I thought this book would be better than it was. I just could t connect with it so I didn’t finish this one. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

Set in one day in London, this was an absorbing and thought provoking story. I've read other books featuring women who just walk away from their lives and I have occasionally over the tears resisted that urge.
For Grace Adams this was a calm yet desperate act.
Estranged from her daughter and facing divorce, this once amazing woman knows exactly what she needs to do to reclaim her past self.

This book ticked all the boxes for me. Flashbacks that made sense and gave context, writing that drew me in, a good sense of place, careful handling of themes common to women as they approach middle age and an exploration of language and how words can be misunderstood.

An impressive debut from France Littlewood.
Thanks to netgalley for the opportunity to discover a new author.

I fancied reading something outside my usual genre and wow, I loved it. Funny, poignant and so well written. Highly recommended

This book covers just about every emotion there is to be had.. iIt follows Grace through one day and fills in the backlog of her life in flashbacks as she navigates her way through life. It is so sad , yet funny and totally relatable. I fell in love with Grace right at the beginning when she lined her pencils up at the Polygot and met Ben. I would highly recommend this book .

Absolutely loved this! I need time to consider my review in order to do it justice - but in a nutshell - read this book!!

This started off really well but half way through I started to lose interest, things that were happening just seemed to far fetched. Unfortunately I DNF this one,

In a Nutshell: Started off wonderfully but then became farfetched. Some parts of it were really good but I wish the author wouldn’t have tried to throw in so many themes into a single plot. A decent debut work but not as good as it promised.

Story Synopsis:
Early 2000s. Grace is a polyglot who has just proven how amazing she is by winning the title of ’Polyglot of the Year.’
Today, Grace is a frustrated lady who, one day, just snaps and walks out of her car that is stuck is heavy traffic. He daughter Lotte doesn’t want to speak to her and her husband Ben has just served her divorce papers. But Grace is determined to show her daughter that she was amazing for a reason.
How Amazing Grace Adams went from the heights to the depths within a period of two decades is what you need to read and find out.
The story comes to us in a limited third person perspective mostly of Grace. The main story is set on a single day, with two other timelines proving the background to the current events.

Where the book worked for me:
✔ I loved the idea of Grace and Ben being polyglots and meeting at a language convention. It was nice to see geeks come together in a romantic relationship.
✔ There are some beautiful foreign language words regularly scattered in the narrative. These were fun to learn.
✔ Some of the parenting struggles it depicts are scarily real.

Where the book left me with mixed feelings:
⚠ Grace’s character had many admirable points but also many annoying ones. While it is easy to admire her stance of standing for herself, her attitude and her approach towards problems didn’t endear her to me. I could sympathise with her only to a certain extent.

Where the book could have worked better for me:
❌ It was way too exaggerated, especially in the current timeline. It is implausible to believe that the whole day was just one horrible event after another. A balanced approach would have felt more realistic.
❌ There is a minor mystery in the ‘Four Months Before’ timeline. It’s absolutely easy to figure out the guilty party as soon as the said character comes on the page.
❌ As with most debut authors, this author too throws in everything plus the kitchen sink into her book. There are way too many themes, and most of them aren’t really necessary for the main storyline. They just end up diluting the main point of the book, which is that of a mother desperately wanting to connect with her teenaged daughter again.
❌ The plot comes to us in three circulating timelines: ‘Now’, ‘Four Months Earlier’, and 2002 (onwards). It is sometimes tricky to keep a track of what happened in which timeline. Moreover, the three-way narration ends up with some foreshadowing that kills the fun of discovery.
❌ To add to the troublesome triple timeline, each of the three tracks has flashbacks, creating a messy plot flow. Good luck to audiobook listeners on this one!

All in all, I had expected to love this book for it promised a strong middle-aged woman protagonist who had finally had enough of everyone taking her for granted. But the potential isn’t truly realised and the book ends up as an average read for me. The writer does have a lot of promise – it is no mean task to keep three timelines blending seamlessly. But perhaps a bit of editing and finetuning would have helped, especially in the over-the-top second half.
The author mentioned in her parting note that this plot was inspired by the movie ‘Falling Down’, so perhaps fans of that movie might like to give this a try. I haven’t watched that movie so I cannot make a comparison.

2.5 stars.

My thanks to Penguin Michael Joseph UK and NetGalley for the DRC of “Amazing Grace Adams”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

A reminder that if we've not all been there, we will be some day ...

Grace Adams is on her way to pick up a cake; not just any cake, her daughter's sixteenth birthday cake but circumstances seem to be working against her achieving this simple chore. With traffic at a standstill, she simply MUST get to the shop on time. Her ex-husband doesn't want her to make an appearance on their daughter's birthday (neither does her daughter) but she HAS to show them that they are wrong. With no movement in the line of vehicles, she does the only thing she can do - and simply walks away, leaving her car sitting there . . .

Although this novel covers one day in time, we learn so much about Grace and what has led up to this moment in her life and I don't think any reader would find it possible not to elicit a drop of sympathy for her. Who said life would be perfect? We all do our best and that is exactly what Grace Adams is aiming for. This is a simply stupendous read, one which will touch your soul (several times over), making you smile and even be aware of a tear sliding down your face as you enter Grace's world and leave your own behind. Not an easy book to forget and, for me, earning 4.5*.

My thanks to the publisher for my copy and my deepest apologies for the lateness in sharing my review; due to an eye allergy I have been unable to have any screen time at all.

The bright cover first attracted me to this story. It all takes place in one day, I was drawn into the story but I struggled to put myself in Graces shoes and couldn't associate with her. But that being said I still enjoyed her journey

I really enjoyed this book and read it in just a few days. The story is set over the course of a single day as Grace Adams attempts to get a birthday cake to her daughter's sixteenth birthday party. Which sounds like a relatively simple thing. But over the course of the story we gradually discover that Grace has a difficult relationship with her daughter, Lotte, and they are in fact estranged with Lotte not wanting to see her mother.
The story is told in memories from Grace and her husband, Ben, who is separated from Grace. We don't find out exactly why they have separated until very late on in the story. I loved how the author portrays their relationship. It felt very real and as a reader you end up feeling completely upset that they are not together as they seem to be perfect for each other.
This book will make you cry but there's a lot of hope in it, and humour too. Grace is trying to navigate the falling apart of her relationships with Ben and Lotte while also dealing with symptoms of perimenopause. The descriptions of some of the things she has to deal with while trying to get a cake across London - including several instances of abuse from men - got across well what women have to put up with simply as part of our daily lives.
All of the characters are brilliantly well-drawn and believable. As a parent of a teenager, I especially liked the descriptions of how Grace struggles with Lotte's alarming behaviour.
I would definitely recommend this book and will be looking out for more from Fran Littlewood.

Eccentricity at its best!

First of all, that cover! A lady holding a golf club in one hand and a gift box in the other. Unusual? That’s correct. Everything about Grace Adams is simply different.

Synopsis –

Grace’s story is set to take place in London, all in one day. She is on the way to her daughter Lotte’s 16thbirthday party. Heat, traffic and every other obstacle in the city seems to be against her, but nothing will stop Grace from making it. After falling out with Lotte and in the middle of a divorce with her husband, Grace has no choice but to confront her life both in front of her and behind her.

Review –

A novel that celebrates a strong female lead character always draws me in and Grace was no exe. An expert linguist in 5 languages, I was in awe of her and the distinct way her brain must work to support her multi-lingual abilities.

The narrative has multiple timelines and those from the past give the background of Grace and Ben’s love story, the birth of their daughter Lotte and all the events leading up to the present - where Grace’s family life is crumbling.

Initially I struggled with the random timelines, as it was confusing to keep track. But soon the story had me in its vice-like grip, as my curiosity spiked about what could’ve happened that propelled Grace to her current state.

Of course, language and its intricacies are an integral layer of this book. I really enjoyed the unique angle this created with Grace and Ben’s married life. The writing style is also very different I observed.

The author explores teenage behaviour with Lotte, the challenges and the dynamics of a complex mother-daughter relationship that Grace shares with her. I could really feel Grace’s mental battles as she struggles to achieve the balance and diplomacy that’s required while handling a teenager.

Some of the incidents from the past were shocking and came as jolting twists. I found myself both teary eyed and angry at the kind of churn this family endures.

Towards the end, I couldn’t help but cheer for Grace, as true to her mettle - she is just unstoppable and proves why she is “amazing”.

With themes of love, loss, grief, absolution, acceptance and motherhood, Amazing Grace Adams is a wonderful celebration of the true essence of womankind.

I wasn't sure what to expect when I started this book but it really didn't disappoint!
Grace Adams is fighting with her body, her daughter and a failed marriage and all she wants to do is collect a cake.
The story jumps backwards and forwards between present day and the events that led to it in a clear and fast paced way that kept me hooked. I really enjoyed following her mission to collect her daughters birthday cake and the bizarre events that happen along the way. The book really looks at relationships as well as motherhood and the difficulties that can throw up. A great story that I think everyone will enjoy because Amazing Grace Adams really is amazing!

Quite a different book for me, which I did enjoy but equally, I did struggle with a bit. I didn't find the style of writing flowed and I found it particularly tricky to keep up with where I was. Although I am very used to time lapse stories, this one seemed to jump to lots of different times, so that I was left confused as to what was happening. It did all come together in the end and I did massively feel for Grace (once I understood what had happened - how does one live through such tragedy?) but for me, not the easiest book to read. I am sure it would be different for others, but this was how I felt.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publishers for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review, which is what I have given.

Gosh, I’m not sure where to start with this book other than that I loved it. We witness a middle aged woman unravel throughout one day but via flashbacks we get to see what has happened to lead up to this moment. A book of grief and broken relationships but full of heart.

Amazing Grace Adams… is… well… amazing!

Straight off the bat I don’t think i’m the target audience for this book but if you aren’t either don’t let it put you off it’s truly such a brilliant book I loved it.

Grace Adams is in her mid 40’s, going through the menopause and her teenage daughter refuses to speak to her and has left to live with her dad (Grace’s estranged husband).

One day sitting in traffic, Grace has enough - she gets out of her car abandoning it in the middle of the road and just walks away. The story then follows the (slightly mad) events of the day. It also flashes back to the time when Grace, then a talented young translator meets her husband for the first time, when her daughter was young, and just a few months prior to the events of today and so the story weaves between multiple timelines - but pretty seamlessly!

At its very core this book is about a mothers love and the complicated, all-consuming unconditional love between a mother and her daughter. It’ll make you want to call up your own mum and tell her you love her and that you’re sorry for being a dick when you were a teenager.

Another debut author & another book which is not my usual genre. What a fabulous read - Grace Adams is a ballsy fortysomething & I might be a bit older but boy can I relate!

Sitting in a traffic jam, one sweltering day, Grace has had enough. No one thing has broken her, she has just reached the end of her tether - her life, her tribulations & her vile daughter - & walks away.
This book is so multilayered I really don’t know where to start. Raw emotions & the exemplary telling of how it is for women in today’s society make this a great read.

You do not have to be a married woman or have a family to connect with Grace but you do have to have some life experience otherwise it will not resonate with you. Recommended.

I have become wary of debut books, as some seem a little unprofessional. But this is a fabulous debut book from Fran Littlewood. Comfortable characters with an excellent storyline. Looking forward to more books from this author.

Grace is all over the place. Her daughter is living with her about-to-be ex-husband, her jobs (both of them) are precarious to say the least and life is just all over the place. In a traffic jam to pick up a cake for her daughter which she hopes will begin to mend some fences, Grace loses it and walks away from her car. Occasional chapters take us to two additional timelines- one when she met her husband twenty years ago and another a few months ago before it all went pear shaped. Very easy to follow. Of course the journey from the car to the cake shop isn't straightforward and as for the £200 cake….
I enjoyed this, it made me smile and sympathise and think about my own life in parts. I think many of us have been in that horrible situation where everything is just too complex and we would like to walk away from it all. Grace however walks towards it not away. Like most of us she is determined and her heart is in the right place even if some things have fallen by the wayside in the meantime. Lotte is a typical teen with angst and attitude, Grace herself is perimenopausal and suffering looking in the mirror seeing herself age. In the time past chapters we understand more of Grace and Lotte and even Ben and why things are as they are.
Wow! This is a debut novel and a stunning one, written as if by a very seasoned author. Fran Littlewood is most certainly an author to look out for in the future. Of life and language and the fluidity thereof. How one generation can learn from another and not always upwards. A powerful, emotional, touching, memorable, uplifting read. Go Grace!

A wonderful family drama, told with warmth, humour, and realistic descriptions of the ups and downs of family life. Grace is struggling with a family breakdown, missing her daughter, regrets from missed opportunities and a feeling of life passing her by. Through flashbacks we see how her life has changed in so many ways. An enjoyable read.

Amazing Grace Adams by Fran Littlewood.

Grace Adams is sitting in her car on a sweltering hot day in London. Traffic is preventing her from moving. All Grace wants to do is collect a birthday cake for her daughter's 16th birthday. Sometimes it is the little things that break a person when they have been carrying the big things for so long. Grace snaps. She gets out , abandons the car and walks away. Grace isn't walking away from her life , she's trying to walk back to it.

Grace Adams is one of the most relatable and wonderful characters I have read in ages and this book is not at all what I was expecting. Set over one day in summer in London, the reader follows Grace as she makes her way to her daughter, collecting and then carrying her birthday cake. Through a series of flashbacks, Grace's life unfolds, Her marriage, her career, her daughter, her worries, her loss and grief, all the obstacles life has thrown and all things Grace has to juggle, negotiate, make peace with and fight for.

This is Littlewood's first novel and when reading , at times it was difficult to believe it was a debut. The book is written with huge empathy, humour and tenderness. There were some elements that were almost difficult to read, they were so relatable and then there were other parts that made me cry. This is such an accurate portrayal of and celebration of women - Women approaching middle age. Women who have daughters. Women who have lost. Women who have had enough.

Stick with Grace in the opening chapters, you might not immediately warm to her but I fail to see how anybody could not be cheering for her by the end. A great story of redemption with a wonderful main character. Next time I have had enough I might be more Grace, get out of the car and walk away.

4-4.5