High Blue Sky by Victoria Connelly is the second novel in the heart-warming trilogy of House in the Clouds. I was part of the tour for The House in the Clouds which is book one. I really enjoyed that so I was quick to jump on this tour and find out how Abigail and Edward were up to now.
Summer has arrived and it’s over a year since strangers Abigail and Edward bought Winfield Hall at auction and restored it together. Now, two new tenants are about to join them at their beautiful Georgian home.
Workaholic Harry Freeman has forgotten what it is to relax so when he meets healer, Aura Arden, and learns to meditate with her, he can’t believe how good he feels and he soon finds himself falling for her. But, with her bare feet and crystal beads, Aura’s not a big hit with Harry’s old-fashioned parents, and he finds himself torn between the people he loves most in the world.
It isn’t just Harry and Aura finding love. Summer has woven its spell over Edward and his brother Oscar, and both are making a play for Abi. But Abi isn’t happy at having to choose between these two very different men and, when Oscar’s behaviour spirals out of control, she realizes that some decisions can have devastating consequences.
Again, I found this book such a lovely story. It picks up from the end of the first book without losing a beat. Every character is so well-drawn and we can visibly see their development throughout the story. I was quietly happy to see that Aura was interested in crystal healing and meditation. My husband has crystals he keeps with him constantly and I have used meditation so it’s great to see these aspects in novels.
Our other new tenant Harry seems a world’s away from Aura until they find a connection. Aura’s influence really makes its mark as the story unfolds.
The gardens of Winfield Hall are an integral part of the story and almost begin to feel as though they are an extension of the actual house. We see all the characters issues as we are given snippets of their lives and this makes them even more real.
The question of Abigail and Edwards relationship drives the story nicely, as they move forwards and this creates a question of whether they stay friends or what. This gives us a frisson of excitement that sets up the next book in a lovely way.
I am eagerly looking forward to the third book to see where all these characters go from here and to spend time in Winfield Hall and the beautiful gardens too.
Thanks to Rachel’s Random Resources and Victoria Connelly for the gifted copy of the book.
sharonbeyondthebooks.uk 