Joining the blog tour.
Another excellent book by Laura - exploring the nature v nurture issue and family dynamics.

This is a lovely read, a book that sees and shows how people brought up in different ways can still come together and be a family.

Ruth and Debbie are both 62. Ruth has a grown up family, a tired marriage and a baking business. Debbie is a widow, brought up by a mentally ill mother and loves to help others. In a chance encounter Debbie knocks on Ruth’s door and looks into the face she sees when she herself looks in the mirror.

The story of how they move in from this and how they were brought up apart unfolds as told by them both, together with their friends and families. Wonderfully empathetic and with a huge emphasis on reality over a fanciful story this is a hugely enjoyable book, one which feels like both women are going through a journey.

Definitely recommended and as with previous books by the author one which I am sure will be a success.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

What a brilliant, extremely well written book this is from this author, so much detail and I loved every page.

All the characters were so well described and it was a pleasure to read about them all and follow Ruth and Debbie on their journey. Everything was brought to a satisfactory conclusion and thank you to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for this fantastic ARC.

I have no hesitation in recommending this book.

Debbie works for a charity going round houses trying to get people to sign up to donate. Her husband died a year ago and she loves meeting people and despite being on her own has a very full life. Ruth has a husband and two grown sons and makes cakes for a living and despite all this is rather lonely. When Debbie knocks on Ruth’s door both women get rather a shock- they look exactly the same.

This is a cracking premise and I love that a single woman has been portrayed as the busy one- life is what you make it- one life live it. It’s a story about characters and situations that neither woman ever imagined. Laura has a skill for putting the reader right into the heart of the drama and I loved Debbie especially through her self-determination. It's beautifully written, portraying the two very different women giving a very well rounded read. A wonderful read I couldn’t help but fall in love with.

For more reviews please follow me on X (formerly Twitter) @nickisbookblog

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This is the story of two different women. Ruth, quite reserved, married and a bit of a stickler for the rules. Ruth has never really done anything outrageous in her life but has lived for her husband and especially her two sons, providing all the love she has in her heart.

Then there is Debbie, a much more outgoing woman who has recently lost her husband. Debbie tends to live her life by how she feels, she is not constrained in her thinking or her lifestyle and lives life her way and on her terms.

One day these two women get the shock of their lives when they inadvertently meet and neither life will ever be the same again. From a simple knock on someone’s door these two women come face to face, and this is then the basis of this story which I have to say I really enjoyed. I liked discovering the complexities of these two women and this is one particular angle I felt the author did an exceptional job of, I felt like I really got to know them.

Soon these women will know each other extremely well and what they will learn will change their lives dramatically in more ways than one. We will follow their ups and downs I do not want to say too much more as I think you should let the story unfold by itself and just enjoy the ride. This is a big change for me as my usual genre is crime and the darker the better, but it was nice to change direction for a little while and curl up and see where this story went.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of the book, all opinions expressed are my own.

Another fantastic read from Laura Pearson. Ruth is an ordinary mother of grown up twin sons a husband and a small baking buisness she runs from home but one day her life changes forever when Ruth a charity worker knocks on the door and is shocked as she finds herself looking at a mirror image of herself. As the story unfolds it is both beautiful and tragic with lots of emotions that pull at your heartstrings, beautifully written and keeps you gripped from the beginning and you won't want to put it down.

Another great novel from Laura! A really lovely story about two sisters and how they become friends and family. Love, loss, children, husbands and most importantly, the meaning of family.
Loved it! Thanks Laura

I wanted to like this book but sadly it just wasnt for me and I struggled with it.
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC

“The Woman Who Met Herself” is by Laura Pearson. I really liked the premise of this book - what happens when you meet someone who looks just like you. Is it a twin? Is it a doppelgänger? Is there some odd magical realism rip in parallel universes? That part I found interesting - along with the women trying to figure out what happened. But while that was rather fun, this book wasn’t what I expected. There is a lot of narration - and a lot of telling not showing. There are also a lot of side stories and, honestly, I felt this book was just way too “one note” for my enjoyment - it plods on, neither merrily nor sadly, but just goes on. There are side stories - that seem to take away from the main focus, yet round out the characters, but - I don’t know, it just didn’t work for me.

For the most part, I enjoyed this book However, I felt there was way too much detail and side stories. At times, the author seemed intent on telling us what was happening instead of showing us. There was too much narration for my taste.

However, I really liked the premise, which was unique, and I also liked watching each of the twin sisters grow and change after they found one another and opened up to a new sisterly relationship.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher, for an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

4.5 stars. Laura is my go to writer for heartwarming “slice of life” stories, and this one starts with two women bumping into each other on a doorstep, having no idea the other one exists… and yet they are clearly identical twins. What follows on is the story of how they and their families adjust to this, how both women change as a result of each other’s influence, and how it’s never to late to make changes to your life…

It’s heartwarming and I loved Ruth and Debbie - I’d recommend this if you need a hug in book form.

I received a free ARC copy of this via NetGalley and the publishers in return for an unbiased review.

I have read al, of the authors books with this one being my favourite, I loved how this book was set in Leicestershire a place that I used to live, I loved the story and all the characters and without giving any spoilers away I would say Ruth is my favourite character in this book, this book touches on Alzheimer's and having worked with people with this condition for 4years the author has done a good job mention this in the book

I wish the author all the best with this book and thank you to NetGalley &the publishers for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for this review

I absolutely loved Pearson’s The Last List of Mabel Beaumont, so it was no surprise that this one was a great read as well!

I love the premise: imagine your doorbell rings, and when you answer it, you and the person standing there are both equally shocked to see someone who looks exactly like you.

While this is a relatively quiet novel, it is never boring. I loved that Debbie’s life, while seemingly lonely without a spouse or children, is actually the fuller one given her remarkable ability to connect with and care about people. I enjoyed spending time with both women, and loved seeing Ruth come into her own.

Notable quote:
‘“God, Mum. Why? At this stage of your life?”
What does he mean by that? If you’ ve managed to get to this point, you might as well just stick it out until the end, like a fairground ride you’re not enjoying but which can’t be stopped partway through?’

I think I expected a more magical/mysterious story than this turned out to be. It's an enjoyable read about two women who have had very different childhoods but who become hugely important to each other. A story of middle age, change, hope and friendship.

I really like Laura Pearson's books so was excited to receive an early copy of her latest. Debbie works for a mental health charity and is going door to door collecting donations. She knocks on a door and is shocked to find the woman that answers is her spitting image. This is how she meets her sister Ruth, separated from her at birth. The women have very different lives but form a strong bond as they figure out what led them here. It's a fun idea and a decent read.

I generally try not to have favourite authors because I find I'm so pleasantly surprised by so many that any one could be that current favourite. But I'll be honest, Laura Pearson has always been in that top spot, and she knows how much I love her work. I'm not shy about shouting from the rooftops about how much I love it.

If my maths is right, so far Laura has published 7 books (this is the 8th). Including this one, I have read 6, and currently have Missing Pieces, and Nobody's Wife on my shelf to hopefully read soon.

I acknowledge it will be hard to write as thorough review as I'd like about this book, because I would spoil it, and I think it's best going in blind, but I'll try to give you something.

With 8 billion+ people in the world, the odds are there will be at least one other person who looks like you (if you're not a twin/triplet etc); there's only so many ways you can arrange facial features. But our face is something we only link to us, so it is a bit of a horror to find someone else who has it.

One thing I love about Laura's books generally, is that they tend to have a fantasy element to it, a bit of magic. But they have heart and soul and reality buried deep. This one is less fantasy than some of her previous ones, and yet I still felt that hint of magic throughout it; it's like it's a recognisable story and recognisable characters but with an added spark.

Ruth and Debbie are our main two woman and I could instantly see them and hear them. They were so effortlessly written like they were people I knew, and I immediately wanted to be part of their gang.

There are some difficult topics touched upon: dementia, grief, bereavement, death, secrets, breakups, job losses, sexuality, mental illness, family complications.

But there's also so much positivity too. There's family, new friends, opportunities, love, hope, joy. It's such a heartwarming and cosy story, which shouldn't surprise mas all of Laura's books are like that.

I have always said Laura's books are five stars and this is no different. There are some authors where you like some of their books but maybe not others. But the way Laura writes, not to sound too sappy, is like silk, like poetry. It's so seamless and perfect that I know 100% I will fall in love with every single one of her books, and I sure hope she's got a lot more up her sleeves.

I've loved all her books that I've read, but my top two have always been The Last List of Mabel Beaumont, and The Beforelife of Eliza Valentine (now called The Life and Loves of Becca Valentine), and whilst all her others have been five star perfect reads, none have managed to wriggle into that top spot, but this may just have. I think it's a toss up between the three as to who gets the five stars plus that extra praise. I love them all.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this ARC.

This story is about two women who at the age of 62 discover they are identical twins, so now the mystery begins of their exact backstory - are they both adopted or just one of them and whose mother is the birth mother? The author says she thought of the plot after watching Three Identical Strangers, which, if you haven't yet, is a must-see documentary about triplets and the sinister reason behind their separation at birth.

I'm generally very fond of Laura Pearson's books and have given several of them five stars but I don't know what to do with this one. Her books usually feature a lovely little bit of magical realism that elevates the story but there is none of this here, and consequently the story feels quite mundane.

It burbles along rather sedately, showing us the different lives of Ruth and Debbie, their families and friends and even throwing in a bit of romance, as well as a mother with dementia. The book is well-written and the premise and family dynamics interesting but the plot felt quite monotone - it's neither very funny nor very sad.

This is a well thought out read about Ruth and Debbie, twins who grew up separately and never knew of the others existence until a chance encounter brings them face to face. There are lots of complexities to this book beyond them try to get to know each other whilst unravelling their backstory and it considers the pressures of motherhood and moving on later in life too. There’s some interesting dynamics especially when you take Ruth’s sister and family into account and the impact the discovery of her twin has on them or is perceived to have on them. There’s a lot of positive moments in this but a lot of soul searching too which makes it quite an emotive read.

The premise is an unusual and interesting one, two sisters come face to face for the first time realizing they’re twins, and how it changes their lives. But the overall tone of the book is one long cloudy overcast day. There was no joy in this book and everything seems to be written in monotone.

Pearson never fails to pull on the old emotions, and she does it well.
This is a crazy scenario, when one day you open the door to find yourself looking at your double.
Despite it being crazy, the author makes the story, and the characters and all their actions believable.
She gave me pause for thought on what I would do in a situation like this.
As we get to know our characters better, we see that their lives might not be quite what we thought.
I'm already looking forward to the next book.