⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Review - One Ordinary Day at a Time

This review has been made possible thanks to @NetGalley and HarperCollins for providing me with an Advance Reader's Copy in exchange for an honest review.

This novel is a story about child prodigy Simon, his tough relationship with a relentless father and his search for excellence, and single mom Jodie, trying to keep a roof over her head, raise Zak and get into Cambridge on an English Lit programme. Their stories collide when Jodie applies to work at the fast-food joint Simon works at and they become inseparable while Simon trains Jodie on getting into Cambridge and Jodie teaches Simon better people skills.

I thought this book was interesting, I loved the dialogue between characters and how they interacted. There were many twists and turns, surprises along the way that made the characters that much more intriguing and made me unable to put the book down. The way Simon acted reminded me of a more logical, scientific, and logical-minded male version of Eleanor Oliphant but the character was more refined while also being a little rougher around the edges at the same time. The descriptions of some more graphic scenes were visceral and it almost felt like it was happening in real life. It was so well written and extremely well edited, you could tell a lot of love and care went into producing this book.

I recommend this book to anyone who struggled with family, who indulges in a little bit of schadenfreude and who wants to know a little bit more about building their own mind palace. Also, have you seen that cover?? That's more than enough motivation to go right down to your nearest indie bookshop and picking up a copy!

What do we really know of other peoples lives and the struggles they have faced? This book brings it to the surface with two characters that you desperately want to succeed as their individual history is gradually revealed.
This sounds deep but the book just flows and brings the reader along with it.
The emotions of Simon and Jodie are expertly described and makes the book so easy to engage with. It is a pleasure to read and I am glad I did.

Having read and thoroughly enjoyed The Colour of Bee Larkham's Murder I was intrigued and delighted for the opportunity to read One Ordinary Day at a Time. I was immediately intrigued with the two main characters, Jodie and Simon. Their personalities are so different, their backgrounds poles apart and their problems supposedly at different extremes. And yet they both have plenty to offer the other and their relationship, though difficult at first, blossoms and is fascinating to read about. Another original offering and I can't wait to read what Sarah J. Harris comes up with next.
Many thanks to Netgalley/Sarah J. Harris/Harper Collins UK for a digital copy of this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

Any book where one protagonist mentions To Kill a Mockingbird and my favourite ever Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi in the same sentence and the other character is a Maths obsessive (anyone who has followed me for a while will know I’m a Maths teacher) is always going to be a five star book for me.
Harris essentially created two perfect characters for me to follow and love.

Simon, once a child genius with early entrance to Cambridge, and now a socially awkward, mathematical academic. Meets…Jodie, a single mum to Zak and lover of English Lit (Homegoing!) at their communal place of work - a fast food restaurant.

Jodie, in her quest to successfully apply to Cambridge university convinces Simon to tutor her for her upcoming interview. What unfolds then, One Ordinary Day at a Time, is an unusual series of meetups that accidentally becomes a friendship through which both characters are able to confront the demons of their pasts.
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The personal development and growth of these characters made this book for me. The way Harris introduces each of them, their personal secrets and histories unfolding with each day, all contribute to why this book was such a hit for me.

This excellent read comes out in just a few hours. Happy Publication Day!

Thanks to @netgalley @harpercollinsuk @harperfictionpr for the early access.

I’m a bit sorry to have finished this one as I was really enjoying the characters. Simon and Jodie are so different to one another but when you dig deeper they have much in common. It’s fairly easy to predict the ending here but the journey there was rather unexpected. I’m always surprised and impressed when a book moves me to tears and this one did. This is overall an uplifting story and sometimes that’s exactly what you want to read. Highly recommended

One Ordinary Day at a Time by Sarah Harris

Jodie is a single mum to Zak, living in damp and dismal emergency accommodation and struggling to make ends meet. She dreams of studying English at Cambridge and becoming a teacher. Simon is a maths genius working at a fast food restaurant whose traumatic past has led to him withdrawing from people and the world, When Jodie starts working at Prince Burger and asks Simon to tutor her for her Cambridge interview it sets off a chain of events that will change both of their lives.

Wow, wow, WOW! What an amazing book this is - absolutely brilliant! I read it cover to cover in one go and loved it. The characters felt so real they will stay with me. And such an interesting and novel story. Absolutely 100% recommend it - it deserves to do so well.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

I really loved The Colour of Bee Larkham's Murder when I read it a while ago so I was very excited to get my hands on this book. And I loved it just as much. It's a beautiful story containing some very real and wonderful characters that, for me anyway, are easy to connect to and form an emotional bond with right from the start. There's Simon Sparks, a former child genius, who is currently employed flipping burgers (well, mostly making fries) a the local Prince Burger. Quite how he got there you'll have to wait for the author to divulge in time. And then there's Jodie, single mum to Zack who just wants to better herself, chasing the dream of studying at a prestigious University. She has an interview, but in the mean time she needs a job, yes, you guessed it, flipping burgers at the local Prince Burger. And thus, Simon and Jodie's lives intersect. As it says in the blurb, their worlds collide and the chaos that swiftly ensues is what this book is all about...
And that's all I'm saying. To say more would spoil things as this is one of those books where it's a case of less is more going in. So, stop reading reviews and just get the book. You won't regret it.
But if you are still with me, need a bit more convincing, what more can I say? The story is sublime, the characters, even those with the smallest parts, are all well drawn and play their parts to perfection. Plotting is tight and extremely well executed. And, if that wasn't enough, it elicits all the emotions along the way. Oh and before I forget, there is no superfluous waffle or padding to be found. And the ending when it comes is perfect.
With two absolute winners under her belt, I am really hanging to see what's next from this author. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book

The story starts with a young Simon. He's in the final of the Little Einsteins: Britain’s Brainiest Kids. He needs to answer one more question to win, but he gets it wrong! The story fast forwards to his adult life where he works at Prince Burger but his mind is always elsewhere and not on his job. He's given his final final warning and he promises to change. We then meet Jodie who is preparing for her interview at Prince Burger.

I was drawn to this story from the beginning. I was fascinated by the way Simon managed the facts in his brain. I did wonder if he was on the autistic spectrum. I found their first meeting quite funny. Testing someone's reflexes by throwing a brick shaped door stop at them is definitely not the best start to a beautiful friendship.

The story is told mainly form Simon and Jodies point of view. As you get to know more about each character its clear that they could be good for each other. They both have to deal with a lot of serious issues. I really enjoyed this book and I was left thinking about the story long after I had finished the book. Although it's really sad in parts I found the book really uplifting and loved the characters.

A beautiful, different story of two adults and one child who all find it difficult to fit the 'normal' template find each other and learn the true meaning of friendship.

A lovely book with characters you want to succeed.

My thanks to Netgalley for my copy.

I received an advance reader copy of this novel and I am glad I did. This is an engaging read about Simon and Jodie who grew up in difficult family circumstances and whose pasts have left them emotionally closed off. They come into each other’s lives at work and slowly help each other to deal with the issues in their past. Both are very likeable and I found myself rooting for them. One of the key themes of the book is that family is not just or necessarily those we are bound to by blood but by those who understand, support and encourage us. This really resonated with me.

While dealing with serious topics, this is ultimately a feel good, heart warming story. With a well paced plot which is told from both Simon’s and Jodie’s perspectives, interesting secondary characters, and a satisfying ending, this was a 4 star read for me. Recommend you check out when it publishes on June 10!

Thanks to @harpercollinsuk and @netgalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book came very highly recommended and it didn’t disappoint. I went into the read ‘blind’ and within pages was hooked, the characters twirled around my heart and sucked me in.
This is the story of Jodie and Simon, both employees of a fast food outlet. Jodie is the single Mum of the very cute Zack. She was raised in care, abused by Zack’s Father and is desperate to get to Cambridge to study English Literature and become a teacher. Simon is socially awkward, incredibly clever but doesn’t know how to interact with others. He was raised as a child prodigy, paraded in childhood genius competitions, tutored and coached mercilessly. Both of them have secrets, both of them have dreams. Simon and Jodie need something from each other - Jodie needs help preparing her application for Cambridge, Simon needs help interacting with others..A friendship of sorts is forged, but as the secrets start to emerge everything is threatened.
I loved this book for so many reasons. The characters are so fully fleshed you could predict what they might eat on a Wednesday, wear on a night out, what film they would choose to watch. I wanted to wrap all of them up in my arms, I wanted a happy ending where Zack had a garden and chickens, Simon had found his happy place and Jodie was teaching English Literature. But this isn’t a cosy world that they inhabit and I felt the constant threat of Jodie’s ex partner whose violence is evidenced on the scars on her arm. Simon’s mental health is clearly unstable and his sense of purpose is hanging on discovering the answer to a previously unsolved mathematical equation. My heart ached for Simon and Jodie…but in the midst of it there were the gorgeous uplifting moments - when Simon and Jodie join a quiz team of pensioners who have pooled their great life wisdom but never won.the quiz, where Jodie has her interview for Cambridge…And best of all the moments when Simon looks after Zack and learns to swing on a swing and teaches Zack about the beauty of a mathematical universe. A very very gorgeous read. Thank you so much to Netgalley and Harper Collins for a digital copy of this wonderful book.

Thank you NetGalley for my copy of this book. I loved this book. It moved me to tears on more than one occasion. It’s a story about how you should never give up on your dreams and how friendship and kindness should never be underestimated. I rooted for the characters all the way through. I loved it. Thank you to Sarah Harris for writing a moving book that was also uplifting.

Simon works at Prince Burger but is holding on to his job by the skin of his teeth. He needs routine and reassurance mainly from his brother Will. He was a child prodigy and went to Cambridge at 15 but did it do him any good?
Jodie has had a hard upbringing. In a home and never encouraged apart from one person who made a difference to her life but is sadly no longer around. She is a single mum to Zak and dreams of going to Cambridge.
Jodie goes to work at Prince Burger and when she meets Simon something shifts in both of their lives. They need each other but will they see it and to the change it will bring to their structured lives.

After absolutely loving Sarah Harris’ debut novel, The Colour of Bee Larkham’s Murder, I was really excited to read her second book - she does not disappoint with One Ordinary Day at a Time. I devoured this book, it has amazing characters and the relationships between each other is just so rich and nuanced. I should point out some trigger warnings - so check out the end of my review.

Like in Bee Larkham’s Murder, her male lead has difficulties with his social and cognitive interactions and Harris is really gifted in being able to write such complex characters such as Simon, showing how they stand out from the “norm” but also how they feel. And you really do feel for Simon. He made me think of Sherlock Holmes in parts with his geniusness and mind tricks.

There’s a different point of view in Harris’ latest offering from female lead Jodie who is mum to Zak. Blimey, poor Jodie has been through a lot too. I love how she’s managed to pull herself out of her past life challenges and be mum to such an amazing little boy. Their relationship is so wonderful and her determination to better herself, despite her upbringing is just inspiring. I loved how one person in her childhood had such a lasting affect on her as she became and adult.

I also loved how their relationship, when originally formed because each had a their own objective, morphed into true friendship. Just a another brilliant read from Harris and I’m already looking forward to book 3!

⚠️ Trigger warning and potential spoilers ⚠️ Deals with domestic abuse in several situations, mental health and suicide including flashbacks and the effects afterwards.

Sarah J Harris writes unusual stories. The Colour of Bee Larkham's Murder was original and a five star read. One Ordinary Day At A Time is the tale of two ordinary people with extraordinary lives, dreams and ambitions. And, unfortunately, not so extraordinary backgrounds. Jodie and Simon work together and grow close as friends. This is a love story but not really a romance. I loved the premise behind the book and the way that the story and the protaganists back stories unwound. Five stars for another very good book from this author. With thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins for the e-ARC of this book to read and review.

The Colour of Bee Larkham’s Murder is one of my favourite books, so I was so excited to read this one, and I wasn’t disappointed. I loved this book! Any review I write won’t really do this book justice but what I can tell you is that what makes this book so special is the author’s writing style which is always so genuine and heartfelt. Her characters are so believable, they come to life as you read and have so much heart and soul you can’t help but become emotionally attached to them as I have to Simon, Jodie and Zak who will definitely stay with me for a longtime.. This story is a beautiful, life affirming and uplifting story about friendship and family with some surprising twists along the way. It really is a fantastic read.

I loved The Colour of Bee Larkham's Murder and I very much enjoyed OODaaT. It's the story of a strange friendship between a withdrawn (almost autistic) young man and a single mother who, despite a poor start in life, struggles to improve her circumstances. There is both humour and pathos in this book and smiles and tears from the reader may be expected. I'm not particularly sentimental but even my emotions were aroused.

I found the child, Zak, a little irritating at first (that's probably sacrilege to some people) and wondered why his mother didn't stop him doing the annoying things he did, but as his and his mother's story unfolds the reasons become clearer.

It's so compelling, I read it almost all in one go. A truly wonderful book.

When a struggling young mum brought up the in the care system meets the oddball socially inept former boy genius Simon, her whole world, and his, collide. The comparison of his seemingly entitled upbringing compared to her bouncing between different foster homes growing up should make friendship impossible. They both need each other's help to achieve what they want, and to finally be honest with themselves. A thoroughly enjoyable read.

I really enjoyed this warm hearted book full of memorable characters. Plenty of surprises in the plot to keep you interested. As a foster carer, I totally empathised with the way children in care are dismissed as useless, sent to multiple carers then finally abandoned when they reach 18.

This is the second book by Sarah Harris, and for those who have not read the first, “The Colour of Bee Larkham’s Murder”, then I would thoroughly recommend they do. “One Ordinary Day at a Time” is a completely different book; but, once again, one I have really enjoyed and therefore absolutely recommend. In this latest book we are introduced to two deeply disturbed characters from opposite ends of the social spectrum. Simon, now 30, is from a relatively well-off family, but with a totally domineering father who has attempted, vicariously, to seek success for himself through his son; and this from an early age when Simon demonstrated high levels of intelligence and was able to join Mensa at the age of five. The other key character Jodie, has been brought up in a dysfunctional family, with a drug addict for a mother and a father who deserts the family when she is very young. The book very cleverly weaves together the present-day tale of these two characters with a gradual introduction to the back stories of them both, such that we learn more and more about them as the book proceeds. For example, having been taken into care when young, Jodie’s formative years are spent in a series of children’s homes and, although quite a bright child, her education suffers from these continual relocations. Simon, although very clever had become alienated from his father, and although having been to Cambridge, has largely wasted his education, and with serious human relationship issues and problems socialising, he has ended up in a west London Burger Bar. As a teenager Jodie unwisely gets involved with Jason, another waster like her father, and ends up as a young mother. Soon Jason turns violent and Jodie, now 25, runs away with her son Zac; and ends up living in a tatty bedsit flat, with Jodie, through no fault of her own, having just lost her job as a cleaner and thus fairly desperate to find another job. The book gets going when Jodie manages to get a job at the same Burger Bar as Simon and the pair start to forge some kind of relationship. The story of this relationship is well told and all of the characters, including the rest of team at the burger bar and others that enter the story are well constructed and very believable. The interaction between Jodie and Simon, with each gradually starting to help each other, with Simon recognising Jodie’s untapped educational skills and Jodie realising she can help Simon with his relationship issues, fits in well with the rest of the book, which has some very emotional and some very amusing parts. All in all, a very enjoyable book and thanks go to Harper Fiction for providing a copy for review.