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Discovering the Nightingale
“Just as delightful as the prior books... a sweet romance set in the quintessential English village. It’s a soothing escape from the turmoil of our current reality, beautifully constructed by a master of the genre.” - Gail Cleare, USA Today bestselling authorChelsea Barrett finally has her life under control. She recently moved back home to Chilton Crosse, finished her first year of teaching, and completed the renovations on her Nightingale Cottage. But the sudden appearance of Luka McKane stops her in her tracks. Luka is the vicar’s rebellious son and Chelsea’s first love from sixteen years ago—the one she never got out of her system, the one who still occasionally haunts her dreams.When Luka decides to stay in the village indefinitely, Chelsea makes the best of it by choosing to ignore their rocky past and start fresh with him, as friends. But when Chelsea and Luka begin inching closer together, the lines of their friendship blur, and they’re forced to face their troubled past. Chelsea must decide whether loving Luka is worth the risk, a second time around.
316 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 14, 2021
127 people are currently reading
29 people want to read
About the author
Traci Borum
11 books104 followersTraci Borum is a writing teacher and native Texan. She’s also an avid reader of women’s fiction, most especially Elin Hilderbrand and Rosamunde Pilcher novels. Since the age of 12, she’s written poetry, short stories, magazine articles, and novels.
Traci also adores all things British. She even owns a British dog (Corgi) and is completely addicted to Masterpiece Theater–must be all those dreamy accents! Aside from having big dreams of getting a book published, it’s the little things that make her the happiest: deep talks with friends, a strong cup of hot chocolate, a hearty game of fetch with her Corgi, and puffy white Texas clouds always reminding her to “look up, slow down, enjoy your life.”
You can follow Traci on Facebook and Twitter:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Traci-...
https://twitter.com/TraciAuthor
Traci also adores all things British. She even owns a British dog (Corgi) and is completely addicted to Masterpiece Theater–must be all those dreamy accents! Aside from having big dreams of getting a book published, it’s the little things that make her the happiest: deep talks with friends, a strong cup of hot chocolate, a hearty game of fetch with her Corgi, and puffy white Texas clouds always reminding her to “look up, slow down, enjoy your life.”
You can follow Traci on Facebook and Twitter:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Traci-...
https://twitter.com/TraciAuthor
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
November 2, 2021
I've read all of the books in the Chilton Crosse series and have adored every one. Of course, I was extremely excited when I discovered a new book was being added to the series. Discovering the Nightingale did not let me down. It is just as charming as the prior four books set in Chilton Crosse.
Being an Anglophile, I am always on the lookout for books and TV set in small English villages. If you’re like I am, you subscribe to BritBox and AcornTV and watch all the things! And if you’re also a clean romance lover (I’m also a mystery lover), you search for any books you can find that give you that small English village feel. Well, if you’ve not read the Chilton Crosse books, now’s the time! You’ve got five wonderful books to enjoy with this series. Each book stands on its own, but if you read them in order, you’ll be familiar with several of the characters from prior books. Obviously those characters don’t hold major parts, but they do fit nicely into the story.
In Discovering the Nightingale, we meet Chelsea Barrett. Chelsea moved home to Chilton Crosse when her father passed away. She had no intention of staying, but while renovating her childhood home, Chelsea fell in love with Chilton Crosse once again. Now she’s been teaching for a year at the local school and is in charge of the Renaissance fair. It was her intention to keep it small and school related, but it becomes much bigger than she could have imagined when the entire village wants to be involved. And she’s been put in charge! Thankfully, she’s got a lot of help, but she still feels the stress of it.
Adding to her stress is Luka McKane. He broke her heart 16 years ago but has returned for his father’s funeral. He’s got no intention of staying more than a couple of days. Luka’s got places to be! As a successful photographer, he’s in high demand for photo shoots around the world. But then he sees Chelsea.
As you can well imagine, Chelsea wants nothing to do with Luka, but she’s polite, knowing that he’ll be leaving soon. When he declares that he is staying in Chilton Crosse indefinitely, Chelsea’s less than thrilled. She’s even more upset when one of her fair assistants enlists Luka as the official fair photographer.
Though old wounds have resurfaced, Chelsea is more affected by Luka’s presence than she’d like to admit. The anger and hurt she has felt all of these years slowly melts as Luka proves that he is reliable, kind, and hard working. And much to Luka’s surprise, he discovers that his feelings for Chelsea haven’t changed .
Chilton Crosse is one of those places where, if real, I’d have to live. Of course, there are so many fictional villages in which I’d have to live, so I’d better have lots of money for my multiple residences. Traci Borum beautifully describes both the town’s shops and dwellings as well as the beauty of nature. Photographers see the world differently than most of us do. Things come alive for them in a way that we just don’t see or appreciate. Sure, we see the beauty of the changing fall leaves, but do we take one leaf and appreciate the veins running through it or the varying shades of orange, yellow,or red? I love that Borum adds details seen through Luka’s eyes to this story.
Not only is the setting amazing but also the characters. They come to life in the pages of Discovering the Nightingale. It’s as if we really are living in this charming village and these are our neighbors and friends. They are well-written with both strength and flaws. Several relationships play a large part in the novel, and I love how the challenges are handled by the author.
If you love clean romance books, I highly recommend Discovering the Nightingale as well as the prior books in the Chilton Crosse series.
Being an Anglophile, I am always on the lookout for books and TV set in small English villages. If you’re like I am, you subscribe to BritBox and AcornTV and watch all the things! And if you’re also a clean romance lover (I’m also a mystery lover), you search for any books you can find that give you that small English village feel. Well, if you’ve not read the Chilton Crosse books, now’s the time! You’ve got five wonderful books to enjoy with this series. Each book stands on its own, but if you read them in order, you’ll be familiar with several of the characters from prior books. Obviously those characters don’t hold major parts, but they do fit nicely into the story.
In Discovering the Nightingale, we meet Chelsea Barrett. Chelsea moved home to Chilton Crosse when her father passed away. She had no intention of staying, but while renovating her childhood home, Chelsea fell in love with Chilton Crosse once again. Now she’s been teaching for a year at the local school and is in charge of the Renaissance fair. It was her intention to keep it small and school related, but it becomes much bigger than she could have imagined when the entire village wants to be involved. And she’s been put in charge! Thankfully, she’s got a lot of help, but she still feels the stress of it.
Adding to her stress is Luka McKane. He broke her heart 16 years ago but has returned for his father’s funeral. He’s got no intention of staying more than a couple of days. Luka’s got places to be! As a successful photographer, he’s in high demand for photo shoots around the world. But then he sees Chelsea.
As you can well imagine, Chelsea wants nothing to do with Luka, but she’s polite, knowing that he’ll be leaving soon. When he declares that he is staying in Chilton Crosse indefinitely, Chelsea’s less than thrilled. She’s even more upset when one of her fair assistants enlists Luka as the official fair photographer.
Though old wounds have resurfaced, Chelsea is more affected by Luka’s presence than she’d like to admit. The anger and hurt she has felt all of these years slowly melts as Luka proves that he is reliable, kind, and hard working. And much to Luka’s surprise, he discovers that his feelings for Chelsea haven’t changed .
Chilton Crosse is one of those places where, if real, I’d have to live. Of course, there are so many fictional villages in which I’d have to live, so I’d better have lots of money for my multiple residences. Traci Borum beautifully describes both the town’s shops and dwellings as well as the beauty of nature. Photographers see the world differently than most of us do. Things come alive for them in a way that we just don’t see or appreciate. Sure, we see the beauty of the changing fall leaves, but do we take one leaf and appreciate the veins running through it or the varying shades of orange, yellow,or red? I love that Borum adds details seen through Luka’s eyes to this story.
Not only is the setting amazing but also the characters. They come to life in the pages of Discovering the Nightingale. It’s as if we really are living in this charming village and these are our neighbors and friends. They are well-written with both strength and flaws. Several relationships play a large part in the novel, and I love how the challenges are handled by the author.
If you love clean romance books, I highly recommend Discovering the Nightingale as well as the prior books in the Chilton Crosse series.
September 23, 2021
This is the perfect time of year to read this comfy story. Please sit in a warm, cozy chair with a blanket wrapped around you, sipping a hot drink. Nothing better.
A BIG thank-you to the author for e-mailing her book to me. I enjoyed it. It was the perfect read after all the heavy classic novels and mysteries I've been reading. And! I love the cover art.
Chilton Crosse is a warm story of love, romance, choices and the consequences, second chances, a good sense of community . . . well . . . Mrs. Pickering we are concerned about.😉 It's a community where we meet old friends and new.
Discovering the Nightingale is the story of Chelsea and Luka. Luka was always considered the bad boy in town. He unexpectedly left Chilton Crosse, breaking Chelsea's heart. Now years later Chelsea is a teacher in the community and Luka has returned.
I have read all the Chilton Crosse books and loved them all. Discovering the Nightingale is a gentle story with quaint, charming cottages, warm fires crackling in the fireplace, scones, hot tea, good friends and so much to keep one busy. A Renaissance Festival is in the planning and the high school students are putting on Romeo and Juliet. The author has included a quote at the beginning of each chapter, most are Shakespeare, but there are a few other ancients quoted.
The book is beautifully written and wonderfully smooth to read. Do read them all. I think each book can stand alone, however, I like to read in order. Yes, it is safe for everyone.
A BIG thank-you to the author for e-mailing her book to me. I enjoyed it. It was the perfect read after all the heavy classic novels and mysteries I've been reading. And! I love the cover art.
Chilton Crosse is a warm story of love, romance, choices and the consequences, second chances, a good sense of community . . . well . . . Mrs. Pickering we are concerned about.😉 It's a community where we meet old friends and new.
Discovering the Nightingale is the story of Chelsea and Luka. Luka was always considered the bad boy in town. He unexpectedly left Chilton Crosse, breaking Chelsea's heart. Now years later Chelsea is a teacher in the community and Luka has returned.
I have read all the Chilton Crosse books and loved them all. Discovering the Nightingale is a gentle story with quaint, charming cottages, warm fires crackling in the fireplace, scones, hot tea, good friends and so much to keep one busy. A Renaissance Festival is in the planning and the high school students are putting on Romeo and Juliet. The author has included a quote at the beginning of each chapter, most are Shakespeare, but there are a few other ancients quoted.
The book is beautifully written and wonderfully smooth to read. Do read them all. I think each book can stand alone, however, I like to read in order. Yes, it is safe for everyone.
June 22, 2025
I agree with the first paragraph below. It was a lovely book and great to catch up with some of the charcters in the prior four books.
Amazon synopsis:
“Just as delightful as the prior books... a sweet romance set in the quintessential English village. It’s a soothing escape from the turmoil of our current reality, beautifully constructed by a master of the genre.” - Gail Cleare, USA Today bestselling author
Chelsea Barrett finally has her life under control. She recently moved back home to Chilton Crosse, finished her first year of teaching, and completed the renovations on her Nightingale Cottage. But the sudden appearance of Luka McKane stops her in her tracks. Luka is the vicar’s rebellious son and Chelsea’s first love from sixteen years ago—the one she never got out of her system, the one who still occasionally haunts her dreams.
When Luka decides to stay in the village indefinitely, Chelsea makes the best of it by choosing to ignore their rocky past and start fresh with him, as friends. But when Chelsea and Luka begin inching closer together, the lines of their friendship blur, and they’re forced to face their troubled past. Chelsea must decide whether loving Luka is worth the risk, a second time around.
Amazon synopsis:
“Just as delightful as the prior books... a sweet romance set in the quintessential English village. It’s a soothing escape from the turmoil of our current reality, beautifully constructed by a master of the genre.” - Gail Cleare, USA Today bestselling author
Chelsea Barrett finally has her life under control. She recently moved back home to Chilton Crosse, finished her first year of teaching, and completed the renovations on her Nightingale Cottage. But the sudden appearance of Luka McKane stops her in her tracks. Luka is the vicar’s rebellious son and Chelsea’s first love from sixteen years ago—the one she never got out of her system, the one who still occasionally haunts her dreams.
When Luka decides to stay in the village indefinitely, Chelsea makes the best of it by choosing to ignore their rocky past and start fresh with him, as friends. But when Chelsea and Luka begin inching closer together, the lines of their friendship blur, and they’re forced to face their troubled past. Chelsea must decide whether loving Luka is worth the risk, a second time around.
October 30, 2022
I love the Chilton Cross Series. I always save the books to read on overseas flights. Alas, Covid hit. Traveling stopped. However, I just arrived back from a European cruise and guess what I read on the flight over…Discovering the Nightingale! What a delightful book to help those eight hours pass quickly! I love books about small English villages. Each book can be read by itself, but the earlier characters reappear. Discovering the Nightingale tells of Luka McKane, a world renown photographer and Chelsea Barrett, whose heart was broken by him sixteen years before. This is a beautiful love story that also describes the different people, their small businesses, their different village positions and their relationships. You will not be disappointed reading this book and series! Carole Elmore
October 2, 2021
I have enjoyed this series with its lovely setting. This was OK, but I was a bit disappointed that the fair wasn't described in better detail (I mean, we had to sit through all those planning meetings!); the ending is pretty obvious, but the "bombshell" about why Luka originally left was anticlimactic. I also found myself getting impatient at times with the time spent on silly details like picking up a piece of cake or putting footwear on.
April 23, 2023
Chelsea Barrett moved back home to Chilton Crosse and she is settling in with her friends and her new job. While she is back home she is reminiscing about past loves and is trying to move forward with her life. When Luka, Chelsea's old flame, comes back there are a lot of feelings on both ends that they try to deny and neither one knows what to do about it. I liked this book, it was an easy read and it was a sweet HEA.
May 6, 2025
Chelsea ❤️ Luka
School teacher Chelsea is starting her school year when her best friend’s father-in-law passes away. Will this bring Luka home from his travels? Chelsea and Luka were in love as teenagers but he left abruptly and had no contact ever again. This is a lovely heartwarming story of young love, re-kindled.
School teacher Chelsea is starting her school year when her best friend’s father-in-law passes away. Will this bring Luka home from his travels? Chelsea and Luka were in love as teenagers but he left abruptly and had no contact ever again. This is a lovely heartwarming story of young love, re-kindled.
July 15, 2025
This was the most wonderful series, I absolutely loved all 5 books. What was so beautiful and intriguing was that the main character of each story had a special skill and the Brest little bit of advice or direction was given at the beginning of each chapter. I was captivated and I can’t wait to read Traci’s other books, she’s become my new favorite author😊💗👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
April 6, 2024
As all the other 4 books in the Chilton Crosse Series, this book didn't disappoint. The story develops with the perfect pace, I didn't feel like it was stretched out or too fast, the characters are built pretty well and the whole plot feels like a cup of warm English tea.
September 10, 2024
Love the new characters.
All the people of Chilton Cross are wonderful characters. The storyline is wonderful. Hard to put down. Read through. I have really enjoyed this series. Traci is a wonderful writer and storyteller. Waiting for more.
All the people of Chilton Cross are wonderful characters. The storyline is wonderful. Hard to put down. Read through. I have really enjoyed this series. Traci is a wonderful writer and storyteller. Waiting for more.
February 26, 2025
Excellent series
I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know the main characters from Chilton Crosse. Love how they all weave together to provide such entertaining stories. Hate to see the series end.
I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know the main characters from Chilton Crosse. Love how they all weave together to provide such entertaining stories. Hate to see the series end.
August 9, 2025
review
The series is awesome. I do hope she writes more. You get to know the characters as real people and the descriptions are great and you can feel the seasons. I don’t usually read “romance “ novels but this series isn’t quite like that, you will enjoy reading the books.
The series is awesome. I do hope she writes more. You get to know the characters as real people and the descriptions are great and you can feel the seasons. I don’t usually read “romance “ novels but this series isn’t quite like that, you will enjoy reading the books.
August 28, 2025
Nice
This series is nice. I've enjoyed reading about the people in this small village. I needed to read good books about nice people this summer and this series suited me perfectly.
This series is nice. I've enjoyed reading about the people in this small village. I needed to read good books about nice people this summer and this series suited me perfectly.
January 25, 2022
Loved this book, great story! Read it all in one day because I just couldn't put it down!
June 6, 2025
NOT the end!!
This series held me mesmerized from the beginning to end. I wanted to return to the Cotswalds and find my cottage. You come too.
This series held me mesmerized from the beginning to end. I wanted to return to the Cotswalds and find my cottage. You come too.
June 10, 2025
I was a bit disappointed in this book, the last in the series didn't hold up to the same level of writing and didn't seem to flow as well. The plot seemed forced and the ending too pat.
March 21, 2023
My first introduction to Traci Borum was over seven years ago! She had requested that I read and review her first book Painting the Moon - A Chilton Crosse Novel. Since that time, she has written four more books in the Chilton Crosse series. With newly released, Discovering the Nightengale, Traci's fifth in the Chilton Crosse series, she continues the saga of the people of the small, picturesque village Chilton Crosse, located in the Cotswalds of England.
While some authors begin to get into a rut when they write more than one or two novels featuring the same locale and/or characters, Ms. Borum has not allowed either Chilton Crosse or the residents of the village to fall into that trap. Traci has continued to keep her characters fresh and vibrant because of her amazing aptitude for character building. Not only are the people of Chilton Crosse easy to embrace, but she does such a wonderful job of describing the village you can almost smell the fresh clean air after the rain or the aroma of fresh-out-of-the-oven cakes and sweets from the bakery.
With Chelsea, Traci’s new main character; Luka, Chelsea’s first love from sixteen years prior; Mac, the local handyman; Matthew and Rachel, the vicar and his wife, and many others, it’s easy to find oneself so wrapped up in the daily life of the village and the heartache of the two star-crossed main characters.
As the village prepares for a local Renaissance Festival, complete with the presentation of Romeo and Juliet, a falconer, and vendors, there’s not much about living in a small village that Traci, a native Texan, has missed. With her deep love for all things British, she manages to bring Chilton Crosse quite nicely to life in a book you will not be able to put down. This is definitely a book that will be hard to put down and is worth the read.
While some authors begin to get into a rut when they write more than one or two novels featuring the same locale and/or characters, Ms. Borum has not allowed either Chilton Crosse or the residents of the village to fall into that trap. Traci has continued to keep her characters fresh and vibrant because of her amazing aptitude for character building. Not only are the people of Chilton Crosse easy to embrace, but she does such a wonderful job of describing the village you can almost smell the fresh clean air after the rain or the aroma of fresh-out-of-the-oven cakes and sweets from the bakery.
With Chelsea, Traci’s new main character; Luka, Chelsea’s first love from sixteen years prior; Mac, the local handyman; Matthew and Rachel, the vicar and his wife, and many others, it’s easy to find oneself so wrapped up in the daily life of the village and the heartache of the two star-crossed main characters.
As the village prepares for a local Renaissance Festival, complete with the presentation of Romeo and Juliet, a falconer, and vendors, there’s not much about living in a small village that Traci, a native Texan, has missed. With her deep love for all things British, she manages to bring Chilton Crosse quite nicely to life in a book you will not be able to put down. This is definitely a book that will be hard to put down and is worth the read.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews