Paradise Fields: From the #1 bestselling author of uplifting feel-good fiction

Three and a half stars. Nel is a widow with three teenage children over the age of 16. Well provided for by her late husband, Nel doesn't really work, instead spending her time organising a farmer's market and jamboree on local fields to support the local hospice for children with life-threatening conditions. A kiss under the mistletoe from a complete stranger rocks her world, until she discovers that the kisser (Jake) is the solicitor representing the couple who own the fields she uses for the farmer's market and arranging activities for the children at the hospice, the couple want to build houses on the fields. How can such a ruthless man also be so devastatingly attractive? As Nel and her friends desperately try to find loopholes to save Paradise Fields the situation becomes even worse, the hospice itself could be at risk. Nel needs to decide between her so-called boyfriend Simon, an estate agent who helps her with DIY projects in the house, and Jake, the man who has awakened feelings she hasn't felt since her husband died. But when you are on opposite sides of a dispute can you really follow your heart? I feel conflicted here, I enjoy reading Katie Fforde books but I also recognise that her characters are pretty much always the same basic types. Having said that, Jake was far less bossy than most of her heroes but Nel was a typical Fforde heroine, unable to believe in her own attractiveness, steadfastly believing the worst of the hero despite all evidence, vaguely arty, a friend to all, etc. But I can't knock it because as I said, I enjoy reading the novels and look out for when they go on sale briefly for 99p.

Lovely Romance with a good story line