I really enjoyed having my heart broken and mended by Norman Foreman, so jumped at the chance to destroy myself again (but in a good way!) with this latest novel from Julietta Henderson.

And I will admit that it took me until about a third of the way through to really settle into the story and characters in this book. The story is told in alternating chapters from the point of view of Danny – drinking himself to death in his best friend’s shed – and Wolfie – struggling to breathe under the weight of caring for her mum. So, at first, both of the main narrating characters felt quite similar in their individual states of despair and isolation.

But approximately 33% into the book, the main characters are brought together under one roof (or, at least, at the same address) and local journalist Pete turns up to persuade Danny to start answering letters to the local paper, agony-aunt style, and the story just took off and completely carried me with it!

The letters and Danny’s answers to them are brilliant – heartbreakingly touching and hilariously funny, and sometimes both at the same time. Wolfie’s struggles felt so very real to me, and while I despaired of Danny’s apparent hopeless avoidance of life in the early pages, I ended up loving his chapters and following the gentle trajectory of his redemption arc.

On the way though, things do go to some dark places, so you should expect triggers for content related to substance abuse/addiction, depression, self-harm, suicidal thoughts and actions. Throughout it all though, there is a sense of hope and resilience and a strong pull towards second (and third, and more…) chances which kept me reading as I believed in the characters and believed they could make it through.

This is the first story I have read that feels like a found-family feelgood tale whilst actually being about blood family, and it is a good reminder of how small actions can create big ripples and how small kindnesses can save or change lives.

Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog

Having previously read The Funny Thing About Norman Foreman by Julietta Henderson, I was so excited for Sincerely, Me and it did not disappoint! Julietta writes character-driven novels so well and the dynamic between the different characters was just so lovely to read. Sincerely, Me was a beautifully written novel, funny and sad at the same time. I would definitely recommend this and read more by the same author.

Sincerely Me is a contemporary dramedy set in London by an Australian author who is new to me, about finding yourself, your lost family, and your new family. I’m trying to find more books in this UpLit genre, about friendship and non-romantic love, so had requested this after seeing some very positive reviews. At 25% in, I put it aside to read something else, as I really didn’t like the main character, selfish man child Danny and his mopy sister, Lou, but when I picked it up again was just when the characters start to evolve and I got more into the story the further I went, so I’m glad I gave it a second chance.

Danny has just been arrested for drunkenly daubing the pavement outside the smart Belsize Park house, where he lodges in his best friend Dom’s garden shed, with graffiti that only he thought was clever. When a photo finds its way into the local paper alongside an article describing him as a modern guru, leading to a new role as the paper’s agony uncle. Then his teenage niece Wolfie recognises the unusual name and tracks down the uncle she has never met, due to him falling out with her mother years before. Lou has just broken her leg, so kindhearted widower Dom invites them to move in with him, his exuberant six year old George and a very reluctant Danny. As the new housemates learn more about each other, secrets emerge to test their fragile new bonds. Can Danny grow up enough to be the brother and uncle his new family need?

This is told from Danny and Wolfie’s first person POVs, Danny in past tense and Wolfie in present tense (ugh.) As mentioned, it took me quite a while to warm to Danny who’s a self-indulgent @rse and I couldn’t understand why Dom puts up with him, whereas Wolfie made a likeable teen heroine, forced into adulthood by her mother’s fragility and selfishness. Six year old George was a hilarious comic character and there’s also a charming dog and a curmudgeonly neighbour. Everything turns out much as you’d expect, but I liked the way it ended especially as romance was hinted at but kept out of the epilogue and left unresolved. My favourite part was the letters Danny receives from strangers who write to the paper asking for his help, and his surprisingly perceptive replies. Heartwarming and nicely written, this is recommended for those looking for a touching read about second chances.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK for the ARC. I am posting this honest review voluntarily.
Sincerely Me is published today.

@currentlyreading__
Book 12 of 2023

Thank you to @netgalley, the author @juliettahendersonauthor and the publishers @penguinrandomhouse for my gifted e-copy of ‘Sincerely, Me’.

This is out today and I absolutely loved it. It was just the book I needed - a gentle and uplifting book about family, forgiveness and second chances.

Our main character is Danny Mulberry and I loved him. He is aimless and after moving from one job to another, he is coasting through life, living in his best friend’s shed with his canine companion Gentleman. The book opens with Danny’s arrest for some mindless drunken graffiti and as a result, Danny is captured for all to see in the local newspaper. After publication and a misleading accompanying article declares him to be some sort of spiritual guru with answers to all of life’s problems, the letters keep flooding in.

But it’s not just strangers who want Danny’s attention - it’s also Danny’s fifteen year old niece Wolfie who needs him after her mum, Danny’s estranged sister has found herself needing support, both physically and emotionally.

There is a memorable cast of characters anyone will fall in love with; from the main man Danny, George (son of Danny’s best friend), Wolfie, sister Lou and cab driver extraordinaire Jaz. Beautifully written and so heart-warming it’s the literary equivalent of a mug of hot chocolate - comforting, satisfying and sweet. An absolute beauty of a book.


#bookstagram #bibliophile #bookworm #book #booknerd #bookstagrammer #kindle #instabook #reader #bookobsessed #sincerelyme

All the stars to infinity and beyond!😉

A blissful and hearty read that’s sure to nourish your soul and give you a book best friend for life!

Thanks NetGalley and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers, Bantam Press for the ARC!

😍Oh Danny! You absolute darling man!

Synopsis –

Danny Mulberry’s life is in shambles. Living in his best friend’s garden shed, the highlight of his day is the six pints of beer at his favorite pub. But when a cheeky little shenanigan, gets him on the front pages of a local newspaper, he turns into an “enlightened guru” overnight, who has answers to life’s every problem. In the meantime, Danny must also confront his estranged sister & niece, unpacking his “baggage” from his past.

Review -

Well, how can I ever do justice to this book with a few hundreds of words? I might really run out of adjectives!

I confess that I initially crinkled my nose at Danny’s pathetic lifestyle, his laid back attitude and indifference towards everyone. But good God, he has his ways about him and managed to worm his way into my heart.

Alternating between POVs of Danny and his niece Wolfie, we get a picture of Danny’s sorry state, his estrangement of 16 years with his sister Lou and Wolfie’s struggles as a 14 year teenager. But when circumstances bring them together, the layers of their history and family life begin to peel away.

Danny’s sudden rise to fame for his “zen” and how he responds, is what makes up the core of the story. How can a man who has no clue and direction to his own life, give valuable advice and suggestions to others? I watched, mesmerized, as he does it effortlessly, with the magic of his heart and a bit of help from his father’s timeless words.

Julietta’s writing is simply harmonious, ebbing and flowing with all the emotions – joy, grief, loss and especially the humor. Her beautiful words in Danny’s letters are so full of wisdom, that would make you close the book, take a deep breath and contemplate about your own life and values. They reflect her keen sense of observation and understanding of what it is to be human.

Danny’s ability to laugh at himself and really life itself, arms him with the capacity to be an anchor to others and in the process, he finds incredible maturity, as he accepts his mistakes of the past, reuniting with his family.

I fell in love with every character – Dom, his little boy George, Wolfie, Lou and oh! even his adorable rescue dog – Gentleman, melted my heart!

With themes of acceptance, forgiveness, second chances and above all kindness, Julietta has given us this treasured warm-hearted hug of a book!

This is a very emotional tale. It has a broken family and grudges that were held for way too long, and some very nice people to balance out the odds.
We have two voices that tell the story, one is Danny, who has money to splurge and therefore needs to do no work in life, and another is Wolfie, who is older than her years. Danny is an alcoholic who leads a very despondent day-to-day existence. He ends up in the newspaper one morning because of something he wrote on the sidewalk when drunk. This incident changes things for him as it brings him his niece and estranged sister back into his life and also has people randomly reaching out to him, assuming he knows something about living that they dont.
It is not a snappy book - it deals with addiction and severe depression in varying degrees throughout the book. The past can never be set to rights, but a semblance of a positive future is all that can be hoped for when we leave them at the end of the book. The different voices help put their respective thoughts in perspective.
The author's writing manages to convey a depth of sadness without being overbearing and drowning in it. The characters all claw back from their own personal issues and reach some form of ordinary. This is not a happy book but a hopeful one. I would read another book by the author and recommend this to readers of this genre.
I received this book as an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the review is entirely based on my own reading.

I always feel nervous for an author when it comes to following up a smash-hit debut. So full marks to Julietta Henderson for hitting it out of the park with Sincerely, Me; a superb, wholly engrossing story about what it means to be family. With a fabulously flawed cast of unforgettable characters, it made my heart swell and my soul sing.

Meet 39 year-old dropout, Danny Mulberry, who lives in his best friend Dom’s garden shed. His life is a directionless and bogged down in emotional baggage. With zero self-esteem, he drifts from one day to the next, propped up by pints at his local.

Meet Wolfie, the 15 year-old niece Danny doesn’t know he has. Wolfie is carrying her own burdens, an old head on young shoulders, overwhelmed by the responsibility of caring for her struggling mother, Lou.

Meet single mum Lou, Danny’s estranged sister. Emotionally vulnerable and and prone to regular ‘sofa vacations’, Lou hasn’t spoken to Danny for 16 years.

Then serendipity strikes. And following a drunken prank that sees Danny splashed all over the local paper and hailed a life guru, the siblings are reluctantly reunited. What ensues as they try to find their way back to each other, and shake off the hurt and resentment they’ve carried around for years, is a multilayered tale of tragedy, forgiveness and second chances.

Just like Norman Foreman, this is an all-the-feels book. Henderson has a rare gift for crafting characters that rise from the pages fully formed, complex and inexorably human. I cared for them all. I felt their pain, their sadness, their tentative desire to build bridges. They made me laugh, cry and everything in between. And as for the unsolicited agony aunt letters and Danny’s replies — just genius!

An absolute joy of a novel.

I was sent a copy of Sincerely, Me by Julietta Henderson to read and review by NetGalley. I chose this title because I loved the author’s previous book, The Funny Thing about Norman Foreman, and I have to say that this novel didn’t disappoint. It is beautifully written and so well crafted, with well rounded characters and so many modern-day issues to both learn and think about – especially those concerning mental health. The story is funny, heartbreaking and insightful but in no way ‘worthy’ or ‘pontificating’. It is a great example of a book that is a joy to read but is also informative and really makes you think. Well worth 5 stars in my opinion.

Another stunning book by Julietta, expertly written. Lovely range of characters and plot, penned in Julietta's expert way. Loved it!

I haven’t read anything by this author before and went into the book completely blind, without reading the synopsis

What a great gem of a book it was

The book is very character driven, rather than plot driven, leaving the reader to feel like they are part of the book themselves.

There is so much going on with these characters and so much that the reader will relate to

I loved the idea of the help being given through means of a newspaper

Whilst the book is heartbreaking and emotional in places, it is warmth and a real joy to read.

The book does tackle some emotional subjects throughout, but the author does them justice

Thank you to the tour organiser for arranging the tour

Ah, what wonderful characters Julietta Henderson has created in Sincerely, Me.

Danny himself is basically a good guy who has taken a few wrong turns and made a few wrong decisions because of guilt – and often because of beer! He is living in his best friend’s garden shed and that friend Dom is gentle, wise and kind. You might wonder why Dom puts up with Danny but Danny was there for Dom when he needed him and now he’s there for Danny. George is Dom’s six year old son and he is a hoot. He is a total chatterbox, says things as he sees them and is exuberant and funny. A newspaper article, mostly full of nonsense, leads to an unexpected reconciliation between Danny and his sister Lou. They have been estranged for 16 years and Danny has never met his niece Wolfie. Wolfie is anxious and worried about her mother who has recently had a bad accident and Lou in turn is so affected by what happened to her mother. I so enjoyed reading about all these characters and how they gradually came to know each other and grow closer.

When the newspaper article results in strangers writing to Danny for his advice, he finds he is forced to confront his own past as he attempts to help others. The letters were poignant and the responses often amusing and touching. Danny realises that much of the encouragement and wisdom he can share came from his father, even though he never really listened to him when alive.

There are themes of grief and guilt and the way they can have lasting effects throughout the years. One thing that struck me was how the events the characters remembered or the things they forget often differed so much. Memories of the same things can be entirely different for different people and we definitely see that here.

In the author’s earlier novel we followed Norman and his mum on an actual journey. In Sincerely, Me, we follow the characters on a different kind of journey. It may have been smaller in terms of distance but was huge in terms of emotional growth. A wonderful story of loneliness, grief and regret but also of courage, hope and fresh beginnings.

Julietta Henderson has another hit on her hands after the success of “The Funny Thing About Norman Foreman.” As fans of “Norman” will expect, this book has a whole cast of interesting characters but the story is told from the perspectives of Danny and Wolfie.

Danny has hit middle age but what has he got to show for it? He has moved from job to job without settling on anything, he drinks far too much and he lives in his best friend’s shed. But an article in the local newspaper that covers one of his misdemeanours sparks a number of events that change Danny’s life.

Wolfie is the daughter of Lou, Danny’s estranged sister. When she sees the article, she realises that this is the uncle she has barely heard of and never met. With Lou struggling and Wolfie barely holding their lives together, she goes in search of Danny.

This story is told with warmth and humour but also has a serious side when it depicts the realities of depression. I found parts of it challenging because of that but I think it’s even more of a reason for people to read it and I hope many people do. My one criticism was that I would have liked to see more into the lives of some of the side characters, particularly Danny’s best friend Dom and his son George. I’m hoping that Henderson might consider writing a separate book to cover some of their story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

After a night which included a lot of drinking, Danny Mulberry draws a graffiti on the sidewalk and gets arrested. He finds it all a bit amusing which is why he doesn't tell the police officers that he actually lives there (although it is his best friend Dom's house, and his address is actually the garden shed). As he is being taken to the police station, his neighbor Ray takes a picture of Danny giving him the middle finger from the back of a police car. This picture ends up in the newspaper, and the journalist, prompted by the graffiti message, writes a very imaginative piece about Danny being some kind of a philosopher.
Wolfie is a teenager who is having a hard time having to constantly watch out for her mom Lou, who recently got run over by a delivery van. So when she sees Danny's picture in the newspaper, she can't believe it's her estranged uncle. After a visit to Dom's house, she meets Danny who is drunk again, and he can't believe his sister's daughter made an effort to meet him after the mess of words Danny threw at Lou after their father's funeral. A couple of days later, Dom intervenes, and they all quicky find themselves living under the same roof.
Soon after, the journalist from the newspaper gives Danny a job opportunity - replying to the letters that people have started sending to the newspaper after reading the article about Philosopher Danny, looking for life advice. By answering all of the hard questions about life, Danny learns to become a better person himself, builds back the relationship with his sister brick by brick, and learns to appreciate the little things in life.

I didn't like that it was very slow paced, and we didn't even get to the letters until after 50%. I loved the dog (!), and little Georgie was charming as well (even though I am not a big fan of children). Dom deserves an award for best friend, and the letters were heartwarming but funny as well. This was a lovely story that I enjoyed reading, and I will probably check out more books by this author.
Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I found this book at the start was a bit slow for me but I’m glad I stayed with it. After reading Julietta’s first book The Funny Thing about Norman Foreman I couldn’t wait to start this book. I found the characters very likeable. Danny being the uncle we all have lovable but a total car wreck. A family broken and being apart for so long brought together through unusual circumstances.
As I mentioned it was a slow start getting to the real story but once it started I felt compelled to finish the book and was willing all of them to have a happy ending.
I would recommend reading and can’t wait for the next book from Julietta.

Thanks to publisher and author for this eARC

This was something else! It had me captivated and touched on subjects very close to my heart, we always want to be close to family but we rarely to do it before it’s too late!.

Please read this book if you love someone

Such a beautifully written and uplifting story about second chances and the importance of connection.

Danny is drifting through life with a series of dead end and short lived jobs. His nights are mainly beer filled. And he lives in his best friend Doms' garden shed. One morning he wakes up outside having no recollection of how he got there, but all he knows is he's now being arrested for graffiting on the pavement 'A Cat Can Look at a King'. This event along with the local paper's coverage is going to change everything for Danny Mulberry.

Because he is about to be confronted with his past, and that is not a comfortable place for him. His niece Wolfie, has tracked him down after seeing the article. She's 15, and they've never met. Because Danny and younger sister Lou have been estranged for 16 years. Before he knows it, Lou and Wolfie are moving in with his best friend Dom and there is nowhere to run (despite his initial best efforts).

You will fall in love with every character in this joyous book. The friendship between Danny and Dom? Chef's kiss! Georgie - amazing. Lou, fragile but wears her vulnerability like a cape. Wolfie, feisty but inside, so frightened. And Danny. Flawed, sure. A bit hopeless, yep. But absolutely there when you need him and has kindness running through his veins. And helping others in turn helps him to heal his own wounds.

A joy to read from start to finish.

I loved this book with its themes of loss, loneliness, depression and family. Maybe that doesn’t sound like fun, but there is a lovely warm undercurrent to the writing, which makes this irresistible. I really enjoyed the characterisations, especially Danny; I think we have all met many men-children in need of a wake up call. The letters and replies to the ‘agony uncle’ are brilliant and I love the way he channels his late father. Absorbing, tender and moving. I loved it!

2🌟

Thank you very much to Net Gallery for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was one of my most highly anticipated reads of 2023, and unfortunately, I did not enjoy it.

My biggest gripe with this novel is its voice. The tones of the two protagonists are extremely similar, considering they have never met before and have a thirty year age gap. This complicates ease of reading as both perspectives are portrayed in eerily similar voices.

Additionally, during their first interaction, 40 year old Danny accidentally makes lurid and inappropriate comments towards Wolfie, his thirteen year old niece, and although this is intended as a humorous and awkward introduction, it's hard to feel uncomfortable reading about a grown man accidentally making advances on his pre-teen niece.

I was so excited about the premise of this novel, I think it's a hilarious and brilliant idea, but we don't even witness Wolfie informing her mother that she's discovered her long lost family member. For how heart-wrenching the cause of the sibling's separation is supposed to be, and for how long it has drawn out for, Lou accepts her brother's sudden appearance in her life without complaint or nervousness.

Additionally, lots of the humour is so intentional that it is almost in your face and the majority of it comes from George, Danny's friend's six year old son, whose core role is to embarrass Danny by revealing all his private information to whoever is around.

In short, the idea of this novel is brilliant, and I was really intrigued by the premise, but in my opinion, it was poorly executed and needed more refined editing.

I have so much love for this book, my heart felt completely full once I'd turned the last page. When I first started it I was a little unsure and wondered just how a main character such as Danny would be able to capture my attention throughout the whole book. Clearly I was proved totally wrong. Danny is amazing! I adored seeing his relationships change and flourish as the story unfolded and loved how he got involved in answering letters from newspaper readers. His answers had me in floods of tears but also made me smile and it was really special how he looked back on his relationship with his father to provide advice to people. I didn't want it to end!

Danny Mulberry isn’t big on responsibility, maturity and commitment. Bouncing from one dead end job to the next, he and his dog Gentleman are living in his best friend Dom’s garden shed, and spending every night getting drunk in the pub. Even 6 year old George, Dom’s son, seems to have more of a handle on adulting than Danny.

After being arrested for an act of drunken graffiti, a photo and a misleading story about Danny appears in the newspaper, and suddenly letters begin to flood in from strangers seeking his guidance, thinking that he is enlightened and has all the answers to life’s problems.

Wolfie is the teenage daughter of Danny's estranged sister, Lou. She's never met her uncle. But her mother needs help, and so, when Wolfie sees Danny's picture in the paper, she sets out to find him.
Within a week, Danny goes from being responsibility-free to a big brother, an uncle and an unwitting existential 'guru' to some very lost souls, but can he become the man they all need him to be?

This is Julietta Henderson’s second novel, and the first one of hers that I have read, although I will be reading her first one as soon as possible after this! It is moving and touching, and perfectly blends really serious issues like grief, loss, depression, loneliness and attempted suicide, with humour and comedy. It is all done with the lightest of touches and is sensitively handled.

The story alternates between the viewpoints of Danny and Wolfie - a technique which simultaneously allows the reader to be right inside their heads, knowing their thoughts and getting to know them intimately, whilst allowing the story to be revealed piece by piece, a layer at a time, until you finally have the complete picture. As the various pieces of the story are revealed and you learn about the events of the past, you find a context for and an explanation of the whys and wherefores of the characters’ behaviour so far, and then moving forward you also see how they develop and change.

All of the characters are well-drawn and leap off the page, which adds real impact to this character-driven story. They are all flawed, they all have weaknesses, they are all extremely human, they have all experienced great love and great loss…and I loved them all. I loved Danny and Wolfie and Lou who are the 3 main characters, but I also loved Gentleman the Dog, and Dom who is the bestest of best mates, and adorable George. I loved Jaz the Taxi Driver (and I have hopes that one day she and Danny might get together!), and I even loved Ray who is clearly more lonely than malevolent.

The letters which Danny receives and is tasked with replying to, is another very clever technique. These letters reflect many of the same problems and issues which Danny, Lou and Wolfie have experienced, and it is only because of Danny’s personal growth that he is able to reply to them with the benefit of hindsight and newfound clarity and understanding, as well as the wisdom handed down by his father.

As I mentioned there are some very deep themes connected with sadness and loss explored within the story, but it is, above all, a story about the importance of love and forgiveness, about second chances, and about family and friendship.

This is a book with immense heart and humanity, and it is extremely heart-warming. It has the power to make you laugh and cry, but ultimately it leaves you feeling truly uplifted, valuing the time you have spent with these wonderful characters. A really wonderful read!

With thanks to NetGalley and Bantam/Random House for the e-Arc in return for an honest review.