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.

Not the typical ARC I'd choose but I was drawn in due to the cover and some reviews left prior to my reading.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood books for this advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review. I found the story interesting. The characters all were well developed the plot was easy to follow along with. In general, the story flowed very well and I was interested from the very beginning. I think I may have liked this a little bit better if I had read the first one in the series. But overall, I would recommend this book to others.

I didn’t read the first book in this series, but I don’t think that affected my read of this delightful story.

Not my usual genre to read, but I’m so glad I chose this one. A bit of mystery, paranormal, made me laugh and really a smashing read. Will look out for the next instalment

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book. A gorgeous 4 star read book from me. What an exciting plot, vivid storytelling and relatable, rich characters. I couldn't put this book down – absolutely loved it.

Sharon Booth’s Loving Spirits at the Vintage Teashop is a stunning romantic paranormal fantasy masterpiece! I laughed, cried and was speechless at times. It is such a perfect story in so many ways. Without question, I adore this new series set in Rowan Dale! The first book is truly magnificent and I loved it but the second just took me a notch higher! It is incredibly moving, shining with wisdom and bursting with powerful lessons. It conveys boldly the importance of family and the power of forgiveness to set a heart free. Fresh starts, healing of past wounds, recovering from losses and accepting new loves are all beautifully woven into this unique tender tale.

Despite all the initial humour in this novel, there is a serious, complex murder mystery that delves into layers of social issues connected to war. Sharon deals with these topics respectfully and poignantly. Family devotion is at the heart of the plot but Prisoners of War and PTSD are part of the tightly knitted fabric. We get to see what it was like for Germans to be prisoners in a war camp. But also after the war ended, many were detained and forced to help rebuild Britain. This would have been distressing to those who just wanted to go home. The moral dilemma of this action is explored. Also, the conflicts in communities that arose because British citizens did not trust Germans to live among them. For they were seen as the enemy they fought against and who wreaked havoc on their lives. Yet, while these Germans gained more freedom to move within the community, romantic relationships occurred between German men and British women. It was not an easy existence for these couples. With feelings of betrayal and mistrust rampant, they had a lot to overcome. Loving Spirits at the Vintage Teashop explores these possible scenarios in some of the characters which helps us see what it was like to be in these situations.

PTSD, an endless negative by-product of war, is seen through some of the characters’ experiences and the havoc it created. This illness caused individuals to act in ways they never would have previously. It was not understood in the 1940s and many onlookers would have judged unfairly.

The novel has two points of view which are divided between vintage teashop manager Shona and her great - aunt Polly, a ghost. These likeable women take us into their worlds – one of the living with current concerns and the other wondering why she remained in spirit on this earth. Seeing events through their eyes presented some interesting observations and also revealed their similarities and differences. Shona can see her great-aunt but no other ghosts. Yet being able to talk to Polly is very useful, especially when the events of her death are under scrutiny. Polly has harboured secrets to protect certain persons but when Max arrives into town to visit his daughter and find out more about his German grandfather’s time as a prisoner of war, Polly is forced to tell the truth of what she knows to restore one man’s reputation. There are lots of twists and turns in this mystery to uncover the facts of a shooting that occurred in the past.

I loved the various characters, including recurring ones, that kept the plot sailing along. I was truly pinned to the pages! I enjoyed the lighter elements of the 1940s theme with the Vintage Teashop and the special 1940s party. Plus revisiting the more serious aspects of the historic time period such as the lasting effects of war on participants and their descendants.

This is a wonderful novel that I cannot praise enough for its originality, humour, depth, creative plot, fascinating characters of unusual ghost residents dwelling with the living. It is a story about healing, forgiveness, love, family and community. Beautifully delivered, respectfully handled, this divine mix of light and shade, passion and humour is an absolute delight to read. 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to Boldwood Books and Netgalley for the ARC.