This is my first read by Eve Ainsworth and I really enjoyed this novel. We meet Lucy who is a shy and retiring woman with quite a narrow world that she lives in. She lives alone, has a strict day to day routine, She has had quite a difficult upbringing and this has obviously shaped her into the woman that she is at her age.

When her new neighbour asks her to watch her daughter for her whilst she nips out, Lucy does not envisage that this will change her world completely. Lucy reluctantly agrees to look after Rubi. Rubi's mum does not return to pick her up and Lucy has to then start caring for Rubi. A little girl who just wants her mum.

This is so far from my normal reads but I am so glad that I read it, its so heart warming with an underlying of mystery and sadness but an overall great read.

Thanks to Eve Ainsworth, Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me a copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

A strange little book. I found the main character a little difficult to like at first, but she grew on me. The band of characters grew as the tale goes on and Lucy's character became more likeable as you understood her backstory, how isolated she has been due to her upbringing and lack of self worth. Suddenly, she finds herself needed and her whole situation changes.
The story definitely grows on you and the references to Columbo are sweet.
Family and friendship dynamics are the mainstay of this book

Ainsworth narrates a beautiful story in her tale of Lucy who is frightened to embrace life. With vibes of Eleanor Oliphant , she is a character I really engaged with. All my emotions were wrapped up in her journey.

At times it was heart wrenching - especially in the scenes of her interactions with her father. But those moments made me care for her more. Invest in her happiness.

It isn't often we see working class people portrayed so realistically in fiction but Duckling tackles the stereotypes head on. And it does so in a sensitive and accomplished manner.

A beautiful adult debut that doesn't shy from tackling some stong themes yet remains uplifting and hopeful.

Readers of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime will adore this lovely book.
Lucy is an introverted person, safe in her limited world with her routines. She’s sufficiently interested in her new neighbours to befriend the little daughter Rubi. But when Rubi’s mum asks her to babysit then promptly disappears, Lucy must come out of hiding to find out what’s happened.
Beautifully written and full of interesting characters, Duckling is a wonderful book with a very satisfying ending. Look forward to more of this author’s work!

This was a pure delight to read. It was thought provoking and really makes you take a look at yourself and the people surrounding you.

I have a soft spot for contemporary fiction that centre eccentric women and tell their truths. That was the impression I got from the synopsis of Duckling and it very much delivered on that. I became thoroughly obsessed with Lucy and her story and I think I’ll be recommending this book for a long time.

Lucy’s life is small. Her routine includes a job in a bookshop, Columbo reruns and making sure her alcoholic father is ok. When her new neighbour Cassie drops her young daughter off at Lucy’s flat and promises to be back in a few hours, Lucy is nervous about taking care of seven-year-old Rubi. But a few hours turns into several hours and Cassie still isn’t back 24 hours later. Where is Cassie and what is Lucy supposed to do with a little girl, who just wants her mum back?

Lucy is quirky and quiet. She is a loner but I never really got the impression that she was unhappy about that. In fact, she says she’s happy alone at several points and to be honest, I believed her. She bears a striking resemblance to Eleanor Oliphant, so of course, I knew that there was pain in her past but she seemed very well-adjusted. However, I did enjoy the fact that Rubi’s presence would bring a new challenge to Lucy’s life and was excited to see how she’d cope.

The estate that Lucy lives in is very typical of South London. I know blocks of flats like this and they are typically very bleak places. Despite the fact that Lucy feels that her flat is a haven, there is plenty of evidence to suggest that it’s not exactly an area of affluence and safety. So, I was worried for Lucy for most of the book and I didn’t trust that trouble wouldn’t come knocking at her door.

Lucy hates her dad’s nickname for her -Duckling. I think she knows that it suits her very well as someone who doesn’t fit in but the connotation of an ‘ugly duckling’ has perhaps haunted her throughout her life. I loved how Ainsworth managed to flip the meaning of Duckling to one of hope by the end of the book. I wasn’t expecting this at all but it was a really lovely note to end on.

There is plenty of humour and warmth in the book and I loved watching Lucy and Rubi’s relationship develop. It starts off tentatively but as they discover that they have things in common and as they start to care for each other, a really wonderful unlikely friendship blossoms. Ainsworth does a great job of depicting the highs and lows of it and it was really very charming.

Lucy’s neighbours are working class, low income people and therefore, class is a theme in the book. Although Lucy has lived in the building for years herself, she is different to the other tenants. She doesn’t have a distrust of authorities or fully understand what really goes on in the community around her. The stark contrast between her and her neighbours is blatant and it definitely comes into play with how she handles the events of the novel.

Duckling is a thoroughly heartwarming yet equally pulse-racing mystery, but it’s also a story of a woman coming to terms with herself and learning that she can do things she’d never imagined. With themes of community and unlikely friendship alongside darker themes like poverty and addiction, Duckling really is a story that packs a lot in its pages and will appeal to so many reading tastes. Lucy is a real-life heroine, who will linger in your mind for a long time after you finish the book.

Not my usual sort of book but it was an okay read. Not the sort of thing I will gravitate towards but it wasn't a bad read by any means.

I was looking forward to reading Duckling as the synopsis sounded just what I like to read. On starting the book I felt the author described Lucy and the other characters Cassie, Rubi, Jimmy etc in the book very well but I found each chapter became very repetitive. How many times can you be told about calling the police - social worker etc. I got the point in the first two chapters it’s mentioned. In. I enjoyed the basis of the story but feel a few chapters need to be looked at to stop the constant repetition as if it’s been copied and pasted.
Overall to be positive I feel the book improved near the end and a few small changes in the middle would make this a good read.

This book was SO emotional, but completely charming and full of heart. It's fast-paced, with well-developed characters and a relatable setting. Thank you for the ARC!

Lucy is the Duckling of the title. A woman lacking in confidence and with more than her fair share of hang ups.
Lucy is asked by her neighbour, Cassie, if she'll look after her young daughter, Rubi, for a couple of hours. Barely knowing her neighbour, having no experience of being around children and no social skills, reluctantly Lucy agrees.
Time ticks on and Cassie doesn't return, not answering any calls or messages. Lucy is a massive Columbo fan, and turns detective to try and find out what's happened to Cassie. Gathering together an eclectic gang to help her, Lucy, Rubi, Lucy's ex-police and recovering alcoholic dad, and her employer, Jimmy, they head off to solve the mystery of Cassie's disappearance.
This is a sweet story and I enjoyed it.
Thanks to Random House UK and Net Galley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Lucy is a loner and used to her own ways and routine. When her new neighbour asks her to look after her daughter for a few hours, she agrees reluctantly. As a few hours stretches into a longer period, she is annoyed that her neighbour is taking advantage of her good nature, however she later becomes worried that there is more to it.
Lucy has to learn to communicate and to trust and work with others to get to the bottom of what has happened. She also finally starts to make sense of her own past after talking to her father about the death of her mother in her childhood.
A sweet story with great descriptions and characterizations. The plot is well thought out and believable. Emotions are dealt with well.
Thank you to Net galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

This was a compelling book, set over a couple of days you were gradually pulled into the self contained and organised world that Lucy had made to make her feel safe. This was a book of re-awakenings - realising that there is a world outside your comfort zone that you can be involved in, allowing people to break down your barriers and not to feel guilty over situations that have happened in the past. that you had no control over.
Eve Ainsworth writing was gentle and you very much felt you were in Lucy's corner, willing her on to make the right decisions. She dealt with Lucy's insecurities with thought.

This is a well thought through and written book. The story is interesting and the characters build well throughout. I did feel that there could be more depth or detail to it, it felt quite light but nevertheless an enjoyable read and a good holiday book.

What a great read!
As a result of what life has thrown at her, Lucy is a bit of a loner, and except for her Dad and her boss, Jimmy, she rarely sees or interacts with anyone. Especially now that her elderly neighbour has passed away. She spends her life going to work, visiting her dad and watching her very favourite detective - Columbo.
Her new neighbours are single mum Cassie and her 7 year old daughter, Rubi. They have smiled to each other over the few weeks that they have been there, and had the odd short converation, but other than this, Lucy keeps to herself, as always.
One day, Cassie begs Lucy to watch Rubi for a while. She says that she won't be too long, and not to let Rubi go off with anyone else. She must keep Rubi with her at all times. Lucy reluctantly agrees to this because Cassie seems pretty desperate, and what could happen in just a couple of hours?
A couple of hours later and Cassie still hasn't returned. Where can she be? How much longer will she be held up? Why isn't she answering Lucy's calls or texts?
Time moves on, and Lucy & Rubi are increasing worried so they decide to turn detective. What would Columbo do? They follow a trail of clues, and enlist the help of Liam who is one of their other neighbours, who happens to be the son of Cassie's old friend from years ago, Lucy's boss Jimmy, and her dad to try to find Cassie's whereabouts.
I thoroughly enjoyed every page of this book. It is a story of new friendships and love, with mystery and suspense thrown in. What's not to like?
Thank you for granting me this ARC, in return for a honest review.

I enjoyed this book. Lucy lives on her own and very much keeps herself to herself. She works in a bookshop, but other than her boss Jimmy and her recovering alcoholic father, she sees nobody. Then one evening her neighbour Cassie asks Lucy to look after her 7 year old daughter Rubi, while she goes on an errand. Lucy reluctantly agrees, but then Cassie fails to return. Lucy is certain something bad has happened and is forced out of her comfort zone in having to look after Rubi and finding out what has happened. She is helped along the way by Jimmy and by her father. This is a lovely, uplifting story. Thanks to NetGalley for a preview copy.
Copied to Goodreads.

I wasn't sure what to expect from this story, the blurb piqued my interest, it sounded a bit different and quirky. It did take me quite some time to really get into the book and I am not altogether sure why exactly, but it didn't grab me till about halfway through. However, once it did the characters grew on me and I was definitely intrigued to know what the outcome would be.

The story is full of interesting characters, that's for sure. Lucy, or "Duckling" as her Dad calls her, is a loner. Events in her past made her the way she is and she lives a lonely life, full of routines that make her feel safe. Until her neighbour, Cassie, asks her to look after her little girl, Rubi; then everything changes. Rubi is a total character, full of ideas and thoughts, she is in some ways quite grown up for her years and I did like her. Add in Lucy's Dad, an ex-alcoholic and her lovely boss Jimmy, this book is full of well-written and well-developed characters.

This story covers some very heavy issues; loneliness, abuse, misunderstandings, abduction and alcoholism, but it is done in a very gentle way. The characters and the humour lighten the mood and make for a delightful read. Despite my initial thoughts, I thoroughly enjoyed the ending, which was fast-paced, dramatic and edgy. This is certainly an original story.

I have been looking forward to reading this book ever since I heard about it's title and premise. It's such a winning idea: what would you do if a neighbour left their child in your care and disappeared? I loved Eve Ainsworth's ideas and writing and how she wove difficult themes into a novel that carries you along with great pace. It's a hard trick to pull off, writing a child character, but Ainsworth does it with such authentic ease with Rubi. That skill is not surprising, I guess, given Ainsworth's impressive track record of writing for a younger audience. This is her first book for adults but I'm sure it won't be her last.

I loved this book. It started slowly, building the tension up to go alongside the journey for Lucy the main character. Her journey was an emotional one but also an actual one, so as she searches for her neighbour who has gone missing she ends up finding strength and self belief she didn’t know she had. I felt I was taking this journey with her. A kind of coming of age, acceptance of yourself and in life - kind of story. Really different and very well done!

An absolutely delightful gem of a book. Totally engaging and quite naïve in part, with somewhat quirky but quite believable characters who for the part, are very likeable and loveable. Unexpected storyline that's a perfect mix of sadness, happiness together with a dark side and a touch of humour. This absorbing book that will stay with the reader for a long time as it tackles life's unexpected twists and turns with longer lasting consequences when the surface is scratched. Uplifting and heartwarming whilst exposing some real desperation that some people face.

I haven't read anything by this author before but certainly intend to in the future.

A real page-turner of a book with a flawed protagonist - just the way I like a protagonist to be as it a) makes them more believable and b) makes them more relatable. IMHO anyway.
Have to admit that this book didn't go down the route I expected but I liked it all the more for that.
Really recommended.