Welcome back to Hope Farm.
Aptly named as after reading this book, you cannot help but be full of hope for the future. Full of laughs, drama and enough alpaca's to shake a stick of, I loved this book from first page to last and really hope that this is not the last time this author visit's Hope Farm.
Don't wait until Christmas to buy and read this Christmas book!

Fabulously entertaining and heartwarming read. I really enjoyed reading Molly's story about life on Hope farm, with its collection of animals chicken, sheep, pigs, horses even Alpaca's, all rescued all with their own personalities. The farm is also host to troubled children who enjoy working with the animals and the skills they are learning. Molly also lives with her partner's son Lucas and their relationship is also a delight to read, if not without problems. The book is well written, the characters are believable, entertaining and make you care about them. The animals are similarly full of personality and mischief. A lovely entertaining read.

With thanks to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for a review.

I hadn't read the previous book tracing the lives of these characters in 'Happiness for Beginners'. However, it was no barrier to my enjoyment of this novel which is brimming with the Christmas feelgood factor and set in the cosy bucolic world of Hope Farm. Carole Matthews also incorporates the back story of the characters from the first novel so it's easy to catch up. It's an undemanding slice of festive escapism - perfect for a wintry afternoon. Thank you to Netgalley and Little Brown for granting me an advance review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Another charming read from Carole Matthews. Christmas for Beginners follows up the characters we met in Happiness for Beginners. Hope Farm is thriving, Molly is continuing her amazing work with children (and animals!) with problems. Christmas is approaching and Hope Farm is going to open its gates to the local community. The relationship between Molly and Shelby is a bit strained due to Shelby's acting commitments. Lucas (Shelby's teenage son) is definitely pushing the boundaries - I got quite cross with him a few times! The new mayor is young and attractive and keen to help out with Hope Farm .....

As ever with Carole's books, the characters are engaging and you want to learn more about them. The "minor" characters are always well-drawn and the animals have their own definite personalities! The Christmas descriptions are delightful and I wanted to be there, buying Christmas goodies and eating mince pies.

If you want a good Christmas story with a bit of depth that will make you think and ultimately make you feel happy and Christmassy - look no further, just buy this lovely book.

I really warmed to the central character of Molly; just as much as her crazy rabble of animals all with their own unique personalities. You really do get a feel for life on Hope Farm and the residents.

Dive in as everyone pulls together to raise some funds for the farm with a Christmas open day and nativity.

Filled with warmth, some of Lucas's quick witted one liners will have you smiling, Molly's mishaps with the animals.....and the mishaps in her love life too with her partner Shelby!

Chaos, fun and personal problems make this an entertaining read.


Christmas for beginners is the sequel to happiness for beginners.

This book from Carole Matthews has really got me in the Christmas spirit. An uplifting, heartwarming, entertaining hug of a book, if this doesn't get you feeling festive then nothing will.

A nice and easy cosy read with all the Xmas feels. Christmas for Beginners had a nice setting and story line however I did find the plot quite predictable.

Molly Baker lives on Hope Farm in Buckinghamshire, and in between looking after a variety of rescued animals, she also runs a school for troubled children who struggle in mainstream education. Molly is in her thirties and thought that she was never going to find love, until Shelby Dacre, star of a wildly famous soap opera entered her life and swept her off her feet while simultaneously saving her farm and school from bankruptcy. That was in the summer, but now it’s coming up to Christmastime and Molly is still doing all she can to raise money for the farm so that she can keep it afloat. Working together with Bev, Alan and Shelby’s son Lucas, Molly is organising a Christmas open day to market Hope Farm to the community, and everything is going smoothly … until one of her rescued alpacas eats the Baby Jesus from the nativity scene.

As the preparations for Christmas start to ramp up, Molly has to juggle the demands of the farm and her new fledgling relationship with a man who – although he plays a farmer on TV every day – is actually highly allergic to every type of animal Molly keeps on the farm. On top of this, Lucas finds himself a girlfriend and without Shelby there to guide her, Molly has to navigate a type of single parenthood she wasn’t quite expecting to deal with quite yet. The open day must be a success, but how exactly Molly can corral a herd of difficult children and even more difficult animals into displays of Yuletide cheer while still keeping her own life together, she still hasn’t quite managed to figure out.

I haven’t read many of Carole Matthews’ books, but those I have read have always been charming and quirky, filled with a really feel-good atmosphere. Added to this is that this book is set around Christmas, and I’m sold. Before reading this book, I wasn’t completely aware that it was a sequel to one of Matthews’ previous novels, Happiness for Beginners (how I missed this fact, I don’t know), but Christmas for Beginners stands completely on its own. I was instantly drawn into the story and I didn’t feel any kind of disconnect from not having read the first book in the series. My only complaint now is that because I have read the sequel, and it does such a good job of catching me up on what happened before, that I feel like I won’t be able to read the first book in the series with as much excitement and curiosity about what is going to happen.

Everything about this book is sweet and makes you feel good. Granted, for some, it may across a bit twee, with hijinks from animals that seem as if they are characterised for appearance in a cartoon or sitcom; and storylines that feel lifted out of a rom com. But, with that all being said, I think this book serves as wonderful escapism, and I enjoyed reading it. Sometimes twee and slightly unbelievable are exactly the medicine that the doctor ordered, and I feel like Carole Matthews administers that medicine with aplomb.

Where I feel this book excelled and stood out from other books in a similar genre is its position as a sequel to the “happy ever after” that romance novels often provide. Most books in this genre follow a formula: girl meets boy; girl and boy dance awkwardly around one another for a little while; girl and boy fall in love and live happily ever after. This book stood out to me in that it looks at what happens when “happily ever after” isn’t exactly what you thought it would be. It asks questions about what happens when the relationship you thought was destined to last forever has some bumps in the road, and how you deal with them, which I thought was a refreshing take on the genre (and not one I come across that often).

Overall, I thought that this book was immensely enjoyable and definitely worth the read. The writing was a bit sugary sweet for me – I felt that sometimes it veered towards being too charming to be natural; the same way I feel about books by Katie Fforde – but the plot was engaging, and the characters were interesting. I enjoyed this book immensely and definitely think that I will be picking up another Carole Matthews book again in the not-too-distant future.

Thanks to NetGalley and Sphere of Little, Brown Book Group UK for the ARC in exchange for a review!

I was so excited this was a return to the wonderful Hope Farm. The same great cast of characters- whether they have 2, 3 or 4 legs - and a place where I'd love to spend time. I love the chaos, the fun and the caring. We find Molly and the gang approaching Christmas, a few months after they moved to their new farm at the end of Happiness for Beginners. Lucas is living with Molly in her shiny new caravan on Hope Farm while his dad commutes between pantomime in Birmingham and spending family time with them. Shelby's allergies to the animals are getting more problematic and Molly does not relish the thought of moving into Homewood Manor. We meet new mayor, Matt, who helps out at the farm, and enjoy their build up to Christmas. Personal problems along the way, some growing up for Lucas and truly heart warming. I am very much hoping there is more to come from Molly, Lucas and the rest of the Hope Farm gang. #netgalley #christmasforbeginners

A lovely return to Hope Farm. This is the second in this series, and whilst it could be read as a stand-alone you would have missed how they got where they are now so I would highly recommend reading 'Happiness for Beginners' first.

This time we're back at the wonderful Hope Farm, but around Christmas and the run up to their Christmas Open Day, which Molly is dreading as she's not a great people person, but Bev has said they need to gather local interest in what they are doing and need funds for their work to continue.

Hope Farm is a place where children who are disadvantaged or who can't get on in mainstream school, for whatever reason, are sent to try and help them. Molly owns the farm, and has various helpers, mainly Bev and Alan who keep everything under control, or try to! There are a multitude of animals, lots of them very naughty, to look after, who are rescues from various places. I just love the animals, the favourite part of these books for me!

Molly is in a relationship with Shelby (an actor who helped fund the move to their new farm) and his son, Lucas (moody/teenager), lives with her in her caravan on the farm, as he doesn't get on with his Dad. Shelby was the only really annoying part of this story, he really irritated me and I wasn't really sure why Molly was so lenient with him. But we also have another new character, in the form of Mayor Matt, who I absolutely loved. Hopefully we'll see him in another installment of this wonderful series.

So there's the usual animal mayhem, with plenty of laughs, but also some more emotional parts, and all set around Christmas. Just a really lovely read that will brighten your day!

A lovely book, with sadness, joys, heart strings plucked, and altogether another Carole Matthews success.
I hadnt read the previous book, but found that it didnt matter.
The angst of teenagerhood, the frailties of relationships between Shelby and his son, are so well portrayed. So also is the love that Molly gives out to animals and humans .
Alpacas provide a touch of ongoing humour throughout the story.
Thanks to NetGalley for a review copy which I enjoyed very much.

Despite not reading the first book " Happiness for beginners", Carole does an excellent job of bringing the reader up to speed in the first few chapters without letting too much out of the bag.
I will be making sure I read the first book in due course.

An easy, nice read from start to finish.

I loved the setting for this book. The fact that the farm is used as an outreach program for troubled youths really interested me. The characters were described realistically and I was touched by each of the students troubles and situations. I felt like ..... Wanting to rescue them all from their current situations and hug them.

The protagonist, Molly seems older than in her 30's. Her relationship with actor Shelby is something to be desired. From the beginning, I dislike Shelby and his attitude towards the farm and his son Lucas who is in the care of Molly while he thinks of nothing but his acting career. I do start to feel for him at some points during the book, but my aggravation comes back too many times. I know his relationship with his son on strained but he doesn't even try. I feel this is where reading the first book would have been helpful.
Love the other supporting characters lovely Bev, stroppy Lucas and loved up Alan.

The whole way through the book I keep thinking how patient Molly is. With her relationship with Shelby, the animals , the children and with Lucas. Especially after Lucas announces his bombshell and her own heartbreaking loss.

I struggled a bit to get into the story at first but quickly became engrossed in the book. The Christmas feeling on the farm definitely helped and I actually wet myself laughing at the fiasco with the alpacas in the nativity.( Just you wait.)

All in all a splendid read; not just for Christmas.

I have always liked reading Carole Matthews books so I was pleased that I got to read this book. I have not read the previous book but you can read this one as a stand alone.
We have Molly, Lucas & Shelby and they are back with the animals. Also we have the Hot Mayor added into the mix. Some of the exploits that the animals get up to are so funny.
They are having a Christmas open day for the farm to raise funds.
There is romance in this book and also deals with other issues in life.
Will there be a sequel to this book I hope so as I would want to know what happens to Molly & Lucas.
Certainly I would recommend this book.

I knew this book was a sequel. I had read the previous book, albeit some time ago, but could remember enough to get by. Overall, there is a lot to like in this book. Its strength lies in the farm and the animals. I loved the descriptions of all the animals - lots of humour. I have to say though that I found Molly, the main character, a little irritating. She definitely put Shelby's son, Luke, before Shelby himself. I know Shelby wasn't perfect, but I did feel some sympathy for him at times. I was really surprised by what happened in this story regarding Molly and Shelby. There were enough hints, but it's not what's usually done in a sequel, so kudos to Carole for doing something different. I loved all the supporting characters including the lovely Mayor. Some deep issues were looked at in this book, though were done so with a light touch. As for the Christmas element - lovely. All in all a good read. And room for a third book me-thinks. With thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Back to the New Hope farm with the lead up to Christmas. Funny and entertaining, a lovely book for a cold winters day or night. Carole Matthews has done it again with another best seller.

The next in the Hope Farm series. Following on from Happiness for Beginners and the story of Molly and friends around Hope Farm. It’s probably best reading Happiness first to gain an appreciation of the characters and whose who. This book certainly put a smile on my face and I couldn’t put it down. Is it too early to read a Christmas book, certainly not and during these dark days everyone needs this book. I love the characters and the easy to read chapters. Thanks Carole Matthews and NetGalley.

This is a sequel to Carole Matthews' Happiness for Beginners, and features Molly, who runs Hope Farm, an animal shelter and retreat for troubled kids. In this sequel, Molly encounters various difficulties and adventures as she tries to arrange a Christmas Open Day to raise funds for her work.

I will charitably say i must not be in the festive spirit yet and perhaps this is why Christmas for Beginners was not.for me. There are little drawings of geese at the start of each chapter which I just found unbearably twee for a work of adult fiction. In the same vein, the farm animals all have names like 'Nancy Naughty Dog' and wear ribbons around their necks and have jolly japes, which felt something like an Enid Blyton story. The protagonist is so saintly that not only does she rescue abandoned animals and also abandoned children....she is also so radiantly glowing with goodness that she doesn't even need to wear make-up. Yuck!

As I say, perhaps just a personal response from someone not ready for a festive read, especially in this most unfestive of years, but it struck all false notes for me, and I just couldn't finish it.

A lovely festive read. I didn't realise it was a sequel but it was easy to read as a standalone book.

I did find it very slow going to start with but I stuck with it and it had a great storyline with lots happening and an ending that I was very happy with!

Thanks to Netgalley i got to read this before publication date.

Oh my gosh it was so nice to revisit Hope farm and mark 2 nonetheless. I really felt for Molly having to move from where she had lived for so long and for the most part been very happy. Her Aunt was scattered there and it was an emotional day when they moved.

But...Hope farm mark 2 is just as splendid if not more so because of her new swanky caravan (not that she wanted one, but it's nice that Lucas can now stay sometimes). I still havent warmed to Shelby but I beginning to feel a little bit sorry for him, Molly and Lucas get on so well and I think he may be a little jealous of this. Since Lucas' mum died and teenage angst hit him he has found things difficult. Molly seems to understand him more than his dad and doesnt say the wrong thing (which Shelby mores so that not does).

I really like the hustle and bustle and preparation of the run up to the nativity show and the introduction of the Mayor (who happens to be handsome too). The animals are hilarious and I love that this is based on a real farm that helps young people who have behavioural or additional learning needs, as Molly does.

I dont usually find a sequel of a book as good as the first but this one is as good if not better than the first.

Thank you Carole for writing another amazing book and thank you again Netgalley for allowing me to read this ahead of publication.

Wow what a read fab loved it all great fun characters they become your friends your just pulled into the plot one amazing book