Noah is now a ‘weekend’ dad. Primary school teacher and nursing a broken heart. He is insanely jealous watching his boys with his ex wife Kate and her new partner Jerry. He and Kate were together from teenagers...surely they belong together forever? Don’t they?

We see Noah navigate life as a single dad, ex husband, reception class teacher, brother, son and friend. We see the layers peeling back as he tries to come to terms with the past and realise that he’s got a whole future to look forward to!

A highly entertaining read with relatable characters and situations. You find yourself laughing and crying with Noah in equal measures. Touches on some serious issues but a highly recommended read!

Thank you to Penguin Micheal Joseph UK Publishers and Netgalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to the publisher & NetGalley for this ARC!

Kate and Noah have been together since they were teens, and are married with 2 perfect sons. Until, Kate leaves one day with both of their boys. Noah is left to be ‘Weekend Dad’, envious of Kate’s new boring boyfriend Jerry, who gets to have more involvement in the boys’ life than he does.

Noah decides to win Kate back through a mission of self improvement - no more drinking, last minute plan cancellations and he will tidy both himself and his home up. Noah enlists the help of his new friend Mimi to “turn over a new leaf” before Kate marries Jerry in six weeks time.

Until Next Weekend tackled a few unexpected and difficult issues very well. Noah’s past trauma from his childhood with a neglectful and mentally ill mother has impacted on his own parenting, an issue Noah bravely confronts with the help of Mimi.

Each character was well developed and the story has a lovely underlying message of honestly and acceptance of things we cannot change.

I would definitely recommend this one 🥰

This was a perfect mix of humour and sadness. The characters were well drawn and the story had a bit of everything. It is well written and kept me turning the pages.

Until Next Weekend by Rachel Marks

I love that when I pick up a Rachel Marks book, I’m straight into someone’s life and character. It’s an immediate feeling of kinship with our main character, we trust them and the story they’re telling us. In this case, our storyteller is Noah, a primary school teacher in this thirties, divorced with two small boys he sees every other weekend. Noah loves his job, loves his boys and is still in love with ex-wife Kate. Kate now lives with Jerry and Noah can’t believe that she’s in love with this ordinary, boring bloke. Kate and Noah were together forever, from friends to a very young husband and wife, then parents. So what went wrong? Kate probably knows Noah better than anyone and still loves and cares for him, but felt she had to save herself and leave the relationship. The truth is there are times when Noah checks out, he would need to take a break or sometimes disappear with no indication of when he was coming back. Just as Noah is concerned with giving children a good start in life, as a father and a teacher, he knows that his own start in life plays a large part in who he is and how he behaves. Can he continue to be a good teacher, father and partner without confronting that past and coming to terms with it?

As in her last novel, Rachel Marks has a good grasp of how our minds work and how we often self-medicate the pain of trauma. For Noah, this is often alcohol just as it was for his mother all those years ago. He is often propping up the bar of his local, chatting up women and indulging in a few one night stands, watched with some frustration by barmaid Mimi. His journey is mirrored in the experiences of one of his pupils, Harvey. Harvey’s having problems with his behaviour at school, often lashing out or unable to stop himself interrupting with excitement. He says his Mum sleeps a lot, but the reasons for that are unclear at first. It takes something drastic for Noah to see the extent of what is going on in Harvey’s world, but it also awakens a trauma from long ago. Noah is a character who knows all the reasons for the way he is, but doesn’t know the next step - to free himself from the past. He is full of confusion and does some really stupid things, but he is always loveable and I found myself rooting for him. Mimi was also a great character, sassy and whip smart, she can see through Noah’s bullshit but also genuinely cares about him. She tries to teach him that we all have our ‘stuff’ to come to terms with, we just have to find our way of doing it.

I loved his relationship with Kate too. She knows him inside out and I could sense the great regret and frustration within her that she had to break up their family. She knows Jerry isn’t going to be full of excitement and surprises, but that’s exactly why they’re together. She wants that stability for herself and for her boys. She’s still full of sadness and thinks she wasn’t enough for Noah, but the truth is that no one would have been able to cope with his behaviour and a young family. She wanted her love to heal the scars of the past, but only Noah can do that. The wonderful way she respects him as the father of her children, holds parties for him and still has family outings is the very model of what we hope our blended families could be like. Sadly, I think it’s very rare for ex-husbands and wives to be able to work together as well as this. Noah doesn’t really see the love that Kate has for Jerry, but it’s definitely there. There’s the sense of exhaustion I get from her life with Noah, and the way that Jerry conducts himself with grace and dignity and it’s clear what a strong and equal relationship they have.

This is a gorgeous, uplifting book, that has its hard moments but is ultimately full of love. I loved the children in the book, their personalities so perfectly evoked and full of humour. There are difficult memories and moments, but Noah is surrounded by love to call on once he can admit what’s wrong. I loved how Marks shows that there may often be reasons behind a character’s behaviour - Noah struggles to get along with his sister-in-law Claudia, but Mimi immediately sees that there’s a lack of confidence underneath the polished exterior and perfectionism. It made me come away thinking about how to appreciate those around me more, even if we do clash or have different ways of living. The book had the message to love and be kind all the way through it, like a stick of well-being rock.

This will feature on my blog on the week of publication.

Noah Carlton is in a bad way. Since his beautiful wife Kate left him and took their two sons, he's been drowning his sorrows in Jack Daniels and Coke and, despite his best efforts, is still letting his family down even when he's given the opportunity to see them. Noah once fantasised about being a weekend Dad, but though he's now able to spoil his two boys with McDonalds meals and ice cream, it's not what he thought it would be. With the help of unconventional barmaid Mimi, Noah faces his demons and helps another troubled family as well as making amends to his own. This is such a sweet book; sometimes I struggled with Noah's self-indulgence but once it became clear where that came from, I found myself rooting for him and it felt like a real shame to say goodbye to the family and Mimi at the end of the book. Rachel Marks has such a lovely fluid style of writing and I'm sure we can expect to see more from her - it certainly made me want to look up the other book from this talented writer.

I requested this book from the publisher as I had really liked Rachel Mark's previous title, Saturdays At Noon, when I read it via Netgalley last year. I was really glad to see Marks was publishing another book and so was keen to read it before it published.

Sadly, I didn't gel with this one in the same way and eventually decided to DNF around the 50% mark.

Here's what I didn't like about it:
- I didn't buy into the character. His emotions and experiences of the world didn't feel authentic. It read as if Marks had thought "how might a man experience the world?" rather than thinking of him as a human first and foremost.
- The teaching scenes didn't sit well with me and I especially found it unbelievable that a teacher would be so unprofessional.
- Child abuse plays a prominent role in this book, which I really wasn't expecting. This isn't something I like to read about and so I often DNF when this topic comes into play.
- Some of the language used really irked me, including some throwaway comments about suicide, gender, etc.
- At one point, the father reads Harry Potter to the children. I feel like in 2021 we all know what JKR stands for and she needs no further promotion.

I think this book will have a readership. It's sadly just not me.


CWs: domestic abuse, child abuse, physical abuse, addiction, alcoholism, child neglect.

Loved this! It tackles some serious subjects, and the main character, Noah, is flawed. But he's likeable and I really felt for him. The boys were great characters - loved little Harley. I do suggest that an epilogue would be a great addition, either that or a stronger last line than the one currently used, as it felt a bit flat to me. All in all though, I really enjoyed it. Refreshing to get the male's point of view for a change. With thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Great, just great. I loved her first book and I loved this one. Touching, amusing, poignant, gripping and, above all, uplifting. I read it from cover to cover and felt bereft when I realised I had finished it. A truly lovely, well written and feel good book, with warm and believable characters. I particularly enjoy her portrayal of children and parenthood. A thoroughly satisfying read

I really enjoyed this book. It was easy to read and quick to get into. I liked the characters although I did find the relationship between Noah and Kate a bit unbelievable. I loved the story line between Noah (as a teacher) and his student 5 year old Harley. It was really heart warming. Although the story was quite predictable, I enjoyed reading it and would recommend it for a nice, light read.

I had read Rachel’s last book Saturdays at Noon and loved every minute of it, so I couldn’t wait to read this. Until Next Weekend is about Noah who thought with his wife that he had found his forever, they had two boys, by no means was their marriage perfect but they were seemingly happy. But one day everything changes and he splits from his wife and Noah becomes a weekend dad. The story is about Noah’s journey after this spilt. I loved every minute of this book, Noah is the main character but there are some great characters in this story, with their own stories, with their own strengths and weaknesses, all like Noah trying to find their path in life. Noah’s character is so much deeper than you first think, it would be easy to first think that he was just stuck in a rut back actually as you read on you realise what has happened in his past regarding his mother’s death is what is effecting him and it’s effecting his mental health and this makes this book so very current, so relevant now, it tackles the tough subjects, it highlights that not everybody’s mental health problems are the same and also they don’t always deal with it in the same way. Noah finds it hard to face his mental health and actually it’s not something that has happened to him because of his divorce, it’s always been there and when he was struggling he would disappear for a while, to the extent that his own wife wouldn’t know where he was. If anyone asked Noah how his mother died, the barriers would go up and he wouldn’t want to talk about it. However the great thing about Rachel’s writing is that even though the underlying subject is serious and at times sad, this book is a happy and easy read. It will make you smile and laugh, it will make you feel every emotion but it’s such a light read and this is credit to Rachel’s writing skills. An amazing book, a great beach read and I couldn’t recommend this book enough and can’t wait to see what comes from Rachel Marks in the future, she is fast becoming one of my favourite authors ❤️

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Michael Joseph UK for allowing me to read an advance copy in return for an honest review.

This book was a joy to read. I stayed up til the early morning just to see what would happen to Noah and Mimi and Kate and Finn and Gabriel.
Does the past always have to affect our present? And our future? Noah needs answers.
He is a primary school teacher, a good one.. But he does not think that. Noah believes he is a failure. His marriage has broken down, he sees his two children once a fortnight, if he remembers to pick them up that is. His life is on a downward spiral and Noah does not know how to get out off the chaotic free fall his life has become. Alcohol, one night stands, ready meals. This is what his life comes down to. He knows he is a disappointment to everyone. How did he get here? How does he get out of it? How does he turn things around? Can they be turned around?

Rachel Marks has surpassed herself with this touching, moving sometimes quite funny novel of love, life and redemption. Hugely enjoyable and engrossing, it left me with a smile on my face.
I thoroughly recommend Until Next Weekend.

Loved this book. Great characters, a perfect mix of humour and sadness. The stories from in class were spot on (I worked in a primary school for a few years). Didn't want to put this down and I was sad when it finished.

I enjoyed the previous book but think this one is my favourite. I will do a full review for my book blog and blog tour.

The story is about a primary school teacher called Noah who has totally messed up his marriage because of demons in his past that he has failed to address. These demons have led to him drinking too much and running away when things get tough. His wife, Kate has tolerated a lot and tried to fix Noah but now has had enough. She has divorced him and is set to marry the reliable Jerry. Noah hopes he can change Kate’s mind and Mimi, a barmaid at a pub Noah frequents is offering to help him achieve this. What follows is a really warm story which reveals the reasons behind Noah’s demons and his desire to change things for the better. Reading the information shown about the author, it reveals that she was once a primary school teacher which is the career she has given Noah. There is a great deal in the book about the challenges he faces in the school and Rachel Marks gives an excellent insight into these challenges. The children Noah teaches and his own children, Gabe and Finn, are given wonderful personalities and her knowledge of how young children would behave shows real insight. Noah befriends one of his students because the child is facing similar difficulties to the ones he faced as a child, showing Noah to be a good man despite his ability to make poor choices at times. At the beginning he just seemed to be a bit of an unreliable idiot but as the story progresses you can’t help but warm to him. A lovely heart warming story which I really enjoyed. Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read and review this lovely book.

**Trigger Warnings for suicide, attempted suicide, alcoholism child neglect, mental illness**

After reading Saturdays At Noon, I knew I'd love anything else that Rachel wrote - and Until Next Weekend just proved this.

Noah is a shell of a man since his separation, and then divorce from Kate, his first love, and mother to his two sons. He has been a poor father, often cancelling on his sons' visits, and performing poorly at his role as a teacher in a primary school. So when Kate announces that she is getting married again, to the boring Jerry, Noah decides that he needs to overhaul his life and win Kate back.

The premise isn't exactly something I'd agree with to be honest, but the story played out well and I really loved Noah's relationship with his sons, and with Mimi, a local barmaid from his much frequented local drinking hole - who somehow ends up helping him try to win back Kate! The addition of Harley and Emma into the story was a clever way to close the loop on the story and it worked very well.

The depictions of grief were well written, as well as Noah's spirals into the dark. His self loathing was difficult to read at times but I felt they were accurately portrayed. Definitely one that you need a couple of tissues for, ultimately an uplifting story and I'd highly recommend it.

Noah is still getting over his divorce from Kate, leaving him to look after his two sons every other weekend. He misses his family dreadfully, although he understands why she left him. He decides that he will try to get back together with his wife, even though she has already moved on and is in a new relationship, with the help from his new friend Mimi.
It is interesting reading a book written by a female author from a male perspective, I thought that she managed to reflect the terrible loneliness that the newly divorced can suffer from. It was also obvious that she had experience of teaching in a primary school as Noah does, with both sad and humorous stories that remind me of one that my daughter, also a teacher, brings home.
Overall I can describe this story as a slow burner, initially I wasn't sure about it but as I persevered I really started to feel drawn into the story. It didn't always go the way I expected, and there were some really sad moments, but one I could really relate to. Highly recommended.

This is a book that makes us think about decisions that affect the generations after us. The main character is a tormented soul, struggling with ghosts from his past.
He has a chance to change his life. Will he take it and learn from past mistakes.
A thoroughly engaging read which I loved.

Until Next Weekend is a book about a man called Noah that has separated from his wife, meaning he doesn’t see as much of his sons and navigating the relationships moving forward. Noah’s life is a bit of a mess, he missed Kate, his ex wife, and wants their family back. As he works for this to happen he meets Mimi. The story is well written and very emotional in parts. Noah’s difficult childhood and how it helped him play a role in Harley’s life is moving. I enjoyed the book and felt it had a lot of depth. Through it all though I didn’t feel much attachment to Mimi and wanted him to get his family back. It was definitely worth a read.

This is an interesting and comical take on the imperfect family situations a lot of people find themselves in. Heartwarming and riveting in equal measure, I really enjoyed this!

NOAH AND KATE WERE MEANT TO BE TOGETHER FOR EVER.

Married with two gorgeous sons, it looked like they'd got their happy ever after.

But marriage isn't easy. And one day, Kate left, taking their two boys with her.

These days, Noah is a weekend dad - and it breaks his heart. He misses the chaotic mealtimes, the bedtime stories, the early mornings and the late homework.

Suddenly, he decides enough is enough - he has to win his family back. Starting with Kate.

The only problem?

IN SIX WEEKS' TIME, KATE IS GETTING MARRIED TO SOMEONE ELSE . . .

I really enjoyed this book. It was funny, emotional and uplifting. Thanks to Penguin Michael Joseph and Netgalley for an early review copy in return for an honest review.

This book covering parenting and how it can work when the family dynamic doesn't work out. Our main character is Noah. He is a school teacher (which leads to some very funny moments!) with a heart of gold. He has separated from his wife Kate who has moved on to the extent she is getting married in 6 weeks and Noah isn't taking this very well.

I found it refreshing to read a book where the Dad who only has weekend access to the children in a separated couple isn't painted as a baddie, in fact he is a man who I found likeable if sometimes extremely frustrating!

Don't get me wrong, this book has ups and downs, An emotional roller coaster at times and a real show of what jealously can do.

I have already recommended this to others and will continue to do so. An excellent 5 star read.

I really enjoyed this author's debut novel Saturdays at Noon, so I was delighted when I was given the opportunity to read and review her second novel, Until Next Weekend.
Told through the voice of Noah, a dad and teacher who is struggling with the end of his marriage and being a part-time dad to his kids, this book will make you laugh and cry. Rachel Marks provides a strong and powerful male voice which appears to be realistic (to me, but I am a woman!) She has the ability to make her characters likeable despite their many flaws and often cringe-worthy behaviour. She does not shy away from difficult issues and her characters face some pretty hard hitting dilemmas along the way.
I do not hesitate to recommend this book and I am sure that men and women of all ages will enjoy it.
Thank you for the opportunity to read and review an early copy via #NetGalley. #UntilNextWeekend