4.5★s
Very, Very Lucky is the sixteenth stand-alone novel by award-winning, best-selling British author, Amanda Prowse. After the funeral for Mary, his wife of sixty-two wonderful years, Thurston Brancher begins making preparations. He gets his solicitor to draft a new will; he subtly sounds out his niece to care for his Jack Russell, Rhubarb; the phone will be cut off just before Christmas; and he considers methods, deciding that a strong rope over a beam in the barn will be the best. Because, in his eighties, life without Mary isn’t worth living.

Emma Fountain’s life is full. She has a widowed, still-grieving, disabled mother with a talent for criticism, bigotry and what seems like passive aggression, a teenaged son not coping with the social aspect of school, another son tempted by the luxuries his school-mates can afford, a hard-working husband trying to provide for them all, and a daughter wanting to showcase a normal family for her new boyfriend. Her life is mad, chaotic and hectic with not one minute to herself: the chore cycle never ends while other people’s needs take up her emotional and physical reserves.

Her part-time job at the green-grocers is actually a welcome escape from the pressure, and getting together with her best friend Rosalind is source of support, entertainment and joy in her life. But in the week from hell, she learns something very disturbing about the carer paid to look after her mother, one son’s anxiety seems to be escalating while the other has his sights set on an expensive school trip, her best friend reveals an adverse diagnosis, and her daughter brings some shocking news.

It’s in the middle of all this that Emma and Thurston, both feeling fragile, encounter one another and find an immediate rapport. They’re both a little surprised to be able to confide in each other so freely: it’s not until later that the irony of Thurston’s advice to Emma, when she confides sometimes wanting to run away, strikes him, while Emma eventually takes on board something else he says: “You can’t do everything, and you can’t fix everything. Sometimes, you need to ask for help.”

Prowse peppers her novel with wisdom and insight, and serves it up with plenty of laugh-out-loud humour: the chilli dinner and its aftermath is particularly hilarious. Prowse gives the reader some marvellous descriptive prose: “His throat was narrow, vocal cords tight, and lyrics of hope and love were no more than lies on his tongue. This another facet of his loss. Another strand to the blanket of sorrow woven in a unique way for whoever wore it” and “You look like you have words queuing up to jump off your tongue” are examples. Readers may wish to know that some of her characters are quite free with expletives, but this is a heart-warming and uplifting read.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing.

This is the story of how Very Very Lucky we all are to be alive and have friends and family to hold our hand when we are struggling to stay afloat. This book is told through the lives of two strangers, Emma and Thurston, in alternate chapters.

The book begins with Emma Fountain, a mother, daughter, wife and friend waking up in IKEA having fallen asleep from being so tired and struggling with too many demands on her time. She is looking after her mother, her family and her best friend Roz has just been diagnosed with a terminal illness.

Meanwhile Thurston, recently widowed after 62 years with his lovely wife has lost his joy and verve for life and has too much time on his hands. He knows that grief is the price we pay for love, but is struggling to go on and feels lonely, useless and at times suicidal.

When Emma and Thurston meet, they become unlikely friends an learn that sometimes a surrogate family can be just as loving and lovely as an other, and that we can all help each other get through difficult times.

There is a sprinkling of humour in the book (via the Chillis) and the friendship of Emma and Roz but on the whole this lovely book reminds us that time is precious and sometimes it is good to stop and smell the roses along our journey through life.

I really enjoyed this book. It was different than anything else I've read recently. I couldn't put it down! I will keep an eye out for this author's future work!

Amanda Prowse just wrote a great story about families with the good and the bad of it. Was laughing then crying then cheering them on. I would be honored to read any of her books.

A very nice heart warming story of an overwhelming family life, d3aling with grief, family , craziness, and life in general. Great story, with sadness and happiness intertwined.

Such a great book!! The characters in this book were so likable. A really great depiction of motherhood. Very relatable. I loved the connection Emma made with Thurston. Will definitely be reading more books by this author!

Thanks to netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Emma finds herself going round in circles and is trying to keep everyone happy. She meets recently widowed Thurston who has lost his love for life. They spark a friendship. Can they help each other to realise it’s the little things in life that matter?

A sweet story of a very busy young women, Emma, who is overwhelmed by her responsibilities and Thurston, an older man, who recently lost his wife. A very unique friendship follows and is heartwarming to read. I enjoyed the story and the two main characters.

Not one of my favourite reads this year. I found this book a little strange and hard to read. Not for me. My thanks to netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

I’m not sure if it was just me but I found this book to be quite odd! Even from the beginning with the rambling thoughts of a dream of her neighbour, and the way in which her and her friends spoke.

A lovely read that takes very ordinary and mundane lives and somehow makes them intriguing and very engaging. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and found the story to be an uplifting one despite the many very sad events.

Very Very Lucky follows two main characters, Emma and Thurston. Emma is a wife and a mother who is trying to juggle it all, and struggling to do so in the midst of dealing with her best friend's illness and trying to take care of her mother. Thurston has recently lost his wife, is overcome by his grief, and is also struggling with life - so much so that he is planning to take his own life.

For a good portion of the book, the chapters go back and forth between Emma and Thurston as they lead their separate lives. It actually left me wondering when, if, and how these two characters' stories would ever come together. But when Emma and Thurston finally meet, they develop a beautiful friendship that turns into a found family situation.

I thought Prowse does a wonderful job of portraying the sadness and grief that both of these characters feel. There's a heaviness to the story, but it also left me feeling hopeful and happy by the end of the story.

I enjoyed this emotional read about true love. It had a good mix of humor and reality. I found myself laughing out loud a few times at Emma’s antics! It reminded me of the A Man Called Ove book. I found the true-to-life characters to be delightful and charming. I also liked how the author reminded us of the steps for performing CPR on someone. It was a good reminder in case the need to use the skill ever arises. I also liked how the ending brought the story full circle. This is a great pick if you are in the mood to read an emotional book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Amanda is the queen of real situations, real people, and real emotion. This book once again delivered on all fronts. If you love a tender, heartwarming story of loss, and the unlikely friendships we make in life, you'll love this story as much as I did.

What a lovely and relatable story about two people who form an unlikely friendship during a time that they both need someone they didn’t know they needed.

Emma is a busy mum with teenage children and a widowed mother who needs extra care. Her busy life is made better by best friend Roz, who puts a pin in her balloon by telling her some devastating news.

Thurston is an octogenarian who has lived his life on his family farm. Losing his beloved wife sees him contemplating joining her and only his pet dog keeps him going.

When Emma and Thurston meet and are unexpectedly able to speak and help each other, they develop a bond that extends to their friends and family to help them both.

Beautifully written and very poignant as many readers may be able to relate to both the characters as either looking after children , their own parents or dealing with the loss of a long term love. The characters are so well thought out and the stories entwine for a great read.

Highly recommended.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to the author, Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was heavy going at times, due to themes of death, grieving, mental health, suicide, ageing, financial troubles, family relationship issues - shall I go on? While the budding relationship between Emma, a super-stressed mother, wife and friend, and Thurston, an 80-year-old farmer recently widowed was lovely, overall this came across as very white-bread, issues/problems were glossed over and it all ended up tied in too neat a bow for my taste. The characters were without exception well-drawn and the author writes engagingly - but the tenor of the story is not my cup of tea. However, I am sure that many will enjoy this book.

This is one of my favourite Amanda Prowse books. Heartbreaking, uplifting and a few outright hilarious scenes easily make this one of the best books I’ve read in 2023. Thurston has just buried his beloved wife of 62 years and is not sure he wants to go on. Emma’s life is chaotic, feeling she must handle everything that comes her way. Faced with her friend’s terminal diagnosis, Emma turns to her new friend, Thurston, and realizes how very lucky she is to have the support of family and friends as she deals with the problems in her life.

What a wonderfully delightful book this was!… Jam packed full of fun and laughs… Lots of light-hearted moments, emotional scenes and parts which will have you laughing out loud!… Filled with lots of love, family and friendships, this book is truly a delight to read.

Very Very Lucky is a story about two different seasons of life. One of a man who has lost his wife of sixty-two years of marriage. He now does not have much purpose to do or live for in his life. Then of a woman who is at the beck and call of every family member young and old. She is in the sandwich stage of life when children still need her and her parent needs her. This is a life that I knew well a few years ago. Amanda Prowse has portrayed her truthfully, trying to make it somewhat humorous but heartbreaking at times too.

A real-life scenario fiction story that while is in interesting it is not always uplifting. Still it reminds us that every day is a gift, one precious not to be taken for granted.

An ARC of the book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley which I voluntarily chose to read and review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Very, Very Lucky by Amanda Prowse is a must-read book!!

In Amanda’s latest book, we are introduced to Emma who is constantly running around after her family like the proverbial blue-arsed fly, while Thurston is devastated by the passing of his wife. Can a chance meeting bring hope and friendship between the two families?

Amanda’s straightforward writing style immediately captures your attention and keeps you invested until the very end. Each character is relatable in their own way, making this a story that will resonate with any reader.

Don't miss out on this incredible read – Very, Very Lucky is Amanda’s best work yet!