Picnics and Promises at Strawberry Fields: A BRAND NEW small-town romance with a runaway bride, fake dating and a field full of strawberries from Victoria Walters

by Victoria Walters

The BRAND NEW instalment in Victoria Walters' gorgeous Birch Tree Farm series, perfect for fans of Laurie Gilmore Praise for Victoria

'A story about giving love itself a second chance. If you’ve ever felt lost or jaded, this book will bring you joy... A total delight!' Camilla Isley

'Evocative, charming and utterly romantic' Christy McKellen

‘...the perfect romance for a Sunday morning’ Sarah Turner

'Clever, quirky and swoonsome ... will tick all your Book Boyfriend boxes' Holly Hepburn

'A must read for romcom lovers - fresh, funny and utterly charming' Sandy Barker

'An absolutely gorgeous romance novel with a swoon-worthy hero to die for ... I was kept guessing right to the end and had a great big smile on my face' Kim Nash

'I loved it! The delicious chemistry between Liv and Aiden kept me up way past my bedtime' Leonie Mack

'...so much fun and utterly swoon-worthy... a gorgeous concept, with an abundance of charm and wit' Laura Carter

'a beautiful ode to romance loving bookworms ... Walters shines with this amazing read' Rachel Dove

333 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 3, 2026

About the author

Victoria Walters is a full-time author living in Surrey. Victoria writes sweet and spicy rom coms including the BookTok viral hits THE LOVE INTEREST, THE PLOT TWIST and THE PARIS CHAPTER. She used to work in publishing and a bookshop, and has been a bookworm since childhood.

Victoria is also the author of the bestselling uplifting and romantic series GLENDALE HALL and the cosy crime series THE DEDLEY END MYSTERIES. Find out more about her by following on Instagram at @vickyjwalters, on X at @Vicky_Walters or on Facebook and TikTok at Victoria Walters author.

Her new grumpy/sunshine spicy romance LONG STORY SHORT is out now.

Reviews

[Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn’t wait to dive into book two of this series, and I was not disappointed! I love how previous characters from book one played a central role in this book and felt I was back at Birch Tree Farm.

This time we see Willow’s cousin Daisy arrive at the farm, on her wedding day, having not got married! Close behind her, arrives Blake, with relationship issues of his own. What follows is a story of misunderstanding, moving on and second chances, all with the lovely back drop of the farm.

The scenery is beautifully described and the characters wonderfully developed. I loved meeting the new characters and seeing them grow throughout the story. The banter and humour between them is wonderful.

I really enjoyed Willow and Daisy’s relationship throughout the book. Having previously been close cousins when younger, it was lovely to see them reconnect and help each other out. It is cleverly written, how the author brings everyone’s storylines together and you will soon be ready to send the ex’s back to where they came from!

So all in all, great characters, great setting and a wonderful, well written storyline. I can’t wait to see what happens next at Birch Tree Farm.

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recipe for Messy Strawberry Shortcake:
One runaway bride, Daisy
One brokenhearted bloke, Blake
Two bitter exes, Sarah & Henry
One Birch Tree Farm
One busy Strawberry season
A dash of loving relatives, Willow, Dylan, and Uncle Adam
One cute dog, Maple
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Mix in the bride and the bloke into the farm. Add a dash of loving relatives, and a dash of Maple kisses. Mix well. Turn up the heat with feelings. Stir the meddling exes into the pot. Let simmer for one strawberry season.
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Makes 4 servings of a delectable disaster.

Picnics and Promises at Strawberry Farms is a continuation of Love and Lattes at Pumpkin Hollow, telling the story of Willow’s cousin Daisy, & Dylan’s friend, Blake. Daisy shows up to Birch Tree Farm in a weddings dress after fleeing her own wedding. Broken-hearted Blake is there nursing his wounds from a bad breakup with Sarah. When their exes show up, they manufacture a fake relationship during a busy strawberry season at the farm.

Victoria Walters does it again with this tale of forced proximity, fake dating, and a country escape. Picnics and Promises at Strawberry Fields is cozy and lighthearted, a perfect story to wind down with. I loved that it revisited Birchwood Farms, where we fell in love with Willow, Dylan, and Maple. Victoria Walters is my go-to for a comforting, feel-good read.

[Gina Dutton · Rating 5 out of 5]

🍓I am so in love with this cozy, all around feel-good small town romance! The slow-burn chemistry is perfect. The setting of the strawberry farm is comforting, heartfelt & easily depicts the healing taking place. It is truly a sweet romance.

🌻Running away from her wedding, Daisy escapes to Birch Tree Farm — the one place she remembers being truly happy & where she can find connection to her family. Believing she has lost herself & unable to get past her fears of loosing security and loneliness she hopes to discover her next steps. Also, hiding out at the farm is Blake. He is hiding out after heartbreak of his own.

🍓Both are hurting, both need space, & neither expects their exes to show up unexpectedly. The only answer is to fake date. Their romance is slow as they heal, reconnect with themselves, and gradually grow closer. Their chemistry is subtle & steady; lines between “pretend” and really start to blur, very quickly yet right.

🌻This book is absolutely worth picking up! A sweet, comforting romance that’s perfect for curling up with and smiling through to the end. I highly recommend it 🍓

[Caroleann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Picnics and Promises at Strawberry Fields by Victoria Walters is a cosy romance set on a small farm, perfect for readers who enjoy gentle stories about fresh starts and close knit communities. Although this is part of a series, I haven’t read the first book and didn’t feel that it took away from my enjoyment or understanding of the story.

One of the aspects I liked the most was the theme of rediscovering family after isolating yourself in an unhappy relationship. That emotional journey felt relatable and well handled, and the warm, comforting setting added to the cosy feel of the book. However, I did find parts of the story quite repetitive, and I think the book could have benefited from being a little shorter with some of those sections trimmed.

While the romance had potential, it felt a bit flat to me overall. I would have loved to see the relationship between the two main characters fleshed out more, as it didn’t quite deliver the emotional spark I was hoping for. Overall, this was a pleasant and comforting read, but it didn’t fully stand out for me

[Sukriti · Rating 3 out of 5]

**Book Review (≈ 100 words)**

*Picnics and Promises at Strawberry Fields* by Victoria Walters is a heart-warming small-town romance perfect for fans of summer vibes, second chances, and sweet chemistry. After **Daisy Connor** flees her own wedding and heads to her cousin’s **Birch Tree Farm** for clarity, she meets **Blake Daniels** — also hiding from heartbreak after a betrayal. When their exes show up, Daisy and Blake agree to **fake-date** to make their problems go away. Amid strawberry fields, picnics, and farm life, what starts as a cover story slowly becomes real attraction. With cozy country charm, slow-burn romance, and plenty of sweetness, it’s a feel-good escape about healing and finding love again. ([Victoria Walters][1])

**Tropes & Themes:**
• Fake dating 🍓
• Forced proximity 🍓
• Second chances 🍓
• Country escape 🍓
• Slow-burn chemistry 🍓 ([Victoria Walters][1])

[Georgie · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5
This was plot-driven, but not in a great way, it was more like it took over the characters like a child playing with dolls. Similar to book 1, the world-building was told to us in a clumsy info-dump way, broken into crumbs. I procrastinated picking this up every time I had to read. The writing felt juvenile - if you took out the sex scenes and aged them down, this would be a good YA book. According to the acknowledgements, this had an editor, a copy editor and a proof reader, which I don't understand, considering the final product. The 3rd act conflict felt weird and clunky, and the characters were 2d.
In summary, the author should try writing for younger audiences, and someone should properly edit this for punctuation, sentence structure, and flow.

Thank you to Boldwood Books for my arc, via Netgalley

[Danielle Stanley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely feel-good romance in a cozy small town setting, Victoria is the Author who got me into reading, and she remains my favourite.

[Chiara Stephens]

Tempted to hate read this after the last one.

Will this have a love interest who has never heard of PYO strawberries or something? IYKYK!

[Emma Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the first book in the series and Picnics And Promises At Strawberry Fields certainly didn't disappoint. The novel had everything I could want in a fake dating romance novel and more. The story was well written, had beautiful place settings and a great cast of characters, where the main characters had slow burn chemistry. I highly recommend it and I look forward to reading more by the author.
❤️ Thank you to Boldwood Books, the author Victoria Walters and Netgalley for my arc ebook copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.