4.5 beautiful book. The unravelling of a quiet man's life after his death and changes to a middle aged woman's life. Beautiful Scottish and Welsh background in a melancholy and thoughtful novel.

Ruth Jones has done it all with this book! This was the best book that I've read this year, so full of emotions, My heart is feeling it all. Heart-warming, laugh out loud, sad and cosy to read. I fell in love with all the characters! It was a case of not wanting to put it down but not wanting it to finish either. I love all Ruth's books but this is definitely the best! Highly recommend! Thanks Ruth for giving me my reading mojo back!

Oh my word, this was the best story that I've read for a long time, so full of emotions, happy, sad and forging new relationships along the way, good luck to them all

I’ve absolutely loved the author’s previous novels so was very excited to have the opportunity to read By Your Side. I love the way that Ruth Jones writes, with huge empathy and a real understanding of her characters. Linda Standish works for the council’s Unclaimed Heir’s Unit as an heir hunter, tracking down relatives of deceased residents. Her final case before retirement is Levi Norman, who dies on a remote Scottish island and Linda travels with Fergus, a funeral director to investigate Levi’s history. The novel moves between the past and present as the reader discovers what brought Levi to Scotland and how he ended up alone in death.
I am fascinated by the work of heir hunters so was intrigued by this aspect of the novel although I wasn’t initially drawn to the character of Linda and found the exploration of Levi’s story the more interesting part of this novel. It’s written in the author’s distinctive style, she shows a real love for her characters and this a hopeful and uplifting read.
An enjoyable read and recommended read although my least favourite of the author’s novels so far.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

I loved Linda's job - working for the council as a sort of special detective, helping to settle people's final affairs when they have died and seemingly have no family to help. (Is this a real job, and can I do it?) And I was fully committed to her discovering the truth about Levi, fairly screaming in my head 'but why was he living on his own?!' by the end. The book is the story of Linda and of Levi, but of lots of other characters along the way too.
Ruth Jones is very clever with characters - there's a large cast here, but I felt like I knew everyone as they came into the story, and I enjoyed the mixture of humour and tragedy...some of the book is really, really sad, but then in a moment she's lifting your spirits again. I did find myself reading it, initially, with Nessa's voice narrating the whole thing in my head! But soon the story, and the characters, took over. You know from early on that Levi's story won't be a happy one, but that unravelling of why is really wonderfully, heart-breakingly done. And the gentle reveal of Linda's own tragedy is handled with care. I was fully immersed in these lives as I read, and I felt a bit bereft once it was all over.

This is my first book by the wonderful Ruth Jones and I'm kicking myself I haven't read any sooner. The story is down to earth, heart warming and emotional.

The characters are superbly written and you immediately engage with them. Perfect 5* read.

Ruth’s style of writing makes for an easy, compelling read. Her best to date. Funny, sharp, emotional, a tale of likeable characters taking the turns life throws at you & managing romance, grief & bumps along the way. Very real.

Boy was I excited to read this book and I certainly was not disappointed. I’ve read all of Ruth Jones’ books now and each one is pure delight. By Your Side was a real page turner for me with likeable characters who I really wanted to get to know. This is a masterpiece!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for an honest review. It was a real pleasure.

As exepcted from this author, I loved every page of this story.

Ruth Jones writes such realistic and believable characters that are incredibly addicting to read about. I may be bias as a fellow Welsh person, but I love that all of her stories feature Wales in some way.

This followed Ruth's trademark pattern of humourous and heartfelt writing with a story that will suck you in and characters that will keep you intrigued throughout.

I can't wait for the release of this novel and for others to experience the joy that every Ruth Jones story brings.

By Your Side tells parallel stories over a period of years.
We have Linda, a warm, likeable character with the everyday trials and tribulations of the invisible over 50s.
We also have Levi's story. His is a tale of the most profound love. I really enjoyed this part of the book in particular.
Their stories are entwined as Linda seeks to find Levi's history and family.
Evoking the full gamut of emotions, this is another fab read from Ruth Jones.

Absolutely loved By your side,a book full of love, compassion, humour and the slightly messy, chaotic reality that is life and how we make decisions along the way that can have long lasting ramifications further down the line!
Based in beautiful Scotland we meet lovely Linda a true gem of a character who has a larger than life persona and spends her days working for the councils unclaimed heirs unit, this is a job Linda takes very seriously and she is determined to do her best for the recently deceased Levi before she retires.
Levi had been a reclusive character, living alone with no apparent friends and family, Linda unearths the truth about Levi and the life he has led in order to pass his inheritance onto the right person and in order to give him a good send off.
Told both in the past and present, this book draws you in and keeps you interested and intrigued right till the end!
A great read i would highly recommend
Thank you NetGalley for this early read

5 Stars from me ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️


What an absolute journey this book is - it has everything you would expect from the calibre of someone like Ruth Jones and I was utterly and deeply immersed throughout.

There is so much humanity in these pages and the dual timelines complemented each other beautifully, as the story metered out love, loss, hope and heartbreak.

I enjoyed following Linda Standish, she had an interesting job and a refreshing take on life - her path had been far from smooth but she appeared so very likeable and I was rooting for her throughout.

Then there's Levi's story - goodness me what a wonderful man he was and yet what sadness he endured.

Can't praise this enough, an absolutely delightful and thoroughly engaging read that I found incredibly hard to put down. Full of all that makes life special, and with many moments that touched my heart.

My thanks to NetGalley, the author and Random House UK for an ARC in return for an honest review.

Another great book from Ruth although I struggled to get into this one. Linda is a council worker responsible for taking care of arrangements once a person with no family dies. Livi is one such gentleman so the storyline goes between them. As usual all the characters come across as real and ones that can be related to. Thanks to Ruth and her publisher. Thanks also to NetGalley.

This is my first experience of a Ruth Jones novel & I’m kicking myself that I left it so long.

By Your Side is two stories meshed together, Linda (one of the nicest characters ever written) & Levi. Set in beautiful Scotland, the novel flits between the recent past & present. Linda works for the Council as a ‘heir hunter’, tracing the families of those who’ve passed away alone. She is a larger than life character, who embraces all that life throws at her. Linda is rapidly approaching retirement & end up with one last case, that changes everything.

I absolutely loved this book. I’d give it 10 ⭐️ if I could.

Thanks to Netgalley.co.uk and Penguin for a copy in return for a review.

As a Ruth Jones fan, I expected this to be a good book, and I was not disappointed. The story travels between time periods and different points of view, and each chapter leads the reader to understand the main character, Levi Norman, a little more.
Each chapter is written with sensitivity, passion and imagination but there is undeniably all the humour we have come to expect from this writer. She captures the essence of human nature and exposes the vulnerability of each individual with kindness, understanding and honesty.
A gorgeous story, very touching and beautifully put together.

I really enjoyed this read - 5 stars from me!

Linda works for the Unclaimed Heirs Unit at the council and is due to retire when she is handed her last case - that of Levi Norman, a Welshman who died alone after 5 years on a remote Scottish island. She wants to find out why he moved to the island and if he left anyone behind.

We hear about Levi - his lost love, his daughter Rachel and their estrangement. Linda pierces the story together and is able to bring some closure. In the meantime she is overwhelmed by the local island community, makes new friends and ultimately find new direction in her personal life.

A story about messy family relationships - the realities, the heartaches and the laughter.

A lovely heartwarming tale.

To be recommended.

Just when you thought Ruth couldn't surpass her previous writing triumphs, you goes and does it with yet another sure fire winner. Deservedly so too. I absolutely adored this book with it's dual storyline covering two time periods which eventually dovetail. Linda works for the local Council researching relatives of deceased persons where relatives can't be immediately traced. The last case she is assigned prior to retirement is Levi and she tries to trace his long list daughter. In the process she travels to Dtorrich in the Outer Hebrides with the local funeral director Fergus. Their respective roles are to search Levi's house for clues, arrange for dispersal of his belongings and to bring back his body to the mainland for burial.

Linda is more than ready for a break and something to distract her as she struggles to come to terms with the pending move by her son to reunited with his toxic ex and knowing that as well as losing her son she will no longer see her grandson quite as frequently.

Who knew that, as well as solving the mystery of Levi's life she will also find romance with the landlord of the local inn, Brodie.

This book made me laugh out loud and reduced me to tears in equal measure. I loved it from start to finish.

Ruth Jones' new novel is such a great exploration of human nature, offering a heartfelt reminder of how imperfect we all are, with plenty of dark and light humor about the ups and downs of life.

The story follows Linda, who's worked for the local council in Scotland for years, hopping between departments. For the last few years, she’s taken on the task of trying to find the families of people who’ve passed away, especially those who have no one left. Her latest case takes her to a remote Hebridean island, where she’s trying to track down the heirs of Levi Norman, a reclusive Welsh man who had kept to himself in recent years.

The book is full of fantastic characters, both in the present and through flashbacks to the 80s and 90s. The settings in Wales and Scotland are so vivid and atmospheric, the writing really pulls you into those places.

What I love about this book is how death is treated so matter-of-factly, and how beautifully the vulnerability and sensitivity of the characters are portrayed. It’s a story that makes you think, it's funny, but also emotional—there were definitely a few moments that brought me to tears.

I absolutely loved this one and would highly recommend it. Big thanks to NetGalley and Bantam Books for the ARC—such a gem!

Absolutely brilliant! I thoroughly enjoyed it. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance copy, I will definitely be recommending it.

Council employed heir hunter Linda is given one final case after redundancy pushes her into a reluctant early retirement. Her job is to sort out the affairs of those who have died alone and without any apparent relatives and she does this with care and attention, doing her best to track down any heirs and follow the deceased's final wishes. This sounds like quite a morbid job but Linda is bright and bubbly and more resilient that she herself realises. She takes on her final case whilst dealing with some major changes in her personal life which she worries will leave her as lonely as some of the people in her case file.
By Your Side is about human nature, portraying messy lives full of flawed but realistic and relatable characters who despite everything manage to make their way through life with hope and laughter. I loved the chapters set on a remote island in the Hebrides showing that even if you try to be alone, there is still a community around you. I sped through this book which was annoying because I wanted to slow down and enjoy it for longer!