Romcom with a great big heart....
Another joyous read from Carole Matthews - a romcom with a great big heart. The tale centres around likeable protagonist Molly and her home of Hope Farm with all of it's glorious animal life. Some super characterisation - both human and animal - coupled with a delightful storyline. Funny and touching in turn, this leaves the reader with a great big smile. A thoroughly feel good read in all respects.

I do not know what to mention first when it comes to the book, the lovable people or the lovable animals. I feel like each animal could have had their own chapter and I would still not have been bored. I do not get along with all the narrative styles of authors of this genre, but from the first chapter, I was hooked. Unfortunately for me, I started it late at night and dinner and sleep (in succession) had me halting my reading for the day but I picked it up very early today and finished it before lunch. There were so many occasions that I laughed so hard that I had to explain myself to my husband even out of context and without prior knowledge he found the imagery funny! I spent the second half of the book in tears so I would not necessarily call it a comedy. Molly Baker (who introduces her charges before she talks about herself) runs a farm with a difference and she lets us watch her bring a whole new child into their fold. Things move smoothly enough till change threatens to darken their future and everyone has to band together.

Here I have to point out the use of the word anti-social. Anthony the Ram seems anti-social but Molly and her new 'student' Lucas use the word when they seem to mean asocial which is just a milder and personal choice. I do not know if it is just me who finds the difference critical but I do! Despite that bump along the way, I still loved every other aspect of the tale. People are unapologetically themselves even if we may not like their behaviour at times. The romance builds in a slow and interesting manner and the camaraderie between Lucas and Molly was the highlight of it all, apart from the amazing animals and their respective personalities. I would read another book with just their antics and humans at all. There is a lot of heart involved since the farm is known to be for 'bewildered, damaged and troubled animals and humans'.

 I highly recommend giving this book a shot if you are looking for something fun, happy as well as a tear-jerker. Just remember to keep a tissue ready.

If you want a feel-good romance that's believable, heartwarming and well-written, then look no further. Carole Matthews is a master of the genre and just when you think she might be out of ideas, she pulls Happiness for Beginners out of the bag.

This book is a joy to read, set in a part of the UK I lived in for a time. The main character Molly is very endearing, and the animals she works with are full of personality! Happiness for Beginners has plenty of light and downright hilarious moments, but it also touches on very serious subjects - support for children with learning disabilities or anti-social behaviour and their families; the destruction of the countryside and generations of farming traditions in the name of "progress"; the importance of community; and just good old-fashioned grief and how to support people experiencing it....for it will come for us all. Carole Matthews manages to weave these subjects into the story without getting preachy or feeling like you're having something explained to you, something other books in this genre don't always achieve.

You end up loving all the characters, even the aloof Alan who wears a band t-shirt to the farm every day. I loved how Molly and Bev try to guess which band it will be each day. Just a little thing like that makes the story so heart-warming and reveals so much about the characters, and makes Carole Matthews' stories stand out above the rest, in my opinion.

I really enjoyed it. If you want a book for the sun-lounger this year, this is a great pick!

WIth thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC.

What an amazing book! It made laughed and it moved me, it made me root for the characters.
It's an engaging and entertaining read, well written and heartwarming.
I liked the fleshed out cast of characters, both human and animals, and the plot.
I look forward to reading other books by this author.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Despite seeing other books written by this author I have never read any. I enjoyed this book and would read more by her. It was enjoyable throughout with a happy ending and I can imagine that there may well be a 2nd book to follow.

I really wish I could give this more than 5 stars.
Molly Baker runs Hope Farm a haven for "bewildered, damaged and troubled animals and children".
She has an eclectic bunch of animals, Antony the anti-social sheep, Teacup the very oversized micro pig and 3 Alpacas who barely tolerate each other never mind humans.
Molly has opened up the farm to children who have had issues in mainstream school and they seem to thrive in the relaxed atmosphere of the farm, helping to look after the animals and learning new skills.
She might not have much (or any) social life and she lives hand to mouth in a run down caravan but Molly is happy with her life. Then the suave soap star Shelby Dacre arrives with his son Lucas, who has recently been excluded from school, and asks Molly for her help. Lucas is at first sulky and truculent but begins to respond to Molly's unique brand of therapy. Can Molly help Lucas and should she resist Shelby's undoubted charms or should she open herself to the chance of happiness.
There are a lot of laughs but also some very sad moments in this book and I can't recommend it highly enough.

Having started this book earlier this week I’m really impressed. It’s an easy read, so in flying through it. It’s light at heart and molly is a fantastic, positive lead.

I haven’t read anything by Carole Matthews before but I’ll certainly look for other novels she’s written based on this one.

What a lovely feel good book.
Very well written with likeable characters who you quickly grow fond of and a plot which moves at the right pace, to keep you interested but still allowing for character development.
The author is also not scared to broach topics not usually covered in this style of book which makes a refreshing change.

Wow what a fantastic read! I have read and loved all Carole Matthews previous books and this one was certainly one of the best!
A joyful uplifting read that centres around hope farm, a refuge for both animals and humans , the main characters of Lucas ,Shelby and molly draw you into their lives and you feel as if you are there living through their trials and upheavals, a real triumph over adversity read that will entrance you from start to finish, I would highly recommend!
Thank you net galley for this early read x

What a wonderful story, it shows how much Carole Mathews cares about the special farm that she helps. Students with problems are really helped along with the animals. Well done Carole for this great book, I will be telling people to buy this. I couldn't put it down and read it all in one day, thank goodness I had the time. A follow up would be great so that we could see how this story line continues. I think everyone should read this fab book. I would give this ten stars if it were possible.

Happiness for Beginners, One broken family. Two hearts meeting. Dozens of naughty animals! Carole Matthews

Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews

Genre: romance
Hmnn, I liked the sound of this, could relate to Molly – I too love animals, often find them easier to get along with than people. I just found the MC, Shelby, to be shallow, putting himself way ahead of his son, supposedly grieving for his wife who died a year back and yet out on the town, deep in a romance with someone who his son dislikes, who's really only interested in her own image. I found that hard to take, and it coloured my view of him. I didn't really feel this was a romance, given most of the book little happens between the two MCs and he's with Scarlett. I felt so, so sorry for his son, poor Lucas. I was so glad he ended up with Molly and crew.
I loved the animals, the idea of the students, though the way it was run was pretty ad hoc, I did feel that in real life it would need to be more formalised, look more at the actual safety of the students around the animals, and the actual education they were receiving.
I did get irritated at the constant harping of Ringo's ( I think it was him) skin issues. We keep hearing he's got sweet itch, an allergy to his own hair. I've had horses for many years, one was an Icelandic, a breed prevalent to sweet itch so I've read a lot about it. Its caused by a sensitivity to midge bites, not an allergy to own hair, and is best treated by rugs covering tender areas. Cutting his hair short would make it easier for them to bite, though easier to clean the broken skin caused by rubbing as it's intensely itchy. If you're going to use specifics like this authors, please check you have it right.
Its a story I enjoyed but it was incredibly slow to start and I kind of felt there was a lot going on but not much happening, if you understand that ;-) It meant I got bored and skim read the last third of the story.

Stars: three, an ok read. Its a pleasant story, but I guess feeling Shelby was arrogant and selfish kind of coloured it for me.

Arc via Netgalley and publishers

Molly Baker is nearly 40 years old, living in a decrepit caravan she inherited from her aunt, more at home with animals than humans she runs a rescue centre for unloved or disabled animals which also serves as a therapy centre for children with disabilities or plain anti-social behaviour. Although she lives from hand to mouth, constantly robbing peter to pay paul she enjoys her life to the full. Then one day a famous TV star arrives at the farm with his teenage son Lucas in tow. Lucas has been expelled from school for starting fires and is grieving the loss of his mother to cancer.

Suddenly in Lucas Molly finds a human who she wants to help as much as any of her motley crew of animals, his father's good looks and charm don't hurt either, but when the farm comes under threat from compulsory purchase will it be the end of Molly's dreams?

I enjoyed reading this, especially Luke's poetry and the ragtag assortment of three legged, PTSD, blind animals that Molly cares for. I enjoyed the gentle humour associated with looking after animals with personality. I even enjoyed Molly and her assistant Bev's daily guesses as to the rock star t-shirt the other assistant Alan will be wearing. The biggest disappointment in my opinion was the hero, Shelby. I found him too self-centred and focussed on his career and age-inappropriate girlfriend rather than his grieving son. Also, this just seemed to be a very long book for not very much happening, I think it could have benefitted from either more plot strands or some significant pruning as I didn't feel that there was a passing of time to account for the length of the novel.

Recommended for fans of All Creatures Great And Small.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I have to admit I’m a huge lover of Carole Matthews’ books, so I knew I’d enjoy this from the beginning. And I did. Molly, Lucas and Shelby are great characters and you fall in love with them easily. I knew the story had to end well, let’s be honest, it’s that type of book..but it did have tense parts, making me wonder how and if it would. It’s funny, clever and honestly had me choked up a good few times. I really could have read another hundred pages happily.

I really enjoyed this book. It has great main characters and a really good story line. I would highly recommend this book to anyone.

I’ve read numerous books by this author & this one didn’t disappoint. What a great read I’d recommend this to anyone.