Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I thought that Beth was very relatable and enjoyed reading her journey from being irresponsible to doing a great job raising her niece and nephew after a tragic accident leaves their dad dead and their mum in a coma. It was a very touching story and dealt with grief very well.

Thank you NetGalley for this advanced copy. I recommended this book based on someone else's recommendation, but unfortunately didn't find it quite as good as they did. The book consists of a couple getting into an accident on their way to a mortgage appointment. Big secret when the find a letter indicating this was NOT where they were headed, however the truth wasn't very interesting to me. I found the main character a little irritating as she can't seem to take care of herself when she's in her 30's. I tend to lean toward thrillers usually, but thought I would give this book a try. Just wasn't for me.

Beth has never stuck at anything, she quits jobs like they are going out of fashion and has no responsibilities whatsoever. However, one Friday that all changes when tragedy strikes...

A truly terrible tragedy results in Beth being the legal guardian to her niece and nephew. No responsibility Beth is thrown in the deep end and is struggling to keep above water. Will she float or sink?

There are not enough words to do this book justice! It was an incredible, amazing, fantastic, beautiful and emotive book. I loved every second being part of Beth's world and I could not put the book down once I had started. Sarah Turner has written a beautiful masterpiece about grief and hope, I lost count of the amount of times that I cried.

Beth is a great character and it is lovely to see her grow, she is so strong and kind. I adored her relationship with the 80-ish year old Albert and it was heartwarming to see her bring him out of his shell. Beth has had a very good friendship with Jory who was there for her in her hour of need.

I was sad to finish Stepping Up and didn't want it to end. I look forward to reading what Sarah Turner writes next as her first fiction book was beautiful.

I really loved this book! I completely related to the characters, although the subject matter was rather sad.
A definite recommendation from me!

Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for gifting me this arc in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

Beth is a 30 something woman still living with her parents and laxks both direction, organisation and any responsibilities whats so ever. She works in an office and her she spends her free time drinking with her best friend Jory and recovering from hangovers.
That all changes when her sister and brother in law have a car crash killing her brother in law and her sister in a coma.
Her mother expects to resume responsibility of Beth's teenage niece and toddler nephew. but as executor the his son i laws will, Beth's father informs Beth she she is to have guardianship. Beth moves into the family home and steps up to the job.
Beth steers her way around organising a home, dealing with a toddler and a teenager who is keeping something from her. To make matters worse, her ever critical mother is making her feel like a failure, her close relationship with her best friend is dwindling as he has a new girlfriend and she's forgotten to set the alarm at the office where she works. On the plus side she has made a lovely new friend with octogenarian neighbour Albert who is alone after his wife Mavis died and has no children until she lets him down too when she forgets to meet up with him as promised.
This is a story about grief, love, family friendship and individual growth. The characters are all likeable and will have you in an
emotional roller-coaster laughing one minute and feeling the pain of grief in the next.
I often talk about chapter sizes as this is important to me to be able to put down and pick up easily and these chapters were of the right size to do this.
The story develops well apart from the break in at the office, I felt like there could have been more behind this (almost a set up) and has a lovely warm conclusion at the end. Doesn't completely end well nut that's okay otherwise the ending would have been predictably perfect.A typically British sense of humour and a main character was believable.
Suitable for readers of General fiction or women's fiction.
#SteppingUp #NetGalley

Loved this book, a beautifully written story about grief, family, friendships and love. It’s definitely an emotional rollercoaster of a read, Beth, the main character had me laughing and crying, throughout and at the end. Didn’t want to put it down or for it to end. Definitely recommend this book.

I’ve been a big fan of Sarah Turner’s The Unmummsy Mum account on Instagram for a few years now and already own a few of her books. When I found out she had written her debut novel, well let’s just say I was so excited to have been approved to read it. I can’t praise Stepping Up highly enough, it was such a wonderful book. It’s absolutely heartbreaking and yet at the same time is still so full of love, humour, warmth and even hope.

Stepping Up centres on Beth who is, if we’re being honest, a bit of a mess. She’s never stuck at anything, and is still sleeping in her childhood home, working a job she actively tries to avoid. Then one morning Beth, and her family’s, life’s change irreversibly following a tragic accident. Beth now finds herself as the guardian to her teenage niece and toddler nephew. This throws Beth into a whole new and very unfamiliar world. But this time Beth is determined not to quit and run away, this time she’s stepping up.

I’ll admit I knew this book was going to be good when it had me weeping before the 10% mark, and then again several times throughout the book. Turner has the most wonderful way with words and has written characters that are so full of depth and feel so very real that you can’t help but really feel for them.

I loved all of the characters within this story. Beth particularly was such a brilliant lead. She’s totally chaotic and just hasn’t got anything together when we first meet her. Then when her world is turned upside down she struggles to cope, but my goodness she tries. The arc she goes through is just so wonderful to read. I especially loved the how her relationships with others grew and developed throughout the book. How she grew closer to, and helped her niece Polly. How her mum learnt to see her in a different way and of course her relationship with Albert. I just adored Albert, he was just the kindest soul and the most wonderful neighbour. I don’t think I’ve ever been moved so much when thinking about the significance of a peg bag. I also loved little Ted and everything that he represented in this story, the love, confusion, grief and the need to keep going and find the wonder and joy in small things.

This is such a beautiful story. Turner explores grief and loneliness with such delicacy, compassion and humanity. This is a story that will make you feel so much, you’ll cry, you’ll laugh, you’ll smile and you’ll hope for the best for this wonderful family and their friends. I cannot recommend this book highly enough and cannot wait to see what Sarah Turner writes next.

Well what can I say…..wow, wow, wow! I have been waiting with anticipation to read Sarah’s debut novel. As a fan of Unmummsy Mum right from the beginning I knew this would be a cracking read and boy I was not wrong. I was gripped from the start, the characters are all relatable and lovable. The story evokes all emotions and I felt everything that Beth particularly felt. She was portrayed amazingly. I felt like Beth was someone I was friends with and I loved following her journey in this book and the relationships she has from Jory, Polly, Ted, Emmy, her parents and Albert! What a joy this relationship was.
Well done Sarah, I adored Stepping Up and want to keep reading even though I have finished the book. Stepping up is not to be missed.

This was a pleasant read. It’s almost like a coming of age story, but for a 30-year old rather than a young person. Beth goes from having no responsibilities and a care-free existence to becoming the guardian of her niece and nephew and we see her learn ‘on the job’ and grow. My favourite part was the relationship she develops with 83-old Albert, that was sweet and well depicted. Having said that, it all fell a bit flat for me. There is nothing wrong with the book per se, but there’s nothing extraordinary either. I am such a big fan of the Unmumsy Mum books that I expected something similar – not in terms of a story line as such, but in terms of style and frothiness. And this didn’t quite deliver for me.

Thank you to the editor and Netgalley for an advanced e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest and impartial review.

I really loved this book. It was lighthearted yet covering such a serious subject with a truly heartwarming message. The relationship developments over time were beautiful and I was totally invested in Aunty Beth, Polly, Ted and the extended family. It was the type of book that I loved reading but really didn’t want to end. The ending was positive but not necessarily ‘happy ever after’ which broke my heart whilst making me soo happy at the same time 💗

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read an advance copy of this in exchange for an honest review.

I was very excited to hear that Sarah was writing her first novel after the very successful parenting books she has previously written. This book did not disappoint! I’m not going to go into too much detail as I don’t want to give away spoilers!

This is a beautiful story of love, loss, hope and friendship. The characters are so well developed and relatable, you feel you are following their journey as a friend of the family. I found myself engrossed in the story from the first few pages and almost had a cry in the hairdressers! The grief that the family share is handled in such a gentle, honest and delicate manner and the plot helps readers to realise that life doesn’t just stop even when loss occurs, particularly when children are involved. As we follow the family each members journey entwines beautifully to create an effortlessly heartwarming plot. The development of the main character, Beth, was both uplifting and wholesome.

As a debut novel, this is simply incredible and an absolute pleasure to read.

I LOVED this book. I was hooked from the first few pages and finished it within 24 hours. Everything about it was completely spot on and I cried and laughed.
Loved the ended, hoping for a ‘stepping back’? Soon?

Would also make a fabulous tv show.

Oh I did love this book, it caught my attention from the very start and I could not put it down. Even though the content of the book is sad, there is also an optimism for Beth that she will find herself and work her way through the tragedy that has hit her family.
Beth is a single woman who is finding it hard to find her way in life and cannot find anything in her life that makes her stick with things. When the going gets tough, Beth quits! That is until she is forced to re-evaluate her life due to a tragedy that hits her family. Now people are relying on her to be strong and stick with it.
Even though Beth is a quitter, you are willing her to find her way, you can see how much she can give to her family, if only people believed in her. This book has everything, tragedy, grief, romance, amazing friendships and a strong family at the centre. I loved seeing the way friendships and family ties evolved during the book and you see that her life has changed for the better in many ways
I simply cannot find the right words to do this book the justice that is deserves. It deals with such a heavy topic but with such lightness while giving the topic every respect it deserves. You must read this book. you won't regret it!

This was such a warm book. It captures all of the turmoil of being thrown into a parental role without being at all prepared, while also showing how that can be funny and confusing. It reminded me that family can be the most frustrating and important thing in the world.

I properly ended up caring about all of the characters, even all of the supporting cast. They were well written enough to make me feel like a fly on the wall. Perfectly balanced between emotion and lightness. Felt like it captured what it was trying to really well.

I loved The Unmumsy Mum so was keen to read this novel by the same author - and I wasn't disappointed! Beth is, by her own admission, a quitter. She doesn't stick long to a job, she is past 30 and still lives with her parents. However, a tragic event sees her in charge of her 14 year old niece Polly and toddler nephew Ted. Can Beth step up and take control of her new life?

With great characterisation (my particular favourite was octogenarian neighbour Albert), the story made me laugh and cry. A fabulous book!

Oh my goodness, I adored this book! It was warm and touching, funny and heart wrenching, the kind of book you can’t put down, but don’t want to read too fast and have it be over. Beth is a flawed and genuine character, stuck in an impossible situation, and her story is truly gripping. I was captivated by the twists and turns she and her family went through, I genuinely couldn’t put it down. I thought about it when I wasn’t reading it and looked forward to picking my kindle up at any opportunity!! Haven’t enjoyed a book so much for a very long time, please write another one soon Sarah!!

Oh my, what a book this was!! I read it a few months back and have been putting off writing this review… not because I didn’t like it, but because I absolutely adored it and wasn’t sure anything I said would be good enough.

So here it goes, my attempt at telling you all how brilliant this book is! Beth is a quitter - she doesn’t stick with anything for long and so finds herself drifting through life with no real focus. That is, until her sister and brother in law are involved in a tragic accident and she finds herself having to look after her moody teenage niece and mischievous toddler nephew.

Beth quite literally had to ‘step up’ and how she blossoms as the book goes on. She is such a feisty, resilient and determined character! Sarah Turner deals with some really hard hitting themes and issues in this book, but she writes it beautifully and I found myself wishing nothing but happiness for Beth.

An emotional rollercoaster of a book, we feel the highs and lows that Beth, and the others go through. I loved the friendship that grows between Beth and her elderly neighbour Albert and Sarah really highlights the importance of checking in on those around you. Polly, her niece, is a fireball of emotions and going through the usual teenage angst whereas her nephew Ted is such a loveable wee rogue. Two completely contrasting characters and I loved how Beth learns to support nurture them both as the book goes on. Then there’s Jory, her best friend of so many years but a relationship that struggles to cope with all the demands on Beth.

This book has all of the emotions; grief, sadness, happiness, jealousy and love! You will find yourself cheering, laughing, despairing and crying your eyes out but mostly you will become so invested in their book and it’s characters that you won’t want to put it down. An outstanding, perfect read that I really loved!

I loved this book. Probably the best I have read so far this year. I was emotionally invested from the absolute beginning. I cried, I laughed and I was so sad when it ended. A totally perfectly timed book from start to finish. The characters and all so captivating. I absolute love Albert. I wanted to know more at the end which means the author not only pulled me in, but finished the book at exactly the right time. I will be recommending this book to others and looking out for more by Sarah Turner.

Loved this! The characters were all relatable and believable! It was a really well written story, full of fun. Great stuff

Stepping Up could easily have been your standard 'girl comes good whilst facing adversity' type of story. But it's so much more than that. Beth is plunged straight into family life, quite literally, when she has to take charge of her teenage niece and toddler. All the time holding down a job, dealing with an interfering mum and visiting her sister who's in a coma in hospital. Exactly.

Stepping Up is not an easy read, but the subject matter is written so beautifully that you can't help but be swept along on Beth's journey. Your heart breaks for her with every mistake and misstep, but still she keeps going, for the children, for her sister and for herself.

This is one of those books that you'll read again and again, it's a real comfort blanket story but with no sugar coating (alright, maybe a little). You'll feel better about life for reading it.