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!

“By Your Side” by Ruth Jones was such a heartfelt and beautifully written story. I was completely drawn in by Linda Standish—she’s dedicated, a little stuck in her ways, and yet so easy to root for. Her job at the council’s Unclaimed Heirs Unit isn’t exactly thrilling, but when she starts investigating the life of Levi Norman Jones, everything changes.

Levi’s story takes Linda from Wales to a remote Scottish island, and what starts as just another case quickly turns into something far more personal. The journey of piecing together his past leads to new friendships, unexpected twists, and a whole lot of self-discovery.

Ruth Jones has such a knack for creating characters that feel real, and this book is no exception. It’s full of warmth, humor, and those little moments that just hit you right in the heart. If you love stories about human connections, second chances, and finding meaning in the most unexpected places, this one is definitely worth picking up.

The characters in this book feel so real, with all their flaws and complexities, and the story beautifully explores love, regret, and second chances. Ruth balances humour and emotion perfectly but then we knew she did that already! This book made me laugh one minute and tear up the next. It’s a deeply engaging read, full of warmth and wisdom and I couldn’t put it down>. Highly recommend it and have already labelled it a must read with friends

An absolutely stunning book.

Packed full of all the warm, heart, and humour you’d expect from Ruth Jones. I was so invested in the story and the characters.

The way the story links up together and shows the impact that one life can have on another without even coming to meet was done so well.

Linda is a character you cant help but fall in love with. We need more plus size middle aged queens at the protagonists of books.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this book ahead of release. I loved it! I knew I had to request it when I saw the blurb, I’ve been obsessed with genealogy for years and love Heir Hunters and Long Lost Family. The story was so lovely and sad and uplifting and real and I read it in a day. A brilliant book!

I couldn’t wait to start this book as I have read all of Ruth’s books and loved them all. This one was just fantastic and had me hooked from the first page.
Linda was a beautiful character who works for her local council in the unclaimed heirs unit and has one last case to work on before taking retirement. Her final case is Levi Norman a complex character who lived alone on a Scottish island. What follows is a heartbreaking story of Levi’s life up until his dying day.
I loved the flashbacks that showed us Levi’s story and how he ended up in Scotland.
Linda’s story was also interesting and I loved all the characters she met on her journey.
A fantastic 5 star read that just melted my heart,
Thanks to NetGalley, Ruth Jones and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers for an advance copy in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK, Transworld for this ARC.

Linda Standish, 54 and divorced, lives with adult son Struan and grandson Zander and works for Boransay Council in Scotland in the Unclaimed Heirs Unit. She really likes her job but one day she is pushed towards early retirement as apparently the job is changing into a more computer-based role. She just has to finish one more assignment that ends up unexpectedly moving her more than she thought because it reminds her of her own repressed grief.

73 year old Levi Norman does not seem to have had any family so the council has to make all the arrangements and clear his little house out. He lived on the remote Isle of Storrich so Linda travels there together in a hearse with undertaker Fergus Murray, where they are welcomed by part-time undertaker Hamish Hamilton and landlord of the Storrich Arms, Brodie McLeod.

Then, in flashbacks starting in 1983, we learn kind-hearted Levi's story, and it's a heartbreaking one. It's the story of a big love tragically cut short and a devoted father who made one big mistake that haunts him for the rest of his life. But might'nt we have done the same in his shoes? Levi loved his wife Diana and his daughter Rachel so how did he end up all alone and reclusive on the little island? Can Linda track down Rachel to learn more?

I absolutely loved this book. It gives us a wonderfully gentle and emotional story but also shows off fictional Storrich and its kind community of quirky characters. The not entirely legal repatriation of ashes scene involving more or less the entire community is the funniest I've read in a long time. The slow-burn romance between Linda and Brodie feels authentic, drama-free and joyful. Linda's relationship with her son who has moved further away to be near ex Lauren is very loving and we feel her pain at losing easy access to grandson Zander.

What a beautiful book. It is brilliantly written and reads fast - I didn't want it to end. Ruth Jones is an enormously talented writer who effortlessly portrays flawed, normal people and their problems, as we have seen in Gavin & Stacey time and time again. I love the character of Linda, and with her relatable weight struggles the author has possibly given Linda something of her own experience. She is my age and if anyone threw me on the scrap heap like that with some lame excuse about digitalisation, I would react a lot less positive than her.

This warm, compelling, relatable and life-affirming story will have you both in tears and laugh out loud and will always feel very real. Highly recommended if you want a sensitively written journey of self-discovery with humour and emotional depth. And if there's a rift within your family, for God's sake, make it up. ALL THE STARS.

Really good book that i will recommend to others.

Thanks for the opportunity to read & review it.

Ruth Jones has a gift for capturing the messiness of life with humour and heart, and By Your Side is no exception. Linda Standish's final case at the Unclaimed Heirs Unit is more than just a job—it’s a journey of unexpected connections, self-discovery, and the quiet impact one life can have on others.

Jones' writing is warm, witty, and full of charm, making even the heaviest themes feel deeply human and relatable. The characters—flawed, funny, and full of heart—stay with you long after the last page. This book is a reminder that even in life’s loneliest moments, connection has a way of finding us.