A family destroyed by tragedy with the parents Stella and Jack separating and leading new lives but that initial incident still haunts them and they look for some kind of release from their underlying grief. Will the resolution make them aware of the mistakes they have made? Will there be reconciliation? A tale of loves lost and found.
I found the story believable and could feel for the well drawn main characters in the book but the ending was predictable so no real twists and turns along the way. An enjoyable tale

This book tells the story of Stella and Jack, who separated after a tragic event that takes Stella decades to come to terms with. The intricacies of relationships within the extended family are dealt with realistically and sympathetically, though at times I found the book a bit dragged out and the slowness a little frustrating (particularly at the end), hence only 4 stars. It is a good book for older readers, as the main characters are in their sixties, and I identified with them and the vagaries of life at this age.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and felt empathy with the characters, I think partly as it is refreshing to read a book which involves older people and their troubled bid to find love, rather than the usual chicklit offerings. The book deals with unresolved issues following the tragic accidental death of a child and how the divorced parents have dealt with it over the years before the issue comes to a head one summer by a sibling wanting to know the details of her brother's death. The characters are totally believable and there are many sad passages plus some uplifting ones. It is well written and I can picture easily the setting in the Kent countryside where I grew up. I recommend this book whole heartedly

The story of a marriage gone wrong following a tragedy, and the will they/won't they plot question when they meet again after many years apart. A bit predictable in terms of what happened, but the characters drew me in enough to keep reading.

Not one I'll rave about, I'm afraid.

The anniversary of a child's death in the year that he would have been thirty affects his divorcedparents, his sister and their immediate family circle. Hilary Boyd's characters have depth and their relationships during this particular summer make for a compelling read. It is a pleasure to read a novel with believable characters and a realistic plot that closes in a satisfactory way and leaves the reading thinking about how they or their family cicle would cope with such a tragedy. I loved everything about this novel. Thank you for the copy in exchange for a fair review.

I really enjoyed Hilary Boyd's Thursdays in the Park which I found a refreshing change from all the chicklit and psychological thrillers out there so I was delighted to have the opportunity to review this novel. Stella is a sixty year old woman, divorced with a daughter and grandson. Her relationship with her daughter Eve is somewhat strained so it is with some trepidation that she agrees to go and stay with Eve who is having a difficult second pregnancy. While she is there she is forced to meet up with her ex, Jack who now has a cottage near Eve. This is especially difficult for her as she and Jack broke up after a tragedy which neither of them have really come to terms with. Now, with a significant anniversary approaching, Jack feels it is time to lay the past to rest and forces Stella to do the same. This action brings them closer together which raises the problems of facing up the fact that both of them are in significant relationships with other people. This is a very emotional book which deals sensitively with issues of grief and loss and I found myself deeply affected by it at times. Recommended.

Wonderful book. Extremely sad at times. Centres around Stella and Jack who divorced about 30 years before. Focuses on a terrible tragedy that happened in their lives and how it affected them and their daughter Eve. Their son Jonny died and Stella couldn't really connect to Eve. in case something happened to her. Eve was never really told what happened to her brother as Stella had shut out what had happened. As the anniversary of his death and birthday are approaching it's then about how they all react at this terrible time.

The Anniversary,  Hilary Boyd

Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews

Genre: General Fiction (adult), Woman's Fiction.

Gah, Woman's Fiction – I hate when we dismiss a whole sector of readers. Why do that? Why shouldn't men read this? Ah well, rant over.

I've enjoyed a few of Hilary's stories now. They're for readers who want to think about a book, want some depth, want to really get to understand the characters. Sometimes I want a fluff relaxing read, others I want one like this, that makes me really think “what would I do? How would I cope?”
Its incredibly moving, I cried at parts, so felt for all the characters. There weren't any I didn't like, but really loved the three main ones, Jack, Stella and Eve. They were treated so in depth I felt I knew them, felt their emotions and understood their reactions.
I empathised with Stella so much, had a similar experience and it rally does affect people so much, strains relationships, shapes the rest of people's lives. I so understood how she'd been even as I yearned for her to be closer to Eve.
Jack I adored, he and Stella has a real soulmates relationship- until they didn't. Can you ever leave that though. Can they both move on? They seem to, both have other partners, but this summer tests all those bonds.
I could write so much about this book, there was so much I loved, the way events unfolded, the realism of the characters and what happened, the huge emotions I felt but I'm afraid of giving too much away. I'll just say this, if you want a solid story, a book that will make you cry but which has an ending that makes up for much of that, if you want characters that are real, flawed like the rest of us, if you want plots that mirror real life read this book.

Stars: Five, perfect read, depth, plots, characters, emotions all so real.

ARC supplied by Netgalley and Publishers