New Beginnings At Glendale Hall

Have just finished reading this fabulous book, couldn’t put it down. The story of Emily and how after having her heart broken and things not going to plan with her boyfriend heads to Glendale for her friends wedding. Here, in the midst of friends and doing what she loves she finds time to think things through. She also finds herself receiving the one piece of good news she’s always wanted.
On going back home, things come to a head and her relationship takes a bad turn, after having a helping hand from her employer/friend/mentor she heads once again to Glendale to attend another wedding and to start a new chapter in her life, once again with the help of family/friends. Definitely recommend this book, you won’t be disappointed.

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 books.

Couldn’t wait to read this book as I absolutely loved coming home to Glendale hall! And new beginnings at Glendale hall was even better! Lovely to be back in Scotland and to be reunited with Beth and her family and to see the progression of various relationships! Emily is the main character this time and is such a likeable, lovely soul who deserves so much more than Greg could offer her,her story unfolds gradually with a few unexpected surprises on the way but leads to great things with her bakery, baby and Brodie! A great book that draws you in would highly recommend, would love to see another book back at Glendale in the future!
Thank you net galley for this early read

I had read the first Glendale Book in the series last year so was delighted to be approved to read this one. However, this book can be read as a standalone so don't worry if you missed out on the first one (though I thoroughly recommend it!) This book is just as good and I loved the character development in it. It also has ups and downs which makes it relatable and interesting. Would certainly recommend it as a must-read in 2020!

First of all, I just want to say how completely in love I am with the cover of ‘New Beginnings at Glendale Hall’ The colours just burst off the cover 😍

Even though I haven’t read the first book in the Glendale series (well not yet!) this didn’t affect me getting to know the different characters and I wasn’t at all confused. So this just confirms for me that you can read this series in order or as standalone novels.

We meet Emily who has found out that her boyfriend Greg has cheated on her. There is so much more to their relationship problems but I won’t go into any further details as this would give away some of the plot. The setting of Glendale in Scotland sounds idyllic and I would actually love to visit (if this was a real place) The Glendale Hall and it’s surrounding grounds is the perfect setting for this story. Emily has some very tough decisions to make in her life but will she choose what’s right for her?

Emily is such an endearing person, when reading this story I wanted what was best for her. I felt sorry for her for how she was treat by Greg. The friendship between Emily and Beth just radiates from the pages even though they live far apart they are there for each other no matter what ❤️ I also loved Molly, she is so supportive for Emily. We just can’t forget the lovely and gorgeous Reverend Brodie (swoon!)

If you want to curl up warm with a good book then this is the one for you. Victoria’s narrative is so detailed you feel like you are there with Emily and the gang. I am definitely going to be reading the first in the series very soon. Victoria is an author that is definitely on my radar. I give ‘New Beginnings at Glendale Hall’ 5*/5* 😊

Thank you to Hera Books for an advance copy of this book via Netgalley.

New beginnings are indeed at the very heart of my first read by Victoria Walters, and with a likeable bunch of characters and some real and difficult issues mingled in amongst the overall feel-good factor, I’d call it a success.

“When life gives you lemons, then just make the best damn lemonade that you can.”

Having read the blurb, it was pretty clear there would be some form of angst of the love-triangle variety. Not for everyone, its not a plot I’m fond of but it worked and worked well—it wasn’t overplayed, drawn out or frustrating with the spotlight shining more on Emily starting over, focussing on herself and her dreams despite the curveballs she’s thrown. All whilst being supported by a fun bunch of friends and family and Glendale’s gorgeous vicar, Brodie.

“I must warn you. I’m a minister who drinks, as well as being young with a cracking sense of humour.”

Whether it’s coincidence I don’t know, but there’s lovely little village near Inverness called Brodie that also has a stately home/castle and in my head that was Glendale adding another little layer to my enjoyment of this story. And, having discovered this was actually Victoria Walters’ second outing to this lovely highland village, I can definitely say New Beginnings at Glendale Hall can easily be read as a stand-alone, and with a writing voice which worked for me, I’ll be checking out more from her in the future.

Well before I start gushing too much let me just point out that she’s only gone and done it again!! I just LOVE THIS AUTHOR!!
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💭My Thoughts💭⠀
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This was one of my highly anticipated reads of the year and my gosh, it did not disappoint. ⠀
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I am a huge fan of Vicky’s books and New Beginnings at Glendale Hall was just pure perfection. ⠀
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I was instantly drawn to Emily’s character and how she always puts others first before her own happiness. I absolutely sobbed when she found out about Greg’s deceitful behaviour and I just wanted to give her a hug.⠀
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Then she heads off to the beautiful Glendale Hall and that beautiful stately home seems to work it’s magic, because Emily finds family in the friends she makes there. Emily starts to make some of her dreams become a reality and starts putting herself first. ⠀
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I personally think Emily is an absolute legend, she’s really been put through a lot but she just keeps on going and never lets it get to her. ⠀
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Then there’s Brodie!! There are no words to describe how wonderful he is, he’s the perfect man. ⠀
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This book is beautifully written and I read it in a day. I laughed, I cried A LOT but mostly my heart was warmed by this story, full of community spirit and true friendships. I have a gaping hole left where this book was and I actually feel devastated that I’ve finished it.⠀
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The ending is left as a bit of a cliffhanger and I sincerely hope there will be a sequel to this absolutely gorgeous book!!! I don’t think I’ll be alone in wanting to find out what happens next, and I’m not ready for my visits to Glendale Hall to be over. ⠀
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ easy stars from me ⠀

This is the first title that I have read by Victoria Walters but I will definitely read more! This was a heartwarming quick read with lovely characters that developed nicely. There were a few unexpected surprises in the book and I am looking forward to any potential follow up titles.

I enjoyed Coming Home to Glendale Hall very much, so when I saw this sequel, I naturally snapped it up. I’m so glad I did.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading New Beginnings at Glendale Hall, as with the previous book, it was very relaxing. Although plenty of difficulties occurred for Emily (and some of the people around her), it never felt miserable or upsetting. The pace of the story was great - it took place over months, and didn’t have people falling in love within days, which I do get a little sick of sometimes. The character development was also really good, as well as seeing favourite characters from the previous book, I enjoyed seeing Emily come into her own, as well as start learning to accept help from those who love her.

Overall, this was a very pleasing story, with well rounded characters, and a good dash of romance. Lots of cake too, of course!

I was given a free copy of this book. My opinions are (as always) my own.

Emily Prescott, expert baker, is in a dwindling relationship with firefighter boyfriend when she finds out he cheated on her. She doesn’t know how to handle the complicated mess of her life, so she flees to her childhood home in Scotland to serve as bridesmaid and make the wedding cake for her friend Beth’s wedding. The drama intensifies as even more issues come to light.

This is an enjoyable and relaxing read that gives me all the feelings I wish for in a book of this genre. I loved that this story has such a light, happy and sometimes funny vibe to it. There are patches of life wisdom scattered about, which I find an added bonus. I feel drawn in by plenty of descriptions of life in Glendale, which reminds me of rural life of my childhood in northern Norway. I always seem to enjoy stories set in Scotland. There’s just something about descriptions of relationships and the rural community feel that that appeals to me so much.

Beth Williams, bride and small town power house, is working to breathe new life into the community using her grandmother’s inheritance. She has chosen to make her wedding a major community rally to both make the wedding perfect and to add business and activity to the Glendale area.

I am pleased to see Emily has support of her close Scottish friends and family at a time when she feels life is tough and she doesn’t know what the next step is. There is a whole cast of background characters in this story who are all Emily’s friends and family. Most important is commitment phobic boyfriend Greg, who fortunately goes through a major development throughout and is essential to the plot. Also vital to this story is handsome minister Brodie Stewart. His presence intensifies the drama and complications even more.

I really appreciate how the writing relates a cozy vibe despite the complexities and drama of the plot. Relaxing summery weather descriptions add to a relaxed holiday feel. Wedding preparations get a distinct place in the story. We get to follow planning of the color scheme, bridesmaid’s dresses and wedding cake as well as the outdoor arrangement of flowers and lights on the gazebo in the grounds of Glendale Hall.

This was an enjoyable and relaxing read, just as I was expecting. I would recommend it to fans of Victoria Walters and readers of romance woman’s fiction. This is book 2 in the Glendale Hall series. I read it as a standalone, which worked out just fine, and will be on the lookout for future installments.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Hera, for this ARC in return for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Another delightful novel by Victoria Walters that has everything you'd want from an uplifting and charming novel partly based in the Highlands of Scotland.

I loved the first book in this series (Coming Home to Glendale Hall) and it was like putting on a cosy sweater getting to catch up with the charming village of Glendale and all my favourite characters again; but don't worry if you haven't read the first book there is plenty of information given, and new characters introduced, to let this be a standalone novel that you can easily follow and enjoy.

Victoria doesn't shy away from tackling tricky issues (infertility, divorce, addiction, betrayal, fear of failure etc) and instead covers them with a genuine heart and insight that leaves you thinking about what you would feel and do in the same situation as the characters. There are some shocks and surprises along the way but this is a perfect pick-me=up to feeling low or if you want to avoid anything sad.

Perfect for fans of cake (so much cake!) rebuilding, recovery and family/friendships that are wonderfully flawed but perfect.

I finished this book with a smile on my face and a warm glow, it certainly gets you thinking about what your goals might be and how we maybe prioritise other things sometimes without chasing our own dreams.

Victoria has done it again!! Written a fantastic romantic novel which had me gripped from the very first page.
Emily had been there for Beth since she found out she was pregnant with her daughter Izzy, left Glendale and moved to London. Emily worked at Molly’s a wonderful bakery and life was plodding along nicely when she received an invitation to Beth and Drew’s wedding. She makes the journey to prepare the best wedding cake possible for her best friend. Life isn’t always as straightforward as you imagine it will be. Emily has some tough decisions to make and relies on family and friends to help her find the right outcome.

I definitely hope this isn’t the last visit to Glendale. I really want to move there and make friends with Emily, Beth and Heather.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. I absolutely loved this book, the settings the characters and most importantly the storyline. A recommend read.

I thoroughly loved this sweet romance. The characters are multifaceted and believable. Right when you think there is no chance for a happy ending, you might be surprised.

A really enjoyable book to read, I have never read from this author before but I would definitely recommend this book and author to people who enjoy a good book with a great storyline with twists and unexpected occasions happening

Lovely read. It was good fun to read. Nice easy to read and it was well written. A great feel good read for these horrible dark cold nights.

An absolutely lovely novel heartwarming wonderful characters.First book by this author for me can’t wait to read more #netgalley#herabooks

I enjoyed this story from beginning to end. The complexity and the little twists and turns in it made it a quick read without being boring and formulaic. I loved Emily's character development, the strength she found to overcome some overwhelming obstacles. and the return to Glendale Hall! LOVE this one!

A gem of a book that has many strands: friendship, betrayal, friends, family, and of course, romance, all in a delightful setting. A lovely gentle read, a tale skilfully told with characters both old and new that come to life, we’ll worth reading.

This is the second book in the Glendale Hall series, and can easily be read as a standalone. We follow our main character, Emily Prescott, whose life is turned upside down when she discovers that her longtime boyfriend Greg has cheated on her. Devastated by his betrayal, she flees to her hometown of Glendale, Scotland to serve as bridesmaid and make the wedding cake for her friend Beth's wedding. When Emily learns that she's pregnant, she leans on her friends and family for support and has to make some tough decisions about her relationship with Greg and their baby's future, especially when she discovers that Greg's betrayal runs much deeper than she imagined.

New Beginnings At Glendale Hall by Victoria Walters is an uplifting and heartwarming romantic story about friendships, self-discovery, and chasing your dreams. The story is beautifully written, well-paced, and makes for a fun and relaxing read. The main character, Emily is lovable and easy to relate to. She is so kind and selfless, always thinking of others and their happiness. The author did an excellent job of developing Emily's character, and I enjoyed following her journey as she slowly regained her self-confidence, and with the support of her amazing friends and family, found the courage to follow her heart. With the author's detailed description, I could easily picture the picturesque and peaceful little village of Glendale and enjoyed getting to know the villagers. Overall, this was an enjoyable read, with wonderful characters, a sweet slow-burn romance, and delicious descriptions of cake and pastries. I will definitely be reading future books in this series and look forward to reading Beth and Drew's love story in Coming Home to Glendale Hall.
Thank you to NetGalley and Hera Books for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was such an adorable story to read, full of ups and downs. I honestly didn’t like it that much in the beginning but as the story progressed, it just kept getting better. I couldn’t put it down and eventually stayed up past midnight to see how it all ended.

I totally fell in love with the gorgeous setting, the characters and the storyline, for me everything falls right into place. The main characters' chemistry came out surprisingly amazing. You never knew what was going to happen, but the feeling of them belonging together really came through at the end.

There were deep meanings to the topics discussed that I really love in this story and the author managed to get it all across very well. This was an amazing read and I can't wait to check out more of Victoria Walters' books.

This book will be released on February 5, 2020.

A big thank you to HeraBooks and Netgalley for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Really enjoyed reading this book. It was great to revisit Glendale and its many characters again. A lovely read and one to curl up with in front of a fire. Well written and hopefully there will be a third visit. Thanks to the author and Net Galley for gifting me this Arc.

At first this seemed like a novel that was feeding into a couple of common romance novel tropes with the heroine finding out that her boyfriend had cheated on her and then she goes to visit her best friend in a charming small Scottish village where everyone knows everyone is friendly, helpful, and kind. But, as the plot develops, it rises above those tropes. Emily’s boyfriend, Greg, has problems that will make your heart go out to him even as you’re pulling for Emily to move on. The new love interest is the local minister who is sexy and funny enough so that Emily and the reader can see him as more than a stereotypical vicar.

This was a heartwarming story that I really enjoyed.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

Victoria Walters
New beginnings at Glendale Hall.
Loved this book.
Unputdownable and highly entertaining, with sadness, friendships , happiness and love.
A new author for me to read and looking forward to reading more books from Victoria Walters.

Even though this is the second book in a series, I haven't read the first one and this one reads just fine as a standalone.

Emily is living in London with Greg, who has clearly been hiding things from her. She flees to Scotland and Glendale Hall, where her best friend Beth lives. Beth is getting married and has asked Emily to make the wedding cake, so it was a good reason to go up a bit early whilst she sorts her head out. Emily slots right back into Glendale, which is a tight-knit community. Her aunty Sally works at Glendale Hall so even though her parents live in London, she has her aunty and friends for support.

I have to admit that I loved the sound of the community at Glendale, we should all be so lucky to have friends and relatives like that around us! Mind you, Emily was a lovely girl too and obviously a little too nice for her own good sometimes.

This story was, in many ways, a fairly standard bit of womens fiction, and I knew which direction it was going pretty early on. However, there are some modern, gritty dilemmas for Emily to deal with, which were very well and sensitively done. It wasn't all unicorns and rainbows in this book, and that was a good thing. I gave up reading Mills & Boon years ago because it was way too predictable and same-y (is that even a word??).

Anyway, I give this book 4.5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hera for the ARC. All opinions in this review are entirely my own.

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!

I thoroughly enjoyed this sequel to Coming Home to Glendale Hall. This time, it is Emily's life that is turned upside down when her partner lets her down in the worst way. Returning to Glendale Hall several times for weddings leads her to new possibilities in life and love.

I really enjoyed the first book in the Glendale series and was so happy to see another was coming out. These books are so so lovely to read.

This is the story of Emily who is Beths friend (who we met in the first book) She has received an invite to Beths wedding and has been asked to make the wedding cake.

Emily arrives in Glendale after finding out her boyfriend has cheated on her, here she is introduced to the new young vicar Brodie.

Such a fab story and really kept me hooked from start to finish. I actually think I liked the second book a little bit more, and I adored Beths story!

👩‍🍳 Wow! Emily's life changes big-time and her partner starts the ball rolling with a shocker!🙁

I was impressed by the plot of this follow-up story about a close friend of the folks at Glendale Hall. It packs alot of challenges into baker Emily's bag and, strong woman that she is, I felt she coped brilliantly. I was surprised by the scope of her partner's secrets and felt that author Victoria Walters did an excellent job crafting a realistic, not always rosy, life is what YOU make it, story of a woman's odyssey through troubles to a promising, rich life, largely with the undeserving support of her family and true friends.

I would have rated my enjoyment higher but some parts of the story, most particularly the last few chapters, were ripe with unnecessary detail and heartfelt monologues that went on too long. However, the great bulk of the book is full of emotion, heart, and interesting real life relationship issues. Add to that an idyllic, small Scottish town where just about everybody knows your name (and your business!) and the new pastor is eye catching as well as truly comforting and empathetic, and Emily's story comes out a bit inspirational and a good deal uplifting.

Thanks to publisher Hera Books and NetGalley for providing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.

When a wedding invitation arrives, Emily travels back to her childhood home and stays with her old friend Beth. She's escaping a few relationship worries and looks forward to spending time with her aunt and her friend.
The whole area sounds so inviting that you can imagine moving in. Emily is a talented baker and plans the perfect cake for the wedding. All the characters feel so familiar and it is a lovely warm book. It's perfect to curl up with on a Sunday afternoon and to just lose yourself in the wonderful story.

**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 😉).

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Recommendations for Further Reading

Make or Break at the Lighthouse B&B by Portia MacIntosh – this book is coming out on February 14th (review to come a bit closer to that date), but if you enjoyed the wit, romance, and ideas of starting over in a new place, try this rom-com by Portia MacIntosh.
The Move by Whitney Dineen – if you enjoyed the themes of starting over and finding yourself, try this new release by Whitney Dineen.

Thank you to Rachel for letting me be part of this tour and to Hera for my copy of this book via Netgalley. I loved the first book in the Glendale series and I couldn't wait to return!

In this book, we return to Glendale Hall just in time for Beth and Drew's wedding. This time however our main character is Emily, Beth's oldest friend. After her boyfriend cheats on her she needs a break and where better than Glendale Hall! There is some sort of magic at Glendale and this is just where Emily needs to be. I really liked Emily and I loved being part of her journey. I guessed early on where Emily would end up but there was quite a story of how she gets there.

It was great to return to Glendale and see how much the village had grown since the previous book finished. I also loved catching up with the other characters too. Beth, Izzy and Drew, Rory, Heather and their little one, Caroline and John. All the characters have had so much going on it was lovely to see what they had been up to.

Vicky has a way of capturing your whole attention. I struggled to put this book down. There were quite a few characters but Vicky never makes it seem like too many. I hope we have another reason to return to Glendale because I don't know if I am quite ready to say goodbye just yet!

An absolutely gorgeous read that I adored.
I loved the community and characters from Victoria Walters’ previous book at Glendale Hall so was pleased to be going back. Walters’ writing is gorgeous, feeling like a nice comfort blacket – all cosy and nice. A gorgeous setting for such a lovely book, I really enjoy a series set in a village with friendly characters you can catch up with like old friends.
I loved Emily and believed she deserved more than boyfriend Greg (boo to him!). I was very eager to read all about her and the journey she would be undertaking, I wanted the best for her and knew she needed to follow her heart. It was a joy to read how she blossomed and really recovered from huge betrayal. She is a wonderful character.
This was a warm, beautiful book; full of heart and emotion. I look forward to another visit to Glendale Hall (I hope!)

I jumped into this book and didn't want to put it down until I had finished it, I felt like I had to try and slow myself down so I wouldn't finish it too quickly because this is a book you're going to want to last. One of the things I loved about this novel is that it picks up right after Coming Home to Glendale Hall, the previous book in the series, but it deals with a side character that we met in book one for its main storyline and the main characters from book one become the side story in this one.

Emily is a great character to get to know over the course of this novel. She has an optimistic outlook but definite lack of self confidence and some of her home life is hardly ideal. It was so great to watch her grow and flourish when she arrives back in Glendale, her home town, and I loved watching the small ways that she changed and the alterations in her own self-belief as the story progressed.

It was great to catch up with Beth, Drew and Izzy again after book one, as well as their housekeeper Sally and Drew's brother Rory. I felt like I was catching up with old friends and I loved getting to know what they had been up to. We also have a remarkable new character in this novel, Brodie, the local minister. If you are a fan of the hot priest from Fleabag, you will definitely be a fan of this minister and his relationship with the other characters in the cast.

A lot of this book surrounds family life and also baking, so definitely have some tea and cake to hand for this one. But this storyline does delve deeper too and does a good job of covering addiction and also unconventional relationships and careers, something I wish was tackled more in adult fiction. I really enjoyed everything it had to say and it left me feeling so happy by the end, I could happily go back to the beginning and read it all over again.

What a delightful tale! I wasn't sure what to expect, since Victoria Walters is a new-to-me author, but was pleasantly surprised with characters I care about and wonderful storytelling. I visited Scotland a few years ago, and could picture the scenes and charming characters so clearly.

I connected with Emily instantly. I sympathized, empathized, and rooted for her all along the way. She is a strong, memorable character with a big heart and Beth is a wonderfully supportive friend when she needs it most.

This story holds so much heart. New beginnings, following your dreams, and healing from hurts, are some of the central themes with a sweet, slow-burning, satisfying romance. Although this is part of a series, this is my first experience with Glendale Hall and I'm deeply satisfied with how it works as a standalone. I hope to go back and read book one to learn more about Beth's story!

I received a complimentary copy of this book.

This is such a cute story and I got through it so quickly! This is the second book in the series, but I hadn't read the first, so I feel like it did well as a standalone.


The story follows Emily, who is a baker. She's kind, sweet, and in love. But, once she finds out her boyfriend has cheated, Emily decided to embark on a "new beginning; hence the title; all in the hopes of fixing her relationship, if at all possible.


Emily goes from a woman who isn't entirely confident in herself or her life choices, to a woman redefined and happy.


I absolutely loved the writer's style of whimsical, yet straight-forward and never boring romance. She grabbed me from the very beginning of this story and I'm really looking forward to reading the first in the series.

Absolutely adorable, addictive and heartwarming read. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, it made me feel warm and fuzzy , the story and the characters just draw you in and you don’t want to leave, by the time the book ends I definitely didn’t want to leave, I look forward to more books from the author and this series.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

This book was exactly what I needed: a well written and entertaining read, heart warming and enjoyable.
I liked the well plotted story, the cast of characters and the lovely setting.
I hope to read another story by this author soon.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

I absolutely loved the first Glendale Hall book, I was so excited to learn about the sequel to it. I was was longing to read it, so I was thrilled to receive an early preview copy of this book from Netgalley and the Publisher, thank you for letting me read it.
Although this is the second book in the series, it could be read as a standalone book. There is a recap of the first book in the beginning of the book, which explains who the characters are. If you haven't read the first book though, I would recommend that you read it, as it is a lovely book.
You are definitely in for a treat with this book, it's a gorgeous and heartwarming read. It is just as good, maybe a little better than the first book.
Glendale has become more lively and busy since the first book, as more shops have opened, and there is a lot of community spirit.
This book features Emily, who had a small role in the first book, as the London friend of Beth. She is originally from Glendale, and is the Niece of Sally, the housekeeper.
Emily is invited to Beth's wedding, but after problems with her boyfriend Greg, she decides to have an extended stay in Glendale. While she is there, she discovers that her problems are even bigger than she thought, and has to make a decision about her life.
This book is very romantic, it features two weddings. There is also a lot of cake. This is a very happy book, I found myself smiling as I read it. The book is set in the Summer, which makes it a perfect easygoing holiday read.
I really enjoyed reading this book, and I would love to have another book set in Glendale.

This was such a welcome return to Scotland and to the lovely village of Glendale with the beautiful Glendale Hall. In book one we met and read about Beth, Izzy and family and I would highly recommend reading Coming Home to Glendale Hall prior to reading this to fully appreciate and enjoy the storyline and characters. Book Two in the series; New Beginnings at Glendale Hall, is the story of Beth's best friend from London, Emily Prescott. Emily is a baker and has agreed to make Beth and Drew's wedding cake however, just a few weeks prior to the big day Emily discovers some upsetting revelations about her boyfriend Greg and she decides to bring forward her visit to Scotland early just to escape and take stock of her life.

Enjoying the blissful countryside in Scotland doesn't last too long when the complications in Emily's love life become even more chaotic with a new startling discovery, the unearthing of more lies and throw in a handsome minister just to unsettle Emily even more! Emily is all of a fluster with which way her heart and mind is going.

Victoria Walters has expanded her catalogue of lovely characters in Glendale enveloping us with more community spirit. The author has created another wonderful interlude in life and loves in the Scottish highlands. I loved the introduction of new characters, especially Brodie our lovely minister! This story just like book one is charming, realistic, full of hope and new beginnings with a heap of delicious sounding delicacies and romance! Hope there's more to come in Glendale ...

Oh my!

What can I say?... Don't worry, it's all good!

Baker Emma Prescott's life is falling apart. After finding out her partner Greg has cheated on her, she takes refuge in Glendale, a place where she was born and brought up. It's an opportunity to spend time with her friend Beth, who's eager to discuss cake ideas for her upcoming wedding. However, life-changing news causes her to re-think her future and where she wants to be.

Brodie Stewart is the reverend of the local church and as such, an active member of the community. He lives a busy life, without anyone to share it with. When he meets Emma Prescott, there's an instant attraction. A pragmatic man, friendship is all they can share because after Beth and Drew are married, Emma's heading back to London. Only fate steps in to pave a way for these two unlikely people to be together.

It's complicated is an apt way to describe Emma and Brodie's friendship. Emma is dealing with the fallout from her live-in relationship, whilst wondering how to deal with a longed-for situation happening at a difficult time. Brodie's supportive companionship and easy manner help Emma to put her situation into perspective. However, the more time they spend together, the more they develop feelings for one another. It's both heart-breaking and heart-warming when reality strikes.

Beneath the cosy layers of this delightful novel, relatable plot-lines reflect potential true-life situations. Ms Walters skilful writing pours the emotions of the situations into her protagonists' reactions; tugging at the heartstrings of the reader.

When you're fully invested within a book series, it's always a treat to catch-up on characters you love and in this case, it's lovely to finally witness Beth and Drew's wedding and get updates on others who help to create the friendly Glendale community. It highlights the closeness of the folk living in this rural setting close to Inverness.

My return visit to Glendale House has been a delight. It's standalone, so you don't need to have read Coming Home to Glendale House but I recommend you do.

***arc generously received courtesy of Hera via NetGalley***

I haven’t read the first book in this series, but I didn’t feel like I needed to in order to understand and enjoy this book. There are some series where you must read the books in order, or even if they say you don’t need to, you kinda do. Victoria has done a wonderful job of writing this story in a way that truly is standalone yet can also be read in a series.

One of my favourite parts of this story was that it didn’t feel like an obvious romance, while we also knew that it was so Emily had to get her happily ever after. Unlike most romances, I wasn’t 100% sure of who she was going to end up with, or how.

Because of this, it felt like Victoria wrote a novel about loving oneself, how to learn to put yourself first, how to chase your dreams and stand up for what you deserve. I feel like so many young girls are so obsessed with finding love and having a family that they don’t take the time to make sure that person is right for them.

Emily is forced to do just that, and I love her exploration and her confidence to do just that. While also knowing when to say, “I don’t have room for a relationship right now, but if you’re right for me you’ll give me the time I need.”

Given what I found and loved about this book I have a feeling that I’ll go back and read the first book at some stage. It was nice and easy to read while still being engaging, interesting and insightful. It was just such a great mix of everything that makes a romance book great.

Omgosh loved it loved that I got to read how everyone was after the first book. Wish it had pictures as I would of loved to see the wedding and clothes.
The story was brilliant not to loved up.
But with a happy ending and lots of twists as well my perfect book.

I read the first book in the series, Coming Home to Glendale Hall, last year and thoroughly enjoyed it, so when I found out the sequel, New Beginnings At Glendale Hall, was ready I just had to have it. I was not disappointed and it was certainly worth the wait.

Whilst the main focus of the book is on Emily Prescott and her annoying boyfriend/ex-boyfriend Greg. Beth, Drew, Izzy, and house-keeper Sally from the first book all played their roles too in this one.

Emily is best-friends with Beth. She is the friend that Beth turned to all those years ago when she found out she was pregnant and had no-where and no-one to help her. The pair have kept in touch even though Beth now lives in Scotland and Emily in London.

With the wedding of Beth and Drew nearing, Emily’s boyfriend casually lets it slip that he can’t attend the wedding as he has to work, although others at his place of work have been given subsequent time off. He then goes out one evening stating that a friend needs him but returns in the early hours and with a message from a woman on his phone about their night together. Trouble is the woman is a colleague of Emily’s too.

Hurt and wanting to put some distance between them she heads to Scotland early, telling everyone she wanted to make the wedding cake she promised to Beth there rather than trying to transport it. Greg doesn’t seem to be able to get the message though that Emily needs some time to work out how she feels as he hounds her with phone calls and telling her it was a one-off and a mistake – But was it?

New Beginnings At Glendale Hall was everything I hoped it would be. I adored the first book but this one was so amazing, even with the annoying rat Greg playing a part. Emily is such a beautiful character who deserved to be treated with respect, not like a doormat. Her journey of self-discovery is certainly worth reading about, especially being set in the scenic Scottish highlands and at the amazing Glendale Hall.

The book reminded me of the film, Four Weddings and a Funeral (without a funeral I might add). It is just such an interesting, engaging, and unputdownable read. There were plenty of poignant moments alongside some humour too and there was also the amazing quirky character of Vicar Brodie who you just can’t help loving.

Whilst it is the second in a series and I do believe that you should read the first book before reading this one, it is not essential as it does work as a standalone too. It is a relaxing read with plenty going on to keep you entertained the whole way through. I do hope that we will be back at Glendale Hall once again as I miss it already.

I am so pleased to be returning back to Glendale Hall and all the gang! After reading the first book in the series 'Coming Home to Glendale Hall' I was super excited to know that Victoria was busy writing a follow on.

As I mentioned above this is the second book in the Glendale Hall series but this can easily be read as a stand alone, Victoria's writing is wonderfully done that you would never feel that you've missed anything from the first book (although I urge you to read it, it's fab!)

I was thrown into this story straight from the off and I was hooked. Main character Emily, a lovely and down to earth person, relatable and all in all a blooming marvel at making the most delicious cakes! So it wasn't surprising that Emily would be making her oldest friend Beth's wedding cake.

I warmed to Emily from the first chapter, I loved that her passion was baking cakes, my passion in life would be eating them! However unfortunately the story isn't all sweetness and light. Emily, after discovering the love of her life isn't the man she thought he was. She decides to escape to Scotland earlier than planned to the safety of Glendale Hall and to her loved ones.

With a cheating partner pushing for forgiveness Emily tries to distract herself by helping Beth with all things wedding but things become even more complicated when the new, young and can we say extremely handsome vicar Brodie is introduced. Picture Joel from Channel 4 soap Hollyoaks, well that's who he was in my mind. As well as a gorgeous face, Brodie had the personality to match. Kind, thoughtful and for Emily a good listener in her time of need.

All in all a fantastic follow on, filled with heartwarming moments and yummy cakes (we mustn't forget the cakes!) It's also filled with difficult every day situations that we all face in our lives from time to time and I really enjoyed the balance between the two.
Emily's story kept me guessing right until the end, I couldn't call where her journey would take me but I really enjoyed every chapter and even though Emily was going through a rough patch I felt the love and warmth she received from family and friends. It made me want to jump on a train to Glendale Hall myself to be part of the group.

Sometimes another book in the series can leave you disappointed when it doesn't live up to the first story but it's not the case here. If anything, I am really hoping there might be another story to come out of Glendale Hall, the setting is beautiful and the way Victoria tells a story will leave you feeling all warm and fuzzy.

Big thank you to Victoria Walters and Rachel's Random Resources for asking me to join this fabulous blog tour and for the ARC.

It’s no secret, I adore Victoria Walters as an author. She has a talent for pulling me into the pages and making it completely impossible to put down until I’ve finished.
This has been no different and this is another of her books which I have absolutely adored from beginning to end.
There is literally nothing negative I can say-
Gorgeous cover ✅
Interesting plot ✅
Likeable characters ✅
This book has made me laugh and on occasions want to cry for the main character. This is such a gorgeous book to read, you actually feel as though you are in Glendale with the characters.
This is such an easing rating for me : ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Another absolutely fantastic book by a talented and wonderful author.

I'm sorry to say this straight away, but Greg is a a twonk!!!! Yes, yes, he has issues. Yes, yes, he ended up losing nearly everything because of his own bad choices. But geezus! I didnt like him at all! He got my back up from the very beginning and I'm afraid to say that that opinion lasted until the very end of the book.

Right, now that I've gotten that out of the way.....

OMG.WHAT.A.BOOK!!!!!!! I really think that this novel has 'movie' written ALL over it! You know when you're in a rubbish mood and all you want to do is curl up with heartwarming, romantic movie that makes you laugh right from the bottom of your gut? Victoria Walters' book was all of that and more. It had serious topics entwined with humour. 1354643 calories entwined with morning sickness. Hot vicars entwined with the entire female population of the village. It had strong friendships entwined with fractured families. Honestly, I dont think I could have wanted for more (apart from the cake, obviously).

It was such a joy to be back at Glendale Hall, and I really do hope there is more to come from the quaint little village. I would be devastated if there wasnt!

Emily is such a relatable character, and I felt myself instantly drawn to her personality - a bit like Beth's actually. There are several characters in the book which I feel deserve their own time in the spotlight aside from the two I have just mentioned, and that's Molly, Aunt Sally, Brodie and Caroline. Dont get me wrong, Caroline is very marmite, however she did something so moving for Emily, I couldnt help but be proud of her and the family. They have all come such a long way and its been such an interesting journey to be a part of.

'New Beginnings at Glendale Hall' should come with a warning; BEWARE! MAY MAKE YOU HUNGRY.

I hadn't tried half the stuff that was mentioned in the book yet I would have easily demolished all of the cakes if they had been put in front of me! Seriously! This novel isnt just delectable because of the cosy vibe and genuine characters, no, it's also delectable because of the amount of cakes, bread and other sweet treats that made their way onto the paper! And anyway, what happened to good old bakers these days? It really isnt the same walking into Tesco to pick up an iced finger or a fresh loaf of bread!

Victoria Walters has such a enchanting way of bringing her stories and characters to life, whilst managing to keep her readers involved for the duration. Her attention to detail is second to none, and the way in which she created a story that's heartwarming, humorous, relatable, AND emotive, is really inspiring.

I adored everything about this book (apart from Greg), but most importantly I loved being able to feel as though I had come back home whilst i was reading the book. That feeling cannot be bought and can only be created by authors who write from their heart and soul, exactly like Victoria Walters. A movie company would be a fool not to snap this up!

Is there anything better than being able to go back to a literary world you’ve already gotten to fall in love with? Especially if that literary world is a castle in Scotland and looks beautiful around Christmas? It’s time for New Beginnings at Glendale Hall!

The story
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…

The opinion
How many times can someone wipe away a tear that was running down their cheek? No matter how many times you guessed, Emily did it at least once more in this book. Luckily, though, that’s also about the only really negative thing I have to say about this entire book – that sometimes, it could be just a tad on the repetitive side.

As I mentioned before, the descriptions of Glendale Hall basically make me want to either dream away, or visit there as soon as possible. Nothing changed there 🙂

What struck me even more so than in the previous book, though, was the delicate way in which Victoria Walters managed to slowly build up any romance – and refrained from making it the main focus of the entire book. It would’ve been an easy thing, after all, to go full romcom. Instead, Walters opted to go for more of a bildungsroman feel, highlighting the growth Emily goes through.

While some elements of the plot were fairly obvious from the get-go (the double whammy in Emily’s life, for starters), the author brings the small-town-Scotland atmosphere to life in such a way that reading this book never became a drag. Rather, I just about started it wanting to have read it already – in the best possible way 🙂

The rating: 4/5
If you want a book that will make you crave a piece of cake, preferably to be enjoyed while enjoying the view over the Scottish mountains? Then New Beginnings at Glendale Hall is just the book for you! (Goodreads)

-Saar

Oh, how I loved returning to Glendale! The warmth, the community, and the drama, of course, all combine to make NEW BEGINNINGS AT GLENDALE HALL by Victoria Walters a superb story with the perfect amount of heart.

Beth is getting married and it's only natural that she would want her best friend, Emily, to bake the cake. And getting the invite to Glendale comes at the perfect time for Emily because her plans for her future suddenly seem to have hit rock bottom. Her dream bakery is never going to happen, and Greg, the man she wanted to have children with, has cheated on her and that's only the start of her troubles with him. Escaping for some time out in the Scottish countryside could be just what the doctor ordered but as we all know, life has a habit of following you around and soon Emily must deal with a handsome vicar and an ex who keeps chasing her for forgiveness. But Glendale is the perfect place to make some decisions, even the most difficult ones ...

While this wonderful story is a sequel to Coming Home to Glendale Hall, it can easily be read as a standalone, but my advice is to buy both and have a great weekend! The characters and community spirit make the setting come alive as I have come to expect from Victoria Walter's excellent prose, and I think I may have fallen a little in love with the new vicar myself if I'm honest 🤣 There are weddings, misunderstandings, drama, and life-changing decisions to be made, and throughout it all, friendship and support that is invaluable.

NEW BEGINNINGS AT GLENDALE HALL by Victoria Walters is a beautiful story about life and finding happiness, even when it doesn't always go as planned. A must-read for all fiction fans.

This is another of those books where I keep dipping back into the final chapter- I loved it that much! I settled back into the story of life up in Scotland so easily and all the characters were a delight to meet again. That is not to say that you cannot read it as a standalone. You absolutely can but I am sure that if you love it, you will want to find out how Drew and Beth got together.

Full of romance and warm, uplifting scenes, there are, nevertheless, some hard and serious themes running beneath the storyline. It is not all hearts and flowers but some difficult decisions have to be faced. I also like how different generations are met and shown to have their own issues and relationships. You certainly feel part of the community. Having the courage to take a risk to attain your dreams and supporting each other are major strands to the story. I can't wait for the third in the series- hopefully there is going to be one!
Thanks to the author for a copy of the book

It’s no secret I was excited to return to Glendale Hall. To say these characters left their mark on me would be an understatement.

Some books are like a big warm hug and NBaGH enveloped me within its welcoming pages. So much so, I’m a tad bereft to be leaving once again!

I know this is only my second ever read by Victoria Walters but, boy, does she have the knack of speaking directly to the very heart of me. My emotions were all over the place! I was on the cusp of crying all the tears – all the bleeping time. I know my tear ducts are hard-wired to my emotions, but this poop was getting ridiculous *palms face*. (My cats were giving me very odd looks. Whaaa? Cliché? Moi? *snorts*)

“We don’t need to live with what was, we can instead live with what can be.”

Life has a way of throwing curveballs at us when we least expect it, but it felt like Fate had decided to throw all of Emily’s share at her AT. THE. SAME. TIME. Sheesh! Yet, with the help of her family and friends, if anyone can get through this it’ll be Emily.

You all know I’m guilty of having random songs or quotes go through my mind as I’m reading a new story. Well, this one was my new earworm...

“It was the best of times; it was the worst of times.”

For me, this quote sums up Emily’s journey for me perfectly. All I kept saying was, ‘You got this!’ (Yes, I know I was talking to my kindle again. No, I wasn’t expecting a reply *blushes*.)

And, another thing... Victoria has accomplished the impossible. As one who can admit to the love of a bad boy in my reads, I lost my heart to a minister, no less. I know, right? Shocked and stunned doesn’t even begin to cover it, lol.

This is a story that shows us what is most important in life. With the love of the right people we are rich indeed!

Now, how long till I can hitch a ride back to Glendale? I’m waiting...

It's a pleasure to read such a charming story about a woman faced with so many important decisions in her life and tackling them with eloquence, grace, and the love of family, and friends.

Emily's life is a mess. She finds out her boyfriend, Greg, cheats on her with her co-worker right before she heads off to her best friend, Beth's wedding in Glendale, Scotland. While there, she realizes there are more changes in store and an unexpected attraction to local minister, Reverend Brodie Stewart which comes at an inopportune time.

This is definitely a cozy, feel-good story, about following your dreams with the support and love of family and friends. The Glendale community is endearing and a place where I would love to live.  Emily is so very strong and brave to change her life and follow her dreams.  I especially enjoyed Brodie's valued advice and unwavering support as well as his quirky humor.

If you enjoy cozy romances with inviting locations and well-developed characters, I recommend this charming book.

Thank you to Ms. Walters for giving me the opportunity to review this book with no expectation of a positive review.

Thank you to Netgalley for a pre publication copy. In return for an honest review! #newbeginningsatglendalehall #netgalley

Emily Prescott took care of Beth and her newborn daughter Issy 12 years ago. Beth is getting married to childhood sweetheart and issys father Drew. Although Beth is getting her happily ever after Emilys life is in crisis and its now time for Beth to take care of Emily during the hardest time of her life. Can Emily wipe the slate clean or will her past forever haunt her?


I loved the 5/5 Coming home to Glendale Hall and have been waiting for a sequel ever sinxe reading it last September.

This book is a great cosy read ffor when the weather is rough but your dreaming of those summer days and you never feel that you are missing anything from the story line allowing you to follow it through until the end with confidence that you will get a good ending.

As well as always giving you the notion that life is for living, learning and making mistakes. Somethinh important for Young people and all adults to hear in modern society where things can be tough.

Although their are some emotional subjects included in this book such as alocholism, gambling addiction single parenthood. I do not feel this takes away from the cosy feel of the book.

However at some points the book is very repetitive about Gregs problems the same setence is used whenever Emily talks about him which means we never get any deeper connection to Greg, learn his viewpoint or learn anythjng else about him.

Furthermore i woukd still love another Glendale book following the stories of Heather and Rory or Emily and Brodie.

New beginnings at Glendale Hall by Victoria Walters

Emily thinks she has the perfect life with and all she needs to make it perfect is a baby but it’s not happening. Suddenly her life starts to unravel so she decides to visit her childhood home where her best friend lives and is getting married. She leaves earlier to go to Glendale Hall than originally planned to think through her life and what she decides to do.

An absolutely fantastic read and as good if not better than the previous ‘Coming home to Glendale Hall’ . Lots of twists and turns as Emily’s story unfolds. Couldn’t put the book down!

I do hope we manage to have another future visit to Glendale as I feel it has many more secrets and stories to tell.

Thank you Victoria much enjoyed and a deserving

What a brilliant read this story proved to be! Mind you, I wasn’t surprised as I’d loved reading the first book in this series, ‘Coming Home to Glendale Hall‘, and couldn’t wait to read this sequel. I believe it could be read as a standalone but I found it great to catch up on the characters and happenings in this delightful Scottish community.

This is a story of secrets, second chances, community, beliefs and romance. It includes two weddings, a superb setting, confessions, problem addictions and new choices. I found it an enthralling, entertaining and moving story and I really hope there will be more stories set in this fantastic community. The talented author brings her characters to life in the story, making them easy to relate and react to. There’s a great mix of humour, turmoil, hope and inspiration – the letter from Greg was so moving!!! It is a lovely, heartwarming story that I thoroughly enjoyed escaping into and cannot recommend highly enough.

I requested and was gifted a copy of this book and this is my honest review after choosing to read it and not wanting to put it down till I’d finished it!

Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Rachel’s Random Resources, Netgalley, and Mira Books for this free copy. All quotes in this review are taken from the Advanced Reader Copy and may change in final publication.

Can I just say that I’m super sad that a lot of these really cute romantic novels start with something like someone cheating on the main character? Seriously breaks my heart. Sometimes I just want a character to realize that they deserve someone better because they do, not because they were cheated on. Although I don’t really know what else besides some other form of abuse would be a cause of what would be a “happy couple” breaking up for a good enough reason, I guess.

Maybe I just talked myself back into getting over the cheating thing. Well, no I’m not completely over it but I am I guess… OKAY with the catalyst for why Emily ended up leaving her relationship.

There’s a line in the synopsis that calls this romance “inspiring” and yes, I could totally see that. It just hurts me to know what Emily had to go through in order to have such an inspiring romance, you know? But I did like this one, and I’m glad that I got to read this. This is the second novel, but I was able to enjoy this without having to read the second one. I will say that I’d love to read the first novel when I get a chance, especially because I want to see how that one was.

I also really liked Emily as a character, and I was really proud of her for the choices that she made throughout this journey. I’m kind of jealous that she got to run off to Scotland after a terrible relationship and all that, but I think she needed that time to be away from Greg and whatever else she needed to get away from, you know?

The literary equivalent of a slice of your favourite cake and a great big mug of hot chocolate, Victoria Walters’ books are a joy to read from start to finish and she is on top form with her latest fabulous tale, New Beginnings at Glendale Hall.

Emily Prescott has always wanted a family of her own and to be the owner of a bakery in London, but sadly her dreams do not seem likely to come to fruition. Whilst a happy ever after for her is proving elusive, Emily is happy that her friend Beth has sent her an invite to her wedding and that she wants her to bake her wedding cake. Emily is absolutely thrilled – even though her happiness and excitement is cut short when she discovers that her boyfriend Greg has cheated on her. Devastated and heartbroken, Emily flees to Glendale Hall, her friend Beth’s estate in Scotland, and vows to put all of her thoughts and energies into organizing her friend’s wedding and trying to put her cheating rat of a boyfriend behind her – which is not easy as he keeps hassling her to forgive him and get back together. But could Glendale Hall be the setting not just of Beth’s happy ever after, but Emily’s as well?

Up to her eyeballs in confetti and wedding cake, Emily is knee deep in romance and emotion, but she has vowed to put her own personal feelings on the backburner – which is rather difficult as she has just met Glendale’s young and handsome vicar Brodie and she is completely and utterly bowled over by him. A fledgling romance is the last thing Emily needs – especially when she discovers the full extent of Greg’s betrayal and finds out that all her hopes and dreams are going true, but exactly at the wrong time! Will Emily ever find the happiness she has been searching for? Or will true love continue to prove elusive for her?

New Beginnings at Glendale Hall is simply terrific! A fantastic tale of renewal, healing, starting over and treading your own path, New Beginnings at Glendale Hall is a heart-warming, funny, emotional, tender and irresistible romantic read peopled with brilliant characters you will grow to love. Sparkling with warmth, heart and plenty of charm, this comforting, uplifting and inspiring read is a must-read for romantics everywhere!

Favorite Quotes:

I can only hope you never have any problems in your life, Hazel, because no one will be at all sympathetic if this is how you treat other people going through a tough time.

I think that if you’re the kind of person who worries about not being good enough then you have nothing to worry about. The people who think they can do anything and everything are not always the people you want to be around, are they?


My Review:

This story needs a warning label for dieters as the delicious descriptions of divine baked goods had my mouth watering and ample stomach area groaning for sugar and butter. The tale was insightfully written from the first person POV of Emily, a character I often wanted to give a pinch and swat to the back of the head for being so indecisive, lily-livered, and easily manipulated by her selfish boyfriend, even after knowing he had betrayed her. ARG! But then again, maybe I’m too harsh, as I do tend to espouse to the Lorena Bobbitt School of Revenge. The engaging storylines were relevant, slowly paced, heartfelt, and highly caloric. But be aware - this book is a bane to dieters everywhere and apt to cause diabetes ;)

Oh how great it is to be back in Glendale my all time favourite fictional pocket of the world where problems turn into possibilities and cake is served by the bucket load. I was welcomed back into the fold like a long lost pal and I can't describe how great it was to catch up with Beth and the gang, but boy what a story we had to sink our teeth into.....poor Emily, everything but the kitchen sink was thrown into that girls storyline and my heart went out to her at the turn of each and every page. I mean Victoria how mean....but as they say what doesn't kill you makes you stronger and Emily rose to your challenge and came back figting like the trooper she is and I for one was cheering on the sidelines for this gem of a girl.

Is it too early to talk about Brodie yet....it is??? Ok I'll come back to Brodie in a bit. So where was I? Ah yes....Emily and her plight was at the forefront to this installment in the Glendale series and let me tell you it's certainly one story not to miss. As far as characters go I hand on heart love this girl. Her strength and resistance knew no bounds and I was in awe of her determination to bounce back and fulfill her dreams. She's the kind of girl I could be friends with....of course it has nothing to do with the fact she makes a mean red velvet cupcake at all! But I would definitely need to be at the front of the Weight Watchers line if I lived in Glendale that's for sure because they either all go for sneaky early morning marathons or cakes are calorie free in that part of the world. I'm hoping for the latter because I can't run for toffee.

Brodie??? Still not the right time!!! Ok so onto Emily and Greg and their gargantuan mountain of problems. I mean I can see why some people would take an instant dislike to Greg but I simply couldn't find it in my heart to hate him. His struggles and demons were real and his want to get better provided many a touching moment in the narrative. Addiction is the real deal and it can tear apart families beyond repair and this story thread was moving on so many levels. As they say sometimes love just isn't enough and we have to think with our heads not our hearts....but this is Emily's journey and her decisions to make.

Right I can't hold off any longer I have to confess and it's a huge confession to make.....Victoria Walters you have made me fall madly in love with a minister and I was all for catching the next train to Glendale and hot footing it straight to church. I mean religion has never been so sexy...be still my beating heart. But what a guy! I wanted to shove any girl who came withing a few few of our dashing demi-god out of the way to jump in there myself. He was just too good to be true and I was living for every moment he walked onto the pages. Can I request a Brodie spin off please? I'm sure we can find enough material to drool over.

But in all honesty what a treat it has been to be back among friends. We had weddings, cake, heartbreak, babies, hot ministers, cake, a new business, addiction, cake, friendship, family and did I mention cake? What's not to love? New Beginnings at Glendale Hall is like a great big hug that you don't want to end....warm, familiar and loving in the perfect way possible. I'm in love with this series and I shall be sitting here patiently waiting for my next visit to Glendale gladly day dreaming of Brodie 💕

Loved this book. Great characters, easy read, uplifting, funny, romantic and charming. A really nice story that is the perfect escapist read.

I really enjoyed this book. I read it after a rather disappointing book so this was like a breathe of fresh air to be re-submerged in how this genre should be written.
I haven’t read any of the series but after this I will definitely hunt them out. A wonderful story filled with amusing fully formed characters.
A thoroughly enjoyable read with lovely descriptions of the gorgeous highlands of a Scotland & the relationships between the residents of Glendale Hall & the surrounding village. Add in the delicious baking & it’s a 5 star recipe.

I reviewed Coming Home To Glendale Hall last year and it was one of my favourite reads of 2019.

This time the story is concentrated around Emily, who travels to Glendale Hall in Scotland to attend her friend Beth’s wedding. Emily was a real friend to Beth when she appeared on her doorstep, homeless, pregnant and alone. Now, the tables have reversed and it is Emily who needs the help of a friend.

All the previous characters are there, with an added extra, a hunky vicar called Brodie who really catches Emily’s eye.

I love the location of Glendale Hall, the Scottish mansion with a host of warm, caring characters. Emily frustrated me at times, in my opinion, she gave her boyfriend Greg far too many chances. I wanted her to surround herself with people who love her and to achieve her dream of owning her own bakery. I was so eager to find out what choices Emily makes that I devoured the book quickly and will really miss the residents of Glendale.

There is romance, weddings, a thoroughly enjoyable storyline and lots and lots of delicious cake!

The second book in this series, this is the story of Emily, back at Glendale Hall for her friends wedding, and running away from her boyfriend in London after he cheats on her. Can she forgive him and take him back or is the trust gone forever. Adding to the confusion is Brodie and her feelings for him.

Great to catch up with the characters from the first book in the series too.

Really enjoyed this book - Emily is a great lead character and brings reality to the book. While this is the 2nd book in the series, it can be read standalone. There’s sufficient recap to remind you of what happened in book 1 (or to round out the characters if you’ve not read it) but doesn’t give too much unnecessary detail.

The cast of characters is great - from bakery Molly who’s Emily’s boss and mentor, her best friend Beth who’s everything you want in a bestie, and the long-term, non-committal boyfriend Greg. Add in a bit of Scottish beauty (both the landscape and the local vicar) and you’ve got the ingredients for an enjoyable read.

A very easy and absorbing read. I didn’t want to put it down. It’s packed with realistic people with happy endings after lots of heartache...

I would happily read this book again and again! 5❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

I have been out of the loop recently with latest book releases but after finally stepping back into the world of books after finding my love of reading slowly returning I noticed one of my favourite new authors, Victoria Walters had a new book out titled New Beginnings at Glendale Hall and I immediately downloaded it to read. Like I say I have been out of the loop with releases so I read this book without actually realising that there had been an earlier release called Coming Home to Glendale Hall but I still managed to read this book as a stand alone novel with no issues and after meeting the characters I now can not wait to go back and read the first book in the series.



Emily is a baking goddess and is due to set off to Glendale Hall ahead of her best friend Beth’s upcoming wedding where she will be making her friends Wedding cake. At a time when she should be surrounded by love and positivity her world comes crashing down around her and leaves her heartbroken and craving the comfort and support of those at the Hall sooner than planned. Spending so much time with friends and loved ones is just what she needs especially when she has important decisions to make but will she be lead by her head or her heart?


Emily was such a selfless character who lacked confidence and has had more than her fair share of life struggles. Greg was a character who I quickly took a dislike to due to his actions but as the storyline progressed and we find out a little more about him I found myself becoming a little more understanding but not accepting of his actions and I still wanted a positive outcome for him. I loved Emily’s best friend Beth and I can’t wait to read about her character more when I get my hands on the previous book in the series which I am lead to believes centres more on her and her partner.


The storyline does cover a number of delicate issues that many face in the real world from fertility to mental health issues and each of these topics were weaved into the storyline perfectly highlighting and bringing awareness without bringing the uplifting feel of the storyline down at the same time giving depth to the storyline.


Victoria Walters has such a n easy flow to her writing style that picks you up and sweeps you away from the first chapter and will take you on an emotional journey having you laughing one moment and bringing a lump to your throat in the next. One thing that is always strong in this authors novels is the feeling of love, support and kindness along with community spirit and this was all plentiful in this book leaving me with a warm cosy feeling as I close the last page.


I loved this storyline and the characters, I am pleased that I am not leaving the characters behind now that I can be reunited with them in the other book in the series.

Emily’s life is about to turn upside down. She longs to start a family with her hot fireman boyfriend and start her own bakery. However upon finding out Greg has broken her trust more than once, she takes the opportunity to return to Scotland and help in the preparations for her friends wedding.

When she arrives she meets the villages hot now vicar and things become a little more interesting.

It was a delight to return to Glendale and hope to read another novel set amongst these lovely characters.

First things first, this book follows on from Coming Home to Glendale Hall as some characters appear in both. It’s not necessary to read the other book first, I haven’t and can tell you this book reads well as a stand alone. Ideal if, like me, you only find out about the first book when you’re going to read the second.

This story is all about Emily and the upheaval that occurs when she find out her boyfriend Greg has betrayed her trust, and in more ways than one. Her first instinct is to go north, to Glendale for some space to think, and I agree with her thinking. Here we get introduced to the remaining characters in the story and then get to watch as Emily’s life changes, and changes, and changes.

Like the other book i’ve read by this author, I loved this story. There were parts when I wondered where it was heading but then I saw that more changes or decisions were needed before Emily could move on to the life that was meant to be hers. I liked Emily and could understand the struggles she was having trying to make the unexpected decisions that she had been landed with. I wasn’t a huge fan of Greg though he did improve later in the story. I can understand him trying to hide the position he was in but that aside I didn’t like his personality and don’t know what Emily ever saw in him, but that’s just my opinion.

Sometimes things in your life change suddenly and it’s only when those changes are over or almost over, that you can see that they were needed. It was good to see Emily grow and change through the course of the story and to see how she dealt with the challenges that came her way. It was also good to see her have support from friends and family as she dealt with everything. Everyone should have support from people, and a gorgeous village to escape to, when they experience upheaval but sadly some of us will just have to make do with the fictional kind.

The descriptions of the village and the people in it made me want to move their myself, it sounded so tranquil and supportive. As will become apparent early on, there are a lot of cakes mentioned in the story too so maybe a good idea to read this when you have tea/coffee and cake to hand. Oh, and make sure you have tissues too, I went through quite a few when reading.

This is one of those books which is like a cosy, supportive hug. It’s the written version of someone who brings you hot chocolate and a blanket and tells you everything will be OK in time, and stays with you until it is.

Do not read this book when hungry as it will make you reach for the cake lol I liked the main character although she did frustrate me at times. I enjoyed the setting and story though and recommend it for anybody who wants to read a good story (and doesn't mind love triangles)

Lovely work of escapism encapsulating challenges, friendship and cake! Perfect for those who love a happy ending. I found this easy to read but not too simplistic or as predictable as you may think. Recommended for a afternoon getaway in book form.

Thank you Netgalley

Emily Prescott cannot wait to attend her oldest friends wedding in Scotland. She is excited to return to the village she grew up in, and she cannot wait to introduce her boyfriend Greg to her friends.

In the weeks before they are due to leave, Emily discovers that Greg has cheated on her. Distraught, she leaves immediately, seeking refuge at Glendale Hall. She throws herself into helping Beth with the wedding and planning a beautiful cake for the happy couple. Her life becomes even more complicated when she is introduced to the young and handsome new vicar in Glendale, Brodie. However, as Greg's betrayal deepens, Emily finds herself alone facing the most unexpected life decisions.

Full disclosure - I have not read Coming Home to Glendale Hall. But now I will! Having not read Coming Home to Glendale Hall though I can confirm that it is not necessary in order to enjoy this novel because I loved it! It was easy to read, but packed full of likeable characters. Glendale was the perfect setting, it was the kind of friendly village that makes you really want to live there. There are very few surprises in this novel, but that isn't why I chose to read it. As far as chick-lit goes, this one is definitely up there! This is an ideal read for a Sunday afternoon with a hot chocolate and piles of cake!

I honestly couldn't tell where this story was going, and I still wasn't certain until quite near the end.

The book deals with some quite sensitive issues and at first I disliked Greg intensely. However, that changed as the story progressed - so much so, that I was rooting for him in the end.

This novel is definitely a page-turner, and there is no need whatsoever to read the other book in the series to get your full quota of enjoyment from this one.

I really loved reading Coming Home to Glendale Hall, so I was thrilled to discover that Victoria’s next book was a sequel to it, with more focus on Emily, who had a big impact on Beth’s life. It certainly can be read as a standalone, but if you plan to read the previous book, it makes sense to read it first as there are some spoilers in this one.

Returning to Glendale was great, and a change from the winter scenes in the last book. As mentioned in the synopsis, there are two weddings to look forward to. I do love a wedding in a book!

Greg was a great character. There were times when I hated him, then you get to delve into his character more and understand there is more there than you were first led to believe. Everyone has issues that change you, and twist how you come across to others. Emily was so kind and understanding, considering what he did. I’m sure many people would’ve reacted quite differently.

Revisiting Beth and Izzy and finding how life has been for them was really good too. I look forward to more romance from Vicky. She certainly knows how to make us fall in love with the men she writes about…

Emily's dreams to marry her fireman boyfriend Greg and open her own bakery in London are destroyed when she discovers that Greg has cheated on her. Fleeing London she arrives early in her home village in Scotland for her best friend Beth's wedding. She soon settles back in there and starts on her plans for the wedding cake, but when she meets the very young, surprising vicar she is definitely adding more complications to her already complicated life...... will she be won over by Greg's pleading for forgiveness even after further levels of deception are uncovered!

A lovely warm book and it is great to be back in Glendale with all of the characters from the first book and as in the first book the descriptions of the area make me want to go back to Scotland for a visit. A lovely light summer read

The story of New Beginnings at Glendale Hall is set in the fictional village of Glendale in Scotland.

Emily flees London to return to her hometown of Glendale after catching her long term boyfriend cheating on her. She stays with her old friend Beth to get her head straight and help Beth with her wedding preparations.

I particularly enjoyed the group hen and stag getaway at Loch Ness. The first half is a rather delightful story of friendships and self-discovery. Oh and there's plenty of cake making too.

As I reached the second half of the story I felt there was a bit too much going on with Greg's character, but enjoyed it none the less.

It seems this is the second book about Glendale Hall but this story can be read on its own. I will definitely be revisiting Glendale with book one and I hope there are more in the pipeline.

I started with this book and had no idea this was the second in a series. Luckily for me, this works perfectly as a standalone and was such a delight to read.

The characters are truly what makes this story, there's a lovely Scottish community that is the heart of the story. There are secrets, family issues, romance, and some sensitive topics covered and it's all handled sensitively.

Emily was a wonderful protagonist and had lots of struggles preventing her from her achieving her dreams. A trip to Glendale to make her friends' wedding cake leads her to make more discoveries about herself and what she really wants from life.

It's a well written, heartwarming read and I definitely want to read more books set in this gorgeous Scottish community. A wonderful escape that leaves you feeling warm and cozy!