Eeeek! It’s finally my turn to shake my Swainette pom poms for Heidi Swain’s new novel, ‘Poppy’s Recipe For Life’. Hugest of thanks to Harriet and the lovely team at TeamBATC for the ARC goodies and blog tour invite. It is such an honour to be involved in this tour, so thank you. Here is my review:
Things haven’t always been straightforward in Poppy’s life but her dreams are finally within her reach.
She’s moving into a cottage in beautiful Nightingale Square, close to the local community garden, where she can indulge her passion for making preserves and pickles. She may not have the best relationship with her family but she is surrounded by loving friends, and feels sure that even her grumpy new neighbour, Jacob, has more to him than his steely exterior belies.
But the unexpected arrival of Poppy’s troubled younger brother soon threatens her new-found happiness and as the garden team works together to win community space of the year, Poppy must decide where her priorities lie and what she is prepared to fight for …
What does TWG think?
Oh she’s a good egg this one, isn’t she? Heidi Swain has delivered yet again. Never mind Poppy creating recipe cards, I think this author needs to create her own recipe cards so we all know how she does it!
I have been a huge fan of Heidi Swain’s novels from the very beginning, and I can honestly say that with each new book she releases, the standard just gets higher and higher. She truly does not disappoint at all.
We are back in Nightingale Square, but this time with a new resident called Poppy. She was afraid that she wouldn’t be able to move into her dream home due to her mothers selfishness. However, Poppy had her own little guardian angel who helped make her dream come true and she swiftly became the new name on the garden’s rota.
Unfortunately for Poppy, her happiness was short lived. Families eh, who’d have them? I won’t delve into the why’s and wherefores, but let’s just say that the phrase ‘you can’t pick your family…’ is very apt in this book, that’s for sure.
‘Poppy’s Recipe For Life’ had me changing emotions like the weather. One minute I was feeling all tender and warm due to the community spirit, and then the next I was angry because of stupid choices which had a domino effect on the rest of the community. I just wanted to knock some of the characters heads together and tell them to stop being so stupid, and no, I don’t mean Poppy and Mr Grizzle…..!!!!
This is such an uplifting, cosy novel which took me under its wing from the get go. In no time at all I was able to lose myself in Poppy’s life, watch the community in Nightingale Square go from strength to strength, and be a part of several characters journeys to self discovery. I never knew that a garden could have so many magical powers, yet this particular garden went above and beyond with the magic, and so did the people involved. I have never read a story which enveloped me in such love and joy, all because of a garden, as ‘Poppy’s Recipe For Life’ did.
Heidi Swain really knows how to make her characters come alive in a way that will have her readers hanging onto her every word, wishing that the story wouldn’t come to an end. Another story which has been written from the authors heart, straight into the hearts of the readers in the way that only Heidi Swain can. A tender, uplifting, and huggable novel with humour that will make you add ‘snorting like a pig’ to your list of party tricks on Tinder.
The Writing Garnet 
Thank you so much for taking part in the tour my lovely and for sharing such a wonderful review. I’m thrilled you enjoyed your trip to Nightingale Square so much. I loved writing this book and I’m very proud to see it published! H x
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