An unexpectedly enjoyable read.

A story about two opposite people, one a bug selling author (Essie) and the other, a cleaner (Liv).

When Essie passes away unexpectedly, Liv completes Essie's final novel.

A lovely read and would definitely be good to be used in a book club.

I really enjoyed this book. It's about Liv Green who works as a cleaner for a big author Essie Starling. Essie is leaves books for Liv to read and invites her round for afternoon tea. So Liv escapes into her books because she is at a point in her life where she doesn't know what to do. So, when Essie dies, it hits Liv hard because they had just started to spark up a friendship. Liv has to leave the imaginary world of her books to fulfil a wish Essie has left Liv.
the characters in this book are very likeable and real. the idea of the book is very fresh and unique so it makes it quite an enjoyable read.

The Book Share by Phaedra Patrick had me hooked right from the very start! A lineup of intriguing characters and an interesting storyline made this a perfect, feel good read!

The Book Share by Phaedra Patrick
I give this book 4.25 stars

Liv Green loves losing herself in a good book.So when she lands a job housekeeping for her personal hero and mega-bestselling author Essie Starling, she can't believe her luck.
When Essie dies unexpectedly, Liv is left with a last wish: to complete Essie’s final novel.As she begins to write, she uncovers a secret that could change her life.

This is such a delightful and uplifting read about being given an opportunity to be a different version of yourself while on a quest for answers. l found the author a captivating storyteller who fills the book with believable characters living their lives. Essie and Liv touched my heart and left me with a smile on my face and a cosy feeling of contentment.l flew through this one not wanting to put it down.
Ideal for a book club read.
With thanks to Netgalley,Phaedra Patrick and HQ for my chance to read and review this book

A nice pleasant and surprising read. Interesting and unusual characters. Liked the concept just expected a bit more going on in the middle.

I really enjoyed the juxtaposition between Essie the secretive and grumpy author and Liv her cleaner who dreams of literary success. Their homes, lifestyles and daily routines are wonderfully described and very relatable.
When Liv is given the task of completing the final novel of Essie's hugely popular heroine will she rise to the challenge?
This is a journey of discovery told via the desire to write and captures the frustrations, the blocks, the lies and half truths beautifully!

I really enjoyed this charming novel which I read in one day.

I was absorbed by the characters - Essie whose sudden death leaves Liv with the task of finishing her last book. As Liv learns more about Essie she also has to make decisions about her own life and decide whether or not she is going to ‘own’ it. She has to learn to write in her own voice and also learn more about her own past.

A lovely heart warming read - one to be recommended.

Do you know what?
I really loved this book!
Like really enjoyed it!
Liv is a middle-aged cleaner, pootling along with life. Her children are leaving the nest, her husband is deep in his own work worries, and Liv is just about coping. with her books by her side to keep her going
Until one of her cleaning clients changes her life, completely.
Essie Starling is a reclusive best-selling author, and somehow, she opens up to her cleaner, in the strangest of ways, leaving Liv with a mission and a half to complete, upon her death,
Sure, maybe it is a bit far-fetched, to imagine the situation she is propelled into, but what a situation to find yourself, eh?
Liv ends up on a journey of self-discovery that she never thought she needed to go on, and, in the process, awakes a passion for words that she had left dormant for far too long.
So many twists within the story kept me going and I finished it far too quickly for my liking.
As I said before, loved it!
Many thanks to NetGalley and HQ for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

It’s always nice to read books about bibliophiles and writers. I generally liked The Book Share, although it’s not my usual kind of read.

The story follows Liv Green, a 42-year-old mum who is always sacrificing her own interests for other people. She works as a cleaner for a famous author, Essie Starling. When Essie suddenly dies, Liv is told that the author wished her to finish writing her last book, which stars the popular character Georgia Rory. Liv has to battle her own doubts about writing, keep her mission secret from everyone, stop her marriage crumbling and keep financially afloat. There are also some secrets to uncover about Essie and why she was so interested in Liv.

There are few surprises in this story, with the main focus being the development of Liv’s character as she gains confidence. I liked the insights into being a writer. I wasn’t as keen on the writing style itself, as there were too many silly similes and overdramatic phrases. The book isn’t particularly realistic, being a kind of fairytale. Everything seemed too convenient and easily wrapped up. I’m also not a fan of things being explained in long letters towards the end of a book.

In summary, this is a gentle, character-driven novel, ideal for book lovers who like to read about book lovers!

The Book share was an enjoyable read, I had to skip my way through some of the chapters as nothing seemed to be happening.

What a wonderful, feel good book! I really enjoyed this story with its unusual premise, making it a fresh and unpredictable read. The characters are flawed, likeable and very real. I was totally invested in all of the characters stories - Liv - would she finish Essie’s book? Essie - what is the secret she was hiding, who was the love of her life and who DO those cufflinks belong to? Anthony - who was he to Essie? Jake - what is going on with him, his business, his sister? I devoured this book, wanting to find out what happens next and being surprised by the twists, turns and unexpected revelations. I loved it, and I’m pretty sure you will too……… highly recommended.

An nice easy read, one to find it’s way into your summer reading list, the main character Liv is a likeable girl even if the situations she finds herself in can be improbable!

I found this to be a quick, easy and fun read that compelled me all the way through. I liked the writing, the characters and the storyline and I will definitely be looking for more from this author. An enjoyable read.

A quick and easy read that I found myself picking up after a long day to unwind. The characters are beautifully written and I came to love them within the first few pages and was rooting for them all the way to the end. At times I wanted to stop reading because I just wanted the experience to go on for longer.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Liv is a forty something mum of two teenage boys who works as a cleaner for the reclusive best selling novelist Essie Starling. Liv has loved Essie’s book all her life and it is a joy for her to work for the demanding Essie so when she disappears Liv is requested by Essie’s solicitor to finish Essie’s twentieth novel it seems like it might solve all her problems. But as Liv takes on more and more of Essie’s life to try and understand what made Starling withdraw from the world the harder it is for Liv to remember who she is.
The Book Share is very nice. I felt this about Patrick’s other book as well, her protagonists are generally pretty sensible and tame. They are gentle. This isn’t a bad thing. While some of the plot points in the book (the stuff with Liv’s dad) were easily predictable, Liv herself went on a big journey in this book and I wasn’t really sure how it would all pan out and this is the point Patrick is making as she looks at the process of writing and talks about the emotional journey of characters in writing. They reflect our own lives back at us.

I found the book share an enlightening read but the concept very improbable/unlikely!
Liv was a lovely character likeable and relatable, especially the age thing and empty nest syndrome and it was great to see her blossom and flourish in her new role but I did struggle to relate her actions and those of the solicitor to real life!
Having the insight into an authors life and what it entailed particularly one as famous as Essie was eye opening and very interesting, on the whine a pleasant read and the first I have read from this author.
Thank you netgalley fir this early read.

Thanks to HQ and Netgalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for a review.

I really enjoyed this story of Liv a 42 year old mum (about to be an empty nester) feeling a little lost. She cleans for some awful people but in amongst this she also cleans for reclusive Essie Starling who is the author of Liv's favourite book series which also seems to have lost it's way a little.

This book appears to be on Good Reads as The Messy Lives of Book People so I have also left a review there.

I did not finish this one. I managed reading up to 30% and I had to stop due to the amount of stereotypes about people on humble jobs such as cleaning. There is nothing wrong with that line of work but the way is expressed in this book it comes across as if people like the main character are some kind of losers that need get a different job in order to be more respected. As someone who has a degree but works in something similar, I was offended. I guess is the way of the writer to make the main character somehow successful in an unrealistic way.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to share my views on books, Thank you to the publisher and author for allowing me to read an eARC of this book, I was very excited to get my hands on this book.

I liked this book overall, firstly the cover is beautiful. I have not read from Phaedra Patrick before so I was very excited but also cautious going into this book, but I shouldn't have been I loved this book. The writing style was beautiful the initial relationship between the main two ladies is beautiful and I loved that the heroine had her own thoughts and feelings and didn't curve to the mould that she could have been forced into, I loved how she works on something that means everything to her and the character progression is beautiful.

Although unfortunately, I couldn't find it on GoodReads to mark as read and put my review on there.

This is a highly original and unlikely story about 42 year old Liv who works as a cleaner to, amongst others, a best selling author who she is a huge fan of. When the author dies Liv is left in a complex scenario of not only being asked to complete her unfinished 20th novel but also not to tell anyone she has died for six months. The challenges this causes Liv are what makes this novel as you see her character transforming as she not only tackles the unexpected task of completing the book but also uncovering the mystery of the authors past in unlikely ways. Liv was a good person to start with but in the six months she really comes into her own and it’s interesting to see how it impacts on her life and the way she starts viewing herself.