What a beautiful story about a family’s grief following a tragic car crash and how one woman’s life is changed over night. When Beth wakes up to discover her brother in law has been killed in a car crash and her sister is in a coma she finds herself thrown in the deep end when she is left responsible for two children. A toddler and a surly teenager who blames herself for the whole thing and won’t let Beth get close to her. Beth is not used to responsibility and normally quits everything and as things get strained with her best friend she struggles not to prove her mother right about her not being responsible enough to look after the children. This is a beautiful read which will break your heart into a million pieces but also make you feel warm from the love of this family and the extended gang of friends that have to navigate their new normal. Don’t miss this book!

Easy to read, heart warming and an emotional rollercoaster. What more can you want from a book?!

I love Sarah's non fiction books, and her move to fiction certainly hasnt been a disappointment. Great book.

This was very enjoyable and heart warming. Out of sadness came love and it was well written. I would recommend this.

This was a cutesy fun read in between my big epic fantasies and I loved every minute of it. If you’re wanting a quick fast paced read then pick this up!! If you’re a fan of Flat Share and The Switch then this is a must

Beth certainly had to step up when she was left in charge of her niece and nephew following an accident.
She’s not maternal, has no experience with children and a chaotic life of her own.
She’s literally thrown in at the deep end and expected to juggle her new life and everything that comes with it.
An easy to read book which is easy to pick up and read.

Beth is living at home, not very good at being organised, keeping a job or even a boyfriend when a tragic accident results in her having to look after her teenage niece and young nephew.
I can emphasise with Beth as I'm not the most organised person either. She struggles with the stroppy teenager and a toddler who is missing his mum and dad whilst looking after a house. There are some humorous moments to balance out the darker ones, a long term friendship with a man that she grew up with plus a marvellous next door neighbour that she never apologised to for being sick in his plant pot....
Overall a very emotional story, a slow burner but one that I ended up having a very late night to finish. Definitely recommended if you enjoy such stories, and may surprise you if you don't read them normally.
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley, however this did not influence my review of the book.

Right from from the start I was hooked. Beth is going about her life, living with parents, loving life with no responsibility when their family gets the buggest shock.
She needs to step up and this she does...in her own way! It is funny, emotional and capturing. I loved reading it and will definitely be recommending.

I was lucky enough to receive a copy of Stepping Up early via Net Galley and let me tell you this book did not disappoint. I absolutely loved it! One minute your close to tears and the next your bursting into laughter it’s such an emotional roller-coaster!

Beth the main character has taken guardianship of her teenage niece and toddler nephew after a tragic accident which has left their mum in a coma and their father dead. Beth definitely feels out of her depth trying to run a household, hold down her job and deal with her own grief of losing her brother in law and hold hope for her sister. She has her best mate Jory until their friendship starts fraying but is there something underlying? She also has her mother watching her every move while she is trying to live up to her high expectation.

I have to say I LOVE Jory but not as much as Beth’s new neighbour Albert. I feel everyone needs an Albert in their life, he's sweet and their friendship is just lovely. He also doesn’t hold back in advice for Beth and pushes her gently along the way and giving her support.

The conclusion to the story was just the best, wrapped up nicely and so heartwarming. It was just an amazing read I wish I could read it again and again for the first time. I highly recommend reading it. It’s a five star read for sure and I can't wait to read more of Sarah Turner's fictional work!

Sarah's notorious humour and wit shines through in her debut novel. The chapters flow and it is a very engrossing read. A story of not just bereavement, but of love and family. It is so beautifully written, Sarah manages to still keep the tone uplifting despite the sad moments and serious topics she tackles with expert skill. I have already ordered a hardback copy and will be recommending this book to friends in 2022. For transparency I did receive an advance copy from the publisher, but thoughts are all my own.

Beth is a quitter, she can’t stick anything expects Friday night drinks down the pub with her best friend Jory. Then her sister and brother in law are in a terrible car accident and Beth is tasked with looking after their two kids and holding everything together. Beth has to Step Up (oooh seeeee clever).
This was really, really good. It deals with some pretty dark stuff and Turner strikes a good balance between light and dark. The heavy stuff is heavy as it should be but it doesn’t get bogged down in it. I was really rooting for Beth all through this book. She is feisty and fun and not as useless as everyone thinks she is. She’s an absolute hero. I laughed, I cried, I cheered what more could you ask for.

Beth has never stuck at anything. Her default setting is to run away.
Following a serious accident affecting her sister and brother in law, Beth suddenly finds herself acting as guardian for her three year old nephew and teenage niece. With no housekeeping or organisational skills and only one dish in her dinner repertoire - pesto pasta with sausages - Beth struggles to keep things going.
This was a really engaging story following Beth's attempts to grow up quickly and run a family home, whilst managing toddler tears and teenage secrets.
I did find Beth just a little too inept. Surely she would have occasionally managed to get it right?
Well worth a read. The unfolding of emotions was heartwarming and really well told. The ending was perfect. Beautiful but not too sugar sweet.

Before I read this book I saw a couple of people on instagram had picked it up and they had absolutely loved it, so I decided to request it on Netgalley. I didn't read the synopsis of the book before I read it so I went into it completely blind and I didn't know what to expect at all. this is a story about family, grief, friendship and love. The story is so emotional and as I was reading I often had tears in my eyes but I also laughed hard at Beths antics! It is a story I would recommend to loads and one i wish I could read for the first time again!

It’s difficult to leave a review about this story that will do it justice, it was simply excellent.

It’s a story about grief, family, friendship, working things out and love. It’s incredibly emotional but at the same time a breeze to read.

Beth had me laughing and crying. I was incredibly invested in her journey and was left a blubbering mess at the end (and many times throughout).

A true emotional rollercoaster.

Stepping Up by Sarah Turner a five-star read that steps up as you read. I wasn’t a fan of Beth at all, I really fell into her as she started stepping up. This was so well done, it didn’t hide any of the raw facts, the author didn’t hide the grit and reality. There is loss in this story and it is done well, its real and hard, showing us the true side of how we face it. There is humour and heartbreak in this as well as a great story.

I have been following Sarah Turner aka The Unmumsy Mum on social media for quite some to so I was very excited at the prospect of being able to preview her debut novel. I'm glad to say it didn't disappoint!
This tale of singleton Beth "Stepping Up" to take on the responsibility of caring for her niece and nephew following a tragic accident is at turns heart rending and heart warming. It's very relatable for anyone who has gone through the trials of raising children (your own or otherwise) and have struggled with knowing what to do for the best. At the end of the day we're all winging it really, aren't we?!? I enjoyed seeing the growth in Beth's character as she rises to the everyday challenges of family life.
My favourite side character is definitely her next door neighbour and I loved their flourishing friendship.
Many thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

I loved this from a instagrammer that I love . Full of hope and relatable moments, and a great film would be made out of this book! Fully recommend

His was a thoughtful read with a raft of emotions running through it. Beth may be in her early thirties but she’s still disorganised and never commits to anything, a tragic accident leaves her with the guardianship of her teenage niece and toddler nephew along with constant judgement from her mum about her attempts to muddle by. There’s a fantastic mix of relationships in here as well as changes in the dynamics of them and other brilliant characters including her anguished niece and lonely elderly neighbour. Beth herself was a brilliantly written character who did her best despite always feeling lacking and totally out of her depth, it was good to see how she changed as the story progressed although she was still herself at the core, 9/10

If I was to say this book isn’t emotional, I’d be lying. Full of ups and downs and emotional rollercoasters you would expect from a story like this. I found it to be well written and a tear jerker for sure.
Thanks to Netgalley for approving me to read this.

'How wonderful that other life was. How stupid I was to take it for granted.'

In the face of tragedy and grief, Beth takes responsibility for her niece and nephew and struggles beautifully through personal growth and growing up (finally they all say).

Sarah’s writing is very much to my tastes. Witty, clever and heartwarming, sometimes all within a sentence or two —a skill I don’t think you can learn. There were lots of laughs in amongst difficult moments, something else I always enjoy. I think if you know me and the authors I like, you’ll know what I mean.

There was a best friends to lovers subtle but strong romance here too. It was wrapped up so spectacularly, I was left wanting so much more. This book was, for the most part, about family and friends and the ups and downs of life. I really hope it makes a splash on release, I’ll certainly be rooting for it.

’That was the basis of our relationship, really. Me with my half-empty glass and Doug showing me, always with kindness, that there were plenty of ways to fill it up.’

(ARC kindly provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review)

After a family tradgedy occurs, 'happy go lucky' Beth suddenly finds herself having a huge responsibilty thrust upon her in the shape of her nephew & niece. Everyone in her life, her friends, parents, & especially Beth herself doubt that she is up to the task.
However, out of tradgedy, something good comes as Beth eventually learns to trust herself, even when others (mainly her mother) still doubt her.
A well written book, that kept me interested all the way through, wondering how the events would unfold. I would have prefered it if the ending had answered one of my questions (I won't say what, as I don't want to spoil it for other readers), but other than that, I enjoyed every page.