Ten Little Words tells the story of Ella, now 35 and orphaned, and her mother, Jude. I like the way the story is told, going back and forth between Ella's story in the present and Jude's, in the past. It's a real page turner.
The end is a bit contrived, but it doesn't make the story any less enjoyable.
I look forward to more books by this author.

With thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the digital ARC.

Thank you to Netgalley, Amazon Publishing and Leah Mercer for this advanced reader's copy in return for my honest review. I'm a sucker for a dual time line book, especially when told from the POV of different characters. I absolutely loved this family drama, filled with engaging, relatable characters that I found myself genuinely caring about..

4.5★s
“I couldn’t say I was happy, but then, I didn’t want to be happy. Being happy meant you had something to lose, and I wasn’t about to risk that.”

Ten Little Words is the fourth novel by Canadian-born British author, Leah Mercer. For years after her mother disappeared, Ella Morgan hoped and believed that she would return. No body had been found. Why now, after she’d finally accepted that Jude Morgan had abandoned her five-year-old daughter by walking into the sea, had that haunting ad appeared? “I am always with you. I will always be here” was what her mother had told her every night, and there it was, in the classifieds of The Post, on her mother’s birthday.

The music and the songs had always been inside her, and in the early eighties, all Jude Morgan wanted to do was to go to London and sing: that was where she’d get her big break. For now, busking on the promenade at Hastings could earn her some pennies towards it, at least. But then she met Bertie McAllister, and the dream could be postponed for a while: never forgotten, but being with Bertie seemed more important.

Ella’s hard-won equilibrium, achieved through eschewing connection with others, keeping her heart safe, was now deranged; the nightmare was back and she was making mistakes at work. Perhaps it was time to relent, to talk to her Aunt Carolyn about what had happened with her mother. Perhaps the promised heart pendant was with her mother’s things... The letters were a mystery: a shoebox of unopened letters from someone called Bertie.

Eventually, Ella is convinced to take steps to find Jude: she’d had so many questions, but now “I stared out to sea again, feeling more alive than I had for years. My walls were down. My heart was open – at last. But … I wasn’t full of love. I was full of fury, and I was ready to attack. God, it felt good.” What would she find, if anything?

Mercer gives the reader a touching tale of a family deeply hurt and still mystified by a thirty-year-old tragedy, then laces it with intrigue, hope and a touch of romance. There are twists and distractions to keep the reader guessing; lies and threats to stir the emotions; and heart-breaking moments and misunderstandings to bring a lump to the throat. Mercer easily captures the era and setting in this moving and enjoyable read.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK.

I was struggling with this book from the get go, but I kept trying so hard to push through. I really don't like not finishing an ARC, but I was just getting more upset and frustrated, so I finally did my mental health a favor and stopped.

Quick break down of the story is that 5 year old Ella's Mother, Jude, used to say ten words to her, "I am always with you. I will always be here." Then one night she waked into the sea, never to be seen again, assumed to have committed suicide.

She was taken in by her very caring Aunt Carolyn who did everything she could to raise Ella in a warm, loving, nurturing home. Yet, Ella was only growing more angry and distant because her mom left her when she said she'd always be there. Fast forward 30 years, when Ella is 35, she sees an advert in a paper with those ten little words and it spurs her to ask her Aunt Carolyn questions that she'd never wanted answers to, and she finally took a box of her mom's belongings that Carolyn had, but Ella never wanted.

The story is told from both perspectives: Ella's in the present and Jude's in the past. I had to stop on Chapter 8 because I just could not handle reading Ella's perspective anymore. She is 35 years old and all she does is work, while talking as little as possible to any of her coworkers and never partaking in any events with them, then she goes straight home to her tiny bare apartment with her cat. Her Aunt tries to check on her and have her over, but Ella pretty much wants nothing to do with her. She has no real life, no friends, no happiness. She's full of resentment and has let it take over her entire life.

I'm just gonna put this right out there. For me, she is the most unlikable, whining, ungrateful character I think I've ever read about, and I'm supposed to be feeling sympathy for her, but I just can't. I know what happened when she was 5 was traumatic, but she's 35 years old now. She wasn't tossed around in the foster system. She raised by a loving aunt. So many people have it so much worse in life, but they do something about it. She has made the choice to live the life she's living.

Therapy wasn't mentioned in the chapters I read, but I I do hope it was mentioned at some point in the story. If not, it's a shame. A perfect opportunity to talk about the benefits of therapy and help end the stigma. Therapy to learn how to come to terms, how to grieve, cope, reach acceptance. How to love, live, and move on.

I'm not saying the tragedy was something to sneeze at. My maternal grandfather committed suicide when my mother was 12, leaving her to care for her older and younger brother while.my grandma worked 2 jobs. My own "step" children (in quotes because I don't see them as anything but my other kids) had their own horrific experience of losing a parent this way and at a much more difficult stage of their life than age 5. It is a horrible thing for anyone to go through, whether their parent committed suicide or abandoned them. But when you're an adult and still blaming what happened to you as a child as the cause of all that's wrong in your life, no, I can't connect or sympathize. As C.S. Lewis said, " You can't go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending."

As I appear to be in the minority on my thoughts on this book, it's probably worth the read if you like stories about flawed characters making poor choices, and their consequences. Many people felt a connection to, and loads of sympathy for Ella, so I'm sure it's just about perspectives and life experience.

Happy reading!

Content Warning: Rape

Thank you Netgalley and Amazon Publishing, UK for the e-ARC and the opportunity to share my thoughts. to share my thoughts.

This is outside of my usual reads but I liked the pretty cover. I enjoyed the story and the uncovering of the mystery. I felt something for each of the characters (not always nice emotions if they annoyed or frustrated me with their behaviour) which is a mark of a good book, in my opinion. Recommended.

Not much I enjoyed about this book. While U see lots of others really enjoyed it, I found the characters shallow and self absorbed. The writing wasn't bad, but it took the long way around to get to the point and was really slow in spots, and I just kept rolling my eyes and thinking "move on already!" . I knew how it would turn out really early in the book. I was sad I didn't like it more.
Trying to rate this one was a struggle. Ended up 3 1/2 stars, 3 since we cant do half stars.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher and author for an ARC of this book. The opinions expressed are my own.

Leah Mercer’s words captivated me from the very first page! It was a gut-wrenchingly, slow, mysterious burn, that will drive you crazy with anticipation and will literally blow your mind with its startling revelations.

Ten Little Words was an emotional roller coaster that had me feeling broken, angry, sad, and torn at the dark undertones of rape, suicide, abuse, and male supremacy. Leah Mercer is a brilliant writer whose raw words elicited every single emotion I possess and by the end, I couldn’t help but close the book smiling with my heart nearly bursting. I felt hopeful and inspired by the power of reinvention and forgiveness.

Ten little words is told from the two perspectives, a mother (Jude) so broken by her horrific past that her light started flickering away, day after day, until eventually she was consumed by the darkness of her memories and a daughter (Ella) so broken by her mother’s betrayal and abandonment that she shuts herself off from emotions and distances herself from any social interactions. Jude is so tainted and mentally ruined that she could not even bear the sight of her shining hope- her daughter Ella. She often wondered, "How could you love your daughter but not want to be her mother?”

The simultaneous inner monologuing was extremely clever as it highlighted the harsh decisions of parenthood and how those decisions can scar children, who then grow into emotionally stunted adults. As we chase the ghost of Jude’s past, we see her decisions in a whole new light as the missing pieces finally start slipping into place. As Ella’s walls start crumbling, can she let go of all the hurt, anger in the face of the truth? Can she lower her well-built defenses and let in people who love her instead of pushing them away?

My favorite lines were:
“The Past wasn’t behind us, and it could never be laid to rest. The past was within us.”
“Gradually, I was learning. Every day, I was becoming more fluent in the language of life.”

Ten little words, teaches us many life lessons and highlights how one decision can impact multiple lives. It teaches us not to be afraid of the hard conversations in life and the importance of communication in a relationship. It provides a harsh lesson on the value of appreciating and loving the family you have instead of the one you lost or wished for. Most importantly, you must fight for the life you want to live.

Thank you to Amazon Publishing UK, Leah Mercer and NetGalley for providing me with an arc.

Ten Little Words is a slow-moving story that details Ella's journey losing her mom and trying to find herself in the process. As a young girl Ella's mother whispered ten little words to her every night until one morning Jude, Ella's mother, seemingly walked into the ocean and drowned. Never getting passed her mother choosing to leave her, Ella struggled to bond with her mother's sister-Aunt Carolyn. Aunt Carolyn and her husband took in Ella and treated her as their own but Ella was unable to reciprocate.

Years later Ella sees the ten little words in an advertisement in a newspaper on her mother's birthday. From there the story, told in dual timelines and perspectives, takes off as Ella searches for her mother's past and possibly future. The first half is slower, without much action and dialogue however Jude's chapters move more quickly. It felt repetitious at times even though the premise and unfolding events are interesting enough that the repetition is more superfluous than literary tool. The second half of the story that really dives in to Jude's past with Bertie, returning home to Hastings and Ella's journey is the best part of the book.

Thank you to the writer, publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. I'm going to rate this one a 3.5 out of 5.
This story is well-written (employing a monologue style of writing), has an interesting, eye-catching premise, and is told from multiple points of view, which I like.
It started off well, but I found that there was a lot of repetition of internal thoughts and a reliance on many of the standard story-telling tropes - so the characters didn't seem fully fleshed out and real to me. After a while, those ten little words got a bit grating. The reason that Jude left, and then stayed away for so long, seemed a bit shaky. She needed help. She loved her daughter, but couldn't stay and rationalized her decision to disappear for good.
I love a good HEA, but I'm getting a bit tired of the "find a love interest and that will solve all your problems" solution. Alas, love does not conquer all - but it IS helpful to have the support of family, friends, and/or a partner during difficult times. I prefer novels where the protagonists admit that they have a lot of work ahead of them to reach self-acceptance and peace after a serious, traumatic or life altering illness/experience/event. And we all know that mental illness does not magically disappear because a man or a woman enters your life and gives you unconditional love, etc. I prefer a more realistic approach to problem solving, and I don't need my endings wrapped up in cotton wool or sugar coated.
A good light read for these COVID Times, as I have come to call this period of history.

EXCERPT: I aimlessly flipped through the pages, running my eyes over articles on the latest summer trends and celeb weddings. Reading this newspaper made me feel like an alien from another planet. Who were these people, and why would I care? I was just about to fold it up and push it away from me when a tiny box advert in the classifieds caught my eye. The text leaped out at me, each word hammering my eyes.

I am always with you.
I will always be here.

My heart pounded and everything inside me went cold. The words echoed in my mind, growing larger and larger until they pressed on my skull. Images of my mother holding me close each night as she whispered those same ten words clawed and scratched at my soul, demanding entry, and I shoved the paper away from me.

I sat frozen for a minute, forcing air in and out of my lungs as I batted away those memories. Then I let out a little laugh. God, how silly was I? It was just ten words.

ABOUT THIS BOOK: I am always with you. I will always be here.

This was the promise Ella’s mother betrayed thirty years ago when she walked into the sea, leaving her five-year-old daughter alone in the world. Ella’s been angry ever since, building up a wall to protect herself. But that all changes the day she opens a newspaper and finds those ten little words printed in a classified ad.

Ella refuses to believe her mother could still be alive—that would mean she did want to live, just not with her daughter. So she throws herself into finding out exactly what happened all those years ago, determined to extinguish even the tiniest flame of hope—for Ella, hope is torture.

But rather than settling things once and for all, what Ella discovers shatters her world. As she pieces together the truth behind her mother’s disappearance, she learns that the words are not what she thought.

Now she knows the truth. Is it possible that Ella can allow herself to love—and be loved—once again?

MY THOUGHTS: In Ten Little Words author Leah Mercer addresses the issue of abandonment and it's psychological effects on those left behind.

Ella's mother Jude, suffering from a severe depression following a traumatic event, walks into the ocean when Ella is five and is never seen again.

Told over two timelines from the perspectives of Ella in the present and Jude in the early 1980s, we discover what led Jude to abandon her small daughter to the care of her childless older sister and her husband, and the effects of that abandonment on Ella's life.

Ten Little Words is a story that grew on me as I read. It's a quick and easy read, with a little mystery and romance and, although it is a tad predictable in places and everything is tied up rather neatly at the end, it is a satisfying and enjoyable read.

😊😊😊.7

#TenLittleWords #NetGalley

THE AUTHOR: Leah can't remember a time when she didn't love writing. From creating fake newspapers to writing letters to the editor, scribbling something was always on the agenda. Even the rejections she received after completing her first novel at age 13 didn't dent her enthusiasm.

So it makes sense, then, that she pursued a career in anything but writing. Public relations, teaching, recruitment, editing medical journals -- even a stint painting houses -- until she finally succumbed once more to the lure of the blank page.

When she's not being jumped on by her young son or burning supper while thinking of plot-lines, Leah can be found furiously tapping away on her laptop, trying not to check Twitter or Facebook.

Leah also writes romantic comedies under the name Talli Roland.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Amazon Publishing UK via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of Ten Little Words by Leah Mercer for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage

I was given this ARC by netgalley and publisher for honest review and opinion
Interesting story about a girl whose mom has left her by drowning herself
Than she finds a quote in a newspaper with the same saying her mom used all the time
She becomes to want to know is her mom still alive? Only way to find out is to get out of the walls she has built around herself and embrace others.

Jude’s Mom is presumed dead at the age of 5. She always repeated 10 reassuring words to Jude and then didn’t fulfill the promise to always be there for her daughter. Ella, Jude’s mother, is presumed dead at sea leaving her little girl behind to be raised by her sister. Honestly, the story was boring and predictable. I could see the ending coming from a mile away. I also didn’t really like the lead characters who were shallow and selfish. Thanks to Netgalley but simply not that great.

While I love the cover and the premise of this book was looking so interesting, I had a very hard time to get into the story from the beginning to the end.
I’m sure many people will enjoy it but unfortunately this one wasn’t for me.


Many thanks to the publisher for my review copy

Ella decided a long time ago, that she would keep herself protected from life and unexpected situations after her mother's unforgettable betrayal. Ten words her mother had been saying very often,were the symbol of their unbreakable attachment. Until that day, 30 years ago.
Then one day in the present, is with unbelievable apprehension that she reads these ten words in the paper and her world starts to spin uncontrollably.

The premise of the book was a real challenge. How would the author work through the pages without falling in the usual cliches? How would she keep the readers turning the pages without giving up too much or too little?
Well, I have to say that the outcome is satisfactory. The pace is good and the characters are strongly developed. I would have liked a more detailed epilogue, but that's a personal opinion. I liked what I read and I might admit there were some tears involved.
It was not my first book from this author. I think she keeps improving and would love to read more from her in the near future.
Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

It was very hard to get through this book because I could not really get into it. I felt like I knew what was coming from the very beginning, and while I normally find this happening a lot, I did not enjoy it this time around. Even so, this book is very well written, and I believe that other people may enjoy it.

The story begins with Ella's mother's disappearance. She is later presumed dead, after promising in 10 words, that she will never leave Ella. Ella moves to London and is raised by her Aunt Carolyn. The move to London and her love of music help Mia deal with her anger and resentment that she feels towards her mother. She discovered something in the newspaper that will shock her. Those same 10 words, that her mother left her, appear in the newspaper, making Ella relive her mother's death. Is her mother really dead or did she fake her death?

I enjoyed how thd story shifts between Ella and her mother, Jude. You get insight into Jude's younger years leading up to her disappearance. There are so many twists and surprises in this book that I really enjoyed. I found myself emphasizing/siding with Ella rather than Jude. Ten Little Words is well written. Definitely filed with emotions and a real page turner. I definitely recommend.

I would like to thank Leah Mercer, Amazon Publishing UK and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I don't know if I wasn't in the mood to read this but I didn't like it very much. I ended up skimming most of it and am not sad about missing much. I feel for Ella and recognize that she had some trauma but I didn't like her at all as a character. She was too depressing and wallowed in grief.

I didn't like the ending and feel it ended really abruptly. Carolyn and Ella both accepted Jude's explanation very quickly and I didn't feel like her explanation was acceptable.

Many readers on GoodReads loved this book but I just couldn't get into it.

I found this book got better as it went on. The first 80 pages o found quite slow. Not to say I didn't enjoy them but there wasn't very much happening. I suppose you could call it a slow burner. I loved the character Bertie. He was just lovely. The story was good and came together in the end. Thank you to netgalley and the author and publishers for the opportunity to read this ARC for my honest opinion

“I am always with you. I will always be here.” Those are the 10 little words that Ella’s mom would always tell her until the day she walked in to the sea, never to be heard from again.

This book was told from two points of view and two different timelines. Ella, current day, and Jude, her mother, in the 1980s. Overall, I really enjoyed this book. While it was pretty predictable in my opinion, I really appreciated the character growth throughout the book. I also really liked Mercer’s writing style so I’ll be on the look out for other books by this author. Thank you Netgalley for my free copy in exchange for my honest review!

Emotional and heart wrenching this story will stick with you long after you're done. Will make you sniffle at times. It will make you gasp and it was so hard to put down because even when I wasn't reading I was thinking about what was going on. A must read. Happy reading!