Lacking in originality but A very enjoyable read, similar to Eleanor Oliphant. Read in two sittings.

This book was so touching. It made me laugh and it made me cry. Such a beautifully written character in Susan.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I liked the main character immediately and always enjoy a book written in the first person. Yes there will always be a comparison with Oliphant but it stands up by itself as an enjoyable, sometimes funny and at times a tear jerky read. The only criticism I have and it’s a small petty one is why did the author call her Mom, Mom? And not Mum or Mother. Surely the author from the UK and set in the UK it would be the latter. As I said, a petty criticism and it didn’t detract from a brilliant, enjoyable read.

I went through really being excited about this book, to getting bogged down and thinking it would never end for a brief period in the middle, to getting excited again. I'm very pleased a stuck with it. Echoes of Eleanor Oliphant in some respects, but it's full of absolutely brilliant characters that Sarah Haywood pens expertly and just I had to find out what was going to happen to them all. Quirky, funny, and full of life, I was really rooting for Susan in this book!

I enjoyed The Cactus, it look me a few chapters to get into it but I’m glad I persevered. I felt it was written well and enjoyable.

I couldn't really get into this story. I didn't relate to the main character at all and the story seemed really pedestrian and uptight. Not my kind of book.

Much like her collection of Cacti - Susan is very prickly. She doesn’t ask for much - just what she’s due and always insists on paying her on way. This might make her seem cold and sometimes callous in her pursuit of practicality but you warm as you get to know her.

This books is about a 40 something year old woman who’s calm orderly world is disrupted by an unexpected pregnancy and the death of her mother. What ensues is a delve into the psyche of parents, offspring and general relationships - or more to the point, how people develop/ create relationships and forge links with one another.

Susan is like able. For all her coldness, stand-offishness, prim and proper ways, she’s still very like able. You can’t help but root for her even as you realize that she’s not a reliable narrator, and often misjudges people and situations.

This was an enjoyable read - a little slow in parts (especially if you are not the prim and proper type) but stil” worth reading. More of a 3.5 stars but happy to round up.

Very much a cross between Adrian Mole, Bridget Jones and The Rosie Project. The story follows Susan in the wake of her mother’s death. I don’t want to give any spoilers away but I absolutely loved Susan (never Suze!), and of you enjoyed books like The Rosie Project or Eleanor Oliphant then you will enjoy the style of writing in Cactus as our narrator is also clearly high function ASD. A fantastic witty read.

Any book which makes me cry is always worth a high rating and when you combine that with a really unusual lead character handling tough situations in a very unique way, you know you've got a book which is something truly out of the ordinary.

"The Cactus" is about Susan, a woman who's been perfectly in control of every aspect of her life right up until her mother dies and events conspire to force her to try a different ways of going things. There are times when you'll find yourself sniggering at Susan's naivety, and others when you'll really feel for her and what she's been through.

It's a wonderfully emotional book, despite Susan's very matter of fact way of approaching the world and refreshingly different to anything out there. This is the kind of book you'll want to read and read again.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC without obligation.

It took a little while to get into, and the main character wasn't instantly likeable. It was interesting though and quite thought provoking. Definitely worth a rea.

The main character, Susan, is quirky and eccentric and prone to rudeness masquerading as honesty. But many times I found myself laughing at how much her opinions resonated with me. The story isn't exciting or dramatic but I wanted her to get her happy ending and that kept me reading late into the night to find out what happened. The author has a great future but plkease don't write a sequel - this ends perfectly.

A lovely light read that I thoroughly enjoyed. Sarah is a great character that I found easy to like.
There are some comedic parts but otherwise a light romantic read.

After a slow first few pages, this book had me hooked. I loved and hated the main character in equal measure and disposed her brother and his selfish nature. I couldn't wait to read how all the twists and turns unfolded and cricket did they unfold. Definitely worth a read.

Well written and funny - with a couple of touching moments - this book held my attention throughout.

Would recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for a copy of this in exchange for an honest review.

Susan enjoys life on her own controlling terms, but life has a habit of misbehaving.

I so enjoyed The Cactus because every word I read could have been spoken by someone I know well. As a result, The Cactus made me grin inanely the whole time I was reading - or rather, listening to what Susan had to say, as it seemed as if she were speaking directly to me in conversation. I found it very funny and, ultimately, quite moving too.

The Cactus is a brilliantly ascerbic insight into Susan's life told with the wit and intelligence of a modern Jane Austen. I thought it was so entertaining. Cleverly plotted, in The Cactus Susan has to learn that life may not always conform to her stringent, and to her, perfectly logical, demands. She cannot simply rearrange things for the best possible outcome as she might the cacti on her desk. The analogy between her personality and the cacti was so perfect. I didn't much like the prickly, forthright, and occasionally vindictive, Susan initially even if I found myself agreeing with her more often than I might like to admit, but the more she 'spoke' to me, the more I came to love her. And I genuinely do find it difficult to think of Susan as a character in a fiction and not a real person. She's such a striking and vivid individual. I actually felt quite envious of her at times. I'd love some of that unwavering confidence in her own self-worth and rightness that she displays in the early part of the story. Indeed, it is evidence of the quality of Sarah Haywood's writing that I didn't like her protagonist at all to begin with but I couldn't stop reading about her. I felt compelled to find out what happened to Susan.

The themes of identity, relationships, nature and nurture, belonging and isolation in The Cactus elevate it from an amusing and entertaining read to a book that also shines a light on what makes us who we are. Along with cacti, Sarah Heywood illustrates that people also have the ability to thrive and bloom given the right conditions.

I suspect Susan's character will divide readers of The Cactus, but I thought she was brilliantly depicted, utterly believable and I adored meeting her through Sarah Heyward's adept and accomplished writing. I really recommend The Cactus.

What a FAB book. I loved this from page one to the very end and did not want it to end!!

Really liked all the characters, especially Susan and would absolutely love a follow up to see how she is getting on with Rob and Nell!

This was an enjoyable read with a few funny moments thrown in. The plot was a little predictable but still good to read.
I haven't read Elinor Oliphant so cannot say if they are similar.
An enjoyable read.

Firstly I want to say that I think it's difficult to review this one because it was tagged as the next Eleanor Oliphant and that's unfair to the book. I don't really see a connection with the book and because of that connection it loses marks!
This for me is a story about family, as with all of my reviews i don't give spoilers and it's difficult to describe the book without giving anything away!
Read it, but don't think it is like Eleanor Oliphant because it isn't and you'll have an invalid expectation when you do read it!

Thank you to Netgalley and Two Roads Books for providing a copy of The Cactus for review.

There is a great quote at the beginning of the book that really sums Susan up: "If it wasn't for the fact that I have colleagues, office life would be bearable". She knows her own mind and she doesn't really understand (and you get the impression she has very little interest in understanding) other people. She wants to live a simple life, in her own little organised bubble, where she can keep people and feelings at bay.

Despite her best intentions to keep life uncomplicated, well-organised and solitary, things are thrown into disarray when Susan finds herself unexpectedly pregnant at the age of 45. Following which, her mother dies, her inheritance is in dispute and her ne-er-do-well brother, Edward, is being more infuriating that usual. Susan's life is falling apart and she faces her greatest fear - losing control! She may be as prickly as her beloved cacti but not without good cause!

The author has concocted a colourful cast of characters who each play a distinct part in helping Susan to lower her defences and to accept that friendship can be a positive thing in her life. The author allows the reader to feel compassion for Susan, yet does not allow us to overlook her many flaws. She is certainly a frustrating protagonist, yet I found myself warming to her more and more as the tale progressed.

The Cactus is a character-driven story, a witty tale of an unique and unforgettable woman who is learning to love and be loved. It is a quirky, warm and entertaining read which certainly packs an emotional punch.

Sarah is in control, always has been and always will be. Nothing as untidy as a standard relationship will do for her - far too untidy. Instead, she has a regular “date” with a gentleman and there just instant room for anything as untidy as a relationship. Until things start to unravel that is....

Both funny and heart wrenching at the same time you will love this book.