I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a cozy, heartwarming, delightful book. I enjoyed it a lot!

Absolutely loved this book. I really enjoyed Dellas previous series involving Phoebe, and the vets stories at Puddleduck farm and this book set at an animal rescue was just as good.
Jade, Sarah, Ben , Finn and Aidens stories. This book was a lovely introduction to the animal rescue. Characters were all relatable if slightly broken , good storyline and plenty about the animals
Highly recommended, cannot wait for the next instalment
Thanks to Netgalley, Della Galton and Boldwood Books for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review

A New Arrival at Duck Pond Cottage is the first in a delightful new series from Galton, featuring the staff and animals of the recently opened Duck Pond Lane Rescue.

A rescue would be my absolute dream job and if I could I'd be rescuing every animal I possibly could.

It's a heartwarming and enjoyable read and a great starter for the series. The characters are likeable, the animals adorable and they were all so easy to emotionally invest in.

I'm already itching for a return visit!

BLOG TOUR REVIEW

Review for 'A New Arrival At Duck Pond Cottage' by Della Galton.

This book has fantastic descriptions that set you straight in the scenes. The cover, title and synopsis suit the storyline perfectly.

Love, LOVE, LOVED this absolutely gorgeous page turner!! An absolute must read!!!

What an absolutely brilliant start to what promises to be yet another addictive series by the extremely talented Della Galton!!

Well, I must admit, after absolutely loving and being addicted to Phoebe's life and Puddleduck Farm and Vets in Dee's absolutely brilliant 'Puddleduck farm' series that although I was excited to read this book which is the first in her 'Duck Pond Cottage' series I was also a bit concerned and dubious whether it was going to be as good as her Puddleduck Farm' series or whether I would click with the characters as much as I did with Phoebe, Sam, Maggie and the gang. Well, I am extremely pleased to say that I had absolutely nothing to worry about!! Although I do, daftly enough, feel like I am cheating on Phoebe and the gang in a way I absolute LOVE Jade, Finn, Sarah and Ben just as much as I do Phoebe & co. As I have come to expect with Della her absolutely brilliant, evocative and emotive descriptions really brings the new setting of Duck Pond Cottage and all the surroundings and characters to life ensuring the reader is really absorbed into the storyline seeing and feeling everything that Jade is seeing and feeling. I just absolutely LOVED this gorgeous page-turner and any books that revolve around animals is a HUGE bonus for me!!! I am a MASSIVE animal lover and all my pets have been rescues to then volunteering in rescues, working in rescues and now running my own little cat rescue (Golden Oldies Cat Rescue And Hospice which you can look up on Facebook if you are interested) so this book was a huge must read for me immediately!!! I really did absolutely love this unique, stunning page turner from the first page to the very last and cannot wait to get my hands on the next book in what is guaranteed to be a stunning series!!! Della's amazing writing skills and evocative descriptions drops the reader straight into the middle of Jade's life and Duck Pond Cottage and Duck pond Lane Rescue and leaving them smelling the fresh air, feeding the menagerie of animals, relaxing and having a gorgeous holiday in the stunning countryside!!! I absolutely adored the cosy stunning surrounds and it felt like coming back to a well known discovering a new and guaranteed to be much loved holiday destination when I picked this book up! I was absolutely hooked throughout and could not put this down. I told myself time and time again I would just finish the chapter and then go to bed but something happened each and every time meaning I just had to read just one more, and then another until before I knew it I had completely devoured the book in one sitting. I genuinely felt like I had gone on holiday with Jade and was devastated to come to the end of my holiday, returning back to reality and having to 'unpack my suitcase'!! I have never read a series filled with so many different animals before I discovered Della's books which made it unique and just LUSH!!!!! It really is just amazing and I absolutely love it and I really cannot compliment this book and series enough!!! This book is just what the doctor ordered for my own stress and each page I read I could feel myself relaxing more and more!!! This is one of those books that are very easy to read and perfect for any reading situations whether you are laying on a beach or curled up in front of a fire. It is an absolutely ideal read for anyone who is looking for a gorgeous and relaxing read that will have you hooked from beginning to end. I absolutely LOVED the realism of this storyline which made it so easy to picture everything that was going on which had been helped by Della's fantastic evocative writing skills. I cannot wait to get hooked into more of Della's books so I hope she is busy writing the next book in this series!! This is definitely one of those books that will turn a frown upside down and make life seem a lot brighter. It is packed with fun, laughter, animals, romance, friendships, a huge breathe of fresh air and everything you could ask for in a fantastic feel good book. Grab your copy today and fall in love with Puddleduck Farm yourself!!

Well done Della on yet another absolutely stunning book and a perfect start to what is guaranteed to be an absolutely gorgeous series!!!

The characters were all an eclectic mix and each one of them were realistic and strong. I absolutely loved meeting them all and I became immediately invested in each and every one of them. It was amazing meeting new characters that have very quickly become like friends to me. However, I cannot say I am not at all surprised as exactly the same thing happened when i started reading Della's other absolutely stunning 'Puddle Duck farm' series. I love the fact that there are some links between this new series and the stunning 'Puddle Duck farm' series but I will leave those for you to discover yourselves!! Della also ensures that all of her characters are realistic, believable and made me feel even more for them than I normally would. I absolutely LOVED Jade who really resonated with me, especially with her love of animals and wanting to help them all!!! It was amazing watching her look after the animals at 'Duck Pond Lane Rescue' as well as getting to see her personal life including her relationship/friendships with Sam, her bond with Jade, Finn, Sarah and Ben and many other characters and so much more!!! I loved seeing how she interacted with the animals who all had their own cheeky little personalities!!! Each of the characters and animals are memorable and unique in their own ways and they are a group that I wont be forgetting any time soon! I am landed that this series promises to be just as amazing as 'Puddle Duck farm' and these characters just as memorable. Della's incredible writing skills shows that she has really cared about these characters as she has made them so in depth and ensured the readers can really feel and see everything they are going through from the moment you meet them.

Pick up this book and get lost in this absolutely gorgeous page turner!

Congratulations Della on yet another absolutely stunning read that I just could not put down!!! I cannot wait to read more of your previous and future books. I would absolutely love to see this book turned into a movie!!! This is the exact reason you are on my favourite author list and here's to your next success 🥂

Overall another unputdownable, gorgeous, STUNNING page turning book filled with animals, romance, fun, laughter, friendship and so much more from this epic author!! A perfectly relaxing and stunning unique read!!!!

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A lovely new series which I love and look forward to more in this series. Exciting to start a completely new set of characters. My thanks to netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

A New Arrival at Duck Pond Cottage is the start of a brand-new series featuring Duck Pond Lane Animal Rescue. I'm not one who's able to resist an animal rescuer story. This animal rescue story is adorable with animals of all sorts getting a second chance at their best life.
I enjoyed reading about the antics the animals got up to and the variety of animals rescued from domesticated animals to birds and farm animals. I connected with one of the main characters running the rescue center because we had a lot of similarities in caring for animals and she's a vegetarian like I am.
Rescuer Jade has two men falling for her and they have such different personalities. She's plenty busy though with her rescue center and not looking for love. But will this jealous rivalry end up on the right side of a romance? The beautiful Wiltshire countryside setting has me dreaming of a visit. A romantic and uplifting page turner for animal lovers and romantics alike.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

This is a brilliant, heartwarming story about a woman who runs a refuge for abandoned and unwanted animals. Jade’s recovering from bereavement and a very difficult break up, with the help of her best friend Sarah and her little boy called Ben. They spend a lot of time with “Aunty Jade”.
Jade can never say no to any animal, but needs help to repair some of the buildings etc.
She helps a lady catch a red kite that she hit with her car and this male stranger comes out of nowhere and helps her. Then he’s gone.
She advertises to get a live in handy man. The stranger comes for an interview after being sent to her from the local pub, and is such a perfect fit, she takes him on. He’s come back to the village with his Dad to sort out his grandad’s house and needs a change of scene.
There is a vet called Aidan who comes and helps to get the animals checked over. Jade doesn’t know how he feels about her!.
So the story continues with these three main characters. There’s attraction, jealousy and distrust, but the story is amazing and I loved it!!
Many thanks to Boldwood Books, for the opportunity to read this arc copy via Netgalley. My opinion is my own.
#Netgalley, #TheBoldBookClub, #DellaGalton.

A New Arrival at Duck Pond Cottage by Della Galton

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to Rachel's Random Resources and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Blurb

It's not just animals who need to be rescued... Following the unexpected death of her mother, and the breakdown of her relationship, animal loving idealist Jade Foster, uses her inheritance to buy a smallholding in the beautiful Wiltshire countryside hoping to realise her dream of providing a sanctuary for unloved animals in need of a new home.

Jade employs the enigmatic Finn McTaggart to help out at Duck Pond Lane Rescue and forms a friendship with both Finn and her local Vet, Aiden Southerland. But Finn is running from his own demons and Aiden longs for a more romantic relationship with broken-hearted Jade.

Romance is not on the cards for Jade, but as both men fall for her natural beauty, the rivalry between them hots up. But can any of them heal enough to find lasting love?

What none of them realise is that a devastating secret from the past has the power to destroy the present and that love, however wonderful, isn’t always enough.

My Opinion

A New Arrival at Duck Pond Cottage is the first book in a new series and what an introduction it was. Based at an animal rescue, this will definitely appeal to animal lovers. Della has written some great characters and some heart-warming moments. This was such an uplifting read and I cannot wait to see what happens next with this series.

Rating 4/5

I received an E-ARC with a request for my honest review.

This adorable romance is set at Duck Pond Cottage and follows Jade, who after her Mum’s passing sets up an animal sanctuary.

Life at the sanctuary is busy with many animals to tend to, so she decides to take on someone to help with the maintenance. She hires Finn, who after their first sudden meeting can’t seem to forget about Jade.

Soon, their working relationship looks as if it could develop further but with a secret Jade must hide, she is unsure of whether to take the chance.

Will they find love? What secret is Jade keeping?

I loved reading this romance, the characters and animals were adorable. Jade has such a big heart, even though she doesn’t believe as much in herself as others.

You get to hear from both Jade and Finn throughout which shows how much they care about each other even if there is a secret keeping them apart. It was enjoyable to see how their storylines developed.

There are plenty of other characters along the way, including a kind of love triangle at one point. Plenty to keep you enthralled in reading. I will be reading more from this author.

Overall, an adorable romance where a secret is in the way of a blooming romance.

I just loved this book and once I started reading it I just couldn’t put it down. I just loved all the characters and the animals it is just amazing.

I would highly recommend reading this book if you like a good heartwarming read with good characters and animals.

I would like to thank Boldwood Books and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book early.

As summer was ending I need a read to get me a bit excited for autumn. Even though this book does not only take place in autumn, it really gave me cozy vibes. This has been one of my favorite romance novels to read in a long time. In a relatively short period there's a lot of character development that happens. The author also succeeded very much in keeping my attention. Then lastly, obviously the setting of the story, an animal shelter in the English countryside, was amazing.

I really did not have a lot of downsides to this book. Would 100% recommend.

A good enjoyable story about love, friendship, grief and animals.

Perfect for fans of Jessica Redlands and Hazel Proir

This first story, in a new animal rescue series, is a lovely introduction to Jade, Aiden, Finn, Sarah, her son, Ben and a host of charismatic animals. The setting is rural and well-described. The complex and relatable characters hide emotional pain and secrets, making forming new relationships difficult. Jade finds she is in a love triangle, but her heart belongs to her animal friends. I like the web of complex emotions, the rescue animals and the characters' relatability.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

Give me a book featuring animal rescue, dogs, ducks, and a good story and I'm happy.
A blurb full of promises, a well plotted and entertaining story.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Oh my!! This is just the beginning of what promises to be a fun filled series and I am so excited. We are introduced to Jade who has recently lost her mother and is running a animal rescue and with two different love interests it could not be more entertaining. I have a interest in animal rescue and I love the animals quirky personalities which always makes me happy. I really appreciate the people who take on the animals and therefore become involved in their personal lives and for Jade this is a local vet and a handyman. It gets a little bit nasty but the author has done a stellar performance of representing the characters feelings. I am so looking forward to meeting more animals to make me laugh but there backgrounds are so heartbreaking yet they remain resilient. I love the drama plotted and excitement!

I enjoyed reading A New Arrival at Duck Pond Cottage by Della Galton. You will fall in love with all the characters. I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely. Happy Reading!

Greatly enjoyed this read. Could have done without some of the Aiden nonsense but it worked out well in the end. Nice to have Jade in contact with Puddleduck farm as well. Only wish we had a bit more of the romance buildup. Enjoyed all of the animal rescue stories as they were heartwarming and nice interludes. All in it’s a perfect book to cuddle up with a mug of tea and relax with.

Lovely to see the start of a new series from Della and it has started just as well as the last series. I love all the animals with their different quirks and personalities and the love rivalry made a bit of fun so definitely looking forward to the next installment

I loved Della’s Puddle Duck Farm books so I was delighted to see a new series of books in a similar theme planned.
I work in the veterinary field and so books about animals are always enjoyed and this one was especially entertaining as I liked the added intrigue of two love interests for Jade!
A fantastic setting with adorable characters, and some surprisingly reveals made this a delightful read!
So many cute creatures and heartwarming moments added another layer of enjoyment to the story.
I relish reading Della’s gorgeous books, they are always so well researched and informative as well as fun and uplifting to read. I’m thrilled to have another series to read and revel in, you can’t beat a story featuring rescue animals and the wonderful characters who care for them.
I’m already looking forward to book two!

Della Galton’s A New Arrival at Duck Pond Cottage sets up a charming premise with its idyllic Wiltshire countryside setting, a fledgling animal rescue, and the promise of second chances in life and love. However, while the book is meant to deliver a heartwarming tale of healing and new beginnings, the execution falls a bit flat, leaving it feeling more like an average, predictable read than the compelling start to a new series.

The protagonist, Jade Foster, starts her journey after the tragic death of her mother and the end of a significant relationship. Using her inheritance to purchase a smallholding for her dream animal rescue sounds like the perfect setup for a character-driven, emotionally rich narrative. However, Jade’s character development feels somewhat shallow. While her love for animals and her grief over recent losses are mentioned, her emotions never quite break through the surface to create the connection one would expect from such a story. As a result, Jade's journey feels less impactful than it could have been.

One of the key elements of the book is the love triangle between Jade, her enigmatic farmhand Finn McTaggart, and the affable local vet, Aiden Southerland. Unfortunately, this dynamic lacks the tension and chemistry that might have made it more engaging. The rivalry between Finn and Aiden feels a bit forced, with neither man’s connection to Jade fully fleshed out. Finn, who is supposed to be grappling with his own demons, comes across as brooding without much depth, while Aiden, though more straightforward, never quite develops into a strong romantic contender. As a result, the romantic tension that could have added excitement to the plot feels somewhat tepid.

Galton does try to incorporate an element of mystery with Finn’s hidden past and the looming secret that threatens to unravel everything, but the buildup lacks suspense. When the secret is finally revealed, it doesn’t carry the emotional weight one might expect. Instead, it feels like a plot point inserted to create drama, rather than something that genuinely affects the characters or moves the story forward in a meaningful way.

The setting—Duck Pond Lane Rescue and the picturesque Wiltshire countryside—is perhaps the strongest aspect of the book. Galton does a lovely job of painting the scene, with descriptions that make the rural backdrop and the animals feel like characters in their own right. However, while the setting is charming, it isn’t enough to elevate the overall story, which struggles to maintain momentum or emotional depth.

A New Arrival at Duck Pond Cottage is certainly not without its charm, and fans of light, easygoing romances set in cozy countryside locales may find it an enjoyable escape. However, for readers looking for deeper emotional engagement or more complex character development, it might come off as a bit “meh,” as you mentioned. The potential for a heartwarming and layered story is there, but it feels underdeveloped, leaving the reader wanting more depth, more stakes, and more genuine connection between the characters.

Final Thoughts:
While A New Arrival at Duck Pond Cottage has the ingredients of a heartwarming story—love, second chances, and a picturesque animal rescue—it doesn’t quite live up to its potential. The characters lack the emotional depth and chemistry needed to make the love triangle compelling, and the plot unfolds predictably without much suspense. Fans of light, cozy reads may still enjoy the rural setting and the idea of starting fresh, but for others, it may feel like just another pleasant, if forgettable, read.