An absolute gem! - I knew I was in for a treat Morgan's books are always a heart-warming delight but I think this is her best yet.

I found it impossible to put down, the characters draw you into their lives. They are flawed (aren't we all!), realistic and relatable. As the secrets start spilling out you'll be rooting for them to find their happy ending.

The writing is free-flowing and a joy to read, the two vivid perfectly drawn backdrops from the lively colour filled New York to the somewhat less hectic stunning Cumbria.

Don't miss this uplifting story of love, loss, family & new beginnings.

Thanks to HQ Stories for sending me this in exchange for an open and honest review.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I first read a Sarah Morgan book when I read an advanced copy of A Wedding in December.  I loved Sarah’s style of writing and it was an easy choice to review Family for Beginners.
Flora is a beautiful soul and, it seems appropriate that she’s a talented florist.  Following in her Mother’s footsteps, Flora creates works of art in the Manhattan store where she works.  
Jack is haunted by the loss of his wife, Becca and struggling with raising their daughter Tasha.  Not that Tasha is a handful, she’s actually a great kid but trying to fill her Mother’s shoes by looking after Molly, her younger sister.
As Flora and Jack embark upon a gentle romance, they are thrown together by a mishap at Flora’s apartment.  This does not sit well with Tasha and relations are tested when Jack invites Flora on their family holiday to England.  Flora is tested by Tasha and the fact that they are staying with Becca’s oldest friends.  This can’t possible work, can it?
I wholeheartedly recommend this book; the way Sarah Morgan creates characters shows a real empathy with others.  I could feel Flora’s heartache and still understand why Tash behaved so badly.  
As Jack and Flora become closer, I enjoyed the way Molly immediately saw Flora through her Father’s eyes, but Tasha took her Mother’s position and fiercely guarded her family from the perceived interloper.
To avoid spoilers, I will leave it there but, please read this book and look at Sarah’s back catalogue, you’ll be glad that you did.

A great read - I like how the story unfolds as it it told from the points of view of the different characters. 

You feel sorry for Flora, and hope she can find happiness with Jack despite his eldest daughter Izzy trying to scare her away.

This is the first Sarah morgan book I've read and it didn't disappoint.

This is a story about love, grief, loss and second chances. The story drew me in and kept me reading until the end.

I like her writing style and will read more of her stuff in the future.

I always love Ms Morgan’s stories and this one was no exception. Fitting into a ready made family is never easy but when said family have dark secrets it is even harder. Fabulous story with fabulous characters. Highly recommended.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Character-driven, this story focuses on Flora's emotional journey, as she tries to be part of Jack's broken and damaged family. Multi-points of view, showcase the tense relationships, within the family.

Flora is lovely, but lives to please, probably due to the lack of nurture in her childhood. This proves a stumbling block with Izzy, Jack's seventeen-year-old, who resents Flora as an outsider. The story revisits a popular theme, but because of the characters' complexity and relatability, gives it a believable contemporary and original interpretation.

Family, friendship, grief, loss and love are all explored. The second part of the story, set in the English Lake District, draws the story together and reveals secrets. Flora's emotional journey is both, challenging and poignant.

I received a copy of this book from HQ in return for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this ARC.

I found this book to be a really good and easy read.  It is about family dynamics, friendships, grief, coping (or not) with loss and romance.  Lovely likeable and believable characters who are trying to find their own way individually and as a family after loss and adapting to change.   I thought the book was written very well, and sensitively covered feelings, thoughts and emotions by characters when grieving.  The book was told in parts by different characters which I loved.   This was a poignant read at times, the book drew me in right from the start until the end.  A fab read which I would highly recommend.    5 stars

This book is a tale of how family dynamics and how we try to mould ourselves in order to fit in. Our need to be liked and accepted can make us suppress our feelings and this will affect our feeling of worth.
Flora has no family. Her mum died when she was young and she was brought up by her aunt who made it clear that she wasn't really wanted. 
Then she meets Jack. Jack has lost his wife, the saintly Becca, who is everything Flora is not. His children don't want her replacing their mother. All have secrets which affect how they feel. 
Can it ever work?
Delicious mix, just right for curling up at home, by the fire or in the garden

Flora lost her only parent as a young child and spent her formative years living with her cold Aunt feeling unloved, unwanted and in the way. Now after her Aunt’s death she finds herself forging a life of her own, however it’s not all it’s cracked up to be as it’s made her realise just how small her life actually is, with work being the most exciting thing she has. Flora has followed in her Mother’s footsteps and loves her job working in the same florist as she did and it’s a chance meeting there that turns her life as she knows it upside down.

Jack was thrust into single parenthood after the untimely death of his wife Becca and finds himself relying heavily on his teenage daughter Izzy to help keep things running at home. Realising Izzy deserves a special treat for her forthcoming birthday Jack finds himself staring blankly through the florist window at the huge choice not knowing where to start. In steps talented Flora who knows just the right floral combination to bring a smile to Izzy’s face and before he knows it Jack has asked her to join him for a coffee.

Cue a fledgling romance with the added complication of grieving children who may not be ready for the introduction of someone new in their Father’s life. Fate however has ideas of it’s own when an accident means Flora is made homeless and finds herself not only temporarily living in Jack’s spare room, but invited on the family’s annual trip to Cumbria to stay with Becca’s oldest friend – surely a recipe for disaster?

I expected Family For Beginners to be a relatively light-hearted read despite the mention of bereavement in the synopsis, however I was thrilled when what I actually got was a story with depth and substance. Whilst on the surface it’s a tale of two families coming together to form a ‘blended family’ it actually documents the emotional turmoil and upheaval felt by each and every character and how grief, loyalty and secrets have a significant impact on the ‘moving on’ process.

It’s a beautifully written story -that had me in tears more than a handful of times! – filled with likeable, relateable characters whom I found myself really invested in. In particular I found myself drawn to Flora whose strength of character and fierce loyalty really shone through. Despite having a difficult background herself and not having an easy time getting to know stroppy teen Izzy, she kept a smile on her face and didn’t give up, even when it could be to her own detriment.

A special mention also has to go to the backdrop of this story which begins in the colourful, fast paced city of New York, before switching to the stunning landscapes of my home county of Cumbria. Whilst the contrast between the two couldn’t be any more different, Morgan has written both so vividly I could envisage them both perfectly which added something extra to my reading experience.

I could talk at length about this book, however I want to avoid any spoilers, but suffice to say I LOVED it and would highly recommend – it’s an emotional ride, but will leave you with that warm fuzzy glow! It’s the first of Sarah Morgan’s books I have read, but will actively be seeking out some of her back list, having really enjoyed her writing style.

What a lovely and easy book to read, could really identify with the way the story unfolded. Would definitely recommend

Firstly I’d like to thank Sarah Morgan for helping me get my reading Mojo back. In these uncertain times with this awful Coronavirus I was struggling to read anything. I picked up this book and the way it was written just drew me in and before I knew it I couldn’t put it down and my Mojo was back. When we lose somebody close we all struggle and grieve in our own way. This book has everything in it. Grief, lose, fear, love, friendship and family. Things are always changing, but often we have such busy lives we don’t notice these changes and just carry on. When something devastating happens and our world as we know it stops, this is when we realise that nothing stays the same forever. This is a beautifully written book about love, lose, and new blended family. I highly recommend this book it’s a fabulous 5 star read.

I absolutely loved this heartwarming read about the complexities of love, grief, family and relationships.  A really heartwarming story that has substance but isn’t too heavy. Highly recommend..

Lovely heart warming read. I went through a rollercoaster of emotions reading this beautiful story. There is so much love in this book. This is a story about love, loss, family, and new beginnings.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

Yeh I really liked this. I love Sarah Morgan's books anyway, so this wasn't a surprise.

If you want complicated family dynamics, a complicated, interwoven, character driven narrative and a satisfying conclusion... Then this is for you.

I liked all the characters in some way or another. Isabel and Becca particular favs. 

One I'd recommend for sure.

I haven’t read any of Sarah Morgan’s other books so approached this one with a pretty open mind. From the cover design, I thought it might be a bit of a fluffy, light hearted read. But it was actually more than that which was pleasantly surprising.

The book takes it in turns to tell the story from the major character’s points of view. There is Flora who lost her Mum when she was young and is always looking to please others and fit in. She meets Jack who has lost his seemingly perfect wife, Becca, to a sudden and tragic illness. Could Jack give Flora that sense of belonging? There is his teenage daughter Izzy who is desperately trying to hold her family together while having the burden of keeping a huge secret. And then there’s Becca’s best friend Clare who is also keeping a secret for her friend but is hugely resentful for the pressure that has put her under and makes her question their friendship.

All of these stories are expertly interwoven and while the plot is fairly predictable, I found myself caring for the characters. I was genuinely driven to tears by some of the story, particularly the conversation towards the end of the book that felt like a “Daddy, my Daddy” (The Railway Children) moment!

All in all, a heartfelt story told well. I would definitely recommend!

Sarah Morgan never fails to make me happy. I love every single one of her books, and this one is just as heartwarming as I hoped it would be. Perfect quarantine reading!

Izzy is a teenager who is very stroppy and makes it well known to Flora that she is an outsider and does not belong.  Molly adores her.  Flora realises that she has a lot to live up to.; Becca it seems was without a flaw, perfect in every way. A Mary PI adore Sarah Morgan novels and I was not disappointed in this one,  It was extremely well written and I thought the dynamics of the characters were spot on.  It is very hard to get over the death of your mum, especially when you are young.  As a father you have to keep going even though it is hard to do so.  Izzy and Molly were left with just their dad the day their mum died.  Izzy went into the mould of Becca (her mum), cooking, taking over the care of Molly, the younger of the two. Jack the dad did not realise that deep inside Izzy was hurting, he thought she was coping extremely well.  A year after the fatal accident he goes into a florist wanting a bouquet for his 17 year old daughter.  Flora is the lucky one to serve him.  Is it love at first sight?  Flora had had a wonderful childhood until her mother died.  She was sent to an aunt who did not want her.  Flora fought to gain her love but to no avail. She knows what it is like to be alone.  Suddenly she finds herself in the midst of family life.  A teenagoppins of the dance world.  All families have secrets.  On vacation to see old friends of Jack and Becca the story unfolds.  This is a great holiday must read book and I  am sure a few people will emphathise with the characters.  Thank you Sarah Morgan for entertaining me and NetGalley for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review

I discovered Sarah Morgan after reading her recent Christmas book, A Wedding in December, which I absolutely loved, so I was thrilled to receive an early copy of her latest, Family for Beginners.

Family for Beginners is a clever romcom spin on Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca. Flora was raised by an aunt who never really wanted her. As a result, she has always longed for a traditional family of her own. When Flora falls in love with widowed Jack, who has two daughters, it seems as if all her dreams are about to come true. But Jack's eldest, the teenage Izzy, makes it clear their family is doing just fine without Flora - and she'd quite like to keep it that way! And the more Flora learns about Jack's late wife, the saintly Becca, she begins to realise it will be impossible to compete...

Despite the themes of grief, loss and abandonment, Family for Beginners is a lovely, uplifting, heart-warming story about relationships between family and friends. The main viewpoints are Flora and Izzy, and we get a terrific insight into two women who, ordinarily, could have been good friends. There is humour, when Izzy's various schemes to trip up Flora backfire spectacularly, as well as sweet and sexy romance. The gorgeous holiday home, overlooking the water in the Lake District, is virtually a character in itself. 

Sarah Morgan is a genius at creating flawed, realistic characters we can all relate to. As much as I loved Flora, I think poor Isabel was my favourite as she struggled to deal with the guilt she felt after her mother's death. The characters are so real, so perfect, so cleverly drawn, I think Family for Beginners is Sarah Morgan's best book yet. One of my favourite reads this year!


Thank you to Sarah Morgan and HQ for my copy of this book, which I requested from NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

Flora has felt alone since her mother passed and she was grudgingly taken in by her aunt, she is thrilled when Jack takes an interest. She feels like she has so much to contribute to his family as his two children are going through the same pain. However the reality of meeting them is so completely opposite to her imaginings that she begins to question how the relationship will survive. Jack seems oblivious to the problems and invites Flora on their traditional family holiday where everything comes to a head. Sarah Morgan is so good at describing family interactions.  I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this story. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

There's one thing I can be sure of with a novel from Sarah Morgan - it will be an excellent read and different to any other of hers!

When Flora meets Jack she falls hard. But Jack comes as part of a package; a widower, he has two daughters and the elder one is very protective of her current family unit and doesn't welcome any outsiders. When it is proposed that Flora joins them on their annual holiday to England's Lake District, she wonders if she can live up to Becca who was, apparently, the perfect wife and mother, and also best friends with the couple they are going to stay with. Can Flora manage to survive these three weeks?

Another terrific read from an author who really understands her characters! This is a wonderful novel, full of hidden secrets and misunderstandings and beautifully written, as always from Sarah. The characters really come alive on the page and it makes for an enchanting read. Perfectly true-to-life with lots of ups and downs along the way, and some of the funniest conversations I've ever come across! A superb read, one I highly recommend and absolutely earning all five sparkling stars!

My thanks to the publisher for my copy via NetGalley; this is - as always - my honest, original and unbiased review.