This is both my first book by Ruth Hogan and first from the "women's fiction" genre in many months. A synopsis has to really grab me for me to be willing to give the genre a chance. It gives me a welcome change from all of the crime, fantasy and scifi that I tend to gravitate towards.

Unfortunately, I struggled to connect to this novel. The story is accomplished and is well-written and plotted, but there was something missing for me. The characters are quirky and interesting, it certainly wasn't an issue with them. I am finding it difficult to put my finger on exactly what it was that meant I didn't enjoy this as much as I had hoped. I do think most people would find this emotionally compelling. I appreciated the humour that was written within the pages too.

Many thanks to John Murray Press for an ARC. I was not required to post a review and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Wow! After enjoying the Keeper of Lost Things I was delighted to receive and advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. But beware, this book is emotional in a different way. Still charming and still funny, this book covers death and grief and loss, friendship and love. It was not as easy to read, has a good twist. Not sure about the ending though, would be interested in others opinions.

Ruth Hogan's second novel has lost none of the charm and wit of her hugely popular debut The Keeper Of Lost Things.

This novel takes a slightly darker turn than her debut and is self-informed by the author's own battles with cancer. That's not to say this is a dark book, it's not. It deals with death, loss and grief with the wonderful wit, warmth and wonder first experienced in The Keeper Of Lost Things.

The story follows lead character Masha, and secondary character Alice. Both women are well fleshed out, with quirks and flaws that make them both real and endearing. I found myself both laughing and crying along with Masha, a complicated but deeply likeable woman dealing with the loss of her son.

What I liked the most about this book is that while there IS a romance, it's certainly secondary to the friendships and bonds that Masha and Alice have with other people in their life.

It's an extraordinary novel, full of gentle wisdom and joy even while following Masha and Alice through dark and troubling periods in their lives. There's such pleasure in watching Masha learn to live with her grief and blossom through the connections she makes.

Ruth Hogan is a skilled writer, and I think her personal experiences have really fed into this book. You can feel the heart and love and overall the hope.

I loved the previous book by this author, so perhaps my expectations for this book were too high. I just couldn't get in to it and haven't managed to finish it yet.

A book that is like a warm cup of tea on a rainy day. A very expressive and charming read that has many ups and downs, but is overall a very heartwarming story.

This is a story from two different viewpoints. Confusing in the beginning but about halfway through the penny dropped. A very sad tale about death loss and grief although told with wry humour throughout.

The main character, Masha, lost her two year old son twelve years ago and has been understandably struggling to find the joy in life ever since. She regularly walks around a graveyard and here she meets Sally Red Shoes, one of life’s misfits. An unusual but beautiful friendship begins and slowly Masha begins to heal.

There are some fantastic characters in this book, not only do we have Masha. But there’s Sally Red Shoes, who finds joy in the smallest of things, she has the most beautiful sayings which are usually followed by some swear words! She stands in the graveyard and sings at the top of her lungs not giving a flying fig what anyone else thinks. I found her a truly refreshing and inspirational lady. Masha also meets Kitty Muriel, a glamourous, well-endowed and completely fabulous character. These two ladies help Masha begin to live again, a life with dancing, singing and roller discos.

I can’t review this book without mentioning wolf-hound Haizum, Masha’s constant and most loyal companion. There is a certain Haizum- moment with a hat that I found particularly amusing! Ruth Hogan’s love of dog’s is evident in her writing and I hope she always fits a dog into her stories.

This isn’t a sad, maudlin book about death. It is a book of hope. A book filled with joy. A book that shows it’s OK to carry on living and enjoying life after tragedy. It is beautiful. The writing and the characters are something special and this is a book that will tuck itself into your heart. I flipping loved it!

This is a book that I thoroughly enjoyed. It made me think, it made me happy, it made me sad. What more is there to say. Well there is a lot. The characters in the book are well drawn. The title character is innovative. I loved the way the story unfolded, I did suspect early on what was happening but it did not spoil things, I just enjoyed going along with the story. If there is one thing that disappointed me is, not the ending, but the detail of the ending. The book is about feelings and emotions and for me there was an emotional gap between the ending of the book and the epilogue. I wanted more.

An interesting book, although it was for me slow to start. I loved The Keeper of Lost Things, and admit that I had high expectations of this book . I could not get the link between the main character and sally and it took a long time for me to get involved in the story, which I found a little unbvelievable. All in all not my cup of tea, although In was interested enough to stay with it to find out what would happen in the end.

I wasn’t sure if I was going to enjoy this or not. I did.
Well written with some great characters. Subject matter was quite difficult but written beautifully and also some humour. I enjoyed it and would read others by the author

I loved Ruth Hogan's Keeper of Lost Things and her newest novel doesn't disappoint.
Masha is a character who really moved me- her drowning ritual broke my heart.
I did figure out the twist about 3/4 of the way through and I really wish another chapter would have been added- to show you Masha finding the letter that will change her life. Really disappointed we did not get to experience that with her.
Most definitely recommend this book!

Lovely read - full of humour and sadness my favourite combination!
Mashas' life is turned upside down 12 years ago by a tragic accident and she is still trying to come to terms with her grief. In trying to come to terms with how her life is to be from now on she encounters some new interesting characters who become her friends and help her overcome her past.
I thought this was a beautifully written book with some lovely funny bits and desperately sad parts. I didn't like the ending so much it leaves so many questions unanswered! An easy bedtime read.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the chance to read this book

I struggled to connect with this book. At first I couldn't work out what it wanted to be - a serious reflection on child loss and grief or a quirky romance. It revealed itself as the latter and my interest ebbed. I didn't really like the depiction of the actions/attitude of the main character in her role as a psychologist. The scene with the hat at her place of work was just cringey slapstick and not funny. The dinner party scene with the horrid boyfriend was utterly superfluous to the plot and, again, not funny. The twist, though predictable from early in the narrative, was under-realized and then thrown away in an epilogue that seemed somewhat hastily tacked on to avoid awkward explanations.
I found the whole thing too twee for my liking and the opportunity to add some grit to balance out the whimsy wasn't taken.

One the one hand I truly loved the main plot: I've liked the quirkiness of the characters, the dialogues, the sarcasm, the grief was so real and believable, the writing style was just perfect and the Britishness of it all was exquisite. On the other had I've kind of hated the subplot. I believe the book would have stood up on itself just fine without it, even if arguably has given some depth to the story.
BUT, and this is a huge BUT: I absolutely HATED the resolution. I couldn't believe I've been left hanging like that, left to imagine what potentially could be an entire story. No, just no. And I am heartbroken on Masha's behalf too. When she has finally made peace with it all to just blow her life to pieces again...very cruel!

After tragedy struck 12 years ago, Masha has only been existing. She continues on but everything is tainted by her sadness until she realises that her life hasn't ended and she needs to start really living again. Seeing how other people have coped with death and managed to move on without forgetting their loved ones, she is inspired to enjoy life again.
The story is told mostly from Masha's point of view but also from the point of view of Alice, and you wonder where their lives will cross.
Despite the serious themes of the book, there were some hilarious sections. The description of a play Masha attends with her best friend is the funniest thing I've read in a while and I would have loved to be there to see it myself. The book was quite slow moving but still enjoyable.

A very unusual story, full of interesting characters. A mother's grief and how she manages to work through it with the help of Sally red shoes. I loved the stories she made up for all the dead in the graveyard.

Thanks to Netgalley I go the chance to read this pre-publication and I just loved this book. I did feel that the title was a bit misleading because Sally is almost part of the chorus not the main character....but I loved it just the same. It is a very descriptive book with characters that are believable and that you can relate too. An ideal read last thing at night - peaceful, calming and a dream read ! Cant wait for Ruth Hogan's next offering.

After really enjoying the first book, keeper of lost things, I was mildly disappointed in this book as found it less gripping and easy to dip in and out of

A wonderful writer, with a delightful turn of phrase and quirky characters. This is a beautiful story with amazing insight and depth.
The only problem is that the first couple of chapters are difficult to navigate, and lack the ease of her first novel. If I hadn't read that one first and loved it, I would have likely put this down and not continued.

This book broaches a very difficult subject matter along with some very interesting characters. The author gives us a clear insight into the dark world of grief and sorrow alongside some lighter moments. Although I found this a sad read I would love to read more by this author.