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Havenbury #2
A Vintage Year
It started with ‘happily ever after’… But just three years after Bella’s fairy-tale wedding to fun-loving Charlie Wellbeloved, while her best friend, Maddy, is expecting a baby, her own weight gain is purely from comfort eating. Only her little Labrador Dolly can boost her spirits as she gloomily surveys her failing marriage and fledgling interior design business.
Dovecot Farm is just a rainstorm away from ruin, but Charlie is hoping against hope his family vineyard will produce a vintage year, saving his business, his childhood home and – most of all – his marriage …
When handsome and glamorous Rufus appears in the tight-knit Havenbury community, he quickly charms Bella and makes himself indispensable to Charlie, but he is guarding a secret. But is he really too good to be true…
Dovecot Farm is just a rainstorm away from ruin, but Charlie is hoping against hope his family vineyard will produce a vintage year, saving his business, his childhood home and – most of all – his marriage …
When handsome and glamorous Rufus appears in the tight-knit Havenbury community, he quickly charms Bella and makes himself indispensable to Charlie, but he is guarding a secret. But is he really too good to be true…
- GenresFiction
352 pages, Hardcover
Published February 21, 2019
6 people are currently reading
126 people want to read
About the author
Rosie Howard
6 books33 followersI wrote my first book when I was five. Of course it was abysmal. I vaguely remember something about a squirrel and a big red apple. If anybody’s interested I’m pretty sure my mum still has it in the attic somewhere.
There was a long gap in my writing career while I grew up, studied classical music and - to earn a living - took up public relations, campaigning and political lobbying, with a bit of freelance journalism thrown in. This was brilliant because it all involved writing, although my favourite form of writing – making stuff up – is sadly frowned upon in PR.
I take an anthropological interest in family, friends and life in our West Sussex village (think, The Archers crossed with Twin Peaks). This provides lots of entertaining material although any resemblance between my fictional characters and real life never ceases to amaze me – life imitating art, and all that… so, please don’t sue.
I am currently planning no more books as Rosie Howard, but do check out my Poppy Alexander books to read my latest work.
There was a long gap in my writing career while I grew up, studied classical music and - to earn a living - took up public relations, campaigning and political lobbying, with a bit of freelance journalism thrown in. This was brilliant because it all involved writing, although my favourite form of writing – making stuff up – is sadly frowned upon in PR.
I take an anthropological interest in family, friends and life in our West Sussex village (think, The Archers crossed with Twin Peaks). This provides lots of entertaining material although any resemblance between my fictional characters and real life never ceases to amaze me – life imitating art, and all that… so, please don’t sue.
I am currently planning no more books as Rosie Howard, but do check out my Poppy Alexander books to read my latest work.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
November 30, 2019
Vintage Year by Rosie Howard
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I am so glad I read book 1 back to back with this one. I would have been so book hanging if not awaiting this one.
We have some different characters to meet in Havenbry and some old faces you will remain comfortable with.
I adore books that are real to life. Relationships that are in trouble or are falling apart.
Counting the pennies and not some miracle that happens and all live happy ever after.
I think, no...I’m sure that’s why I loved this so much.
Everyone has flaws, people can hide things from each other, deceive, lie and sometimes with the best of intentions.
Bella made a vital decision early on in the book that opened up a lot of consequences.
It’s hard to say much as this story has a very good plot to it and no giveaways are coming from me.
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I am so glad I read book 1 back to back with this one. I would have been so book hanging if not awaiting this one.
We have some different characters to meet in Havenbry and some old faces you will remain comfortable with.
I adore books that are real to life. Relationships that are in trouble or are falling apart.
Counting the pennies and not some miracle that happens and all live happy ever after.
I think, no...I’m sure that’s why I loved this so much.
Everyone has flaws, people can hide things from each other, deceive, lie and sometimes with the best of intentions.
Bella made a vital decision early on in the book that opened up a lot of consequences.
It’s hard to say much as this story has a very good plot to it and no giveaways are coming from me.
March 4, 2019
To be fair, I began this novel thinking I was reading another writer - someone whose work I have admired, although not unreservedly. I kept thinking, what on earth has happened to her! Then realised, this was the work of someone new. So, I was disappointed and this could colour my feelings about the book.
I found this a tedious novel and kept wondering why I was reading on. Charlie, the vineyard owner with his wife, Bella, is a really unpleasant person. Bella is rejected sexually, snapped at, her ideas dismissed. He drinks to excess and is irresponsible until pulled up by a male friend . This portrayal of the relationship between wife and husband made me really uncomfortable. Eventually we realise Charlie has severe money worries - but does this really excuse his boorish behaviour?
Bella is put into an impossible position by another man, believes that she will save Charlie and the vineyard through her complicity, and suffers the consequences. Throughout this new relationship we are subjected to yet another instance of male control over Bella. She has a business - why does she put up with being controlled? She is not painted as suffering as a woman subjected to domestic violence over time so there is no rationale. The ties between the past of both men is rather obvious, and unrealistic.
I did not enjoy this novel, I found the values about women and men's relationships disturbing, and would be unlikely to read any more of this author.
That being said, I can see that people who want an easy novel with some seeming romance and intrigue could enjoy it, and indeed they have according to the reviews. Just not 'my cup of tea'.
I found this a tedious novel and kept wondering why I was reading on. Charlie, the vineyard owner with his wife, Bella, is a really unpleasant person. Bella is rejected sexually, snapped at, her ideas dismissed. He drinks to excess and is irresponsible until pulled up by a male friend . This portrayal of the relationship between wife and husband made me really uncomfortable. Eventually we realise Charlie has severe money worries - but does this really excuse his boorish behaviour?
Bella is put into an impossible position by another man, believes that she will save Charlie and the vineyard through her complicity, and suffers the consequences. Throughout this new relationship we are subjected to yet another instance of male control over Bella. She has a business - why does she put up with being controlled? She is not painted as suffering as a woman subjected to domestic violence over time so there is no rationale. The ties between the past of both men is rather obvious, and unrealistic.
I did not enjoy this novel, I found the values about women and men's relationships disturbing, and would be unlikely to read any more of this author.
That being said, I can see that people who want an easy novel with some seeming romance and intrigue could enjoy it, and indeed they have according to the reviews. Just not 'my cup of tea'.
February 24, 2019
Last year I read and loved the début novel, The Homecoming, from this author under the pseudonym of Rosie Howard. Now she is back with a return visit to the same setting, Havenbury Magna, but this time although several of the characters we previously met do feature our main focus turns to Bella and her husband Charlie. They run the vineyard that overlooks the village but times are tough and things are not going as well financially or personally as they would have hoped. They have been married for three years but it feels like the spark and enjoyment has well and truly gone out of their relationship which is no wonder given the pressure they are under.
Charlie has ambitious plans for what he wants to do with the vineyard he inherited upon the death of his father but bad luck and bad weather have been against them. He lives in a goldfish bowl of stress and anxiety and these feelings are always increasing. As circumstances change, there are plenty of tests and challenges sent the couples way which make for an intriguing if at times frustrating read - simply because you and their friends can see what needs to happen but you despair will reunification ever occur? The question is can they survive what is about to be thrown at them or will their already fragile relationship shatter and crumble permanently? Charlie has a long held aspiration to open his own winery where he can process the grapes himself therefore saving himself some money but the way things are going this is very much a dream that he can't see becoming a reality. I really didn't think for the majority of the book that we got to know the real Charlie at all. He was just a bundle of stress and worry and not the real person that Bella fell so deeply in love with. He wasn't his normal self and his actions and words didn't show the true genuine, natural person that he was.
Whereas with Bella I felt we really got underneath her skin and she wasn't afraid to share the person that she was. She wore her heart on her sleeve and never shied away from admitting how she was feeling. Well at least to her best friend and confidant Maddy whose story we followed in the previous book and I loved seeing what stage she was at in her life now. Was she happy and content? What big things might be around the corner for her? She took more of a back seat in this story but yet she was always there for Bella especially when her world spectacularly imploded. You always need someone to have your back, to fight in your corner when you need help and support at the most desperate of times. Especially when you are fragile and vulnerable and not at your strongest point and therefore feel incapable of fighting for what you believe in. Maddy was that person for Bella and I loved the friendship and bond that existed between the pair which only strengthened the further I progressed through the story.
Bella loves Charlie deeply but even she can see their marriage is definitely not what it once was and that any little fault or problem will expose the bigger cracks that exist between them. She is an interior designer but her business has yet to get off the ground so her lack of contributing some money to the already very much precarious finances is a bone of contention between herself and Charlie. But apart from all that I felt Bella really lacked belief in herself particularly when it came to her appearance. She thinks she doesn't appeal to Charlie any more and that she just keeps piling on the pounds only bringing her confidence even further down. Her ego needs a boost and combined with the fact the much longed for children have failed to materialise she feels an utter failure on so many fronts. So the weaknesses are there and it's when Rufus arrives and promises them the world that the cracks widen and their lives are changed.
It was clear from the outset that Rufus was a man with oodles of money which he believed he could throw at any problem and it would easily resolve itself. Or even if he used said money to get anything he wanted even if really it should have been well beyond his reach. I wouldn't blame Charlie for leaping at his offer but little did he realise by accepting help from Rufus in order to fulfil his dream, that said dream would more than likely turn into a personal nightmare of epic proportions. The situation that was the catalyst for the main eruption of the story was one in which I thought Bella was really backed into a corner with little or no room for escape or manoeuvre. If I had been in her place I would probably have done the same and I think many other readers will be of the same opinion. I don't judge her in the slightest for it as her intentions were genuine and all she really wanted to do was help. She viewed it as getting herself and Charlie out of the precarious hole they were in and therefore there could be a new path they could venture down. I don't think she expected it to backfire as much as she did and to have to endure the fallout that ensued. It's how the pair weather this storm that made for a very good read but as I have mentioned at the same time it was frustrating that egos couldn’t have been put aside and things discussed out in the open before it was too late and the damage done would become irreparable.
I never could warm to Rufus despite all the attention and money he flaunted around Charlie and Bella and the second half of the book saw a change in Bella. She became a person she was never meant to be and it was not of her own making. I felt she lost her way and she lost control. She was sliding further into a situation where decisions were taken out of her hands and even Maddy could see how her friend was changing. Things weren't making her happier deep inside. The reader and everyone bar the most important characters to the overall story could see what needed to occur in order for anyone to find their happy ending. I questioned how the author was going to resolve this if at all because there were points where I could see that things had just gone too far, too much had occurred, rash things had been said and there could be no going back or forgiveness. Yet Rosie Howard had a brilliant twist up her sleeve that really I should have seen coming and I am still kicking myself that I did not guess it. It slotted in so well with the overall plot and everything made sense. Motivation and betrayal spring to mind with loyalties tested and questioned many times over.
Change quite clearly needed to occur in Havenbury Magna and it's how Rosie Howard instigated this change and the way emotions, relationships and friendships are tested and explored throughout A Vintage Year that make this book a very good read. I felt a deep connection to Bella which I think is down to the fact that I had read The Homecoming. If I had not read Maddy's story I don't think I would have realised and understood how good the author's writing is and how she can weave an excellent tale that you will certainly want to read in one sitting. The Homecoming, by the very narrowest of margins, would be my favourite of the two books but really this is a great series of two books that deserve to be read one after the other. I look forward to seeing where Rosie Howard will venture with her next book, back to Havenbury Magna or will a new setting and cast of characters be introduced.
Charlie has ambitious plans for what he wants to do with the vineyard he inherited upon the death of his father but bad luck and bad weather have been against them. He lives in a goldfish bowl of stress and anxiety and these feelings are always increasing. As circumstances change, there are plenty of tests and challenges sent the couples way which make for an intriguing if at times frustrating read - simply because you and their friends can see what needs to happen but you despair will reunification ever occur? The question is can they survive what is about to be thrown at them or will their already fragile relationship shatter and crumble permanently? Charlie has a long held aspiration to open his own winery where he can process the grapes himself therefore saving himself some money but the way things are going this is very much a dream that he can't see becoming a reality. I really didn't think for the majority of the book that we got to know the real Charlie at all. He was just a bundle of stress and worry and not the real person that Bella fell so deeply in love with. He wasn't his normal self and his actions and words didn't show the true genuine, natural person that he was.
Whereas with Bella I felt we really got underneath her skin and she wasn't afraid to share the person that she was. She wore her heart on her sleeve and never shied away from admitting how she was feeling. Well at least to her best friend and confidant Maddy whose story we followed in the previous book and I loved seeing what stage she was at in her life now. Was she happy and content? What big things might be around the corner for her? She took more of a back seat in this story but yet she was always there for Bella especially when her world spectacularly imploded. You always need someone to have your back, to fight in your corner when you need help and support at the most desperate of times. Especially when you are fragile and vulnerable and not at your strongest point and therefore feel incapable of fighting for what you believe in. Maddy was that person for Bella and I loved the friendship and bond that existed between the pair which only strengthened the further I progressed through the story.
Bella loves Charlie deeply but even she can see their marriage is definitely not what it once was and that any little fault or problem will expose the bigger cracks that exist between them. She is an interior designer but her business has yet to get off the ground so her lack of contributing some money to the already very much precarious finances is a bone of contention between herself and Charlie. But apart from all that I felt Bella really lacked belief in herself particularly when it came to her appearance. She thinks she doesn't appeal to Charlie any more and that she just keeps piling on the pounds only bringing her confidence even further down. Her ego needs a boost and combined with the fact the much longed for children have failed to materialise she feels an utter failure on so many fronts. So the weaknesses are there and it's when Rufus arrives and promises them the world that the cracks widen and their lives are changed.
It was clear from the outset that Rufus was a man with oodles of money which he believed he could throw at any problem and it would easily resolve itself. Or even if he used said money to get anything he wanted even if really it should have been well beyond his reach. I wouldn't blame Charlie for leaping at his offer but little did he realise by accepting help from Rufus in order to fulfil his dream, that said dream would more than likely turn into a personal nightmare of epic proportions. The situation that was the catalyst for the main eruption of the story was one in which I thought Bella was really backed into a corner with little or no room for escape or manoeuvre. If I had been in her place I would probably have done the same and I think many other readers will be of the same opinion. I don't judge her in the slightest for it as her intentions were genuine and all she really wanted to do was help. She viewed it as getting herself and Charlie out of the precarious hole they were in and therefore there could be a new path they could venture down. I don't think she expected it to backfire as much as she did and to have to endure the fallout that ensued. It's how the pair weather this storm that made for a very good read but as I have mentioned at the same time it was frustrating that egos couldn’t have been put aside and things discussed out in the open before it was too late and the damage done would become irreparable.
I never could warm to Rufus despite all the attention and money he flaunted around Charlie and Bella and the second half of the book saw a change in Bella. She became a person she was never meant to be and it was not of her own making. I felt she lost her way and she lost control. She was sliding further into a situation where decisions were taken out of her hands and even Maddy could see how her friend was changing. Things weren't making her happier deep inside. The reader and everyone bar the most important characters to the overall story could see what needed to occur in order for anyone to find their happy ending. I questioned how the author was going to resolve this if at all because there were points where I could see that things had just gone too far, too much had occurred, rash things had been said and there could be no going back or forgiveness. Yet Rosie Howard had a brilliant twist up her sleeve that really I should have seen coming and I am still kicking myself that I did not guess it. It slotted in so well with the overall plot and everything made sense. Motivation and betrayal spring to mind with loyalties tested and questioned many times over.
Change quite clearly needed to occur in Havenbury Magna and it's how Rosie Howard instigated this change and the way emotions, relationships and friendships are tested and explored throughout A Vintage Year that make this book a very good read. I felt a deep connection to Bella which I think is down to the fact that I had read The Homecoming. If I had not read Maddy's story I don't think I would have realised and understood how good the author's writing is and how she can weave an excellent tale that you will certainly want to read in one sitting. The Homecoming, by the very narrowest of margins, would be my favourite of the two books but really this is a great series of two books that deserve to be read one after the other. I look forward to seeing where Rosie Howard will venture with her next book, back to Havenbury Magna or will a new setting and cast of characters be introduced.
Read
September 10, 20202020 has me wanting light, fluffy books and this book basically fits into that category - but there are a lot of issues that are kind of glossed over with a chick lit sheen - the abusive other man, alcoholism and lot of bullying references about Bella’s weight that I could’ve done without.
March 1, 2019
Having enjoyed The Homecoming so much, I've been eagerly awaiting book two in this series, and I haven't been left disappointed!! It was lovely going back to see how the characters were getting on - and it has proved to be a tough time for both Bella and Charlie in both their personal and professional lives and we get to follow their story in this book.
This book does a wonderful job of letting you see characters not at their best - the fact that they can make bad decisions and facing the consequences of keeping things to themselves and not being honest with one another. There were many times I just wanted to bang their heads together!!
Bella is obviously struggling with her self confidence which causes her to over-eat, and Charlie is having similar issues but with drink. Their lives are clear for all to see that they're drifting apart from one another but they don't seem able to face up to their problems - and only do when it seems it might be too late to save themselves.
Alongside their struggles, we also get to follow a couple of other stories featuring characters around them - her friend Maddy (whose story was the focus for The Homecoming) with her pregnancy and also Charlie's mum showing that honesty and being bad with money may have been a family trait as she's left to deal with an upsetting encounter. The character of Rufus is also an interesting addition to the cast - his approach to life is just to throw money at problems and that seems to get him what he wants, but at what cost? He was rather brash and controlling for my liking but it's always good to have someone to dislike and shout at in a book!
I really enjoyed going back to Havenbury - it's not as light and humorous as book one but there are still many funny moments, and some sad moments too! - but it was a fascinating glimpse at marriage not being it's all cracked up to be if you're not open and honest with one another and how the characters deal - or don't! - with the problems that life throws their way. Life isn't always rainbows and unicorns (unfortunately!) and Bella is a character who finds this out the hard way but she's never one to give up and her determination to get her life back on track is one to be applauded!
Highly recommended!
My thanks to the author and publisher for the advanced reader copy in return for a fair and honest review.
This book does a wonderful job of letting you see characters not at their best - the fact that they can make bad decisions and facing the consequences of keeping things to themselves and not being honest with one another. There were many times I just wanted to bang their heads together!!
Bella is obviously struggling with her self confidence which causes her to over-eat, and Charlie is having similar issues but with drink. Their lives are clear for all to see that they're drifting apart from one another but they don't seem able to face up to their problems - and only do when it seems it might be too late to save themselves.
Alongside their struggles, we also get to follow a couple of other stories featuring characters around them - her friend Maddy (whose story was the focus for The Homecoming) with her pregnancy and also Charlie's mum showing that honesty and being bad with money may have been a family trait as she's left to deal with an upsetting encounter. The character of Rufus is also an interesting addition to the cast - his approach to life is just to throw money at problems and that seems to get him what he wants, but at what cost? He was rather brash and controlling for my liking but it's always good to have someone to dislike and shout at in a book!
I really enjoyed going back to Havenbury - it's not as light and humorous as book one but there are still many funny moments, and some sad moments too! - but it was a fascinating glimpse at marriage not being it's all cracked up to be if you're not open and honest with one another and how the characters deal - or don't! - with the problems that life throws their way. Life isn't always rainbows and unicorns (unfortunately!) and Bella is a character who finds this out the hard way but she's never one to give up and her determination to get her life back on track is one to be applauded!
Highly recommended!
My thanks to the author and publisher for the advanced reader copy in return for a fair and honest review.
May 9, 2024
Confused about the “uplifting story”. Not a great second book; the lack of anyone calling out the gross behaviour of two of the male characters really bothered me. Bella is a pushover, her character is a complete wet lettuce. The ending was obvious from very early on.
June 30, 2023
Really enjoyed this. Light and easy to read. Funny in places. But I didn’t realise this is book #2. But it was fine as a stand alone book.
February 28, 2019
Charlie's vineyard is on the brink of collapse and desperate times call for desperate measures.
What a delight to return to Havenbury in A Vintage Year. Although the focus is on another set of characters, there are familiar faces like Flora and Ben so that reading A Vintage Year feels like returning to friends the reader knows and loves but with the added delight of new people to discover.
I adore the quality of Rosie Howard's writing. There's a mature warmth and humanity that shows her characters with all their flaws, and that makes the reader care about them so that the events matter as much to the reader as to participants like Bella and Charlie. Indeed, I was so caught up in the people that in the earlier stages of the novel I had the desperate urge to climb into A Vintage Year and practise my right hook on Rufus. I think it illustrates Rosie Howard's engaging and clever style that I did moderate my feelings towards him as I read on.
There's a super plot in A Vintage Year. I was appalled at a decision made by Bella early on and I don't think I would have done the same thing, but I understood her actions entirely. Subsequent events are captivating and although there are references to The Homecoming, the reader doesn't need to know that book to love A Vintage Year. As in The Homecoming, Rosie Howard doesn't just weave a spellbinding tale, but she illustrates how we never really know the lives others have to lead and she gives the reader so many aspects to consider, including identity, control and loyalty. There's a satisfying depth to Rosie Howard's writing.
A Vintage Year is one of those books that is difficult to review without spoiling the plot. I guessed many of the outcomes but that only enhanced my pleasure in reading it because they were exactly as they should be. You'll have to read it for yourself to see what I mean!
A Vintage Year represents the best kind of women's fiction for me. It has a believable, engaging and interesting plot. It has a wonderful setting in Havenbury. It has characters who are vivid and real whom the reader cares about. Best of all, it transported me to a different world as I read and convinced me that I have found a new favourite author in Rosie Howard.
What a delight to return to Havenbury in A Vintage Year. Although the focus is on another set of characters, there are familiar faces like Flora and Ben so that reading A Vintage Year feels like returning to friends the reader knows and loves but with the added delight of new people to discover.
I adore the quality of Rosie Howard's writing. There's a mature warmth and humanity that shows her characters with all their flaws, and that makes the reader care about them so that the events matter as much to the reader as to participants like Bella and Charlie. Indeed, I was so caught up in the people that in the earlier stages of the novel I had the desperate urge to climb into A Vintage Year and practise my right hook on Rufus. I think it illustrates Rosie Howard's engaging and clever style that I did moderate my feelings towards him as I read on.
There's a super plot in A Vintage Year. I was appalled at a decision made by Bella early on and I don't think I would have done the same thing, but I understood her actions entirely. Subsequent events are captivating and although there are references to The Homecoming, the reader doesn't need to know that book to love A Vintage Year. As in The Homecoming, Rosie Howard doesn't just weave a spellbinding tale, but she illustrates how we never really know the lives others have to lead and she gives the reader so many aspects to consider, including identity, control and loyalty. There's a satisfying depth to Rosie Howard's writing.
A Vintage Year is one of those books that is difficult to review without spoiling the plot. I guessed many of the outcomes but that only enhanced my pleasure in reading it because they were exactly as they should be. You'll have to read it for yourself to see what I mean!
A Vintage Year represents the best kind of women's fiction for me. It has a believable, engaging and interesting plot. It has a wonderful setting in Havenbury. It has characters who are vivid and real whom the reader cares about. Best of all, it transported me to a different world as I read and convinced me that I have found a new favourite author in Rosie Howard.
April 18, 2022
Probably one of the better examples of the insane woman's fiction British authors are known for.
The characters drink, smoke, and do crazy things. And the rest of the ensemble just kind of goes with it.
I could delve into the plot and explain things for possibly 2 minutes or more, but I shan't. Let's just say that communication would solve a lot of things here.
Also, the dog dies.
4 stars for the hijinks, but that last star is a half, cause I hated the main female lead.
The characters drink, smoke, and do crazy things. And the rest of the ensemble just kind of goes with it.
I could delve into the plot and explain things for possibly 2 minutes or more, but I shan't. Let's just say that communication would solve a lot of things here.
Also, the dog dies.
4 stars for the hijinks, but that last star is a half, cause I hated the main female lead.
January 10, 2024
Make this book into a movie!! Read the whole thing non stop throughout the night. Each chapters ends and starts in the middle of the action so you literally can’t stop reading. Personally a big fan of cottagecore (I think) setting and a fan of the ending. Very Hallmark movie-like.
July 14, 2019
Lethargy broke the marriage and lethargy brought the couple back together.
May 16, 2023
It did the job as a holiday/traveling book but I didn’t warm to the characters and wanted to give a couple of them a good shake!! Lol
January 1, 2020
I’ve thoroughly enjoyed reading book one and book two in the Havenbury series back to back. It has felt like a perfect Sunday evening TV drama with it’s sprawling countryside landscape and the locals pulling together in times of adversity. Havenbury sounds a wonderful community minded village set it an idyllic location on the south coast of England.
Starting book two, A Vintage Year, was like revisiting a favourite holiday location with friends that you had formed during your stay. A Vintage Year focuses on new characters so it could easily be read as a standalone story but to fully appreciate and enjoy the series I would highly recommend reading The Homecoming first as we are just over three years on from the end of book one and characters from book one do crop up in book two. Also, at the current crazy price of £2.88 for both ebook downloads you can look forward to two delightful stories for roughly the price of one posh coffee!
A Vintage Year is a story about a marriage that from the start was seeped in tragedy and now a few years on in the marriage life has become difficult for Bella and Charlie. Cracks are starting to appear and secrets have been kept hidden for fear of being thought of as a failure from the other partner. But when a new exciting proposition comes their way the future suddenly looks rosy for Bella and Charlie however, a condition is placed and a dilemma for one of them gives them the deciding key for their future.
Rosie Howard certainly knows how to draw you into a story with characters that are written with warmth but they are also real with problems that life doesn’t hold back. A Vintage Year was charming and entertaining but then the story evolves with heartbreak when life takes a sudden turn.
I’ve fallen in love with Havenbury; with Maddy and Ben, with Bella and Charlie and many of the sub-characters in both stories. I do hope there’s more to come from Havenbury, there’s a certain local celebrity who I think will have a great back story and I can’t wait to hear what’s to come for this character, so I’m hoping Rosie Howard will write a book about them … please 🙂
Starting book two, A Vintage Year, was like revisiting a favourite holiday location with friends that you had formed during your stay. A Vintage Year focuses on new characters so it could easily be read as a standalone story but to fully appreciate and enjoy the series I would highly recommend reading The Homecoming first as we are just over three years on from the end of book one and characters from book one do crop up in book two. Also, at the current crazy price of £2.88 for both ebook downloads you can look forward to two delightful stories for roughly the price of one posh coffee!
A Vintage Year is a story about a marriage that from the start was seeped in tragedy and now a few years on in the marriage life has become difficult for Bella and Charlie. Cracks are starting to appear and secrets have been kept hidden for fear of being thought of as a failure from the other partner. But when a new exciting proposition comes their way the future suddenly looks rosy for Bella and Charlie however, a condition is placed and a dilemma for one of them gives them the deciding key for their future.
Rosie Howard certainly knows how to draw you into a story with characters that are written with warmth but they are also real with problems that life doesn’t hold back. A Vintage Year was charming and entertaining but then the story evolves with heartbreak when life takes a sudden turn.
I’ve fallen in love with Havenbury; with Maddy and Ben, with Bella and Charlie and many of the sub-characters in both stories. I do hope there’s more to come from Havenbury, there’s a certain local celebrity who I think will have a great back story and I can’t wait to hear what’s to come for this character, so I’m hoping Rosie Howard will write a book about them … please 🙂
February 11, 2020
Pleasant enough read, but wasn't a big fan of the characters. I feel like some of them didn't really have much in the way of development to back up the resolution.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews