I throughly enjoyed this and feel that Ruth has such a gift for captivating her readers. The story is split into multiple points of view and different time lines. It is the type of story where you go on a journey with the characters and become very attached to them. A story about regular people that keeps you wanting more.

First off my rating is in no way based on the quality of the writing, but purely on my personal enjoyment of the book.

And in this case i could take it or leave it. I enjoyed the story, it had all the right ingredients for a heart warming tale, it made me laugh and cry but when i put the book down, i could go days without picking it back up - which is not my usual reading style.

What a fantastic read. Ruth Jones never fails to engage me with her stories and characters.

The protagonist was so relatable and I could see me as being her friend. The story was interesting and heartwarming. I loved it!

Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for gifting me this arc in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

My first Ruth Jones novel and I will be looking out for more.
Set in 2 locations in Scotland, one more remote than the other.
Some lovely quite unexpected characters, and an interesting story line.
Mainly set in the present day but with some interesting interludes in the characters past.

Yet another great book by Ruth. Beautifully written book with lovely, friendly characters and setting. This one ticks all the boxes for me and didn't disappoint.

Another great read by Ruth Jones

The book is set on two lives. First is Linda, who works at the unclaimed heirs department and has one last case before she finishes to take early retirement.

The death of a man who moved to a remote island and lives a very remote life but Linda is determined to uncover who he was.

The second life focuses on what made this Welsh man move all the way & how he became this isolated lonely man.

A beautiful story, with a classic Welsh bit. I think this is my favourite yet by Ruth Jones.

I've loved all of Ruth Jones' novels, and clicked to read this one without even reading the blurb.

At first, I will be honest, I was a little underwhelmed. I had no clue where the story might weave itself - however slowly the novel wormed its way into my heart and I uncovered an absolute adoration for the characters. And this is where the beauty of this novel lies - gently uncovering teh backstories of all of the characters and being drawn into something which becomes breathtakingly unputdownable.

I loved this book. Linda has the interesting job of going to the properties of people who have died without leaving a will, and trying to find their beneficiaries. Her adult son and his son live with her, who are both the light of her life. When she has to travel to a remote Scottish island to search the house of loner Levi, she starts to find clues about his life that she wants to delve into. The book also goes back to look at Levi’s life, and how he became all alone in this world.
I couldn’t put this book down and read it in a day. Ruth Jones writes beautifully, allowing the reader to really get inside each of the characters. I highly recommend it.

New Review - By Your Side by Ruth Jones

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

By Your Side is the new novel from Ruth Jones. It follows the two stories of Linda and Levi who will never meet but their lives become intertwined. Linda works for the Unclaimed Heirs Unit at the council. Helping those who have died but have no clear heir to inherit. On deciding she will be taking early retirement Levi becomes her last case. Can she unlock the secrets of the reclusive Levi before she retires.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a poignant reminder of how fragile life can be and how our every decision can impact the course of our destiny. This book will make you laugh and cry in equal measure. It is beautifully written with emotion felt on every page.

Out now

Thanks to @penguinrandomhouse for the @netgalley copy to review.

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'Joyful and life-affirming' are words used in the books blurb, which is very true. But it's also so damn sad. Levi's story (past MC) is heartbreaking. Linda (present MC) provides a much needed lightness to the story. It of course isn't all one or the other, both of our MCs are complex characters with light and darkness to their stories in this perfectly balanced story between the two.

I adored both of our MCs, alongside a great cast of side characters, and wanted only the best for them. To whisk them away and make sure only good things happened for them. Unfortunately life doesn't work that way and have to watch them cope with the ups and downs of their lives.

Ruth Jones writes people and relationships beautifully. You can't help but become so involved that they feel real and sad to leave them once the story is finished.

This is the first book I’ve read by Ruth Jones, but it won’t be the last. Her screen writing talents translate brilliantly into book form and the plot, the setting, and the characters were wonderful - well observed and developed. The back story of Levi’s life was particularly poignant, right to its bitter sweet ending. It certainly wasn’t a happy ever after, but that’s what made it so plausible - full of the trails and tribulations of the human condition. A really enjoyable story, and one which I happily recommend. Many thanks to the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy.

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!!

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