Beautifully written, this book was all about processing love and loss . This book had some real laugh out loud moments, great relatable characters, fantastic locations and a well thought out plot - would recommend
Thank you to Netgalley, Penguin Books- Michael Joseph and Giovanna Fletcher for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review

This book was all about processing loss and grief - very poignant for me after losing my best friend to cancer this summer. It was well written and the characters were believable. There were some funny moments too which helped to lighten the topic material.

A gorgeous, heartbreaking story of friendship, loss, and perseverance.

This is a very emotional read, but ultimately warm and uplifting.

Giovanna Fletcher has clearly used a lot of real life experiences for this story- her Coppafeel treks and the highs & lows of motherhood, and she has executed it perfectly. There’s much to relate to in this story, but I found the character of Vicky particularly familiar- what mum hasn’t felt that she’s lost herself? But it’s rare to see this in any fiction books and Giovanna has done so in a perfectly raw way.

A really sensitive, endearing and well researched book.

Many thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Prior to her death Pia leaves a list of instructions for her two best friends and husband to follow to come to terms with her death.

This list send them trekking in Peru where they all find the strength inside themselves they need to keep going without her.

This was a joyously uplifting novel. I have never read anything by Giovanna Fletcher before, and can honestly say that I will pick up more of her books.

I am really really pleasantly surprised about this book. It begins on such a morose topic but by the end I have almost packed my back to travel. It almost leads me to wish we could have stories about the group of friends….before What’s happened has happened. Although the theme of the story is sad, it’s lovely to see how each of the characters grow and find their own identity. Well worth a read!!! Four stars from me!

Thank you to the publisher for my eARC copy of this book. Unfortunately I didn’t love this book and therefore didn’t finish, I just didn’t connect with this one. Not for me, sorry.

This book is about friendship and navigating life. I enjoyed the book. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this book.

A heart-warming story of learning to exist and live following significant loss. This is an easy read that will take you to some beautiful places.


My only real criticism is that I struggled to identify who was who in the chapters. Obviously, each narrated chapter has the name of the person narrating it at the start so there's that of course. But what I mean is the characters were all so similar, there was nothing really seperating them apart. I would have loved to have known more of their back story as a group of friends too.

Lovely and heartwarming as always, made me laugh and cry. Having watched Giovanna on Instagram writing, losing, finding and finishing this book it was a pleasure to read the finished product

Walking On Sunshine by @mrsgifletcher another @netgalley read. This is about 3 friends Mike, Vicky & Zaza, who are all grieving over Mike’s wife Pia and Vicky and Zaza’s best friend. Zaza and Vicky are also dealing with their own stress. However Pia left a plan, she left some instructions to help them all through their grief. I love Giovanna Fletcher so couldn’t wait to read this and was disappointed. However I wouldn’t say it’s one of my favourites. This book is about friendship, about facing new challenges and new experience’s and of living a life that perhaps wasn’t what you hoped or planned because life has thrown you a cure ball. There is a lot of things in this book that make it undoubtably a Giovanna book, the mum side of things, Vicky is struggling being a mum in the sense that she’s knee deep in being a mum and has lost the person she was before being a mum. There is the trekking element of it and she also refers to Billy Buskin a famous actor from her Billy and Me book. It feels very much that she is drawing on all her experiences and even though it’s a book fiction, it also feels very personal and giovannaish if that makes sense. As always Giovanna is great at sparking the imagination and setting the scene, so it plays out like a film in your head. For me the only thing that slightly annoyed me was the end, in the fact that five years on everything the characters have gone through seems to perfectly be all tied up and dealt with. For me it felt a bit idealalistic , somewhat to perfect. What happens next is explained from the perspective of 5 years on and characters haven’t had it easy, I just don’t think it was needed it added to the story. I loved it because as I’ve said there’s a lot of Giovanna in it, which if you are a fan of previous books you will recognise but the ending just wasn’t for me. Definitely would recommend to fans of Giovanna and would also recommend it if you are new to this author. As always can’t wait to see what’s next ❤️

Really enjoyed this book from start to finish. Not my usual read but I'd definitely recommend, so glad I read it. Great characters and plot. Will be looking out for other titles from this author.

I'm not sure what I was expecting from this book. Yet another one that isn't my usual sort of read. I enjoyed the characters and the story but it didn't grab me. I wasn't hoping or expecting that it would so I wasn't disappointed with it. But I also wasn't too bothered when it was over. 5/10

I think this was a really well written book, with the most beautiful plot line. The imagery was amazing, and the underlying story was something that really touched my heart.

This was a nice, feel good story with lovely characters and perfect for anyone who enjoys a good chic lit read. I found the story a little bit predictable but still enjoyed it.

Nooo, it is not my cup of tea at all...

I know, the story is important, has a great meaning, and so on, but it was so long, so detailed, that I struggle really hard to finish it and find it enjoyable.

The death and coming back to life without your second half is hard and there is a fact. But the motif of the left messages, of grief is something that we already know from other books. Here? I don't feel it. I don't see the emotions, the pain - it is more like emotionless descriptions of the friends who sit with the bottle of wine and talk about the absent girl. It is not the way to present such an important topic.

Sorry, not sorry, but this book is the worst I have recently read.

Love giovanna’s books. This one didn’t disappoint! Great story, great writing! One to read and settle down and finish in one go!

Thank you NetGalley for my advance copy of this book. I enjoyed getting to know the characters in this book and enjoyed the message of helping each other and of enduring friendship. I really appreciated the nods to Giovanna’s other books (Billy and Me), I love it when authors do this. My rating is really 3.5 stars but unfortunately can’t give half stars. I like this authors writing and would recommend.

This was a weird one for me, whilst I thought it was cute and a lovely concept, it just felt so farfetched and odd to me. Not to mention, I utterly despised Zaza's fiance, and hated that the overall message at the end was that it was her fault he was so toxic during her grief. But it was cute, and I semi enjoyed it

I have read all of Giovannas books and they just get better and better. I just wanted to keep reading. Thank you for writing such good books.

Firstly thank you to Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book.
Pia has died leaving behind her extremely loving husband Mike and her friends Zaza and Vicky.
Mike is lost he now has this empty hole that he can't begin to know how to fill.
Zaza is questioning everything about her life including her engagement to Liam. She's hurting after the loss of her friend and nothing is right anymore.
Vicky has two extremely demanding children and a husband who works a lot while she stays at home with the children. She's lost who she was before she was a stay at home mom and is struggling with that and her grief.
The three embark on a trek in Peru in Pia's memory along the way there are laughs, dramas and giggles. There's heartbreak and an attempt at healing in the only way each individual knows how.
As always Giovanna's writing is on point, she made me happy, made me giggle, while making my heart break and made me feel sadness along with the characters.
Definitely worth a read!