GIFTED / Today is the day I decided to review one of the best books I’ve read this year: Kitty’s Countryside Dream.
This book was originally published on February 25th 2016 by Bookouture, and it has 340 pages.
I got my copy via Netgalley, in an exchange for an honest review.
About the book:
FROM GOODREADS / When Kitty inherits Bluebell Lodge from her grandmother, a farm in the beautiful Staffordshire countryside, it’s time for fresh air and a fresh start. Up to her elbows in chickens and ponies, Kitty soon realises there’s an awful lot to learn about farming. Still, at least the locals seem friendly, not least her handsome neighbour Tom…
But just as Kitty is beginning to find her feet, and the possibility of love, the discovery of a long-hidden diary, by a mysterious character called Violet changes everything. Who is Violet and what is her message for Kitty? As Kitty fills in the lost pieces of her family jigsaw and discovers some shocking revelations, will her countryside dream and blossoming relationship fall to pieces? When it comes to life in the country, nothing is ever quite as it seems …
Review:
Wow, this book was a ride! Not even the fluffy cover or the synopsis could prepare me for this heart shaking story I found inside it’s pages…
The novel starts like a typical chick lit and if I’m being honest, that is all I expected it to be. A feel-good chick lit with funny protagonist and lovely setting. And to be fair, that is what I got, but only in the first half of the story. The second half added a serious note to it and turned this novel into an emotional piece.
I loved how it almost felt like I was reading two different books that brilliantly collided into one perfection, and I really admire Christie Barlow for the way she made it work.
The story is written in first person, following Kitty’s POV.
I think she was a great narrator and even though she was blind to some obvious things that were happening in the book, I still pretty much enjoyed it because her naivety was endearing.
The writing style is simple and the novel was easy to read.
It is an uplifting book with serious tone.
I always pay much attention to characters, because to me, they are the most important part of every story, and I am happy to say that I was in love with characters Barlow created.
Of course, the positive ones were so likeable and easy to relate to, but the negative ones were also very believable with more layers then one. In other words, they were not one dimensional.
To keep it short, I’ll just say I fell in love with Kitty’s Countryside Dream and I will definitely check other books by Christie Barlow.
I highly recommend this one!
Book Dust Magic 
I love the cover of this book. I would have expected it to be typical chick lit too. I like it when books like this surprise you.
I also appreciate authors writing the negative characters to be believable as so often in chick lit books they are not.
You’re making a good go at your netgalley pile. Well done. 😊
Amanda xx
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Thanks Amanda. I kind of started to enjoy reading my blacklists because I really liked some of them, and now I am looking forward to see what I missed because of my laziness.
Do you have many books on your Netgalley shelf?
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I have 4 on my to be read shelf. Also 3 from when I first joined that I don’t want to read. 😡. ( requested before I really knew what netgalley was). So I am almost up to date with the books there. I do have quite a lot of author/ publishers books to be read and reviewed though. Now I’m back at work, I won’t take any more requests for a bit. It will give me time to catch up on what I have. Are you almost caught up on your netgalley list?
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There is an option now “I won’t review this book” so you can go for that for those three books or even better option in my opinion is you can review them by saying “I started this book but realized it’s not something that interest me so therefore I won’t review it because I think it is better then give it a negative review” and it will go into your ratio. I did that for The love quotient and I still work with the publisher, sometimes books are just not for us.
I am not caught up, I have 37 books on my tbr shelf. I know, it’s too many, but I hope I will read most of them by the end of the year. Now I do have time to read at least.
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I started but realised it’s not for me!!! Great idea, then my ration will go up to! Thanks Irena. 😊.
Wow 37! That’s a lot, but probably not a lot compared to other bookbloggers. It’s do able. 😊. Hope there are lots of good ones there.
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It is a lot but as you said, it is do able.
Yes, your ratio will be upgraded so it is a good option to do it.
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