May 16, 2024 – My Sanctuary

A New Dawn At Owl’s Lodge By Jessica Redland

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?

Amelia Riley and Ben Lawson have something in common – fathers who have kept secrets.

On the day of his father’s funeral, Ben’s life changes forever when a woman he’s never met shows up claiming to be his sister. As he investigates the past, Ben is shaken to discover that much of his life has been built on a carefully constructed foundation of his father’s lies. Needing answers, he agrees to visit Juniper Meadows, the ancestral estate owned and run by his long-lost relatives, the Travers family.

Arriving in the pretty Cotswolds countryside, the first person Ben meets is Amelia Riley. They are immediately drawn to one another, but Amelia has her own complicated ties to the Travers family. Her only goal is to set the past to rights so she can move on with a clean conscience.

As Ben starts to see the events of his childhood more clearly, he allows the warmth and fun he finds at Juniper Meadows to draw him in from the cold. But just as he’s contemplating setting down roots, Amelia is making plans to leave…

About The Author

My Review

The story revolves around two main characters, Amelia and Ben, whose perspectives alternate throughout the narrative. Amelia grapples with her father’s criminal actions and her pride prevents her from accepting help, despite genuine kindness from those around her. Ben, a grieving son, discovers he has a newfound family and navigates meeting them for the first time at Juniper Meadows. The warm welcome he receives and his transformation under the Travers family’s care highlights the importance of family and close friendships. Despite the wintery cover, the story is set in autumn, culminating in a Halloween celebration, but the warmth of the characters compensates for any seasonal expectations. Overall, the novel explores themes of self-discovery and the significance of familial and friendship bonds, making it a compelling read.

My Rating