I find myself unexpectedly disappointed by this book. It is incredibly slow, and oddly, the description of poor Iris’ tragic death felt as if it was from another story entirely, and not related to Luke.
I found his character objectionable and self indulgent, descriptions of his lonely life with his cat, and pages given over to details of his dreams boring, and this did not endear him to me one little bit.
I felt sorry for him, but only in a superficial way. I found it very hard to identify with such a morose, surly, glass half empty kind of man, maybe because I’m the opposite myself, definitely one of life’s optimists.

When I reached the part where the departed Iris appeared in his flat, I realised this book was not for me. I persevered for a few more chapters, but I was not sufficiently interested in Luke’s story to continue to the end.

I realise I’m in the minority here, amongst many 4 and 5 star reviews. But this just wasn’t my kind of book.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my advance copy of this title.

<b>***I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This book will be out on June 11th, 2020***</b>

This book touched me on various levels.
In perfect SD Robertson's style, the reader is dragged into the main character's feelings and life with such a force that s/he ends up feeling genuinely for the guy, as if he was family or a close friend.
It's the fifth novel from this author I read and I can safely say he is an artist of feelings.

Life has put Luke, a thirty-nine year old barber in Manchester city centre, through a fair share of grief and loss. Pain and delusion have made him become selfish, cynical and isolated. At home his only company is Alfred, his cat, having recently fallen off with his cousin, his only true friend and only relative living close-by.

One stormy day Luke finds himself looking death in the eyes. Only the prompt, selfless intervention of a stranger will save him from a horrible ending. The stranger, a young, brilliant doctor, won't make it. Her death will affect Luke in ways that go beyond the survivor's guilt. It will force him to put his own life into perspective, realize how he has let the events make him be someone who he did not use to be.

In an effort to keep his promise to honor that life his savior will no longer live, Luke decides to turn on a new leaf and start seeing the world in a more positive way. He will start saying yes to people and things he would have neither replied to before. He starts to open up to new possibilities. He decides to give something back to the community.
Unfortunately, despite all of his good intentions, the road ahead has a few bumps. One of these bumps will see his good intentions being seriously tested, his old way of doing things pushing to creep back into his life.
At the end it will be once again love, trust and friendship that will save him and make him see how, despite negativity can't always be kept at a distance, there is more to gain in seeing the glass half full rather than half empty.

This is a book that speaks to the heart. It's a book about second chances and the positive outcomes of decisions taken for a greater good. It is a journey inside a man's soul, with hindsight on his past and how sometimes life pushes our tolerance to the limits.

It <I>is</I> indeed possible to change, to be a better person than the one we used to be. The transformation we see in Luke can happen to anyone who truly wants to better him/herself. Just as with Luke it takes courage, trust, determination and selflessness. And time. But it can be achieved.

I am glad I was given the opportunity to read this novel in advance. As it often happens I happened to read it at just the right moment, that's perhaps why it resonated so much with me.

A really enjoyable tale.

Looking at the subject of depression in a way that lends balance and insight.

As the reader you come away with a sense of hope.

This is a powerful book that looks at the idea of how we see things and how positivity can make such a big difference to us all.

Highly recommended

I am a huge SD Robertson fan! This book was bloody brilliant, as is standard. It's easy to read and emotional and addictive!

5 stars

I absolutely loved this book. It was a great story with very relatable characters.
I loved Luke, I just wanted to take him under my wing and help sort him out.
Rita, Meg and Nora were all really strong likable characters too and of course not forgetting Iris, who was a massive part of this story.
I have read all of S D Robertson's books and would highly recommend them. This is one has definitely been added to that list.
I can't wait for more books in the future.

Another excellent read. After surviving an accident where a female, Iris, dies, Luke starts to turn his life around. An emotional and gripping read.

Really enjoyed the storyline in this book. Have had a reading slump recently and this got me going again. Look forward to reading more from this author

Absolutely brilliant read. A down on hope man, Luke was saved by a woman, where he escaped with minor injuries and she didn't. That brought about a change in his heart and outlook toward life.

Having read the previous book by this author, I knew I would be in for a heart wrenching read. What I didn't realize was that the the words had so much power that it made me change my viewpoint.

This was a thought provoking read which inspired me to go beyond my life's disappointments and find my slice of the rainbow. The book was slow paced, but it just gave me time to savor it one page at a time.

A book so apt during these tough times.

I’d like to thank Avon Books UK and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘How To Save A Life’ by S D Robertson in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

One stormy night Luke is hurrying home from work when a sudden wind and hail storm takes him by surprise and makes him soaking wet. He finds shelter under a partly completed building where a woman is already standing but when the wind causes the scaffolding to collapse Luke freezes with fear. The woman pushes him to safety and Luke comes away with minor injuries but the woman isn’t so lucky. Luke dreams about the woman who saves his life and decides he needs to change his pessimistic glass-half-empty outlook on life.

‘How To Save A Life’ is a well-written and heart-warming story with realistic and interesting characters. It’s a thought-provoking novel of how an act of kindness can change a person’s life, making for a better and more considerate individual. I like how one of my favourite songs ‘Mr Blue Sky’ is an integral part of the story and I’ve found myself humming whilst reading.

Like all of  S. D. Robertson's books this was another powerful yet thought provoking story. This time about a guy called Luke, who is a bit of a grumpy old man, after a chance but harrowing encounter with a stranger he realises that things happen for a reason and tries to do good and mend his ways. I thought all the things Luke did were very courageous and how people helped him warmed my heart. This book will show you that it is never to late to have a more positive attitude.I look forward to the next book.

This is pretty good literary fiction -- so no action, etc. It's about the main character and setting life priorities. I found it ultimately optimistic. The story is nicely crafted and has some nice character building. 3.5 stars.

Thanks very much for the ARC for review!!

For a decade, Hannah’s life has been pretty close to perfect – she has a great job, she’s married to Mark, and her child-free existence means she’s free as a bird. The only sadness in her life is a fall-out with her sister Diane, who hasn’t spoken to her in over ten years. But now Diane is on her doorstep – and this time, she’s got her teenage daughter Mia in tow.

When Diane asks if Mia can stay with Hannah and Mark for a few days, Hannah is glad of the chance to get to know her niece. But as the days turn into weeks and Diane doesn’t return, Hannah begins to worry. Why hasn’t her sister been in touch?

Diane is carrying a devastating secret that will destroy Hannah’s carefully constructed life. But how much is she willing to reveal – and when will she pick her moment?

A sincere thank you to the publisher, author and Netgalley for providing me an ebook copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This is not my usual genre, I’m more of a crime/thriller reader however this story intrigued me. I absolutely loved it, truly one of the best books I have read. I am extremely pleased and grateful to both for opening up my mind to something totally different.

Grumpy guy Luke who’s nearly forty who’s glass is always half empty plods through his life as a barber.
He doesn’t engage with the people who come into his shop or his neighbours. One night a horrific accident and a death makes him change his outlook on life.
Luke is amazed to discover that there are people who care for him.
But things in life are never straightforward and Luke has to suffer more before his life is back on track.
I loved this book there’s so many lovely characters. Meg, Nora, Rita and the Neighbours. There’s the odd scary bad one there too. A lovely heart warming story that will warm your heart and possibly shed a tear.

This is the second book I have read by S D Robertson and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was easy to identify with the main character Luke and the personal crisis he was going through. Luke has a life experience that makes him realise that he needs to change his outlook. Meeting a girl called Iris brings him down a road where he never thought he would go. It would be great to have a sequel to see how Luke continues in his new way of thinking.

I received this book "How To Save A Life", although on Goodreads it appears to be called "Mr Blue Sky" from NetGalley and all opinions expressed are my own. Poor Luke, things just seem to be going wrong at every turn in his life. I thought the book was okay. I didn't find anything exciting about the story. I didn't really connect with the characters.

This was a heartwarming story which puts life in perspective. It basically follows the story of Luke, who is grumpy and pessimistic and how he tries to turn his life around to become a more positive thinker and how this has a bigger impact in his life more than he could have imagined.
A good read which I recommend and I rated it a 4⭐️.

I really love the idea of the story, and I especially like the first third of the book because I really liked the main character and his cousin… And I could see that he was heading for an inner transformation of some kind because of what he went through with Iris. But I kind of got bogged down in the middle and couldn’t really see where it was going, so I had to give up.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

What a beautifully, well written book this is!.

Luke is a pessimistic, glass half empty kind of guy with very little regards for others feelings....but that all changes when Luke is nearly killed following a freak accident. Following the tragic death of the stranger that saved his life, he decides to change his outlook on life.
He goes through quite a few hardships throughout this book, which make you really feel for the character. But despite all of the things that are thrown his way he continues to move forward, showing a strength in which I don't think he would realise he possesses
.
The story is just wonderful to read, and leaves you with a feeling of love and optimism throughout!.

I would definitely recommend it to others.

Thank you Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this wonderful story in return for my honest review.

The world has thrown its very worst at Luke recently. So when a stranger narrowly saves him from a fatal accident, it feels like the final straw.

But instead, Luke makes up his mind to live his life to the fullest. He’s been given a second chance, and he’s going to make it count– and so he starts by saying yes to everything life has to offer.

But when Luke’s new resolve is tested, will he return to his old ways? Or can one fateful moment truly save a life?

What a beautifully written book. I saw hope, love and this read touched my heart. I loved it. Luke changed for the good, and change impacts everyone in his life.