Enjoyed reading this book about Alex who receives a letter to say she has inherited a farm in Wales. On arrival she feels as though she has been there before, her two companions are a lovely welsh terrier and an idiots guide to farming. A lovely light hearted read with team work, friends and family as the key.
My thanks to NetGalley and Publisher HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction | HarperCollins for the early read.

The first novel by Clare Balding.

Alex receives a letter telling her she has inherited a Welsh farm from a man she has never heard of, and when she loses her job, she decides to take a risk and try to learn how to farm. The story follows her progress, and working out why she has been the person to inherit.

A well written story, it is entertaining and has a great pace. There are lots of great characters, both human and animal - the sheep/horse combo of Barry John and Skirry were my particular favourites, and I loved Rhys and Gwen taking Alex under their wings. Having the animals named after Welsh rugby players was also a fun touch, and the 80s music references were wonderful!

A great first novel, I will definitely look out for more.

I did not know what to expect from this book and have to admit to being pleasantly surprised. I thoroughy enjoyed it, thought it was well written and liked the characters. The story was very real with an insight into the world of farming and horses. Highly Recommend.

Alex is a gossip journalist who avoids commitment as much as possible. However, when she is bequeathed a Welsh farm from someone she doesn't know, and has a falling out with her editor, she decides to move to Wales and embrace farming life.

This is a cosy story with plenty of feel good factors (animals, love, overcoming adversity etc), and it is for those reasons that I have given 4 stars. However, there were also quite a lot of plot holes which, while they didn't detract too much from the story, left me with questions: Why was Alex not more curious about her mysterious benefactor at the start? How did she survive for money with no income? Also, my copy had a lot of errors, which I hope will be picked up before printing (word duplication, missing words etc).

Those niggles aside, it was a light, cosy read and an ideal holiday book.

Quite a gentle, easy read but still very enjoyable.

When Alex inherits a farm from a man she has never heard of she doesn’t know what to think and what do with it but then she loses her job and decides she has no other choice but to make it work.

Full of interesting characters and maybe lined up for a sequel.

Really enjoyed this book. New beginnings, friendships and romance with a little bit of mystery and unscrupulous people. Easy read.

When Alex inherits a sheep farm from a man she's never met, she‘s at the start of a very steep learning curve.

I’ve previously enjoyed Clare Balding’s non-fiction writing and I really wanted to like her adult fiction debut but it just wasn’t for me. The writing style didn’t draw me in and, unfortunately, I didn’t find the story very interesting either. The rural setting, sense of community and narrative about dogs and horses will appeal to some readers.

Thank you to HarperCollins and NetGalley for sharing an eARC with me in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book. It was full of charm, with great characters, a gorgeous setting and well-written.
The plot centres around Alex who inherits a sheep farm in rural Wales from someone she has never met. We are taken through Alex's adventures with ups and downs and a little romance along the way. Is this what Alex really wants? Decisions to be made.
Clare's love of animals is evident throughout with lovely little descriptions of the dogs and horses Alex meets.
This is a feel-good book, a book full of warmth and a touch of humour.
Highly recommend.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC.

This is not a genre that I normally read but I was interested to read this author's debut novel. It was a very enjoyable read with great characters and a different storyline focusing on a new life on a farm and also some of the storyline included horse racing. The story looks at family relationships and secrets that can be kept within families.
Many thanks to Harper Collins, NetGalley and the author for providing me with an electronic copy of the book in return for an honest and unbiased review.
The book will be released on the 11th September in hardback, e-book and audiobook formats.

I have to say I loved this book! I was rooting for Alex from the start. I have a little bit of knowledge of horsey circles, so that element was interesting – and having just got our first puppy, I also loved the relationship between Alex and her new dog. Plus having watched ‘Clarkson’s Farm’ I feel, like most people, that I am aware of how tough making a living from farming is – and this is portrayed well in the book.

The supporting cast of characters are also wonderful – Alex’s family and friends – old and new – are fabulous, and their relationships evolve during the storyline.

I’ve just described this book to my hairdresser as being exactly what you’d expect from a Clare Balding book – a lovely easy comforting read with a heart.

A huge thank you to the publishers and Net Galley for my ARC – if you like the sound of it you can pre order now for when the book is out next month, and I highly recommend you do.

This was such a quirky book and so much fun!
All the characters really made me laugh.
I would love to inherit a farm myself, you can really tell the author grew up on a farm and around animals etc as it really shined throughout the story.

The whole story put a huge smile on my face, I really hope it ends up being a series.

Alex unexpectedly inherits a farm in Wales. She doesn't understand why or the reluctance of her parents to talk about it. Her life and her attitude to it are turned upside down as discoveries ensue. I found this an enjoyable book.

A legacy changes her life.
Clare Balding has come up with a very pleasing story of a 40 year old woman finally finding cher niche in life. The lead character, Alex, has flitted in and out of unsatisfactory relationships. She is in a job she is good at, and it pays her mortgage, but she is not enthralled by it and is generally dissatisfied. This all changes when she is informed by solicitors that she has inherited a sheep farm in Monmouthshire ( now Gwent) and that she can not sell it for five years. She visits to investigate and is captivated by the place and the locals, notwithstanding that the farm is in poor repairing is making a loss.
This is a very well written ook, and the vivid descriptions of the area around Abergavenny really show the true feel of that countryside.The cast of characters is believable, if in some cases a bit stereotypical. There are hints here in some parts of a homage to Black Beauty.The overall effect is a strong feelgood factor.

I struggled to get the title straight in my head—“Green Pastures,” “New Pastures”… it only truly settled as Pastures New once I’d finished the book.
The first half felt scattered, as if the author hadn’t quite decided which story to tell. There were lots of threads introduced, but few felt fully developed. One scene in particular—where the father has a stroke and the family continues hosting dinner parties—felt implausible and emotionally disconnected.

The second half, however, found its footing. The story became more coherent and reasonably enjoyable, with clearer direction and stronger pacing.
Just a note: there were a few spelling errors that could do with a final proofread.

This is a lovely bright and breezy feel-good read just right for the summer. We follow Alex as she makes a tremendous life change from journalist to Welsh livestock farmer

This is the first book by Clare Balding I’ve read and I wasn’t surprised by the intelligent non-cheesy writing. I also wasn’t surprised that there were a fair few canine characters!

I found some parts hard to get my head around (starting with Isobel still hosting a dinner party on the same day her husband has had a pretty every stroke and ending with the the unlikely character of Magic Mandy) but despite it feeling a little long in the second half I did enjoy it and really liked the setting and quirky characters. I shall look out for more!

This is a lovely easy summer read. With mostly lovely characters and a farm with lambs and horses that become buddies, a budding romance and a happy ever after, it made for a nice feel good read.

Just lovely! Clare Balding captures the desolation of a wet and windy Wales perfectly and uses the setting and the mood it invokes to bring depth to the characters and the situations they find themselves in. A great first novel and I look forward to more!

A brilliant first novel by Clare Balding.

Alex has avoided responsibility all her life and plods along in her freelance journalist job that she doesn't really enjoy anymore. After a scathing response from one of her articles, she finds herself out of work and wondering what she is going to do, when a letter arrives informing her she has been left a farm in Wales by somebody she has never met or even heard of.

Whilst trying to organise the farm, she uncovers secrets from her past and that of her parents but struggles to get the answers from them - just more questions.

A tale of new beginnings and entrepreneurship with a heavy dose of countryside, animals, family, friendship and community - this has all my favourite ingredients for a great read. And, I did like the overall story but it was a fairly slow, long read and unnecessarily and repeatedly descriptive of the scenery. I also felt like some elements, aka Magic Mandy, were slightly forced for the author's rather than reader's benefit. So an ok rather than great read overall.

Pastures new by Clare Balding
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4.5 out of 5)

Never judge a book by its cover ! You would think I would have realised that by now . Even though I love Clare Balding for some reason I didn’t think I would rate this book very highly and I honestly don’t know why but I’m so glad I gave it a chance.
It might be the sleep deprivation and my new mum brain but I really am struggling to keep my attention on my reading at the moment . I feel like Goldilocks and all my books need to be ‘just right’ and this was the perfect temperature for me.

When Alex, nearing her 40s, unexpectedly inherits a crumbling sheep farm in the wilds of Wales (along with a grumpy neighbour and a cheeky Welsh terrier), her world gets beautifully reshaped .

Clare Balding’s signature warmth, wit, and observational flair shine through in every page. I found myself rooting for Alex as she navigates local gossip, the world of horse racing and sheep herding and discovers how community, belonging, and unexpected truths can transform lives.

If you’re craving a heartfelt escape to rural Wales, rich with vibrant characters, gentle humour, and the promise of new beginnings this one’s for you. It’s the perfect book for a rainy day read or (even better) a cosy holiday beach read.