I'm actually a massive fan of Call the Midwife, so I was really hoping for something similar to that, a book that was heartwarming and cosy. Small Miracles was definitely that, especially in the very neat way in which everything was tied up in the end, but unfortunately, I found the storylines to be quite hit-and-miss, to the point where I definitely paid way more attention to skim, and almost completely skimmed others. I didn't really warm to the 1990s setting, maybe because the nuns had less of an impact in the community by this point, but I would've liked it to be more impactful to the story in some way. I also found the story to be slipping in the second half, with the nuns' trip to Rome seemingly coming out of nowhere. I appreciated the more human sides shown by the nuns, but the ending felt too convenient for me in its attempt to have a dramatic twist.

This was a nice read, if a little slow at times.

It's the 1990s and three nuns are struggling to run what remains of their convent, emotionally and financially. They need a miracle if the Sisters of Saint Philomena are going to keep going...

There are other members of their small community in Fairbridge looking for miracles, too. Father Hugh needs money for a new roof, travel agent George is trying to stop disappointing his mother, Dr Matthew Woodburn is desperately seeking more paintings by a sought-after artist, while local Linda is feeling unbearably low and alone.

This is a light, cosy read as you might expect and the point of view jumps around from character to character. I did find I was waiting for the story to get going - it wasn't a page-turner. But it was a relaxed, comforting book and I don't regret picking it up.

I really liked this heartwarming and subtle story. The characters are great and the astute observations on their behaviours are both wise and generous. It's just a very engaging story and I was rooting for the characters all the way through.

This is a great holiday read with a sweet, gentle narrative. Three nuns who live in a falling apart convent find they have suddenly won the lottery, the first of many small miracles connected to them that are to follow. Multiple narratives intertwine with each influenced, often unknowingly, by another as various characters battle with dilemmas, problems and miracles that come their way. This is a gentle book with enough of a varied story line to keep the reader turning the pages and waiting to find out what will happen next.

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

A heartwarming, uplifting, and entertaining novel that made me smile and root for the nuns.
The author delivers a cast of lovely characters, a well plotted story that kept me hooked.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

This really is a lovely warm hug of a novel - a thoroughly enjoyable read that reminds of the good in everyday life.

The three nuns who were at the centre of the novel were painted as more than just their vocation - their characters were clearly defined and each had their merits and failings. It was nice to see their place within a community rather than cloistered away, and this allowed the author to show how they were adapting to the changing circumstances in which they were living. It's not just about the nuns though, we also meet a newly-married couple, a repressed homosexual and those connected to the parish's benefactor and his artist brother.

I'd recommend this novel for fans of quaint village romances (because it really is similar in it's chatty, light-hearted style) who are looking for something a little different. A little warning here would be that this is rather a Catholic novel. Although it's certainly not preachy in any way, it is about nuns, priests, bishops, the Pope, Rome, miracles etc. If you don't want to read about a book with a religious theme, then this isn't the one for you! I think that both the title and the front cover give ample warning of this though, so I don't think that many will be picking it up assuming it won't contain religious references.

Although much lighter than the kind of thing that I'd normally be attracted to, but overall, I found this to be an enjoyable read.

Sisters Margaret, Bridget and Cecilia from the order of the Sisters of Saint Philomena might have to leave their friends and neighbours in the parish community of Fairbridge, a fictional English town. Sister Bridget, now seventy, went to cookery college thanks to Sister Frances's support, recognition of potential and persuasion, so she bakes cakes for the church funds but it's not enough for the cash-strapped order and the convent. Fifty-eight-year-old Mother Superior, Sister Margaret is still grieving the loss of her close friend, Sister Helen. Sister Cecilia, 90, has high hopes for a lottery win which happens to the tune of £20,000, bringing with it new opportunities for the sisters at home and abroad.

A delightful story with some beautifully drawn relationships and interesting revelations. Charming, amusing, with a soupçon of scandal and very worthwhile.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Random House UK, Vintage, via NetGalley and this review is my own unbiased opinion.

This is such a delightful book. Lovely, well-developed characters, I was routing for all of them. It's a gentle and funny story about community and people pulling together to help each other. I really loved it.

A dwindling order of nuns are facing many challenges. They have lost their way in the community. A financial windfall A predictable but funny tale of life in the community of Fairbridge.

You will laugh and cry as this book has it all. Lovely story and I didn't want it to end. 5stars.

Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for this ARC

It’s the mid-1990s and Saint Philomena’s Convent is down to three nuns, Margaret, shy and not keen on pushing herself forward, but now somehow the Superior, bustling Bridget, pillar of the community, and austere, 90-year-old Cecilia, obsessed with the history of their founder. A lottery win starts off a plot of answered prayers and others helped: this is what I would call a “community” novel, like “The People on Platform 5” or even “Thrown“, with a range of other characters, each with their own story that intertwines with the whole – shy academic Matthew, expert on the convent founder’s mysterious brother, who must have a set of lost paintings somewhere, his capable sister, Sarah, who was one of my favourite characters, George the travel agent with the domineering mum, their handyman and his family.

A mysterious find spurs a trip to Italy, with the nuns staying in character but experiencing some revelations of their own. Their relationships are beautifully drawn, as is Margaret’s grief at the loss of her best friend, Helen, a true sister in the convent and taken too soon, which informs her whole demeanour and way of being. Their religion is also respected and celebrated – not self-conscious, just there, with Margaret regularly talking to God through prayer and asides, and many characters being comforted by their faith. This wasn’t pushy but calming and rather lovely, and the novel can definitely be enjoyed by the non-religious, as I prove.

The plot is cleverly done, with family history, art and a whiff of scandal all coming together, side characters brought in and a lovely resolution which I had half-foreseen but not in the way it happened. There are several delightful cats to whom nothing negative happens, and a variety of characters of different ages, the three main nuns being over 50, and a little racial diversity brought in although in side characters, one a shop owner, one a friend of the convent and its church. A nice, gentle read.

The order of the Sisters of Saint Philomena is down to its last three nuns. With no savings and no new recruits, Sisters Margaret, Bridget and Cecilia are facing the prospect of having to sell their home and leave behind the parish community that they love. Desperate for a solution, Sister Cecilia decides to play the National Lottery, and a series of small miracles begin to unfold.

I found Small Miracles to be a sweet story, but a little bit directionless. The general plot follows the nuns through their lottery win and on their pilgrimage to Rome, but this is packed out with a lot of other mostly pointless fluff. I suppose the idea is to show the miracles that can occur in everyday life, but to be honest it felt a bit airey and not concise enough for me. It was an easy read, but lacking a bit of oomph.

However, I did thoroughly enjoy the characters. Margaret, Bridget and Cecilia are all excellent and the tensions between them are entirely realistic considering how long they’ve been together and the situation they are in. I felt they came across as believable and pleasantly modern in their beliefs. They are totally accepting of love in all its forms, and the love story sub-plot was a really heart warming addition. I also really liked a lot of the side characters, especially George, Matthew and Sarah.

In Fairbridge in the 1990s, the order of the Sisters of Saint Philomena has shrunk to three nuns. Sr Cecelia is in her 90's, an academic & desperate to win the lottery to pay repairs on the large house where they live. Sr Bridget in her 70's, super cook heart of the parish & eternally optimistic & Sr Margaret in her late 50's, thrown into the role of Mother Superior & grieving for her close friend Sr Helen she is constantly worrying how they can continue. When the convent does have a small lottery win it starts a chain of events resulting in some small miracles.

I enjoyed getting to know the different characters & the insights into their lives. This was a lovely gentle & uplifting story. I loved it. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.

This felt like a 1990s version of Call the Midwife, with less mother and babies and more lottery wins. Its a charming story, that brims with hope and good nature. Its a perfect comfort read when all you want is a happy ending. And maybe a pregant cat.

For me however, I did want more of a plot. The pace is very meandering, much like the nuns themselves, taking each day as it comes with no rushing. There's a lot of down time where not very much happens and for me I need that little bit of action to keep me engaged. I also thought the nuns were never really developed that well either, and at times I forgot who was who as they all blend into the same person.

Happy, lovely little story but needed that little bit of substance to really sell the story.

A very cute read, that gave me lots of feel-good vibes.

Thank you NetGalley for my complimentary copy in return for my honest review.

Fairbridge, The Sisters of Saint Philomena are facing hard times. There is only 3 of them left now. Sister Margaret, the youngest of the 3 remaining and struggling in her role as Mother Superior. Sister Bridget, is perpetually happy, sees the wonder if everything and everyone and is the most marvellous cook. The elder of three Sister Cecilia, 90 has spent her life researching the benefactor, Edward Mortimer of the convent and also trying to win the lottery.

The convent is in disrepair, no new intakes and a building beyond its use with the school they used to teach at token away from their care. It seems the sisters will need to go their separate ways.

Then the sisters win on the lottery.

Is this the start of the small miracles they need to secure their future?

But fortune and miracles are not just for the religious but for everyone in Fairbridge. The priest Farther Hugh needs a new curate to share the workload and the church needs a new roof.

Matthew Woodburn, an expert on the paintings of Jack Mortimer, black sheep of the family and brother to the Nun’s benefactor. Surely there must be more of his paintings waiting to be discovered?

George wants to find love and break away from having to deal with his bitter and cantankerous mother. It seems that he will need to be brave.

Thomas finding solace in the Convent garden and with Sister Bridget’s cooking is desperate for his daughter to find her spark in life.

All it needs is a few miracles, small ones that gather speed and all of a sudden, 3 nuns, a travel agent and an art historian find themselves in Italy. Will it provide all the answers?

A gentle book, full of love and spirit and grief and misery .That sense of friendship, new relationships and community love that brings everyone together. The secrets kept and shared. I did not pay much attention to the synopsis of the book when I chose it, it was one of those random choices that I am glad I did pick up and could lose myself in thoroughly.

Joyful, spirited and full of nice things, in a world where we probably need a number of miracles this was pure indulgence in escapism.

It’s the 1990’s, Pulp, the Verve and The Stereophonics are in the charts, the National lottery was launched and the internet for most people, was just a twinkle in the eye. The order of the Sisters of Saint Philomena are down to just three last nuns and the convent needs a lot of repairs. With no money and no new novices coming in they face a dire future. Sister Cecilia, a 90 year member of the convent starts praying for a lottery win and after that a series of small miracles start to unfold.

I loved this book, but think it was helped by the fact that my grandma worked in a convent in Ireland, and so I was always around nuns from a young age, and was fascinated by their lives, so for me this felt like a trip down memory lane.

There were some occasions in the book when I was really surprised by the behaviour and attitude of Sister Margaret, but then you discover why and it all fits into place, and the intertwined story of Matthew and George was a delight to read.

A charming read that you will whistle through

In a Nutshell: Not bad, not outstanding. Heartwarming, a bit over-the-top, funny, predictable, slow, interesting. Pretty much mixed feedback all the way. Will be a nice one-time read for those who like light fiction.

Story Synopsis:
1995. The order of the Sisters of Saint Philomena has just three nuns left - Sisters Margaret, Bridget and Cecilia. Their home needs repairs but they have no savings, no funds coming their way, and no new novices. 90 year old Sr. Cecilia has resorted to buying lottery tickets and is confident that her prayers will give them a win. To everyone’s surprise, (ahem… except for the readers – we know what’s to come), they do win a small jackpot one day. But this leads to a butterfly effect of events, which forms the rest of the plot.

Where the book worked for me:
🌹 I must admit, the biggest reason for my opting for this title was that I have read too many books bashing nuns for their rigid beliefs. (And rightfully so!) I wanted to try something that would be akin to the portrayal of nuns in ”Sister Act”, more humane and approachable, letting us know the person behind the habit. This book delivers on that count. The sisters in this book aren’t the typical judgemental or old-fashioned kinds (for the most part – 90 year old Sr. Cecilia is an exception, but she too is critical only in one instance), nor are they perfectly goody-goody. I loved the portrayal of the three religious.
🌹 I had assumed the sisters to be the focal point of the story. But there are many subplots woven around the convent and the lottery win, most of which are interesting. All the tracks tie up neatly at the end. Most of the secondary characters are also sketched well.
🌹 There is a little suspension of disbelief required, depending on your worldview of ‘miracles’. There are a series of small miracles, some of which seem like miracles, some are just serendipitous coincidences, and some are instances of a “pay it forward”. If you leave the logical part of your brain aside, it is easier to get into the groove of the story and enjoy it for what it is.
🌹 There are some funny moments in the narration, but the main theme of the story is of friendship, faith, trust, and hope.
🌹 To my absolute (and pleasant) surprise, there are queer characters in the book! The icing on the cake was that the sisters don’t judge them for their homosexuality. How refreshing! (Though I must also admit, it is a bit unrealistic. Most nuns I know won’t be as accepting…Sigh!)
🌹 For a story set around nuns, I did expect prayers and blind faith in God to be part of the plot. But most of this comes across as balanced and not fatalistic. The only thing that irked me was Sr. Margaret’s tendency to “talk to the Lord” after every few sentences. It was overdone.

Where the book could have worked better for me:
🌵 It is slow-paced and meanders through the multiple subplots and characters. You really need to keep your patience with it until you see how things come together.
🌵 It is tricky to remember the numerous characters, especially at the start.
🌵 Some minor plot points are left hanging.
🌵 Was it necessary to make George cry in almost every scene he is a part of? Sheesh.
🌵 I wasn’t GRIPPED by the story, if you know what I mean. I could keep the book aside even mid-chapter without a tinge of curiosity.

All in all, this was a sweet and heartwarming story. I didn’t hate anything but I wasn’t wowed by it. A feel-good, one-time read for those who like cosy fiction.

3.5 stars, rounding up in hope of divine blessings. 😉

My thanks to Random House UK and NetGalley for the DRC of “Small Miracles”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

An ok, pleasant read, although I found that this book didn't flow quite as much as I would have liked.
I had expected prayers in a book about nuns but not quite as many as this which also probably hindered the flow.
It was a sweet if fanciful story, an easy warm read with nothing too demanding for the reader.

A lovely gentle story but nevertheless an interesting one with the .layers merging into one good book. The characters are well-,rounded and the plot is very well written. I enjoyed reading Small Miracles and would recommend it to anyone who wanted a nice undemanding book to read.