This was a brilliant read and is being featured on my blog for my quick star reviews feature, which I have created on my blog so I can catch up with all the books I have read and therefore review.
See www.chellsandbooks.wordpress.com.

This new book by Anna Jacobs A valley Dream is a light warm hearted read. Lovely characters thought out set in 1935 main character Bella Porter. Bella has had a hard life up until one living with her Uncle Thomas. She is left a property in Backshaw Moss where her better and happer life begins . Very easy read good feeling book. Would be very popular with our reader in our library. Thank you Netgally for letting me preview this book

I really enjoyed this book. It was a great storyline with excellent characters. I would highly recommend this book as it was a great read.

Anna Jacobs stoked again. A warm ,heart felt and enjoyable read. Love the start of a new series. Looking firework the next one.

A Valley Dream by Anna Jacobs

Anna Jacobs has done it again with this book , a first in a series set in Backshaw Moss.
Set in the 1930s , pre war, It is mainly about a character Bella , who is looked after by her nasty uncle , that is until she inherits a house from a recently decreased family member.
Anna Jacobs has such a way with her words that transport you smack bang into the middle of the story as we share along Bella's journey as she turns her life around with the ups and downs that it takes her..
I thoroughly enjoyed this title , and look forward to the next one..

Bella is in her mid 30’s and has lived with her cousin since she was orphaned as a child. Her cousin is not a nice man but Bella has no money so is forced to continue to act as an unpaid servant in his home. Her one joy has been her involvement in looking after her cousin’s children who receive no affection from their parents. Unexpectedly Bella comes into an inheritance which enables her to leave her cousin’s household and set up on her own. However her confidence has been eroded by the years of being told she is nothing so can she take the chance of striking out on her own.
The characters are well defined, you come to hate her cousin and keep your fingers crossed that she can escape his clutches.

Another brilliant one from Anna Jacobs. Keeps you wanting more. A saga at its best, from one of the best authors.

Another lovely saga and the start of a new series for Anna Jacobs. She writes so well, especially about life in Australia for us Poms on the other side of the globe! Loved it!

I absolutey loved this book. From the first few chapters I felt a connection to Bella. After her parents had died her cousin had taken her in and treated her just like a servant, except she was unpaid. When a relative, who has been attending family events, sees how the family is treating her he decides to leave her a cottage so she can escape her abusive cousin.

I loved the storylineits a mixed bag of emotions and truly heartwarming. It gives you hope that no matter what life throws at you there is always something better around the corner. I loved the friendships that blossomed.

Its my first book by Anna but won't be my last her other books are already on my TBR list. This is the first book in the series and I'm looking forward to reading the next I was totally in love with the place.

Warm,enjoyable read. Always great characters in Anna Jacobs books. Good to catch up with many of the wonderful characters from previous books in this series.

This is a new book in the series of Backshaw moss. It is set in pre-war WW11 where big changes are just around the corner.

The story is about a young woman called Bella who surprisingly inherits a house from a kindly distant relative. The house is run down with similar tenants. The rent has been collected by a dodgy character who has never been checked on to see that all is well but Bella decides she wants to update the house and turf out the tenants who treat the house badly.

Until the bequest of the new house, Bella has lived with her vile Cousin Thomas and his family, who have treated her appallingly and used her as a slave. Thomas thinks he is a powerful man who manages the family money and keeps a tight reign on things. So when Bella inherits the house he is appalled and prepared to do everything in his power to claim it as his own and keep the proceeds. He wants Bella back under his control and it seems nothing will stop him in his path.

Bella has always obeyed her uncle and cow towed to him and the family, but the house seems to bring her alive and she soon realises she is not the timid mouse she always thought she was.

This book has some great characters and at times has you on the edge of your seat. It was really enjoyable
I look forward to the next instalment in the series.
Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this great book. x

Thoroughly enjoyed this book in a new series which easily incorporated characters from previous series.

This book is based in 1935 and the main character Bella Porter who at 36 has lived a very sheltered and controlled life through her nasty Uncle. Lots of emotions portrayed with Bellas wish to stand on her own two feet and the trials and tribulations of adapting to her new found independence.

A reality lovely start to a new series.

Love Anna Jacobs beautiful sagas.A Valley Dream is English saga writing at its best.So excited that this is the beginning of a new series A Valley Dream that I will be looking forward to reading.#netgalley #Avalleydream

I loved it . Being from the North of England I really took to the warm, kind hearted characters in Backshaw Moss who really took Belle under their wings

There are some nasty characters who are out to destroy Belle but she's made of strong stuff and not as weak as her cousin tries to make people believe.

A real page turner, I can't wait to read the next one which I hope will follow Belle's story as I feel there is lots more to find out about her inheritance which holds more surprises.

Thank you netgalley.

The first in a new series set in Backshaw Moss, A Valley Dream is refreshingly gentle and sweet. Can a book be kind?! Anna Jacobs has a gift for intertwining stories within stories harmoniously, making them sing. The 1935 historical details and vernacular are splendid.

Bella Porter, a 36-year-old woman is not living but existing with her well-off barbaric relatives. Thomas Beaton treats her like a kept subhuman but she has nowhere else to go as she had no resources or means of income as most single women in her position then. Thomas is horrified and humiliated to learn that she has bequeathed a cottage and trinkets by a relative. Him? Not so much. Bella escapes to run-down Backshaw Moss (even the name is sweet!) and residents take notice. Her confidence grows as she meets villagers and makes friends. But her life is not all rosy. Her character grows as she comes into her own which she needs as she faces many obstacles. I really look forward to the next in the series...so many possibilities.

Historical fiction readers should definitely read this mild, clean and heartwarming book. I'm so glad I did!

My sincere thank you to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for the privilege of reading the e-ARC of this precious book.

A good read. Bella lives with her controlling uncle and she is left a house by a distant relative, so she makes plans to move out and try and make a life for herself, but her scheming uncle will do everything he can to stop her and get his hands on her inheritance. Some great characters who are very interesting and helpful and soon become very fond of Bella but can she finally be free from the past and find some happiness in her new life

I was delighted to learn that Anna Jacobs had written a new book which is to be the first in a new series featuring Backshaw Moss. I've loved her previous novels and looked forward to reading this one. I wasn't disappointed. It was a wonderful read. Set in the 1930's - pre WWII - it features a cast of very likeable people with, of course, a smattering of villains - to keep us intrigued and rooting for our heroine. That lady is Bella, who is very easy to warm to and I loved seeing her transform from a downtrodden and frightened woman to a strong and confident one as she dealt with various problems and setbacks as she took possession of a property that she had inherited in a relative's will. Her evil cousin, Thomas, is determined to find her and drag her back to live with him where he can control her and take her property and money. His nasty schemes and the threat and suspense resulting from them, kept me turning the pages to see the outcome. In contrast to Thomas and his shady hangers-on, the villagers are a loveable bunch who set out to protect and care for Bella. I particularly liked the kindness and friendship that all of the villagers showed to one another in this poor but caring community. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and eagerly look forward to the rest of the series. My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a pre release copy in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Thank you to NetGalley, Anna Jacobs and the publisher Hodder and Stoughton for the chance to read this book in exchange for a full and honest review.

I have read the other Ellindale Valley series of books and thoroughly enjoyed them (though I need to catch the Rivenshaw ones) and I really enjoyed this novel, the first in a new series and apparently the final Valley series.
However I felt that if one hadn't read the previous books then it would be hard to follow the back stories of some of the characters.
But it was like pulling on an old pair of slippers and snuggling into a warm blanket to renew the acquaintance of some of the old characters from previous books.
As with many books of this genre there were ups and downs for many, the predictable romance and the inevitable villain - in this case Cousin Thomas - who was a thoroughly detestable character.
Bella inherits a house from another relative - who leaves it to her in the hope that she will realise that life can be different and indeed better away from Cousin Thomas. Bella's house was one of three but we didnt meet the owners of the others - though they had been left to beneficiaries in the same Will - presumably their stories will come in further books of the series.
The story interweaves with inhabitants of the other villages and towns and some of the previous met storylines from the other Valley series of books
Anna Jacobs books are always easy reading - her style is predictable - but enjoyable.

Thank you again to Anna Jacobs and the publishers for the chance to enjoy this story

This was an absolutely wonderful start to a new series.
Bella inherits a house, but it would require her to make huge changes in her life, starting with escaping from her cousins domineering hold. I loved meeting all the characters, who quickly take to Bella and you see her confidence growing, despite the challenge ahead of her. The house has some terrible tenants and als0 needs a lot of work to bring them up to a habitable condition. It's in a slum area with some very shady characters who want to threaten and stop her making a success.
It was a fascinating snapshot of the time (pre war) and the type of housing around at the time.
I wanted to stop and help her unload all the boxes and exclaim over each treasure.
I can't wait to read the other books in the series and meet the other characters joining the street.

I have to say i love the Valley books they draw you in to each story and keep you wanting more.This story of a woman who receives a bequest in her cousins will. She arrives in the valley to start a new life and is surprised to find how friendly some of the residents are and is excited to settle in.I have to say Anna Jacobs writes wonderful books and i look forward to her next.5*