Socially awkward Lucy likes to keep to herself. The highlight of her day is watching reruns of Columbo. When she is asked to look after her neighbour's child, she is reluctant. When the neighbour doesn't return, Lucy must step up. Cassie, the child, helps Lucy in more ways than she can conceive. Lucy blossoms and begins to realise how amazing she really is. An uplifting story about finding yourself.

Original and brilliant. I loved this. You don’t see many working class novels and this is to commended. Written with beauty and nuance.

“At last, I understood. Not all ducklings turn into swans. But this duckling had finally learnt how to fly.”

This absolutely wonderful book follows Lucy, a socially awkward young woman who one day finds herself in charge of her neighbours child, Rubi, as her mum left her with Lucy one day and never came back for her. I was brought to tears numerous times while reading this because I connected with Lucy and I just wanted her to make the best of her new life and finally grow into the woman she wants to be.

Rubi was a little angel of a child, at only 7 years old she really helped Lucy come out of her shell and learn to trust, and more importantly, to love not only others, but herself as well. This is possible the most uplifting book I’ve in a while, and it’s going to stick with me for a very long time.

Highly, highly, highly recommend this beautiful book. Thank you to Century publishing for sending me a proof in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this book, it kept me entertained and I read it in a couple of days, it’s certainly one to take with you to the beach this summer

Lucy, aka Duckling is a loner with no friends, and that's the way she likes it. Until her neighbour asks her to mind Ruby for a few hours and doesn't return. Following in her hero, Columbo, footsteps she sets about finding her, discovering lots of things about herself in the process. A really enjoyable, different story showing the strength of true friendship and how wrong we can be about ourselves.

I really enjoyed Duckling by Eve Ainsworth - I wasn't sure what to expect, or even whilst reading, where the story would go but I couldn't put it down. It explores human vulnerability and the nuances family relationships. The main character, Lucy, nicknamed Duckling by her father, lives alone next door to Cassie and her daughter Rubi. When Cassie has to pop out without Rubi for the evening, she asks Lucy to take care of her for just a couple of hours, which turns into much, much more. The supporting characters of Jimmy, Liam and Lucy's dad add depth to the story, and I loved how their relationships developed. Definitely a book I will return to.
With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Such a moving and poignant tale. I loved the quietness of this story, and it was gripping while moving with an easy pace. I thought Lucy was a really interesting, likeable character and it was ultimately a really uplifting story. A great read.

I thought it was one of those light stories about a socially awkward characters who learn to live.
I was wrong as it's a poignant, emotionally charged, and compelling story that moved me to tears and made root for Lucy as I read about her changing.
It's well written and well told, you learn about Lucy's story and what made her become a recluse.
I smiled and sniffed, loved the fleshed out characters, and turned pages fast.
An engrossing and compelling novel.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

This book started fairly strong, I was intrigued about Lucy and her background, why was she so fond of being alone & what made her become so adverse to social interactions….. when Lucy is left to look after young Rubi, we start to see a glimpse of what’s underneath the surface and it all unravels.

This wasn’t really one that I can say I devoured, it was a bit of a long winded story and it was difficult to get into,

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a digital ARC of this book.

Thanks to Marie-Louise PR, Century Books and Eve Ainsworth for my copy of the book and spot on the tour.

What a little diamond of a book 🥰 I don’t read a lot of contemporary fiction generally but the synopsis grabbed my attention immediately after I read it on the #Debut22 list of upcoming books! Then I saw the lush cover and knew I needed to read it.

Lucy/Duckling is somewhat of a recluse, enjoying her own company and generally spending the majority of time on her own. She doesn’t want or need friends - she likes people to keep her distance. She takes care of her Dad who has issues with alcohol and she takes care of her cat Boris and that’s the way she likes it.

When Lucy gets new neighbours, in the form of young mum Cassie and her self assured 7 year old daughter Rubi, Lucy isn’t really all that interested. She says hi in passing and speaks to them when spoken too.

But then Cassie comes round asking for a favour, could she please look after Rubi for the evening as she has an important errand to run and she can’t take Rubi with her. Lucy is very reluctant but eventually caves and leaves the comfort and familiarity of her own flat to help her neighbour out.

This book explores the dark recesses of sudden and traumatic grief and how it forms the adults we become. Lucy and her Dad are both grieving a shared loss but neither speaks to the other about what happened or how they feel.

I loved how Lucy’s character grows throughout the book and she gains her own self confidence along the way.

I loved the interactions with Rubi, which made me laugh a lot as it reminded me of the things my 7 year old would observe about people and then spew them out without realising the impact of their questions or observations.

I would love to read more about what Duckling did next and how her life grows.

This was a really quick and easy read and one that would be ideal for a holiday or a comfort book to keep in your bag.

I saw this book advertised months ago and loved the description as ‘A gripping, emotional, life-affirming story you’ll want to recommend to a friend’. The blurb sounded good too, so I thought I would try it. Unfortunately, it got stuck in my pile or some time before I got to it, but what a treat it was.

Firstly, we meet Lucy, nicknamed Duckling since she was a child by her father. Now at thirty, she still bears the nickname. She’s no ugly duckling, though. Instead, she’s 6 foot 2, slim and very pretty. Lucy is, however, a loner. She lives alone with her darling cat and works at a local bookshop where she gets on well with her boss but mainly spends her time out the back away from the customers.

Her life suddenly changes one day when her new neighbour, Cassie, asks her to look after her daughter, Rubi, for a couple of hours. While she now must interact with others, this sets off a chain of events and conversations she would never have had otherwise.

The plot was entertaining, and the characters sweet and thoughtful mostly. I really liked Lucy and seeing her engage and come into her own. She learnt to trust others, rely upon her own instincts, and converse with others for a change. Rubi is a precocious little eight-year-old; she is headstrong and determined. Despite a bit of a rocky start, she worms her way into Lucy’s heart.

Lucy finds herself with the support of a stranger’s daughter, her boss, Jimmy and her loving father. Her obsession with Columbo is brilliant and well written, so much so that I fancy watching an episode myself now!

This was a delightful and easy read. I finished it within a day as I couldn’t put it down. Perfect for those who like a heartfelt, cosy, contemporary mystery. It’s also as gripping, emotional and life-affirming as the description suggested.

This book moved me in ways I don’t understand or can even describe. I was an emotional mess by the end. I could identify with Lucy on many levels and seeing her go through her thought process on how she thought she was fine and even living her best life, to seeing that there was another way, there were others who, on the outside might look different to her but underneath everyone has the same hang ups, everyone gets lonely and everyone thinks everyone else is happier and better than them. Seeing Lucy navigate through that, seeing Jimmy in a different light, even her dad, allowed her to grow as a person and accept herself and let others in, she could see her walls that she didn’t even know she had up so high.
I loved how this story wove together a number of important themes and all dealt with sensitively. The detective element was good too and I was looking for clues and rooting for Cassie along with Lucy and Rubi.
An unexpected emotional read, but none the less fantastic.

I really enjoyed this story which I felt was sensitively told with quirky characters forced out of their comfort zones and into growth and ultimately change. It was very touching at times with a mystery element to the storyline that kept me gripped. I liked the range of characters that might not normally interact and enjoyed the development of Duckling as the story grew.

Thank you to #NetGalley for my advance copy of #Duckling by #EveAinsworth
Lucy has her life just how she wants it - safe. Always doing the same things not letting anyone get close. Then her new neighbours move in and life starts to intrude into Lucy’s lonely safe life.
A wonderful story of love, forgiveness and family.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The synopsis sounded just what I like to read, and although I enjoyed the basis of the story, after a couple of chapters and lots of repetition I'm afraid I just gave up on it.

This is a character-driven story that draws you in to the narrators world and how she deals with the problem she is dealt. An engaging read with beautifully written prose.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book.

A very well written and enjoyable read. The characters really come to life making this hard to put down. I will be reading this again sometime in the future. 5 stars.

Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for this e ARC.

Lucy is an introvert who steps out of her comfort zone to babysit her fathers neighbour’s daughter Rubi. When Rubi’s mum then goes missing, Lucy has to step into the unknown to help find her.
Beautifully written and full of interesting characters, Duckling is a delightful and easy read.

"To him, I was always his Duckling, or Duck. To him it was a term of endearment, something he had called me since I was small. I was his 'cute and awkward little Duckling', the child who never quite fitted in. He didn't seem to understand that the term only reminded me how different I was from everyone else."

Present day London and thirty year old Lucy works at an independent bookshop and lives a quiet life alone, with her cat Boris and TV detective Columbo for company, visiting her widowed and alcoholic father as much as he needs her to. When outgoing and glamorous neighbour Cassie unexpectedly asks Lucy to look after young daughter, Rubi, reclusive and introverted Lucy's life is turned upside down. A brief stint baby-sitting precocious but lovable Rubi and pug Colin, turns into a search for Cassie that requires not only Columbo's detective skills, but requires Lucy to accept help and let others into her life.

Told from Lucy's perspective, the readers uncovers her past and how it impacts her. Having suffered the tragic and traumatic loss of her mother whilst her child, neither Lucy nor her father have recovered or indeed discussed it, leaving them both vulnerable and feeling guilty. Charming Rubi brings Lucy out of her shell, which is lovely to see. Marketed as uplit, I found this slow in places (it covers a short period of time), perhaps echoing Lucy's reluctance to open up and change. Despite the green front cover, it has a gritty and urban feel tackling how class, poverty and lack of opportunities are divisive, which is positive and not common in often middle-class uplit. Restoring your faith in humanity, Duckling is a considered and satisfying read.

On starting to read I realised this was different to my usual chick lit reads and it took me a couple of chapters to get into it, and I'm so glad I stuck with it. The story centres around Lucy. She's a real loner and keeps herself to herself. She likes nothing better to be holed up in her modest flat, with a box set of Columbo and her cat Boris. Lucy struggles to make friends and has a difficult relationship with her dad, an untold secret means she can never allowed to be happy. When a new neighbour Cassie and her little girl Rubi move in next door. a turn of events cause Lucy to be pulled out of her comfort zone in so many ways. Finding herself being responsible for looking after Rubi and not to mention a four legged friend called Colin, Lucy ends up turning detective to keep Cassie and Rubi safe from a life they had left behind. Amidst the danger can Lucy become to allow herself a life?

I'll be looking out for more from this author.