annii_bo's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
baileysbear's review
5.0
I didn't realise that this was a second book, as I haven't read the first one, luckily it works well as a stand alone. A heartwarming read with well written characters. Be warned - it'll leave you with a real craving for all of the delicious sounding bakes! (it's a shame some of the recipes aren't included!)
books_over_everything's review
5.0
**Disclaimer: I was given a free e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley.**
Title New Beginnings at Glendale Hall
Author Victoria Walters
Release Date February 5, 2020
Description from Amazon
Two weddings and a baby…but who will get their happy ever after?
Emily Prescott’s life isn’t going to plan. Her dreams of starting a family with fireman boyfriend Greg and opening up her own bakery in London feel like they will never come true. So when a wedding
invite arrives from her oldest friend, Beth Williams, Emily is thrilled. Not only will she get to return to her childhood home in Scotland, but best of all – Beth wants her to bake the wedding cake!
However, her excitement is cut short when she discovers that Greg has cheated on her. Devastated by his betrayal, Emily flees to Glendale Hall, Beth’s grand estate in the Highlands, and tries to distracts herself with helping with the wedding plans, but that’s not easy when Greg keeps hounding her to forgive him. Then she’s introduced to Glendale’s new young and handsome vicar Brodie, and things become even more complicated.
When Emily discovers that Greg’s betrayal runs deeper than she imagined, she finds herself with a whole host of decisions to make, especially when she discovers her long awaited dream is finally being fulfilled – at exactly at the wrong time…
Initial Thoughts
I loved the first book in this series and was super excited when Victoria Walters announced a sequel on Instagram. As soon as I saw it was available on NetGalley, I knew I had to apply.
Some Things I Liked
Lush details and an amazing setting. I loved the setting and descriptions of everything in Glendale Hall. This story, like the first in this series, makes me want to drop everything and hop on a plane to Scotland.
Imperfect characters. This series is filled with characters whose lives are quite complicated. I love the realism in the stories.
Incredible series value. Please see my thoughts below.
Clean, adorable rom-com. While exploring some tough themes, this story was quite clean and very suitable for younger readers.
Series Value
I’d love to keep returning to to the Scottish Highlands for more stories featuring Glendale Hall. There are so many characters that I’d love to see more of. I would absolutely keep reading if Victoria Walters writes more in this series.
Final Thoughts
I loved this book. As much as I enjoyed Coming Home to Glendale Hall, I liked New Beginnings even more. I really connected with the main character and this story gave me incredible wanderlust. While writing this post, I am simultaneously planning my own move to the magical Scottish Highlands (just kidding, well, kind of kidding
Title New Beginnings at Glendale Hall
Author Victoria Walters
Release Date February 5, 2020
Description from Amazon
Two weddings and a baby…but who will get their happy ever after?
Emily Prescott’s life isn’t going to plan. Her dreams of starting a family with fireman boyfriend Greg and opening up her own bakery in London feel like they will never come true. So when a wedding
invite arrives from her oldest friend, Beth Williams, Emily is thrilled. Not only will she get to return to her childhood home in Scotland, but best of all – Beth wants her to bake the wedding cake!
However, her excitement is cut short when she discovers that Greg has cheated on her. Devastated by his betrayal, Emily flees to Glendale Hall, Beth’s grand estate in the Highlands, and tries to distracts herself with helping with the wedding plans, but that’s not easy when Greg keeps hounding her to forgive him. Then she’s introduced to Glendale’s new young and handsome vicar Brodie, and things become even more complicated.
When Emily discovers that Greg’s betrayal runs deeper than she imagined, she finds herself with a whole host of decisions to make, especially when she discovers her long awaited dream is finally being fulfilled – at exactly at the wrong time…
Initial Thoughts
I loved the first book in this series and was super excited when Victoria Walters announced a sequel on Instagram. As soon as I saw it was available on NetGalley, I knew I had to apply.
Some Things I Liked
Lush details and an amazing setting. I loved the setting and descriptions of everything in Glendale Hall. This story, like the first in this series, makes me want to drop everything and hop on a plane to Scotland.
Imperfect characters. This series is filled with characters whose lives are quite complicated. I love the realism in the stories.
Incredible series value. Please see my thoughts below.
Clean, adorable rom-com. While exploring some tough themes, this story was quite clean and very suitable for younger readers.
Series Value
I’d love to keep returning to to the Scottish Highlands for more stories featuring Glendale Hall. There are so many characters that I’d love to see more of. I would absolutely keep reading if Victoria Walters writes more in this series.
Final Thoughts
I loved this book. As much as I enjoyed Coming Home to Glendale Hall, I liked New Beginnings even more. I really connected with the main character and this story gave me incredible wanderlust. While writing this post, I am simultaneously planning my own move to the magical Scottish Highlands (just kidding, well, kind of kidding
eugbooks's review
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
sarahs_bookish_life's review
5.0
I first fell in love with Glendale Hall and the area in the authors previous novel, Coming Home To Glendale Hall. It doesn’t matter if you have read that one or not as they are written as stand alone’s. You will however want to, as no way can anyone pick this book up and not fall in love with Glendale.
Emily is yet another wonderful character, who I took to instantly. I loved her hopes and dreams as they could easily be any of ours or at least something similar. Gregg did grate on me to start with but even with him, I really liked by the end and whilst I couldn’t condone what he had done, I did have a bit more empathy towards him.
There is something about Glendale that has an almost magical feel. Whether it’s because of the idyllic setting or the wonderful characters, but I could easily have packed up and moved there myself. Through Emily’s own story, it offers the reader hope as well.
New Beginnings At Glendale Hall is a wonderfully uplifting read. I love the authors style of writing which draws you in, making you feel at home. Its a lovely comfy, cosy read that offers hope as well as inspiration. You can’t help but get a lovely feeling that warms you on the inside when reading these books. Fabulous!
My thanks to Rachel’s Random Resources, Hera Books and NetGalley for an advanced readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own and not biased in anyway.
Emily is yet another wonderful character, who I took to instantly. I loved her hopes and dreams as they could easily be any of ours or at least something similar. Gregg did grate on me to start with but even with him, I really liked by the end and whilst I couldn’t condone what he had done, I did have a bit more empathy towards him.
There is something about Glendale that has an almost magical feel. Whether it’s because of the idyllic setting or the wonderful characters, but I could easily have packed up and moved there myself. Through Emily’s own story, it offers the reader hope as well.
New Beginnings At Glendale Hall is a wonderfully uplifting read. I love the authors style of writing which draws you in, making you feel at home. Its a lovely comfy, cosy read that offers hope as well as inspiration. You can’t help but get a lovely feeling that warms you on the inside when reading these books. Fabulous!
My thanks to Rachel’s Random Resources, Hera Books and NetGalley for an advanced readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own and not biased in anyway.
elizastudying's review
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
saragalisteo's review
5.0
Esta lectura ha sido un arc (advanced reader copy) a través de NetGalley, es decir, una copia del libro a cambio de una review sincera e imparcial.
Me ha encantado volver a reunirme con Beth y su familia y conocer mejor a Emily. Cuánto me ha gustado Emily... He conectado con ella desde el primer momento y verla darse cuenta de lo que realmente quería y empezar a cuidar de sí misma ha sido genial. Tengo que admitir que ya era muy fan de Emily desde que leí cómo estuvo ahí para Beth cuando ella huyó a Londres.
Igual que el primer libro de la serie, este te deja con una sensación de luz y felicidad. Me encanta el hecho de que esta autora cree personajes de los que me gustan a mí, que no son perfectos, y las relaciones entre ellos tampoco lo son. Es una de las cosas que más valoro en historias como estas.
Me ha encantado volver a reunirme con Beth y su familia y conocer mejor a Emily. Cuánto me ha gustado Emily... He conectado con ella desde el primer momento y verla darse cuenta de lo que realmente quería y empezar a cuidar de sí misma ha sido genial. Tengo que admitir que ya era muy fan de Emily desde que leí cómo estuvo ahí para Beth cuando ella huyó a Londres.
Igual que el primer libro de la serie, este te deja con una sensación de luz y felicidad. Me encanta el hecho de que esta autora cree personajes de los que me gustan a mí, que no son perfectos, y las relaciones entre ellos tampoco lo son. Es una de las cosas que más valoro en historias como estas.
clairedevitt's review
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
bibliophile90's review
4.0
**ARC provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review**
Coming Home to Glendale Hall was my first book by Victoria Walters, which focused on single parent Beth who got a second chance at love with her first boyfriend Drew. This time we follow Emily's story, who is Beth's friend, and how she tries to put back her life after everything falling apart. She is getting ready to travel to Glendale to attend Beth and Drew's wedding and bake their wedding cake, but decided to leave earlier than planned after she discovers that her boyfriend Greg cheated on her. It was really great to be back in Glendale, a small town in the Scottish Highlands, and get reacquainted with my favorite characters from the previous book. This book was about friends and family, chasing your dreams, and finding love when you least expect it. Emily was so lucky with the group of people around her that had her back no matter what. There were a lot of difficult decisions she had to make, and I was happy that she had people around her that could give her advise and support.
This book like the previous one was very heartwarming and a feel-good romance. The pacing was great and I loved that the author took the time to tell Emily's story. I felt like I was in Glendale together with the characters, and I really enjoyed spending time with all of them. The characters were great and they really elevated the story. My favorite thing about this book was the setting and the community of Glendale. It just felt very peaceful and it made me feel very cozy. This book is so much more than a romance novel. For me the romance in this book was not the most important thing that was highlighted. This book was Emily's journey to self-discovery and believing that anything is possible. That was so much more important than her finding love again. There are so many things in this book that people can relate to, which I loved. I really enjoy this author's writing, and I look forward to reading more of her books.
Coming Home to Glendale Hall was my first book by Victoria Walters, which focused on single parent Beth who got a second chance at love with her first boyfriend Drew. This time we follow Emily's story, who is Beth's friend, and how she tries to put back her life after everything falling apart. She is getting ready to travel to Glendale to attend Beth and Drew's wedding and bake their wedding cake, but decided to leave earlier than planned after she discovers that her boyfriend Greg cheated on her. It was really great to be back in Glendale, a small town in the Scottish Highlands, and get reacquainted with my favorite characters from the previous book. This book was about friends and family, chasing your dreams, and finding love when you least expect it. Emily was so lucky with the group of people around her that had her back no matter what. There were a lot of difficult decisions she had to make, and I was happy that she had people around her that could give her advise and support.
This book like the previous one was very heartwarming and a feel-good romance. The pacing was great and I loved that the author took the time to tell Emily's story. I felt like I was in Glendale together with the characters, and I really enjoyed spending time with all of them. The characters were great and they really elevated the story. My favorite thing about this book was the setting and the community of Glendale. It just felt very peaceful and it made me feel very cozy. This book is so much more than a romance novel. For me the romance in this book was not the most important thing that was highlighted. This book was Emily's journey to self-discovery and believing that anything is possible. That was so much more important than her finding love again. There are so many things in this book that people can relate to, which I loved. I really enjoy this author's writing, and I look forward to reading more of her books.
anjana's review
3.0
This is second in a series but has enough story to stand alone. Since I was on the lookout for a light read, I decided to give this a shot. It had a few excellent points and few that did not work for me. I will elaborate.
We meet our leading lady, Emily, who is a people pleaser of the best type. She does her best to ensure that she is regularly doing her best to help the people around her, as well as her friends and family. Emily visits her hometown for a wedding, and then another and then maybe for a more permanent situation. This is the story of all those trips, and what she does in each.
I felt in tune with Emily and her thought process for the most part, especially when she was interacting with people from her past. The extended feel of the relationships felt thoroughly examined. Unfortunately, try as I might, I did not ‘get’ the faltering relationship she has with her boyfriend. That instalment seemed too abrupt. The switching of behaviour, the revelations and especially a phone message that does not match up with the explanation given later about the sender being sorry immediately after the fact (more details in the first few chapters itself). I was also pleasantly surprised at how naturally they brought up the topic of faith in the story. Granted the entire village follow a single religion, but sometimes when it is included in romantic stories like this, even that feels preachy. That was not the case here, and I actually liked the discussions that Emily has when she is trying to figure out her life.
I would have liked this book even more and rated it higher if only I could invest some emotion in Emily’s first relationship. It formed the bulk of the narrative, with regards to how and why Emily’s life is changing. Overall a good tale and someone less picky than me would love this series.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the review (as is obvious), is entirely based on my own reading experience.
We meet our leading lady, Emily, who is a people pleaser of the best type. She does her best to ensure that she is regularly doing her best to help the people around her, as well as her friends and family. Emily visits her hometown for a wedding, and then another and then maybe for a more permanent situation. This is the story of all those trips, and what she does in each.
I felt in tune with Emily and her thought process for the most part, especially when she was interacting with people from her past. The extended feel of the relationships felt thoroughly examined. Unfortunately, try as I might, I did not ‘get’ the faltering relationship she has with her boyfriend. That instalment seemed too abrupt. The switching of behaviour, the revelations and especially a phone message that does not match up with the explanation given later about the sender being sorry immediately after the fact (more details in the first few chapters itself). I was also pleasantly surprised at how naturally they brought up the topic of faith in the story. Granted the entire village follow a single religion, but sometimes when it is included in romantic stories like this, even that feels preachy. That was not the case here, and I actually liked the discussions that Emily has when she is trying to figure out her life.
I would have liked this book even more and rated it higher if only I could invest some emotion in Emily’s first relationship. It formed the bulk of the narrative, with regards to how and why Emily’s life is changing. Overall a good tale and someone less picky than me would love this series.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the review (as is obvious), is entirely based on my own reading experience.