Alex inherits a farm and goes on a journey to learn about farming. A few other characters are integral to the story but I found it a little slow. An ok read

Freelance journalist, Alex, loses her regular work and almost immediately inherits a sheep farm in the Welsh countryside. -a complete mystery why a friend of her father should leave her the farm when she has no farming experience whatsoever . . Not only does she discover she could grow to like it, but other events occur which she never expected, keeping the reader's interest throughout. Perfect holiday/wet weather reading .

I have thoroughly enjoyed this author’s memoirs and walking books so had high hopes of this. She comes across as such a warm and caring person with a huge love of the countryside and all animals and this certainly shows in this novel too. This was the perfect antidote to the current period of stress I am going through and looked forward to my nightly reading sessions. Her knowledge of all things farming is evident and helped me understand the challenges of taking on a farm when you have no experience much more. The characters were all well drawn and was the sort of story that grabs you in a ‘wanting to meet up with old friends’ way ! Thoroughly recommended whether you are currently stressed or not!!

This was an ok book. I think it tried to be too many things at once. Seemed like it would be a bit of a romp of a woman about 40 who’s a London writer for a magazine that gets left a sheep farm in Wales. Then there was a bit of a mystery as to why. She had some issues with two different characters that she didn’t quite hit it off with and the resolution was a major part of the story and connected a bit too unrealistically. There were several things that didn’t ring true to me in the plot. And for a woman her age, she didn’t seem to know herself very well.

#PasturesNew #Netgalley

Lovely easy read book regarding inheriting a farm, and starting a new life in the countryside. The storyline has a twist to it. The more you read the book the more you want to know what happens with Alex and the farm.

Such a delightfully full of fun book. The characters are down to earth and the dogs are cheeky. There is playful banter and humourous wit. It's about starting again and loving what you are dealt and what you have. It was just the lighthearted read that I needed and I found it extremely enjoyable.

Pastures New by Clare Balding ⭐️⭐️
Somewhere within this book could have been a good story. Alex inherits a farm and hasn’t a clue why. Instead of drawing you into a story of why she’s been bequeathed this …. You are sent on a detailed, boring story about animals and people you are not invested in. Cosy and predictable.

Clare writes so well.

Interesting characters. I will be buying this book as I did not get to finish it due to time constraints

Pastures New is the debut novel from Clare Balding and follows journalist Alex who heads off to pastures new. Just when things are taking a nosedive at work, she unexpectedly receives the news that she’s inherited a farm from someone she has never heard of in Wales. The conditions of the will are that she can’t sell it for five years so she determines to make the best of it and learn what she can about farming. With the farm finances far from healthy, she not also has to be a quick learner, she needs to come up with some money making ideas quickly!

I really enjoyed this gentle story. Clare Balding has created some wonderfully likeable characters including Alex of course, her close friend Ethan, her grumpy neighbour race-horse trainer Dickon, new friends ‘Magic’ Mandy. There are also some pretty nasty characters too who are determined to scupper Alex’s attempts to save the farm. As you might expect from Clare Balding, animals play a large part in the story with Welsh Terrier Jiffy quickly becoming Alex’s loyal companion, a nervous racehorse called The Skirrid and I couldn’t possible miss out the sheep Barry John.

I enjoyed reading about Alex learning about running a farm. We see the realities of modern farming whether that’s losing animals, paying ever increasing bills, complying with legislation or battling the weather. The mystery of why she had been left the farm is a thread running through the story and although I thought it was fairly obvious, it was still interesting to read about, as I wondered what Alex’s reaction would be when she found out. There were also elements of romance for some of the characters.

Pastures New was a light-hearted and uplifting story. I thoroughly enjoyed the author’s warm writing style and spending time with the characters she created. I do hope she writes a sequel as I feel there were some things hinted at which are still to be revealed. I’d also like to find out how Alex gets on with her work to save the farm. A cosy read, I recommend Pastures New to readers who enjoy feel-good books about new starts and country living.

This is a really feel good read by the author. A lovely, well written story, with plenty of animal, as well as human characters. Just a perfect summer read, even if it is all just a bit predictable but I really enjoyed it! There are a few questions left unanswered and I would like to hope there will be a follow up. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

A warm, homely and comforting read. I got lost and absorbed in this outstanding debut from Clare Balding. It featured a strong cast of characters, humour, love and celebrated the joys of rural living. I can already think of several people to recommend this to, all of whom are regulars in the library I work. The appeal is in the strength and ease of the writing, the novel was a pleasure to read.

The book centres around Alex, almost forty and living in London in a job that is giving her no joy as a freelance journalist. She feels a bit lost in life and compares her life to others at her age. She is very close to her family, particularly her father and Auntie. She and her mother are close too but don’t often see eye to eye. Out of the blue she receives a letter stating that a stranger has left her a sheep farm to her in his will. What follows is her total shift from city life as she embarks on the running of a ramshackle, crumbling and debt ridden sheep farm in the idyllic borderlands between England and Wales.

The book was so utterly charming. I thoroughly enjoyed it. A great read if you are looking for something light and easy that still has depth. Thank you so much to Harper Collins and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this novel.

As much as I like and admire Clare Balding, and was looking forward to reading Pastures New, I can't recommend it. It's unoriginal, derivative and predictable.

This kind of cosy fiction - apparently aimed at women - is not my normal choice of genre, but I do like a light read when travelling because it's often hard to concentrate on "heavier" books. However, Pastures New was in danger of putting me to sleep; it's all been done before and done better. Milly Johnson crafts this kind of story with more skill and less predictability, Jilly Cooper writes with more drama and humour, while in the "celebrity author" area Sara Cox's novels are better written and with more down to earth sensibility.

I was expecting Ms Balding's lovely, sharp sense of humour to pepper Pastures New, but instead the "funny" moments and comments feel forced and deliberate. The writing really didn't feel like her own voice - as if it had been tidied up by someone else - and there was no distinct character to the writing. I hated how snippets of social comment were poked in to make the story feel contemporary (eg. bigging up the NHS when a character was critical) and any attempts at social satire came across as bitchiness.

In summary, stick to non-fiction Clare or go for the novel full tilt instead of producing a flat yarn with cardboard cut-out characters. Let's hear YOU in the next book!

I wasn’t sure what I would think of this book but I wasn’t disappointed. I loved the characters, the scenery and the writing style. Barry John was inspired. Wonderful.

Lovely, heartwarming thought provoking story of those moments in life when opportunity presents itself in the strangest of ways.
I loved Clare’s writing and style, weaving in her own experience and passions. I thought I knew where the story was going at several points but the story swerved and changed taking me with it.
The characters are well written and all but the real antagonist won a place in my heart by the end, leaving me wanting a sequel to find out their next chapter.

Claire Balding definitely writes about what she knows to good effect. As a Welsh woman I was rather worried that the locals were going to be stereotypical in their portrayal, especially when the first word Rhys said to Ethan and Alex was 'Duw!' I needn't have worried.
The majority of the characters are warm, likeable and relateable. Some of the others were more like pantomime villains. I was thankful that Isobel redeemed herself in the end but she was still a bit of a conundrum.
A great holiday read with a reasonably satisfying ending, although I did she'd a few tears along with Alex.

I had only read Clare Balding's children's books before, so I was pleased to receive an ARC copy of 'Pastures New' from Netgalley (this has not affected my review). Alex is fired from her job at a celebrity magazine after writing an honest but scathing story about a celebrity football player, and her life is suddenly turned upside down. Returning home for a few days, she receives a letter informing her she has inherited a sheep farm in Wales, However, the farm has seen better days but a number of the local community rely on it - she decides to get it going again and return to her life in London. However, things don't go to plan... Humorously written about the ups and downs of rural life, with a sensitive LGBTQ+ romance, this will be a great addition to my school library. The story covers several months so would make a great escapist read for any time of year.

This is an enjoyable and engaging read. It was a little slow to get started, and the big reveal was obvious very early on. This would be clear to most readers, and gave the impression not that the reader was in on something that Alex wasn’t, but wondering how she had managed to miss it despite the numerous clues she’d been given. I found that quite distracting. But aside from that there were some interesting and believable characters who related to each other in imaginative ways, and a storyline that had several pleasing threads which were pulled together towards the end. Overall I would recommend it.

I was so pleased to be able to review this novel and it was on my Kindle for the long school holidays. I loved this sweet story written by Clare Balding. Clare has a love for equestrian and farming and felt there was elements of Clarkson's farm in there too.
I have just been on a trip to Hay on Wye and can see the appeal for the black mountains - it is a beautiful part of the world.
Predictable in some ways, finding yourself, some beautiful characters and some not!!
Well researched and written and Clare can write a good story.
Readers- please read this for what it is don't get hung up about how the protagonist financially manages the farm and legal aspects.
Due for publication October 2nd 2025 - a recommended read.

Alex Robert’s, working as a reporter for a “celebrity” magazine, receives a rather disturbing letter advising that she has become the owner of a rather run-down 100 acre sheep farm in Monmouthshire, following the death of a man she has never met or known - William Griffiths. After writing a rather scathing review of a party she was asked to attend and report on, he finds herself sacked, so ropes in a gay friend, Ethan, to join her on a trip to `Monmouthshire so that he can perhaps advise her as to what she can or cannot do to improve the situation

It doesn’t take long for her to fall in love with the fresh air life, being well looked after by William’s former housekeeper, Gwen, and Jiffy, his dog, who instantly follows her everywhere. She and especially Ethan soon get to know Rhys, the local publican and meet other members of the community including her grim neighbour, Dickon who runs a small racing stable.. Whilst trying to sort out the mountain of paperwork and also pacifying Dickon whose stable is in danger of closing, she starts to delve deeper into William’s life, and in turn discovers more about herself an how her future can be shaped.

A lovely novel and good for holiday reading

This heartfelt and engaging story captures the emotional highs and lows of a woman finding her way through life’s challenges. With strong, relatable characters and a focus on personal growth, relationships, and resilience, it’s a book that resonates on many levels.

The writing is warm and honest, offering moments of humor, reflection, and inspiration. Whether it’s about starting over, mending family ties, or discovering one’s true self, this novel is a satisfying and uplifting read.