I am a fan of Susan Lewis and have read many previous works. She really understands characterisation and helps you get to know the cast early on in her writing. This book is an up to date reflection on some of the issues in our western society dealing with mental illness and homelessness. To begin with I felt that the book held a lot of promise but it tailed towards the end into unreality and was somewhat disappointing.

I'm afraid I just couldn't get in to this book-I managed to get a third of the way through but it was just a bit too 'kitchen sink drama'for me.So sorry-not for me this time.

I must confess I had never heard of Susan Lewis before recieving this book - but I will certainly look to read more by her in future! I had no idea what to expect when I started out reading, but was really pleasantly surprised by how gripped I became.

Lewis' writing style is brilliant and this was a fantastic, if at times difficult, read. You can't help but feel sorry for poor Angie; she goes through so much in this book and yet she tries so hard to carry on holding everything together. It made me think long and hard about the power of a mother's love and the love of women in general, and how utterly powerful that can be.

There are a lot of difficult topics covered throughout the story, such as gangs, drugs, grief, poverty etc, but Lewis writes about all of these issues in a very tactful and realistic way. Overall, just a great book that I would definitely recommend.

For a book that started out with such a brutal murder, I found myself absolutely loving this story and found it quite a cosy read - honestly, I couldn't put it down. I adored Angie, the relationship with her sister was really endearing and had such an amusing chemistry. There are so many likeable and relatable characters.
Home Truths tackles some incredibly serious issues such as gangs, eviction, homelessness and online grooming, which could have easily have amounted to a really depressing read and understandably so, but the sense of community and kindness really shines through in this book and it felt really uplifting to me.
There's a pretty big theme of 'knight in shining armour' which might not be for everybody, but I loved it, it's a nice reminder that kind people exist and that it's good to have hope.
A big thing for me is that the book was such an eye opener about homelessness and how people are treated by the authorities that should be helping them, the toll Universal Credit can take on people and I was stunned to learn about the way children are taken into care because there simply aren't houses available for families. I've always donated to food banks, but after reading this book I will do so more often.

Thank you very much to Harper Collins, Netgalley, Readers First and Susan Lewis for Home Truths.

3.5 stars.
Oh this was heart-breaking and harrowing and more than a little depressing along the way. We start with a death, that of Steve, father of three, husband of Angie as he is brutally murdered. We then follow Angie as she tries to make it as a single mother, as she struggles without the support, both emotional and financial from Steve. How she struggles to make ends meet with an unscrupulous landlord who is determined to hinder rather than help her. All that alongside the loss of not only Steve but also, oldest child Liam , whose lifestyle directly influenced what happened to his father and who has left the family; whereabouts unknown.
We cut to two years after Steve's death and Angie is on the brink of eviction. Not only that but she has also run up multiple other debt. How her children resent the situation they are forced into, how her sister, Emma, tries to help, and also, quite frighteningly, the steps her oldest remaining child, Grace, takes to try and assist her mother.
All this was intriguing, albeit depressing reading. But then, well, even with what was still going on, it all began to get a bit too "light and fluffy" for me as help started to pour in and, it's hard to explain without spoilers, but I wasn't quite satisfied at how it all wrapped up in the end.
The debt, the homelessness, the feeling of helplessness was brilliantly dealt with by the author. I felt for the family every step of the way. Joining in with their frustration about the system and how unhelpful it all was. But all this set-up sadly fell short of my expectations with what happened in the latter part of the book. Far too sugary for me, I'm afraid. Too neatly wrapped up in a bow with a cherry on top. Sorry, but that's how I felt when I finished it. I felt it was too unrealistic and a bit of a kick in the teeth to people who suffer this kind of thing every day. Yes, I get that there's the element of hope, but the book degenerates a bit too far into "woman's fiction" a bit too slushy towards the end which left me quite unsatisfied and didn't quite fit with the first part which I did enjoy. I feel that a similar overall ending could have been achieved without ALL the luck and assistance proffered.
All in all, not the best ending but I mostly enjoyed the journey getting there. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

This book centres around Angie Watts and her family who go through a really hard time. Her husband dies, she loses her home and ends up in crippling debt to name a few things.
The usually positive Angie really struggles to continue as everything seems to go from bad to worse.

The characters in this book are well done and you find yourself really caring about Angie and hoping things start to look up for her.

Sadly, the struggles Angie faces in this book are faced by many people and it's a sad reality that those who work all the hours they can still struggle to pay bills and can end up homeless.

I enjoyed this book and found it very readable and engaging but I did think that everything seemed to be tied up too neatly and a bit unrealistically.

Despite this I would still read more books by this author.

Susan Lewis is fast becoming a favourite author of mine.I really enjoyed this book and it totally took me in,I was entralled by it and it totally held my interest. Do not hesitate to buy books by this author.Deerwood house is central to the story and homelessness is handled sensitively but realistically.

This is the first book by Susan Lewis that I’ve read. The blurb was appealing and the book lived up to expectations. This is, in some ways, a story of our times. Ms Lewis tackles a number if difficult issues with honesty and sensitivity. It’s difficult to imagine just how easily and quickly the foundations of life and home can be torn apart. But there’s an air of reality in the circumstances explored here.

It’s very well written and easy to read. There are some heart rending moments and to my surprise, I found a couple of passages exceptionally moving. Characters taken from real life that one can easily imagine and sympathies are created, making this a story that anyone could relate to. I enjoyed it

We all get on with our lives doing the best we can but sometimes something comes out of the blue and changes everything. This is the storyline of this book and really made you think about how difficult times can hit good people and how things can easily spiral out of control .
The main character of the book is likeable and doing the best she can in harsh circumstances.
The book deals with the trials of the benefit system and homelessness and you cannot help but feel compassion.
Being fiction the ending is probably not one that those in the same situation would find but I’m glad all loose ends were tied.
I enjoyed this book and it made me think seriously about the issues raised

I received a pre-release copy of this book through NetGalley and I am providing an unbiased review
Widower Angie Watts, a mother of 3 is struggling with the violent death 2 years ago of her husband and problems with a troubled son who witnessed the death. The son goes missing around the same time following a family argument and the story revolves around finding him and, the struggles Angie and her family face with living on a limited income and increasing debts, some of which are to shady characters.
The book explores all the current challenges that face homelessness and those living within the current benefit system and tugs on the heart strings. The story clearly identifies how, through unforeseen circumstances a person’s life can spiral out of control. It is a telling indictment of the benefit system.
I gratefully received a pre-release copy of this book through NetGalley and the publishers of the book and I am providing an unbiased review. Whilst at times, I found the book a little too “twee” at times for me, nevertheless it was wholly enjoyable and I would recommend it this to those who appreciate a good family drama but hankies at the ready.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/review/create-review/ref=cm_cr_dp_d_wr_but_top/thankyou?asin=B0779N3G4B&channel=glance-detail-thankyou
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44890067-home-truths

Home Truths is a well written, hard hitting, often harrowing account about how a woman’s life spirals out of control after the death of her husband. It is a gritty and totally realistic portrayal of how easily debt can spiral out of control even for families who are working. It also deals with gang violence, homelessness, drugs, human trafficking, online grooming and suicide. At times it is difficult to read.

I liked the character of Angie Watts, who came across as a strong woman doing her best for her family. I loved the character of Angie’s daughter, Grace, who despite only being thirteen was determined to help her mum.

The last third of the book read a little like a Mills and Boon novel. I don’t want to give away the plot, but I did feel a little cheated. This could have been a 5 star book, but unfortunately the ending did spoil it a bit for me.

My 2* review for Home Truths by Susan Lewis.

"In a blink of an eye Angie’s life is turned upside down, how one decision dramatically changed Angie’s and her children’s life’s forever!!

When Angie’s husband Steve finds their five year old son with a syringe Steve seeing red goes looking for their eldest son Liam, and is attacked.

Angie not only loses her husband that night but when she finds out her son was present, she tells him to go for good."

I was disappointed in this book, after loving most of her books lately, especially One Minute Later. Maybe it was because of the subject matter, but I found it hard to get into and rather a disappointing slushy ending.

Really enjoy Susan Lewis books and this was no exception. A really easy read and good storyline and plot that is believable and relevant to today. Thanks net galley for the arc!

Story about how everything about a persons “ perfect life” can all come crashing down in the blink of an eye . Angie’s life is turned upside down when her oldest son Liam , an innocent with some sort of learning disability ,is led astray by local gang members . With the violent death of her husband Angie has to rely on the Universal credit that she advises her clients on at her halfway house charity job . It is a horribly realistic harrowing story of life lived in real poverty , county drug lines ,online grooming of a young girl and the ever present threat of homelessness. It is also a story of family and neighbours pulling together and a mother not giving up on her child . The ending may have been almost fairytale like and probably not what the majority of people in this situation will experience but it turned what could’ve been a truly depressing book into an uplifting ,heartwarming one.

HOME TRUTHS SUSAN LEWIS
I found this book very interesting on a number of levels. The story is about a mother of three children who has been widowed due to a terrible crime that she believes her eldest son is involved with. Angie is left to look after the other two children after telling Liam, her eldest son, she does not want to see him again. The tragedy evolves into Angie’s fight to keep her children clothed and fed and with a roof over their heads, due to the spiralling debt she in unable to control. The house the family originally rented from Hari, is now owned by his son who has no qualms about raising the rent to a level Angie finds hard to control with her part-time and cash in hand jobs. I felt the story was a reminder to all of us that we can be left in a situation beyond our control but there was a side of me that wondered if she could have done more to prevent the stressful position she found herself in. She still ran a vehicle and bought the occasional bottle of wine, bar of chocolate and takeaway, all luxuries which could have been had when her financial position improved.
I enjoyed this story on a number of levels as it was layered with numerous side plots which were nicely pulled together as the story unwound. There were also a number of social issues considered such as homelessness, debt, grooming and it also highlighted the difference in wealth and poverty which made me think and realise how fortunate the majority of us are to have a home to call our own. The characters were all totally believable and on the whole likeable, with a few exceptions. Angie and her sister are exceptionally close and helps Angie out in numerous ways with child care, money and a shoulder to cry on. I have read other books by Susan Lewis and I think this is my favourite so far. It is well written and at times emotional. Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

A tough and emotional read. Well written and researched, portraying how easy it is for circumstances to change from ordinary to debt, helplessness and despair in a very short space of time. Not the usual Susan Lewis style and I found it harder to get in to, however I would recommend as a good read.
My thanks to NetGalley . the publisher and the author for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Susan Lewis does it again! I am yet to read a book of hers that I do not like.

Home Truths is bang up to date with storylines including poverty, county lines and more. The main character is so well rounded and the whole way through you feel this could so easily be you.

I felt at times there could have been more detail about other characters but I loved this book and would love a sequel to see how they are all getting on later down the line!

I was pleased to read a book by this author as it was my fist and I enjoyed it greatly. I felt the characters and story was well balanced, and made you consider the overall morality from multiple angles. I would definitely recommend this read. Thank you!

I used to read Susan Lewis' books all the time when I was younger. Earlier this year I read One Minure Later and balled my eyes out and just loved it so much. I jumped at the chance to read Home Truths but I really struggled with it. For me it didn't feel like a Susan Lewis book at all. It didn't have the characters to fall in love with and want to succeed. This book was a lot rougher than her usual books and I was disappointed. In saying that it was an OK read but I was hoping for more.

Angie's life is turned upside down when her husband Steve is killed while one of her sons watches on. From there on she struggles to keep a roof over her family's head, to stay afloat in a tough world. It is a tough and emotional read but it just was not for me this time.

Thanks to Harper Collins UK and net for my advanced copy of this book to read. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased

This book shows the horribly realistic decent into poverty and helplessness that one woman, Angie Watt’s ( yep I pictured THAT Angie all the way through as well ) life takes after a spiralling set of circumstances take over her life.
Written in ‘real speak’ the book covers horrific spouse murder, a missing drug taking teenager, poverty ( real poverty, not having to get rid of Sky Movies poverty), homelessness, debt, county line gangs, despair and many other related topics to these things, it is relentless from the start and there are few ‘light’ moments to break it up!
It is a detailed and harrowing account of what happens to Angie and her children when all the above come into play and to be honest its not an easy read, nor is it a cosy one!
Angie throughout all this carries on her work, with her Sister, in 2 kind of halfway houses and I found her ability to do this exemplary as well
as a bit unbelievable!
The last quarter of the book, where things greatly improve was a bit ‘Mills and Boonish’ for me, saying that Ive never read one but it is how I imagine they would be!!!
It is though a well written and obviously well researched book into how people’s lives go from ‘ordinary’ to ‘ terrible’ within a very short time and with just a few life changing circumstances
6/10
3 Stars