Cover Image: Saturdays at Noon

Saturdays at Noon

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

I devoured this book in one evening and I’m not even sorry about it.

I went into this book expecting your normal run of the mill romantic comedy but it was so much more than that.

It is the story of a frustrated father whose marriage is on the verge of breaking and whose son is not like normal kids.

It is the story of a woman who has been wronged so much in the past and wants to keep to herself.

It is the story of a young boy with a form of autism who doesn’t understand why people wont follow his rules.

This story is told in the perspective of all three of our main characters and is written so beautifully that I fell in love with each of their stories. The characters were well developed and I couldn’t help myself wanting to know more about their lives.

As much as I would love to sit here and discuss the whole book and why it is now one of my favourite books, I want you to pick up this book. I want you to take the time to read it yourself. Immerse yourself in the ups and downs of these three characters lives.

This book took me on an adventure that I will never forget. It is a compelling read with family and love at its forefront. It’s a story of self-acceptance and learning to change.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

I really enjoyed reading this book because it was so believable.Alfie,Emily and Jake all have problems and none of them are perfect!Meeting Jake on the anger management course was clever and we don’t know why Emily is there for some time.Her empathy and care of Alfie is unexpected and yet very real.I totally recommend this as an excellent read.

Was this review helpful?

Saturdays at Noon is the debut novel from Rachel Marks. The book focuses on marriage, autism, parenting and anger management. There’s complex relationships but some really great characters and subject matter that makes you stop and think. It’s beautifully written and I would highly recommend this book.

Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin and the author for the chance to review.

Was this review helpful?

Rachel Marks structures her fabulous novel about family, marriage, parenting, autism and broken lives around a anger management course run on Saturdays at noon that Emily and Jake attend. Shaven headed, spikey Emily first encounters 6 year old Alfie hiding under a table in a cafe, striking an immediate connection with the boy. Jake, Alfie's distraught father, and Emily most definitely do not get on, Jake loves his son, but his marriage to Jemma, a marketing executive, struggles under the weight of Alfie's angst, rage and meltdowns that leave their home in a constant state of being wrecked, whilst being out in public with their son is a never ending nightmare. Jake refuses to countenance the autism label for his beloved, if difficult son, he would rather be condemned for poor parenting. Alfie never forms connections with others, but he does with Emily, and Emily who is struggling to get over a disastrous relationship with a married man, adores Alfie.

Circumstances dictate that Jake, who had given up his career in teaching to care for Alfie, has to return to work, so he ends up hiring Emily as Alfie's nanny. She does not find it easy as she endeavours to implement the rules and behaviour that Jake insists is imposed on Alfie, but after a while Emily develops the confidence the challenge this regime. Slowly but surely Alfie blossoms under the changes, revealing a creativity around his obsessions with lego and comic superheroes that result in him and Emily storyboarding, filming stories with her expensive camera and her photographic skills. Jake and Emily's relationship might not have got off to the greatest start, initially he is resentful of just how much better she is with his son than he is, but feelings for each other spring up amidst their shared bond of love for Alfie, but Jake is still married. Could their relationship possibly survive the obstacles that stand in their way?

Marks places the romantic elements of her novel firmly in the background, it is Alfie, his misery of living in a world that fails to understand him, and Emily, with her own traumatic history, her sensitivity to his condition, a form of autism, and Jake, barely surviving being his father, that are centre stage. laying the framework for Alfie's needs to be recognised and addressed. This in turn shifts Jake's perspective on Alfie, paving the way for his improving relationship with him, whilst understanding Alfie will still be Alfie, and life will always be challenging for him, given his condition. Marks creates characters with skill and she develops them brilliantly in a immersive read that is never less than riveting. Highly recommended. Many thanks to Penguin Michael Joseph for an ARC.

Was this review helpful?

This is an amazing book with complex believable characters and a message everyone should read.

This is no ordinary romance or family saga; this wonderful book informs without preaching, and introduces four fantastic characters.

Emily has trust and anger issues due to her dysfunctional childhood.

Jake And Jemma’s marriage is feeling the strain of looking after son Alfie, who has behavioural difficulties..

I loved this book. I laughed and cried with the characters, felt Alfie’s injustice, Emily’s betrayal, Jake’s conflict and Jemma’s loss of control.

This is a book to remember and return to .

Was this review helpful?

This book is so far from the standard romantic story that I expected to read, and it drew me in from the first page. Emily and Jake meet on Saturdays at the anger management class they both have been instructed to attend. Jake, a stay-at-home father, has a young son Alfie who is on the autistic spectrum, and has very challenging behaviours which Jake and his wife Gemma struggle to handle. Alfie takes an inexplicable shine to the spiky Emily, and the story is told around how these relationships entwine and ultimately play out.
The characterisation is first class, I immediately felt I knew these people, and was completely invested in their back stories and their lives. The characters gradually grew and developed as the story progressed in a very natural and convincing way.
The story deals with issues of acceptance, trust, forgiveness and self esteem, which are sensitively explored, and how sometimes people who appear to be making progress with getting their life back on track, can suddenly press the self-destruct button when things begin to overwhelm them.
At the heart of the story is a little boy who does not understand why he is the way he is, or why he behaves as he does. Ultimately all Alfie wants is to be loved unconditionally.
This is a thought provoking theme for a book which I enjoyed immensely. I did not want to leave these lovely characters behind when the book ended. I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy a story with real depth and heart, which this has in abundance. I will look for more of this author’s work.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my advance copy of this title.

Was this review helpful?

A beautiful, heart wrenching story that takes you to the anger management class that takes place on Saturday at noon. Jake attends as he’s trying to keep his marriage (and family) from falling apart. He’s really struggling being a good dad to his 6 year old son Alfie whose difficult and demanding behaviour leaves him feeling like a failure and very frustrated. Emily attends, the result of a broken home with trust issues and is very angry about what’s happened to her. The story pulls you in, as through Jake, Emily and Alfie’s viewpoint you see the world from their eyes. And it’s all the more heartbreaking - they’re all struggling, they’re all lonely and they’re all frustrated. But then they’re brought together after Alfie takes an unusual shine to Emily, and then they evolve into more of their own little family. This is an engaging story that left me wanting more. More of Emily and Jake as they trade snarky remarks with each other and the passion that’s building between them, and more Emily and Alfie as they bond and she helps to understand him more. Rachel Marks brilliantly gives voices to each of these different, but yet similar characters. I’ll be looking out for more books from Rachel!

Was this review helpful?

Do not mistake this book for a run of the mill rom-com.

Emily meets Jake at an anger management class that they both have to attend. Emily, by order of the court and Jake, by order of his wife.
Unfortunately Jakes son Alfie has taken rather a shine to Emily and the 3 of them spend a lot of time together for the benefit of Alfie and neither Emily and Jake are happy about this.

The 3 main characters of this book are written SO well. What I particularly liked was the fact that there wasn't a character who was "the right one" or "the main one". They all had a voice and they all used it. Every single one of them. There are times when I found myself both cheering for all of them and other times, I would hold my head in my hands wishing to be able to bang heads together. We discover how difficult relationships can be once you have a child, how bloody hard being a parent can be and how sometimes, life just doesn't turn out how you thought it would be, through no fault of your own.

The fact that this book was set in my home town also helped and the character of Alfie is going to stay with me for a very long time.

Was this review helpful?

This book was not what I expected at all. I think when I read that it was set at an anger management class that I'd conjured up a very different plot in my head! I was very pleasantly surprised by how charming and uplifting this book is. Jake, Emily and especially little Alfie are brilliantly created and written characters and you can't help but want things to work out for them. Anyone who has a child with autism, or indeed any issue that isn't diagnosed, will identify with Jake's frustrations, guilt and blame. I really loved it and can imagine it being on screen.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

Jake and Emily meet at an anger management course. They're fully rounded characters that propel the story forward into a satisfying read. I enjoyed it. Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me review.

Was this review helpful?

A wonderful story of being different, love, family and acceptance. The characters are beautifully flawed and very believable - I loved their quirks and authenticity. Definitely one to read.

Was this review helpful?

A beautiful book. Neither Jake nor Emily are sympathetic characters at first. Gradually as their relationship blooms through Jake's son Alfie I came to warm them both.

Was this review helpful?

This is a gorgeous read; a very easy read, one for an afternoon on the sofa when you've got nowhere to be. I think the plot is fairly easy to work out early on but that doesn't really matter. I would put this alongside something like The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry in terms of how quickly the reader can make a connection with characters and become invested in their stories. This isn't a brain stretch or deep think of a book but more of an old favourite cardigan - warming and comforting and just what you need sometimes! Would look out for future books by Rachel Marks as if this is what we can expect I'll always be in the market for it.

Was this review helpful?

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Loved the main main characters and seeing their relationship develop over the course of the book. Loved the messages it had about acceptance and tolerance.

Was this review helpful?

I was immediately interested in this book as it is quite rare to find a fiction book focusing on pathological demand avoidance, specifically.

The story focuses on a man and woman who meet at an anger manager course. I jumped to assumptions about both of them and then as you peel the layers of the story away, you see the truth behind why they are both there.

The description and detail around Alfie, the little boy at the heart of the story, is spot on and it is evident that the author has taken the time to really understand PDA, the triggers and the strategies required.

I also liked that the stereotypical mother and father roles are challenged in this story too. I found the characters to be relatable and authentic and I was willing them on to find some kind of peace with their situations.

Overall a great read and it brings PDA to the forefront which is great!

Thank you to @netgalley and @penguinukbooks for the opportunity to review.

#libraryatsevern #bookstagrammer #readersofinstagram #bookstagrammer #igreads #bookshelf #goodreads #bookstagram #netgalley #reader #saturdaysatnoon #penguinukbooks

Was this review helpful?

I absolutely loved it!
This novel rotates around two characters, Emily and Jake.
Well, three. There is Alfie too.
Emily has issues. You can tell immediately, and not because of where we meet the characters. Every choice she makes seems to be destined to keep the world away from her.
Meanwhile, Jake is at the end of his tether. His son is more than he can handle and it kills him inside, because he does love him. He just doesn't know how to deal with him, which is hard work when you are the parent staying at home caring for him. His wife, meanwhile, has a successful career and relies on him to fully take care of their son, Alfie.
And then there is Alfie. Alfie is a six year old boy with very particular ideas of how he wants things done. It's not always easy on everybody else, but there is little he can do about it. He struggles with other people. Until he meets Emily.
All three characters meet at Anger Management, where Alfie takes a shining to Emily. While Alfie and Emily get closer and closer, Jake and his wife get farther apart.
There is so much about this book that I loved. The characters are complex and individual. They're backstories are much richer than the novel reveals to us, but it's glimpsed at through the way the characters are developed.
Alfie is probably the crowning achievement of this novel. While he is a child, his character is no less complex. Some authors might have only used his character as the pivotal element, but Rachel Marks doesn't go there. His persona is as well developed as everybody else in the story.
The writing is also well executed, but then again, this is Penguin we're talking about, it's what we have come to expect from the Publishing powerhouse.
I'm not going to lie, I don't know that I would have picked the book off the shelf, had I seen it in the bookshop, and yet I can't recommend the story more.
The perspective of the father that stays home is well executed too, but not gratuitous. This is not an empty gesture at trying to be progressive, the challenges of being a stay at home dad, as opposed to a stay at home mum, are there.
This book is about relationships. As simple as that. Whether between parents and children, between estranged parents, between old friends and new friends. Between children and adults. It's a beautiful, fulfilling story and I am happy I decided to read it. Great story and I hope you all decide to read it too.

Was this review helpful?

this is an interesting story told from a different angle. You don't typically hear about the struggles a stay at home father faces with a child. Although I found the characters to be relatable and likable, I did feel certain parts were a bit repetitive. I would have liked certain parts to be developed or addressed further (such as the reliance on alcohol for stress relief?)

Was this review helpful?

A good read full of important issues! Covering self esteem and acceptance, something that seems more and more pivotal in this day and age. The book is full of moments all holding an important and somewhat personal message.

The characters are likeable and no one character fades into the background which in this genre can sometimes happen.

Even though this is not my 'usual' style of book, I found it really enjoyable and it was one of those that sits in your brain whilst not reading it... a proper bookworm!

Thanks to netgalley and the publishers for the ARC.

3.5*

Was this review helpful?

A delightful, if slightly cheesy, read. Lots of dark and at times inappropriate humour. Brilliant characters, I especially like that Alfie was also given a chance to have his thoughts heard. Very well written and hard to find fault with.

Was this review helpful?

This is such a special book. The plot line is slightly predictable, but the characters jump off the page and pull you immediately into their world. There are smiles and lumps in throat aplenty, and the book is light, easy to read and compulsive.

Highly recommended.

Was this review helpful?