I have read and enjoyed all of Penny Parkes previous books. I was delighted to receive a preview copy of this book from Netgalley and the Publisher.
This book is such a heartwarming, wonderful read. It has a real sense of friendship and community which is lovely to read about.
The book highlights some real problems that are currently facing our society. You can be employed but still need to claim benefits or visit a food bank. People in this situation can often be demonized or looked down upon for being scroungers, but often this is far from being the truth. This book gives an important message.
I really enjoyed reading this book, it is very well written.

Sometimes, what you want is a light, romantic story. The last book by Penny Parkes that Bookbag had the pleasure of reviewing was Out of Practice, shortlisted for the Romantic Comedy Novel of 2017. Maybe Tomorrow is loved by Katie Fforde, the doyenne of romantic novelists. This would be my perfect, light, romantic read, wouldn't it? No - it wouldn't be. It would be something far, far better. Maybe Tomorrow is a serious look at a situation that restricts the potential of far too many people. And that's not just their loss - it's everyone's.

Jamie Matson works in an upper-class grocery store, for a man who's a control freak with all the subtlety of a half brick. Jamie's son, Bo, 'has his problems'. He's asthmatic and the more you read, the more you'll suspect that he's on the autistic spectrum. Sometimes Jamie needs to take time off at short notice - she's a frequent flier in the local A&E and sometimes Bo's not fit enough to go to school. Missed shifts or the need to be away on time to pick Bo up from school are occasions when Jamie can be controlled and put in the wrong. It was going to come to a head.

Their home is a similar problem. It's damp and mouldy - both trigger points for Bo's asthma but Jamie's landlord isn't inclined to spend the money to improve the flat. In fact, he's threatening to increase the rent to a level which Jamie can't afford, although he is prepared to come to an arrangement with Jamie to cover the increase. Unsurprisingly, the 'arrangement' involves sex.

Jammie's great shame is her need to use the local food bank but it's also going to be what saves her because this is where she meets the people who are in the same boat. They're the women who've been let down by the system: they're working so the help they're entitled to is minimal but they live their lives on the edge of failure. What they gradually realise is that together, they are strong and they can achieve more than they ever thought possible. They begin to appreciate the illusive difference between what they think they want and what they really need.

I read this book far too quickly. I admired Jamie but I fell in love with Bo, the quirky, gifted child, lucky enough to be with a mother who puts him before everything else. The characterisation is superb: everyone comes off the page fully clothed and days after I finished reading I was still wondering how they were doing. What I loved most, though, was that the solutions for all the women didn't involve a man stepping in to make everything miraculously right. Now that is good to read.

I'd like to thank the publishers for letting Bookbag have a review copy.

This is a heartwarming and uplifting story filled with unexpected friendships, a loving community, empathy and positivity. The amount of kindness that Jamie receives is really lovely to witness and it shows that if you open yourself up, you can let people in and it’s ok to need a bit of help. The story also explores issues of bullying, neurodivergence and misogyny too (Jamie’s landlord is a nasty character) but the read never feels too heavy, making it an easy and relaxing read to cosy up on the sofa with a cup of tea!

For me personally, the read was a bit on the long side for this plot but overall I enjoyed it.

A heartwarming "it takes a village" novel centered around Jamie and her neurodiverse son Bo. She's mortified at first to need the food bank but it turns out it becomes a lifeline and the source of many friendships. While this is a tad trope-y it's got a good wallop of emotion and reality. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A very good read.

Thank you Net gallery for the chance to read an early copy of this book,
I Really enjoyed this book and the characters were really relatable and enjoyed to read about.

This book had me drawn in from the start and made me want to keep reading and I was sad when it finished.

A brilliant read and one I really enjoyed. The characters are loveable and varied, the plot is one that is engaging and medium paced. I found myself completely drawn into the story and enjoyed the writing style.

This is a light-hearted but emotional and perfect seasonal read. With interesting characters and a good storyline. Although it also has some good laugh out loud moments too.

This was a wonderful book. I thought it was beautifully written and very cleverly done, including the pandemic and health worries without it being over the top, concentrating on the social aspect and people struggling to live day to day. I think it highlighted some very important aspects of lots of people’s lives, that even those who are working and ticking all the right boxes are still struggling and even worse falling under the radar as they aren’t on benefits. It also highlights how easy it is to feel isolated, how mental health can cause a lot of issues that you wouldn’t think are connected. Your self worth is so low that you feel you don’t deserve friends and support. Seeing the friendships grow as they pulled back the layers and preconceptions of each other was truly wonderful and very eye opening. This book will stay with me for a long time to come.

I thought this was a well written, and uplifting story. Different to my usual reads ,but I do enjoy switching genres occasionally. I would recommend this as a feel good book.

A story based on unlikely friendships but love and hope which although sad at times felt hugely uplifting. This author really makes you feel in the main characters shoes and it feels very relatable at times. It takes on some challenging topics in the way of unemployment, poverty and the use of food banks but really inspiring people throughout.

"Maybe Tomorrow" was a gorgeous, uplifting and heart - warming story, so much needed. It was filled with tons of kindness that didn't overwhelm you - maybe because it was also filled with tons of bad news, defeats and disappointment, so this empathy and positivity and good news were absolutely needed. There was such a strong feeling of friendship, even if unexpected, and community.
It is also filled with some much heavier issues, but altogether it never feels too heavy itself, the author has just found a perfect balance between bad and good, between doubt and hope, between love and hate.
It highlights how hard the last few years fwere for everybody, for some even more. It gives a deep insight into life agter the pandemic and it made me feel so angry that there are really people like Jamie, Bonnie, Amy out there, who still can't catch their breaths.

But while it was a truly wonderful book, really, but for me it dragged on and on. There came a moment, around the last third, when it started to repeat itself, when nothing happened, when a very closer look was taken at every single feeling and emotion and thought and the story started to feel too flat and too long. Please don't get me wrong, it was incredibly important, but it simply felt too long for this plot..

I’m not sure where to start in reviewing this beautiful book, and whether my words can do it justice. Maybe Tomorrow is the book each and everyone of us needs to read. It’s a story that will give you hope and inspiration. I felt like it took me a while to read this but every single time I picked up this book I was transported to a world full of hope.

I don’t want to share too much of the finer details as each reveal has a different weight of worth when you discover it. Penny Parkes has created a real and incredibly raw story that fully encompasses the struggles of everyday life, and sometimes the people you think have a perfect life have anything but. Jamie and Bo are an incredible family who are real and so raw. The struggles of the pandemic affected us all and their story showcased a lot of that.

The friends they made in the process was life affirming and heartwarming. When Jamie meets Ruth, Henry, Kath, Bonnie and Amy each of them add to the story. The changes in each of them throughout the story will have you consistently smiling and feeling that warm glow, as if they are your own friends. The sense of community these guys bring through all their own very different experiences of pain to say the least.

Not only is this a story of friendship it also has an abundance of kindness. There are hard aspects to this tale but they are outweighed but the positivity shown in this story. I really felt inspired – I love my job most of the time but I did find myself thinking based on each character’s circumstances. I truly love every aspect of this book and how Penny has taken extremely different people young and old who are simply slipping through the system.
Maybe Tomorrow is a hopeful, insightful and truly powerful novel. I will be recommending this forever and forever. If you’ve found yourself in a book slump or in a life slump please pick up this book and I promise you’ll be full of ideas, hope and smiles. I’ve had some testing times recently but a great holiday and this gorgeous book have truly changed my outlook and thought process. I’m hoping that boost stays with me as I return to the daily grind.

Be sure to check out the book and the rest of the blog tour. So sorry for my super late post.

A book to warm your heart with wonderful friendship giving you hope and wisdom. The characters are down on there luck but never feel sorry for themselves. Just beautifully uplifting.

This was one of the most heart wrenching books i have read because of how raw and real it was. This story is about a mum and her son who are struggling financially and her son has health issues. I am a mum of 3 sen children so i resonated with the constant worrying part of parenting that Jamie felt in the book.
The story would resonate with a lot of families and parents especially at the moment. Its a very sad reality to read a fictional book about fictional circumstances and characters but it being a reality for most families right now.

The author has really highlighted the real problems and issues that have arisen from covid with the high street, family life and people's wellbeing and finances.

One of the most poignant, emotionally charged and life affirming book I read this year. A story but also a lot of food for thought as there's a lot of people like Jamie who needs to be supported and helped.
Please read it because it's an important story.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Having thoroughly enjoyed Home by Penny Parkes I couldn’t wait to dive into Maybe Tomorrow.

Once again, I was drawn into the world this author created. I’ve been led through an array of emotions feeling frustrated and helpless through to being hopeful and experiencing the first stirrings of excitement that things just might come together.

People falling through the cracks of government support (as in being over thresholds) is not a new thing … how many people it affects since the pandemic though has increased dramatically. Add into the equation the impact of the cost of living and we have people of all ages in jobs who barely scrape by and yet don’t qualify for any help. They may have lost those close to them forcing a change of lifestyle too.

This is where Jamie is at in her life when we first meet her. Forced to accept a job way below her qualifications (with a boss whose actions raised my hackles each time I encountered him!) and her son Bo needing expert medical attention regularly, Jamie is isolated in a life that is bleak. Add into the equation a seedy landlord who doesn’t believe in respect or privacy for his tenants and you have a situation that’s untenable.

Until that is, friendships form in the food bank queue, bonds develop and life changes…

Kath, Bonnie, Amy and Willow are easy to relate to. They all have their own scars and are wearing masks to hide their pain. I loved how their togetherness grew and how letting down their barriers becomes a strength.

This isn’t the only theme in the story. Eccentric Henry and Ruth are important, sharing their wisdom and genuine love and care. There are some poignant scenes with these two. I often find myself thinking about them …

And Bo. Finding it hard to fit into a neurotypical world, Jamie is the perfect mother for him with her neurodiverse parenting. Henry is a fabulous role model too. To me, Bo was all the colours of the rainbow 🙂 He’s my favourite character!

Maybe Tomorrow is fiction truly reflecting real life. The move from the darkest days to hope on the horizon isn’t quick. The friendships aren’t always straight forward. Nothing happens without one of the characters taking action. It’s each other’s strengths that move their lives forward and at its heart, it is the community they’ve nurtured and nourished.

If your life has changed over the past 3 years or you’ve lost your way, I know you’ll find solace and inspiration in Maybe Tomorrow. It’s a story of courage, hope and resilience. I loved it!

This was a really beautiful, thought provoking read that show you, you can find happiness in the unlikeliest of places. I devoured this book and it’s left a hole in my heart. I quite simply loved it and will be buying numerous copies to share with my loved ones.

A heartwarming story brimming with love. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of the book in exchange for a review.

When things are tough, we all hope for a better tomorrow, don’t we? Well, even Jamie Matson hopes so. Life is great and when life is so great and running in a smooth line, we all know what can happen, right? Something changes and that line develops kinks, until it shatters.

Jamie had a life of working alongside her best friend, organising adventures for single-parent families. It all sounds amazing fun, amongst having a lot of work to pull each one off. She also has a comfortable roof over her head. This all abruptly changes as this comfort, and in some ways, privilege and one that many people take for granted, shatters and crumbles, fast. She loses her friend and their business as well as her home. It shows how one minute you can be sailing through life, and the next, what you knew, what you got so comfortable with, can come crashing down, causing immense impact. It a sad situation, but in a way I like the way this book goes because it may grab readers attention, to look around them, especially if they have a comfortable lifestyle and truly think how lucky they are, but also how there are times when the certainty of wealth and things, doesn’t necessarily always last forever.

Then, comes the hope. It comes in the form of friendships in places she never would have expected to find it, along with the element of when you’ve hit rock bottom and not many options left but to try and re-invent your life and find what’s next and confound all the rules. 
I think this is brilliantly done, with the warmth and all sorts of people who find themselves using the food bank. 

The book is more uplifting than you think, with the friendships formed and the hope that it provides. It is a compelling and highly satisfying read.

This is a life affirming, positive read. It is very much set in the here and now, referencing COVID and how the pandemic has impacted the livelihoods of so many people. It focuses on a disparate group of women who form an unlikely friendship when they meet at a local food bank. It is about being true to yourself and finding the tribe that you belong to. I would highly recommend it!