I adored this book. 
Eudora Honeysett is a lady set in her ways and reminded me of  a female version of Ove (a man called Ove) when Rose and her family move in next door to Eudora. 
Eudora has made the decision to travel to Sweden for her dignified end of life, as she is in discussions with the clinic about this she also ‘lives her life’ a little bit more. 
Eudora, Rose and Stanley friendship develops as the story goes on and you wonder if Eudora will change her mind. 
I also liked the way that at the end of each chapter it would go back to Eudoras early life, explaining about her mum, her dad and sister, how Eudora came to be by herself. 
A truly wonderful story.

Wow! I’ve really struggles to bring myself to write this review for several reasons; my review will not do it justice in any way, and I have no idea where to begin.

Once in a while, a book comes along that knock me off my feet. It has the ability to both break my heart and repair it again, to make me fall in love with the characters and to spend weeks not being able to move on. This is one of those books and I urge you to read it. I flitted between the audio and digital version of this novel and can highly recommend either.

Eudora is done! She’s 85 and she’s had enough. A feisty lady, Eudora becomes set on the idea of ending her life her own way and with dignity. The date is in the calendar, there’s nobody to tell and she’s all set to go. But then new neighbours move in and Eudora becomes unwillingly caught up in the lives of others. But is it enough?

It took me a few chapters to get used to the narration. The present is told in the present tense and the past in the past which I often a little different than my usual genres however I soon became used to it and the more I read, the more natural it became. Told from a third person perspective but focussed on Eudora, the story has two timelines. We see the present world through Eudora’s eyes and also relive the past from her childhood into her older age.

Annie Lyons cleverly presents a character who is not completely likable and has an air of aloofness about her in the beginning. Eudora presents as a difficult old lady and the reader isn’t instantly drawn to her. Slowly revealing her past timeline in small pieces takes the reader on a journey of discovery and it becomes clear why Eudora is the way she is in later life. From these glimpses into her past, it wasn’t long before I began to develop empathy and more understanding around her. She is one of the most well developed characters I have ever had the pleasure of reading about.

One of the main themes of the novel is relationships and their impact on others. It would have been easy for Eudora to have found a romantic interest for a happy ending however I don’t feel that would have done this story justice. Lyons builds a world of differing relationships around Eudora and these are all thought provoking and moving in their own ways. Rose just brings abundant youthfulness, wise thoughts and a relentless drive to make a connection with Eudora whilst Stan offers friendship and understanding but also really needs a friend too.

Annie Lyons tackles death with sensitivity but honesty throughout this novel and it’s refreshing. It should and needs to be talked about and I love the idea that’s introduced by the doula – a good death.

Finally, I couldn’t finish the review without mentioning the narration. The vocal performance was perfectly matched to Eudora’s prim and proper manners but also reflected rose’s exuberance beautifully too. A range of accents, tones and timbre of voice added depth to the characters and made the audio a dream to listen to.

This is a devastating, heart-warming beautiful novel of friendship and enjoying life to it’s full, no matter how old you are. I’m so grateful that I got to read it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of the audiobook to listen to and review. 

I didn't want to cry when I read this, but alas, I did. It is such a heartwarming story of Eudora at the end of her life. It is a story of family, friends, and love. Through flashbacks we learn about Eudora's family and how she became the woman she is in present time. It is a really really great story and Rose is just a firecracker of a character. The narrator on this audiobook was brilliant as well!

Well by now everyone should know how much I love a story with an older character in and even more so when it has a multigenerational friendship as well and this story for me was just perfect.
Eurdora is lonely, she no longer wants to live, she has reached the ripe old age of 85 and has had enough. Told in alternating chapters between past and present we learn about her past as well as see how she interacts with the world around her.
I watched an interview with the author who said she had read 'With The End In Mind' by Dr Kathryn Mannix and you can tell from the sensitive way she tackles a subject such as death and assisted end of life.
This was a wonderful read interspersed with enough humour from Eudoras interactions with Rose and Stanley that is makes for a joyful read despite the darker subject.
Highly recommend this one folks.

Eudora is an 85 year old lady who is suffering the common aliments of old age and has decided she has had enough and wants to leave this world on her terms then the ever inquisitive Rose moves in next door and Eudora's life begins to change. Flicking between the present day situations Rose gets her involved in and insights into her past really help understand Eudora's character and why she behaved in certain ways.

This book tackles some serious issues such as loneliness, grief and friendship, in the most unlikely of places. The dynamic between the elderly woman and the young girl was a pleasure to read, it made me laugh, cry and have hope for the future.

The audio was excellent and really helped add to Eudora's sense of dignity and properness. 

Fans of a man called Ove will definitely enjoy this one!

Thank you to One More Chapter for my copy and spot on the fantastic readalong of this one, I will definitely be recommending it to friends.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Audio UK for the complimentary audiobook in exchange for my honest review. 

Eudora Honeysett is Quite Well, Thank You by Annie Lyons is both a delight and yet heart wrenching read.  The book tells the story Eudora Honeysett, an eighty-five year old woman who is tired and has decided she wants to set her own terms for her death.  Along this journey she discovers her new neighbor, ten year old Rose, and they strike up an unusual friendship.

The story takes place along two timelines, the current timeline, and a secondary timeline presented in flashbacks to Eudora's life.  As you travel the timelines it is this interesting back and forth between amusement and joy to a somewhat sad and depressing secondary timeline.  

I loved the multigenerational aspect of this story.  It is heartwarming to watch the Rose and Eudora form such a strong bond in such a short period of time.  Rose really is an absolute delight.

I highly recommend this story to people who love character driven stories.  Fans of Me Before You might enjoy this one.  It really is a beautiful story but a box of Kleenex are highly recommended.  If you are a reader who like a faster pace or a very plot heavy story, this probably would not be the book for you.

Narration:  I listened to the audiobook and think the narrator did an excellent job.  She manages to capture the emotion of both Eudora and Rose perfectly, as well as a lot of other secondary characters.

⁣At eighty-five years old, Eudora is aware she is nearing the time where she will need assistance in her old age. Rather than settle for this, she sets in motion planning for her own death. She contacts a clinic in Switzerland to assist her and is awaiting their feedback on whether they will accept her. In the meantime, Eudora is introduced to her newest neighbour, ten year old Rose. With her innocence and need for company, Rose begins calling on Eudora often and the pair strike up a unique friendship. Stanley, a recently widowed neighbour joins in on their adventures and soon Eudora finds herself actually enjoying what life has to offer. But then the call comes from Switzerland telling Eudora it's time....⁣
⁣
This book was delightful to listen to! I loved the dual timelines and how the author managed to weave snippets of Eudora's past into the present story. A heartwarming and easy to read book, I highly recommend this one!⁣

Great book, fun to listen to. I loved how my feelings for Eudora changed as  the book went on further into the story. Love seeing that you can learn and grow into your 80’s. Maybe a little too long, but good none the less

The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett (US)
Eudora Honeysett is Quite Well, Thank You (UK)
By: Annie Lyons

This is one of my best reads this year and will rank as one of my top three books of 2020.

Eudora Honeysett is 85 years old and is so done with the world - the noise, anger, disrespect from others she has found herself having lived a full life and want to exit the world with dignity having no family or friends left. She will not pass away as her own mother did, with multiple hospital visits being poked and prodded only to die alone and miserable. Eudora wants to take control of her own death and exactly when she decides it to happen and has set up with a clinic in Switzerland.

While she is waiting for her affairs to be put in order, a family moves in next door and she meets an incredible ten year old Rose Trewidney, and an unlikely friendship blossomed - and with that, Eudora is opened up to meeting people in her neighborhood including a recently widowed gentleman named Stanley, and having trips to the mall, afternoon teas, shopping sprees and birthday parties.

What I loved about this is the way we learn about Eurdora's life through flashbacks in each chapter as we glean into what shaped her, her relationship with her family and friends, her love life and the many happy moments along with disappointments and hardships she has lived through.

This was such a tender and heartwarming story I enjoyed for the detailed character development, the brilliant writing, and the beautiful message of the story about life and friends as chosen families.

AUDIO REVIEW:

 I listened to the audiobook edition of this book which was narrated by Nicolette McKenzie who gave a wonderful performance. She captured each of the characters uniquely and distinctly - I was surprised how wonderfully she captured the age, gender and personalties of the characters very well. I highly recommend listening to the audiobook version of this book which enhanced an already wonderful story.

A poignant, heartwarming, life affirming and well written story that made me smile and moved me to tears.
Eudora and Rose are two great characters, I loved their friendship and I love them. 
It's a story that can make you smile but will also make you think as it deals with issues like getting old, the right to decide of our life. 
It's sad at times but also full of tender moments full of love and friendship.
The voice of the narrator made me feel what Eudora is feeling and it helped me to discover further layers of this book.
I loved it and it's strongly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this as an audio book and thought the narrator, Nicolette McKenzie, had Rose's character off to a tee.
Eudora has been let down a lot in her life, and has reached the conclusion that she has no reason to continue living. She contacts an assisted dying clinic in Switzerland to begin the process.
Things begin to change when Eudora's new neighbours arrive. They moved up from Cornwall and Rose, who is ten years old, becomes very fond of  Eudora. Her unexciting life begins to change. Will she re-evaluate her decision to go to Switzerland? 
A delightful story which considers many important issues including death, old age, friendship, and kindness. All of these are dealt with in a cleverly entertaining and thought provoking way.
Thank you to Annie Lyons, Net Galley and One more chapter for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Eudora Honeysett Is Quite Well Thank You Annie Lyons 
I didn't want to finish this book,  because I didn't want it to end. I loved every minute of it. 
I am finding I love books with older characters,  and Eudora Honeysett was just perfect.  I loved the storyline,  even though it was about the character ending her life in a Swiss clinic.  I found myself will the doctors to approve her request,  and hoping at the same time her request would be denied.  
Oh how I loved Rose too, the little pocket rocket of fun and energy.  
The friendship between these two characters was just beautiful.  
My own grandmother,  and my eldest daughter are similar ages to the characters, so i pictured them as i read this book, and perhaps that added to the humour.  
I found myself constantly smiling reading this book, yet suddenly had tears pricking my eyes due to the sensitive nature of this story. 
When I got to 30 minutes left,  I stopped reading,  just needing to savour every moment,  and afraid my heart would explode with emotion. 
I will remember Eudora and Rose for a long long time.  
I alternated between reading and listening to this book, and loved the narrator so much. She brought this story to life. 
Easy 5 stars from me

EudoraHoneysettisQuiteWellThankYou

#NetGalley

Well this book was one of firsts; two to be precise!

I tried listening to an audio book for the first time.
I nearly gave up on the book after the first chapter.
Whilst the audio book first has nothing to do with the quality of the book, I do feel compelled to comment on the experience. In truth, I like to have something playing on my iPad while I prepare dinner of an evening.to VE brutally honest, amidst these COVID times, I seem to have run out of box sets that I want to watch. So, when I was given rather opportunity by #NetGalley to review the audio version of a novel, I jumped at the chance. My verdict? Whist I still love to hold something in my hand and read the written word, the audio book met my needs, it was in fact a far better experience whilst peeling vegetables, than trying to concentrate on a box set. The second first (that really doesn’t sound quite right) was that I nearly stopped listening to the book after the first chapter. This was due to no fault on the part of the author, but more owing to the fact that my short taster led me to think that the story was going to upset me. However, I really do hate silent meal preparation, and so I heaved up my Big Girl Pants and carried on with the novel, over a period of nights.

The Characters

Eudora: My initial opinion, as was (I suspect) the author’s attention, was that Eudora was a miserable old lady. However, the more I listened, it became apparent that this behaviour was almost a cover; as the story developed, and we learned more of Eudora’s past, it seemed to me that she softened and became infinitely more likeable. Her plan, revealed in the Introductory part of the book quite frankly left me devastated and wanting to stop, as I couldn’t contemplate where this story was going.

Rose: The complete antithesis to Eudora. She breezed into the story like an early summer’s day, with her warmth and charming personality shining through.

Stanley: I can only describe him as a ‘dear old boy’.

This is a story about being lonely and getting old. A story about the innocence of youth and the interaction between young and old. This is a story with real life undertones, that make you think. Should I talk to my elderly neighbour? Invite him or her in for a cup of tea.

Most of all, this is a story about family – not necessarily the family you have been born into or have married into.

Overall a really great, if not emotional read, for readers of all ages, from young adult.

What a uniquely wonderful story! 

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the copy in exchange for a review. 

This is a story of a older women who is somewhat unhappy with her life.  She is 85 and ready to move on. However, a young girl soon moves in with her mother and changes Eudora's outlook on life.  I wasn't sure how I would feel about this one but I ended up really enjoying it!

Audio version of this book 📚- WOW LOVED LOVED LOVED this book ! I have never read a book by this author and to be honest it’s not normally the genre I normally go for but I’m so so glad I did ! This book made you giggle ( which gave me funny looks when walking my dog listening on my earphones!!) and made me sob so much I had to stop listening for awhile ! I have read and listened to a lot of books and only 1 other has made me cry so for the author to have made me sob to the extent I had to stop listening is some mean fete !! This book is written so beautifully that only certain narrators could do it justice, and wow did the narrator do just that! She brought Eudora Honeysett to life and also little Rose that you felt you really knew the characters. Couldn’t have picked a better narrator to give this book justice . Having listened to over 450 audiobooks, I have to say that this is the best cast narrator for a storyline that I’ve ever listened to. I can not speak highly enough of this book and also the audio version if I could give more than 5* I would

Eudora Honeysett is quite well, Thank you by Annie Lyons read by Nicolette Mckenzie.

From the blurb:
💜💜💜
If I can choose how to live my own life, why can’t I choose how to die my own death? 

Eudora Honeysett is done - with all of it. Having seen first-hand what a prolonged illness can create, the 85-year-old has no intention of leaving things to chance. With one call to a clinic in Switzerland she takes her life into her own hands.

But then 10-year-old Rose arrives in a riot of colour on her doorstep. Now, as precocious Rose takes Eudora on adventures she’d never imagined, she reflects on the trying times of her past and soon finds herself wondering - is she ready for death when she’s only just experienced what it’s like to truly live?

💜💜💜


So I listened to the audiobook of this one and I absolutely loved it, I fell in love with Eudora’s character. She has experienced so much and following her as she works through her grief and to come to the big decision of whether to choose life or choose her death had me both tearful and laughing! Rose’s character was adorable and I love the way she pushes into Eudora’s life and becomes her friend as she herself is lonely after moving from Cornwall and they become firm friends very quickly. 

I found myself listening to this story at every opportunity as I was desperate to hear the next part of her story! This book is available on Amazon as an ebook for 99p at the moment and I highly recommend giving it a read!

5/5 ⭐️ 
Recommend ✅ 

#books #reading #bookworm #booklover #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookdragon #booklove #book review #thereisalwaystimeforbooks #booknerd #audiobook #netgalley #Annielyons #eudorahoneysettisquitewellthankyou #Nicolettemckenzie

This is a beautiful story about how the elderly are treated in society, how they fit into society and how they feel about this. It also handles the delicate and emotive subject of death and voluntary assisted death, which is handled with sensitivity and compassion. Given the subject matter - reader caution is advised!

At the start of this story, you really feel for the ageing Eudora; her body is ailing, she’s alone in this world with no one to care for and no one to care about her and she’s not happy. She’s a thorny, brittle character who keeps the world (and everyone in it) at arms length. Which makes you feel for her even more - why is she like this? But she’s a firecracker who doesn’t let bullies get their way - I loved her giving the consultant a talking to. She’s a stickler for courtesy, kindness and manners. I found Eudora’s decision to die on her own terms really hard to understand, but Lyons handles this well and does a great job of making her question this decision as her story continues and the introduction of the wonderful force of nature Rose and kind hearted Stanley come into her life. 

Contrasting with all this are Eudora’s past memories starting as a child in the 1940s and right up until more recently. And seeing these glimpses of her former life,  really increase your feelings of sympathy for her after all she’s been through. 

I loved how this is all about appreciating life - but to do this, you need to put yourself out there. There is goodness, kindness and love everywhere - you just need to look for it. A wonderfully uplifting story - I loved it (and Eudora) so much. Nicolette McKenzie does a cracking job narrating this story - she is Eudora.

I love this, such delightful characters and even though it dealt with some difficult subjects, it was really uplifting and I would recommend it to anyone.
Buy this book now, It's fantastic!

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the copy in exchange for a review. 

I thought this story of an older woman unhappy with her life was heartwarming and cute. Eudora Honeysett is 85 and feels like she is done With her life and ready to move on. She is alone and that’s the way it is. But once a young girl and her mom move next door, Eudora’s world changes. 

I wasn’t sure what I was expecting but this was a good story and I love how each chapter ended with a glimpse into Eudora’s past to help tell the story of her life.

Oh god this book got me right in the feels 😩

When I was 10 I befriended my next door neighbour after her husband died, - unfortunately she died 10 years ago. 

This story was like a walk down memory lane, 

I felt Eudora’d loneliness which broke my heart, and I honestly saw myself in Rose, I was that annoying child who would walk into next doors house and say “hello it’s me from number 3”  

I loved seeing their relationship blossom and experience rose slowly breaking down Eudora walls. 

There was a completely heartbreaking element to the story that I honestly couldn’t get out of head, I was lucky enough to get the ebook and the audiobook from netgalley & read them at the same time, I was listening to the audiobook but I had my kindle in my hand reading along. 

I hightt recommenced the audiobook, it added something special to the story. & I can honestly say that this story will stay with me for a long long time