I love a Ruth Jones novel and this latest one did not disappoint. Linda has worked for the council for many years, trying to track down family when someone has seemly died alone. She is about to retire but takes on one last job which takes her to a Hebridean island to help with the estate of Levi Norman. The story takes us back through Levi's life as well as Linda's investigation. I loved the characters and the story was both funny and moving.
Thanks to NetGalley for a preview copy.
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No one could watch anything written by Ruth Jones and not realise how very talented she is. Sometimes screen writers do not translate to fiction, but in this case they do. The main character is so real she could be someone I have worked with, it makes me realise that Ruth is so in touch with everyday people. The writing style is easy and fluent without being simple, and of course there are many interesting, sad and funny moments throughout. It should be the go to holiday on the beach read.
Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.

“ Linda Standish has been a friend to the friendless for the past thirty-three years, in her role at the council’s Unclaimed Heirs Unit. And now she’s looking forward to the joys of an early retirement.”
I really loved this book.
The protagonist Linda is written brilliantly and the plot is beautiful.
It’s the story of Linda’s last mission to find the relatives of a person who has died alone. It tells their story as well as that of Linda’s quest.
A lovely, well told story.

Linda Standish works for the Unclaimed Heirs Unit. She is a 50-something divorcee with a son and grandson that she adores. She is also, by her own admission, a very curvy lady.
Linda has agreed to take early retirement but her last case proves to be a tricky one. Levi Norman was a Welshman who came to live in a remote Scottish island 5 years ago. He died as he lived, quietly, and now Linda has to find any relatives he may have left behind.
A lovely warm story about grief, relationships, love after the age of fifty and community.

Linda has one last job to complete before she retires from the Unclaimed Heirs Unit. Her role having been to track down lost relatives and next of kin to pass on the sad news. Each person has a story to tell, dead or alive.

In this last one, Linda finds herself on a remote Scottish Island with her not so favourite undertaker, Fergus Murray as they retrieve the body and find out more about Levi. A man who kept himself to himself and no one knows why he even arrived on the island.

Told between Linda's standpoint and Levi's past as we build to the reason why Levi arrived on the island, and whether he actually does have any relatives at all. As Linda learns more about Levi, she also learns about herself and what perhaps she might do going forward in her retirement. Does she want to live a life like Levi has?

Beautifully drawn characters and plotted well, this book is full of humour and warmth and shows that Ruth Jones can knock out a cracking story which is never the same as the last!

This is a funny tale with a lighthearted approach to a dark topic. I loved the humour and the banter between the main characters. The storyline about the death that they are investigating is quite sad but this is dealt with sensitively. Excellent holiday read - especially if you are off to a Scottish island!

I really enjoyed this book - it felt like a really comfortable read, and was really engaging. This is the perfect book to read curled up in front of a roaring fire.

Ruth Jones has done it again! Such a beautiful intertwined story of family, grief and lost love. Peppered with both humour and tragedy, I'll admit it made me emotional but I was so invested in the amazing characters I can forgive the tears!

I really loved this book! I liked how it went between the past and the present day. I liked the characters and the island and how the author portrayed life on an island.

It was an emotional book with a great storyline. I would definitely recommend this book.

I didn’t expect this book to move me quite the way it did. By Your Side is a tender, emotionally layered story that gently pulls you into the lives of two people—Sara and Jamie—whose connection is forged under the most intense circumstances and tested over the course of decades.

Ruth Jones has a real gift for writing characters who feel so real—flawed, relatable, and quietly heroic in their own ways. As a reader, I found myself deeply invested in Sara’s journey, especially in how she balances duty, guilt, and love, sometimes at great personal cost. Jamie, too, is more than just a love interest—his struggles with vulnerability and responsibility felt raw and genuine.

What I loved most was how the story captured the small, seemingly ordinary moments that end up defining us. Jones doesn’t rely on melodrama; instead, she leans into authenticity, letting the emotional depth build slowly and naturally. That said, it is a slow burn—if you're looking for fast plot twists, this isn't that kind of read. But if you're in the mood for something reflective, heartfelt, and ultimately hopeful, it’s a truly rewarding experience.

I closed the book feeling like I’d just said goodbye to people I knew—and cared about. And honestly, that’s one of the best feelings a novel can leave you with.

Ruth Jones has done it again! From the very first page, I was completely immersed, eager to uncover every detail of Linda and Levi’s lives. The writing is so vivid, it felt as though I was right there with them. A truly heart breaking yet beautiful story. I'm so grateful for the chance to read and review this incredible book!

Beautifully written, absolutely loved it. I was drawn in from the start. It was a dual timeline book, Linda in the present and Levi in the past. I do not as a rule usually enjoy dual timeline books but this worked well, the reader becoming involved in the characters and their lives.
Heartwarming! And Highly Recommended
Thank you to Netgalley, Random House Uk and Ruth Jones for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review

This bittersweet story of love and loss took me a while to warm to but the chief protagonist, a woman in her 50’s, carrying a bit too much weight and nearing retirement, rang a lot of bells.

I absolutely loved Gavin and Stacey and Stella, so was excited to read this, the first of Ruth Jones’ novels I’ve come across. I can’t put my finger on why I didn’t enjoy it more, maybe because there were a lot of different points of view? Or because I wanted things to go differently?

Anyway, I think I’m in the minority, perhaps this just isn’t my genre but it’s a perfectly good holiday read and I’m sure will be on lots of Sun loungers this summer.

Thanks to NetGalley, Ruth Jones and Random House for an arc of this novel.

Well that was the cosy novel I needed about a Mum. It’s hard to get the balance right about making sure mums are the right pitched level. It would be easy to imagine the character as Ruth but maybe that’s what the point was! I will definitely be getting into another Ruth jones book when I get myself on holiday!

Subtle, empathetic and just sheer fun
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Linda Standish has one last case for the Unclaimed Heirs department of her local council, a man who died on a remote Hebridean island but whose story no-one seems to know. Levi Norman would turn up for one drink a year at the local pub but would otherwise keep himself very much to himself. His secrets are all for Linda to discover and to find out who will keep this man’s name alive. Meanwhile, single Linda discovers things about herself that she has tried so hard to power through, and that it’s never too late for second chances.

This is my first Ruth Jones novel, and of course I’m familiar with her TV work, but I was surprised how subtle, empathetic and just sheer fun this was. Like the best Hallmark movies, this is jam-packed with emotional family drama, carefully laid romance and self-actualisation, but with added historic-ish fiction in Levi’s flashback narrative, and a big city (town) girl (woman) ending up in a remote Scottish village with the dourest of dour undertakers, which doe not go where you think it might. The romances in both timelines are detailed and convincing, and the ultimate power of love—romantic, filial, platonic—is the cherry on the top of this fine, fine cake.

Four and a half stars

Such a fantastic novel from one of my favourite authors ! Yet again, I couldn’t put this book down and adored the storyline

What a beautiful read told through multiple time periods.

Linda is completing a final case before she heads to retirement.

I loved all of the characters and learning more about them.

A beautiful story told through two timelines - one set in the present as Linda takes on her final case before retirement, and the other telling Levi's life-story. Throughout it all, you build up a connection to both these main characters and feel bereft when Levi's story comes to a heartbreaking end. Loving the focus on Linda living her life well as she heads into retirement, becoming a sleuth and finding love again herself. Whilst an emotional read, its also uplifting. Would highly recommend.

**Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read an advanced e-copy of this book. All opinions are my own **

Ruth Jones has done it agajn! Simply beautiful, from the start you are drawn straight in, wanting to know everything about the lives of Linda and Levi. Written in such a way that it felt like I was there! Heartbreakingly beautiful. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this amazing book!

In this heartwarming story by the wonderful Ruth Jones, we meet Linda as she takes on one final case for the council’s Unclaimed Heirs Unit before her retirement. In order to ensure the estate of a man named Levi gets to the correct heir, Linda must find out who he was and who his closest loved ones were – a mission that takes her to a remote Scottish island.

The story is told across two timelines, Linda in the present and Levi in the past, which is used to great effect in this tale of love and loss. The characters are great and the plot is well-paced. I would recommend to any fans of Ruth Jones’ work.

My thanks to the author, NetGalley, and the publisher for the arc to review.