
Member Reviews

The first time I have read one of Ruth Jones books and I absolutely loved it! Couldn't put it down, a fantastic story of family through the ups and downs and different generations.

A beautifully written book and a powerful story. Four generations of a family, Grace, Alys, Elin and Becca . This is Ruth Jones ‘s best novel yet . A rollercoaster of a novel with many twists and turns to the plot. Highly emotional and highly recommended!
Thank you to Netgalley, Random House Uk and Ruth Jones for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review

Ruth Jones is a natural storyteller. Her writing is relatable, warm and life-affirming. This book was probably my favourite of hers yet. I have already been recommending it to friends.

I found the blurb interesting but I started and stopped this book a couple of times. The second time I was almost towards the end but it was not a story for me. We have three women, one generation apart who have their own deamons, but seem to be living a replica of the previous person's mistakes.
If this book had been shorter, I think I would have liked it better. The shared trauma and the repetitive nature of their lives was not for me.
The writing was the best part. the author skillfully brings the characters across and I would not mind reading another book written by her. This particular story did not appeal to me.
I think people who read more of this genre will be better equipped than me for reading this.

Grace is about to turn ninety. She doesn't want parties or presents or fuss. She just wants to heal the family rift that's been breaking her heart for decades.
But to do that she must find her daughter Alys - the only person who can help to put things right.
And when she finds her - if she does - she risks betraying granddaughter Elin. Who is far less forgiving of the past, with its hurts and secrets and lies. Meanwhile Grace's great-grand-daughter Beca is oblivious to all these worries, too busy navigating the highs and lows of teenage life and keeping secrets of her own.
All families have their problems. And most of them get resolved. But Grace's problem is thirty years old. And she doesn't have time on her side.
So is it too late for her to make peace? Or is reconciliation still within reach?
A heartwarming family novel which is a book I really enjoy. Short chapters sad and funny moments take you on the journey of the mother and daughter relationships and that of family dynamic. A first fir me by this author who I love due to Gavin and Stacey

Love Ruth Jones books. Another well written and funny story. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review

My thanks to the author, NetGalley, and the publisher for the arc to review.
This is my first Ruth Jones book and I loved it! It won’t me my last!!
The magnificent Ruth Jones brings us a tale of four women from the same family in North-West Wales. Grace is the 89-year-old head of the family. Her daughter Alys has been gone for the past 30 years, leaving Grace to raise her granddaughter Elin, who in turn has her own daughter, Beca. With Grace's 90th birthday approaching, her one regret is losing touch with her daughter, so when Alys reappears in their lives, all four women must find a way to reconnect while facing turning points in their own lives.
The characters in the story are just wonderful, and feel so real. Their story is full of warmth and heart, and the relationships ring so true. There are some twists and turns along the way, and the ending is heart-warming and beautiful. I can't wait to read more by this author, and would heartily recommend this book to others.

A beautiful, entertaining and heart stopping novel about mothers and daughters and the unconditional ties that bind them. Ruth Jones might well have just written her masterpiece with this novel. Highly, highly recommended.
Many thanks to all concerned for allowing me to read and review this terrific book.

This is the second book I've read by Ruth Jones. I absolutely loved it!
The story is centred around four generations of one family.
The ladies tell their stories chapter by chapter.
None are innocent and as you delve deeper you find out how they have wronged each other and how they try to put things right.
An easy read and with a captivating backdrop set in West Wales.
A real triumph!

I really like this author and the way in which her books are written, and this was just as brilliant as all her others.
Thank you NetGalley for my complimentary copy in return for my honest review.

Loved this story. I have read a couple now by this author and each one is better than the last. A charming story. It was heart warming and emotional in places. Lovely!

Have loved all of Ruth Jones' previous books & was delighted to receive a copy of this one.
I loved this story too even though it took me a bit longer to get into.
It was a brilliant read and all about family and love.
All of the characters were brilliant, even though they weren't all likeable all of the time. I especially liked Soozi & Gramma Grace.
The story kept me guessing right to the end with more than a few surprises & broke my heart.
My thanks to Netgalley & the Publishers for my eARC in return for my honest review.

A heart warming story with a beautiful ending. I have thought about the ending to this story many times since I’ve read it.
4 stars

I love a multi-generational tale full of secrets, and as with Ruth Jones’ previous two novels, this was a hefty chunk to get stuck into! This story demonstrates that everyone has their own truth, but without all the facts, and when people hide parts of the truth from you, the actual truth of the situation resonates differently for each person, and how our experiences of the same situation differ so greatly.
The story begins with Grace, who is about to turn 90 and wants nothing more than to heal long standing family rifts. The family’s story spans through Grace’s childhood, her daughter Alys, Alys’ daughter Elin, up to the present day with Grace’s great granddaughter Beca, and each of their stories and how it relates to each other. It’s a painful but heart-warming story and the resolution at the end wasn’t one I expected, but it left me very satisfied with the way it was wrapped up.
The only negative I can say is that I struggled a bit with differentiating between Elin and Alys, their voices weren’t distinct enough throughout the story and I got a bit lost at times remembering which was which.

A great read
Full of laughter and tears
Another book you will not want to put down
Have loved all the books this lady has written
Thanks

You will love this book, it’s the written equivalent of a great big hug. I confess, I didn’t love the first Ruth Jones novel I read, but this kept me glued to the Kindle well into the night. Four very different women from four generation, all with their own demons, still find the heart-space to love one another, but in their own, potentially destructive ways. Can it come good? Of course it can, Ruth Jones is at the helm. Funny, beautifully written and filled with wonderful women.

Ruth you have done it again! What a lovely story - cross generational each with their own story to tell. Families can be fraught with things to avoid or full of love, sometimes both. Each of the generations have their own stories. The characters were each flawed in their own way but also very special. Grace the matriarch is the central character. It was one of those books I didn't want to finish. The end made me cry which rarely happens so shows me how well written it was and how the characters were almost real. Ruth please write another one!

I really enjoyed this book. I enjoyed the storyline, loved the characters and became engrossed in the story very quickly. It’s quite an emotional read in parts, but also funny in parts to. It’s very well written and kept me turning the pages. I would highly recommend this book and rated it 4 stars.

I received an ARC of this book via netgalley and it's publishers. It is populated with believable, imperfect characters. Set in wales the narrative moves from town to country and further afield to outline the life stories of each of the MCs. I have run the whole gamut of emotions reading this book and whizzed through it at pace. As a whole it reminds us that love is unpredictable but that real love is everlasting and unchanging despite altering circumstances. I loved the fact that this characters had as many warts as beauty spots on their personalities. i enjoyed the fact that i could not predict the way the narrative moved and I would definitely read more from this author.

This book is a page turner. The characters are well developed and relatable.
The relationships were written really well and made you root for the characters.
This book will make you laugh and make you cry.