanted to dive more into Polly than Shona and found it hard to really get involved in her story. I really enjoyed the mystery element and unravelling what really happened all those years ago.

For me there were just soo many characters that were introduced I found it hard to keep up with who was who and did what. This could also be because I did not read the first book so it might just be a me problem on that front.

Thank you to Boldwood Books and Netgalley for the ARC!

This is not my typical style of book but I loved the cover so much I decided it was time to try some cosy style reading but have realised that I am definitely more of fantasy-tortured-souls-romance kind of girl but that doesn’t mean this wasn’t an enjoyable read!

3.5 stars, rounded up

What a fun and heartwarming read! An enjoyable mix of romance, murder mystery, supernatural ghosts, all tied together by wonderful characters full of love and spirit.

This story follows Shona, a manager at a café in the very peculiar town of Rowan Vale that has its share of secrets and ghosts! Some ghosts can be seen by family members, which is the case with Shona, who can see her great aunt Polly. An out of towner Max visits, wanting to learn about his grandfather’s history at Rowan Vale, one that is steeped in apparent violence and misery. Shona can’t deny her attraction to Max, but when his questions start opening up a can of worms in her own family, can they figure out the complicated history without breaking any hearts?

It took me a bit of time to get into the swing of this story, since I didn't realize when I started that it was a sequel. Though technically a separate story from the first, Kindred Spirits at Harling Hall, there were still some details that I stumbled over. There are a LOT of characters, so I had to wade through all the names before I could enjoy the story. I also struggled a bit with the changing 3rd person POV and 1st person POV between Polly and Shona, but eventually I got the hang of it. There were also some chapters I felt were incongruous and could have been omitted entirely, but they didn’t drag down the story too much.

Overall, the plot line was very compelling for me, and it was a quick read. I was eager to learn more about the mysteries behind Max’s grandfather and how it all might be connected with Polly. The characters all developed satisfactorily throughout the book, and the ending was absolutely worth the ride. I truly felt touched by the end of the book. It addressed many important themes of war, grief, and ultimately hope, that I found genuine and sweet. I definitely recommend this if you’re interested in a cozy ghostly story with a lot of heart. Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the advanced copy!

Thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the ARC.
I loved the first book in this series so I was very happy when I received an offer of the ARC for the sequel.
I loved this even more than the first one I liked that the romance was between an older couple. Shona was a very likeable character. Polly's story was heartbreaking and I'm very satisfied with how everything turned out for her. I hope there will be more books in this series. I love all the ghost characters and would love to read more of their stories.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this ARC.

This is the second book in the Ghosts of Rowan Vale series that started with Kindred Spirits at Harling Hall. I do think it's best to have read the first book as an introduction to the village and the original premise but luckily it is available on Kindle Unlimited.

Rowan Vale, a picturesque village in the Cotswolds, is like a living history museum: it has a steam railway, a vintage teashop, an old water mill, old fashioned shops, a vintage cinema called The Magic Lantern, a rustic pub called The Quicken Tree and an Elizabethan manor house called Harling Hall.

Rowan Vale is a village populated by many ghosts. Some residents can't see them, some can see only related ghosts and some, including new estate owner Callie, can see them all. There is an unwritten rule that the owner of the Harling Estate that the village belongs to must have the ability to see and communicate with them, which is how Callie came to acquire the estate and fall in love with Brodie Davenport, grandson of the former owner.

What a premise! I just loved the unusual idea of incorporating non-spooky ghosts from all eras into normal village life, and I loved them all, although the ones we met in the first book are more in the background now. This time Callie puts a lot of time and effort into organising a 1940s weekend for residents and visitors.

This story is mostly about Shona, 52, who runs Mrs Herron's Teashop. It is told in Shona's first person POV and concentrates on her family, especially Shona's ghostly great aunt Polly and the mystery of who murdered her in 1948 and why. At the same time there is a bit of of a middle-aged romance for Shona when German teacher Max comes to Rowan Vale to visit his daughter Rissa and find out more about his grandfather Gerhard who used to be a prisoner of war on Rowan Vale's farm.

It's a great story with a gorgeous cover though I preferred the first book, simply as it introduced all the ghosts and Callie's reaction to them, but if you like a little murder mystery with ghosts, you will enjoy this heartwarming supernatural take immensely. The ghosts really are the stars of the show and provide a lot of humour!

4.5 stars

Reading Loving Spirits at the Vintage Teashop felt like curling up with a blanket and a cup of tea on a rainy afternoon—it’s that kind of warm, comforting story that stays with you. I loved how Sharon Booth created such a vivid, charming setting in Rowan Vale. The idea of a village running as a living museum was fascinating, but it was the heart of the story—Shona and her ghostly great-aunt Polly—that truly drew me in.

Shona is such a refreshing lead—a woman in her fifties finding herself again after heartbreak. Her budding connection with Max was tender and believable, and I appreciated how gently their romance unfolded. The mix of everyday emotions with just a touch of the supernatural gave the story a magical edge without losing its emotional grounding.

What really stayed with me, though, was Polly’s story—so poignant and quietly powerful. The way the past and present intertwined, leading to healing on both sides, gave the book real emotional depth.

If you're looking for something heart-warming, a little whimsical, and deeply human, this book is a real treat. It made me smile, tear up, and close the final page feeling hopeful.

3/3.5

The book was nice but I didn't loved it. I found it had a lot of characters, and it took me a few pages to get used to it. Surprisingly, I enjoyed the switch from Shona 1POV to Polly 3POV. That was interesting and well written.

I like the character of Shona and Max. It was nice to have a character older than 50 y/o. I also like the ghosts and how they interact with the living. That was fun. What I dislike was some of the interactions between characters, I found it over the top and out of place at times, but it's a book, so poetic licence. I also thought it was going to be a bit more "light," but it didn't feel that way for me.

Pick it up if you like:
- To solve mysteries
- Romance (light)
- Ghosts (Pick your fav')
- Tea (loads of tea)

En el pintoresco y peculiar pueblo de Rowan Vale, donde los vivos y los muertos conviven más de lo que parece, Shona Bannerman lleva una vida tranquila dirigiendo el teashop del pueblo. Divorciada, madre de dos hijas y dedicada a su familia, Shona ha reconstruido su mundo rodeada del cariño de su padre, sus nietas… y su tía abuela Polly, que resulta ser un fantasma con mucha opinión y un pasado no del todo cerrado.

Todo comienza a agitarse cuando Callie, protagonista del libro anterior y la nueva dueña del Harling Estate, propone celebrar un fin de semana temático ambientado en los años 40. Mientras el pueblo se divide entre entusiasmo y resistencia, Polly revive recuerdos que había mantenido enterrados durante décadas, incluido el misterio sin resolver de su trágica muerte.

La llegada inesperada de Max Meyer, un hombre extranjero que busca a su hija Rissa y que guarda un fuerte vínculo con el pasado oscuro del pueblo, despierta en Polly viejos temores... y en Shona, emociones nuevas. A medida que Shona y Max se acercan, ella se ve obligada a enfrentar sus propias heridas del pasado y considerar la posibilidad de un nuevo comienzo.





Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest

I loved this book as much as the first book! It's a story of love and tragedy, forgiveness and family. Callie, the owner of the Harling Estate, decides it would be great idea for Rowan Vale village to host a 1940's themed weekend. Told from the pov's of Shona, manageress of Mrs Herron's Teashop, and her ghostly great-aunt Polly, it tells of misunderstandings of occurrences from during the war and the impact of those and the rumours that followed in the lives of the villagers today. Yes, there are a lot of characters and, tbh, I can't always remember who's a ghost and who isn't, but it's just such a fun, enjoyable read that it didn't really matter to me! Sweet and heartwarming. I'm looking forward to the next book!
Thanks to Netgalley, Boldwood Books, and Sharon Booth for the free ARC. All opinions are my own.

Rowan Vale is a living museum where some of the residents are ghosts. Shona has lived there all her life but she can only see her Aunt Polly who died in the 40's. There's a lot of question but Polly doesn't want to answer them. Unusual to have a book that's got ghosts but I enjoyed it

I really liked the second book, maybe even a little more than the first. I love this world so much, it's a magical place and the ghost are such captivating characters.

Shona, a fifty-something woman, is running the 1940s themed teashop. Living there is her great-aunt Polly, even do she died in 1948. Max is a newcomer, who is connected to the village in more ways than one. His arrival sends sparks flying, not only for Shona, but for Polly too. He wants to know more about his grandfather, who was a German prisoner of war and was working on the farm in the village. Shona wants to help him uncover the truth, but that might cause more harm than good. Some secrets are better left buried..

While Shona and Max were compelling characters in their own right, I didn't feel connected to them. But, I did feel connected to Polly. I loved her so much. Her story honestly broke my heart. She was murdered and the mystery of the night it happened was woven into the whole book. While I did guess the outcome pretty early on, I still cried when we were told the whole story. But, the end did caught me by suprise.
To me, the ghost are the center of the story and I love hearing their stories.
I did loved the glimpses we got into Callie and Brodie though, I missed them.

This was a great story, we got some insight into the life in Rowan Vale during the war and the heartbreak that followed it. All while the village was getting ready to have a 1940s weekend.
It was slow at times, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. The family aspect of this story was truly amazing.

I do hope we get many, many more books. I would love to meet all the ghosts. We still have so many unanswered questions, I can't wait for the next book.

I think I enjoyed the first book in this series a bit more mainly because I felt more invested in the characters. I do think there are a lot of characters in this story and its sometimes hard to follow along with how they are related and remembering what time period they are from, etc. However, I did enjoy reading about Shona and her Aunt Polly.

I think I was a bit more interested in Aunt Polly's past and finding out who murdered her than Shona's story. I do think Shona and Max are great together and have good chemistry, I just didn't feel a connection to them as much as I did Aunt Polly. I wish we would have seen a bit more of Callie and Brodie in this story even though I understand there isn't much else to tell about their story. Thank you to Netgalley, Boldwood Books, and Sharon Booth for an ARC of this book. This review is my own honest opinion.

Ghosts and a mystery with a love story. yes, please. I adored this book. I loved getting to know Shona and her family and her great Aunt Polly who was murdered in 1948. The mystery surrounding her death. I loved getting to know some of the other ghosts. The writing is fantastic and hooks you right away. I wish I could walk the town of Rowan Vale and maybe even see a ghost. I'm hoping there's more to this series because I'm obsessed.

A ghost, a teashop, and a tangled past—this cosy romance blends the supernatural with a vintage twist, all set in a picture-perfect Cotswold village.

Loving Spirits at the Vintage Teashop is a gentle, feel-good read with a unique twist: a ghostly great-aunt, a teashop frozen in time, and secrets buried deep in the village’s past. Set in the beautifully quaint Cotswold village of Rowan Vale—a living museum full of charm and nostalgia—this story blends cosy romance with a supernatural whodunnit.

The real standout for me was the dual-layered mystery: uncovering the truth behind Polly’s decades-old murder, and its unexpected link to Max, a newcomer tracing his German grandfather’s wartime past. That slow unravelling of secrets gave the book its emotional core and kept me turning the pages. Polly the ghost added mischief, warmth, and plenty of unfinished business.

While the pacing felt a little slow in places, the premise was intriguing, the setting was gorgeous, and the ghostly mystery kept me invested.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ – A cosy, paranormal mystery wrapped in 1940s nostalgia. Perfect for fans of warm village fiction with a touch of the unexpected.

My rating; 2.5*

As a millennial who grew up watching Melissa Joan Hart’s Sabrina the Teenage Witch, I’ve always loved cozy, witchy, magical books! So I was super excited to read this one. While there’s nothing wrong with it, it just wasn’t quite for me and didn’t match my personal taste :(

Let’s get into that:
1. I only just realized it’s a sequel, which probably explains why I felt lost and felt like I was missing backstory.
2. It introduced WAY too many character - over two dozen in the first 20%! I couldn’t keep up and felt disconnected from everyone, including the FMCs. Because of the numerous characters, it didn’t give me much chance to feel any emotional connection for… anyone. And that sucks because that’s one of the things I look for in a book - connection to the characters that will ‘pull’ and allow me to immerse in the story.
3. The plot fillers were slow and I thought it didn’t add much to the plot. I got incredibly bored, unfortunately, and skipped a handful of chapters here and there, only to find I missed nothing important.

Overall, definitely in the cozy mystery, feel-good cute-ish category. But because of the overload of characters and the unsatisfying ending (that I will not get into in order not to spoil it), I didn’t enjoy it as much as I hoped. Maybe if I felt more connected with the characters, maybe then I’d have been more invested and generally less bored :( Ugh I really wanted to like this.

***

Big thanks to NetGalley for having this on the platform, and to the Boldwood Books team for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC! Appreciate you guys.