Book review: All Wrapped Up by Heidi Swain [blog tour]

The "-ber" months have started, which can mean only one thing... (okay, two): time for my umpteenth rewatch of Gilmore Girls and the start of cosy reading season! 🎃 🍂 And what better way to kick this off than with the latest Heidi Swain book?! One which had me "all wrapped up" in its autumnal cover and heart-warming story. It's the perfect comfy read to curl up with with a cup of hot chocolate on the side (with an obligatory sprinkling of pumpkin spice on top, of course). 

About All Wrapped Up by Heidi Swain

Clemmie has been living in the village of Wynbridge for 18 months, but none of the other residents know her. In fact, almost no one has even seen her. She kept to herself while she was doing up her new home – Rowan Cottage. Although that isn't the only reason she's been living as a recluse... She's a young widow and a social media influencer. When her husband died in a tragic accident, the attention and outpouring of personal stories from her followers became too much for Clemmie. 

But when she's unexpectedly roped into organising Wynbridge's inaugural autumn festival, she can no longer keep to herself. Clemmie has to become a part of her local community at last, as she won't be able to pull off the near impossible task ahead of her all by herself. And her righthand man when it comes to organising the festival is none other than handsome local vet Ash. It's a good thing that neither of them are looking for a relationship...

My review of All Wrapped Up

Autumn is my favourite time of year. The colours, the smells, the cooler temperatures... I have a big storage box full of pumpkins to decorate my house with and, quite honestly, I generally have to restrain myself to not pull out all of the stops from about mid-August. Needless to say, I could totally relate to Clemmie's love for the season and I wish I'd come up with the idea of her Instagram "AutumnEverything" (and I also want to see all her photos for inspo for my own house!).

That said, the rest of the premise – Clemmie being a young window and living as a recluse for so long before reluctantly re-emerging – was not something I could personally relate to. My heart broke for her and the struggles she was going through. It was completely understandable that she shut herself off from the world, but I was so delighted that her new friend (Lizzie from Heidi Swain's first Wynbridge novel, The Cherry Tree Café) asked Clemmie to take on the Autumn Festival. It was the perfect gig for her to sink her teeth into and it forced Clemmie to get to know her fellow residents in Wynbridge, including Ash who quickly becomes a close friend. 

And what a festival it was! I so wish Wynbridge was real because then the festivities would be too and I could join in with the pumpkin picking and cosy crafternoons. Not to mention I would have the opportunity to admire vet Ash with my very own eyes... Heidi Swain has created another delectable love interest in her latest novel and I dare any reader not to swoon as they get to know him, particularly in his interactions with the adorable Pixie – a little dog he's taking care of while he's trying to re-home her. 

It was of course also an utter a delight to return to the lovely town of Wynbridge and reunite with some of the wonderful characters from Heidi Swain's previous books! I've not read them all yet (I know, shame on me) but it was great to discover what some of my favourites have been up to since the endings of their own books. There are lots of treats for the die-hard Heidi Swain fans, that's for sure. 

All Wrapped Up can be read as a standalone, of course, but readers do get something extra out of it when they're familiar with the characters from previous novels too. So why not treat yourself this blustery season to a stack of some of the cosiest books out there?! Because whether a Heidi Swain book is set in autumn, at Christmas, or even at the height of summer, that is one thing they all have in common: they're the ultimate comfort reads. 

And with this latest delightful novel, Heidi Swain has kicked off the season of cosiness in pumpkin spice style. 

All Wrapped Up by Heidi Swain is published today by Simon & Schuster and you can now buy your copy from your favourite local book shop!

Blog tour stops for All Wrapped Up by Heidi Swain

This review for All Wrapped Up is part of the blog tour for the launch of the book. Make sure to check out the other stops too!

Disclaimer: This book was gifted to me, but this has not impacted this honest review.