Spring Fever

Tales From Appleyard #2

by Emma Davies

Life is about to get very exciting for Merry and Tom – a new baby, a wonderful new home, and a fresh business venture to get off the ground. Five Penny House is just the place to make their dreams come true, and so what if the locals think the place is cursed? Merry’s not about to let a little thing like that bother her…

For Freya and Sam too, spring heralds the beginning of their new life together at her beloved Appleyard orchard. There are plans to make and a lot of hard work needed if they’re ever to reverse its failing fortunes, but as long as they have each other, what could possibly go wrong?

Then the rain starts to fall – and keeps on falling – and the new beginning both couples dream of begins to slip from their grasp. For Merry and Tom it now looks like the start of their worst nightmare. But sometimes help can arrive from the most unexpected places…

516 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 17, 2016

About the author

Emma Davies once applied for her dream job in the following manner;

'I am a bestselling novelist currently masquerading as a thirty something mother of three.' Well she's now a forty something mother of three, and is working on the rest.

By day she's a finance manager and looks at numbers a lot of the time, but by night she gets to use actual words and practices putting them together into sentences. Her twitter bio says she loves her family, her job, reading, writing, singing loudly in the car, and Pringles, so that must be true then.

Wave to her on twitter @Emdavies68

Letting in Light is her debut novel, and she is currently working on her second.

Reviews

[Justkeepreading · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley, Lawsome books and Emma Davies for the opportunity to read this book for an honest review.

You will find my review on both Goodreads and Amazon from today. On Goodreads under my name of Karen Whittard and on Amazon under my name K.e.whittard.

This is a little gem of a lovely book series. The books follow the lives of Merry and Tom.

Merry and Tom are having a busy time of things in this book. They are expecting a baby, they've just moved into their family home, and their business is getting off the a flying start.

Five Penny House is the place all their dreams are going to come true. But the locals seem to think that Five Penny House is cursed. But Merry isn't going to let that burst her bubble.

The series also follows Freya and Sam. For Freya and Sam spring sees the beginning of their lives together in Appleyard Orchard. They have a lot of hard work on their hands to restore it to its former glory. But as they have each other what could possibly go wrong.

But with the spring Alsk comes the rain. As both couples new ventures start to go wrong before they are as even started properly. It looks like they are both in need of help and as we always find help sometimes comes from the most surprising of places.

A wonderful array of characters. I always love stories set in the countryside portraying country life. A great book with happy endings you desire.

Happy reading everyone

[Rachel Gilbey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Action packed second book in the Tales from Appleyard series. For what feels like a reasonable length novella, this has a lot of story in it, and definitely a few moments of heart stopping action.

It was ages ago when I read book one, and although I sort of remembered it, I was glad I didn't really need to know much to get into Spring Fever, as it feels like all the key relevant bits are mentioned, and the rest well the main focus in on Merry and Tom this time, and they are best friends of Freya and Sam from the orchard.

Merry and Tom have just moved into a new house, and new business venture, with baby Robyn. They are determined to open a new shop but the locals all think the location is cursed. As they start to sort out their new properties, they find all manner of things belonging to the old, long forgotten owner, which really inspires Merry. There are certainly arguments for the Five Penny House to be cursed, especially with the run of luck Merry and Tom appear to be having since they have moved in.

Freya and Sam are still trying to work on making Appleyard Orchard as good as it can be, they just need to be able to decide just what direction to take it in.

There are many really good moments in Spring Fever, and the weather plays its part a lot too. Watch out for the excessive rain later on, causing one of the most nerve wracking moments I've read recently. A really enjoyable novella, in a series that I am liking a lot. I am already looking forward to book 3, and curious to see what that one will be about.

Thank you to Netgalley and Lawsome for my copy of the book which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

[Bookworm86 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Description...

Life is about to get very exciting for Merry and Tom – a new baby, a wonderful new home, and a fresh business venture to get off the ground. Five Penny House is just the place to make their dreams come true, and so what if the locals think the place is cursed? Merry’s not about to let a little thing like that bother her…

For Freya and Sam too, spring heralds the beginning of their new life together at her beloved Appleyard orchard. There are plans to make and a lot of hard work needed if they’re ever to reverse its failing fortunes, but as long as they have each other, what could possibly go wrong?

Then the rain starts to fall – and keeps on falling – and the new beginning both couples dream of begins to slip from their grasp. For Merry and Tom it now looks like the start of their worst nightmare. But sometimes help can arrive from the most unexpected places…

My thoughts....

I'm this book we get to delve into Merry and Tom's lifes. We 'met them' in Merry Mistletoe and I'm glad to see them again as although they weren't mentioned that much in 'Merry Mistletoe' what I did read of them made me want to 'meet' them again.

In this book I really missed Amos's mysterious character from 'Merry Mistletoe' and would love to read more about him, who he was, where he came from, etc. In fact I think I would actually enjoy reading a whole book on him alone..... Hint hint Emma 😂. I think the Mary Poppin's comparison to him is completely accurate!!!

Moving onto this storyline I would say that this had more drama in than 'Merry Mistletoe' and kept me turning the pages slightly faster due to what was going on.

I really enjoyed getting to know the characters betters especially Merry and Tom while still having the previous books characters around. I loved the addition to Cora who I would class as Amos's female equivalent to a certain extent.

Very well written, flowed beautifully and loved the storyline overall.

Overall a page turning Spring based book that is packed with drama, mystery and friendship.

112 pages

Rated 5/5 ( I loved it)


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[Fiona · Rating 3 out of 5]

I hadn't read the first book in this series but this book works well as a stand alone. This book focuses on Merry and Tom who have given up a thriving hotel business to move into a fairly run down house with dilapidated store rooms that they want to convert into a shop selling local produce. Added to this challenge is a new baby who naturally requires a lot of attention. Sharing this story are Freya and Sam, the main characters of the previous book.
This is more of a novella than a novel, very short, but it does pack quite a lot of action. The characters are likeable, the story is pleasant and the author has a nice style.
A light, quick read, ideal for a holiday.

[Melissa Borsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. I finished this book in one day and really enjoyed this fast-paced, uplifting, and heart-warming story. This book is about two couples who are each going through some happy yet stressful changes in their lives but are finding that with alot of faith, family, and friendship, there is always something to be grateful for. I really liked these characters and look forward to reading more books by this author.

[Suze · Rating 5 out of 5]

Merry and Tom have started a new adventure. They are now the proud owners of Five Penny House and have left the hectic life they used to lead behind them. They want to spend time with Robyn, their baby, and they're going to open a shop. The house needs some love and attention, but it's amazing and there are plenty of hidden treasures for Merry and Tom to discover. That their home might be cursed won't be a problem for them at all, or will it?

Freya and Tom are working hard to restore Appleyard to its former glory. Their love makes them want to work for it, but there are always setbacks and there's one thing they can't control, the weather. Will they be able to achieve their goals? And what will happen to Freya and her best friend Merry when back luck is about to strike, will they survive their difficult starts of the year?

I'm a big fan of the Tales From Appleyard series. Emma Davies writes about wonderful caring people who are working hard to make something of their lives. Both Five Penny House and Appleyard are interesting welcoming settings and I fell in love with them straight away. Because of Emma Davies's colorful descriptions it was easy for me to picture Merry's stunning discoveries and Freya's love for her orchard. She makes their daily life fascinating and lively. There's always something going on in the worlds of the two best friends. I love everything about the cozy atmosphere and the determination and spirit of the characters.

Love and friendship are important in Emma Davies's stories and that makes them heartwarming and welcoming to read. I admired how Freya and Sam are there for Merry and Tom when they need them the most. It brought tears to my eyes to see how much they care about one another. It's what I enjoy about this series the most, the strong connections between the main characters. Emma Davies writes about them in a moving and compelling way. I love her stories, they're charming, captivating and entertaining.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Spring Fever was my first book by Emma Davies and I enjoyed it. Such a quick read. I hadn't read the first book before diving into this one and I'm glad that I could still read through Spring Fever and not question if I was missing anything big.

I loved seeing Sam & Freya as well. I really liked seeing each couples journey. The setting was wonderful. Definitely made me want to visit!

I can't wait to read the rest of the Tale of the Appleyard series!

*I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

[Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Each book in this series centers around a different couple. In this book, Merry and Tom have moved into their dream home and are trying to get it renovated before their baby arrives. Merry has big plans for the house and the shop she wants to open on the property that will showcase gourmet items from all the local produce and local craftsmen. While clearing out the things left from the estate, she comes across some artwork from the previous owner. She starts looking into his history and the family history and it compels her to incorporate his art into the new shop. She has help from her best friend and her boyfriend.

The stories are heartwarming and lovely. It makes me want to live this simple charming lifestyle with this wonderful group of friends.

[Sarah Baines · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good series

Spring Fever is the follow up to Merry Mistletoe although to be fair, I really don't feel it's absolutely essential to read Merry Mistletoe first. Spring Fever is an intriguing read and I really enjoyed it.

[Patricia Jukes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intereditkee


It continues the story awaiting the next book to see what happens next. In patient to see what else they do next

[Rose English · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book 34 of my Goodreads Challenge

I absolutely LOVE this book series. Real feel good tales, the covers are beautiful and eye catching. I shall return to update this review.

[Alex Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great easy read. I read the 1st book in the series at Christmas and enjoyed it enough to order the next book in the series on my Kindle.

[Monique E. Lacroix · Rating 5 out of 5]

I !Loved this story.

I missed Amos in this one but Christopher was just as good. Short but great. I could not put it down for long!

[Emma Crowley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Emma Davies is an author whom I discovered quite by accident late last year when I came across her gem of a novella Merry Mistletoe. It was a gorgeous story which really struck a chord with me and I would urge anyone to read it and not fall in love with the characters and plot. It was certainly one of the best Christmas offerings published last year. Since then I have read Emma's first full length novel Letting in Light and I loved it just as much as the festive treat that was Merry Mistletoe. In my mind Emma is a vastly underrated author who deserves much more attention and for a loyal, wide readership to follow her work. She has such a way with writing that instantly draws you into the story and doesn't relinquish it's grip until the final word. You always feel right at home in whatever setting she has created as they are so vividly described. It's like you've visited the place even though it is only a work of fiction. You find yourself really getting inside the characters heads and experiencing all their emotions and all the ups and downs in their lives. You're with them right through to the bitter end in the hopes a happy conclusion can be reached.

This new story from Emma, Spring Fever, is the second in a planned four part series called Tales from Appleyard and having loved part one so much I couldn't wait to dive in and once again return to some familiar characters and meet some new people. There is no need in the slightest to have read part one before reading Spring Fever but trust me as soon as you finish this tale you'll immediately want to go back and read all about Freya's story as she battles to keep Sherbourne mistletoe going. Spring Fever focuses on Merry and Tom who had a brief mention previously. They are for the most part happily married with a new baby Robyn and have swapped running a successful country house hotel for a small cottage Five Penny House and a derelict shop. They may have downsized but they still have big dreams and aspirations and hope to do up the shop and bring it back to its former glory.

Although Merry is the main character in this book we still get to see how Freya and Tom are getting on now and I was so glad they had been included as they held a special place in my heart and it was great to see they hadn't been forgotten. There is a fine line between filling in some back-story and giving away too much of a plot of a previous story. Thankfully here Emma Davies achieves the balance nicely for those who may not have read Merry Mistletoe. Also in a way being a year since I read that story it refreshed my mind and made me all the more eager to indulge in more tales from Appleyard. This story is all about the future and new beginnings and working through the difficult times to come out stronger on the other side. Merry is finding things tough trying to breast feed her daughter and is beginning to feel like a failure and under severe pressure. She begins to wonder whether the move was the right thing to do or is it all just bad timing? But the house and a beautifully written character might just start to work their magic. Or is their a curse on the house as rumoured around the village?

Merry like Freya before her was a wonderfully written character who you rooted for from the outset. You felt her apprehension yet as time goes on you feel her grow in strength and character and as she uncovers the secrets the house has long kept hidden and forgotten it helps her move forward in the present. Cora was a brilliant addition to the story and in a way I felt she was similar to the Amos character we had meet in part one. They both had similar roles to play and played them to perfection. They stepped in at just the right time with some brilliant piece of advice, a comforting word or just that little something that Merry doesn't even realise she needs at that time. There was an almost mystical quality about her and she seemed so warm, caring and inviting. There was an almost magical/ethereal quality to this story but it didn't feel in the least bit contrived and normally I would really dislike this aspect in a book but again it slotted in so well with the overall themes and content of the story. I really felt Spring Fever was as strong as Merry Mistletoe and just a lovely, lovely story that made me fall even more in love with Tales from Appleyard. The story moved along at a great pace but really the action was ramped up a gear towards the end when weather placed a crucial role and had me on the edge of my seat with the tension and suspense.

I wouldn't hesitate in recommending this book to enjoy over the next few weeks when you can grab a few spare minutes to curl up on the sofa. Emma Davies has certainly been busy as 2017 will see publication of her next full length novel Turn Towards the Sun and the next two novellas Gooseberry Fool and Blackberry Way which will include Tales from Appleyard. I can't wait to read them and see what new characters we will encounter and what will happen next.

[Courtney Stuart · Rating 3 out of 5]

Normally my heart sinks when I see that I've picked a title in a series and its not the first one. It can be very hit or miss in regards to how enjoyable a book is if it relies too much on prior knowledge. Thankfully this book, whilst indeed being the second book in the series, gives enough hints to what happened in the first book to understand most of the references given in the second book.
Merry and Tom are the perfect example of a couple with ambition. Not content with having a newborn daughter, they've bought a house with a shop front that needs renovating and creating from the ground up. Their friends Freya and Sam are newly engaged and are working in their apple orchard. This book focuses on these two couples with a couple of minor characters thrown in. Also at one point the whole village to which they live in is a central plot line of the book.
The climax of the book is a little confusing in its execution but on the whole a nicely paced story with enough ups and downs to ensure that you want to continue with the Appleyard series. This is, quite simply, a cosy read to enjoy in a day. Its not going to change the world or how you view it, but it is going to offer you great entertainment, and sometimes that's all you want.

[Alison · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read ‘Merry Mistletoe’ the first in the Appleyard series and thoroughly enjoyed it (review) so I knew I was going to be in for a treat with the second book. We join Freya and Sam again with a mention of Amos but this story features mainly on their friends Merry and Tom.

They have a new baby daughter named Robyn and have bought an old cottage with a store and hope to make their home/business venture a success. Five Penny House needs a lot of work, the rooms are decorated in garish colours and the store is virtually derelict but Merry has a vision and believes the character of the house is calling to her and wants her to be there.

I could picture the art and design, the storage cases filled with 1950’s memorabilia .. it sounds just like the sort of shop I would spend ages exploring.

It seems the neighbours and local villagers all think the place is cursed but as Merry unearths the truth it seems it is just tragic circumstances casting a gloom over it. However life isn’t easy for them and there are a couple of very near life changing events that occur that will keep the reader gripped. The weather conditions in the vicinity cause a few problems!

It was lovely to see how Freya and Sam are getting on at Appleyard Orchard and how they are able to support their friends when it all looks a bit bleak.

I liked Cora the neighbour, she could see the potential in Merry and had known the previous owners of the house so it was interesting to make all the connections.

Emma has a natural ability for creating lovely warm, caring books that take the reader entirely into the world she has written, there is love, friendship, drama and maybe just a hint of mystical intrigue.

I’m looking forward to the next two books in this series which will be coming soon.

I received this book via Netgalley and reviewed it voluntarily.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Merry and Tom have moved into their new home with their baby Robyn and are desperate to sort out the shop that is attached. It's going to be their liveliehood- so work needs to start as soon as possible. Years of neglect are apparent and they need to clear the shop floor. I loved their vision for their shop and the emerging plans keep you engaged. You are willing the shop to open and desperate to be amongst the first customers.

We revisit Freya and Sam at Appleyard Orchards and feel the tension in the air as their plans move into being.

The characters are so well drawn that you don't need to have read the previous novella- but this is shaping up to be such a gorgeous series. I can't wait to see where the next book takes us.

The weather plays a strong part in this book- giving a very tense scene where you are literally holding your breath.

I voluntarily read an arc of this book through Net Galley and I am so pleased that I was able to catch up with this series

[Sally Coles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tom and Merry are starting a new life together with their baby Robyn - they have bought Five Penny House - a very rundown old house with a shop attached. Not afraid of hard work they are busy throwing themselves into the clearing and renovating with some help from Freya and Sam (first book in the Appleyard series) when Merry discovers a lot of old paintings from a previous owner

Merry is intrigued and cant wait to find out more about the artist from her new local friend and is soon building the shop design around his work and the lovely old display cupboards they found still full of 1950s stock. The locals however think the house is cursed - can Tom and Merry turn everything round and prove them wrong?

A lovely short story in the Appleyard series - looking forward to the next one and seeing who that is about

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet novella that picks up a bit after the end of "Merry Mistletoe." I would recommend reading it first so you know the history of our 4 main characters: Merry, Tom, Freya & Sam.

Merry and Tom have decided to start an adventure and leave their innkeeping days behind them. They have a lovely new baby, Robyn, who adds joy (& work) into their lives. Sam and Freya are still in the lovey-dovey days of a new relationship and have a bit to work out with Sam's brother on the neighboring farm. Read this book to find out what happens! As usual, Ms Davies has wonderful characters and knows how to draw the reader in. I recommend her books without reservation. Feel-good, short, and easy to read--the novellas are perfect for when your reading time is slim.

**Many thanks to NetGalley and Lawsome books for an ARC to read and review!**

[Misfits farm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every now and then I feel the need to read a light uplifting book and this is one of them. It has a little romance, a little adventure, a little drams, a few disputes in fact a little of everything to make an enjoyable read. That community spirit that we all know is out there and comes to the fore when required. A wonderful feel good read with characters that have the depth so that they become good friends early on. Highly recommended
I voluntarily chose to read this ARC and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tom and Mary are now in Appleyard hoping to open their new shop featuring local crafts and produce from the nearby farms. With their new baby and big plans the rains are adding to their problems. We also revisit with Freda and Sam who are having problems with the orchards and looking for new ways to make money. The four work together to succeed. A good story set in an English village that thinks Tom and Mary's new house is cursed. Book two of the Appleyard series with opportunities for additional books.

[DOREEN FINNEGAN · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent follow on

Excellent follow on from first book. The thread continued but didn't go boring in any way. The storey line kept and held interest. Looking forward to the next book.