You’d be forgiven for thinking I’m a huge fan of Heidi Swain’s women’s fiction – and you’d be right. I am. Consequently, it gives me enormous pleasure to be part of the blog tour for Heidi’s latest book, A Taste of Home. My enormous thanks to Harriett Collins for inviting me to participate and for sending me a copy of A Taste of Home in return for an honest review. Before I share that review, here are other Heidi Swain features you’ll find on Linda’s Book Bag:

My review of The Winter Garden here.

My review of The Secret Seaside Escape here.

My review of Poppy’s Recipe for Life here.

My review of Mince Pies and Mistletoe at the Christmas Market here.

A ‘staying in’ post with Heidi to chat all about Sunshine and Sweet Peas In Nightingale Square here.

A guest post from Heidi to celebrate Snowflakes and Cinnamon Swirls at the Winter Wonderland, explaining exactly what Christmas means to her here.

A Taste of Home was published by Simon and Schuster on 29th April 2021 and is available for purchase through the links here.

A Taste of Home

Fliss Brown has grown up living with her mother on the Rossi family’s Italian fruit farm. But when her mother dies, Fliss finds out she has a family of her own, and heads back to England with Nonna Rossi’s recipe for cherry and almond tart and a piece of advice: connect with your family before it is too late…

Fliss discovers that her estranged grandfather owns a fruit farm himself, on the outskirts of Wynbridge, and she arrives to find a farm that has fallen into disrepair. Using her knowledge gleaned from working on the Rossi farm and her desire to find out more about her past, Fliss rolls her sleeves up and gets stuck in. But what will she discover, and can she resurrect the farm’s glory days and find a taste of home…?

My Review of A Taste of Home

An end is only a beginning for Fliss.

I’m always nervous when a favourite author has a new book out because I’m terrified I’m going to be disappointed. With Heidi Swain’s A Taste of Home not only did I find my fears unfounded, but I think this might be one of my favourite of her books so far.

The plot is engaging, entertaining and enchanting as Fliss Brown searches for her family roots in the environs of Wynbridge. Heidi Swain writes with such warmth and an understanding of community and human nature that it is impossible not to be captivated by her stories. I loved the awareness of buying locally, of pulling together as a community and of mutual support that has been such an important facet of life in recent times but that is explored here completely naturally in a way that transports the reader away from the cares of the world. A Taste of Home is a complete comfort read. I ended the book feeling soothed and happy – that all was well in the world. Add in the beautifully written romance, and A Taste of Home is the perfect escapist read for the summer.

It was a true pleasure to be back in Wynbridge and the Fens which are where I live because Heidi Swain sets her scenes vividly and accurately. The flatness, the farmlands, the precocious weather all combine to make a wonderful sense of place. Even better, although it was lovely to revisit Wynbridge and encounter a few familiar names from other of Heidi Swain’s books, it doesn’t matter at all if the reader hasn’t met them before. A Taste of Home stands independently.

I loved Fliss from the very first page. She’s such a rounded, perfectly written character, being sensitive and strong, feisty and loyal but self-deprecating and vulnerable too. The narrative tone of A Taste of Home is conversational too so the reader feels as if they are right inside Fliss’s mind, experiencing events with her directly rather than simply reading about them. Of the male characters, it was Eliot and Grandad who held my attention the most and I confess I have been keeping half an ear out for the throaty roar of a Ducati ever since I started this book!

I found it interesting that, although there are several minor characters in A Taste of Home, and I usually find big casts tricky to retain in my head, with this story every single person felt distinct and real. I loved meeting them all, even the scoundrels amongst them!

A Taste of Home is a fantastic book. Heidi Swain has created the perfect blend of realism and romance to capture the heart of her readers. I loved it.