As the clouds chase the sun across the Lake District hills, and the warm breeze hints at spring on the way, midwife Zoe Padbury is counting her blessings. Until a surprise arrival changes everything…
Zoe Padbury is a big believer in second chances. She’s been so happy since she started over in the village of Thimblebury. Especially now she’s moved into Hilltop Farm with her boyfriend Alex and can be on hand to help his daughter when her baby arrives.
All that changes when Zoe’s father arrives, arm in arm with his newly pregnant fiancée Chantal. Chantal is bowled over by Thimblebury’s picture-perfect charm, and before Zoe’s had a chance to draw breath, they’ve made plans to get married in the old stone church, make Zoe their future baby’s midwife and move into the cottage next door.
Worried about her mum’s broken heart and how Alex feels about having her family so close by, at first Zoe doesn’t notice that Chantal’s brother has also moved in and is determined to make trouble, ruining the lives of the people who have made her feel so welcome. With the villagers up in arms about his behaviour, Zoe is torn in two. Can she protect her new life and love without losing her family?
Review: This is the third book in a series of stories featuring Zoe Padbury, a midwife who is attached to the medical practice in the Lake District village of Thimblebury. Following the break-up of her marriage, she has moved to the village from Manchester and has recently become romantically involved with neighbour Alex who lives with his pregnant daughter Billie. Although part of a series, I feel that this book, like the others, can be read as a standalone.
In this story, we find Zoe considering moving in with Alex and Billie. She is shocked to receive a phone call from her dad announcing that his much younger girlfriend, Chantal, is pregnant. Zoe’s mother, who has become very bitter since divorcing Zoe’s father, is annoyed about the situation, and more so when he decides to marry Chantal. What’s more, when Chantal visits Thimblebury and sees how pretty it is, she insists that the wedding should be in the local church. When Zoe finally moves in with Alex, her father and Chantal see an opportunity and move into Zoe’s former cottage, further upsetting Zoe’s mother. However, worse is to come when Chantal’s brother and his dog move into the cottage as well. Both man and dog are very unpleasant and cause no end of trouble in the peaceful village. Poor Zoe finds herself caught in the middle between her new friends in the village and her family, all the while trying to carry on with her job.
Gosh, this was a particularly dramatic instalment of this series. I did feel sorry for Zoe, with stress on all sides. As well as the situation within her family, there were some difficult patients and tricky births for her to deal with, as well as personality clashes in the medical practice. As usual, Tilly Tennant has skilfully portrayed typical village life, where everybody knows what is going on with others and pulls together when necessary. I enjoyed meeting up with characters from previous books in the series who I feel I am getting to know, and I even felt quite upset that a disruptive element had disturbed the usual peaceful atmosphere. I am looking forward to the next book in the series and finding out how everybody is faring.
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