Zara is looking for where she fits in. She knows that it isn't with her family who have always overlooked her in favour of her soccer star brother. Right now, it is with her friend Amber and her new love Barney, but she know that it probably isn't sustainable. After all, Amber is both her boss, and her friend, so if anything changes for Amber it will also change for her.
When Zara finds an injured owl, she ends up taking it to a local owl shelter owned by Snowy who is also a disgraced former Olympic gymnast. Snowy is less than friendly. He has chosen to hide away on his farm, even going so far as homeschooling and coaching his son Harrison as a gymnast. Withdrawing from the world was the right decision at the time, Snowy is beginning to realise that maybe it is time that Harrison needs to go out into the wider world.
Zara is very interesting in the owl sanctuary and even offers to include some footage in the wildlife programme that she works on, but he is determined to protect his privacy. But Snowy does begin to let some of his barriers with Zara, very slowly at first. She is drawn to Snowy the man, and to the owl sanctuary, and last but not least to the full gymnasium that Snowy has on his property. Back in the day, Zara had some potential as a gymnast but unfortunately her mother decided that all her efforts needed to be focussed on her brother.
Gradually, Zara begins to think about what her life might look like and whether there is space in it of Snowy, Harrison and his grandfather Pops. And for Snowy, he needs to think about whether he has the capacity to expand his world beyond the invisible walls he has kept around his world for so long.
I really enjoyed a lot of the elements in this book. The information about the owls was very interesting, as was the gymnastics. There was a much deeper through the book as well, around alcoholism and grief and I though that the various different parts were definitely very well balanced.
I had been thinking about reading Jessica Redland for a while now. I chose to read this as a standalone novel but there are a lot of throwbacks to previous books. It didn't stop me from enjoying the book but I did wish that I knew.
Thanks to the publisher, Netgalley and Rachel's Random Resources for the review copy. I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted at The Chocolate Lady's Book Review Blog and British Isles Friday at Joy's Book Blog.
Check out other stops on the tour below
About the book
A New Dawn at Owl’s Lodge
Could one chance meeting change your life forever?
Zara is at a crossroads in life. While she adores her job as a producer's assistant working on hit TV shows, travelling around the country means she doesn't truly feel that she has a home. With a fractured relationship with her family and unrequited love weighing heavily on her heart, she is torn about what her next step in life should be...
Snowy is hiding from the world. He's devoted his life to home schooling his young son and caring for sick owls at his home, Owl's Lodge, deep in the Yorkshire Wolds countryside. While he's passionate about both, it's a lonely existence and he's starting to question his decisions. But how do you step back into a world you've pushed away for years...?
When Zara brings an injured owl to Owl's Lodge, its frosty, reclusive owner is far from welcoming. Despite hostilities, there's a connection that neither could ever have prepared themselves for. As they discover a shared passion, a new friendship blossoms, but both Zara and Snowy are used to shutting people out.
Can they both find the courage to open up and the strength to move on from their pasts? And what could this mean for their future happiness?
Escape to the world of Bumblebee Barn and Hedgehog Hollow with MILLION-COPY BESTSELLER Jessica Redland for this brand new feel-good romance of family, friendship and hope.
Purchase Link - https://mybook.to/NewDawnatOwlsLodge
About the Author –
Jessica Redland writes emotional but uplifting stories of love,
friendship, family and community. Her Whitsborough Bay books transport readers
to the stunning North Yorkshire Coast where she lives with her husband,
daughter and sprocker spaniel. Her Hedgehog Hollow series, set in a hedgehog
rescue centre, takes readers into the beautiful rolling countryside of the
Yorkshire Wolds.
Social Media
Links –
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Bookbub
profile: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jessica-redland
This sounds like it has some wonderful themes to work through in fiction. A gymnastics book seems perfect ahead of the Summer Olympics.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for joining in the blog tour for A New Dawn at Owl's Lodge. Apologies for the delay in reading this - I've had a holiday sandwiched by two editing deadlines so I'm only just catching up. Glad you enjoyed Snowy and Zara's story
ReplyDeleteOops - that came up as anonymous although hopefully it was clear it was from me!
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