Family Ties for the Village Midwife

The Village Midwife #3

by Tilly Tennant

As the clouds chase the sun across the Lake District hills, and the warm breeze hints at spring on the way, midwife Zoe Padbury is counting her blessings. Until a surprise arrival changes everything…

Zoe Padbury is a big believer in second chances. She’s been so happy since she started over in the village of Thimblebury. Especially now she’s moved into Hilltop Farm with her boyfriend Alex and can be on hand to help his daughter when her baby arrives.

All that changes when Zoe’s father arrives, arm in arm with his newly pregnant fiancée Chantal. Chantal is bowled over by Thimblebury’s picture-perfect charm, and before Zoe’s had a chance to draw breath, they’ve made plans to get married in the old stone church, make Zoe their future baby’s midwife and move into the cottage next door.

Worried about her mum’s broken heart and how Alex feels about having her family so close by, at first Zoe doesn’t notice that Chantal’s brother has also moved in and is determined to make trouble, ruining the lives of the people who have made her feel so welcome. With the villagers up in arms about his behaviour Zoe is torn in two. Can she protect her new life and love without losing her family?

Genres: Fiction

334 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication March 9, 2026

About the author

Tilly Tennant was born in Dorset, the oldest of four children, but now lives in Staffordshire with a family of her own. After years of dismal and disastrous jobs, including paper plate stacking, shop girl, newspaper promotions and waitressing (she never could carry a bowl of soup without spilling a bit), she decided to indulge her passion for the written word by embarking on a degree in English and creative writing, graduating in 2009 with first class honours. She wrote her first novel in 2007 during her first summer break at university and has not stopped writing since. She also works as a freelance fiction editor, and considers herself very lucky that this enables her to read many wonderful books before the rest of the world gets them.

Tilly is represented by the wonderful, gorgeous Peta Nightingale at LAW.

Reviews

[Zoe Davies · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book follows the life of a small-town midwife working in her local village, where she not only delivers babies but also cares for her own family, friends, and neighbours. The story has a gentle, comforting feel, showing the ups and downs of village life and the emotional side of her work.

Although it wasn’t really my usual type of read, it was a nice change. I enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone who likes heartwarming, character-driven stories or Tenant's other work!

Thank you Net Galley for the ARC!

[Dee Groocock · Rating 5 out of 5]

We’re back in the village of Thimblebury in the Lake District, with midwife, Zoe Padbury.

When Zoe hears from her dad that he is going to be a father again, she has mixed emotions. She knows how hard this will be for her mum, but she wants to support her dad and his girlfriend, Chantal.

More surprises afoot when her dad contacts her to say that he and Chantal are getting married - sooner rather than later! And the wedding will be in Thimblebury, as the church is available for them!

With Zoe’s boyfriend, Alex, wanting her to move in, plus his daughter’s baby due any day, Zoe has a heck of a lot on her plate.

This is such a lovely series. I love the setting in the Lake District, as well as the romance in the stories.

I felt for Zoe, she tries to do right by everyone but can’t always get it right. She has a heart of gold and rarely thinks about herself.

A perfect book for some much-needed escapism.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

[The Lit · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m giving this a 4 stars! ⭐⭐⭐⭐
​A huge thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. This was such a great read! Even though I jumped in at Book 3, the plot was engaging and the world-building was so cool with a large cast of characters. I did feel like I was missing out on some context because I hadn't read books 1 and 2, but that’s on me, not the author!
​The story made me want to start the whole series from scratch. My only slight gripe was that the ending felt a bit rushed, but overall, it was a wonderful experience. I'm officially going back to read the first two books before the next one comes out so I don't miss a single thing!
​Check out my profile @TheLitWhisperer for more cozy village romance recs!

[Angela Owen · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was great to catch up with everyone in the third book of the series and everything picks up where the last book ended.

It was lovely to be back in Thimblebury and hear about all the characters and see how Billie was doing. There are also some new characters we are introduced to which was Interesting.

However I would have liked the book to be a bit longer as I felt the ending was a bit rushed.

Overall another great read and I can’t wait for the next book in the series.

Thanks to NetGalley, Tilly Tennant and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

[Aisha Faisal · Rating 5 out of 5]

WELCOME BACK TO THIMBLEBURY!

THE ULTIMATE LITERARY HOMECOMING:

Thank you to Bookouture, Netgalley, and Tilly Tennant for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. There is nothing quite like the feeling of returning to the Lake District with Tilly Tennant. Picking up this book felt like stepping back into a warm, familiar kitchen with old friends. I have grown so close to this village and its people, but especially to our wonderful midwife, Zoe Padbury.

In this installment, the sense of togetherness and community is the heartbeat of the story. It’s wholesome, it’s emotional, and it reaches straight for the heart!

👶 CHAOS, BABIES, AND "A WORD WITH DAD."
Zoe has a heart of gold, but my goodness, she has a heck of a lot on her plate this time!

The Bombshell: Her dad is becoming a father again with his girlfriend, Chantal.

The Surprise: A sudden wedding... in Zoe’s own village church!

The Cottage Crisis: Her dad and Chantal are moving into her cottage while she moves in with Alex.

I found myself feeling so protective of Zoe in this book. Between navigating her dad’s drama and dealing with Chantal’s brother, Lemmon (who brings a fair share of trouble!), Zoe handles things with a grace I’m not sure I could muster. Honestly, her dad needed a serious talking to!

ZOE & ALEX: THE DREAM TEAM
I have been rooting for Zoe and Alex since book one, and seeing them leap to move in together was everything I wanted. Watching their family grow with Billie and her new baby, Louisa, and Ottilie with little Anthony felt so rewarding.

Tilly Tennant has this incredible way of weaving everyone’s lives together. Whether it’s new mothers like Fern or catching up with old favorites, every character gets their moment to shine.

WHY YOU NEED TO READ THIS:

The Setting: The Lake District is described so beautifully that you can almost smell the fresh air.

The Emotion: It touches on deep, complicated issues with sensitivity and zero clichés.

The Escapism: It’s the perfect "feel-good" read that leaves you with a fixed smile.

"Zoe is the kind of character we all need in our lives, strong, selfless, and deeply relatable."

My Perspective:
This has quickly become one of my favorite series of all time. If you want a book that is high on charm, rich in character, and full of village heart, this is it. It’s comforting, emotional, and quietly powerful. Zoe is absolutely the kind of person you’d want in your life, and this book only made me love her more.

A perfect read for escapism, community, and heart. I loved it. 💛

A MUST-READ! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

[Emily West · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent, gentle read that is quite easy to get through. I do feel that this wasn’t as good as the other books in the series as it started quite a few storylines but then just rounded them all up at the end with ‘oh well, that’s all sorted then’. I wanted to get into those stories some more rather than just have them as a background to Zoe’s life. I’m still glad I’ve read it though as there were some really important character developments that I’m sure will be importantly for the next book.

[Rachel Stansel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story picks up right where the last left off. So, best read in order. Another nice story in this small village. We follow midwife Zoe, with old familiar townfolk, though in lesser amounts. Zoe is balancing many changes and I enjoyed reading her continued growth in this story.

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

[Barbara Lack · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very endearing book. There’s a lot of angst and commotion going on. Both Ottolie and Billie have their babies. There’s a very funny scene involving getting Billie to the hospital. I felt very bad for Victor. Zoe has her hands full in this book. It’s a lovely read.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for a review.

This is the third in the series but could be read as a standalone. Another great book from Tilly Tennant.

[Sheila Penwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this series. Zoe has a alot on her plate in this book. Babies being born, family moving to the village and moving in with Alex. See how this works out. A VERY GOOD READ.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the third instalment of the village midwife and it immediately transports us back to the village of Thimblebury and it’s inhabitants and this instalment gives us more of an insight into the characters of Zoe and Alex as well as seeing old favourites make a reappearance. A lovely read with a community feel set against the back drop of the Lake District. Look forward to the next instalment of this beautiful escapism series.