I really enjoyed this book. In particular, I liked the way the way the protagonists, Emily, Jake and Alfie, come together, interact and the relationships they build as the story progresses. It felt a little flawed, very human and real. The only criticism I have is that perhaps the Emily - Jake connection felt a little rushed, unlike the Alfie - Emily connection which seemed to happen organically.

Thank you to the editor and Netgalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest and impartial review.

An easy and quick read, I flew through this book. Having been recommended it by a friend, I'm glad I read it. The characters were well developed, believable and I gelled well with the writing.

A really good read, I enjoyed this book and whizzed through it. fun and enjoyable, a perfect holiday read.

This was an engaging and easy-to-read book that gripped from the start. I felt that the characters were developed well and were believable.

I would recommend this book to fans of The Rosie Project.

I thought this was a really heartwarming story about family, belonging and finding the right people at the right time.

I liked that this book was original and dealt with a painful subject and setting but did so in a way that was accessible and lighthearted. Loved the characters and their journey

I was so impressed to learn that this is Rachel Marks' debut novel. It's very well written for someone's first book.

The story centres around Emily who meets Jake and his son Alfie at an anger management class. Gradually, Emily and Jake become friends, and through this Emily forms her own bond with Alfie. To everyone else, Alfie seems like just another naughty kid, but Emily gives him the time and patience he needs to uncover the real reasons behind his behaviour.

I came to care about all three characters by the end of the story, and wanted to see things turn out well for all of them. Certain aspects were a little predictable for me, but I still thought the book was really well put together overall and I enjoyed reading it regardless. I particularly appreciated that Alfie got a few short chapters of his own, where he tried to explain why he acted the way he did.

A touching read following vulnerable characters around a broken marriage and Autism. Hard to believe that this is Rachel Marks' debut as it is so well written. I just want to know what happens to Alfie next as he copes with his new family. A beautiful thought provoking read and I look forward to future novels by my new favourite author.

Feel good romance with a twist of anger management. Enjoyable summer read that is a little bit different from the rest.

Saturdays at Noon is @rachelmarksauthor’s debut novel. I was lucky to receive a review copy of this title from @michaeljbooks via @netgalley and have purchased a copy too.

I went into this book blind, with no expectations at all other than what the cover alluded too - some sort of group. As soon as I started reading I was pretty much hooked and read the book in two days, cramming in as many pages as I could during my lunch break and then again at night after work.

The story is about three main character Emily, Jake and Alfie. Each character narrates throughout the book and while sometimes I find it more difficult to get to know the characters, here they are so intertwined in each other’s lives it is easy to get to know and fall in love with them. As I said I devoured this. The writing is impeccable, well paced and captured my full attention. The story itself is uplifting and impactful and makes you think about how good you might have it compared to others.

If you’re looking for a new author to try I would definitely recommend this.

This was a good read; well-written although slightly predictable at times. It dragged a little at points. Would recommend.

I loved this book. From the cover I was expecting a light fluffy chick lit but it was far from it. Written so well, on a subject quite difficult, but extremely informative too. I would definitely recommend this book.

Saturdays at Noon tells the story of Emily who meets Jake and his son Alfie at an Anger Management class. Gradually, through Alfie, they form a friendship. Alfie seems like a naughty child, but Emily has time and patience with him (that Jake doesn’t appear to have) and slowly she brings Jake round to discover the truth behind Alfie’s behaviour.
I particularly liked the small chapters given to Alfie where he explained why he behaved like be did.
I genuinely enjoyed this book and it was a pleasant read in the garden. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read in exchange for an honest review.

This was a surprising read. It's a lovely, life affirming read and was a really intimate look at mental health and trauma. I love a found family trope. Well worth the read.

Jake and Emily meet at anger management, though neither of them needs it, right? For Jake it is either this or his marriage, and for Emily either this or prison. Jake is a stay at home dad, struggling to come to terms with his son Alfie who simply doesn't behave like he should behave. Emily, shaven headed and sharp like a razor, tries to come to terms with her broken relationship. A very unusual friendship between Emily and Alfie starts - they immediately connect and they both bring out the best of each other, even though Alfie actually doesn't form any other connections with people.

I actually am not sure what I was expecting when I started reading this book, but for sure not this what I've got - and I mean it in a very positive way. There was so much depth to this read, it was thought - provoking and very clever, full of sharp observations, realistic but also very, very readable and, both the plot and the characters, have captured my heart.

"Saturdays at Noon" was sad and uplifting at the same time and with unforgettable characters that were full of flaws but all the same relatable and real. It showed how differently people can perceive the same situation, the same event, the same world. It's a read that will make you smile and cry, feel frustrated, angry and also full of hope. It is full of hidden messages, how we shouldn't judge people, their choices and behaviour because we don't know what's really hidden in them and their heads, important and vital messages making it thought - provoking and making you wonder all the time, so really, the best kind of read. It's realistically written and it's filled with warm humour, a compelling, touching, compassionate and captivating debut novel about parenthood, with all its ups and downs, families and unusual friendship. Hugely recommended!

A heartwarming and inspirational book. Obviously well researched which made it very believable with excellent characters who were very human which made them very likeable. A good story and an enjoyable read

Rachel Marks' début novel, Saturdays at Noon is a delightfully quirky and unique story about an anger management group that Emily and Jake attend. It is a wonderfully moving tale encompassing marriage, family, parenting, autism, friendship and change. Emily, a confrontational, brittle and self-destructive young woman, and Jake, colossally struggling with his autistic six-year-old son Alfie, meet at their anger management classes every Saturday at noon.

Between them, Emily, Jake and Alfie take the reader on a journey filled with so many heartrending but also delightful moments. I was lured into this fabulous story by Rachel Marks' entertaining dialogue and her well drawn and compelling if perhaps, less than perfect characters. I loved that all of the players in this book had their own distinctive voices. There was so much depth to this thought-provoking read; it was very cleverly written, full of sharp observations, as well as being incredibly realistic. Both the plot and the characters totally captured my heart.

This story remained joyous and uplifting, and what also worked so wonderfully for me was the gratifyingly subtle and gentle humour threaded through parts of the story. Funny, profoundly moving and highly recommended!

I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel, at my request, from Penguin UK via NetGalley and this review is my unbiased opinion.

loved this book - would 100% recommend and I am thoroughly looking forward to reading what this author writes next!

Saturdays At Noon is the easy, enjoyable, feel-good story of Emily, Jake and Alfie. From the start, it is fairly obvious that Emily and Jake will not just be attendees at the same anger management class, that will become friends but it's not immediately obvious how. As it turns out, their chance meeting ends up in Jake's son Alfie taking an immediate shine to Emily. And when Jake's home situation changes and he's left in the lurch for childcare, Emily finds herself becoming a bigger part of both of their lives than she'd ever have imagined.

I really enjoyed Saturday's at Noon. It was an easy read and even though it was quite predictable in where it was heading for the characters, it was still enjoyable. Tackling some tough subjects on the way, Saturdays at Noon is a romance with a difference.

Thank you to NetGalley, Rachel Marks and Penguin for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Emily has been sent to anger management classes, which she is angry about.

Jake is attending voluntarily in a bid to save his marriage to Jemma. His son Alfie is challenging. He feels like he's turning into a monster.

Whilst both are initially highly sceptical, the group is to have the biggest impact on their lives either of them could possibly imagine.

A chance meeting with Jake and Alfie leads to a burgeoning friendship between the three of them. As Jemma decides she can no longer carry on living with Jake, and moves to Paris, Emily becomes Alfie's childminder and what follows is a meeting of minds in the most beautiful manner. Emily begins to understand why Jake finds caring for Alfie so demanding. But she also teaches Jake how to communicate with Alfie to make life less scary for him. The chapters where Alfie narrates are a poignant and in-depth account of how it feels when the world appears a confusing and frightening place, but you're not able to express that.

As they spend more and more time together, Jake and Emily find themselves falling in love. Emily is terrified following a life of rejection and letdowns in her past. But she is brave enough to try and their love for one another is healing. There are moments of gut wrenching heartache to follow, but the reader who loves a happy ending will not be disappointed with this one.

Charming and poignant, I connected with all the characters, which is a testament to the quality of writing.