Just as gorgeous as the first - ideal for children who will love the puns and humour in it. Excellent.

It's a fantastic sequel. It hits so many of the themes and points that made the first book such a joy, while being fresh and different at the same time. Bridget is now safely out of the horrible orphanage, and living happily with Mr Vanderpuff. It's really so lovely seeing them bonding as a little family, with Pasqual the elf making three. Bridget feels very settled and secure and I really appreciate that that sense of security isn't what is directly threatened, though it is still something of an undercurrent. Bridget deserves a family and it's great seeing her as a happy part of one.

Several of the elements from the first book are still there. Bridget's inventions are as inventive as ever and her baking attempts are as catastrophic as they were previously, but they're not as much of a major focus as they were in the first story. Instead the focus is firmly on her mystery solving abilities and the baking and the inventions fall in line quite naturally with her adventures.

The key mystery is, of course, the ghost train. It's a terrifying spectacle that gets scarier as the story goes on, but for a long time Bridget has a hard time convincing anyone that it is real. There's also the creepy old sailor and the charming new lord of the manor and hide and seek champion, two wonderful new characters absolutely full of, well, character. It's great to see more of the town of Belle-on-Sea too, with different townsfolk, particularly those working in the library, playing a much larger role and really helping to flesh out the strange little town.

One of the things I love about this book is how sensory it is. It's filled with baking and delicious treats that really come to life in the descriptions. You can practically smell them as you read, and the sights and sounds and scents of the bakery are depicted so vividly it's just frustrating I couldn't actually pop into Vanderpuff's Bakery when I'd finished reading.

Another thing I loved was how much of the story was about love and family, and how firmly that was intertwined with the baking. Given Bridget's background, that really felt so important and it's so clear throughout the story how much love there is. It really is beautiful.

There's also a very mean villain, and while I figured out who it was fairly early on it was still incredibly entertaining following what was going on, and there were a few twists that really open up a world of possibilities for future books, and that I really didn't see coming.

My only complaint would be the illustrations. While the illustrations by David Habben are very pretty, the same ones get used again and again throughout the book. There are a small number of scene-specific ones, but character art and incidental art gets repeated, but flipped or rotated or positioned off the side of the page so that it's slightly less obvious that we're seeing the same picture of, say, the mayor that we've seen six times already. It just got a little repetitive and took away from what really are quite lovely illustrations.

It’s so great to be back in Belle-on-Sea with Bridget,Tom, Pascal and Mr Vanderpuff. A new character arrives in town, an Olympic medalist, an Earl and a champion hide and seeker,

Bridget is still loving her life with Mr Vanderpuff and is not getting any better at baking though her baked goods find themselves coming in handy on Bridget’s many adventures. Not one to sit and wait, Bridget rushes headlong into new adventures. In this case, a ghost train is rumoured to be visiting the town and it has a sinister feel to it and Bridget firmly places herself and Tom in its path.

I love Bridget’s confidence and determination to face things head on and to encourage others around her to get involved and find their own courage, She has the loveliest relationship with Mr Vanderpuff and she and Tom are so happy out of the orphanage.

This is a series to read with cake and time to enjoy the entire adventure as you will find it hard to tear yourself away!

I really enjoyed this book, I’d place it at primary school level. The writing was quite choppy as if parts were edited out that should’ve been left in for context, especially in the dialogue. There were some sentences that were overly descriptive for the age group the book is marketed to and did not match the lighthearted jovial tone of the book, for example, “The Vast Tunnel’s darkness slithered around them. It was velvety and thick - a darkness you could grip in your fingers”.

The story itself was uplifting with a lovely message behind it. Unfortunately, the clunky dialogue and the need for editing made me lower my rating. I would still recommend the book as it was an enjoyable read and kids would enjoy Bridget and Tom’s friendship and love. Pascal and Mr Vanderpuff were also great characters that really gave a lot of warmth and heart to the story.

All in all, it’s an enjoyable little book. My rating is 3 stars but with some editing and revision in some places, I will definitely put in an order for our children’s section.

A great book and we all enjoyed it but we did feel the need to eat bakery goods throughout the book. Great family reading but not so good if you are on a diet. Loved the story and so pleased that the second book came along so swiftly after the first.

Bridget is back and after her adventures in Bridget Vanderpuff and the Baked Escape, she is settling into life with Mr Vanderpuff and the elf Pascal in the bakery. With Tom also living in the village, life is great, especially as everyone is getting ready to celebrate the Parade of the Hungry Ghost. Mr Vanderpuff is in full flow with his patisserie creations but can't quite come up with that one master-piece that will wow everyone for the festival. Then talk turns to the mysterious ghost train that has reportedly raced through other towns. Although Bridget is excited at the prospect, the other residents of Belle-on-Sea are less thrilled, and become even more scared when people start to go missing. Bridget and Tom decide it's up to them to get to the bottom of things before it's too late.

I adored meeting Bridget in the Baked Escape (you can read my review here) so I was absolutely thrilled when I discovered that Bridget Vanderpuff and the Ghost Train was available of NetGalley. The book immediately jumped to the top of my pile and my only regret was that I wasn't prepared with a range of pastries to satisfy the hunger pangs that inevitably come when reading the book - yes, the descriptions of the delicacies in Vanderpuffs are as mouthwatering as they were in book 1. Tom is clearly a frequent visitor to the bakery and is somewhat of an addict when it comes to the pastries (I don't blame him to be fair!). It's so good to see the pair back together but Bridget is clearly the more daring and adventurous of the two. Her inventions are fabulous (as is her hair) and her fearless nature is ever-present. I was drawn to her sense of adventure and the way her powers of observation help her (her first conversation with Lord Dare was great to read). I knew in book 1 that I loved Bridget but that grew after reading her conversation about her favourite book! That is a girl who shares my view of books!

Bridget Vanderpuff and the Ghost Train will once again sneak into your heart and give it a big squeeze. The writing is delicious and has the air of a timeless classic about it, making it a series that will be read for years.

Ghostly goings-on, daring-do and oodles of mouth-watering creations combine with friendship, love and saving the day in a book that readers will adore. Publishing 31st August, Bridget Vanderpuff and the Ghost Train is guaranteed to warm your heart and leave you craving cake! I can't wait to see what awaits in book 3.

This is the second Bridget Vanderpuff story, and if you loved the first one like I did then you will love this one.

I wouldn’t consider this a standalone book as you’re just going to miss so much context that it would spoil it. The story follows on with Bridget settling into her new home, until a party throws everything back up in the air……

Can Bridget save the day? …..you know the answer - it’s Bridget!!!

New characters, new enemies, new bakes, and new challenges! What’s not to love?

My thanks to Netgalley and Head of Zeus for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

I’m not an author so I have no idea whatsoever how long it takes to write and subsequently publish a book, I just know that – as a reader – when I am hooked on a series it seems to be an unbearably long time between titles. Sometimes though – not very often it has to be said – for whatever reason, that gap between one read and the next is shortened most fortuitously and so it has proved with this one, the sequel to what I know is going to be one of my absolute favourites of 2023.

Having read Book 1 – Bridget Vanderpuff and the Baked Escape – only a few weeks ago, I was hugely excited that this sequel would be published at the August and even more thrilled when author Martin Stewart tagged me alongside some other fans to say it was available on Net Galley. Throwing all of my normal rules about in which order to read my already sizeable book pile, I had to request it and once approved forced myself to finish what I had already started. Expecting more of the cosiness, gentle humour and general bonkersness (if that’s not a word it jolly well should be), of Book 1, I was not disappointed but am now bereft as I have no idea how long my wait will be for the third in this glorious series.

Having defeated her nemesis Miss Acrid in her first adventure, Bridget is now living with adopted father and master baker extraordinaire Mr Vanderpuff and is reminiscing about the Home for Errant Childs with best friend Tom when we meet her once more ahead of a party for her guardian. As the pair of them look around at the grand spectacle of Vanderpuff’s Bakery and feast on the shop’s finest confections, they consider how fortunate they both are and speak to librarian Miss Paige, who has brought a pile of books to inspire Mr Vanderpuff for an extra special bake for Belle-on-Sea’s Parade of the Hungry Ghosts.

Moving on to talk with the town’s mayor, Bridget says how happy her life now is before the mayor introduces her to the new Earl of Bomberton Hall, Lord Dare, who tells Bridget that his real passion in life is Hide-and-Seek and challenges her to play. Impressing the Earl with her deduction skills, Bridget finds herself and her father invited to tea at Bomberton Hall but their conversation is soon brought to a halt by the entrance of a local eccentric who warns those assembled that something terrifying is coming to the town before being asked to leave, dropping a note on the floor which Lord Dare picks up and reads. Clearly shaken, the Earl reveals to those assembled that the paper states that a ghost train is coming – something that is quickly dismissed by Tom, amongst others.

This is all quickly forgotten by all those present except Bridget who decides to carry out some investigations after the party has ended. Sneaking out, she climbs up to the rooftops and starts to search for clues but before long becomes aware of a strange rumbling which is followed by a sickly green light spilling into the town square, convincing Bridget that the ghost train is a real thing. When people start to go missing from the town, including Mr Vanderpuff, Bridget and Tom finds themselves at the heart of a mystery – a mystery that only they can solve.

Bridget is such a wonderfully written character. Brave, loyal, determined and resourceful, she is still trying to master the simplest of baking techniques – with unpredictable and brilliantly creative results – and refuses to allow her lack of ability to squash her enthusiasm for all her new life offers her, instead still taking delight in being the Best Worst Baker in the world. Readers of Book 1 will already be familiar with her capacious hair storage system, lock-picking skills and capacity for invention which are again used to good effect here as she tries to track down the ghost train and its malevolent owner.

Again full of delightful details and some wonderful wordplay that make this an absolute joy to read, this is the perfect series for children of Year 4 age upwards, whether as an independent read for those that are more confident or a shared one for those who are less so. Not overly scary, and generating the same cosy feeling of The Baked Escape, this title would work perfectly well as a stand alone novel although I urge you to read Book 1 if you haven’t already done so. Sadly, the advance copy I read does not as yet contain the fabulous artwork of David Habben so I cannot comment on it but having seen what he created for Book 1, I am certain it will be the rather appropriately metaphorical cherry on top of the cake.

As always, my enormous thanks go to publisher Zephyr Books and to Net Galley for my advance, virtual read. Bridget Vanderpuff and the ghost train publishes 31st August.

Exciting children’s book. In this book you will find a mystery, a ghost train, and lots and lots of cakes. Because cakes really do help everything. Bridget V lives in a very unusual village. She is proud of the village, and of being good at solving mysteries. So the baddies better watch out.! Bridget V (not Baxter- read the book and you will understand) is on the case. Thank you to Head of Zeus and NetGalley for the ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.