Susan Branch's A Fine Romance: Discover the Enchanting Beauty of the English Countryside

Jojo: I discovered this book on the Queen Mary 2 when my sister and I were traveling transatlantic from Brooklyn to Southampton in England. The story of her meeting and romance and subsequent trip to England on the Queen Mary was what caught my attention. But as always, it is filled with Susan Branch's delightful illustrations and printed lettering.It is clearly a book to be savored. I'm reliving our trip on the Queen Mary and delighting in Susan's extended time in England.

United States on Sep 08, 2023

TexCzech: Susan Branch's illustrations and descriptions of her trip to England inspire me to visit the places she describes, especially Beatrix Potter's home in the Lake District. Reading about the many places she stayed and the pubs she enjoyed will bring me pleasure over and over in the future.

United States on Aug 05, 2023

Lighthouse lady: Definitely more of a travel diary than Susan’s previous two books that I reviewed at 5 stars, I love the story within them, this is great if you love England and want to visit. I’m British but wanted it to be more like the other two books, more story about Susan life, the milk cake recipe is definitely worth making! Yum?

United States on Jul 14, 2023

Marion Bethune: I absolutely loved this book. It took me to England again.

Canada on Jul 06, 2022

Layla Palmer: I'm in my 40s and am fairly new to the wonderful world of Susan Branch (well, except for the precious cookbook I remember my Mom using back in the day) and THOROUGHLY enjoyed this book! What a fun way to unwind and be transported! This and the other two books that came before it have inspired me to move confidently in the direction of my dreams (and fears!) more than any other memoir(s) ever have. I recommend the trilogy to EVERYONE and I always feel so envious knowing that they'll be reading it for the first time! :-D (PS- I feel like the folks who rated it less than 5 stars and left negative reviews could really benefit from a reminder to unclench their jaws and loosen their shoulders. Sheesh! ;-) It's a light-hearted, personal story written by an artsy gal who takes the time to notice and celebrate the beauty in nearly everything. If only everyone could retain that childlike wonder in their hearts.)

United States on Apr 14, 2022

kristin fotopoulos: Bought it for my mom so she could look at pictures of the English countryside, it came with a whole story as well as recipes and other cool little things, what a great gift to give someone that likes the English countryside!

Canada on Jan 29, 2022

kaybee: I am a British ex-pat, having left England 63 years ago. I still love the country of my birth and have visited many times, over the years. Susan Branch's book is a well-spring of joy for me, as I revisited, through her musings and drawings, all the wonderful places I know and love. This book is to be treasured and passed down to family members who have not yet had the pleasure to walk where Susan (and I) have walked. I hope and pray they will get there soon...many of them have the desire... and that they will love my England as much as I do. Thank you, Susan for all the labours that went into the making of this diary!

Canada on Apr 25, 2015

ian king: A beautifully crafted book with plenty of observations and illustrations which details the author's pilgrimage to quite a number of our historic houses, many with a literary connection. You have to understand that it is the author's choice and that she is a big fan of Jane Austen and Beatrix Potter.
What makes the book of interest to a British reader is that you have a foreign perspective (American) of our "treasures" - some of which are easy to guess such as ancient and venerable buildings whereas others are more obscure such as hedgerows. It is a selective and somewhat idealised journey but the places and people associated with them are here. Persevere with the language idioms and celebrate the fact that as a nation we have saved so much.

United Kingdom on May 24, 2014

Jane Grayson: I've been a long time writing a review about this wonderful book. I've been a fan of Susan Branch for a few years [...]now and even though I'm English I really looked forward to the release of this book. I bought a copy for me, which I ended up giving away to someone desperate to read it, before I had glanced at it. I bought a copy for my mum for Christmas, but she finished reading it one evening and the next day started it again! So I finally got round to buying a third copy just for me!

Susan's wonderful, evocative writing made me feel as if I were there with her and her charming watercolour illustrations are lovely. Whether you know the areas she visited or not it's a great read - poignant, funny and full of detail. She's currently writing another book. Can't wait!

United Kingdom on Mar 14, 2014

Just Passing Through: OK, color me a Susan Branch fangirl. I’ve been collecting her books since the first one, and got my sister hooked on them shortly afterwards. One of my annual gifts to sis is at least one SB calendar. And then I discovered her blog shortly after its inception. Oh, joy. So, when she announced her trip to England and regularly posted about her exploits in advance of the book, I just couldn’t wait for the result. Naturally, I ordered one for my sister, as well.

After that intro, it’s obvious that I’m a bit biased, but I can honestly say the book exceeded my expectations. If you’re already a fan of Susan, you won’t want to miss out on it. If you’re new to Susan, this is a good introduction. If you’re an Anglophile, are thinking of traveling to England, or like beautiful, whimsical art books, then this is also worth a look-see.

So, what do you get? Well, this is pretty much a step-by-step recounting of the weeks’ long trip Susan and her husband Joe took, from doorstep to doorstep. Reading about the voyage on the Queen Mary 2 alone is worth the price of admission. A transatlantic crossing by ship is now on my wish list. While in England, Susan and Joe...

United States on Dec 20, 2013