3.5 rounded up. Some parts felt a little slow for me, others a little predictable, but still an enjoyable read.

I got this book from NetGalley for a fair and honest review

Trigger warnings for Depression, Anxiety and bereavement

This book tells the story of the after affects of the death of Helen on her husband Luke, after she dies in a train crash shortly after deciding to quit her job to become a photographer full time and make money from her social media platform. A few weeks later the while looking at her phone, Luke finds the posts of someone who Helen had connected with, who takes photos of broken pottery. Finding a broken vase that I his wife got for this person, he decides to take the vase to the photographer.

The photographer turns out to be Orla who lives in a castle on the coast, as a recluse with her dog called, One Ear, not going out or even signing for deliveries of broken pots that she buys of the internet.

The story tells how both Luke and Orla connect with each other as they deal with both the events in their life which have far reaching repercussions in changing the way they act to with the world. With the way this is done is so well done that when Orla and Luke are dealing with their issues, it seems like you are feeling what they are feeling, as they both try to deal with their past.

This is the first book that I have read, by Victoria Connelly, and with the standard of writing and story telling it will not be the last. The way she deals with difficult issues of of Anxaty, depression etc. with such sensitivity, that as a reader you not only feel sympathy for them. But it also allows you into their mind at the time, so what may seem irrational on the out side seems perfectly normal.

So if you want to read a story that deals with mental health with sensitivity and feeling while not letting it detract you from the story then you should read Victoria Connelly’s Latest Book, The Beauty of Broken Things.

The Beauty of Broken Things is one beautiful novel. The story is so very relatable and all of us are really beautifully broken. The story shows how fear can disable us and lead us to miss out on life‘s simple joys and pleasures. The author’s gentle touch and sweetness of style take such a tragic occurrence and helps the reader see beyond it. This book really puts things into perspective and I highly recommend it.

Victoria Connelly is one of my favourite authors, so I couldn't wait to read this latest novel.
Two people, thrown together by tragic events, become unlikely best friends. Helping each other through grief, they form a strong bond that changes both their lives.
Over the course of one summer, Orla's world begins to return to some normality as Luke learns to adjust to a world without the love of his life.

This is a story of grief and joy- how sometimes we have to let go of things as they have been, and take a different path, as it may lead to places totally unexpected. in this book, it's not just one person, but two, and how they reach out and find each other, as they expose secrets and lies, is beautifully written. It's a book to delve into and stay until the final resolution. It's the book you'll be telling everyone about!

What a beautiful story! Orla Kendrick lives in the ruins of a remote Suffolk castle, hiding from a haunting past. I am there! The story just worked-the beautiful cover, the setting, the characters, beauty and art in broken-tragic lives.

Luke Hansard is grieiving the loss of his wife and he discovers Orla had an online relationship with his wife; she purchased her 'broken things.' Its a beautiful metaphor for finding beauty in broken-ness. These two tragic souls discover beauty in the broken aspects of their lives, and grow together through friendship.

Today, I posted a review of this wonderful book on my blog:
https://seniorbooklounge.blogspot.com/
as well as Pinterest & Facebook page: Senior Book Lounge.

Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to review this beautiful book!

jb
https://seniorbooklounge.blogspot.com/

Beautifully written. And refreshing too, because the ending wasn't predictable, but even so, it felt like the right ending. I was a bit concerned that there would be a different sort of ending, which I didn't think would ring true, but Connelly veered away from it thank goodness. I can't say too much more for fear of spoilers. All of the characters were well-written. Orla's story was heartbreaking, as was Luke's. I must mention Bill and One Ear - lovely characters. I liked the use of a picture-led social media platform and the pictures Orla posted there, the fact she chose to photograph chipped and broken items, but still managed to show their beauty ... Connelly explored online friendships, which was interesting. The setting was well-described. All in all, a poignant read, which will stay with you even after you've reached the end. With thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Beauty of Broken Things, by Victoria Connelly, is a wonderful novel.

This is a story of healing. Both characters are broken, But together, they can be whole.

It's an interesting story for sure. Luke and Orla are brought together through death. What follows is an amazing journey and transformation. Luke is able to slowly break down the walls Orla has thrown up around her. Her transformation is marvelous and inspirational.

The writing is wonderful, with extremely well developed characters and an accomplished story line, The emotions are heavy throughout and the character growth is fantastic. If you don't fall in love with Orla and Luke's journey, I will be shocked.

I definitely enjoyed every single second of this novel.

Such a beautifully written story, that is ultimately heartwarming and uplifting, despite the incredibly sad and upsetting things that our two main characters have been through. But since meeting and spending time together, Orla and Luke are both perhaps just starting to heal and help each other.

Luke's world was turned upside when his wife suddenly denied incredibly unexpectedly. Orla lives in a castle 3 hours away from Luke, and hides herself away from the world - she is the ultimate definition of self isolation - and the only connection between Luke and Orla is a social media site.

For Luke's wife Helen loved the Galleria site (similar to instagram), and follows Orla's account and they have formed a friendship online without even knowing each others names. Helen sensed something about Orla and wanted to help, but then her life was tragically caught short.

Once Luke tracks down Orla, and they somehow slowly get to know each other, the story really does take on a life of its own.

Orla's account focuses on beautiful objects that have minor imperfections, she loves being able to find and highlight the beauty in broken things, and Helen (who although we only meet her briefly is a huge character in the book), also has started to love finding that same beauty in the imperfect.

What I found really moving, gripping and had real empathy for, was when Orla finally explains to Luke just what happened to make her the way she currently is. I won't tell you any details but its completely understandable that she would now live her life in the shadows as a result of what she went through.

Victoria Connelly's writing seems to go from strength to strength, and as much as I love her lighter hearted Austen Addicts and Booklovers series, this is probably her best book to date. Absolutely loved it!

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily,.

What a beautiful book ! 2 strangers meet due to a tragic loss. She is a recluse. The victim of a heinous crime. Somehow against all odds they form an amazing friendship. This beautiful book takes you on a journey of love, loss, friendship, trust and hope. I absolutely loved it.

The title of this book really intrigued me. After reading the story I felt it was the perfect title. Two strangers come together after the death of Luke's wife. Learning to trust is hard for Orla after a tragic accident sent her into hiding. Luke set out to find her to give her a gift from his deceased wife and together they are able to heal and love. This was such a beautiful story. I didn't want it to end. Thank you Victoria Connelly for this great story.
I received a ARC of this book from the publisher and netgallery and this is my honest opinion.

This story really touched my heart! It's a bit different from the other books by Victoria Connelly but it's equally heartwarming and captivating. A beautiful story of friendship and healing in the idyllic setting of the Suffolk coast. As usual the author has a way of making you feel 'there' and I can't appreciate it enough! Great suspense and many twists and turns had me wondering until the very end what was going to happen and I must say that the ending did surprise me. Not predictable at all!
Absolutely recommended.
Thank you to NetGalley, Lake Union - Amazon Publishing UK and the author for an early copy.
#TheBeautyofBrokenThings #NetGalley

10 Gold Stars! I love this book so much. It's a truly beautiful story, beautifully written. It, and the characters, will stay with me for a long time and I'd like to see them all in a sequel.

When Luke's wife is killed in a train accident, he is lost. After finding information of a gift she wanted to give to an online friend, he does a search and finds Orla, a recluse who suffers from her own demons. Overall, I found this one hard to put down. Both have issues and help each other find a new normal. I also liked that there was not an actual romance, but a friendship between them. Nice change. Would highly recommend this sweet and touching story. Another great hit by a wonderful author.

This is a powerful novel about feeling broken, and finding the beauty in our life challenges. The two main characters does experience brokenness in very different ways, and found different ways to overcome their losses. I found a story to be beautiful and inspiring, encouraging and hopeful! I even loved the dog, One Ear!

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

With grateful thanks to netgalley for an early copy in return for an honest review.
Having read a good number of Victoria's books I was delighted to have an early copy.
The first thing I loved about the book is the cover.
Stunning beautiful,and a true work of art is lurking behind it a mesmerising journey of beautiful souls lost at times not quite sure where they fitted in but a exceptionally captivating read that I can't praise enough.

Struggled to engage with this book found it very slow but finished to the end. Maybe not the book I thought it would be but sont let this put you off