4.5 ⭐️

I really enjoyed this book.

I love when a book really gives us a glimpse into people’s lives and motivations. When it accurately represents how nuanced people are, how they can have the best of intentions but still be misled or mistaken in their actions. How pursuing something that they think will make them happy may actually just open the way for a different type of happiness to come in a completely unexpected way. How nobody is one dimensional with purely good or bad motivations, but merely human with flaws and faults of their own. And how people who we wouldn’t normally expect to have anything in common with can actually end up becoming a big part of our lives, and adding value to our existence.

This book expressed all of those things, introducing us to four characters who stumble into a friendship and camaraderie that they would never have expected. Who start out wanting one thing, and actually end up finding satisfaction and contentment with something slightly different. The characters are really well written, and the pacing and development of their relationships is well done.

I will happily look out for more books from the author!

I always like the idea of a story within s story, and this one was very pleasant.
It's mainly just a lovely cosy read.
We have our main characters, all of whom are having some sort of issues in life, and through writing and talking, they make ways forwards.
The less central characters seem to fall short s bit. For me anyway.
Lucy and Lisa particularly.
Overall though, it will leave you feeling good.

A lovely feel good read, not that only that but also highlights the importance of libraries!

Hattie, Will, Stu and Avril are brought together by a writing competition, they have to take it in turns to write chapters.

Through the writing, started by Hattie who wants to write a crime novel, we are taken into the four authors lives, but also in the way the story they are telling twists and turns with each person.

Really enjoyed it and highly recommended

PS. Visit your local library, use it or lose it!

I love books that are set in a library and this one is a lovely read. Will is a library assistant covering maternity leave until his parents are well enough for him to move back to Cambridge to his bookshop. People use the library for different reasons, Avril is hiding there from her stepmother who will critique her for quitting her job. Stuart has retired and his wife Jo is always busy so he goes to the library to read his newspaper. And Hattie, who in her eighties and has just lost her husband is there to use the computer to trace the man she has loved since she was a teenager and for the coffee and biscuits.
Hattie sees a poster for a writing completion. It's a group project so she gets the others to agree to it and they form a writers' group.
This is such a good read, no sex, no violence, no swearing, I loved Hattie she was such fun. All the characters were people you would like to have a cup of tea with. The story that was being written by the group made this a bit like two books in one. Loved it.

Such a heartwarming read that shows the connection words can bring, written and spoken. A group of people brought together as they are brought out of the loneliness of facing their issues alone, everything is surmountable with support and a good cuppa with a slice of cake

This is the 1st Sue heath book i've read but i loved it i stayed up most of the night because i was just gripped by the story. The storytelling and the desrciptions of thebcharacters is great you feel like you could be friends with all of them love how they all came together shared their stories as they went along finding new informatoon and building on their own life..
it really makes you want to sit down and write or go to a library and see if any friendships can be made...

Our local libraries are wonderful places and this is where Hattie, Avril, Stuart and the librarian Will meet. Initially, for Hattie and Avril it’s a place of retreat but it becomes so much more - way more. Hattie is trying to find something she’s lost whereas Avril is hoping to secure a happier future, whilst recently retired Stuart is looking for something to occupy his time. They come together in order to enter a writing competition.

This is a lovely, well written and welcome change from my usual genre which takes me on a wonderful journey. This is a novel about connections, losses, moving forward and unlikely friendships which has a heartwarming end result. It’s a story (or stories) within a story which works really well and I enjoy the creativity. The characters are really likeable and each has an interesting past and present to follow. It’s very easy to read with the added bonus of some chuckles, usually courtesy of Hattie. I love the growing bond and trust that grows between them, they help each other in many ways and in addition, cooperate to produce their story which centres around Eliza.

It ends on a positive note, clearly demonstrating the power of unlikely friendships and whatever your age, coming to terms with the past and moving forwards. I like all the characters but Hattie grows to occupy a special place in my heart. A feel good read and one I can recommend.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to HarperCollins, One More Chapter for the much appreciated early copy in return for an honest review.

A real feel good read. A group of four very different people meet at a library and decide to enter a joint writing competition. They appear to be a disparate band, Hattie an 87 yr old recently bereaved lady, Stuart a recently retired former high flyer, Avril, a young girl trying to find out what her mother was like ( she died when Avril was a child) and Jake who had returned to his home town with his then girlfriend to look after his parents and his girlfriend left him. Together they form a tentative writing group to enter a local competition writing a joint novella. Hattie is a real personality and even has her dog, Nutmeg, hidden in her shopping trolley so he doesn't get left alone! As individuals they all have their challenges but sharing the writing of the story for the competition brings them together.. A gentle, enjoyable read. Thanks to the author, NetGalley and publishers for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

It’s a library in Knutsford that brings our four protagonists together. It’s here we meet:
Hattie, an elderly widow, learning to live life on her own terms now her controlling husband, Harold, has died.
Will, the young librarian, polite, gentle, tender-hearted. He’s temporarily moved back to his parents’ home from his life in Canterbury.
Avril, 28, who’s just resigned from her job, and is looking to find out what job she really wants to do, what she wants out of life and how to overcome what’s holding her back.
Stuart, who’s recently taken early retirement and comes to the library to seek refuge while his wife hosts life drawing classes in their home.
People who are all at turning points in their lives and who, if not for the library, would not have met, let alone help each other navigate their way into the future through the friendships they build and the storytelling challenge they take on.
I like it when a book makes me laugh and I love it when a book makes me smile. With The Storytellers I laughed quite a bit and smiled a whole lot.

The Storytellers is a heartwarming and uplifting read that brings together four very different characters, each navigating unique challenges and stages in life. Despite their differences, they find common ground in ways that feel genuine and touching. Sue Heath delivers a sweet, feel-good story that’s both quick to read and emotionally satisfying. It's the kind of book you can curl up with and finish in one sitting, feeling a little more hopeful by the end. I’d recommend this to anyone looking for a light, comforting story with a lot of heart.

Such a lovely story. This is a story about connections and the stories we tell ourselves that can become self fulfilling prophecy. We follow four drastically different people as they connect at the local library and use the creation of a team story writing project to both grow and move forward. Really lovely.

I thoroughly enjoyed learning about the four writers, their lives and how they connected, helped, supported and changed each other for the better. And, of course, a library is a perfect setting for this and to tell a story! It provides a brilliant base for a community to flourish with friendships, sharing and exchanging ideas on books, having coffee, finding refuge, seeking new purpose and order. And in this case, a chance to come together on a project that each one can contribute to and make a success!

Review of ‘The Storytellers’ by Sue Heath, due to be published on 1 August 2025 by Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter.

Hattie, who at first appears to be a cantankerous old lady, pops into the Library one day, following the death of her husband, intent on finding a lost love, Peter, using the free computers.

What she finds instead, is a glimpse back to who she used to be, mischievous, humorous and full of life. When the librarian, Will, lets her know about a story writing competition, she enlists him, along with Stuart who has recently retired, and Avril who has left her job to find a better purpose, into the competition, alongside her search for Peter.

A story full of hope, love, friendship and happiness. A feel good, heartwarming read that finds you invested in the characters development throughout.

Recommended read.

Great writer but I really could not get into this story. Thanks for the opportunity to read but it was just not for me. Good Luck with the boo.

I read this ARC in exchange for an honest review
All thoughts and opinions are mine

This is a new author to me and I was intrigued
I thoroughly enjoyed this read

Highly recommend

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for the opportunity to read The Storytellers by Sue Heath. It was lovely - the story and the characters. I enjoyed spending time with each of them.

This was a beautiful and heartwarming story about four people, all in need of a second chance connecting at the library. Told from the different points of view from each of the four characters, I really enjoyed getting to know each of them, their story, their struggles and then how they move forward. Sue has a gift of making characters come to life and these ones all felt like my friends by the end and I felt like I had grown with them all too.

The four main characters connect at the library when they decide to write a story together for a competition. I loved seeing how libraries can bring together a range of people from all different age groups and backgrounds and the importance of them in our society. It was also really lovely to see how the power of storytelling can be healing. I found it hard to put down as I everything played out and was extremely satisfied with the ending. A powerful story about the importance of libraries and storytelling.

The Storytellers by Sue Heath is a sweet story about a group of people who are all searching for a sense of purpose and love in their world. I enjoyed each character's individual stories and how their perspectives went into the tale of Eliza. Hattie was my favorite character and I'm so glad she was able to find her voice at her age.

The Story Tellers by Sue Heath is a clever heart-warming novel of how ‘one story brought so many people together, righted so many wrongs and made so many people happier.’ It is about four people who enter a writing contest together at the library. Aspects of their lives are drawn upon as they each write a segment of the novella. The plot and characters change and expand as they each add their own contributions and it is fun to see how fiction begins to mirror past, future and present concerns. Quickly the story becomes a vehicle to express their emotions, work out scenarios and learn from the experiences.

This novel creatively shows the power of story-telling and how it can bring about change in people’s lives. For Hattie, Avril, Stuart and Will this happens. Strong friendships develop from their collaboration. They learn how to help each other over their personal hurdles, while creating a wonderful story together. And as the Mayor says in his assessment, it is ‘cleverly structured and beautifully written with all team members maintaining the same voice.’ Like a choir contributing separate parts to a unified whole as they blend their voices in harmony. You can hear the individual parts but they come together in unison with one purpose. The Mayor made some clever comments that they were not looking for a ‘story driven by one person.’ Rather they sought ‘something diverse, original, a demonstration of collaboration, and evidence that the writers were able to adapt depending on what other people wrote.’ And these four definitely did that. They each brought their individual voices to the story but wove their threads together to create a wonderful whole with a special plot and memorable characters.

There are many wise quotes in this novel about the value and significance of story-telling to society and individuals. And what it can lead to. ‘..the truth was seldom what you wanted or expected. And yet it could bring good in unexpected ways…’

I thoroughly enjoyed learning about the four writers, their lives and how they connected, helped, supported and changed each other for the better. And, of course, a library is a perfect setting for this and to tell a story! It provides a brilliant base for a community to flourish with friendships, sharing and exchanging ideas on books, having coffee, finding refuge, seeking new purpose and order. And in this case, a chance to come together on a project that each one can contribute to and make a success.

I love how they each worked out their problems through telling their sections of the story. How they found answers through writing their plot scenarios. And from that received hope, healing, faith and courage to move forward with their own lives. Writing provided an avenue to act out their dilemmas and explore solutions but as a team. Thus opening the door to fresh ideas and new directions.

I really appreciate all the thought, care and love that went into this novel. The idea behind it is brilliant and it shows how special the writing community is and how important stories are to our civilisation. I was touched by the warmth in the characters, moved by their trials, excited by their victories and rejoiced at their discoveries. The story ends on a high note with lasting friendships, restored faith and healed hearts. I definitely recommend The Story Tellers for those who love books and see their value. 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to One More Chapter and Netgalley for a review copy.

This author is quickly becoming a favorite of mine. Her stories are wonderful and so are her characters.
In this novel she says that we're all storytellers. That we each have our own stories and walks of life. I agree. We're each different in our own way.
My favorite part of this story is that it's set in a library. I can connect with this story
My library is my happy place. A library is a place where ppl can relax and have some quiet time among many other things.
Hattie is my favorite character. I loved in getting to know her. She's got a way of putting things behind her and moving on. I wish I could be more like her.
Avril and Will are my favorite couple. They are also a joy in getting to know.
I just couldn't put this story down until they all told me their life's journey. It was so good!
This was a fantastic read! I hated to say goodbye. I'm still thinking about them.
5 stars from me for a job well done. I highly recommend.
My thanks for a copy of this beautiful story. I was NOT required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine.