Blue Skies Ahead by Jessica Redland

I just love Jessica Redland’s books, and I was delighted to hear she has a new series out — especially one set, like many of her previous favourites, on a country farm. She has such a gift for transporting you out of the city and straight into the heart of the countryside, with realistic, relatable characters and a wonderfully grounded sense of place. This one even comes complete with a very grumpy teenager, written with her usual mix of humour and empathy.

When Grace and her husband break up, she heads to her mum Frances’s for a much‑needed holiday, taking along Maddie — her very grumpy teenage daughter. When they stumble across Hazelwick Farm for sale, Grace takes it as a sign, and she and Frances decide to buy it together. Frances will run the café, Grace will take on the farm work, and Maddie… well, Maddie might help if she can shake off her bad mood. The story is full of twists and turns, including a few I genuinely didn’t see coming, and it’s left me eager for the next book in the series.

It’s a gorgeous start to the series, full of family, fresh starts and the kind of countryside charm Jessica Redland writes so well. Grace’s leap into farm life, Frances’s café dreams and Maddie’s teenage moods make for a story that’s both heartfelt and entertaining, with plenty of twists I genuinely didn’t see coming. Honestly, I now want to know if cow cuddling is a real thing — Jessica Redland makes it sound delightful. I can’t wait to see where the next book takes them.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/8864974452