Hannah Lynn | Bibliotica

About the Book, New Beginnings at Wildflower Lock

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Boldwood Books (July 14, 2023)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 280 pages

New starts and hopeful hearts…

At 25, Daisy May’s life is not living up to expectations. Her childhood dreams of being an artist feel as unachievable as a committed relationship or managing to save enough money for a deposit on a house. But a surprise inheritance could change all that.

After Daisy learns she’s now the new owner of a forty-foot narrow boat, she sets out for Wildflower Lock, where the fresh country breeze and the calm water is enough to assure her everything will be okay.

With the help of the ruggedly attractive, yet grumpy riverman, Theo, she begins to work on her new home, the September Rose. Can she breathe new life into the old boat and learn to navigate not only the canals themselves, but also the people who live there? Or will the whole venture pull her under?

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About the Author, Hannah Lynn

Hannah Lynn is the author of over twenty books spanning several genres. As well as signing a new romantic fiction series, Boldwood will be republishing the first of her bestselling Sweet Shop series, inspired by her Cotswolds childhood, The Sweet Shop of Second Chances in April 2023.

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My Thoughts

As someone who as always fantasized about living on a boat, this book hooked me from the start. Why? Because twenty-five-year-old Daisy May, heartbroken wannabe artist, inherits a forty-foot narrow boat in the books’s beginning, and afterward, a delightful story full of hope and hijinks, ensues.

First, there are the realities of inheriting and renovating a boat – not something you can do when you don’t have much money. Then there are her good friends Becks and Claire, who support her, encourage her, help her clean out the boat, and keep her laughing even when she’s receiving yet another bill she has to pay. And then there’s the handsome guy, Theo, who has the boat in the next mooring.

What I loved about this story was that there was humor even in the worst calamaties. I also appreciated that, even with every thing thrown at her, Daisy never gives up. Whether it’s people complaining that she’s leaving things in the path as she cleans, or threaten her because of unreasonable noise after an impromptu dance party, Daisy doesn’t walk away. Her sheer stubbornness makes her interesting and endearing, and also represents one of her flaws. I like characters who aren’t perfect.

I also liked that the exposition of Daisy’s family history – her deceased father, her tight-lipped mother, and the grandfather who left her the boat – came out organically rather than in a single info-dump. Backstory is important, but getting it through conversations and actions is much better than having it presented as a lump, and making it seem natural is a skill not every author has.

I liked the use of dialogue and dialect to differentiate the local rivermen and -women from city girls like Daisy, something I appreciated in print and really enjoyed in the audio version of this novel.

Overall, New Beginnings at Wildflower Lock is a breezy summer read that does not disappoint. I’m looking forward to reading more in this series.

Goes well with: pop music, water color paints, and cold beer.

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About the book, Fiona and the Whale

Paperback: 342 pages
Publisher: Independently published (September 30, 2019)
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With her personal life on the rocks, it’s going to take a whale sized miracle to keep her afloat.

Event planner Fiona Reeves did not have her husband’s sudden departure on her schedule. However, she’s certain that it’s only a hiccup and he’ll be back in no time, begging for forgiveness. Fortunately there’s a distraction of mammoth proportions swimming in the River Thames.

Absorbed by the story of Martha the sperm whale, Fiona attempts to carry on life as usual as she awaits her husband’s return. However, nothing can prepare her for the dramatic turn of events that throws her life into ever greater turmoil. The road ahead has many paths and for Fiona it’s time to sink or swim.

Fiona and the Whale is a poignant and often hilarious contemporary fiction novel. If you enjoy topical tales, second chances and a little bit of romance, you’ll love this new book from the Kindle Storyteller Award Winner, Hannah Lynn.

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About the author, Hannah Lynn

Hannah Lynn is an award-winning novelist. Publishing her first book, Amendments – a dark, dystopian speculative fiction novel, in 2015, she has since gone on to write The Afterlife of Walter Augustus, a contemporary fiction novel with a supernatural twist – which won the 2018 Kindle Storyteller Award and the Gold Medal for Best Adult Fiction ebook at this year’s IPPY Awards – and the delightfully funny and poignant Peas and Carrots series.

While she freely moves between genres, her novels are recognisable for their character driven stories and wonderfully vivid description.

She is currently working on a YA Vampire series and a reimaging of a classic Greek myth.

Born in 1984, Hannah grew up in the Cotswolds, UK. After graduating from university, she spent ten years as a teacher of physics, first in the UK and then around Asia. It was during this time, inspired by the imaginations of the young people she taught, she began writing short stories for children, and later adult fiction Now as a teacher, writer, wife and mother, she is currently living in the Austrian Alps.

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My Thoughts

Fiona and the Whale is my first introduction to Hannah Lynn’s work, and I’m in love. This novel is so refreshing with a main character (the titular Fiona) being a woman in her 40s. Yes, her husband leaves her on the very day they send their son off to college, thus leaving her an empty-nester in more ways than one, but where this could have been a maudlin tale of being dumped, rather it becomes a “coming of middle age” novel.

Of course, there is also an actual whale, Martha, a sperm whale who turns up in the Thames (not the most hospitable of places for large cetaceans). As Fiona becomes more intrigued and invested in Martha’s fate, she also finds herself more aware of, and engaged in, the state of the world.

Obviously aquatic ecosystems are an important part of this story, but, through Fiona (and Martha) author Lynn also tackles food waste, which is an equally important issue in the contemporary world. The Dumpster Dive Cafe is a fabulous creation, and one I applauded while reading about.

At turns hilarious and poignant, this novel may exist in a slightly heightened version of reality, but the characters depicted within are absolutely real. I especially loved the way Lynn wrote about Fiona and her best friend. Well-written friendships between adult women (as opposed to childhood friends or college roommates) are not often found outside of literary fiction, and I was pleased to see it included here.

Overall, I found Fiona and the Whale to be an immensely satisfying read.

Goes well with hearty seven-vegetable soup, crusty bread, and a glass of wine. Red or white, as you prefer.