The Extraordinary Hope of Dawn Brightside introduces us to a very memorable character in Dawn. When we first meet her she is just about to be offered a space in a shelter for the homeless - St Jude's. It's no coincidence I'm sure that St Jude is the patron saint of lost causes. Dawn is such an interesting character and at first I was full of questions. What has happened to her daughter Rosie? Dawn seems to have a different story for every different person she meets. Why does she have an aversion to men with red hair? Just what has she been running from for the past twenty years? And could I actually believe anything she said? I really wanted to but I wasn't sure she could be relied upon.

Jessica Ryn shines a light on so many different issues throughout this book. Mental health is a key theme and something which affects so many of the residents of St Jude's. So many will have been considered lost causes either as individuals or as a group - 'the homeless' or 'junkies'. Through finding out about the reasons why each resident ended up in St Jude's, the author sheds light on the many, complicated reasons why people can find themselves homeless and shows that people from any walk of life can find themselves in this situation. She also shows clearly the challenges and stress caused by underfunding of this sector.

But Dawn does not think of her fellow residents as lost causes and neither does hostel manager Grace. I so enjoyed that we got to see each person in the book as an individual, that we got to find out about them. This created a real sense of empathy and I was certainly hoping for positive outcomes for them all, even when that seemed most unlikely. When it was finally revealed what had happened to Dawn, my heart broke for her. You could see why throughout her years she had wanted and needed to care for people, wherever she found them. There was an urge deep within her that compelled her to look out for others.

Without giving anything away, I will say that the ending of this book genuinely is one of the uplifting and hopeful conclusions to any book I've read this year. It is only when you get to the very, very end that you realise, with a lump in the throat, just how appropriate the title of the book is. The Extraordinary Hope of Dawn Brightside is a wonderful, heart-warming book. If you need your faith in humanity restored, I highly recommend you get a copy of this book because out there right now are lots of people like Dawn and Grace and they are a lifeline to so many.

This novel focuses on the issues of mental health and homelessness. The narrative alternates between the main character, Dawn Brightside, who is given a room at a homeless hostel; and Grace, who runs the shelter.

Dawn is such a positive and caring woman, despite the fact that she has clearly had a traumatic past, although you are only given glimpses of what this is until the end of the novel. However, this lack of knowledge of her past meant that all you see is her obsession with her daughter and her constant lying, with no idea how she ended up homeless and alone for 20 years.

Grace is trying her best to run the hostel, deal with her own insecurities and developing feelings for a service user.

Dawn is a very complex character and is a wonderful example of how mental health and homelessness is such a large and intertwined issue in today’s society. The novel covers the lack of funding in services that would support people in the same situation as Dawn.

I did not agree with Grace’s main storyline, which is an inappropriate relationship with a service user. I know this is a lighthearted romcom novel, however, Grace is in a position of trust and such a relationship would result in her losing her job, her reputation and, potentially, risk a criminal record. Moving in together so soon after he has left the service would still set of an investigation. To have such a storyline as the romantic part of novel was far from ideal.

Apart from this, this was a heartwarming, and heartbreaking, novel; a tale of a lost past and a discovered future.

A raw, viceral look through the lens at homelessness. Dawn Brightside, a misnomer if ever there was one, is on her beam end. Life has thrown so many lemons that she could set up a commercial enterprise selling all things lemony.
Then there's Grace...
A wonderful gut-wrenching read that smashes your heart into little bits before rebuilding it, piece by piece.
We need life reafirming books like this now more than ever.

This book was emotional, and moving, and a real eye-opener. It showed just how easy it can be to become homeless.

This book also showed how showing some empathy and a bit of kindness can really make the difference to all people, not just people who are done on their luck.

Dawn has the most amazing outlook on life, even with everything that has happened in her past, and I admire the strength she showed throughout for her friends and new family.

The humorous elements added the right amount of comedy to ensure that this book was not too heavy, and I thoroughly enjoyed my time spent with the residents at St Jude's.

I volunteered to read this book, through netgalley in exchange, for an honest review.
Such a feel good book, surrounded with empathy and a fantastic read

Get your tissues ready! This book will have you crying tears of sadness and joy!

A wonderful tale of Dawn Brightside who has been homeless for a long time, constantly feeling the need to move on. Until one day she reaches Dover and settles down.

The second story is of Grace, a woman who manages the homeless hostel in Dover.

Both stories are equally sad and heartwarming. The book shows how, no matter the material things we have in life, we all go through the same battles.

Wonderful characters and a story that will have you laughing and crying. Beautiful.

This was such a warm hearted book full of kindness and hope. It was exactly what I needed to forget about 2020 as a whole for a few days. But. But. But. But. Homeless people are people. Their struggles and stories are heartbreaking but sadly they can feel so invisible as most people don’t really give them to the time of day. So for this, I appreciated that Ryn centred her book around homeless people because they are not often written about and I think if readers take one thing away from this book, it would be to treat them with kindness and to not make assumptions about their situations. As warm hearted as this book is, I’m not going to call it escapism because the struggles of homeless people are real and Jessica Ryn used her experience of working in homeless hostels to highlight this. But it did feel a bit like a snuggly blanket because she wrote her characters so authentically that they felt like real people. The plot was also pretty perfect; people coming together for the greater good.

Thank you to NetGalley and HQ for allowing me to review this book.

The story follows many characters that Dawn comes into contact with. The story begins with Dawn who has been running away from something for most of her life and ends up at St Judes a hostel for the homeless.

Dawn settles in well but then news of possible closure of the hostel makes Dawn look at herself with the help of her friends to battle some demons of her own as well as helping others.

Jessica has tackles some big topics in this book such as drugs, homelessness and mental health. Yet the ways she brings the topics into the story is brilliant that it draws you in further to the complexity of the characters in such a simple way. I love how she tackles the subjects with respect and reality you can tell she has worked in the field.

The characters are all individuals with a past and a future and each one is carefully thought out. It must have taken time to get each character so perfectly written.

The story line is relatable, you could have read the basis of the book in a newspaper article, yet Jessica brings it to life with purpose and feeling. It’s heart warming yet sad in places. Even thought provoking in places making me realise how lucky I am.

I would recommend this book as it is detailed and kept me wanting to know more. I loved the character of Grace, something drew me to her I’m not quite sure what but even at the end of the book I wanted to know more.

Brilliant read! Definitely one to recommend

This was a very interesting read.
I have to be honest, it was not a book that suited my personal reading taste sadly but it was a nice easy read

This has been one of my favourite books to review of 2020. A thoughtfully written and accurate portrayal of homelessness, mental ill health and the challenges faced by services in the face of austerity..

Dawn has been sleeping rough, but when she is given a lifeline in the shape of St Jude's hostel, it is to change her life forever. Haunted by the past, she focuses all her energy on helping others, but forgets about herself. Twenty two years and two months ago, Dawn gave birth to a daughter, Rosie. But Dawn becomes ill and unable to care for Rosie, who is given up for adoption. Dawn always loved her, but was afraid. She was drugged and attacked and all she can remember is that the man had red hair, and threatened to kill her if she told anyone what had happened. He is the father. Dawn loses everything, including all hope.

But being at St Jude's she is surrounded by people who genuinely care and want to help her. They form a tight knit group, and when the hostel is threatened with closure, due to funding cuts, they pull together to save it.

And Dawn finds safety and most importantly, she finds her Hope again. I don't want to give away the way this story ends, but all I will say is, it is a beautiful conclusion to a beautiful book.

I loved the book. Homelessness has been a bit of a pet project for me for several months and it seemed fitting that I found this book at this time. It has been on my NetGalley shelf for a little while .

It struck me as a lighthearted look at some exceptionally hard hitting issues , the Merry band of hostel residents fighting for their Homes, the mix of personalities is a great foil for the deeper more sobering issues examined here. I do not want to give things away but the two strong female voices here allow for a rounded and sympathetic examination of our perceptions of those left without safe shelter and the systems w3 have to support them.

I loved Dawn and Grace all the more for their flaws, for their frailties and humanity.

Thank you to HQ Stories for allowing me a space on the Blog Tour for this book. Let's appreciate just how lovely the front cover is; I always think yellow is a good colour for covers because it's so vibrant and just pulls the reader in.

For the most part this was a really good and enjoyable read; it deals with the important topic of homelessness but I never felt that it was dealt with inappropriately. It highlights just how vast homelessness is and really shows that anybody is just a paycheck away from being homeless. It also puts a spotlight on the lack of resources there to help those that are homeless, and the hoops people have to jump through to get help - such as signing on for benefits when you don't have a home address, but you can't get a home address without benefits. It's definitely a really poignant read and I think it shines the spotlight on an important issue that I don't see dealt with a lot.

What I liked about the writing is that all the characters felt very human; they all had realistic problems and faced challenges - there were no magic solutions to the challenges but they still managed to find the good, or the bright side, as Dawn would say. I liked the little community that existed at St Jude's and almost wish we got more focus on some of the wider characters because they were so interesting, but then again I couldn't have handled multiple POV's!!

Was it a little cliché in places? Yes... but I often find contemporaries are because they're an escape from the real world and so you want to read about happy ever afters. So there were a couple of things that were a bit too much for me in terms of how things worked out, but it didn't ruin the story.

The only reason I have rated this book 3 stars is because of one aspect of the book which I just found really inappropriate and uncomfortable reading. Grace, the social worker and manager of the hostel, begins to get feelings for one of the hostel residents - a service user/client - and although she initially tries to stay away from him (because she knows it's wrong) the book ends with them getting together and moving in?? Without addressing any of the repercussions of this on her job and registration as a social worker. Having a relationship with a service user, current or former, is extremely inappropriate as a social worker because there is always going to be a power imbalance in that relationship and honestly, is just down right wrong. At the very least Grace would have lost her job but also likely her registration if she maintained this relationship. It doesn't matter that they're both adults, she was in a position of power over the service user due to her role and it's just ethically wrong. Because of this it did impact my enjoyment of the book, working in Social Services myself, and so was personally something I didn't agree with.

That said, aside from that issue it was a good book and I think it deals well with the issue of being homeless.

Thank you to NetGalley and HQ Stories for allowing me to read an eARC of NetGalley.

An honest and uplifting read which I will recommend to others. Dawn was a very likeable character whose determination to remain positive and upbeat was admirable. The supporting characters were also well-written and each had interesting backgrounds which added to the story.

Homelessness, mental health and many other relevant and serious issues were approached with both a realistic tone and also with empathy.

Would like to read more by the author! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I went to a online talk with the author and I thought this sounded fab so I went straight onto NetGalley and requested it! It follows Dawn, a homeless woman troubled by her past, and Grace, the manager of the homeless shelter who offers her a room. It’s a really sweet but haunting book based on the author’s own experience of working at homeless shelters, full of lots of details about people living on the streets, with a real mix of personalities and characters.

A feel good read with serious under tones.
From rape, post partum psychosis, drugs, death and homelessness, this book covers everything whilst following the life of Dawn Brightside.
It ends exactly as I wanted and despite the subject matter, really was a feel good book!

I volunteered to read this book, through netgalley in exchange, for an honest review.
Such a feel good book, surrounded with empathy and a fantastic read

The Extraordinary Hope Of Dawn Brightside by Jessica Ryn is a wonderful feel-good contemporary novel about love and friendship that will leave you smiling and full of hope. When you know Dawn Brightside, the world looks sunnier.
All the characters are delightfully drawn and realistic. Dawn Brightside is a breath of fresh air. She is always positive, lighting up lives and rooms wherever she goes. She makes the world a better place.
The novel surrounds St Judes hostel for the homeless. Here, people from all walks of life come together and function as a family. Life has dealt some rough hands but in St Judes there is always hope.
Sometimes people are prejudiced against those who are different to them. Within the novel we see everyone as an individual with needs and a place in the world. No one is seen as a label. Many are recovering addicts. We hear their painful backstories. No one chooses to be homeless, life happens. Everyone needs love, hope and kindness.
Jessica Ryn has produced a fabulous debut novel. I cannot wait for her to write more, more, more.
Give yourself a treat and brighten up your life with a copy of The Extraordinary Hope Of Dawn Brightside today.
I received this book for free. A favourable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.

I absolutely loved this book and it taught me a lesson never judge a book by its cover
I have always avoided people in doorways and in the park but this book made me think hard about my own prejudices
And I am aware that Dawn, Grace, Peter, Rosie and all the other characters were just that not real people and I loved the way Dawn managed to pick apart their stories and made them all believe in themselves and bring them all together to help raise the funds desperately needed to keep the shelter open
To them it’s their home their family to not have it would be horrific for them so dawn and Grace start off with a cake sale and they do a few other things but the big one is a swimathon if any one turns up
And what about Dawn is her story true she tells lots of tales about her daughter Rosie but they all differ and she always turns the conversation away from herself
Wonderful easy reading

This is such a wonderful, feel good story, just what we all need right now...

Dawn Brightside truly does have extraordinary hope, and she brings everyone along with her. Dawn’s had a pretty rough life, so you can understand her behaviour, and you really can’t help falling in love with her.

Dawn, along with Grace, Peter, Cara, and the rest of the gang are just so full of human goodness, and hope, it’s just wonderful!

My thanks to Netgalley and HQ Harper Collins for the copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Extraordinary Hope of Dawn Brightside is a serious but uplifting book, which deals with the issues the main character faces with sensitivity and tact. All the characters are extremely likeable and easy to connect to, making this a lovely read.