Tess has a secret, one which is going to turn her life upside down. In just nine months time. The only person she can confide in is her beloved Grandmother. But Iris is slipping further away each day. Then chance brings a stranger into Tess's life. Gigi's heart goes out to Tess, knowing what it's like to feel alone.

This book revolves round two families who met when they were visiting elderly relatives in a nursing home. Tess's relationship with her Grandmother had been a strong one, but with her Mother, it's strained. Gigi is married to Richard but she is unhappy in their relationship. Letters to Iris refers to the war, her parents and her brother, Tom, but she never shared secrets from that life. This is a beautifully written story about secrets, acceptance of other people's wishes and of course, love. I suspect when the prologue is read. Like me, many readers will shed a rear or two.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Penguin UK - Michael Joseph and the author Elizabeth Noble for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

With a large cast of characters this novel examines the complicated relationships within families. It looks at life, loss and doing the right thing. It examines the effect that secrets can have on both the person keeping the secret, and those who are kept in the dark.
This is a little over-sentimental, an everyday story with a predictable ending. I thought the writer’s style was easy to read and the dialogue sounded real. The portrayal of Iris's condition was accurate but there was perhaps too much mundane detail. My thanks to Net Galley, the publisher and the author for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

A book about love, loss and family.
The two main characters, Tess and Gigi meet at a care home, where they both have relatives. They are both going through difficult times in their lives - both are chracters who are likeable and you want them to be happy.

Loved this book - it has been a while sine Elizabeth Noble's last novel, but it was worth the wait.

Tess was brought up by her Grandmother and loves her unconditionally, however ends up having to put her in a home when she becomes so confused she can’t look after herself.

Gigi was married for many years and has 3 children, and goes to the same home to visit her father in law.

The two meet and become friends, and Tess needs all the friends she can get when she finds herself pregnant and the father ‘isn’t ready’.

A lovely, sweet story, well told.

What a wonderfully compelling, passionate story from Elizabeth. I also enjoyed the layout of the story where we were kept up dated with the pregnancy and the letters Tess discovered explained a lot about her Gran Iris.

An enjoyable read. The story revolves around two different families. Tess who is pregnant and adores her grandmother, Iris, and Gigi who is in a loveless marriage to Richard, meet up at a care home, Clearview. Gig is visiting her father-in-law, James.

The stories of the two slowly begin to interlink and the author deals with illness and relationships in a carefully planned, poignant way. In parts it is funny and in parts sad. Most people will be able to see some aspect of their lives within the tale.

Enjoyable and recommended. Thanks to NetGalley, Penguin UK – Michael Joseph and Elizabeth Noble for the ARC in return for my honest review.

Such a beautiful book. So well written and the emotions were almost tangible.

I really wanted to love this book, as I lost my own grandmother to vascular dementia just before Christmas. Unfortunately I just couldn’t get on with it. I struggled with the writing style and failed to connect with any of the characters. I didn’t finish the book so don’t feel it fair to write a review.

A good story on dementia and its effects on the friends and family who have to accept and cope with what happens as the conditions progresses. Well written, but there were too many characters for my liking - it took a while for the story to get going as the focus of the story changes characters with each chapter, but the underlying message of the story is there throughout. The descriptions of Iris and her dementia are well told and powerful at times, and the book will probably resonate with readers who have had experiences of family members with the condition.

Letters to Iris was such a beautifully written novel. It touched my heart in many ways, and it took me on a rollercoaster of emotions.

The love in this novel was tremendous. You could literally feel it pouring out of the book.

I loved following the journey of Tess's and Gigi's lives, them form a bond so very close. It was beautiful reading so, and I loved being a part of that journey.

This book has touched me emotionally; it's such a delicate, and yet again, beautiful read.

This book is simply wonderful. Beautifully wonderful.

A lovely story and beautifully written. This is my first book by Elizabeth Noble and I will definitely be looking out for more of her novels.

Tess has a fractious relationship with her mother, Donna, and was brought up by her grandmother Iris. She is now in a relationship with Sean and Iris is suffering from dementia and needs to go into a home and her mother needs to grow up. Sean is offered a job in New York and Tess finds she is pregnant.. Sean makes it very clear he doesn't want the baby.
Gigi is married to Richard. S.he is a midwife with three grown up children. She is very close to Richard's dad, James who is unable to live at home and is going into a home. She feels her life is so predictable and that she needs a break from Richard and leaves him.
This is the story of two strong women who meet at the nursing home and what happens to them when they learn to stand on their own to feet and how eventually their lives will intertwine.

I am trying to be a bit more selective about what advanced review copy books I request from Netgalley - partly so I don't get stuck with any more duds - but also because I want to be able to read them and give timely feedback so that I have a good reviewer rating and so when something I'm desperate to read comes along I can be approved!  (I am naturally a total geek too......)

Anyway - I saw this on there, and it really appealed so I decided to request it and was accepted (it still makes me do a happy dance every time this happens)

Here's the blurb:

"Tess has a secret - one which is going to turn her life upside down in just nine months' time.

The only person she can confide in is her beloved grandmother. But Iris is slipping further away each day.

Then chance brings a stranger into Tess's life.

Gigi's heart goes out to Tess, knowing what it's like to feel alone. She's determined to show her that there's a silver lining to every cloud.

As their unlikely friendship blossoms, Tess feels inspired to open up.

But something still holds her back - until she discovers Iris has a secret of her own. A suitcase of letters from another time, the missing pieces of a life she never shared.

Could the letters hold the answers that Tess thought lost for ever?

An uplifting, unforgettable story about keeping secrets, taking chances and finding happiness where you least expect it."



Initially the stories of Tess and Gigi appear completely separate and you're not sure how they're going to meet up - but then about 25% of the way through, they meet at a care home they both have relatives at. The care home sections were quite relevant to me, as my maternal grandmother has become a resident of one recently - so now they are much more on my radar than ever before.

I was immediately intrigued by both Tess and Gigi's stories - I found both interesting, in completely different ways.  Tess writes to her unborn child - and that made me think about my own pregnancies - in a fond, reminiscing kind of way!

The book made me laugh - and cry - which is always good.  Whilst Tess and Gigi are the main characters, the supporting characters are also great and well rounded.  I particularly liked Tess's friend Holly (whose daughter is a similar age to my eldest, and so was probably the character going through the most similar issues to me) and also Gigi's daughter in law Emily - who was just lovely.

I won't give too much of the story away (I loathe reviews that do that) and it is reasonably predictable - but in a comfortable and safe way, with some twists and turns along the way.  It does, as you expect from the start, encompass the whole 'circle of life' (sung in a Disney way, obvs!)

Now being a bit of a geek, I thought the book was really well written - it felt like it had been written with care and attention to detail and language.  Sometimes I feel some modern books seem a bit 'disposable' and have been written quickly by the author - this felt like it had been lovingly crafted rather than banged off to meet a deadline. (I hope you understand what I mean and I don't sound like a total snobby weirdo?!?)

A big thank you to Netgalley and Penguin for my free advance review copy in return for my honest opinion.

Loved it - Tess adores her grandmother, Iris. Gigi has an unhappy home life. They meet initially in the nursing home where Iris and Gigi's father in law are being looked after. This novel covers so many different types of love,. plus Tess finds letters written to Iris years and years ago, revealing a life neither she nor her mother, Donna, knew anything about .. I couldn't put it down and couldn't wait to see several outcomes. Please say there will be a sequel to answer a few loose ends !

This is a very banal, over-sentimental, everyday story with no twists and a predictable ending. Donna, Tess's mother, started off being a little more interesting as a selfish, remote mother but changed instantly and became supportive overnight. Gigi was saccharine, and the men in the novel were all a bit pathetic. I thought the writing style was OK, the dialogue sounded real, and Iris's condition was portrayed accurately, as I have just gone through almost exactly the same with my mother, but there was too much dull detail.

I've picked this book up three times and started to read it. I apologise I just couldn't get into the book.

I love Elizabeth Noble, it’s been a while since I read her last book, so when I discovered Letters to Iris i was thrilled.
The story is so heartwarming and uplifting, a tale about love, life and all sorts in between. The writing is smooth and well structured and perfect for curling up to on a rainy day.

Letter to Iris is a powerful story about Life, love, relationships and even death. The story is telling about 2 families. Gigi and Richard and their grown up children and Tess, her Grandmother Iris and her Mother Donna.
Gigi is separated from her husband Richard as their ‘spark’ in their marriage has gone and she works in the hospital where Tess grandmother is. Their children are not really happy with the arrangement except for her son Olly.
Tess is single and pregnant from her boyfriend who didn’t want a baby and has gone to work in America. So with her pending baby and dealing with her grandmother’s Dementia. Also building a new relationship with her mother, life presently having its problems.
This is a four star read for me. Although this was beautifully written heart felt story which I really enjoyed. If you like stories from Jojo Moyes and Cecelia Ahern, you will love this. But I thought it was too good to be true. Life doesn’t always plan out in the positive way, that you want it to be.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book.

I started this with great expectation but unfortunately found the story very slow and became bored with it. Sorry

What a wonderful book I enjoyed every minute of Tess's story and felt as if I was with her throughout her journey such a collection of characters and each one believable particularly like Gigi and her family and how it all came together love , laughter tears and beautiful story telling and at the heart of the story Iris I thoroughly recommend this book a fantastic read from beginning to end