This book will rip your heat out and leave you in an emotional puddle. The storyline is tough but important and takes us through grief and its complications. Had to pause a few times reading this, but it is beautifully written.

I must firstly apologise for the amount of time it has taken me to provide a review of this book, my health was rather bad for quite some time, something that had me in hospital on numerous occasions and simply didnt leave me with the time I once had to do what I love most.

Unfortunately that does mean I have missed the archive date for many of these books, so It would feel unjust throwing any review together without being able to pay attention to each novel properly.

However, I am now back to reading as before and look forward to sharing my honest reviews as always going forward. I thank you f0r the patience and understanding throughout x

An emotional, gut-wrenching read, especially since becoming a mother myself. I found it difficult to read at times, considering the depth with which the author explores Cate's pain, but ultimately it is a profoundly moving novel and uplifting. Some passages towards the beginning occasionally feel repetitive, though. The visceral depictions of grief may be triggering for some, but hopefully readers would be aware of the themes before picking up the book.

I thoroughly enjoyed my read with this one, the characters were all so lovely and although an emotional read, it was a beautiful one at that.

In very many ways this book was excellent. It explores the effect of grief, both immediately after loss and long term. It looks at how people cope in different ways and how guilt can be mixed up with grief. It is all sensitively handled and feels very real. So why my reluctance to bump this up to 5* read? Because at times it feels as though only perfect people deserve this level of grief. If the girl who died had not been the perfect daughter, bright and sociable, looking forward to a rewarding life filled with joy then the grief would not have been as heartfelt. It just needed something to balance this out and acknowledge that not perfect people can also be missed just as much.

After Beth by Elizabeth Enfield is the most beautiful contemporary novel that will tear your emotions to pieces.
It is a bittersweet story about love and life and grief – all three are naturally interwoven after tragedy strikes.
When death comes unexpectedly, there are a variety of emotions as those grieving re-examine events on the day, and the ‘what-ifs’ and the guilt begin to rule minds.
After Beth is a beautiful study of grief. It overwhelmed my soul whilst filling my heart with empathy and love.
The whole book is a work of great love, and with great love comes great pain. Memories rather than flesh and blood must keep us warm. Life goes on and those left behind have to learn how to smile again and to live again.
After Beth is not a gloomy read. It is enormously sad and incredibly beautiful. When the last page is read, the love and the beauty remain.
I will leave you with a powerful quote:
“People don’t cease to exist when they die, only when you stop remembering them.”
I received a free copy via Net Galley. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.

Harrowing and beautiful,
Ultimately I really struggled with this book and the subject matter was just too harrowing for me

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel. The story was so well written and the characters were easy to empathise with. The development of the mother's loss of her daughter was a difficult topic well handled.

No one who has lost a loved one could not be very moved by this book. The way of measuring time, the “before” or “after” is a very familiar one.
Caitlin and all the characters were extremely well written and believable, all very true to life, with very accurate behaviour.
I loved it.

A really emotional read which explores the aftermath of a family tragedy. Incredibly well written with great characters. Highly recommended.

This is a well written book
You will need the tissues
But you will want to get to the end of this emotional book
Thanks NetGalley

An emotionally charged book about grief.and loss. Cate and Patrick's lives are torn apart when their teenager daughter Beth dies in a drowning accident just before leaving for college. The book follows the 18 months initially after her death and the slow torturous healing of letting go.
Elizabeth Enfield does a wonderful mix of sensitivity, poignancy and heartbreak, engaging the reader so much so that I was grieving Beth along with the family. Her character was brought so much to life she was.leaping from the pages. Having lost someone recently I know the pain of grief and she captured it magnificently. Read this one but have the tissues to hand .

An emotional, heart-wrenching read. When Beth dies in tragic circumstances, how does her mother Cate continue on? The story follows the path of grief to self-discovery and eventually a new kind of happiness. Brilliantly written and whilst a very sad subject it poses the theory that you can come out the other side stronger.

Beautiful, poignant and a very special read. I am not sure I have enough words to describe this book, heartbreaking yet full of hope. Fabulous.

Oh my goodness I’ve just finished this emotional book with tears in my eyes, it will really pull at your heartstrings and maybe make you realise how precious life is.

Cate receives the news no parent wants to hear. Her beautiful daughter Beth has been in an accident. What started off as a carefree summer day had turned into something completely different. A parents love knows no bounds and Cate goes through so much as circumstances take over and she faces the reality of losing her daughter.

Patrick her estranged husband steps up and supports Cate as they both struggle with their own grief. I loved how they found comfort in the shared experiences of being parents.

To loose someone you love is heartbreaking. The death of your child is unimaginable, Grief presents itself in many ways, denial, anger, what ifs, depression and acceptance. I have personally experienced it myself recently and I can relate to many of the emotions and feelings which were so well portrayed in the book.

Reading this book gave me hope. Sometimes I feel like life seems to be going on all around me and I’m still hurting deeply but as the book reaffirms those we love never die they live on in our hearts and memories.

Death is part of life and it will touch us all at some point. This book explored love, loss and the importance of family. I recommend reading this powerful moving book which will make you hold your loved ones close, enjoy every day and have no regrets. Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for my chance to read this highly relatable book.

What a beautiful but poignant story about a mother who loses her daughter, Beth, when she is just 18 in a tragic accident. The central characters are Cate, Beth’s mother and the story is told through her eyes. We suffer every emotion with her and can feel the extent of her grief. Cate is separated from Patrick, Beth’s father and this is another cause of sorrow for Cate, who still loves him. Although they are separated they really need each others support to survive this tragedy. We get a strong feeling of who Beth was from the anecdotal flashbacks throughout the book which paint a picture of a clever, funny and personable teenager. Although this is obviously a very sad story it is also life affirming as we see how Cate deals with all her emotions over a length of time. It is a story of love and family and you can’t help but be moved by it. I strongly recommend it. Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this lovely book.

Ah this book! It’s a heart wrenching, beautifully written exploration of grief. It’s sensitive, honest and warm. It’s hard to do the book justice in a review

This was such a beautiful read! Sad but yet uplifting. There were so many small things in this book that touched my heart and also made me wipe away a few tears. The bad-news room was spot on! I also had to sit in 1.
I think it is an important read for anyone who's lost a loved one. It is a book about love and loss; about how we carry on after we've lost someone we loved. How do you cope with the pain while life is carrying on around you?
"It’s not always possible to change your life but you can change your attitude to it. The key to happiness lies in accepting the cards you’ve been given and learning how to make the most of them."

"People don’t cease to exist when they die, only when you stop remembering them"

Honour the memories of the people you've lost and never forget them but also appreciate the people who love you and tell them every day what they mean to you because tomorrow might be too late.

"Do not stand at my grave and weep I am not there. I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow.
I am the diamond glints on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain. I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you awaken in the morning’s hush I am the swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft stars that shine at night. Do not stand at my grave and cry; I am not there. I did not die." Mary Elizabeth Frye

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Michael Joseph for the privilege to read this beautiful book in exchange for my honest opinion

This is such a beautiful book.
It is about a mother dealing with the loss of her only daughter, but it is not a sad book. It is about grief and anger and loss, and coming to terms with these things. It is about family and love and being a parent.

This book is so beautifully written that it makes the heart swell, even as it breaks when Beth dies. Despite the title and nature of the book, you find yourself praying for a miracle to save Beth, and it’s awful when she dies.

I raced through After Beth, it’s delightful. I will definitely be looking out for other books by this author. .

Gosh, I’ve not read a book that has made me cry this much in at least a decade. And yet, through the buckets of tears, I couldn’t put it down and was totally absorbed in this beautiful and powerful story. A story I hope I never have to experience myself, and have the utmost respect and sympathy for anyone that has. Enfield has written so respectfully and beautifully about losing a child, and despite not wishing such an unimaginable tragedy on anyone- it was a lovely and engaging story to read.