Rosie feels like there’s something missing in her life.
She loves her job as the manager of Willowdale Hall Riding Stables, caring for the horses and teaching children to ride, and she loves the home she shares with her mother in the beautiful Lake District. But she can’t help wondering how her life might look if things had been different. What if her father had been around to help care for her mother? And what if she’d found someone special herself?
When Hubert Cranleigh – the owner of Willowdale Hall – is taken ill, his son Oliver steps into the breach. Brooding and distant, Rosie is furious when he claims not to know who she is. Especially when they have a history.
Rosie’s life is about to be turned upside down, but with the New Year comes new opportunities. What Rosie feels is missing from her life might be closer than she thinks, and with more significant consequences than she could ever have imagined…
I always thought I was going to be a girl who did something. I was going to run my own business and find fame and fortune! Fall in love…
But here I am. Still waiting for it all to happen, sitting on the floor, surrounded by lilies and roses, trying to do my best friend’s wedding flowers because – in her words – ‘how hard can it be, Frankie?’. The answer is actually ‘very hard’ but it’s not the only thing that’s tough right now. My boyfriend won’t commit, I barely have a job, and once again I have the hangover from hell…
What I don’t know is that life’s about to throw me a curveball. A new friend I will make with a beautiful, sad-eyed little boy who is so very tragically ill. I still don’t know about that heartbreak.
Even so, in this moment, I know that it’s time for some changes. Maybe it’s time to make my dreams come true? To try to become a marathon-running, healthy-living, wildly-in-love florist-to-the-stars!
Because I’m beginning to realise that you only get one chance at life. I don’t yet know how you change everything, all at once, but what I do know is it all starts with me…
Published Date: 23 June 2023
My Review
Frankie initially aspired to achieve fame and fortune but soon faced the reality that it wouldn’t be her future. She found herself in an unfulfilling job, with a commitment-phobic boyfriend, and friends who took her for granted. While helping with yet another friend’s wedding, Frankie questioned when her turn for happiness would come. This led her to wonder if she had been seeking happiness in the wrong places.
A chance encounter with a new friend made Frankie realize she had wasted much time. She recognized that life is short and decided to stop waiting and start being the change she desired. Despite the challenges, Frankie is determined to conquer the world one step at a time with hope, determination, and spirit.
I found great pleasure in this book; it’s a heartwarming reminder of how even the tiniest gestures can brighten someone’s day if we’re willing to extend a helping hand. It weaves together elements of drama, a touch of romance, and plenty of moments that bring smiles to your face. It beautifully captures life’s highs and lows, and when faced with challenges, it encourages the idea of turning lemons into lemonade (or adding some gin for good measure).
My Sanctuary 