Sometimes you read a book and you don’t like it. Sometimes you read a book and you do like it, or even love it. And then there are the times when you read a book and it is everything you need at that precise moment in time. For me, The Truths and Triumphs of Grace Atherton by Anstey Harris has been that book.
Grace Atherton’s world revolves entirely around her partner of eight years, David. Then, one day an unexpected event causes her world to spiral out of control and she is left broken hearted. Left to pick up the pieces, she is bolstered by the friendship of an eighty year old man and a tough talking teenage girl. The unlikely trio set about the task of putting Grace and her life back together again.
Music dominates this novel, becoming a major character itself and mirroring Grace and her state of mind throughout. Ever present, it is conveyed with such love and affection that it often left my spine tingling. Although I love music, I don’t know very much about classical music, but through the author’s writing I felt that my mind’s ear was listening to it, the description is sensually stunning and goose bump inducing. I’ll admit that initially I thought that these were the sections that I would skim through, but they quickly became a highlight for me, the beauty of description leaving me almost breathless in awe.
Told throughout in the first person by Grace, we see the world as she sees it, and it becomes quite clear that her world view is somewhat skewed by the events of her life to date. Grace is a flawed character but utterly relatable. She made me want to scream and shout at her, cry with her but always cheer for her. Her journey within the novel was a joy to read and the ending left me with a feeling a immense fulfillment and satisfaction.
Her friends, Mr Williams and Nadia are wonderful supporting characters and the relationship between the three, although unorthodox is lovely. If I could have asked for one more thing from this novel, it would have been more time for these characters, I just could not get enough of them.
There is so much more I would love to say, but I can’t for fear of inadvertently letting slip a nugget of a spoiler. Suffice to say, I highly, highly recommend.
The Truths and Triumphs of Grace Atherton is about knowing the value of your own self worth, having the courage to open up to possibilities and becoming who you’re meant to be. Pure class.

I found the beginning of this book to be quite dramatic - I started to think one way abut a character and then that illusion was shattered to leave me feeling rather torn as to how I felt towards certain characters, including the main character Grace!
On the face of it she has a pretty amazing life. She seems smart, has an astonishing talent and ear for music and a glamourous lifestyle. BUT underneath it all you find that all is not what it seems and when her past becomes clearer you begin to understand a little of why she is the way she is, and how she has allowed herself to be put in certain positions instead of standing up for herself!

She has a lovely supportive friend network, Nadia a young girl who works in the music shop alongside Grace, and Mr Williams who is a regular visitor to the shop. And this is the part of the story I enjoyed the most - the fact that they were there for her, even when she overstepped the line of friendship, and it showed how having people there to believe in you can help you to start having faith in yourself.

The link to music and instruments was a really fascinating side to this book and had me captivated more than the personal life of Grace. Why had she become so reluctant to perform in front of people? And what made her become so reliant on others who didn't have her best interests at heart? There were times I wanted to shake Grace after the way she was living her life! She is a smart woman but seemed to be so blind to what was actually happening to her and would always justify the behaviour of others!

An enjoyable story of a woman who learns the hard way that life and love doesn't run smoothly!

I love, love , loved this. There was so much to it, and yet it was an easy read. We had all the emotion of Grace's relationship with David, who we could see was the master manipulator from the start. When we heard the sad start to the relationship I wondered how it could have sustained for 8 years. Grace was otherwise an independent woman. When we then hear how she dropped out of college we see how damaged she is. But she has made herself a successful career and is clearly an expert in her field. One spontaneous event turns her life upside down and how she puts it back together and what her new life looks like is a joy to behold,. I was so pleased she found out why she was thrown out of college - it seemed so random to me, I think I must be very naive! Thank you for the opportunity to become part of Grace's life, with the rest of the entourage - Nadia and Mr Williams are my friends too! I hope there's a sequel in due course. #netgalley #graceatherton #truthsandtriumphsofgraceatherton

This was a very pleasant read. Very romantic and quite different from the genre I usually read.
A very dramatic and disastrous event in the middle. However Grace manages to come out tops and start again with great success.
Thanks to NetGalley for this!

This book broke my heart – and then put it together again, filling me with total joy. The main characters are so very beautifully drawn – Grace herself, the love of her life David, the wonderful Mr Williams and the spiky Nadia – but so are all the minor characters. This is a book you inhabit totally, as the author makes it so very easy for you to identify with Grace, living with her through the joy and heartbreak, urging her on as she finds a way to recover and triumph in every way. It’s a book that makes you feel every emotion, ache about every hurt and betrayal, rejoice in every small victory – the writing is quite exquisite.

And then there’s the music. I’m very much a Classic FM on a Saturday afternoon classical fan – nothing heavy – but Libertango has long been a personal favourite and the way it’s used within the book moved me immensely, marking both the tentative moments of hope, the move to recovery, and the elation that follows. I knew nothing about the process of making and repairing stringed instruments before reading this book – it’s Grace’s livelihood, and the processes are described in fascinating detail, with love in every strut and carefully honed panel.

The locations are wonderfully done – Grace’s shop, the Paris of her love story, the scenes in Cremona (immediately added to my personal bucket list). But I think what stayed with me the most about the story was the strength of friendship and its power to support and heal – and the way it can sometimes be found in the most unlikely places. I so want to tell you more of the story that moved me so much and captivated me throughout – all the twists and turns, the disappointments, the depths and heights, the shadows of the past, the moments that make your heart sing and the others when you plunge into despair – but I’m not going to. I just loved everything about this book – do try it, because I’m sure you’ll love it too.

(Review to be added to Amazon on publication day)

I absolutely adored this book, it lifts you up and tears through your emotions like the very best concerto. Grace is a well drawn character who will join my list of favourite book people.

A book that is heart-wrenching and heartwarming, an emotional trip into the healing process of Grace Atherton.
I loved this book, I was a bit skeptic at the beginning due to the hype but it exceed all expectations.
It's enthralling and full of food for thought, even cathartic at time.
There were parts when I found so many details and reflection that hit home and it was not easy to keep on reading and not remembering old experiences.
I loved Grace, so frail and so strong at the same, Mr Williams and Nadia. They were a great group of well written and fleshed out. David is the perfect villain, a type of man you remember having met and to avoid.
The book kept me hooked till the last page and some pages were so moving that I cried.
A wonderful reading experience, I look forward to reading other books by this author.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to Simon & Schuster UK and Netgalley for this ARC

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster for an ARC of this book for an honest review.
This was a book of two halves for me. The first half was slow and dull, but the second half was much more enjoyable.

Grace is in her late 30's and is having an affair with a married man, David. For 8 years. She splits her time between England and trips to Paris to meet her lover. For 8 years she has waited. She sees David as her future and wants his children. She is living in limbo, living a secret life, never being number one. The character of David is a creep, so unlikeable.

Grace, who restores old string instruments and has her own shop, starts to re-evaluate her life. This is when the book gets interesting. The best parts of the book are the growing friendships of Grace, her customer Mr Williams and shop assistant Nadia. This odd trio of feisty teenager, kind 80 something year old man and talented player and maker really lift the book.
2.5-3 stars

Before I start this review, I must thank Sara Jane at Books and the City for sending me a physical copy of this book to review.

Grace Atherton. What can I say about Grace Atherton? Well, she is a quiet thing who lives a seemingly quiet life but underneath her exterior façade lives a young woman with infinite adventure in her life. She has a dramatic relationship with an older man, she is an accomplished cellist, a shop owner and she is a friend two others.

Dig deeper and you find that her quiet little existence is not so quiet at all.

I really don’t want to give too much away about The Truths and Triumphs of Grace Atherton because it is a damn good read and so it would be unfair to leak any spoilers before you pick it up. What I will say is that one of my favourite things about this novel was the multigenerational friendships that prove to be the heart of the story. You have the fiestiness of youth and the wisdom of age with Grace firmly plonked in the middle. I think it is this element which I enjoyed the most.

The Truths and Triumphs of Grace Atherton has the potential to be as loved as Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine. It is a heart-warming and engaging story that will make you want to find out what has happened but equally to not want it to ever end.

The Truths and Triumphs of Grace Atherton by Anstey Harris is available now.

For more information regarding Anstey Harris (@Anstey_Harris) please visit www.ansteyharris.com.

For more information regarding Simon & Schuster (@simonschusterUK) please visit www.simonandschuster.co.uk.

I enjoyed this book, though maybe not as much as some. I liked the 2 characters of the young shop assistant and the elderly customer. They were very different characters to Grace and somehow grounded the book. It moved along at a good pace and I enjoyed the way the author gradually introduced the back history to Grace, her training and what happened to her. Her upbringing and the upsetting events at the start of her relationship with David. For me personally I didnt find the book ‘uplifting’ that many have described it as being.

What a lovely book! This was right up my alley with Paris, string instruments and a socially awkward protagonist - sign me up! I found this to be quite the page-turner, although I can't say that I warmed to Grace very much. Her elderly and teenaged besties, however, were lovely characters!

All in all, an easy read that I'd recommend to anyone who enjoyed Eleanor Oliphant or A Man Called Ove - although, as I alluded to before, Grace wasn't the most likable of characters in my opinion!

Grace Atherton thinks she’s happy. But really, she’s living half a life. She has a complicated relationship with boyfriend David (who is married but has an ‘arrangement’ with his wife) and runs a little music shop, and believes it’s enough. The truth is, she’s lonely, flawed, unfulfilled and has no confidence.

When David and Grace are unwittingly involved in a freak accident, their relationship is forced into the spotlight, everything begins to unravel and Grace’s world fall apart.

Through her love of music, and new friends, young-at-heart Mr Williams and rebellious teen Nadia, Grace slowly starts to rebuild her life, realising she is stronger than she ever dared to believe. While mending her broken heart, she begins to exorcise the demons of her past, which includes playing the cello in public for the first time since a traumatic experience as a young music student.

There are many endearing layers to Grace, she’s relatable and likeable. Although straight away her beloved David seems too good to be true, and I was dying for her to wake up and kick him to the kerb. Mr Williams and Nadia were also likeable, well rounded characters.

The Truths and Triumphs of Grace Atherton is an uplifting, thoughtful read about strength, embracing change and friendship.

Grace Atherton is the ‘other woman’. Having an affair with David for the past eight years, I couldn’t help but be angry and frustrated at Grace’s gullibility. But Grace has a vulnerability that many of us can relate to and I couldn’t help but like her.

The Truths and Triumphs of Grace Atherton is not the story of a seedy affair; rather it is a poignant story of how we interpret personal failure, and how we see ourselves in the world can be very different to how the world actually sees us. It tackles the difficult issues of self-esteem and lonliness but it also celebrates the power of friendship and being true to yourself.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for my advance review copy of The Truths and Triumph’s of Grace Atherton. Grace’s story is one I feel that will resonate with many readers.

This book made me angry, sad and I even shed a tear at one point. The ending was extremely satisfying and in my opinion the only way it could conclude.
The cast were wonderful and had such depth, I enjoyed the relationships between the key players.
The details about the instruments and the endurance of professional musicians was insightful and well written.

This is a well writer romance with a few things that make it stand out from the formulaic romantic genre. I love the characterisation of Grace and Nadia in particular. It is a very gentle, charming read and yet packs a punch in its comments on the human condition and how support can make a difference in life and relationships. The "musical" notes added an extra dimension which ideally enjoyed and I would definitely read more from this author

A thoroughly enjoyable book with a roller coaster of emotions to keep you reading. Thanks to Netgalley for the early read.
Would thoroughly recommend to friends.

This book has gone straight into my top 10 read of 2018. I absolutely loved it! It is beautifully written and the story is completely believable. The characterisation is wonderful. I completely fell in love with the main characters, Grace, Nadia and the adorable Mr Williams. I even sympathised with David! Brilliant stuff. Well done Anstey Harris.

Firstly I want to thank the publishers for my free copy via Netgalley.

Grace Atherton. A meekly musical lonely mystery who has submitted all her power to the dashingly humble David. At first I cut her some slack, but then I got quite angry ... with him. David has managed to keep her in a quiet controlled space, so much so that she denies herself her musical ability. But Grace is lonely and feels she has no one to believe in her other than David and their coup de foudre. And then along comes Nadia and William and things start to change.

I adored the pace and atmosphere of this book. It is a literary piece, with stylistic prose and an elegant background musical score. The story is that of a tightly wound spring dressed up in exquisite master craftsmanship with no fine voice. Yet.

"I screened calls and I practised Dvorrak."

Then Agatha happens upon her "familiars"* and life begins. It is beautiful.

"I have shelves and shelves of sheet music. All of my past is recorded in them, notes in the gaps between the staves or squiggles where I need to remind myself to lift my bow ..."

Chapter 11 is astounding - a perfect mix of superlative music and scenery; an awakening, a promise, an opening up and an epiphany.

The author knows about classical music and technical ability, that much is clear, and possibly a thing or two about teenagers, incredible gut wrenching heartbreak and longing too. Therefore I found this to be wholly credible, to be swept up in a dream for years on end in the basis of a bolt of lightning only to discover it was the next point of impact that was going to be the light in your life.

Highly recommend... you will be glad you have experienced this book.

Thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster publishers for my free copy.
Themes: violincello, music, craftsmanship, isolation, betrayal, abuse, friendship, love, affair, loss, lies, grief, rebuilding, parenting, teenage angst, homosexuality, Paris, Cremona

I agree completely with the publisher's predictions for this uplifting story of Grace's triumphs and truths. I think it will be hugely popular with anyone whose heart has already gone out to Harold Fry and/or Eleanor Oliphant.

In her 'public' life, Grace Atherton has a instruments' workshop where she makes highly valued cellos and violins. It is a role which keeps her close to one of her private passions, playing the cello. For although she was once tipped as a virtuoso, a dark secret from her past robbed her of her chance in the spotlight. Now, two decades later, a chance occurrence in the Paris metro threatens to throw her quiet life back onto centre stage - with ramifications which smash her world apart and threaten everything she loves.

There is a lot here to admire in terms of storyline, characterisation and setting. But what I enjoyed most was the prose itself. Never mind the 'cello Anstey Harris certainly knows how to make a keyboard sing.

Thinking more about the supporting characters, I suspect this will also appeal to Nick Hornby readers. Like 'High Fidelity' I can really imagine this as a film.

With thanks to Hodder Stought and Netgalley for the advanced readers copy I received.

I thought this book would be more chick lit than up lit so was pleasantly surprised at the intricacies of the plot. The back drop , a violin shop and a musician who's also makes craft instruments, made a refreshing change. The in dept detail added authenticity to the story and the age ranges of the three main characters meant it will appeal to a wide range of readers. Although the ending of Grace's personal life was predictable,it was quite an uplifting tale of 'the girl did good'.