An absolutely wonderful read from Ruth Jones. Her books have never failed to disappoint, and this one is no exception. The multi-layered plot is captivating, making it impossible to put down. The characters are wonderfully three-dimensional and relatable! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and believe it’s a must-read for everyone.

Thank you, Netgalley

I was asked by NetGalley to review this fab book by Ruth Jones - I have to admit I am late to the table with Ruth Jones but jolly glad I have discovered her novel writing.

This is two stories intertwined, two characters - Levi and Linda as well a time.. Linda is someone who works on unclaimed heirs. Levi an elderly man lived on an island in Scotland, This takes Linda on her last case before her retirement.

We learn about Linda, Levi and his estranged daughters as well being drawn into the island and island life.

This has been written beautifully with wonderful characterisation with humour thrown into the mix.

This is due for publication May 22 2025 and will be a top ten read as well as a great sunbed read summer 2025 and beyond.
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Linda works for an organisation that tries to work out who inherits when someone who appears to have no next of kin dies. Her last case is that of Levi Norman who appears to be completely alone in the world. Alongside Linda’s story we also hear the heart-breaking tale of Levi and how he lost everything and everyone who mattered to him. Linda also has problems and is due to lose her son and grandson because they have decided to move closer to her son’s ex. The story effortlessly moves between the two timelines as we learn more about Levi and the life he has chosen in a remote Scottish island. Linda visits Storrach to try and discover whether Levi had any living relatives and we meet a wonderful cast of island characters including Brodie, who Linda has a relationship with. Ruth Jones weaves a beautiful story, all her characters are strong and interesting – when Levi, who originally came from Cardiff talk, one can hear Ruth Jones voice in his words bringing everything to life. This is a very poignant tale which is beautifully written and I was sad to finish it. Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me an ARC of this book.

Read by my daughter in law who just adored Gavin and Stacey. She was gushing in her praise of Ruth Jones new novel.

By Your Side by Ruth Jones ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I absolutely loved this book. The writing and the storyline is exquisite.
Linda works for the council in the heir hunter department. Her story intertwined with Levi’s story is just wonderful. A cast of characters that you feel you know. I’ve loved all Ruth Jones books and this one doesn’t disappoint.

Ruth Jones weaves stories through time and tide like a wizard! Having read all of her other novels I was excited to see where the storytelling would take me this time. I was not disappointed; starting with a mysterious cliff hanger that remains unresolved to the very end this story took me on a journey through forty years of love, pain, family and missed opportunities. Like her other novels Jones does not opt for the easy saccharine happy ending, instead giving the reader realism with hope. I loved the line ‘what a waste of life and love. The conclusion of the story left me feeling glad, hopeful and wondering how the characters would live out their futures. It was a joy to travel with Linda on her last job, and hear Levi’s story, to wait for the truth to come out and for the ends to be tied up. A life affirming tale, reminding me to be grateful for what I have and life the life I’ve got. Thank you Ruth Jones for another brilliant book!

I am absolutely delighted to be able to review By Your Side by Ruth Jones, having enjoyed her previous books and tv work, thanks to Rosie at Transworld, Penguin Random House. The writing and creativity of Ruth Jones is divine! Readers are in for a treat of a rich, heart-warming, page-turning read with a rather unusual reason attached to travel to a remote Scottish island...

The Unclaimed Heirs Unit is a fascinating place. Imagine working there trying to piece together people's belongings and unite them with their new owners. Linda Standish did that, and now, on the cusp of retirement, she takes on one final case. One which takes her to a Scottish island.

By Your Side draws you in with a little humour and a fantastic beginning and that's it, the hook that doesn't let go until the end, and even then, not completely, is there, compelling you to read on until the end.

Living in Scotland, myself and travelled around the country a bit, I can say she's certainly done her research or used experiences well. I am impressed she has chosen, to mention Crainlarich, Perth and more... It'll feel like a real adventure and road-trip for readers, especially those who have perhaps not heard of these places before. It's also nice to see them get a mention with that feeling of familiarity for those who have heard of them or, like me, travelled to or through them.

By Your Side is exceedingly heart-warmingly emotional and highlights what is quite an unusual job, showing much care and attention so the deceased are not alone.

Ruth Jones brings together community, travel and discovery together that's so absorbing that you forget the time as you're drawn deeply into the plot and characters.
She writes in quite an evocative way that makes you care about why Levi was on such a remote island and makes you want to know more about whether an heir will be found. The people you meet along the way are either enlightening, enriching or intriguing or a whole mixture.

Cleverly written, By Your Side has the contrast of the actual journey taken to the island with that of the life journey Linda Standish finds herself on. In turn it sends readers on quite the journey themselves throughout what quickly becomes a page-turner of a read.

By Your Side by Ruth Jones is a book I highly recommend isn't just by your side, but in your hand as you settle down with a cuppa and allow the warmth and humour to ooze out of the pages into your very being. 
By Your Side is a book you could pick up and read time and time again.

This book is truly heartwarming and equally heartbreaking at the same time, I certainly embarked on a rollercoaster of emotions with this one! The writing is such that I became thoroughly invested in each of the characters, especially Levi and wanting to know more of his life.
A fantastic read that saw me both laugh and cry. Would definitely recommend.
My first Ruth Jones read … amazing!

Many thanks to NetGalley & Random House UK for the ARC

Review on Goodreads & The StoryGraph

In 'By your Side' by Ruth Jones, Linda Standish (a member of staff at the local council's unclaimed heirs unit) goes above and beyond her job description, to fully investigate and make sense of the lives of people who seemingly die without any loved ones to inherit. She even writes a short eulogy to be read at the lonely cremations, attended only by her and the local funeral director and staff. After 33yrs of service Linda is heading for retirement, but before she does she has to collect the body of Levi Norman Jones from an isolated Scottish island and try to identify any heirs. Due to her own circumstances changing negatively, this investigation becomes very personal, and she is determined to find out why this man died alone, before hanging up her lanyard.

This is the first Ruth Jones novel I've read, and I really enjoyed it. It is a warm, emotional and humorous book that uses multiple perspectives to draw the reader in and tell the story. The only part of the novel that jarred slightly with me, was the focus on Linda's weight. In some ways Jones writes about this positively, giving her protagonist confidence and a zest for life. On the other hand, her weight comes up a lot and the positive ending of the book seems to include her naturally losing weight, because she is so much happier. I ended up feeling conflicted by the handling of it; torn between this feeling very real, whilst at the same time wishing weight wasn't seen as synonymous with dysfunction. Despite this however, its a book I would recommend and very much enjoyed reading.

I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed this book, if I could have scored it 6 stars then I would. The storyline was so endearing, easy reading, well written with such believable characters, I really didn’t want it to end. Ruth Jones is an incredible author and her other books have been great but I think this is her best yet. Read within 48 hours as I was thoroughly captivated. A pure delight, an absolute gem of a book!!

Thanks to Random House UK and NetGalley for allowing me an advanced copy to read in exchange for my open and honest review. As always, my reviews will also be posted on Amazon, Goodreads and Waterstones and interaction on Facebook and instagram where possible.

What a lovely feel good book! It’s easy reading, however it has an interesting story about a lady whose job it is to find family of deceased people, but she also manages to find love.
Ruth Jones can do no wrong!

It seems that whether it’s for TV or a book, the quality of Ruth Jones’s writing is incredible. Her characters are so rich and wholesome with the ability to make you laugh or cry with the turn of a page.

I really enjoyed the story of past and present interwoven seamlessly to keep the interest up, and you will be so interested to see how the story evolves for Linda and Levi. Ruth expertly takes us on a journey that is entertaining, funny, sad, thought provoking and just downright brilliant.

An absolute gem of a book.

Many thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in return for an honest review.

Ruth Jones just gets it right every time. How does she do what she does! She creates characters who tug at your heartstrings and builds stories upon them that draw you in from the first page to the very last.

In this novel we are introduced to Linda Standish, who works for the council’s department of Unclaimed Heirs. What a curious job! She is tasked with finding the heirs of a recently deceased elderly man, Levi Norman. He lived on a remote Scottish Island where no one seemed to have known much about his past. As Linda hunts for clues, we are drawn into not only her story but Levi’s, his estranged daughter’s, and the islanders as well.

I could not put this book down and totally cherished each character.

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

wow. I absolutely loved this book. It was such a gorgeous read. Linda is such a brilliant character and I loved Levis back story.. It was so heartbreaking at times and it made me cry. I think everyone should read this book and it is one of the best books I read in a long time.

I love Ruth Jones but I have never read her books up until now and omg I feel like I’ve been missing out. This is such a great book and a great plot also, I kinda want Linda’s job! I love the way that it was written multiple POVs, past stories etc. I instantly fell in love with all the characters. The one thing I didn’t like was all the comments on Linda’s weight I felt that majority of the time it just wasn’t necessary. However this book had my feeling all the emotions!

Thanks @netgalley , the author & publisher for the ARC.

This is the first book by Ruth Jones that I've read & it won't be the last! I couldn't put this down! It's a gorgeously warm and sensitively written story, and Linda is a character that you can't help but love. It takes you back and forth on a journey between different periods in time that all comes together at the end!
I'd definitely recommend this book!

As a long time fan of Ruth Jones’ writing I was really looking forward to reading my first novel of hers but sadly this one just did not do it for me. It was almost as if I could see the mechanics behind every line in the book and it did not flow or feel as organic as Jones’ screen writing.

The story follows Linda as she takes on her last case before retirement and uncovers a story that takes her on a ‘journey’ of her own. If you like Jones’ other books then this might be worth a try.

Also, for a book that talks about Americanisation of language and life in a derogatory sense, there is a lot of accidental Americanisms within the book which seem quite jarring when the characters frequently talk about it.

What an absolute gorgeous book, Ruth Jones never fails to bring a tear or smile to my eye and this book was no different.

Linda works for the councils Unclaimed Heirs department and is on the brink of retirement, but gets one last case. Levi Norman! Levi is a simple man who lives in Wales keeps himself to himself, but gets involved with the young couple who lives in the flat below him.

Another wonderful Ruth Jones read, loved it.
Thanks to Netgalley.co.uk and Penguin for a copy in return for a review.

This is another absolute cracker of a book by Ruth Jones - I’ve read her other books and couldn’t wait to read this one.

Fabulously diverse characters, lovely evocative setting, some gritty real life and a great story weaving it all together. As always, some personal epiphanies take place along the way and as Ruth always seems to do, it feels like real life - even down to a 60 year old woman having an actual sex life! - don’t worry - very tasteful done!

It’s the kind of book that will keep you reading just another chapter into the late hours. Highly recommended.

Ruth Jones is one of my favourite writers and she never disappoints me. I absolutely fell in love with the characters in 'By Your Side'. It truly was an amazing, heartwarming hug of a story. Linda's job is to track down the next of kin of people who have died alone. Levi's story takes her to the Isle of Storich and what follows takes us on an emotional journey told over two timelines. Beautifully written with empathy, warmth and humour. Many thanks to the author, publisher and netgalley for an early read. Highly recommend!