The Country Escape: An uplifting, funny, romantic read

Jane Lovering

Sep 2020 · Boldwood Books Ltd

About this ebook

'A funny, warm-hearted read, filled with characters you'll love.' Matt Dunn

Welcome to the idyllic country retreat of Christmas Steepleton, and let Jane Lovering whisk you away with the most heart-warming, romantic and comforting read of the year.

Leaving London and her ex-husband Luc behind, Katie and her 14-year-old daughter Poppy move into their very own, very ramshackle cottage near the village of Christmas Steepleton on the Dorset coast.

Harvest Cottage has been unloved for many years, so the job of bringing it back to life is a slow and expensive one. So, with funds running low, Katie jumps at the chance when a film company asks to use the cottage as a location. But even as things are looking up, as harvest time passes and autumn chill starts to bite, the prospect of a cold winter in the country is daunting.

Some light relief comes from new friend Gabriel, so different from Katie’s exuberant but arrogant ex Luc. Will their friendship blossom into something more romantic, or will the reality of a tough country winter send her and Poppy scurrying back to the comforts of town?

Let Jane Lovering spirit you away to the perfect country escape, far away from the bustle of the city. Just right for fans of Emma Burstall, Fern Britton and Kate Forster.

What readers are saying about Jane Lovering:

‘Jane Lovering has that ability to choose exactly the right words and images to make you laugh, with a wonderful touch of the ridiculous, then moving seamlessly to a scene of such poignancy that it catches your breath.’

‘It is very difficult to explain just how wonderful this book is. The power of her words and her descriptive prowess to put it bluntly is amazing... the emotional impact it has had on me will be long lasting.’

‘Fall in love with reading all over again with this cracking tale from Jane Lovering. An excellent reminder, if one is needed, of the absolute pleasure of losing yourself in a good book.'

Ratings and reviews

Katie and her 14 year old daughter Poppy move to the tiny village of Christmas Steepleton in Devon from London after Katie's divorce from the wealthy, charming, but cheating frenchman Luc. Having bought the tiny tumbledown cottage outright from her share of the proceeds of the sale of their flat in London, Katie realises she has no job and the likelihood of an elite girls' school needing a French teacher is kind of remote. Then a series of events bring a cantankerous old woman who goes by the name of Granny Mary, a fat pony, and a handsome but short-sighted local called Gabriel into her sphere. I'm a great fan of Jane Lovering's novels, she writes interesting characters, often with unusual quirks or issues, set in charming places but with a healthy dose of reality. This one is no different, Gabriel is a breath of fresh air after all the alpha male heroes of so many romances, and Katie's anxieties are based on an event in her childhood. If you are looking for a charming romance then look no further. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

While continuing with my adoration of Jane Lovering (and I am totally enamored now), I giggle-snorted and smirked my way through this highly amusing tale, and will be honest and say I also barked a few times at the keen visuals and humorous imagery this talented wordsmith painted with her clever arrangements of words. Her crafty wordplay and impressive vocabulary skills rival Webster’s, although I believe he had a lot of help in amassing his. The storylines were fresh and engaging and populated with an interesting mix of uniquely peculiar yet oddly intriguing characters, as well as a profoundly obnoxious teen named Poppy who was greatly annoying and had me wanting to glue her lips together. Poppy could be the poster child for birth control and the prime example of why many Brits send their offspring to boarding school. But of course, I was a total delight at age fourteen.

About the author

Jane Lovering is the bestselling and award-winning romantic comedy writer who won the RNA Contemporary Romantic Novel Award in 2023 with A Cottage Full of Secrets. She lives in Yorkshire and has a cat and a bonkers terrier, as well as five children who have now left home.