This is my first read of a Ruth Jones novel, a writer whom I only know from her collaborations with James Corden, and being a fan of ’Gavin and Stacey’ I was looking forward to getting stuck in to this tale.
The concept of a council worker dealing with the deaths of those with no immediately traceable family produced a great storyline through which the author has woven some great characters; characters that I found to be sympathetic and appealing and I was as interested in their back stories as I was with what was happening in the present.
All in all a heart warming and enjoyable read.

Happily divorced, Linda loves her job for the council, dealing with people who have died alone. As she approaches retirement she is tasked with visiting a remote Hebridean Island to deal with the remains and effects of Levi, a recluse. Cardiff, 1982 and introverted accountant Levi helps the woman from the flat below, heavily pregnant and alone, they find a soulmate in each other. However, tragedy happens and Levi is left alone.
This is a really heartwarming book despite its themes of love and loss. There are moments of laugh out loud fun, reflection and love. Set in a really beautiful part of the world, it celebrates human communities and family love.

What makes this story so good is the insightful storytelling, the characters' complexity and relatability and the immersive quality that draws you in and takes you on Linda and Levi's emotional journey. The multilayered characters are recognisable and easy to invest in. You care what happens to them and share in their happiness and sorrow. Its sensory imagery brings the people, places and points of view to life, making them easy to imagine and letting the reader wonder what they would do. Readers can escape and experience heartbreak and heartwarming moments in the safety of this literary world.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

I can't begin to tell you why I loved this book, I just did. The concept of the story is unusual, the characters well rounded and likeable, it made me laugh out loud, it made me cry and it had me reading into the wee, small hours.
Fifty four year old Linda Standish's life was about to change, Linda, who divorced her husband Doughie when he traded her in for a younger model, works for the Council Unclaimed Heirs unit, that is until her enforced early retirement, Linda is not deterred, retirement would be an adventure, more time to spend with her precious son and grandson........until said son put a spoke in the wheel.
Linda took her job seriously, everyone deserved a decent send off so with that in mind she set off in a hearse with dour undertaker, Fergus Murray on her last job, they were to retrieve a body from the remote Scottish island of Storrich and Linda was to trace any relatives.
The body was that of seventy four year old Levi Norman James, a man who had lived on a remote part of the remote island, a man who on the same day every year entered the Storrich Arms, ordered a whiskey, drank it and with a friendly wave disappeared until the following year, Levi had drunk his last whiskey and Linda was about to discover his story, a story that will pull at your heart strings.
Lightening the mood is the gallows humour set around the funeral parlour, Linda's escapades with the hunky local bar owner and the zany people on the Scottish island where everyone knows everything about everybody.
A delightful story with just the right amount of pathos amongst the humour.
Thank you Net Gallery for this ARC, my review is totally voluntary.

I adored this book. I wasn't quite so sure at the start, I was probably a little impatient and didn't want to wait for it all to fit together.
But I got into it and felt I didn't want to put it down after that.
I loved the different stories going on, my favourite was Levi and Diana, but then I was also rooting for Linda and Brodie.
Very well written, thoroughly enjoyable, and I liked the heir hunter side of it too.
Definitely a recommended read, it made me laugh and cry.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was the second novel I have read from Ruth Jones. I was very much looking forward to reading this one after enjoying her last. I found this was a real half warming interesting book and starting with Linda‘s interesting job with the council in the unclaimed heirs department. The Storey chefs backwards in time and forward to present time and I was so invested as to what happened to Levi and his family. It sometimes made me sob out loud or laugh out loud. Can’t wait till her next one. It will be great if this was made into a series or movie. Come on Ruth!

An interesting and original premise for an original storyline. Overall it was a comfortable, easy and enjoyable read.

I love Gavin and Stacey, and I don’t know why it’s taken me so long to pick up a book by Ruth Jones. Equal parts heartwarming and heartbreaking, By your Side is a masterfully told story of family, loss, love and identity.

The characters felt so real and authentic, and Jones’ writing is full of compassion and insight. There’s a beautiful blend of humour and heartache, that I finished the book feeling that I had walked among these wonderful characters. There’s a wonderful care paid to the Scottish and Welsh settings and characters which makes for a truly immersive read.

I’d highly recommend for anyone looking for a rich and entertaining story, and am looking forward to picking up more books from Jones.

Thank you Random House UK, Transworld Publishers for an advance copy of this book. Opinions expressed are my own.

Firstly big thank you to Netgalley, Penguin Random House and Ruth Jones for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I started this book and was instantly hooked. It's just wonderful and I instantly connected with Linda and I was as intrigued as she was about Levi's life and how he ended up where he was. The other POVS were done seamlessly and worked well with Linda's current storyline.

I wish I had finished it before I was lucky enough to meet Ruth so I could say just how amazing it was. I was able to do mixture of Kindle (ARC), and hardback and finished it tonight and I am still processing.

The book had me crying and laughing. It's no surprise Ruth is an amazing writer but the emotions she put me through were next level. The people are so real and flawed which is what makes it so interesting. It has also made me step back and realise just how important communication with my loved ones is (this isn't a miscommunication trope fyi just emphasis on importance of not leaving things unsaid. Tomorrow is promised to no one). I highly recommend!!

#bookreview #books #reading #book   #bookpost #bookworm #bookish #life #family #secondchance #love #Romance #bodypositive #foundfamily #netgalley #bantam #randomhouse #penguinpublushers #byyourside

I loved this, just the right touch of humour and sensitivity. Linda Standish works for the council dealing with deaths where there is no family. When she agrees to take early retirement she has one remaining case. Levi Norman has died alone on the remote island of Storrich. Off Linda goes with local undertaker Fergus Murray to investigate the death and bring the body back to the mainland for cremation. The relationship between Linda and Fergus is of two bickering siblings. They call each other by their full names and have known each other since primary school. They're warmly welcomed to Storrich, make great connections and get into some scrapes. Returning home for Christmas, Linda is haunted by this case and goes to lengths to trace Levi's estranged daughter. Meanwhile, the second thread of the book is Levi's story from meeting the love of his life as a young man. Linda's Christmas is full of family and friends, some welcome, others not so much. I laughed and I cried and loved the characters. #netgalley #byyourside

I’ve read and enjoyed all of Ruth Jones’ books. They’re all very good. This one, however, is better than good. So much better, in fact, that it deserves to be described as beautiful. It’s a story that seized my heart at the start and kept hold of it all the way through.
I adored Linda, and loved all the other characters (except Jack). Ruth Jones writes with such insight and compassion, it makes every character feel real. There was a lot of sadness in this story, along with grief and pain, but ultimately there was hope and love and people learning what’s true and good.
Quite simply a wonderful, unforgettable story. Read it and relish it.

I become dangerously attached to fictional characters and emotionally compromised every time I read a Ruth Jones book. This one? Not an exception. It centres on Linda, a local council employee who performs the rather thankless task of tying up the loose ends of persons who have popped their clogs and have no one to claim them. It's like to being a sentimental Marie Kondo for the bereaved and lonely.

Linda travels to a secluded Scottish island for her last case; it's essentially the kind of place where delivery of mail only comes once a week and local rumours spread more quickly than Wi-Fi (not that there's much of that either). She delves into the last chapter of a guy who lived—and died—by himself there.
Linda is a true legend. Sensitive, pragmatic, and subtly aggressive. To be honest, I hope someone like Linda turns up to clean out my rubbish drawer and make sure my browser history is deleted if I suddenly pass away.

Ruth Jones has a way of combining humour with heartache. One minute you're giggling uncontrollably at a well-timed dry witty comment or an awkward rural encounter, then you'll be clutching your chest with heartbreak. You will want to move to a windswept island and give someone a hug right away because it's humorous, sincere, and full of moments like that.

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.

Linda is a fabulous written character who you really get to know, from her love of chocolate, her kindness and pet hates, bringing relatability and a realness.

Ruth Jones 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, humorous 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 is a carefully woven story within a story, that captivated me from the first page. It is emotionally charged, full of challenges, and has very funny comical scenes too. I enjoyed reading it so much.

I'm new to Ruth Jones books, and now I'm searching them all out!

This book has multiple narrators which I love, and the topic is really emotive.

The book took me from laughing to crying and back again. THE

Ultimately Ruth Jones is an amazing writer.

I have loved Ruth's previous books so I was very excited for this one. It definitely did not disappoint, it was a heart-warming read that explored themes of connection, loss, and unexpected friendships. Overall this was a fantastic read.

I had not read any of the books written by Ruth Jones but of course knew of her script writing skills from Gavin and Stacey

I can be a bit sceptical about books written by celebrities finding that some admit to ghost writers and some are just downright awful.
But I completely forgot that this was written by any other author than other books I have read.

It was in turns life affirming, heart breaking and heart rending but so real somehow.

It was the story of Linda who was given redundancy by The Lost Heirs Unit of her local council and Levi Norman - her last case. Along the way she learnt to like herself and to find love again while dealing with her own demons and her sons marriage that was ending. Levi’s life had not worked as he had intended and he had made decisions that seemed right at the time but had ramifications throughout his life and for his family.
I did feel that Linda’s size didn’t need to be mentioned so often - though I suppose it was an integral part of the story - and perhaps there were fundamental reasons why Linda disliked herself so much.

It was well written - with just the right amount of humour, empathy and pathos - and was a brilliant read.

I shall look out for more of Ruth’s books.

Aw this was a great book, I really enjoyed it! Loved all the characters and exploring people's lives is always so interesting. Quite sad at times, but funny and heartwarming too it was a great story.

Another wonderful novel from the pen of Ruth Jones!

Linda Standish has worked for the Unclaimed Heirs department in the local council for the past thirty-three years. With retirement looming, she takes on one last job - tracking down any relatives of a Welshman, Levi Norman, who settled on a remote Scottish island and now his estate needs to be settled. In order to gather as many details as she can, Linda will need to travel to the island; unfortunately she ends up travelling with her arch nemesis, in his hearse. With the help and hindrance of the locals, she begins to sift through Levi's cottage searching for clues . . .

I always know I'm in for a good read when I open a book by this author, and this was a cracking read. So much going on - and a few surprises along the way. Wonderfully crafted characters and a superb storyline all add up to a stunningly great novel. I have no hesitation in recommending not only this one, but all of Ruth's novels. Definitely a five star read!

My thanks to the publisher for my copy via NetGalley.

Linda Standish loves her job in the Council's Unclaimed Heirs Unit, but due to changes she's facing redundancy and early retirement. Her last case takes her over to the Island of Storrich, where Levi Norman has died after living there for the last 5 years. Accompanied by an undertaker and travelling by hearse it is unique if nothing else. When they get to the Island and start investigating for any clues to relatives or heirs, Linda is taken by the warmth and friendliness of the locals and how they look after each other. On the home front, her son and grandson who have been living with her, are moving to be closer to his ex-wife in the hopes of reconciliation. Linda, who doesn't like her ex-daughter-in-law, is devastated that she won't see them every day.
The book tells the story from various points of view and the reader gets to understand the whole story why Levi died alone.
A rollercoaster book of emotions which will make you smile.