Coming Home to Glendale Hall by Victoria Walters – Book Review
Coming Home to Glendale Hall
Author – Victoria Walters
Publisher – Canelo Hera
Pages – 384
Released – 25th September 2019
ISBN-13 – 978-1788636070
Format – ebook, paperback
Review by – Stacey
Rating – 5 Stars
I received a free copy of this book.
This post contains affiliate links.
No matter how far you go, home is where the heart is…
Beth Williams hasn’t been home for ten years. After falling pregnant at sixteen, she ran away from the imposing Scottish estate where she grew up rather than risk her family’s disapproval, working hard to build a life for herself and daughter Isabelle – but now she’s finally returning to Glendale Hall.
As Beth tries to mend her broken family ties, and fights to bring the community of Glendale back together, she realises that the story she has told herself for a decade might well be a very different one from the truth. Even though she ran from Glendale it has never left her heart. And, she soon realises, neither has Drew – Beth’s first love.
Will Beth be able to forgive her mother and grandmother (and herself) for what happened ten years ago? What will Drew say when he discovers the secret she’s been keeping from him for so long? Can a festive trail bring the village back together?
Will Christmas work its magic on Glendale – or will Beth be forced to run away from it all over again?
Beth Williams is returning home to Glendale Hall in Scotland after living in London for the past ten years, the city she fled to at sixteen when she found out she was pregnant and that her family wouldn’t support her decision to keep the baby, her daughter Isabelle (Izzy).
Her Grandmother and owner of Glendale Hale is terminally ill and her parents have asked that she returns to the house for what seems will be her Grandmother’s last Christmas. Tensions are high as family secrets and broken relationships are still at the forefront, plus things don’t get any easier for Beth when she bumps into Drew, the love of her life when she was a teenager and Izzy’s absent father.
To top it all off it looks like the local village is about to be bulldozed to make way for flats leaving all the local shopkeepers without a place to work. Beth soon realises that she isn’t a scared sixteen year old anymore, she is a grown-up and she needs to take grown-up action to sort all of her problems.
What I loved about Coming Home to Glendale Hall was how realistic it was, especially as I come from a family where hardly any members talk to one another. It was like a close friend telling you about their Christmas, with family fights, secrets were released, and tensions running on high, as well as all the fun and laughter they had.
The characters are all so delightful, even those that you find out have made serious mistakes, it’s hard to stay mad at them. I must say that housekeeper Sally and ten-year-old Izzy were the two characters I fell in love with. Why is it that the housekeeper always has all the answers and wisdom?
The family home was so picturesque and made you feel all festive, with snow-covered gardens and twinkling Christmas lights, this is a book that really gets you in the mood for the festive period and when it comes to me, that isn’t easy.
The story is so heart-warming and touching. This is one of those books that you just want to grab a hot chocolate, don your fluffy socks and robe and settle down by a roaring fire with. I loved every minute of it and it is as perfect on the inside as the cover looks.
Book Reviewer – Stacey
Purchase online from:
Amazon.co.uk – Amazon.com – Amazon.in – Apple Books – Blackwells
About the Author
Victoria Walters writes up-lifting and inspiring stories. She’s the author of three novels, THE SECOND LOVE OF MY LIFE, SUMMER AT THE KINDNESS CAFÉ, and COMING HOME TO GLENDALE HALL. She has been chosen for WHSmith Fresh Talent and shortlisted for an RNA award. Victoria was also picked as an Amazon Rising Star, and her books have won wide reader acclaim.
As well as being an author, Victoria also works as a Waterstones bookseller. She lives in Surrey with her cat Harry (named after Harry Potter), and loves books, clothes, music, going out for tea and cake, and posting photos on Instagram.
What did you think of Coming Home to Glendale Hall? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!
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