When I began this no so I thought it would be boring, wooden and blah. I was so wrong. The relationships and characters evolve and made me care about their situations. Several things go on here that come to a satisfying end. The scene in the boat in the river😆
Thank you netgalley and the publisher for this arc

A sweet story about two unlikely friends and the importance of the family we choose. Elsie and Billy are relatable characters who forge a unique bond while struggling with personal issues that they can't talk about. Together, they are able to find ways to begin to heal. A great read.

A lovely read that pulls at the heart strings. A couple of good characters in Elsie and Billy. One to recommend.

Thanks to NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to read this book..

Firstly I would like to thank the author, the publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC of this book. Having read the author's previous book I was thrilled to be given the chance to read this one, although it is very different from the previous one but still beautifully written with great characters and story line.
I have already recommended it to friends.

This is a very warm-hearted read about two very different lost and lonely people. Elsie is an old lady who lives a very small life, her sheltered upbringing and the close losses she experienced left her wary of letting people in close so she limits her social interactions as much as she humanly can and she lives each day by strict routine. Billy is a confused ten year old whose life was suddenly uprooted when his mum moved him away from his London home and dad to a quiet village where he knows no one, his mum has taken the first job she can but struggling for childcare she relies on the taciturn Elsie for help. Both the main characters tell their stories so well and I felt for them both, when you come to understand the life Elsie has lead you can’t help but empathise. Although she seems quite miserable at first her interactions with Billy do show a chink of what lies beneath and I love how she blossoms through the story.