A mistake during a job interview caused Andrew, whose job it is to inspect houses after a death, to fabricate an entire family. Like many mishaps, a small white lie grows into something bigger that takes over and gets in the way of him getting on with his life.

It’s only when Penny arrives on the scene at work that it becomes a real problem. Soon Andrew has to decide whether he’s prepared to lose face to gain love.

Something To Live For by Richard Roper is uplifting and funny, with some really touching moments. It causes you to consider the nature of relationships and the threat of loneliness, as Andrew searches for people’s next of kin and attends the funerals if they don’t have anyone.

Uplit is a big genre these days, and the Headline non-fiction editor was signed by Orion with a six-figure deal within 48 hours of submission.

A smile inducing and warming read.

Thank you Netgalley for my copy of Something To Live For by Richard Roper. This book is about the story of Andrew. Andrew is a loner, he has lived by himself for over 20 years, he has no social circle to speak of he just spends his spare time chatting to an online community of model train enthusiasts. His parents are dead and he speaks to his only sister maybe 4 times a year. He has a job at the council where he has to go to the homes of the recently deceased and see if they have and family or funds to pay for a funeral. He doesn't really get on with this colleagues until a new woman called Peggy joins the team. A work friendship is formed between Andrew ans Peggy however, as the friendship develops into something more Andrew has to confess to a lie he told his co-workers all those years ago. This book has been likened to Eleanor Oliphant but I don't believe Andrew is anywhere on the spectrum, he just is a socially awkward person. This book is so cleverly written and the author has covered so many themes such as lies, regret, grief, death and loneliness. As much heartbreak there is in this book there is also humour. The humour is undeniably British, it's witty and there are lots of laugh out loud moments. The one that tickled me the most was the unnaturallness of having a poo with your coat on, even thinking about that now makes me laugh. I will enjoy recommending this book immensely. A full five stars.

Ah this book is just wonderful!!!!
If it’s possible to have a male equivalent of Eleanor Oliphant then Andrew is him - witty, likeable and so quintessentially British!
This book is beautifully written.
I love the quirkiness of it, everything from Andrew’s unusual but fascinating job (it had never occurred to me before that this job is an actual thing, but in hindsight, of course it is!) to his escalation of small white lies.
He is a great character and I could see a series being created around him.
A literary triumph!

I absolutely loved this charming, heartwarming gem of a novel. I found Andrew not only likeable but so relatable, and I found I was really rooting for him throughout the story. I also adored Peggy, who is perhaps unconventional but in the best possible way. I always think a mark of success is when the reader falls in love with the love interest right alongside the protagonist, and I absolutely did.

Something to Live For is a book about loneliness, but it's also about the importance of friendship, community and venturing outside your comfort zone. Uplifting and remarkably well-observed, this was a joy to read.

"All Andrew wants is to be normal. He has the perfect wife and 2.4 children waiting at home for him after a long day. At least, that's what he's told people.

The truth is, his life isn't exactly as people think and his little white lie is about to catch up with him.

Because in all Andrew's efforts to fit in, he's forgotten one important thing: how to really live. And maybe, it's about time for him to start."

I have to be really honest, i struggled with this book but i also felt like this with the Eleanor Oliphant which is what i keep seeing this book compared to. I think that you have to be in a certain frame of mind to be able to delve into this book. This is absolutely no criticism of the book, story line or characters because all of them were great,

An easy, enjoyable read. Nothing to frighten the horses - a bit which is sad, a bit which is happy, the baddies get their comeuppance and the goodies live happily ever after. Lovely, warm bath of a book.

I want to start my review off by saying that I was extremely intrigued by the premise of this story and where the idea for it came from.

Andrew works for the council, in the department that the coroner would phone if a body came in with no obvious immediate family. Andrew would then go to the deceased’s home (where they made have been dead for a while) and will look through their personal items in the hope that there may be some indication of family or close friends (Christmas cards, birthday cards, letters, etc.), for a will and/or money (under the mattress, in pans, etc.) in order to pay for a funeral.

In some cases, the deceased will not have any of these things and therefore the council pays for a funeral (up to £1000 – the average funeral costing around £4000) in which there is an unmarked grave and no body turns up to say goodbye to this person. Andrew makes a conscious effort to turn up to these funerals to make sure that despite dying alone, this person isn’t then buried with no one to say goodbye.

I think this side of Andrew is such a lovely side to him and I was constantly saying to myself “bless his heart, that’s such a beautiful thing to do”. However, I also found myself a little frustrated with Andrew.

He has ended up in this huge lie with his work friend about having the perfect wife and 2 kids at home. I don’t want to spoil how this lie came about and why but I did get frustrated with him, until I understood fully what was going on.

There were several twists I didn’t see coming in this, although some other may do. However, they were good twists that were vital to the story and really helped bring everything together in the end.

I think my favourite character through the whole story was Peggy, I really related to her as a person and I think she brought some well needed and fantastically received comedy to what could have been quite a depressing story (which is obviously the point in her presence).

I loved Richard Roper’s writing style and I will absolutely keep my eyes open for his future work.

I gave this book 5/5 stars. Couldn’t fault it.

The feeling of insecurity and isolation tend to intensify when we’re at our most vulnerable and for Andrew this is no exception.

Wondering how others will perceive his single, lonely, model train enthusiast status, particularly his boss, Andrew improvises a new lifestyle to paper over the cracks he sees all around him.

Although he easily falls into step with a persona he believes others will relate to (the ‘conventional’ social achievements such as a nice house, marriage, kids, etc), this leaves him tethered to an entirely fictional life until he finds himself drifting further away from any tangible happiness.

Ironically Andrew is a kind of guardian to the deceased who live alone. His job is to sort through their memories and attempt to trace the next of kin, a friend, or indeed anyone who may have lost touch for numerous reasons and just couldn’t find the way to back into someone’s life until it was too late.

It was heart-warming to see his character emerge, especially learning how he voluntarily attended every funeral, and yet heart-breaking to hear the varied reasons why no one else was there to say goodbye. What I found truly shocking was just how many people pass away without anyone noticing, which is amplified through the tragedy of Andrew’s own circumstances.

A thought-provoking story that leaves an impression.

Some parts of this book made me laugh out loud. I became very attached to Andrew and was invested in his story. There were some beautifully tender moments in Something to Live For, and the ending left me feeling uplifted; I would recommend this book.

Andrew works for the death registry, he goes into the homes of recently deceased to find out if they have next of kin or to find funds to pay for their funerals. He is a lonely man with a routine, goes into houses, attends people’s funerals if they have no one, goes home and talks online with other people who likes trains. Then enters Peggy, a new worker who he becomes friends with and he starts to realise that he is worth so much more.

There was a lot of good writing in the book and it was easy to read. The characters were also developed well, I just thought the story needed something more exciting in it for me to really enjoy it.

Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

What an excellent book! I thoroughly enjoyed it. Andrew has become increasingly isolated from society, while painting a very different picture to his workmates. As we find out what has happened to him over the years, we realise why he has become so withdrawn. His new workmate Peggy however, brings a breath of fresh air into his and becomes a good friend. Perhaps it is time for him to face up to reality and start living life?
This book is very funny in places, and also very poignant, heartbreakingly so at times. It is wonderfully written and I would certainly recommend it.

Andrew’s job is visiting the homes of those who die alone and unclaimed, to try - by means of a little detective work - to find their relatives or friends.
Andrew himself is an introvert with a penchant for model trains who also finds himself drawn into the invention of a make-believe family, to fit in at work.
So what happens when down-to-earth Peggy starts working alongside him and Andrew’s carefully invented persona starts to unravel?
This charming novel has more than a touch of the Elinor Oliphant about it. Andrew is a quirky character with a hidden past redeemed by his friendship with Peggy.
I found it very lovely and a joy to read. The characters are sympathetically drawn and you find yourself rooting for Andrew.
Thoroughly recommended.

Something To Live For is utterly charming and life-affirming - an essential read for anyone who’s ever been held back by loss and who needs a reason to believe in the possibility of a future.

I really enjoyed this book. It is funny and heartbreaking. It is amazing how a lie can spiral into many more. I liked the characters and the plot. A topic that should be sad was tackled with empathy and was told in a heart warming way.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

This is an unusual read for me and I absolutely loved it. The pace wouldn’t be my usual preference but I ended up actually really enjoying the change. Touching, dramatic and really well written. Loved this.

This book! Reading and reviewing it January makes the phrase 'one of the best I've read this year' sound slightly underwhelming - but I have no doubt whatsoever that I will stand by that opinion on 31 December. Such a clever idea (and which of us has not told a white lie under pressure?), so funny (the interview scene...perfect!) but incredibly poignant too. I've recommended to everyone (and no doubt I will still be doing that in December too). Loved, loved it

A beautiful book that I adored. Funny in places and heartbreakingly sad in others. Lovely characters and overall a lovely story.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in return for an honest and unbiased opinion.

Funny, beautiful, sad and moving. It is especially good on loneliness, and how much we need each other.

Andrew lives an insular life and mainly interacts with his friends online who he has found through his love of trains. Throughout this book you are trying to piece together why Andrew has created a fictional family and gone to such lengths to maintain the pretence.

Andrew works for the council in a role that I had never even stop to consider and whilst reading this book it made me reflect on people who live alone and hoping that someone kind hearted like Andrew does exist for ensuring they receive the send off they deserve.

Andrew is a really complex character and I really enjoyed this brilliant and memorable book, it is heartwarming whilst heartbreaking and it makes you reflect and fall in love with Andrew.

I really enjoyed this book, great story, lovely characters. It taught me a few facts about paupers funerals too. I will be recommending it to friends.