There are many quotes doing the rounds that say if you liked Eleanor Oliphant and/or A Man Called Ove, then this book is for you.  I have to say that I connected with the main character in the book, Susan, on a much higher level to that of Eleanor or Ove.  There was something utterly endearing about her and I could identify with her in a way that I haven't with another character in a book for quite a while.  I really loved this book.  Susan is a woman who, for the best part of her life, has tried to maintain complete and utter control and discipline over her life.  She finds herself unexpectedly pregnant at the age of 45 and slowly but surely her train of thought, and subsequently, her self-preserved way of life begins to change.   I laughed and I cried reading this book, it is at times a little bit heartbreaking, but also it is a warm, engaging and humorous read .  I would recommend this book without hesitation.

We meet Susan, spiky like her beloved cacti, fiercely independent and emotionally distant, when she hears the news of the death of her mother. Over the course of the book her life, as she knows it, has to change dramatically. Susan has such a clear voice that to see her cope with things in her own indomitable way, and how she grows and blossoms, makes you believe that even the most prickly of us can be beautiful. Fabulous story.

If you loved "A Man Called Ove" and "Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine", then you will love "The Cactus".  Just when Susan Green thinks she has life all figured out, she loses her mother and finds herself to be pregnant in quick succession.  Trying to deal with her feckless brother leaves her exhausted and frustrated.  However, no man is an island, and eventually Susan will realise she has to let people through her spiky exterior.  A heart warming read.

I liked the book as a whole but the main character is very similar to Eleanor Olephant especially the way she deals with peple.

I really appreciated the writing style of this book.
The descriptive nature really helped me understand the characters perspective.
Her nature was one that could so easily be misunderstood.... but I was so drawn to her through the writing.

I really loved this book and despite people saying it was like The Rosie Project, I didn't think so. This is so much better. Love the main character and love how she actually says what she is thinking - no time for frills! It is also amusing and I found some laugh out loud moments too. We have all been there; saying what we are expected to say but actually thinking something completely different! Love how the story is also about finding yourself and maybe we are all less self-contained than we think we are. Thoroughly recommend this as a good read which is a bit different from the norm.

Susan is a 45 year old extremely independent woman with a good job,  her own flat and a lover when she needs him.......... the complete opposite of her unreliable feckless brother!    That is until her ordered world is turned upside down when she discovers she is pregnant.  

When her mother dies and she discovers that it is her brother who benefits from the will she is convinced that he coerced her and she needs to overturn the will for the sake of her unborn child but will she change in the process and will she get help from an unexpected quarter?

An enjoyable book with interesting characters.... although I didn't really like Susan I was still rooting for her..... andI will look out for future books by this author

A really good read I was surprised how much I enjoyed it first novel I've read by this author but it's a brilliant book loved all the characters they gelled really well the main character Susan was very single minded at the beginning but the twist at the end was really good and unexpected loved seeing her soften thought the ending was a bit abrupt but all in all a very good story would recommend it

What a delightful and compelling read. A perfect holiday book or, if like me, when holed up with the flu. Greater than the sum of it's pages.

Firstly thank you to Net Galley & the publishers for an ARC in exchange for a fair review. 
I anticipated this being a laugh out loud rom-com type story but was pleasantly surprised that it was more light hearted than that. Susan is a wonderful character, very organised, knows what she wants and never strays from that path.....until she kind of has to! 
The characters are well written and likeable. Although some are quite annoying it is in a realistic sort of way rather than fabricated OTT as seems to be the way in so many stories nowadays. 
I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a lighthearted read.

An enjoyable novel  but I couldn’t help compare Suze to Eleanor Oliphant and find her wanting.  Susan had none of the warmth of Eleanor and I felt all of the characters apart from Rob were unappealing.  However, it was an interesting read that kept me reading when many books have fallen by the wayside.

I spent the first half of the book completely disliking the main character however was also massively intrigued by her, yet by the end I was left wanting more! What every good book should be like in my opinion! Well done Sarah Haywood, a worthy read :-)

Such fun! Susan's character is gradually revealed by her comments about other people. She certainly doesn't suffer fools gladly. But her circumstances change and she has to adapt to fit in.
I really enjoyed this book. If anything,I did think the dialogue was a little clunky in places but this didn't detract from the story overall.
Highly recommended

The Cactus fits perfectly in the nook carved out by Graeme Simsion’s The Rosie Project and Gail Honeyman’s Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine. Warm, uplifting, funny and bittersweet, Sarah Haywood's book will make you cringe, laugh and get stingy eyes. 

Susan Green is a forty-five year old independent woman who owns her own flat, has a full-time job, a long term, convenient lover, Richard and absolutely no friends. 

Susan “please don’t call me Suze” finds herself in a legal battle with her wayward brother Ed as they fight over the contents of her mother’s will. Pregnant and technically single, Susan is determined to get what is rightfully hers to make a better life for herself and soon to arrive baby.



With the help from Rob, (Ed’s old college mate and general rough diamond), usually prickly Susan begins to see the world from a different perspective. She gains new friends and tentative social skills while encountering feelings like she has never had before. Although in a tricky position, Susan remains rigidly independent, almost to a fault. Her morals constantly put her reasoning in second place and her astute observations are nothing if not cutting. You shouldn’t love her and yet you feel yourself protective of this character who so regularly sits on the other side of conventional.

Ever the fan of the underdog, I was cheering Susan (and aloof Rob) from the get go. Not everyone fits into the perfect heroine template, but characters like Susan Green are redefining it.   I look forward to seeing more books published that will give a cactus the chance to blossom.

I really wanted to and expected to like this more - but I found the storyline and characters a bit two dimensional and unlikely
I did find it very readable though!

I loved this book-Susan Green is a fantastic character,strong and feisty,and completely unforgettable.The book made me laugh but also sympathise with all that she goes through in the course of the story and I was cheering her on to the very satisfactory conclusion.
Highly recommended-can't wait for this author's next book.

When I started this book, I thought the title was a little odd.  As far as I could surmise, Susan grew and understood cacti.  It actually means a great deal more.

45-year-old Susan is a control freak.  She works with data analysis and her life is run on a military base.  Everything she does eats thinks is regimented.  This is how she copes.

Early one morning she receives a phone call from her brother.  His news is shocking as her mother has passed way and she didn't realise that anything was medically wrong.  It was a massive stroke that finished her life.  Susan left the funeral arrangements to Ed and hoped for the best.

Her and Ed's relationship has always been fragile but arguing with each other is the norm.  He has none of her disciplines and is totally different in every way.  Once again he has not managed a funeral and wake as Susan would have liked.

Her life begins to spiral out of her control.  The will allows Ed to live in their mother's house for as long as he wants, together with his mate Rob.  Endless failed jobs etc have led him to move back home and Susan can see no reason for that to change.

She embarks on a legal trail as she cannot inherit her half of the house if he is living in it.  How can it be sold?  This long and drawn out process begins to take its toll.  An unplanned pregnancy throws all her plans into disarray, but her relationship with the father has always been without any strings.

The surprises come thick and fast.  Without being responsible for a spoiler, it moves forward in an exciting manner.  Things work out eventually.  A great read.

I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are all my own and completely unbiased.  My thanks to NetGalley for this opportunity,

A warm, uplifting story for fans of Gail Honeyman's Eleanor Oliphant. Susan is an independent 45 year old who doesn't quite fit the conventional norm. Finding herself accidentally pregnant, she addresses this issue in her usual methodical, pragmatic way - but life, family and friendships all come along and change the course of Susan's plans. I really enjoyed this book, it's a quick and easy read with well developed characters about whom you really care.

I noticed the cover of this first - it's not like the picture here. It's densely covered with cacti (no humans!). I've bought so many books based purely on the cover and surprisingly (or is that 'fortunately'?), it's not often that I'm disappointed. I certainly wasn't disappointed here either. The main character, Susan, you quickly learn is the cactus. She collects them, and she seems to have learnt from their defence mechanism: if you're prickly, no one wants to get too close. I've seen a few reviewers refer to her as being on the autistic spectrum, but I would argue that that really isn't the case at all: and as you read further in to the story, you can see that this stand-offishness has been cultivated on purpose. 
There is no rush to this story, but plenty happens. There's LOADS of character building: we get a really good insight into Susan and how she ticks. I found myself really plugging for her and wanting her to find her happy ending. The characters who populate her world are also really likeable, even her rogue of a brother (who she has the measure of right from the beginning). I'd love to know what happens next - I'm not a huge fan of sequels, but if someone (the author, perhaps!) could just satisfy my curiosity, that would be great! 
My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read such a great book.

Susan, 45 years old, possibly autistic, lives alone just the way she likes it.
However!
Her mother has just died and to Susan’s surprise the will shows the the mother has granted susan’s Brother lifetime rights to live in the mother’s house. This Susan can not understand. To top that Susan finds out she is pregnant and needs to sell the mother’s house to move somewhere bigger.
A great read, very enjoyable and funny in parts.
Would recommend 
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review