feel good fiction – Jenny Kane & Jennifer Ash

Bluebell Season at The Potting Shed is three years old!

Blurb

Maddie and her sister Sabi are back at The Potting Shed, but are their troubles over?

Bluebell Season at The Potting Shed is the sequel of Frost Falls at The Potting Shed, part of a new series by #1 Kindle bestselling author, Jenny Kane, that revolves around a family-run garden centre.

Spring has arrived at The Potting Shed and things seem to finally be going Maddie’s way. Her relationship with lovable lawyer Ed is going well and the business is thriving with the help of her new friend Jo and his bright orange coffee van.

But troubles are just around the corner… The upgrade of The Potting Shed from a nursery to a garden centre is at a critical point – turning part of Maddie’s business into a building site, and just as she has to temporarily move out of her home, a major garden centre announces its grand opening only twenty miles away.

With money running out Maddie and her sister Sabi must think fast – they only have until the end of bluebell season to save The Potting Shed…

Here are the novel’s opening lines…

MARCH – Chapter One

Maddie’s breath caught in her throat as she saw the glass panel fall towards the gravel path. A vision of half of The Potting Shed’s new greenhouse roof being reduced to smithereens flashed through her mind as a workman dived forward and caught it a split second before it hit the ground.

‘I can’t watch this anymore.’ Maddie turned her sister. ‘It took us so long to decide whether we should splash out on a greenhouse for my herbs or not, I don’t want to look again until it’s up. It’s too stressful.’

Sabi gave the two men the full force of the haughty glare she reserved especially for tradesmen. ‘Let’s go inside. We’re supposed to be talking battle plans for the nursery’s expansion, and I for one could murder for a cup of tea.’

*

‘You know the greenhouse’s roof wouldn’t have smashed, don’t you?’

‘Logically, yes.’ Maddie placed the biscuit tin in the middle of the kitchen table. ‘No point in paying for reinforced glass if it’s not going to do its job, but instinct still told me it was going to break.’

‘Have you worked out which herbs you’re going to grow yet?’

‘Almost.’ Maddie glanced down as Florrie’s wet nose nudged at her hand. ‘Yes, I know you want a biscuit, but you’ve already had one, and they aren’t good for you.’ She ruffled the puppy’s black and white fur, before returning to the point. ‘I’ll start by increasing production of the herbs I already grow. All the favourites: thyme, mint, chives, parsley, and such. But I also want to produce some less common varieties too. See if I can tempt people to be braver in their tastes. Borage definitely – it’s good in a jug of Pimm’s; maybe some caraway and chervil.’

‘Not coriander and dill? I use all of those – and basil of course.’

Maddie’s eyebrows rose. ‘You mean Henry uses all of those.’

‘Yes, well, it’s hardly my fault if my husband loves to cook.’

‘You’re a lucky woman, Sabs.’ Patting her sister’s arm, Maddie selected another biscuit. ‘But I’ll leave out those particular herbs for now. They tend to bolt if you don’t keep on top of them, and as we can’t afford to employ any more staff, I want to keep things low maintenance.’

Sabi delved a hand into her massive handbag, pulled out a state-of-the-art tablet, and opened it at a list of jobs that needed doing. ‘Maybe we should have ordered a bigger greenhouse.’

‘Anything bigger wouldn’t have fitted between the first polytunnel and the path to the car park.’

‘I still can’t see why it couldn’t have been built on the scrap of land at the far side of the nursery.’

‘Light.’ Maddie bit back the temptation to ask Sabi how many times they needed to have this conversation. ‘While the rear of The Potting Shed does enjoy the sunshine, overall, it’s lighter at the front of the nursery for longer each day.’

Sabi grunted reluctant acceptance of the situation as she pulled a cookie from the tin, brushing a crumb away as it hit her tablet’s screen…

If that extract has whetted your appetite, you can order your copy of Bluebell today from all good retailers, including:

Amazon UK, Amazon US, Kobo, and Waterstones.

Bluebell Season at The Potting Shed follows Frost Falls at The Potting Shed, and precedes Misty Mornings at The Potting Shed.

Happy Reading,

Jenny x

Opening Lines with Hannah Claire: The Book Lover’s Bucket List

By Jenny Kane

On April 18, 2026

In Blog, Contemporary fiction, Contemporary Romantic Fiction, Fiction, Opening Lines Blog, Romance

I’m delighted to welcome Hannah Claire to my blog today with the #openinglines of her debut novel: The Book Lover’s Bucket List.

This a particular pleasure for me, not because this is such a fun read, but because Hannah is a former #novelinayear student, turned friend. I could not be more thrilled to be hosting her today.

Publication is scheduled for 24^th April, which is National Bucket List Day. How perfect is that!!

Blurb

A bucket list to change her life.

Gabriella Brookes has spent years quietly loving Zach Osborne, knowing he only sees her as his best friend’s bookish little sister. He’s charming, successful, and only back in their Derbyshire village for the summer before his next big move.

When Gabby stumbles across her long-forgotten teenage bucket list, Zach proposes a deal: together, they’ll tick off her book-inspired challenges, if she helps him complete a few fun tasks of his own.

What starts as a perfectly sensible plan quickly turns into something far more complicated, when real life refuses to stay neatly tucked between the pages.

But as Zach’s past resurfaces and his future pulls him away, Gabby is forced to face a harder truth: dreams don’t come true if you only ever read about them.

Ticking off the challenges was meant to be easy.
Admitting what your heart wants is the real risk.

A cosy, small-town romantic comedy about courage, love, and rewriting your own ending.

Here are the first 500 words:

Chapter One

It was late afternoon at Millbrook Library, and the only sounds were the hushed murmuring of voices, the turning of pages and the occasional clank from the ancient heating pipes. Gabriella Brookes cast her eyes over the display she was working on and gave it a nod of approval. Every summer they had a table for recommended holiday reads and, this year, Gabby was determined to make it bigger and better than ever. She adjusted the bucket and spade, sprinkled a little more sand around and reached for the large stack of books she had selected.

As far as Gabby was concerned, one of the best bits of her job managing the library was helping people find the perfect book for their current need or mood. For the summer Read Yourself Happy display, she had chosen novels set in far-flung and exotic locations, as well as sweet English villages beset by murders; some laugh-out-loud comedies and twisty, turny thrillers and, of course, a handful of swoon-worthy love stories with gorgeous romantic heroes. All novels you could relax with, and enjoy a much-needed break from reality. Too much reality was definitely a bad thing, Gabby decided, appraising the display.

‘Looking good,’ her colleague Ange called out as she walked over and joined Gabby at the table. ‘Perfect for the weather.’

She nodded to the large arched windows, which gave a great view of the rain lashing down on the usually bustling marketplace of Millbrook. The chocolate-box-pretty village high in the Derbyshire Dales was beset with heavy grey clouds, the trees around the square bending in the wind. The market was devoid of locals and tourists alike, everyone seeking refuge from the storm instead of browsing the stalls. The traders were huddled inside their coats trying to stay dry, though Gabby could see some of them packing up early, giving up hope of more shoppers when the weather was so terrible.

‘I love that you chose today of all days to do the holiday reads table,’ Ange went on. ‘It’s the worst weather we’ve had in weeks. We should be displaying blankets and hot water bottles, not seashells and ice cream.’

Gabby took a cuddly seagull from her box of supplies and sat it next to a stack of romantic comedies.

‘It’s the middle of June. There should be a bit of sun, at least. That’s why the display was on the list for this week.’

‘And if it’s on Gabby’s list, it has to happen,’ Ange teased. ‘Shame the weather didn’t get the memo. Though you know that sand will get everywhere, right? We’ll be hoovering it up from now until Christmas.’

Laughing, Gabby tucked a stray dark-blonde curl that had escaped from her ponytail behind her ear. She liked working with Ange. At thirty-nine, Ange was ten years older than Gabby, and while the two women were very different, they had bonded over their shared love of books. Ange was loud, confident, and liked to wear the brightest clothes she…

***

If that has whetted your appetite, then you can pre-order Book One in the Millbrook series (published by Dove Peak Press) now: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0GX33FZ34

Bio

Hannah has always been a bookworm, loving nothing more than escaping into fictional worlds. She can’t walk past a bookshop without adding to her already-overflowing To Be Read shelves. She writes contemporary romantic novels set against the beautiful landscape of the Peak District in Derbyshire, close to where she lives.

A firm believer in the power of love stories to offer comfort and escape, Hannah writes books that celebrate connection, hope, and the magic of second chances — stories designed to bring a little joy into busy lives.

She lives with her husband, their three children, two cats, and one very bouncy dog who still hasn’t worked out that squirrels generally don’t want to be her friends.

Hannah loves long sunny days spent outdoors and rainy afternoons spent indoors — ideally under a cosy blanket with a good book. Her favourite things include sparkly nail varnish, candles, bubble baths, and chocolate, and she remains convinced that there is no such thing as too many notebooks.

Many thanks Hannah.

Happy reading everyone,

Jenny x

Why Cornwall?

By Jenny Kane

On February 17, 2026

In Blog, Contemporary fiction, Cornwall, cosy crime, Jenny Kane, The Fish and Chip Shop Detectives

A few years ago, on the publication of A Cornish Escape (previously Abi’s House), I was asked by Romance Matter’s magazine to write an article about what is it about Britain’s most south westerly county that draws so many creative souls to try and capture its flavour on paper? With the publication of my new #cosycrime series, The Fish and Chip Shop Detectives, just around the corner, I find myself considering that question once again.

Is it the natural geography and geology, the bark-like squawk of the seagulls, the sea, the sand, the salty air, or the aroma of vinegar soaked fish and chips with a promise of an ice cream made from clotted cream to follow?

The sheer majesty of Cornwall, from the haunting spectacle of Tintagel to the crashing of waves against the Battery Rocks in Penzance, alongside the quiet beauty of its villages and narrow country lanes, have conjured and bewitched the imagination of poets, novelists, artists, and potters since mankind first decided that cave walls would look much nicer with pretty pictures on them.

For me however, it wasn’t the scenery which drew me to place the adventures of Maggie Tyson and Ryan Stepney in Cornwall; it was nostalgia. A nostalgia which I’ve come to learn also applies to a large number of my readers; many of whom have been kind enough to tell me that my stories have transported them back to Cornish childhood holidays.

My Dad was born in Penzance and brought up in a terrace house on Alma Place. His mother, my Nan, ran a lodging house there, taking evacuees in during the Second World War- one of whom never left and became a sort of Great Uncle. My Grandad was a butcher at the long forgotten International Supermarket on St Jews Street; I still can’t conceive how he could cut joints of meat so finely!

Every school summer holiday was spent taking the lifetime long, motorway free, drive from Wiltshire to Penzance. My brother and I would spend weeks building sandcastles on Marazion beach. We’d try and skim pebbles across the surface of the sea (a skill I never mastered), and we’d squint through a pair of my Grandad’s ancient binoculars from the house’s attic bedroom window, straight across the sea and into the windows of St Michael’s Mount.

Each morning we’d wake to the sound of the Scillonian passenger ferry as she made her way from Penzance to the Isles of Sicily. Each evening we’d head to bed with that stretched face feeling that only comes from prolonged exposure to sea air.

I clearly recall the excitement of queuing up outside the fudge shop on St Jews Street in Penzance, desperately trying to make the impossible decision about which flavour of fudge to buy with my pocket money. I remember wondering why the pavements in the centre of Penzance are so high, and sitting with my parents outside various coffee shops along the front; fast melting ice creams dripping all over our hands.

It is this side of Cornwall, the minor events which add up to a feeling of happy security and contentment, that are as important in my novels as the seaside setting and the ready availability of a really good cream tea.

It was for all of the above reasons that The Fish and Chip Shop Detectives have their home in Mousehole. A small village, only a stones throw from Newlyn and Penzance, and a place that feels as familiar to me now, even though I only get there every few years or so, as it did when I was ten years old.

The Fish and Chip Shop Detectives by Jenny Kane

When writing cosy crime, for me at least, I need the location of the adventure to feel safe and familiar even if the action is far from safe! That means choosing a backdrop that has memories attached to it – good memories – not just for me, but for my characters.

Maggie Tyson, my leading lady, has lived in Mousehole all of her life, and at 47 years old, she has come to know almost everyone in the area – whether it’s from her own school days, meeting fellow mum’s while bringing up her daughter, Izzie, on her own, from running the Silver Surfer’s Crossword Puzzle Club withing Penzance library, or from ten years serving fish and chips in Robbin’s Fish and Chip Shop.

Maggie isn’t the only local to have a staring role in this new series – Harry, a pensioner with a heart of gold, and David, a police sergeant who has known Maggie since their teenage years – both bring local knowledge to the crimes that need solving.

Ryan, meanwhile, is the new kid on the block – but it doesn’t take him long to learn to love Mousehole and Cornwall once he smells the scent of fish and chips in the air.

The first book in the series is published on 2nd April.

You can preorder my cosy crime adventure from all good independent book shops, ebook/audio retailers, and…

Amazon UK – The Fish and Chip Shop Detectives: A brand-new and utterly addictive cozy crime British mystery (The Fish and Chip Shop Detective Agency): Amazon.co.uk: Kane, Jenny: 9781399754491: Books

Kobo: The Fish and Chip Shop Detectives eBook by Jenny Kane – EPUB | Rakuten Kobo United Kingdom

Waterstones: The Fish and Chip Shop Detectives by Jenny Kane | Waterstones

Amazon.de: Amazon.de : the fish and chip shop detectives

Amazon US: Amazon.com: The Fish and Chip Shop Detectives: A brand-new and utterly addictive cozy crime British mystery (The Fish and Chip Shop Detective Agency) eBook : Kane, Jenny: Books

Happy reading

Jenny x

Tiny Taster: Frost Falls at The Potting Shed

By Jenny Kane

On October 7, 2025

In Blog, Contemporary fiction, Contemporary Romantic Fiction, Fiction, Jenny Kane, Romance, The Potting Shed

This week I’m sharing a ‘Tiny Taster’ of the first book in #thepottingshed #series:

Frost Falls at The Potting Shed

Blurb

It has always been Maddie Willand’s dream to take over her father’s plant nursery. But after his sudden death, she is devastated to discover that she might lose The Potting Shed forever.

Maddie’s bossy older sister, Sabi, is joint owner of the nursery, and she’s convinced that the best thing for both of them would be to sell up.

Determined to keep the business going, Maddie can’t afford any distractions, but staying focused might be harder than she thinks. Especially when a major garden centre chain puts in an offer for the land – and her search for legal advice throws her into the path of attractive lawyer Ed…

As frost begins to fall over The Potting Shed, will Maddie find the strength to save her father’s legacy and open herself up to new beginnings?

Here’s a tiny taster from Frost Falls …

‘That’s settled then.’ Tony smiled as his younger daughter poured a fountain of tea into a row of mismatched china cups. ‘You’ll get the house and nursery Maddie, and Sabi, you’ll inherit your mum’s antique furniture and a portion of the profits from this place.’

Lifting their teacups as one, the Willand family clinked them together.

‘How about a custard cream to seal the deal?’ Maddie waved the regularly refilled biscuit tin towards her father. ‘One or two?’

‘Three.’ Tony laughed as he took a handful of biscuits before passing the tin on to his son-in-law. ‘Grab plenty Henry, or the girls will demolish the lot. I learnt that lesson a long time ago. I once witnessed them consume a packet of chocolate chip cookies in less than two minutes.’

‘A slight exaggeration.’ Maddie grinned at her brother-in-law. ‘We were helping clear The Potting Shed’s far polytunnel. Dad needed it done that day, I can’t remember why now, but there was no time for a lunch break and biscuits were the easiest option.’

‘And we were famished.’ Sabi put her palm up, refusing the offer of a biscuit as the tin continued around the table. ‘Are you sure you want to inherit all that hard work, Mads? I can’t help thinking I got the better deal with Mum’s furniture.’

‘Only because you’ve gone off gardening. Anyway, Mum’s things will look fabulous in your house.’ Maddie gave her sister a hug. ‘I can’t wait to help Dad upgrade The Potting Shed from a nursery to a garden centre.’

‘And I’m delighted to think the place will continue to flourish – or should I say blossom – long after I’ve gone.’ Tony’s habitual smile faded as he stared into his tea. ‘I can’t say discussing changes to my will is a fun way to spend a late Sunday afternoon, but once it’s done we can forget all about it and get on with living.’

‘When do you intend to start upgrading this place?’ Henry flicked through a pile of scrap paper and old envelopes on which Tony and Maddie had scribbled their plans for changing their business – which currently provided seedlings, vegetables, potted bulbs, flowers and herbs to the local shopkeepers and hotels, as well as, at weekends, the general public – into a small garden centre.

‘As soon as possible.’ Tony refilled his teacup. ‘It will take time to build up of course. But, if we are careful not to neglect our current customers, while expanding our range for sale on site, then I know we can do it. Might even have a café eventually.’

‘Sounds fabulous.’ Henry fished another biscuit from the tin.

Quiet for a moment, Tony turned to his daughters. ‘You are both completely sure you’re happy with these arrangements?’ …

You can buy this novel from Amazon UK, Amazon US, Kobo, Nook, Waterstones and all good retailers as an ebook, paperback or audiobook

Happy reading!

Jenny x

Happy 2nd Birthday: Bluebell Season at The Potting Shed

By Jenny Kane

On April 9, 2025

In Contemporary fiction, Contemporary Romantic Fiction, Jenny Kane, Romance, The Potting Shed

Bluebell Season at The Potting Shed is two years old!