From: Anna Power <annapower2015@outlook.com>
Sent: 06 December 2021 15:37
To: a.e.z.robertson@hotmail.co.uk <a.e.z.robertson@hotmail.co.uk>
Subject:

I got an advance copy of Walking on Sunshine by Giovanna Fletcher from Netgalley. I haven't read any of her other books but have seen them advertised a lot so I was intrigued.

The book follows 3 friends going on the trip of the lifetime after the death of their wife/friend Pia (this is on the blurb- no spoilers here!) I found it a really cosy, fun read despite quite a sad theme running throughout. It really celebrated friendship and I found the characters really relatable, particularly Vicky, a stay at home mum with 2 small children. I felt that Giovanna really wrote Vicky well and that feeling of loving your children to bits and being delighted to be at home with them but at the same time finding it hard.

My husband went to Peru before we met so it was interesting reading the descriptions of the trip and then asking him about his experiences of the trip.

I'd recommend this book if you are looking for a nice comforting read. I read a lot of heavy books this year so this was a lovely change and I will be checking out Giovanna's other books.

Having thought it was going to be a light, frothy, easy read – I was a bit shocked that it started with the fact that a central figure had died and that the main crux of the storyline was how her husband and friends dealt with the aftermath of her death! Pia also shares the name of my niece – and it’s an unusual name, so not one you come across often – which makes it even more weird. But the book wasn’t all doom and gloom at all.

The chapters were written by the 3 main protagonists – so you were experiencing the story from 3 different viewpoints – which was great. I guess I empathised with Vicky the most – although the newborn days are long gone for me, thank goodness!

A large portion of the book takes place on a trek in Peru. I know Giovanna has been on such treks with the charity Coppafeel, so I’m assuming it was very true to life! It definitely evoked the feeling that you were on the trek with the friends. All of them gained something from the trip – which I guess is the point of doing such a thing.

At certain times I wanted to shout at the characters – and just tell them to talk to each other / their other halves – but I guess it was quite true to life that things can sometimes fester.

I loved the final chapter of the book that was a few years down the line. It tied up some loose ends – but not in a sickly sweet ‘everyone’s happy ever after’ kind of way.

Overall it was an easy, escapist read – and who doesn’t love one of those?

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC in exchange for a review.

My first book by Giovanna Fletcher, I was excited to read this story.

Overall I liked it. There were many moving scenes, and though I wanted to love the book, I found some scenes almost unbearable, in particular Mike after the women have left him and he's left with the boxes of Pia's clothes. I realise this is down to personal taste, and life history, but some scenes were just *too* close to home for me. As such I can't really say that I particularly enjoyed the book, purely because it was quite painful to read. But others may love it for exactly the same reason.

I felt Vickie was the most relatable overall, but each character was well-rounded, even Pia.

I was going to give this 3 stars, but truthfully I think my personal experiences shouldn't stop me from recognising that this is a well-written story, and as such I think it deserves 4 stars.

* Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to give an honest review*

This is the second book I’ve read by Fletcher and I was really looking forward to it. The story charts three friends brought together by the death of their friend Pia. It’s a story of adventure, love, loss and finding your way in life. Some difficult and emotional subjects covered with care and respect by Fletcher. Overall an enjoyable read

What a great story, easy to read whilst also discussing the gritty realities of life, marriage, relationships, family, covering relevant life topics throughout. Mike is facing his grief on losing his wife Pia, he can’t see his life ever moving forwards again. Their close friends Vicky & Zaza are each facing their own issues, all locked up deep inside them so they can support their friend in his loss.
Told from the points of view of the three main characters, I found I was feeling their emotions and confusions alongside them, facing the hardships of the trek too.
This story is an adventure about giving yourself time to think, alongside the challenges that facing a tough trek in Peru bring. The author has handled the situations with empathy, sensitivity and huge understanding: everyday life, grief, friendship, motherhood and commitment. It takes the reader on a journey of self discovery and the value of true and honest friendships.
It gave me a chance to reflect on my own life and what matters, the
importance of time, reflection and self.

I’ve loved Giovanna Fletcher ever since Tom’s cute wedding speech and I accepted defeat he was never going to fall in love with me. I’ve also really enjoyed her books that I’ve read so far, so I was excited to read this book. Like with Jodi Picoult I don’t think I had even read the blurb before I started it but it was a great emotional rollercoaster.

Mike, Vicky, Pia and Zaza became unbreakable friends after they become housemates in their early 20s. They are all at different places in their lives but have managed to stay close, however, when Pia is diagnosed with cancer and then dies the three friends try to support each other through it, but their different lives and ways of coping make it difficult. Then on Valentine’s; which is also Pia’s birthday, the girls and their partners invite Mike to celebrate with them, when the other guys back out, the original friends get drunks together and reminisce over old photos. During their review of the photos, they find a note from Pia encouraging them to get out and have an adventure. The next thing you know there is a drunken plan in place for the three friends to travel to Peru for an unforgettable hike.

The story is told from all three of the friends perspectives which is really refreshing and allows the reader to develop a connection with all of them. It felt like an honest diversity too which wasn’t pushed down my throat with the characters from different backgrounds, ethnicities and gender.

Overall I found this story really wholesome and lovely. It made me want to put my hiking shoes on and go and adventure new parts of the world. It was an easy read despite it being emotional and hard hitting at times and actually have me some Love Actually vibes which everybody knows is an amazing film. Basically Giovanna does it again!

After what I thought was a rather a slow prolonged start, the characters in the individual needs they have start to become clear especially with the challenge Pia has set them after her Passing . Since starting this book I've had a health flare up & my 92year old mum has just passed away , so although I've actually dealt with both Family deaths & many others during my years as a nurse lots of things in this book resonate with me .Unfortunately with health issues which because of the Pandemic have had me on full Medical Shielding for the past twenty three months & I haven't physically been able to see & hug my mum since early March 2020, I feel the need as my husband does that we need a trip to some of our favourite countryside places to help relieve some of the mental issues that have built up because being Basic State Pensioners we cannot afford to Travel over seas , my mobility issues reduce some of the things that we used to love to do as do finances do not even allow us to holiday in the UK because of the ridiculous prices people charge for renting even a one Bedroomed Cottage . But this book has encouraged me to look for some things to do to help us breath & get some form of happy `normality' back into our lives .#FB, #Instagram, #Amazon.co.uk, #<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/c566f42be23a0e25d120e78a3454e2d427c4beee" width="80" height="80" alt="50 Book Reviews" title="50 Book Reviews"/>, #<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/ef856e6ce35e6d2d729539aa1808a5fb4326a415" width="80" height="80" alt="Reviews Published" title="Reviews Published"/>, <img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/aa60c7e77cc330186f26ea1f647542df8af8326a" width="80" height="80" alt="Professional Reader" title="Professional Reader"/> #betweenthe covers.

Mike is grieving the recent loss of his wife Pua. Their two best friends Vicky and Zaza are helping Mike come to terms with his loss while dealing with their own grief.
Vicky is feeling a sense of losing her identity after choosing motherhood over her career. Zaza is at an important cross roads in her life after a recent marriage proposal.
While helping Mike clear out some of Pia's belongings they decide to follow Pia's instructions and make an impulsive booking on a trek in Peru. The story then follows them as they embark on a journey of self discovery and healing while exploring the wonders of Peru.

I found this book a bit too sickly sweet and predictable. It's a very easy read. A good pick me up even though it deals with a difficult subject matter. But I'm afraid it was a bit too much for my personal taste.

This book really hit home to me. I lost my wife 6 months ago to cancer and we had an after death plan. This gave her the peace to know I had enough to keep me busy and move on. The part about food was so accurate- when she was dying and I was nursing, biscuits, cakes, chocolate would do for an energy boost. After she died anything was fodder and had no meaning other than to keep me alive. Now I have to adjust to cooking for one without her sitting opposite me and putting the world to rights. So intuitive but so accurate

I won’t lie, I hadn’t actually read the synopsis of this one before I picked it up, like I said, Gi is a bit of an autobuy author for me, so I went into it completely blind! And that being said, for a title Walking on Sunshine, I definitely shed a few sad tears which I didn’t expect from that title 😂

The book may have been a little different to what I expected (my fault for not reading up on it first 😂), but I loved it! There were a lot of sad moments throughout it, but I’ll be honest, I quite enjoy a sad book that will make me cry sometimes! The emotions were so raw and real in it, I haven’t been in this particular situation myself, but I felt like I could really understand their feelings, hence my tears 🤦🏻‍♀️

I loved the descriptions of the location in this, and then I remembered that Gi has done a few treks of her own, and that made reading these parts even better for me, to know that the author had experienced something similar herself, which is probably why I felt like it was so true to life (as much as I can imagine, I however have never done such a trek).

I love a multiple narrative, and this one is no exception, I felt close to all three characters and their own personal stories as well as the one that connected them together. And of course, the fourth character that we never get to meet, Pia, I felt that I knew so much about her too, she plays such a huge pivotal part of the book without actually being present for it.

This one will definitely pull on your heartstrings, and tbh it made me think about my own life too and how I want to spend it. There were so many emotions throughout this, and I think Gi hit them all just right.

3.5 stars rounded up because there were a few lines that stuck out to me and will stick with me for a while. One being…
“Yes, I’ve changed. Thank you for noticing. Life not only gave me lemons, but it gave me limes, apples, pears and strawberries-and even some dragonfruit for good measure because even though it looked scary it was actually tasty. It gave me a fruit salad to work my way through. There are sour moments, parts that are bitter and unripe, but now I make sure to take the time to fully enjoy her sweeter offerings when they come. I’m altered because of all the things I’ve been exposed to, and that can only be a good thing.”
The power of friendship that goes deeper than the surface is the subject of this story and it pulls at you and pulls you under at times but in a good way.
3 friends are dealing with the loss of their fourth member, and before she passed she left some rules for living so that they wouldn’t quit without her there. They follow her rules which lead them to a trek through Manchu Pichu which ends up being cathartic for them all and causes them to reevaluate what and who’s important in their lives. They learn to find light in the darkness and strength from each other.
This made me smile and made me sad and made me appreciate the people that I have let into my tiny little corner of the world.
Thanks to the author and Netgalley for this Arc in exchange for my review.

Thanks to Penguin Michael Joseph UK and Netgalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for a review.

I was really looking forward to reading this book and wanted to love it. Unfortunately I just didn't enjoy it.

Maybe appeal to the young generation, an author still learning her craft but a sweet enough insight into modern youth and love

Walking on Sunshine follows the story of Mike, recently bereaved following the death of his wife, and their two best friends, Vicky and Zaza. Vicky is the exhausted mother of two children; Zaza is recently engaged and struggling with the thought of commitment. We follow the trio as they come to terms with their loss and contemplate the direction of their own lives.

Although dealing with a quite a difficult subject matter, this isn’t a gloomy read – far from it. Instead, Giovanna Fletcher has written a warm and funny novel around the issues of love, friendship and womanhood.

If I’m honest, Walking on Sunshine was a little *too* saccharine for my tastes (I’m clearly quite grumpy), but if you’re looking for a light, feel-good read, this is the perfect book for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I decided to DNF this at 20%. I normally love books by Giovanna Fletcher but this one, about a group of friends juggling life while they grieve over the recent death of a friend to breast cancer is just too sad. It’s not the type of fluffy chick lit I’ve come to expect from Giovanna. I requested this from netgalley automatically without reading the blurb, as I am a big fan of Giovanna’s, but that was a mistake. This book is not for me.

Friends sticking together to cope with their grief after one of them dies of cancer, following the list she left behind. An uplifting tale, but a bit too syrupy for me.

I found this book to be charming, emotional and inspirational.
A story of an unbreakable friendship, which I very much enjoyed.
Would highly recommend and have already bought as a gift for someone!

This is the first book I've read by Giovanna Fletcher and I enjoyed it. I can't say I was wowed by it and that it's a story that will stay with me though. A decent four stars, can't quite give it the fifth star. It's cover might make you think this is a Christmas read, but it isn't. That was fine for me, as it still feels a little early to be reading Christmas books. I enjoyed the details of the trek. I enjoyed the way the story was told by three different characters. I enjoyed seeing how both women (Vicky and Zaza) worked their way through their issues, and the way Mike started to heal. A good read. With thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

When Mike and Pia moved in with Vicky and Zaza they become best friends for life. Vicky got married and had children, and Zaza got engaged, and they were no longer all living together but their bond was unbreakable. When Pia died the other 3 were devastated, and started to question their lives. When they find a list from Pia instructing them to share a trip trekking in Peru.

They may have lost one of their best friends but they find eachother and themselves on this trip of a lifetime.

I loved this book. It takes you through the full range of emotions from sadness to joy and back again. I love the very real friendship between the three remaining friends - not sugar coated, and at times difficult, but they are all there for eachother. The description of the trek is amazing and almost made me want to go myself (almost 😁). All in all a very enjoyable book.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4336444222

When Pia dies her partner, Mike, is struggling with life and Pia’s best friends, Vicky and Zaza are there to help him while dealing with their own grief. Soon a plan is formed with a trek in Peru. Can they leave their own troubles behind and reconnect and move forward with their lives.
Gi’s stories never fail to make me feel happy and are always fantastic reads. Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for this arc in exchange for my honest review.