Blue Skies Over Wildflower Lock

Wildflower Lock #3

by Hannah M. Lynn

There may be trouble ahead…

Just when Daisy thought she had canal life understood, Theo, her primary go-to for all of her boating questions has left Wildflower Lock, not to mention the budding romance that has been steadily growing.

Not one to sit and wallow, Daisy takes matters into her own hands. Who said long-distance relationships can’t work?

With the help of trusted friend Yvonne, Daisy takes the September Rose on a round trip to surprise her new boyfriend. The best thing about a home on the water? You can go anywhere!

But perhaps leaving the serenity of Wildflower Lock wasn’t the best idea. Daisy hates keeping secrets from Theo, and she’s not the only one…

Full of fun, friendship, laughter and sweet romance, Blue Skies over Wildflower Lock will delight readers who love Cressida McLaughlin, Heidi Swain and Holly Martin

Genres: Womens Fiction, Romance

338 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 3, 2024

About the author

Hannah Lynn is a multi award winning novelist. Publishing her first book, Amendments – a dark, dystopian speculative fiction novel, in 2015. Her second book, The Afterlife of Walter Augustus – a contemporary fiction novel with a supernatural twist – went on to win the 2018 Kindle Storyteller Award and the Independent Publishers Gold Medal for Best Adult Ebook.

Born in 1984, Hannah grew up in the Cotswolds, UK. After graduating from university, she spent 15 years as a teacher of physics, first in the UK and then Thailand, Malaysia, Austria and Jordan. It was during this time, inspired by the imaginations of the young people she taught, she began writing short stories for children, and later adult fiction.

With over 30 publications spanning a number of genres and translated into a dozen languages, Hannah has proven herself to be both an accomplished and prolific author.

Now settled back in the UK with her husband, daughter and clowder of cats, she spends her days writing romantic comedies and historical fiction. Her first historical fiction novel, Athena's Child, was also a 2020 Gold Medalist at the Independent Publishers Awards.

Reviews

[LaDawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this story but I was so irritated with Daisy throughout most of it.

[Ashley Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

I truly love this series of books, they are the kind you want to keep dipping into through the day when you get a spare chance. The reason I can’t give it 5 stars is because I find the main character Daisy, somewhat intolerable at times! Hard to explain why but she just makes bizarre decisions and her thought process seems so juvenile at times. Nevertheless she was better than she was in the second book of the series. This story was uplifting, I enjoyed getting to know Yvonne a bit more, she should have her own series!!

I’d definitely read more books from Hannah Lynn because overall she writes happy, easy to read tales :-)
On to the fourth and last book in this series!

[Kirsty (BookBlogger) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Blue Skies Over Wildflower Lock by Hannah Lynn

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to Rachel's Random Resources and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Blurb

There may be trouble ahead…

Just when Daisy thought she had canal life understood, Theo, her primary go-to for all of her boating questions has left Wildflower Lock, not to mention the budding romance that has been steadily growing.

Not one to sit and wallow, Daisy takes matters into her own hands. Who said long-distance relationships can’t work?

With the help of trusted friend Yvonne, Daisy takes the September Rose on a round trip to surprise her new boyfriend. The best thing about a home on the water? You can go anywhere!

But perhaps leaving the serenity of Wildflower Lock wasn’t the best idea. Daisy hates keeping secrets from Theo, and she’s not the only one…

My Opinion

This is going to make for a lovely holiday read. Whilst Daisy's journey is anything but straight forward, this book was nice and relaxing. In a change of scene, the majority of this book takes place away from Wildflower Lock but that doesn't make it any less enjoyable. For me, the ending felt a little bit rushed but I will be eagerly waiting for my next visit to the September Rose - I hope we get to see more of Johnny.

Rating 4/5

[Alayne Emmett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another lovely story in this series. It just keeps getting better as it goes along. I love reading about the canal boats and the coffee shop. This one took us away from Wildflower Lock and out into a different river. Looking forward to the next one. My thanks to netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

[Ellen Abrahams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Was great to read about Daisy's adventures again on her narrow boat. Can't wait to read the next instalment. Another great read from Hannah Lynn.

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the third instalment of this beautiful escapism series and was the perfect book to delve into whilst relaxing in the sunshine and recovering from illness. I devoured it in one day and was just what the dr had ordered. These books could be read as a standalone but I throughly suggest starting from the beginning to throughly enjoy the journey.

This instalment allows us to find out more about Daisy and Theo and the other characters but we also get to hear a bit more about Yvonne’s story and I absolutely loved the way her friendship with Daisy became cemented during the course of this story and how the bond between these two women grew as well as Daisy’s relationship with her mum changing. The descriptions of the settings and the sights and sounds make the reader think they are actually on the narrow boat doing the journey themselves and as usual with these books they transport me back to happy memories of barge holidays from my youth. I would love to go back and do another one, one day.

This was another beautiful read full of friendship, family, love and companionship and the camaraderie amongst the narrow boat and boating communities.

I can’t wait to read the next instalment in this series to see where Daisy and Theo’s journey takes them next.

[Genevieve Winters · Rating 2 out of 5]

****** Spoilers *******

Well, this is my least favorite book of the series, and it made me dislike Daisy May so much. The previous two books were cute but I disliked almost everything about this one.

Daisy is worried about money and has looming bills. She has spent a lot of time and money to be able to have her coffee shop at the lock. Then she just decides to leave and go on a long journey, seemingly unconcerned about any of that. Ridiculous. After all of the licensing drama, it's ridiculous that she would do this, but whatever.

She is upset because she hasn't seen the guy she just started dating often enough so she decides to take an elderly woman on a long trip to "surprise" her boyfriend at his job. She also plans to just stay there for a couple of weeks before taking the long journey back home. She then proceeds to lie to her boyfriend constantly because lying is always great in a relationship. Again, ridiculous.

She also seems to flirt with some new sketchy guy and doesn't see any red flags, despite the fact that they are so obvious he could have been wearing a shirt that said "Hi! I'm a robber and a terrible person!" I mean, okay. The story needed some content so let's double-down on her stupidity.

I can handle (almost) her complete lack of common sense, her stupidity, her terrible relationship skills, and her self-centeredness.

But then, a dog decides to follow her around and she is not just casually mean to it, she is abusive to it, and ignores every warning that the dog tries to give her about the criminal guy and the sick elderly woman. I mean, seriously?!

She knows that this dog is alone and hungry. She makes a big deal about cooking and thinking about how great the food smells, but then she deliberately doesn't give any to the dog. Okay, fine. That's just some casual meanness. It just demonstrates that she isn't a really good person. But then she chains up the dog overnight during a rainstorm. It's trapped on a boat with no shelter. WTF?! She also forgets to feed it, forgets that it needs to go outside, forgets about walking it, etc. She was right when she said that she didn't deserve the dog. She's an awful person.

She also manages not to see any of the incredibly obvious clues that Yvonne is seriously ill. She leaves a frail elderly woman alone after the break-in. She ignores the fact that Yvonne doesn't come out of her room AND ignores the dog whining at it. She expects this ailing woman to somehow do all of the hard work.

Seriously, WTF is wrong with Daisy May?

[Deanne Patterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

With such cute and stunning covers, I'm always drawn to this author's books. The characters are so relatable, you feel like they could be friends and you'd love to share in their happiness. The setting is so charming. I mean who wouldn't want to frequent a coffee shop on a boat? Daisy's home is a houseboat, and her coffee shop is there too. How lovely is that? Daisy is in a new relationship and really wants this to work out. Trouble is, it's a long-distance relationship. With Daisy putting in long hours in her coffee shop serving customers and baking goodies and her new man working his job them seeing each other frequently just isn't happening. This is when Daisy gets the brilliant idea to travel on her boat, September Rose to visit him. She has her trusty guide, an elderly woman who's navigated these waters many times and who was a friend of her mom to guide her. Full of love, laughter, romance, fun chats, this is my favorite book this Summer. The adventures these ladies went on with this houseboat traveling coffee shop were marvelous. The people they met, and the charming dog added so much fun to the story. Through this trip Daisy discovers so much about herself and her family she hadn't know. A true gem that I highly recommend you zip right to the top of your summer reading list.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

[thewoollygeek (tea, cake, crochet & books) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hannah Lynn’s Wildflower Lock series is one of my favourite series (yes I’m aware I have many favourites, because I’m greedy and I can never pick one favourite of anything) of which Blue Skies Over Wildflower Lock is the third book.

This can’t really be read as a stand-alone like a lot of other series, because there’s ongoing stories, relationships that spread across each book, but you can go back read New beginnings at Wildflower Lock and Coffee and Cake at Wildflower Lock first and get to know these amazing characters and their stories, you really should because they’re fabulous!

On this journey we get to go on adventures with two of my favourite fictional friends , show me a person who wouldn’t want to go on an adventure in a houseboat which is also a coffee shop and I’ll point at someone who needs some adventure in their life. I loved how much more we got to learn about Daisy and her family, alongside her learning herself.

I love the miscommunication, well more misunderstanding as Daisy is being secretive, So poor Theo worries it’s all going wrong or Daisy doesn’t feel the same, I adore this series and as each book ends I can’t wait for the next to see where we go next, a thoroughly entertaining and heartwarming book and series.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Lily · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this fun and enjoyable modern romance novel, readers return to Lynn’s Wildflower Lock series and Daisy May’s life on her canal boat, the September Rose. As life continues and her romance with Theo continues to grow, Daisy takes control of her story and takes the September Rose (and her friend Yvonne) on a trip to surprise Theo. However, the world outside Wildflower Lock is a bit busier and more chaotic, and both Daisy and others are keeping secrets. No trip ever goes according to plan, and Daisy must be able to handle whatever obstacles life and travel throws in her way if she wants to spread her wings and visit Theo to nurture their romance. With a charming premise and beautiful location, Lynn continues to bring the isolated charm and whimsy of Wildflower Lock as a haven away from the bustle of the modern world to her readers while bringing new twists and challenges to the plot. Daisy, Yvonne, and Theo remain unique and complex characters, and their growth over the novel -- particularly in regards to Daisy’s storyline -- is rewarding, enjoyable, and immersive. An excellent continuation of the series, readers will enjoy traveling with Daisy on the September Rose in this fun and lighthearted novel.

Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the advance copy.

[Jennyfer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picking up where we left off after "Coffee and Cake at Wildflower Lock", Daisy May's coffee shop is established and she and Theo are definitely an item, despite Theo's job taking him three hours away. While Daisy and Theo get together every couple of weeks, it's not the same, and on a whim, Daisy decides to surprise him by driving her narrowboat from Wildflower Lock across to the Costwolds where Theo is now based.

Accompanied and encouraged by her neighbour, Yvonne, who had done the journey multiple times, and a stray dog who befriends her, Daisy embarks on a journey that is both perilous and engaging. But when things turn pear-shaped, how can Daisy keep her journey a surprise from Theo ?

This book is a slow-paced, cosy journey across the English countryside as Daisy and Yvonne fall into a rhythm of sailing and sketching. The pace does increase in the latter part of the book, but for the most part this is a book of small, charming moments.

A delightful read. I hope there is a fourth book in the series to complete Daisy's journey.

~Many thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review~

[Colin Bell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Daisy's life on the September Rose and the coffee shop is going well until her boyfriend Theo takes a job that means he has to move away for a few months. She decides to take her boat on a trip to meet and surprise him, aided by her neighbour Yvonne who had made a similar trip many years before.
I loved the previous books in the series and this follows in a similar vein, but with a lot more adventure. I'm not certain that I'd have the courage to take on a long boat trip as Daisy is doing, my time on boats, or more accurately ships, involve rather larger ones complete with restaurants and bars, although I have pottered around on the Norfolk Broads. Things don't always go well, although they do manage to make progress, they also manage to pick up an extra passenger along the way. I'd probable give it 4.5*, but as normal have rounded this up to 5* because it deserves it.
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley, however this did not influence my review of the book.

[Carol Standish-Leigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

The continuing story of Daisy and her barge based cafe. Set two months on from the second book in the series, Daisy is in a relationship with Theo. We start the book with Theo working away for five months. They are missing each other, with Theo travelling back for the odd night, whenever he can make it. As the cafe business is taking off, their time together is minimal. After speaking to Yvonne, an elderly reaident of Wildflower Lock. Together they hatch a plan to travel through the canal network to surprise Theo. After all, what could possibly go wrong?

Although the book is titled Blue Skies Over Wildflower Lock, very little of the action is set there. I enjoyed the story, the escapades of Daisy, Yvonne and their unexpected companion on the voyage. For me it fell down at the end. It felt like it needed a few more chapters as it felt quite an abrupt end to the tale. That said, I look forward to continuing the story in future episodes.

[Dawn Probert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Daisy and Theo’s relationship is going full steam ahead. They are struggling with the distance though and as daisy is pretty static due to her mooring and the cafe Theo is doing all the travelling .
Long distance love is taking its toll and Daisy decides to do something about it. Spurred on by Yvonne her mooring neighbour she decides to take her narrow boat on the long journey to visit Theo. Yvonne is her travelling partner and her newly found four legged friend too. They travel some fairy hair raising journeys and along the way get to know each other better.
Theo however has been kept in the dark and is getting the feeling that Daisy has cold feet. This looks like it will be causing problems. Fate steps in. Great book, I love the romance of a narrow boat. Thank you NetGalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

[Pam Robertson · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the third in the series, most of the story takes place away from Wildflower Lock as Daisy sets out to surprise her boyfriend, Theo, who is working away. Daisy takes a leap in faith and undertakes the potentially hazardous sail with her friend, Yvonne, who has lots of experience in sailing canal boats. There are ups and downs on the trip and at times, Daisy regrets her impetuosity in setting off.
Meanwhile, Theo finds himself worrying that Daisy does not feel the same about him as he does her, as she dodges his phone calls and spins him a yarn- all to keep the surprise going. There is plenty of action in the story and Daisy meets some interesting characters. This is a lively fun read with humour and interesting characters. Some of them are familiar from the first two books. You can read this as a standalone.
In short: a lively read
Thanks to the publisher for a copy of the book

[Pam · Rating 2 out of 5]

I started reading this and got interrupted at about 15% into it. Forgot about it and booked it up several months later. I just couldn't get back into the characters or the plot and stopped at 20%.

Amazon synopsis:
Just when Daisy thought she had canal life understood, Theo, her primary go-to for all of her boating questions left Wildflower Lock, not to mention the budding romance that has been steadily growing.

Not one to sit and wallow, Daisy takes matters into her own hands. Who said long-distance relationships can’t work?

With the help of trusted friend Yvonne, Daisy takes the September Rose on a round trip to surprise her new boyfriend. The best thing about a home on the water? You can go anywhere!

But perhaps leaving the serenity of Wildflower Lock wasn’t the best idea. Daisy hates keeping secrets from Theo, and she’s not the only one…

[Rachel Gilbey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I zoomed through this book during my flight to Gambia, and even had time to get a good way through the next one in the series as I was enjoying it so much.

This is a book that features an epic boat trip as Daisy and Theo deal with being apart and trying to make long distance work.

And Daisy takes Yvonne with her as they set off travelling cross country.

But for me the star of the book is the stray dog that pretty much adopts Daisy even if she isn't sure to start with. He was adorable.

There were some rather hairy moments of drama as they take the September Rose further than Daisy has ever been on her and I was hooked on all of it.

A nice change to the dynamics of the series which I totally loved.

Thank you to Boldwood Books and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

[theweebookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was lovely to be back at Wildflower Lock with Daisy and her coffeeshop. She is missing Theo, who has relocated for a few months and they are having a long distance relationship.

When she discusses this with her elderly friend Yvonne, they decide to take the September Rose on an impromptu trip to surprise Theo.

Unfortunately, the journey is not all plain sailing and there are a few challenges and hair-raising moments to overcome. These brought about a range of emotions at times but there were humourous moments as well. The addition of the stowaway was perfect.

I enjoyed the escapism of the book and the descriptions of their journey along the way. A lovely summer read.

Thank you Rachel's Random Resources and Boldwood Books for my gifted ARC and spot on the blog tour.

[Jenny McClinton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an E-ARC with a request for my honest review.

This beautiful and uplifting romance follows Daisy who after setting up a coffee shop on her canal boat, is trying to keep her long-distance relationship with Theo alive.

Spontaneously, when talking to her canal friend Yvonne she decides to take the adventurous trip to
see her boyfriend, as a surprise.

Soon, with Yvonne’s help they start their journey but with keeping secrets from Theo and mishaps along the way she must keep her nerve to keep on track with her adventure.

Will Daisy complete her journey? What mishaps will happen along the way?

This is the second book I have read in this series, although I think I came in at book 2. There is no need to have read the other books, as there is enough explanation to be able to read as a standalone; however, it has been lovely to see how the relationship between Daisy and Theo has developed.

There are plenty embarrassing mishaps that Daisy faces throughout, although they add an element to comedy to the storyline even if you know Daisy wouldn’t be laughing. There are many dangerous moments too, where I was holding my breath hoping they would be ok.

I loved having Yvonne along for the journey too, as she added even more humour, even with her heart-breaking story.

Overall, a beautiful and uplifting romance, where Daisy sets off on an adventurous trip to see Theo.

[Staceywh_17 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely adore this series and I couldn't wait to catch up with Daisy and her new venture aboard The September Rose.

Blue Skies is the third installment to the Wildflower Lock series. You could read it as a standalone, but you'll have no idea what you've missed out on.

I've always had the dream of living on a barge and Wildflower Lock sounds such an idyllic place to live. And just like all the best places, sadly it's not real.

With Daisy and Theo now in a relationship, love is in the air. So when they find themselves separated due to Theo's working away, Daisy decides it's time for the September Rose to go on a little trip.

It's fun, uplifting and the perfect summer escapism read.

[Lynn Dixon · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Blue Skies Over Wildflower Lock by Hannah Lynn, Daisy decides to undock her boat, September Rose, and go on a surprise trip to see her boyfriend, Theo. The trip takes about a month on the waters and she only has the elder skipper, Yvonne with her. They run into peril after peril and about halfway through the journey on the Thames River, the surprise is no longer a surprise. All of those who love her come to her aid; but will she go on and complete this brave feat? Pick up a copy of this third book of the Wildflower Lock series and see how rapidly things change quite like the tide!

[elise buhn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best yet!

I love the narrowboats, their pace of life, the amazing variety, so I was looking forward to a series of books featuring them. These have been even better than I hoped. These books have nearly everything I love best: boating, wildflowers, baking and art. It's a heady mix. The stories are well crafted and they leave enough doubt that they will end the way I want them to that I cannot put them down! There are some books that have been such a pleasure to read that even before finishing them, I am certain I will be reading them again.

[Karen Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've loved being back at the driving seat of The September Rose. I love everything about canal boat living so I knew I had to dive into this.

Daisy has a new companion in this in the form of Johnny the border collie and takes to the water to surprise Theo. Their journey is a definite adventure and there were some hairy moments along the way.

I can't wait to see what comes next for September Rose and its owners.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Emily West · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another instalment for the Wildflower Lock series; it was a really nice book. A quick read that allows you to revisit Daisy and her narrow boat life. I really like the description of the journey but was slightly disappointed by the ending, I wanted the journey to be completed. I can’t wait to read the next one to find out what happens.

[Yvette Salmon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow love this series just wish I could live on a barge. This is the third in the series and it was lovely to be back. Thank you to @theboldbookclub for letting me have a chance of reading this lovely book. I sat and read this book in a day that’s how good it is. Who wouldn’t love to know what Daisy is getting up to.

[Julie Brookes · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was another lovely book about life on a canal boat, Hannah makes it sound so peaceful, the characters we have met before so it was nice just to slip into their next adventure and what an adventure Daisy and Yvonne have, it didn't feel like the book was quite finished so I am wondering if there will be a fourth book

[Renee Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Daisy May is back at Wildflower Lock. The story is a good summer read with travel and meeting new people along the way. Also throw in a dog and you have a read that is interesting. The relationships along the way are fantastic.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher and leaving a review by my own choice.

[Rachel Stansel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another good story in the series. Not my favorite as their is little Theo Daisy interaction, but still a nice plot. It would read just ok on its own though so I'd read these in order for sure.

Full disclosure - I received a copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

[Wendy Ann Neels · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fab

I really did not want this to end and I can't wait to read the next adventures of Daisy and Theo ,plus Johnny. I felt as though I was there on the boat with them at all times . Brilliant writing by Hannah Lynn agat.

[christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blue Skies Over Wildflower Lock

What an adventure this book was amazing. I would not be as adventurous as daisy but love conquers fear. The characters are loyal, friendly and definitely adventurous. This book is engaging from start to the end. I can't wait for the next book. Enjoy