I really loved this book and despite people saying it was like The Rosie Project, I didn't think so. This is so much better. Love the main character and love how she actually says what she is thinking - no time for frills! It is also amusing and I found some laugh out loud moments too. We have all been there; saying what we are expected to say but actually thinking something completely different! Love how the story is also about finding yourself and maybe we are all less self-contained than we think we are. Thoroughly recommend this as a good read which is a bit different from the norm.

Susan is a 45 year old extremely independent woman with a good job, her own flat and a lover when she needs him.......... the complete opposite of her unreliable feckless brother! That is until her ordered world is turned upside down when she discovers she is pregnant.

When her mother dies and she discovers that it is her brother who benefits from the will she is convinced that he coerced her and she needs to overturn the will for the sake of her unborn child but will she change in the process and will she get help from an unexpected quarter?

An enjoyable book with interesting characters.... although I didn't really like Susan I was still rooting for her..... andI will look out for future books by this author

A really good read I was surprised how much I enjoyed it first novel I've read by this author but it's a brilliant book loved all the characters they gelled really well the main character Susan was very single minded at the beginning but the twist at the end was really good and unexpected loved seeing her soften thought the ending was a bit abrupt but all in all a very good story would recommend it

What a delightful and compelling read. A perfect holiday book or, if like me, when holed up with the flu. Greater than the sum of it's pages.

Firstly thank you to Net Galley & the publishers for an ARC in exchange for a fair review.
I anticipated this being a laugh out loud rom-com type story but was pleasantly surprised that it was more light hearted than that. Susan is a wonderful character, very organised, knows what she wants and never strays from that path.....until she kind of has to!
The characters are well written and likeable. Although some are quite annoying it is in a realistic sort of way rather than fabricated OTT as seems to be the way in so many stories nowadays.
I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a lighthearted read.

An enjoyable novel but I couldn’t help compare Suze to Eleanor Oliphant and find her wanting. Susan had none of the warmth of Eleanor and I felt all of the characters apart from Rob were unappealing. However, it was an interesting read that kept me reading when many books have fallen by the wayside.

I spent the first half of the book completely disliking the main character however was also massively intrigued by her, yet by the end I was left wanting more! What every good book should be like in my opinion! Well done Sarah Haywood, a worthy read :-)

I really wanted to and expected to like this more - but I found the storyline and characters a bit two dimensional and unlikely
I did find it very readable though!

I loved this book-Susan Green is a fantastic character,strong and feisty,and completely unforgettable.The book made me laugh but also sympathise with all that she goes through in the course of the story and I was cheering her on to the very satisfactory conclusion.
Highly recommended-can't wait for this author's next book.

A warm, uplifting story for fans of Gail Honeyman's Eleanor Oliphant. Susan is an independent 45 year old who doesn't quite fit the conventional norm. Finding herself accidentally pregnant, she addresses this issue in her usual methodical, pragmatic way - but life, family and friendships all come along and change the course of Susan's plans. I really enjoyed this book, it's a quick and easy read with well developed characters about whom you really care.

I noticed the cover of this first - it's not like the picture here. It's densely covered with cacti (no humans!). I've bought so many books based purely on the cover and surprisingly (or is that 'fortunately'?), it's not often that I'm disappointed. I certainly wasn't disappointed here either. The main character, Susan, you quickly learn is the cactus. She collects them, and she seems to have learnt from their defence mechanism: if you're prickly, no one wants to get too close. I've seen a few reviewers refer to her as being on the autistic spectrum, but I would argue that that really isn't the case at all: and as you read further in to the story, you can see that this stand-offishness has been cultivated on purpose.
There is no rush to this story, but plenty happens. There's LOADS of character building: we get a really good insight into Susan and how she ticks. I found myself really plugging for her and wanting her to find her happy ending. The characters who populate her world are also really likeable, even her rogue of a brother (who she has the measure of right from the beginning). I'd love to know what happens next - I'm not a huge fan of sequels, but if someone (the author, perhaps!) could just satisfy my curiosity, that would be great!
My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read such a great book.

Susan, 45 years old, possibly autistic, lives alone just the way she likes it.
However!
Her mother has just died and to Susan’s surprise the will shows the the mother has granted susan’s Brother lifetime rights to live in the mother’s house. This Susan can not understand. To top that Susan finds out she is pregnant and needs to sell the mother’s house to move somewhere bigger.
A great read, very enjoyable and funny in parts.
Would recommend
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

I can't begin to review this book without mentioning that beautiful cover. The image above does not do it justice at all. Those pale pink looking bits are in fact a beautiful shimmering foil. This book was a very welcome surprise when it arrived a couple of weeks ago and when I read the back, I knew it was a book I would enjoy.

Susan Green is very, very set in her ways, most definitely on the autistic spectrum, When we meet her at the beginning of the book, her mother has just died provoking very little emotional response. She is also coming to terms with the surprising realisation that at the age of 45, she is pregnant for the first time - this was most definitely not in her plan! She enjoys living by herself in her small one bedroom flat but recognises that she will need somewhere bigger when the baby comes. The inheritance from the sale of her mother's house will help with this. However, shockingly and unexpectedly, her mother had recently made a will granting her brother, Edward, lifetime rights to stay in the house. Convinced this cannot reflect her mother's true wishes, she determines to challenge the will.

I found it interesting that there is a quote from Graeme Simsion on the cover as Susan is a very similar character to his Don Tillman from The Rosie Project. Like Don, she has a very rigid, ordered way of life which suits her perfectly and little understanding of others. Also like Don, she comes up against circumstances beyond her control which make her uncomfortable but force her to adapt and change. I really liked how Susan gradually had to adapt yet remained true to herself. She was frustrating to read about at times but then I don't have that understanding of what it is to be autistic and her behaviour and reactions were perfectly logical to her. She did make me laugh a lot too though. One example was when she had to go into her neighbour's house to look after her toddler daughter in an emergency situation. She is quite horrified at the state of the house. "I don't see why having children should be an excuse for letting your standards slip. I'd be surprised if my own did." I'm sure that many mothers (and fathers) would have a wry smile at that. I think we all have plans and ideas of what parenthood might be like which change very soon after that little person arrives and turns your life upside down!

I think that Susan is a character who becomes more endearing as you follow her through her pregnancy and her legal battles with her brother.  I'd quite like to find out how Susan copes with motherhood so hoping there might be a sequel at some point. Susan is most certainly a quirky, memorable character and The Cactus is an assured debut from an author I'll be watching out for in the future.

I can honestly state that this book is unique to any other I’ve ever read .. and it’s a great read!

Susan controls every aspect of her life. At forty five, she lives alone – as she likes it – and has a very regimented routine. Her colleagues, by dint of being human, annoy her – well, let’s be honest – most things annoy her. She fails to understand why everyone doesn’t follow her example of a strict routine and maintain a compartmentalised and – in her mind – perfect life.

As this story progresses, we find out all about Susan’s back story .. family life, love life, relationships, friends – or lack thereof. There are a few giggles along the way and certainly a few surprises! The ending of the book was astounding – but in a good way.

I adored this one. I found myself fully immersed in Susan’s life and to my surprise, entertained. It’s similar to a coming-of-age tale in some ways, definitely addictive and one which I highly recommend to anyone who enjoys a contemporary read.

My thanks to John Murray Press for approving my copy via NetGalley. This is my honest, original, and unbiased review.

Overall I enjoyed this book. It is funny. I laughed through it and it was a relaxing thing to do for a few hours. To me though, it was not as good as the hype it has been given. I expected it to be funnier.

The Cactus is so well written that you really feel like you know who Susan Green, intelligent, practical, organised and focused. Some people may admire her dry sense of humour when meeting her, others may think her a little prickly. So when Susan’s future is upending by the death of her mother and impending motherhood in middle age, she has to face a change of (very organised) plans.
The cactus is a very funny read, think Sheldon Cooper meets Bridget Jones.

I took a bit of time to get into this as the main character Susan is (intentionally) a bit prickly. I found she grew on me though, found her journey fascinating. I do wish the story had continued further down the line as I really would have liked to know how her relationships with over key characters progressed. I did enjoy how some of those relationships grew quietly while others stormed along, but it did make me wonder where things would be five or ten years in the future!

I really enjoyed this book. The story is narrated by Susan Green, who is clearly what is now described as 'being on the spectrum'! We soon discover that, at the age of 45, Susan is expecting her first baby, which she fully intends to bring up by herself. After all, it can't be that difficult for someone as well organised as her, can it?! Susan's mother has recently died, and has stipulated in her will that Susan's younger brother, Edward can stay in the family home for as long as he wants. When it is eventually sold, the proceeds will be split between the two of them. Apart from needing her inheritance ready for the arrival of her baby, Susan can't stand her brother. She sets out to challenge the will, determined to prove that Edward coerced their mother in to favouring him. I really recommend this book as a great read. Thanks to NetGalley for a preview copy.
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The cactus is known for having a prickly, but often beautiful, exterior to keep it safe from harm and, with the right amount of nurture and attention, it flourishes. Our lead character, Susan Green, is a fan of cactuses, cultivating quite the collection, but the cactus is also the perfect metaphor for her unique character. She puts up barriers to protect herself from the world, is straight talking, highly logical, not a fan of other people ("If it wasn't for the fact that I have colleagues, office life would be bearable"), not a fan of emotions and defines herself as, "an autonomous and resourceful woman." She doesn't quite see the world the same way as everyone else: Feelings and bonds with other people are a weakness. She is capable of feelings, she just chooses to believe a majority of them don't affect her. A prime example is her friends-with-benefits relationship with Richard, which suits her fine, she gets to have dates and sex without the possibility of love taking control away from her perfectly planned life.

So yes, she is quite an individual character and this is very much a character led book, so your enjoyment of it will depend on how much you like Susan. BUT there is also enough of a plot line to keep things ticking over: When two major life events cause chaos in Susan's organised world, she is forced to delve into her past and stumbles across one or two family secrets. We are also given snapshots into her childhood, including her complex relationship with her brother, which helps adds depth to her personality. I have to say, I did find Susan difficult to warm to, however, her saving grace was her (not always on purpose) humour and her lovely character development that meant, by the end, you did start to see things Susan's way.

Like her attitude towards romantic love, Susan thinks friends are also a bit of a waste of time, but when her neighbour, Kate, essentially forces friendship on her, this gives Susan a more human touch (she can veer slightly on robotic side in places) and they have an interesting (and topical) discussion on what being a feminist means to them, weighing up Susan's more rigid view: "That's how a feminist is: iron-willed, Teflon-coated, in total control of every aspect of her life", against Kate's more modern approach to the subject:"What it boils down to is knowing that women are equal to men, and living that knowledge. It's about ensuring that equality is recognised in the home, in the workplace, in public life." Susan and Kate are both strong female characters, and I liked how these very different women are used to explore the idea that there is no set way to be a feminist, giving this book another layer to enjoy.

So overall, yes, the plot twists were no surprise, and in places the story felt a little slow, but this was a very readable, often funny tale of how sometimes we think we have life under control, but really, that's just impossible; it's better to just go with the flow and actually enjoy ourselves along the way. A very useful life lesson.

I loved the character of 'Susan' with her quirks and set ways and eventual softening. A well-written book with interesting characters and plot development.