A generous 3 star for this women's fiction title about the lives of 4 friends. We follow them for about 20 years from university until middle age. The characters were well-rounded and interesting however what a messy group of women - they make poor decisions after poor decisions. I understand having imperfect characters (as people are imperfect) but this was beyond realistic to me and fell into soap opera territory. I enjoyed the way we saw them grow older and mature, however the passing time and time frames weren't always consistent.

Quirky and sweet. Decent writing style and different to what I was expecting which is always a nice surprise.

The Story of Our Lives is a book written by Helen Warner and was the first of her books that I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading before. From the outset I have to say that I found this novel to be very impressive and was one that I enjoyed from beginning to end. As an avid reader, I’ve come across a lot of books that deal with the subject of friendship and whilst The Story of Our Lives is one of them, it was certainly one of the best I’ve ever read.

When the book begins it’s 1997 we meet Sophie, Emily, Amy and Melissa who all became best friends at university but have not seen eachother for many years. At the time we first meet them, they are reunited at a beautiful cottage in Southwold for what will be just the first of their annual trips away together. As each of the four girls look forward to these trips away, they think they know eachother very well but as they catch-up with eachother as each year passes and reflect on their past lives, a huge secret is soon revealed, one that has the potential to shatter their friendship.

Sophie, Emily, Amy and Melissa are four ladies who between them have most definitely experienced many ups and downs and highs and lows in life, something which made it so very easy to relate to them and become immersed in their story. Each character was fabulously well developed with each having a strong and distinctive voice and with the book spanning many years, by the end of the book it felt like I was an additional friend of theirs having got to know them all so very well.

One of the very best things about The Story of Our Lives is the way in which it is written, I simply adored it and thought that Helen Warner has done an absolutely incredible job with it. Containing so much detail that you are never left with questions, the book moves smoothly and beautifully on from one year to the next. I particularly loved the way in which the book used real live events to introduce us to the new year and, although they didn’t relate to the story, they really got me thinking and reflecting on my own life, about where I was and what I was doing at that time. Despite dealing with some difficult themes, there were many memorable moments throughout the book that really cheered me up and put a smile on my face.

At its very heart, The Story of Our Lives was a fabulously enjoyable and engaging book about friendship that highlighted how even through the hardest of times true friendship will never die. It was a really wonderful introduction to Helen’s writing and has left me feeling incredibly excited to go on and discover more written by her in the future.

Oh my goodness!!!!
This is just a remarkable book about friendship spread out over 20 years and it keeps you hooked throughout.
The Story of Our Lives is based on four best friends, Sophie, Amy, Emily and Melissa, who try and have a girly weekend away every year.
I don't want to say too much as I don't want to give anything away but there are twists and turns that you do not see coming. I would gladly read this book again.
As their lives move in different directions, will their friendship stay together?

I've not read anything by Helen Warner before, but I'll definitely be looking out for more. This book was such an enjoyable and easy read, and I found myself completely invested in all of the characters.

'The Story of Our Lives' concerns four female friends who have been friends since university. They meet up periodically, and with each meeting or weekend away we hear more and more about their stories. There are lots of skeletons in their closets, with everyone having their secrets; every time the friends meet it's as though a new drama surfaces. Although at times I couldn't help thinking that there was far too much drama for just four people, but when you consider that each of their meetings are several months / a year apart, then it becomes much more believable.

The blurb of the book points out that everyone can remember where they were at the time of a significant event, such as the death of Princess Diana, in the same way that the four friends here can remember where they were when and what was going on at the time of specific media events. Every few chapters there is a summary of such an event, such as the 9/11 tragedy, as if to emphasise this point. However, nothing was done with these little snippets and I felt they were kind of surplus to requirements. The book would have coped perfectly fine without them, and they seemed a little too 'random' to me.

The way each of the ladies' stories comes together, their lives intertwined and with so much history, is really great to read; you can't help but want to keep reading page after page to find out what drama will be next. Helen has written this book in such a clever way that it is much deeper than the usual superficial chick lit novels - highly recommended.

I enjoyed this book but struggled to get a connection with the characters .. I was interested enough to find out what happens to each of them, but it was written in a very unorganized way I felt.

I saw this on a number of blogs and headed over to Amazon to buy but before I did for some reason I stopped and went into my email. And what was there? An email asking if I’d like to review this very book! Was I happy? Well I actually did some form of a happy dance and said ‘yes please,’ straight away!!

I’ll tell you straight off this is definitely a book that should accompany people as a holiday read this year. As you can see above it follows four women over twenty years. Each chapter starts with the defining event of that year-Princess Di dying, the Twin Towers attack, the London bombings, and each one sent a chill as, yes, I remembered where I was. It also did the job in cementing you into their story, although for the most part I’d have preferred the event to also have been threaded into the story, but that’s just me. To be honest the only issues I really had was that at four hundred pages I found it a little bit long, which sounds pernickity of me, but I think it could have been shortened to make it a bit snappier in places, plus there was some repetition of words that may slightly jar.

The characters, the tensions, the jealousies and envies, as well as the ‘thank God it’s not me’ aspect that always exists between a group of friends, were woven in expertly, and you actually felt like you were there as life moved on and people got married, had children and unearthed secrets. The secrets, the suspense that was building was perfection, and at (many!) points I was actually really nervous as to what was going to happen. This is a light read, and some will find it too light, but for me it was very well done and I really enjoyed it. Thanks so much to the brilliant Isabel at HQ and to Netgalley for this book in return for an honest review.

Rating: 4/5

Sophie, Emily, Amy and Melissa are a close-knit group of friends. The reader follows them through their trials and tribulations over a period of two decades. They meet every year at the same time to celebrate their friendships and all the changes in their lives. Pregnancies, career changes, marriages, affairs, betrayals and life in general.

There is a fair amount of victim blaming when it comes to Amy and her situation. ‘If only she was a little tougher. If she stood up for herself it wouldn’t happen.’ This is a common reaction and misconception when it comes to domestic abuse, the assumption that it is just about the victim not being able to stand up for themselves. Even her friends are quick to place the blame on her.

It’s easy to ignore the obvious, when it comes to domestic abuse. The hard part is supporting victims, despite the fact they may go back to their abuser. It takes an incredible amount of courage to leave a situation of complete control, isolation and fear.

I have this rule of thumb when it comes to books or stories I read. If the characters or premise evoke any kind of emotion, even if it is anger or irritation, then the author has done their job. So with that said let me just have a grumble about Sophie and the way she reacts at the end. Can we all just say hypocrite. Her indignation and anger are misplaced, and ironic to say the least. Talk about selective memory and being judgemental. Okay, I feel much better now.

Warner has created a story that will resonate with a lot of readers, especially those who understand the complexities of friendships between women. Friendships that stand the test of time, relationships with people who exhibit loyalty under extreme duress and are willing to stand by you through your hardest times. It doesn’t happen often, but it does happen.

The Story of Our Lives is an ode to the special connections we make in life, about the paths we choose and the mistakes we make. It is also about the people who walk with us instead of away from us when things crumble and fall apart around us.

The Story Of Our Lives by Helen Warner is a fabulous contemporary novel about friendship and life. The action spans from 1997 following a group of friends as they meet annually. There are flashbacks to fill in the action as the timeline moves forwards.
Written in a chatty, engaging style, the reader absorbs the action, being a very willing participant in the book.
Life throws all sorts at us. Our hopes and dreams in our twenties may be vastly different in our forties. Throughout all that life delivers, good friendships can see us through.
The book demolishes some traditional held beliefs. Prince Charming is not always as charming as we think. Glittering palaces can still be prisons. And Casanova's are not always bad. Evil wears a normal, everyday face. It is a realistic portrayal of life showing that sometimes life is a fairytale. At other times it is a nightmare, a quagmire to wade through.
The characters are uniquely and wonderfully drawn from all walks of life. With different personalities, you are sure to choose a favourite. Who resonates with you?
There are some difficult to read scenes of domestic abuse. Realistically portrayed, the reader witnesses the slow squashing of a big personality. The message is clear - abuse is never your fault. Get out and get help. Do not suffer alone.
Motherhood is a major theme. As mothers our attention moves from 'me' focused to children focused. We love our children. They are unique and always a gift no matter how they were conceived. We do our best to love them and keep them safe. When they hurt, we hurt.
The Story Of Our Lives celebrates friendship and motherhood. It is a friendship that loves and lasts, that supports and carries through all of life's joys and sorrows.
A wonderful book.
I received this book for free. A favourable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.

This is an immensely readable book. Well drawn characters as diverse as you are going to get within a friendship group who meet at university, stay close friends yet go their own paths in life.

Sophie: the sensible, grown up one who meets her Mr Right, Steve, at uni, gets a good job, buys a house and has a baby who she struggles to bond with. Always the voice of reason among the group.

Melissa, the party girl who gets an exciting job in the music industry after uni and is forever getting herself into mischief and never settles down.

Amy: the bubbly, sparkly girl who finds an amazing, rich and charming partner in Nick. They get married and have an enviable life with a big house and all the trappings of a successful life together.

Emily: the quiet, studious, enigmatic one of the group. She finds herself pregnant shortly after uni and decides to set herself up as a single mum back at home with her parents with baby Jack. Nobody knows who his dad is although everyone has their suspicions.

I love the way the author has used events from the media to mark the passage of time throughout this book. You can really measure the scale of the time passing between the events yet they don't have any other significance within the story.

This is an excellent story of how each of the girl's lives pans out as an individual yet the bonds of true friendship tie them strongly together. They laugh together, argue amongst themselves even to the point of falling out quite spectacularly at more than one point yet there is something there that, when times get really tough for any one of them, the group pulls together to support each other.

There are some scenarios within the book which I doubted whether their friendship would survive and maybe in the real world they possibly wouldn't be able to get past but in true chick lit style girl power wins out in the end.

This is a fun read, maybe not 100% believable but well worth getting lost within its pages. I would definitely recommend it if you fancy a book where you don't need to work too hard on the plot - although there are a couple of surprises along the way just to keep you guessing.

My review will appear on my blog www.sandiesbookshelves.blogspot.co.uk on the run up to publication date

Incredibly impressive novel, where we follow the lives of four best friends over a 10 year period of their lives. They tend to meet up for a weekend away every year, so the book is split naturally into sections, with a news headline from the time at the start of the next yearly meet up.

From these weekends away we get to see what the girls are up to current, and then also get told as they tell each other, the highlights or lowlights of the past year. There are always big conversations happening at these weekends and these friends live far from charmed lives.

They all are hiding various things about themselves from each other, some more shocking than the others, some more emotional than others.

As the book progresses you see these ladies mature from their mid twenties to mid thirties and really get to know all of them very well. They all have distinct personalities, and the book does deal with a variety of deep issues in a sensitive manner.



The Story Of Our Lives will feature sections that anyone can relate to, as if you haven't experienced what they are doing, the odds are you know someone that is going through something similar.

I couldn't get enough of this book, and really was gutted that I reached the last pages.

Thank you to Netgalley and HQ for this copy that I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

Whilst I liked this book it felt like nothing new. I couldn’t relate to any of the women. It is written as if they were every day women but when you read the finer details, they all lived in the richest parts of London and had vast amounts of money. Plus everything just worked out too perfect for them all.

The story of four girls Sophie, Emily, Melissa and Amy, they all met at uni and have stayed friends ever since. Twenty years on and they are still all living in London and together have faced up to various events through careers and having families, alcoholism and abuse .... surely nothing now could tear them apart

A really enjoyable story with some good twists andI loved the idea of the headline relating to each year that adds the perspective of the reader who has lived through those years relating to where they were at the time

This is the first book I have read by Helen Warner, what an excellent one to start with.

Sophie, Melissa, Amy and Emily have all been friends since college, they all live in London but once a year they meet up for a weekend. The story follows what has happened to them through the year as they marry, have children and the up and downs of their lives.

The author has developed the characters well, each of the women have struggles which they face, in most cases the others are ready to provide support when they can. Throughout the book they manage to maintain their friendships but a secret that one of them is hiding could tear them apart, when the secret was revealed, although a surprise, it made perfect sense.

This is an enjoyable book, the author takes us from year to year with a different event defining the year in question. It is an interesting story of love and friendship through the years but also incorporates lies and deception which they have to overcome to remain friends. An excellent book which I would highly recommend.

I really enjoyed this book, the characters were believable with each of them having their own history. I loved the strength that brought them all together and reminded me of my similar friendships.

As I was reading I was constantly trying to predict to what the big secret was going to be and can honestly say I made a sharp intake of breath when all was revealed!

The Story of Our Lives is a story of friendship, in good times and bad, and how those bonds forged in early adulthood are both strengthened and tested as the years go on.

Helen Warner's novel follows four very different London-based best friends - Sophie, Melissa, Amy, and Emily - from their university days into adulthood, as they get married, have children, and face challenges none of them could ever have imagined in their student days.

We delve into their friendship at different points in their lives, at the one time the four friends are always guaranteed to be together: their (almost) annual weekends away together. Warner sets the scene - and puts us right into the appropriate time frame - by starting each getaway with a news headline from the time, from the death of Princess Diana to the London Olympics. You'll always remember where you were at those times of national interest, and for the four friends, the twists in their own lives make them even more memorable.

The Story of Our Lives is a truly enjoyable read, perfect for fans of JoJo Moyes, Lucy Diamond, or Erin Lawless - and it's a story that anyone with close friends can relate to, one that leaves you guessing about the turn of events until the very end.

A really enjoyed reading this book. It is a story about true friendship, it's ups and downs. It shows that true friends are there for you no matter what.

A decent chick lit, with strong story lines and characters that raise it above the average. A few twists and turns caught me by surprise, right to the last page. It doesn't have a strong start, too many cliched descriptions: hair is always glossy, ponytails are swishy and limbs are toned. And it is permanently sunny - these women never have disappointing weather on their weekends away. But it was glad I stuck with it, it definitely gets better as it goes along.