Rachael Lucas

Rilla Clark's father has died, and she's off to the village of Applemore in the Scottish Highlands. It's been a long time since she was there, even though it holds such cherished memories. Lachlan Fraser is part of those memories, and neither is aware that they are returning to the village simultaneously. Lachlan is returning to the village to have a critical family meeting with his 3 sisters. The Applemore House has been an ancestral home for 150 years for the Fraser family. House may be part of the name, but truth be told, it's a castle in disrepair, and there is a burden of death and inheritance taxes due as Lachlan and his sisters' father died several months before Rilla's father.

I loved the blended themes of a second chance at love unexplored in their younger lives, the balancing act between the continuation of a dream partnership and familial duty by a son not only to carry on the family legacy but for his sisters and future generations, women rekindling friendship, the rescue of a dog, and discovery of a secret. Can the past still be meaningful in the present, or is it just a brief interlude of delights?

After reading "The Telephone Box Library," I knew I wanted to read more of the author's writing. I look forward to returning to Little Maudley and Applemore in the New Year.… (more)

A charming contemporary romance set in the Cotswald village of Little Maudley. As I had read an article last year of townspeople turning the famous red telephone booths into micro libraries I was drawn by the description of this story. Little libraries in the United States are known as "mini-town squares" across the United Kingdom. And how appropriate as throughout the novel Bunty Nicolson shares the various ways the village phone booth was so meaningful to the community before it was decommissioned.

Note: "The first such telephone box library was set up in Westbury-Sub-Mendip in Somerset was founded in 2009 after the local council cut funding for the area’s mobile library."

Lucy Evans has come to Little Maudley "sight unseen" taking a 6-month sabbatical from her position as Head of the History Department and teacher at a secondary school. With the door of the address she's to meet Margaret Nicolson closed in her face, Lucy is not sure she hasn't made a huge mistake. But the advert seemed perfect for her desired and much needed rest. Lucy would only be needed to look in on Bunty Nicolson, age 96, approximately an hour a day to see if she needed anything and might need a little help. Oh, it had sounded so perfect. Was it really too good to be true?

I was smiling non-stop when Lucy's view of Little Maudley was described as "This place was like stepping into an episode of Midsomer Murders."

I've watched every episode so beyond the lovely descriptive writing I could even further imagine the landscape. Then as I've watched every episode of "Hamish Macbeth" I couldn't help giggling to read Lucy's dog is named Hamish. I had to wonder if Rachael Lucas has enjoyed that series too.

I loved the blended themes of the multi-generational storyline, the camaraderie of single parenting, the friendships of neighbors, the hesitation of revealing secrets of the past, the flavor of historical fiction with the intermingling of history of the Women's Institute (WI), the transmission of fake German radio programs, and work at Bletchley Park. Beyond that, I truly wish I could escape to a treehouse designed and built by Sam Travis.

I'm eager to read the next book in the series as one visit simply isn't enough to Little Maudley.… (more)