NEW BEGINNING

Grace Thompson is a much-loved Welsh author of saga and romance novels, the mainstay of libraries in the UK who published her 42nd novel shortly after celebrating her 80th birthday. The story is set in the village of Cwm Derw and from the popular Badgers Brook series, which do not need to be read in chronological order. As the Second World War comes to an end, Sophie Daniels quits the WAAF with nowhere to go. She wanders the country searching for a place to settle down, living in bedsits, barns and guesthouses and eventually she finds Badgers Brook, where she befriends nine year old Bertie, neglected and running wild. The neighbours warm to her, the place is welcoming, and Sophie knows she has found her home. Friendly local Ryan Treweather is a welcome distraction, and potentially more, if she can just trust him with one big guilty secret. But if Sophie grows closer to Ryan, what will it mean for poor young Bertie? Charming characters, interesting stories and a gentle read. 328pp, paperback.