Get ready for an emotional and exhilarating journey in Shari Low's One Long Weekend! This novel takes readers on a heartfelt wild goose chase over the course of one eventful weekend.

Val is back, but she's struggling with profound grief. Having lost her best friend Josie and now her husband, she feels adrift. When she visits her nieces, she accidentally misplaces precious mementos of her lost loved ones. Determined to recover these irreplaceable items, Val embarks on a journey back home, retracing her steps with her two nieces. One of her nieces leverages her social media platform to aid in the search, adding a modern twist to their quest.

In a parallel storyline, we are introduced to Sophie, a young woman in town yearning to rekindle an old romance. Alongside her, we meet Rory and his mother Alice, who are grappling with the fallout from a scandal that has upended their lives.

As the narrative unfolds, the lives of Val, Sophie, Rory, and Alice intersect in unexpected ways. Can these four find a common link and begin to move past their pain?

One Long Weekend by Shari Low is a touching exploration of loss, love, and the power of connection. Will these four characters find the healing they need? Dive into this captivating novel to find out!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for providing an advance copy of this engaging and fun novel.

I adored the first Shari Low novel I read, One Christmas Eve, even though I am not typically a ‘Christmas’ novel reader. It was top-quality women’s fiction, with a great ensemble cast and multiple historical storylines intertwining in surprising and poignant ways. Plus, it featured superbly developed strong female characters spanning the age spectrum.

In One Long Weekend the story threads again ultimately dovetail into one another, and Shari Low delivers some fabulously feisty and engaging mature female characters.

Despite much of the drama borne from loss, grief and trauma the characters have historically experienced, the familial love, friendship and banter between the ensemble cast during this One Long Weekend story window is largely buoyed by hope and good humour. This and the characters’ hunt for missing things, in one respect constrained by a return flight, keeps the pacing swift and the overall feeling relatively light considering the themes explored. Continue reading at BookloverBookReviews.com

One Long Weekend by Shari Low ⭐⭐⭐⭐

This is a fun story with multiple twists and turns. Quick weekend read, keeping you laughing till the end. My only difficulty was keeping up with the many characters.
Hope you pick upyour copy today and enjoy a fun filled laughing weekend

Thank you NetGalley for advanced copy for my honest opinion

I really loved this. Couldn’t stop reading. The way it interweaves was great forming some great friendships.

I read One Long Weekend by Shari Low over the last bank holiday weekend. This was my first book by this author and I was so pleased to be given the opportunity to take part in the read-along organised by Boldwood Books and to receive an ARC to read and review.

One Long Weekend is an engaging contemporary novel based on the authors real life experience of losing precious jewellery.

Val loses some rings that are of sentimental value and hold treasured memories of loved ones. Although Val’s loss is disastrous it brings together the lives of some amazing women.

This book was filled with some marvellous characters. I loved that the women were so supportive of each other through this emotional roller-coaster of a novel. I also loved that while there were poignant moments, there was also laughter and friendship.

A thoroughly entertaining read and certainly an author I will be reading again

WoW! This latest book One Long Weekend by Shari Low was an uplifting book which made it a great read for your day off or your holiday. It was just lovely read but sad in places of this book that will just have you wanting more and it turned into a page turner. Shari the author always writes from her heart and this one was no different, it just took my breath away.

Three days. Four broken hearts. Just one weekend to make them whole again.....WoW.

What are you waiting for? This is a wonderful read I can't recommend it enough.

Big Thank you to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for providing a digital ARC

I really enjoyed Low’s latest novel, which follows a group of seemingly disconnected strangers over the course of one weekend. Low delivers an emotionally complex and moving story told from 4 points of view. Each of the narrators is navigating loss in some way, and they find themselves leaning on the kindness of family AND strangers to get through it.

I found the characters interesting and likable, and the ending felt like a big warm hug. It’s a beautiful book to pick up on days when the world feels cruel and unkind; it’s a lovely reminder of our capacity for kindness and empathy!

You always know you're in for an absolute delight when Low unleashes another book onto the public. I've lost count of how many of her books I have read to date and they're always 4 or 5 star winners.

One Long Weekend was no exception.

It's a beautifully written story that takes us on a whirlwind of emotions as we follow the stories of our four main characters, Val, Sophie, Alice and Rory. All of whom find themselves in difficult situations and whose stories seamlessly intertwine with each other.

We've met Val on several previous occasions and we become acquainted with some new, who I'm sure we'll be hearing from again.

A wonderful uplifting story of second chance and friendships.

I highly recommend both the book and the author.

Shari Low never disappoints. Meeting some old friends, Val, Carly and Carol as well as new ones, Sophie and Alice. Sophie is on a long weekend visit to Glasgow hoping to rekindle romance with the ex she met travelling the world two years previously. He proposed to her but the timing was wrong with Sophie's mum dying, and he promised to repeat it on the same date every year. Alice is saving money from her cleaning jobs to leave her husband, former bent politician, now taxi driver. When Val, then Sophie get in Larry's taxi, their worlds collide. Much emotion, laughter and beautiful relationships. So readable that you feel part of the weekend with the protagonists. Thanks once again, Shari Low. #netgalley #OneLongWeekend

One Long Weekend features four main characters who each tell their own parts of the story.

A pouch containing priceless family jewelry is lost while traveling. Will friends old and new be able to find them?

The relationships formed and revisited is the crux of the book. I love how this author can create such relatable characters. They emote real emotions that you can feel as you read.

You really can't go wrong with a Shari Low book.

I especially loved the authors notes about what inspired this book as well as one of the characters.

Thanks to netgalley and Boldwood Books for the arc.

Shari's latest book was is inspired by a recent event where she lost some precious jewellery from an open pocket in her handbag on a flight! The story is picked up by lovable widow Val, who loses some precious rings whilst venturing out to visit family for the first time since her hubsands death.

I found the beginning of the book a little tricky to get into as I was a  bit overwhelmed with information with the summary and backstories of all the characters! However, by the second chapter, I was quickly immersed in their stories!

This is another great book from Shari. I loved all of the main characters and it was great to revisit some familiar faces from her previous novels. A fab read for the summer!

This is the second book that I’ve read by this author and yet again it has literally blown me away with how absolutely brilliant it was. There were so many wonderful things about this book that I just loved, from all the various characters to the superb storyline. We meet and get the POV’s of the four main characters in alternating chapters throughout the book and I really liked the way the author done this. As soon as I had finished the first chapter I just knew this was going to be another fabulous read by Shari and I can’t wait to read her next book. This was quite an emotional read in places , and I must make a special mention to the authors words at the start and finish of this book. This is a wonderful read and one I won’t be forgetting in a hurry .

Another winner by Shari Low, One Long Weekend does not disappoint! I’ve only discovered this talented author this past year and she has quickly become one of my favorites. As with her previous novels this one will warm your heart. I particularly like that her novels portray the bonds of females through family and friendships with both young and mature characters. While some of the characters in this novel are familiar from previous novels it could certainly be read as a stand alone. The characters are realistic, relatable and likable. Ok lovable, I mean who wouldn’t want an Aunt Val! Shari effortlessly combines, heartache and humor, love and sadness into beautiful stories that touch the heart.

Another great read from Shari Low.
This book draws together a cast of four main characters and links their stories together seamlessly. His is a story of family, love, loss, and sacrifice. This book follows these characters over three days but gives us a glimpse into their lives which leaves the reader feeling fully invested into each character. (Lovers of Shari Low will recognize some familiar characters.)
Good read. Highly recommend especially for fans of Low.

* I received an advanced reader’s copy of this book from NetGalley and Boldwood Books in exchange for my honest review

It took me no time at all to get into the swing of this really gorgeous book. Once again, Shari Low has compiled a wonderful cast of characters, some drawn from previous books, but all incredibly welcome to this delightful story.
Val never fails to bring joy to Shari’s books, but it was a treat to see her return as a central character for this one. Sadly, Val is grieving and clinging to the memories of the special times and people in her life. Fulfilling a promise, she heads to London to visit another couple of familiar faces. After a dreadful taxi ride, she discovers that her collection of special memories is not in her bag.
Sophie is a gentle and lovely character, and she is impossible not to be drawn to. Her arrival in Glasgow is the start of her mission to rediscover her ‘one that got away’. She soon finds herself in the midst of another dreadful taxi ride and fears for her life.
Alice and Rory, mother and son, are estranged because of her husband’s unforgivable behaviour. Alice is determined to walk away from her marriage, but she also wants to repair the damage to her relationship with Rory.
Don’t worry if this is your first book from Shari Low. She soon weaves her magic and draws you into her stories. Names that are familiar to other readers are equally enjoyable when met for the first time. Low excels at creating new characters and mixing them with the more familiar ones. If you are new to her books, you may struggle to spot who’s new and who’s a familiar voice.
The twists and turns of this story kept me gripped, so I read it in a single sitting. I didn't speed read, as I’m scared of missing any details; I just stayed up far too late! It was absolutely worth it, and I’m sure I’ll do it again.

I always enjoy a book from Shari Low. She writes such relatable characters. This story shares the points of view of the four main characters and I loved how, as we learnt more about them, the links between their stories flowed and came to life-reconnecting with Val from previous books was especially nice.
I thought the idea of the instagram stories and podcast to try and track down the precious momentoes for Val was a clever one and gave us the opportunity to see Val, and her family
laughing and remembering together.
With the stories told over just a few days, a long weekend, the story is fast paced and full emotion.

I like the way Shari Low begins her books- with the characters. We know who is who from the onset and it certainly helps make for easier reading.

This is a very emotional story about the power of family, friendship, sacrifice, love, loss and social media.

One Long Weekend is the story of how strangers meet in a way only designed by the universe and lives are intertwined and friendship born.

Even though events in this book take place over three days, there was no denying the emotional roller coaster we were taken on and every twist and turn were dealt with without any loose ends.

I love all of the characters, very relatable, down to earth and they all feel like friends. It was interesting to catch up with old characters from previous books.

If you love emotional reads with relatable characters then you will enjoy this. I read this on Kindle Unlimited.

EXCERPT: 'Och bugger, I've lost my hairbrush.'
"I've got one in my bag, if you want to risk potential botulism by diving in there. I'm sure there's a Coronation chicken sandwich from last week lurking in the bottom.'
'I'll take my chances,' I laughed and was about to close my bag when a wrecking ball of realisation slammed into the picture and hit me right in the stomach. Oh, dear God, no.
My eyes searched as my hands frantically began to pull every single thing from the bag. Phone. Purse. Perfume. Lipstick. Electricity bill. I had no idea why that was there, because I was sure I'd paid it. Make-up compact. Boarding pass. Hair bobbles. Don's comb. A plastic spoon I always carried in case little Buddy needed an emergency yoghurt. Assorted tissues. A packet of mints. Some loose change.
No brush.
The wound in my chest burst wide open yet again.
And no little pouch.
My precious rings were gone.

ABOUT 'ONE LONG WEEKEND': When all seems lost, hope remains... Val Murray has mislaid her most precious mementoes of the people she’s loved and lost. Can her family, the wonders of technology and a little divine intervention somehow mend her shattered heart?

Sophie Smith had to take a rain check on a marriage proposal. Will her bid to turn back the clock lead her to her greatest love or yet another heartbreak?

Alice McLenn stood by her husband, Larry when a scandal cost them everything. When he hits the headlines again, Alice has an opportunity to leave – but can she find the strength to finally walk away?

Rory Brookes was forced to turn his back on his parents to save his career and marriage. Now, he’s lost his job and wife on the same day. Is it too late to make amends with the one person who never let him down?

Three days. Four broken hearts. Just one weekend to make them whole again.

MY THOUGHTS: This is a stunning multi-generational drama cum romance. Val pops up regularly in Shari Low's novels, and she is an absolute darling, and a hoot!

There is an author's note at the beginning, talking about how this book came to be and, at the end, another with the outcome of her own experience. Don't skip these. There's also a precis of the characters at the beginning, but the four we need to concern ourselves most with are the four whose points of view narrate the story: Val Murray, mother, grandmother, friend and widow who has a love of caramel wafers; Alice McLenn, a cleaner who is tied to a man she despises and mother of Rory; Rory Brookes McLenn, Alice's son, married to the glamorous Julia, and currently weathering yet another personal storm; and Sophie Smith, a primary school teacher in search of the ex she has never forgotten.

One Long Weekend is a book that had my anxiety levels soaring through the roof. I am paranoid about losing my rings! So I felt every bit of and empathised with Val's panic and stress. After reading this I am going to be even more vigilant!

The bulk of the story takes place over a four-day weekend, so the pacing and emotions are intense. I don't want to say anything more about the plot because there's nothing I can say that isn't going to act as a spoiler. Suffice it to say that this is classic Shari Low fare - it's amusing, entertaining and utterly heart-wrenching as the various characters come together in search of Val's rings. If you haven't read a Shari Low book before, what are you waiting for? - now is a great time to start!

⭐⭐⭐⭐.5

#OneLongWeekend #NetGalley

THE AUTHOR: Once upon a time Shari met a guy, got engaged after a week, and thirty-something years later she lives near Glasgow with the one they said would never last. Their children have now grown and scattered across the world, so she spends an inordinate amount of time on video calls and aeroplanes.

DISCLSOURE: Thank you to Boldwood Books via NetGalley for providing a digital ARC of One Long Weekend by Shari Low for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

Another delightful read from Shari Low, who never disappoints. Val Murray returns, this time as one of the main characters in a story that reminds us that things have a way of working out. If you’ve read Shari’s previous books, you’ll love the fact that some of the characters from previous books make a very welcome comeback here. However, this is a fully standalone book, and gives full background info so that you won’t feel like you’ve missed anything if this is the first of this author’s books that you’re reading. (The only thing you’ll have missed is the fab books that came before this, so you’ll want to run and get those!)
I’ve loved all of Shari’s previous books. They all work well as standalones, but the familiarity that comes from recognising characters you’ve met before is like a wonderful, warm and friendly reunion!

The story is very character based and told in alternating chapters from different points of view. There’s the lovely Val, who’s lost some of her previous spark, having suffered some crippling losses in her life … most recently her beloved husband Don. She’s really feeling fragile and in need of a boost, but isn’t sure if she’s ready to leave the stability of the home she shared with Don in Glasgow to travel to her close family in London for that support that she needs.

Sophie is also emerging from the fog of losing her mother, and realising that she really lost out on someone who could have been the man of her dreams. But now she’s feeling ready to face the world again and wonders if she can find her lost love and re-kindle what they once had.

Alice has spent far too many years with a man who she no longer loves – actually she’s not sure if she ever really loved him. She’s stood by him through a terrible time, which has cost her everything: their home, friends and even her only son. But now she’s had enough. She has a plan. Is she strong enough to see it through?

Rory isn’t sure if things can get worse that they are right now. He’s given up so much, and now it’s all come crashing down around him – through absolutely no fault of his own. The only person he needs right now is someone who he hasn’t been able to lean on for a while. Will she be there for him?

But how are these four people connected? Well, I’m not going to give anything away – you’ll have to read the book! The way that Shari Low connects her characters is just gorgeous. It allows us to see that there is a possibility that we’re all somehow connected. We just need to go about things in the right way, and look in the right places. Yes, I know that when you don’t go looking for what you want, it tends to pop up right in front of you when you least expect it, but sometimes we need to do a bit of work to get there, or get those who are in your corner to pitch in when we’re feeling like there’s no hope.

This is a story about connection, family and friends who become like family. It’s unputdownable!

"One Long Weekend" by Shari Low is a heartwarming tale that intricately weaves together the lives of four individuals facing personal struggles. As they navigate love, loss, and second chances over the course of three days, the story beautifully captures the essence of hope, healing, and the enduring power of family and love. With engaging storytelling and relatable characters, Shari Low crafts a poignant narrative that resonates long after the final page.