A husband just up and leaves his wife and three children with no explanation. He literally disappears and provides no contact. His wife is bewildered, hurt, angry. The story is how she recaptures her life and progressively moves ahead dealing with all his lies and deceit. Well worth your time and very engaging.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, from Boldwood Books and #NetGalley. Thank you for the opportunity to preview and review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.


Friendship, sisters, motherhood, starting over, taking life one moment at a time. Life is what we make it, our family and friends are the anchors when we need them.

This was a fantastic read. A sign of a good book that you are thinking about it when you are not reading it. A story of friendship, a disappearing husband and a lovely sister. The visit to Venice was beautiful described. . The outcome you did not see coming and it had a lovely ending. Just read it.. I think Helen McGinn turning to write fiction is our gain. Brilliant

I enjoyed this book so much and really warmed to the character of Stella.

Stella’s husband leaves her, in very unexpected and unexplained circumstances. I loved following that journey and had to keep turning pages to find out what was going on! The descriptions in the book are vivid and the characters so friendly and relatable.

The stand out point for me - Stella finds her happiness again but it isn’t down to a man, either from the past or the future. It’s down to her having a loving family and an amazing bunch of friends around her. Women don’t only find happiness with romance, and this was so refreshing. I love Stella’s book club who’ve only read one book and would happily join up any day!

Fast paced, never dull, and a pleasure to read.

A wonderfully written novel, perfect for a summers read.
The characters are well written and come across as relatable. The story is one that has you going along for the ride and thoroughly enjoying it.
Not a fast paced novel by any means, but the story does flow well.
Thank you to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for my arc.

This story is a study in the struggles and resiliency of strong and independent women... I did have a hard time getting into it at first, because it felt like there was a lot of "telling" going on to give us the backstory, and it slowed the pace of the story for me.

But once Simon left, things started to pick up, and I felt like I was along for the ride as Stella tried to figure out what happened and why, and ultimately, who Simon (and she) really was.

I enjoyed the close-knit relationship between Stella and her friends, and how they rallied around to help her when she needed it most. I also liked seeing the transition in Stella's relationship with her sister along the way as well.

As a business owner myself, I felt there was a bit of a loose end left (how to get the investor cut loose from the company), unless that solution was implied by Stella's determination to take back control of the company. But it felt like a lot more could have been done with that part of the story. Did the investor know what else Simon was up to? If so, wouldn't the lack of reporting it to the board be obvious to her?

There were a lot of elements woven into the story, and for the most part, they were all dealt with well and were not overwhelming. They simply helped to carry the story and demonstrate Stella's growth.

But I guess I ended the book wondering what I was supposed to be feeling, and really wasn't too certain. I have no real complaints about the characters, writing or storyline. I just was left thinking, okay... And maybe that's exactly what I was supposed to feel. I don't know.

Regardless, thank you to Helen McGinn, Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the advance review copy.

I liked this book a lot. The characters were very relatable, the type of ladies I would like to be friends with. They really had each other's backs and were so capable and independent. I love when books have strong female characters. I also liked how romance wasn't automatically on tap for Stella, her separation was handled in such a realistic way and I was so rooting for her and her children. As much as I hated what Simon did to Stella and the business what he did to those poor kids was unforgivable.

The trip to Florence was my favourite section of the book. The food, art, wine, and architecture were described so brilliantly I felt like I was there. Italy is on my bucket list so I could have read a whole book about the trip alone. I found I even learned a little bit about wine and there were two mentioned that I really want to try now, namely Vernaccia di San Gimignano and Arneis. You could certainly tell that the author is very knowledgeable about wine.

I really appreciated the way the book ended as well. It was pretty realistic and didn't end in some shmaltzy romantic way. Kudos to the author for that! Friendship is pretty central to this book and it was written in a really beautiful way. Even though the storyline is pretty dismal I found myself smiling while reading some parts and that's exactly how life is, good parts and bad.

When Stella's husband Simon walks out on their 10 year marriage leaving her with 3 children, she feels she will fall apart, but she hasn't given credit to her friends and family for the support they are hoping to give her. Finally she gathers the courage to get some answers but in turn gets a few shocks along the way.
This is a heartwarming tale showcasing the power of friendship, love and support. I especially liked the holiday to Florence somewhere I've never visited but now I'm tempted to travel to

When Stella met Simon, she fell in love fast and moved in with him, 5 months later. He wanted to start a family immediately, Stella wanted to wait. He convinced her to try, and they have 3 children. She started a business and Simon did the financial part of the business.
Life is a journey, and Stella, was a good wife, wonderful mother, owned a business, and things were going good. One decision by Simon and everything changed. Then we see what Stella does for her children, her business, her friends and the decisions she has to make.
She learns things about Simon, and knows it is time to get a divorce. As we read the book, we see that Stella is just determined to do what she knows she must do. One of the things she thinks about is if she waits, then the children's relationship with their father could be broken. Her sister and her friends are there supporting her and being there for her, Stella learned life isn't always what she thought it was, and she didn't have a say in Simon leaving, but she did have a say in what would happen now, and she did.
I received an ARC from Boldwood Books through NetGalley.

Perfect for a Summer Evening read, a beautifully written book that I could not put down. Great characters and excellent central theme.

Highly recommended

A quick and easy read that I found myself picking up after a long day to unwind. The characters are beautifully written and I came to love them within the first few pages and was rooting for them all the way to the end. At times I wanted to stop reading because I just wanted the experience to go on for longer.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

the perfect family, the perfect life…. everything is not always as it seems. i loved following Stella’s journey as she comes to terms with how her family life changes. a book of friendships, laughter and tears and family bonds.
an enjoyable read

Love and romance…family and good friends…children…secrets and mistakes…this talented and gifted author has written a story of people who are real…the characters seem like people in our lives…not fiction characters…this reads like a true story…sad but true…this is a cannot put down romance novel that is more than just romance…it is about the strong bonds of friendship and family…a career oriented protagonist who is stronger than she knows…I liked this book…I hope this author writes a sequel or other books similar..
it is a fun quick read…the author is excellent at her craft.