I loved The Authenticity Project by Clare Pooley and I was excited to read her latest book - The People on Platform 5. Iona, a remarkable character is the linchpin of this story about some of the commuters travelling from platform 5. She and her dog Lulu befriend nurse Sanjay, Emmie who is living with a controlling boyfriend, school-girl Martha, finance professional and wannabe teacher Piers.
This is such a great and relatable premise for a story - the people you meet on your daily commute. Its a story of friendship, and a reminder that we never truly know what's going on in anyone's lives.
With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was absolutely delightful!!! I read The Authenticity Project back in March ~ and I fell in love with her writing style! 💜 When I first saw The People on Platform 5, I knew I HAD to read the book asap! I am so happy that the publisher approved me to read the book early. Guess what? I loved reading this one more that TAP. (and that was a high bar already).

The People on Platform 5 made me believe in the power of friendship so, so strongly, and made me think of how friends can heal you just by... being there. I truly believe that the best kind of friends are made when you find them in unexpected scenarios ~ TPOP5 is exactly about that. The book follows a group of commuters on the train, and how their lives get connected due an incident, leading the way to form some very heartwarming relationships. All of the characters in the book were so quirky and had their own charming vibe about themselves! My favorite character was definitely Iona. Gosh, I was completely fascinated by the story of her life ~ I literally couldn't turn the pages fast enough to know more about her! She's 57 (and I'm 21) but I still found her POV so enthralling! I still cannot stop thinking about her. LOVE LOVE LOVE.

I really appreciated that one of the most important aspects of the book was how wrong our assumptions of people can be, and how human beings can suprise us in the most wonderful of ways. I highlighted a lot of paragraphs while reading the book, and I cannot wait to get a physical copy to mark the pages with my colourful tabs. There were a lot of touching and inspirational conversations between the gang ~ I will always keep their stories close to my heart!

If you haven't read books by Clare Pooley already, consider this review a signal to do so. You will fall in love with her books!!!

What a fantastic well written and heart warming story. A diverse collection of characters with the only their train commute in common. We follow their traumas and their secrets, infatuations and dreams, Authentic characters leap off the page.

We all do it, don’t we? Give nicknames to complete strangers based on superficial judgements about appearances or behavior. In our street, for instance, we have Mr Gadget, the Yappy Dog Lady and Old Scowly Face. But, do we ever wonder who the people are behind these epithets?

Such is the intriguing premise of The People on Platform 5, an exquisitely wrought story of unlikely connections that is both poignant and wholesome but at the same time delivers some timely lessons about the way we conduct our lives in a society where aloofness has become the norm.

Meet agony aunt Iona, stockbroker Piers, nurse Sanjay, digital marketer Emmie and schoolgirl Martha, an eclectic bunch spanning three generations and hailing from very different backgrounds. And each in the midst of a personal crisis.

They are all passengers on the same daily train ride into London. They know each other by sight — and have nicknames for each other — but none would ever dream of breaking the unwritten rule of commuting by actually striking up a conversation. Until one morning, Piers chokes on a grape.

What follows, as these five strangers are forced out of their self-imposed bubbles is pure, undiluted reading pleasure. Gruff good mornings evolve into confessions and confidences, which in turn evolve into advice, support and practical help. And friendship. Good, honest, altruistic friendship.

In many ways, this is very similar to Pooley’s Authenticity Project, which was also about a disparate group of people who come together to form a family of sorts. But it’s a trope that this author executes to perfection. At the end of the day, it’s all about the characters, and every single one is a charm. I loved them all, cared what happened to them, and may even have done a little dance of joy at their happy ever after.

A hugely enjoyable, uplifting, life-affirming read, which has just earned Clare Pooley a spot on my auto-buy list.

Absolutely loved this. Well written, interesting and true to life. More please.
I hadn't read anything by this author before, off to research on Amazon.

Firstly a question for you all - what is your favourite feeling to have when you get to the end of a book?

Mine is that feeling of your heart being full to bursting, your eyes full of happy tears and all you want to do is go back to the beginning and read the whole book again.

This is how I felt when I finished The People on Platform 5 - as well as feeling so bereft that it was over, I wasn't ready for it to end.

The Authenticity Project was in my top 10 books of 2021 so Platform 5 had a lot to live up to but unsurprisingly Clare has smashed it out of the park yet again. I would absolutely love to pick Clare's brains about how she creates her characters as I don't think I've come across any books with better characterisation than The Authenticity Project and The People on Platform 5.

Iona for me is one of those unforgettable people that you can't get enough of. She heads up a cast of authentic and real characters that you can imagine being friends with in real life. They've all got their own stories and they start to interlink as the book goes on with Iona pulling the strings.

It is incredibly well executed and flows seamlessly throughout which can be tricky when dealing with multiple characters. Lots of important and sometimes tricky subjects are discussed and I think we can probably all relate to at least one of the characters in the book and for me that helped me form a real connection to the book and the characters.

This is the ultimate hug in a book, a perfect heartwarming read and I loved it to bits! It definitely belongs in the 1st class train carriage!

A huge all the stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

THE PEOPLE ON PLATFORM 5
BY
CLARE POOLEY.

Ah Clare Pooley, what a talented writer you are.
I loved The Authenticity Project, so I couldn’t wait to get stuck into this one too.

The People On Platform 5, is exactly as the title suggests - the story of an eclectic group of people who commute together every day on the train. They all make assumptions about eachother, but as events unfold and they all get to know the people they share their daily journey with, it becomes clear that not all assumptions are correct and that everyone has their own story to tell and their own problems to deal with.
As friendships tentatively begin to develop, can this unlikely group of people be there for each other and help one another to put their lives back on track?

This book is an absolute delight. So well written, it flows effortlessly and will hook you in from page one.
I loved the interesting group of characters and wanted a happy ending for them all.

Warm, funny, sweet, moving and completely unputdownable.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

With thanks to #Netgalley and #RandomHouseUk for a digital arc of this title.

I have not yet read The Authenticity Project, but I have heard great things about it. I was invited to read this book by the Publisher.
Anyone who has ever had a regular commute by public transport will relate to some of this storyline. You often see the same fellow commuters, but don't necessarily talk to them.
There was a fascinating eclectic cast of characters in this book. I really enjoyed reading about them. This book was very interesting and well written.
I found this book a little slow to start, but the storyline moved on quickly and I soon became engrossed. I am definitely going to read Clare Pooley's first book and I am looking forward to reading her next book.
Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for my ARC.

I was a little anxious to read this, I truly adored The Authenticity Project and was afraid that I was setting my expectations at an unattainable level for Clare Pooley’s second book. That fear was unnecessary- this book is just as amazing.
It’s a situation a lot of us are familiar with, a daily commute with people we recognise but never speak to, and this is one of the great things about the way Clare writes; it feels known. You understand the dynamics that are at play, you can put yourself in the characters positions and think about how you would react. She draws people that leap off the page fully-formed and wrap their lives around you. She puts ordinary folk into slightly out of the ordinary scenarios and shows the effects that can have on interactions.
The shared theme in both books is the goodness of people. We easily fall into the trap of focusing on the negative - we’re less connected, everyone is in their own selfish bubble, no-one cares about anyone else. This story reminds you that the this isn’t always the case, and if you give people a chance they might surprise you with their empathy and their story.
Overall, this book left me uplifted, hopeful and satisfied. Clare Pooley books should be prescribed by doctors to anyone suffering malaise about life. It’s impossible to not feel better whilst you’re inhabiting her world.

This was a slow builder for me.
Once I had read around fifty percent of the book, I was invested.
The different plots of the different characters all started to combine and come together nicely and made me want to keep reading to see what happened.

I loved the way all the lives started to intermingle.
There were even some great life lessons in the book.
I found it to be funny and heartwarming. Whilst also having thoughtful and good meaning running through each storyline.

Absolutely adorable! Iona travels to work on the train every day and finds herself sharing her carriage with others who she sees everyday. Like I’m sure we all do, she gives them names based on their appearance and behaviour. One day there is an incident that leads to Iona and 5 others talking to each other and finding out about each other day by day. They find if one of them isn’t in the train, the others wonder where they are. What follows is a lovely insight into each character and a storyline that entwines them and brings long lasting friendship.
A great read.

I loved the characters in this book, Iona above all, and like how this book deals with the force of friendship and how it can help in everyday life.
A cast of characters that are brought together by an accident while they commute. Different life that are apparently happy and successful even if there's more behind the facade.
I love the style of writing: dry, witty, and able to make you feel for the characters.
Ms Pooley is a talented storyteller and their characters are well developed and relatable.
A life affirming and poignant story.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Sharing a commute, five individuals are brought together after one of them nearly chokes to death on a grape on the 08:05 train to Waterloo.

Iona, Martha, Piers, Emmie and Sanjay are all seemingly very different people but, after Iona and Sanjay save Piers’ life, they end up chatting on their commute and the others are drawn into their orbit.

As we get to know the characters, we find that though they appear outwardly ordinary, successful and comfortable in their own skin, they all have things going on in their lives that they are struggling with and have seemingly no one to turn to. I really liked this aspect because of how true to real life this is – how many of us assume everyone has got life worked out and it’s just us with worries and doubts.

I found Iona especially to be such a wonderful character. She draws on her life experience to help her new found friends – some might call this meddling! – and in return, she finds that they are also able to help her when events in her life cause her to falter. I found Iona’s backstory quite moving, as well as some of the others’. Issues dealt with in this novel include homophobia, coercive control, anxiety, as well as late-in-life career changes and overcoming bullying and harassment.

In short, this is a really lovely story about forming connections and is a gentle reminder that we’re not all so very different and that it’s never too late in life to change course. This book is a comforting hug and an encouraging nudge all in one.

Thank you to the publishers and to NetGalley for the advance copy on which this review is based.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this feel-good story, full of quirky, delightful characters (with a few dislikable one’s thrown in for good measure). The premise is simple - a group of regular commuters, each with their own tale to tell, brought together by an incident on a train. However don’t be put off by that, as this story is multi-layered dealing with social issues faced by many people. The book is emotional and joyful in equal measure. Add in some fabulous humour too.
Iona is a stand out, totally unique character brought to life so vividly I was in awe of her. I was left wanting to meet this disparate group of characters in real life and was sad to reach the end, leaving them behind.
The overall feel of the book is uplifting and hopeful, which is something we could all benefit from in this ‘modern’ world. A definite strong recommendation from me!

The People On Platform 5, Clare Pooley

I LOVED The Authenticity Project and was excited to hear about this one so when I saw it on @netgalley, I requested it. - thank you so much for my ARC copy. It lived up to all my expectations from @clare_pooley!

To take the unarticulated ‘rule of commuting’ - not speaking or making eye contact with one another - and completely setting it to one side to create this joyous plot is a brilliant move!

Once again, Clare’s multiple characters are likeable, relatable and endearing. Iona Iverson is a wonderful character, she is a 57 year old, magazine advice column writer who is struggling to keep up with the new ways of the magazine world and her eccentricity and confidence is captivating! Her commute to the office sees her take the train from Hampton Court to Waterloo each morning but after one unexpected journey, the strangers who she travels with each morning, become strangers no more.

There are some truly heartwarming moments, some laugh out loud moments, and some sharp intake of breath moments. I read this in one day over two sittings as I was so involved with the storyline and couldn’t wait to find out what developed.

An absolute joy to read, Clare Pooley is on my list of auto-buy authors!

Travelling to work was the norm. Creating back stories for the people you see regularly but never engage with. One brave person does engage and supports a range of people who travel the same route. The stories and assumptions you have made fade away and they become friends.
I would love to be more Iona, especially as I get older. Her wonderful spirit and kindness is inspiring.
Carve out some me time to enjoy Ionas brand of wonderful and meet characters you will become invested in

I absolutely loved this book! It’s a slice of life of some people who’s only connection is they take the same train on a regular basis. I loved all the characters and took to them straight away. I totally recommend this book to anyone looking for an easy read with plenty going on. Thank you #netgalley

I really liked this one. It’s an easy read, but it packs a powerful punch (check out at the end for a content warning/potential spoiler) as our main character, Iona, brings together a little rag tag bunch of commuters together to form their very own community. And as these strangers become friends, you become invested in them. You learn more about each character, and the struggles they’re each hiding behind the masks we present to the outside world. And there’s so much going on in this book: redundancy, bullying, discrimination, anxiety, and so much more!! There’s also a lot of growth for these characters. My only wish is that I could have had even more depth to their stories, so I could have felt ALL the feels - I’m greedy like that ☺️

Thanks to NetGalley, the team at Transworld Books, and the author for the opportunity to read this review copy.


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⚠️Content warning/potential spoilers: there’s reference to suicide ⚠️

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

I loved The Authenticity Project and was looking forward to reading this book.

I absolutely loved this book, the characters and Iona, as well as the others.

The story was beautifully written, easy to read and I wish that there was more to read, to find out what happened next.

I highly recommend this book.

This book starts really well. I love the idea of a book based around a train commute.

There are so many wonderful characters on public transport and I think this book is spot on. I love learning more about certain characters lives.

I love Iona's character, she's really relatable and she's brilliantly written.

I adore Sanjay, he's such a lovely character and I think if I ever had bad news or difficulties I'd want him to talk to me. He's so personable and so kind.

The acknowledgements by the author are so interesting that she also commuted, its a great insight.

This book was funny, sad, happy, brilliant and interesting, loved it.