What a joy this is to read.

Set in 1932 and around 4 main characters, this story tells of their lives, friendships, chaos and love during the timescale of a year.

Robert is tasked with the upkeep of Anderby Halls gardens. The area is popular with creative people and when they discover that the orchard is being sold to a developer they join ranks gto stop it.

I loved this book. It is rather modern and is a story beautifully told.

The characters are brilliant and each one has something to add to the tale.

A heartwarming and joyous book and I adored it ..perfect for book club reads.

Adored this book and recommended to all my friends and family. a sparkling story of friendship, community and staying true to yourself. A real pleasure to read! Top marks.

Welcome to Anderby, between the wars.

It's not your typical manor house.

True, there is a lord and lady of the manor. But the estate is home to artists.

Newly arrived Robert is the gardener employed to revive the historic rose garden. It's also a convenient escape from his past...

But the community's security is threatened when the orchard is sold to a property developer to build bungalows...

Lovely characters

the descriptive details in this book are just so wonderful. i felt like i could see them, smell them. i love gardens,plants and all things of the type we are given in such beauty in this book and so thoroughly enjoyed these parts.
the book mainly tells us the story of Robert but we get to know other characters too and these are my fav type of books. the plot is the characters and the characters are the plot. and getting the right balance isnt easy at all. so when its done well like in this one it truly does feel like a joy to read.
Robert has come to Anderby Hall to create a new life for himself. and being involved in restoring the gardens seems just the thing to do it. Anderby is currently a place for creatives, a little boho kind of feeling to it if you will. and we are given the story of Robert and a few others in the commune
but as Robert starts to feel settled news comes that the Orchard on the estate is being sold to build new homes. and lets just say things spiral somewhat as there certainly isnt praise for this new plan. not at all. its going to ruin everything they hold dear. isnt it?
i loved how even though this wasnt the place i love or live i truly felt what it was meaning for those who did live there. those who cherished this place they've found. how will they ever deal with such a change?
i really did love this book. it didn't need to scream to be heard.it didnt need to shock to grip you. it was just really very good.

Please see link to LoceReading.co.uk for the full review.

I’ve reviewed The Best of Intentions for book recommendation and sales site LoveReading.co.uk, I’ve chosen it as a Star Book and Liz Pick of the Month.

A wonderful ‘English’ country house setting with great characters and a storyline which kept me hooked from start to finish. I felt I was living alongside the characters in this book. Such a well written novel.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for an honest review.

I very much like a novel set in England in the 1930s. it was such an interesting time. The Best of Intentions was a comforting and entertaining read. As our main character Robert was a gardener, I loved how a year in the lifetime of the gardens at Anderby Hall were described. I could absolutely see them in my mind. They are like an extra character in the book.
Nostalgic, yet modern in outlook, the trials of the community who are having to deal with change and progress, and how to keep the Hall and it’s grounds going after the stock markets crashed, was beautifully written and engaging. I'd definitely recommend this charming read.

This was a lovely little novel of finding a community and helping it grow. Not quite what I had expected but was really lovely to read

I was so looking forward to reading The Best of Intentions. I am always drawn to books revolving around gardens and find them very special reads, and this was no exception.

The book is set in the 1930s in the beautiful setting of the Gloucestershire countryside. The main character is the very passionate young gardener Robert Bardsley, who arrives at Anderby Hall to bring its gardens back to life. Anderby Hall is an Elizabethan Manor House but is now very run down and needs a lot of restoration work - inside and out. Anderby Hall is now home to a creative community, brought together by shared needs and quiet hope. The community is called Greenfields and the book is very cleverly written, unfolding over the course of a year. We start in Spring and it is wonderful to read and envisage the changing seasons, watching not only the gardens bloom into life but also the characters too.

Robert is looking to start a new life for himself. He plans to keep his head down, tend to the gardens, and stay under the radar, but life at Greenfields has other ideas!

It is not long before Robert finds himself drawn into the lives of the artists who call it home. It is the other residents, along with Robert, that make this such an extraordinary book. Each character has their own history, their own story, their distinct personalities, and their hopes for the future. Every one of them helps make Greenfields. the community it is.

I loved Robert's relationship with the other residents, particularly the very eccentric Trudie! She was just brilliant! And her legendary cocktails are something to behold! No recipe needed! Just a splash of this, a generous splash of that, and lots of personality! Trudie made me laugh alot!

As the Anderby Hall orchard faces demolition, due to the owner of the estate selling to a property developer, Greenfields come together to protect the place they love and where they call home. The orchard soon had newly built Tudorbethan bungalows on. This was a sign that the world outside Anderby Hall was changing and the residents found this understandably very hard to cope with and resisted all they could.

I loved how, despite their reactions at first, that the residents in the end, welcomed their new neighbours, because they soon came to realise that they were here to stay but also that they could benefit the Hall by bringing in very much needed income.

This is such a heartwarming story about a community which comes together to protect what matters most. It is a book about friendship, courage, compassion and most of all hope, which in these times was so very much needed. I loved how when new residents were welcomed to stay in the House they all helped out with their own skills, working on restoring the house.

The Best of Intentions is a warm and nostalgic historical novel, exceptionally written, and one that I really enjoyed. This beautiful story leaves you quietly reflecting on what it truly means to live with intention, something the Greenfields community embraced with grace, warmth, and open hearts.

Thank you for such an immersive read. Five enormous sparkling stars!

Thank you to Simon & Schuster UK for my advanced copy. This review is based on a NetGalley ARC provided in exchange for an honest and unbiased opinion.

The Best of Intentions is a quietly powerful novel that lingers long after the final page. Caroline Scott weaves a poignant narrative of love, grief, and the fragile aftermath of war with incredible sensitivity and grace. Her lyrical prose brings post-WWI Britain vividly to life, capturing both the physical and emotional landscapes of a nation trying to heal.

The characters are richly drawn, especially the central figure whose personal loss mirrors the wider collective mourning of a generation. Scott masterfully explores themes of identity, memory, and the moral complexities of doing the right thing when nothing feels certain.

This is historical fiction at its most affecting—elegant, thought-provoking, and full of heart. A must-read for anyone who appreciates stories that explore the quiet, often overlooked costs of conflict and the resilience of the human spirit.