The Book of Beginnings is a lovely, gentle read - with hidden depths as it explores themes of friendships, loneliness, and grief in its many forms. The characters draw the reader in: Jo, the main protagonist who is mourning the breakup of a relationship; Ruth, the Runaway Vicar with a hidden secret; Malcolm, an elderly gentleman struggling to write his first novel; Eric the Viking; and Highgate Cemetery itself with its secrets and ghosts and statues. And stationery and in particular, fountain pens.

My great-grandmother, grandfather and great-uncle are all buried in Highgate Cemetery; I have my own collection of fountain pens and can't resist new stationery and notebooks; and I'm a Vicar. So naturally this book appealed! I also like a place for everything and everything in its place - a constant repeated theme of the book. So I guess I'm biased from the start. But having said all that, this is a lovely book to read, with feel-good factors as the plot is worked out and we're drawn in wondering whether Eric is The One, whether Ruth will reveal what happened to her, whether Malcolm will be able to write his book. Christmas Eve in the cemetery is a lovely scene and its descriptions make it easy to imagine oneself there.

Some of the most interesting parts of the book are the imagined conversations between historical figures who are buried in the cemetery, and the research that goes into this. We learn more about them and what happened to them, and I really enjoyed this. It had more depth than the rest of the book.

As friendships develop and the main characters share more of their own stories and learn to trust one another, it makes one grateful for one's own friendships but also invites thought as to how to develop and maintain friendships in these times when so many sadly feel alone and lonely. How we reach out to others and how we develop trusted friendships is an important issue in our current times.

With thanks to the publisher and to Netgalley for the ARC copy.

This book put me into a beautiful place, quirky and full of love.
Jo takes over her uncle's stationery shop when he is ill and she needs to make a new start.
For me this was a love story about friendship and about how true friends are important life partners. Jo uses her new life to find this out and it was a thought provoking read about how we treat our oldest companions who we may not see all the time.
Great.

A lovely story about the importance of friendship and learning to value yourself..

Wonderful characters and gentle tale that leaves you with a feel good glow at the end.'

I love books about friendship, and this must be up there among the best. Although it took me a while to settle into it, once the cast of characters began to build around ‘Average Jo’ I was enthralled, and wanted to know more about them.

When Jo’s uncle develops dementia and her relationship breaks down, she goes to London to look after his stationery and hardware shop. Isolated and lonely, her confidence in shreds, she meets some of the people living and working around her, including Ruth, the runaway vicar, and Malcolm, a retired analyst who buys a new notebook every week. And slowly, maybe a little too slowly, their friendship begins to form.

This book is rich in vivid detail; about the settings, the characters, and the ghosts who may or ma not walk on Christmas Eve in Highgate Cemetery. Although there were small parts of the plot I did not like, they didn’t detract from the whole and I was left in awe of the writer’s skill.

Oh what a lovely story this was. I loved it from the beginning.
Jo has split from boyfriend James and is struggling with emotions. Meanwhile her favourite uncle has gone in to care and her parents have asked her to caretake his shop in London. The novel follows Jo as she comes to terms with the reality of the relationship and the different personalities she meets in the shop.
I felt real sympathy for Jo from the beginning, so it was easy to read and root for her. I loved the characters in the shop and the friendships that developed.
Beautiful.

Sometimes you just need to curl up with a nice book. No thrills, suspense, dragons magic or spice but i found myself smiling an awful lot as i read this book.
I highly recommend this book if you need an easy read, it will make you smile, you'll be routing for Jo and her band of merry friends and it will leave you longing for new stationery.

It was a nice gentle romance read which is not something that I normally would choose. Not really my story but it was well written and easy to get through.

A wonderful delve in to loneliness, friendships and the complexity of life that really was a joy to read.

The Book of Beginnings - Sally page

Oh my I loved this book, so find a wet day a comfy chair and get reading. This was an easy to read uplifting book about friendships and I did not want to put it down.

Jo goes to manage her Uncle Wilbur's hardware / stationary shop after he is admitted into care. Jo has just split up from her pain in the neck boyfriend James and is also trying to mend her friendship with her best friend Lucy which has suffered because of James. When she opens the shop and starts to improve the stationary side of the shop she helps a number of people and meets three people who will change her life for the better. Ruth Malcolm and Eric.

I loved the characters in this book and their stories as well as the thought that the resident ghosts in Highgate Cemetery could come back to visit on Christmas Eve. Such fun.

I immediately went on the read Sally's A Keeper of Stories which I am also enjoying nearly as much.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy.

For a beginning you need an ending first. Jo comes to London to run her uncles shop after he is taken ill. Leaving is bliss after a broken heart by her live in boyfriend and work colleagues. Taking redundancy to escape the humiliation and gossip not only at work but locally as well.
Meeting two people who have a major influence. Friendships grow and support is extended to all members of the trio.

I don't often read romance stories but I was in the mood for some relaxing bank holiday reading and the description of this book drew me in. This was probably helped by my love of stationary and old fountain pens!
This is the story of Jo, fleeing from the painful end of her relationship and taking refuge in her uncle's shop in London. She has agreed to look after the shop during her uncle's illness, and it gives her much needed breathing space to assess her life, her relationship and most importantly, her friendships. Getting to know her neighbouring shop keepers and befriending a lonely elderly man and a troubled vicar show Jo that there is so much more to her life.
This is a gentle book about friendship and finding out that it is never too late to become who you want to be. It's not particularly original or challenging, but it did make me think about the people who are important in my life. At times it gets a little bit lost about exactly what it wants to say, and the Highgate cemetery sections seem a little shoehorned in at times, almost like research done for a different book that didn't get written. Some of the revelations feel a little undramatic after a big build-up, Jo's relationship with her best friend never quite worked for me, and Eric was convenient rather than believable.
But the central story of the frienship that developed between Jo, Ruth and Malcom was a real delight and will stay with me.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins for providing a digital review copy in exchange for a fair review of this book.

A warm hug of a book about friendship and belonging, forgiveness and acceptance of oneself, faults and all, with twinkling Christmas lights and snow near the end too.
This is well written and nicely researched, with added historical figures for depth and interest. A little poetry thrown in to the mix and some lovely quotes from the characters. Perfect!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this lovely book.

This was a really enjoyable read. I loved the main character, Jo, and her friends, the Reverend Ruth and Malcolm. The little trio were such a different little group, which I think definitely added to the enjoyment.

When Jo's Uncle Wilbur is no longer able to look after his stationery shop in London, Jo is more than happy to move from the Yorkshire Dales to take over. Jo has split from her manipulative boyfriend (who she later discovers nobody seems to like) and this seems like the ideal situation.

We meet Eric the Viking, Lando the tattoo artist and a host of other characters throughout Jo's story as well as learning about some of the characters laid to rest in Highgate Cemetery.

Would absolutely recommend this book for a light-hearted read. 5 ⭐️

I took my time reading this book because I didn't want it to end, the most wonderful story, absolutely chock full of friendship, gentle humour but especially love particularly between Jo, Malcolm and Ruth, oh, my heart, thank you for such a beautiful story

Jo Sorsby has left her boyfriend and job in a bank, her Uncle who runs a stationery/ hardware shop in London has a fall, and Jo decides to look after the shop while he gets better. Sadly her uncle has dementia and sadly dies.

While running the shop, she meets up with Ruth - the runaway vicar, Malcom a retired forensic Accountant , Eric the Viking (the optician).

A really lovely book to read, showing how new friendships are formed and how to enjoy life when you are down.

An easy to read, heartwarming book about relationships, loss and friendship.

Jo is looking after her uncle’s shop whilst he has, what is hoped to be, a short stay in a nursing home. The author is a lover of stationery and I was interested to discover, also has a website PLOOMS, selling beautiful foundation pens and accessories. This love permeates the story and the relationships shine with pathos and humour.

It’s a perfect Christmas gift for friends or yourself. Don’t expect a gripping read, more, a slow, comfortable, comforting, hot chocolate of a story.

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for the opportunity to preview.

I have just finished reading this lovely book and still have tears in my eyes. A cozy, comfortable read where I felt really invested in the characters and their stories. It is beautifully written and although easy to read didn’t feel predictable. Highly recommended.

I’d not read the author’s first novel - the Keeper of Secret's, but after reading this I’ll definitely be seeking it out. This is a fabulous story about friendship and moving on from the obstacles that hold our lives back. Set in a stationary shop (I’m glad it’s not just me obsessed with notebooks and fountain pens) the characters are drawn together in an unlikely but warm and strong friendship. I laughed and cried at times and am now planning my own visit to Highgate Cenetary. Maybe I’ll find a lovely little stationary shop along the way.

WOW, what an amazing heartwarming good feel book.

Excellent idea for a book, ghosts, peer group friendships, personal challenges, and a time for people to come together in their own way.

Highgate Cemetery sounds like an awesome place macarb as it sounds.

Christmas Eve will never be the same again.

Thank you Netgalley for letting me read this excellent novel. I now await for more from this author.

If you need a little warmth this cold season, then I recommend The Book of Beginnings. In fact it should be made into a Christmas movie that you can snuggle under a blanket with, complemented by a glass or two of mulled wine.
Predictable in the way you want it to be. A stress free and relaxing read for when the world becomes too loud.

“It’s never too late to be what you might have been “
Mary Ann Evans
(George Eliot)