I enjoyed this book, it has a lot of heart. A complex family is always intriguing and there were some pretty dark themes explored but with tenderness and compassion. The unravelling mystery was well written and compulsive. Overall recommend.

I'm afraid I couldn't get into this one as I found the pace a bit slow. I've tried a couple if times, but have had to DNF at this point.

Such a lovely read. I like characters such as Lucy, for some reason, parts of them resonate with me. She likes her routine, her own little compartmentalized life and doesn't deal with it well when something happens to upset her daily life.

A coming of age story. An interesting premise but the slow pace failed to grip me as a reader and I did not finish.

This book was unexpected. From the blurb, I thought I was going to be reading something, when in fact I read something completely different. In a very good way, though!
It started a bit slow, it took me a little why to get into the story as it was quite repetitive. There were a few secrets that the main character was keeping and - for me - it gets quite frustrating when instead of giving the reader clues on the secret, the author just keeps repeating the same thing.
However, the story picked up and I was very invested in seeing what was going to happen next.
I liked the way it ended also, the author had a closure for everything and everyone.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK for approving this.

I have mixed feelings about this one. I liked the main character at the beginning but really struggled with her decisions as the story went on. I found the plot to be too unbelievable with no much depth of character.

I’ve given this a round up 3/5.

This was a misunderstood family coming of age story. It was ok ,but not grabbing my attention as others have done.
Not for me sorry.

A beautiful and poignant read. Lucy is such a great character and I loved her relationship with little Rubi.
This is quite a deep and meaningful story - emotional and thought provoking and more than you’d first think. I really enjoyed Lucy’s thoughts about her life and people in it and welcomed the changes that Cassie and Rubi brought to her story.

I’d like to thank NetGalley and Random House UK for approving me for an ARC of this book.

When I first stated this book I had an idea in my head of what story was to follow but boy was I wrong. Do not let the cover fool you into thinking that this will be a heart warming, cosy read because whilst that does feature in the story there is also a lot of darkness and worry.

At the start of the book we are introduced to Lucy, a reclusive character that is a stickler for routine and keeping herself to herself. She likes the quiet life and is content with how her life is going so when she is asked to babysit Rubi for her neighbour, that she has only met on a few occasions, Lucy isn’t too sure what to do.

It’s from here that the story gets really interesting because Cassie, Rubi’s mum, doesn’t return and Lucy is left wondering what has happened to her and when, if she will come back. Naturally Lucy starts to use the clever skills of her favourite detective, Columbo, to find some answers.

Along the way we meet a whole host of different and interesting characters. I absolutely loved Jimmy and the role he played in the story, Liam was also a diamond in the ruff! I think the most touching aspect of this book though was the relationship Lucy had with her Dad. It is clear from very early on that things are not great between them and there were many occasions when I felt that lump in my throat and the tears threatened to break free. Lucy clearly has something from her past that haunts her and I desperately wanted to know what it was.

This was an intriguing story with an element of mystery, that kept me guessing right until the end. With a rollercoaster of action spiralling us to the finale I’d almost go as far as to say this book belongs in the thriller category.

Really intriguing book - what would you do if you were left to look after someone else’s child, when you’re anxious around other people and feel there’s more going on? Really enjoyed this story & still not sure what I would do either… Well done Eve Ainsworth :)

I’m always a little skeptical when an author changes which audience they are writing for, but Eve Ainsworth has seamlessly jumped from Young Adult to Adult novels. It’s like she has always been writing for the adult market.

Duckling is the story of Lucy, a 30 year old woman, who has always been content to live her life without anyone in it. She would rather be on her own than rely on anyone else.

When her new neighbour convinces her to look after her daughter, Ruby, for a few hours, Lucy is extremely reluctant but Cassie talks her into it. When Cassie doesn’t return, Lucy realises she has to let people in to help her find out what has happened.

The author has created real life characters and put them in a gritty and realistic situation. I defy anyone who says they don’t know someone like Lucy or Cassie, because they do exist in all of our lives. The characters are likely to linger in my thoughts for quite some time.

Once I started reading this, I couldn’t put it down and I finished it in four days. There are lots of sad moments as well as smack in the face ones as I prayed for a happy ending. It was so much more of a thriller than I was expecting. It also deals with strong themes of addiction and bereavement.

This book has strong Eleanor Oliphant vibes, so if you loved that, you will definitely enjoy this.

I can’t wait to see what Eve Ainsworth writes next.

Thank you to NetGalley for this copy. This is a really good book, kept me entertained throughout and I would thoroughly recommend to all.

I enjoyed this, another emotional read, but not in a bad way, just reflective.

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

I enjoyed this book a lot. It's not my usual sort of book. I prefer contemporary YA, but it didn't have the sorts of things that put me off adult books (stress about jobs, worrying that they haven't done enough with their lives ect.) It was up to Ainsworth's usual quality of writing, had characters that I could really care about and love and had a great mystery element to it that was really great to read.

The mystery was really the big thing about this book for me. It's what hooked me in and made me keep reading. It was well done, though perhaps not as gripping as I would have liked. But it was well set up and had a conclusion that really made sense.

I loved Rubi so much. All the characters were great, but Rubi was really sweet. My favourite thing about her was how she kept listening in on all the adult conversations.

In all, this was a great book. I'll definitely read more of Ainsworth's adult stuff in the future.

Duckling is the beautiful and emotional adult debut of author Eve Ainsworth. Duckling is quite simply a beautiful read. It’s full of heart and emotion. It’s a book that makes you truly feel as you read it. With so much depth to it, it’s charming, dark in places, makes you laugh, makes you cry. But ultimately you come away from reading it happy, and glad you did.

Reading Duckling is like peeling an onion it has so many layers, each bringing something new and enriching the story. Every character has a purpose and their own arc. But what’s so special about this book is seeing Lucy’s journey and the growth she has throughout the book.

If you love a book that lingers with you long after you’ve read it, you need to get a copy of Duckling!

Grungy and shabby and hostile world where people are doing their best to survive. Lucy cannot forgive herself for the past and hides in her council apartment, not letting anyone in. But when her neighbour pleads with her to look after her daughter for a couple of hours, Lucy has to agree. The problem is that Cassie doesn't come home. Lucy has to interact with Rubi, and her dad and other people to help reunite Rubi with her mum. Well written, makes you feel the desperation and hardship, and then the hope at the end

A lovely easy reading, holiday book. Follow the story of Duckling as she finds love through the care of a little one .

Pick this and you won't be disappointed.

A story with heart….what a gem of a book we have here with duckling and how you feel for the main character, it’s uplifting and sad and emotional and everything else in between, brilliant just brilliant

I’m struggling to fully decide how I feel having just finished Duckling. It wasn’t what I was expecting going in (the cover and title threw me a bit) as it turned into more of a mystery/almost-thriller towards the end, but I can’t say I disliked it either. The characters were unique and believable, shaped by their own trauma and experiences which we learn more about as we get further into the story, and I did really enjoy the final few chapters as we wrapped up the loose ends which had been hinted at throughout.

<spoiler>There were elements of romance, grief, abuse, and so much more</spoiler>, and they all came together well in an enjoyable, tense-at-times story. I’m not sure it’ll be the most memorable book for me but it was still very well written with twists I didn’t see coming, just maybe not for me.

Thank you to NetGalley for very kindly sending me an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book. I have chosen to write this honest review voluntarily and it reflects my personal opinion.
This story seems to progress very slowly at the start as we become familiar with Lucy's character: a shy, isolated 30-year-old who relies on her routines to get her through each week. The childhood which has led her to behave this way is only revealed slowly throughout the book. The plotline of Cassie and Rubi is merely the vehicle for this story about friendship, relationships and living life with the support of others. It is an emotional and complex read and I recommend time is taken to absorb the themes rather than just focusing on the story.