I enjoyed the story and liked getting to know who Donald was as we continued to read and find more about him. I also liked Hannah and how she grew thru-out the story however I wasn't really sold on Alec, I didn't really feel a connection or believe they they fell for each other..So while it was a cute story, didn;t believe in the love interest.

Where there’s A Will was a fun and heartwarming read.

Hannah is nearly finished with University and has no idea what to do next with her life. While she’s realizing that the most practical path isn’t what her heart wants she feels pressure to start paying her loans and avoid moving back in with her parents. All of Hannah’s problems may be solved when she discovers that her rich Great Uncle, she’s only met once in her life, has left her something in his will.

Before she can find out what he’s left her she must complete some mysterious tasks first. Hannah finds herself thrown into new situations alongside her Uncle’s former Personal Assistant Alec, who is as good looking as he is infuriating. As Hannah completes each task she gets closer to understanding her Uncle better and discovering what she’s inherited. Between Hannah’s family and other complications she comes across along the way you will find yourself wondering what will happen next.

This was an enjoyable read. While there were some things in the story I expected there was enough hilarity and surprises to keep me reading late into the night.

Having read the reviews before I started the book, I can’t help but feel like I read a different novel to everyone else. Really struggled to get into the story, didn’t like any of the characters and struggled to concentrate. Not one for me sadly, but looks like I’m pretty much alone in feeling that so give it a go!

This was a light, easy read. I didn't really like the main character in the beginning but she eventually grew on me. Her family was unusually mean and insulting which felt a little fake but once the family was gone and the will was read, it was much better.

I really enjoyed this novel by Beth Corby! It had a pretty unique premise and ended up being very uplifting. Told from Hannah's perspective - I loved her voice!

In this story you follow Hannah, who seems to feel like a failure, as she follows tasks to find out what she has inherited from her rich uncle Donald. She must complete these tasks with her uncle's PA, Alec, by her side. You can tell that Hannah learns a lot about herself throughout the story.

The main reason I give this story 4 stars instead of 5 is because I really didn't like Alec for a lot of the story and had a hard time getting over that.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

I loved this book! The plot lead me to request it, and the characters really drew me in. It was such an original story that was heartwarming and fun. The mysterious tasks that Hannah needs to complete in order to find out what she's inherited from her great-uncle Donald make it really fun. I loved Hannah and it was just such a sweet book.

Where There's a Will by Beth Corby is a sweet and uplifting read about life's abundant possibilities, and a reminder to always remain true to yourself in the face of adversity. Life can surprise you at any time.

Twenty-five year old Hannah has finished university and finds herself at a loose end in life. Without a job, and not sure where her life is heading, Hannah meets her long estranged great uncle Donald for the very first time, and the two immediately hit it off like the proverbial house on fire. Following Donald's death several months after their only meeting, Hannah is bequeathed a series of tasks and only after completion of such will she learn the nature of her inheritance. Helping Hannah to carry out the tasks is Alec, Donald's handsome and eligible PA. Through the completion of each task, Hannah gleans an understanding of not only Donald's life, but of her own self worth and potential.

Like Hannah, I loved getting to know Uncle Donald through his heartfelt and poignant letters, and admit to being quite surprised by some of his revelations. I also appreciated that finding love was not the focal point of Hannah's journey, but rather a side effect of her own growth. Bravo to Ms Corby for this well-executed storyline that is so much more than a typical romantic comedy.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for this ARC.

Where There's a Will is reminiscent of P.S. I Love You and 13 Little Blue Envelopes. Hannah is out of college, and her life basically stinks. Nothing is going her way. A few twists later, and a long lost relation leaves her an inheritance. First, she must complete a few tasks. These tasks aid in the development of Hannah's character. She gains some confidence and self respect. She grows up a bit into adult life and begins to understand who she is. In addition, we learn some things about the man who left the inheritance. It's an uplifting and inspiring story of learning to trust the universe and yourself. Thanks to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Where There's a Will was enjoyable and sweet, without being cloying. For the most part, I found the story engaging, and it read quickly. I thought Corby's storytelling device of revealing more about Donald through his own words was a nice way to learn more about him. I would recommend this lighthearted — at times, touching — book for people who are fans of the genre.

I really enjoyed getting to know Donald, whose past was peppered with interesting revelations. I found many of the characters one-note and/or stereotypical, although I could easily feel the bond between Hannah and the people who became close to her. While I often wanted to give Hannah a boost of confidence, she struck me as less of a doormat than similar characters have in other books. I appreciated her growth through the book, but I found the scene in which she was introduced a bit clichéd (I believe, as readers, we have seen the "young woman can't get it right at her interview" before).

I think the romance is slightly overadvertised in the blurb and is secondary to Hannah's own development/what she learns through Donald('s tasks). Overall, I was engaged by Alec and Hannah, but their relationship moved in fits and starts for me, and I found Alec's personality a bit wishy-washy and boring at times. They had some good moments, but I would've liked to feel a stronger spark.

I received a digital ARC of this book (with thanks!) from Net Galley/Hodder & Stoughton in exchange for an honest review.

I wasn't gripped by the main character, or the promise of the romance, so unfortunately this was a DNF for me.

Hannah is in a slump. After changing her major several times and bombing a teaching interview, she isn’t sure what she wants to do with her life. She dreams of being a writer, but doesn’t think she has experienced enough to really infuse true emotions and experiences into her work. Then one day she’s invited with the rest of her family to her Great Uncle Donald’s house. Donald had a falling out with Hannah’s grandmother Betty many years ago and because of this Hannah has never met him. Donald is a definitely character.

“‘I’d say about ninety-five per cent of the time it’s great. He’s in a good mood: full of the spice of life, all ideas and excitement.’ ‘And the other five per cent . . . ?’ ‘. . . is bloody awful... He has these wild schemes, some of which are clearly ridiculous, and if they don’t work out, he sinks to the absolute depths of despair and behaves like the worst toddler you’ve ever seen!”

As the black sheep of her own family, Hannah can identify with Donald and his mischievous manner. As the rest of the family tries to impress him in order to gain access to his wealth, Hannah has an honest conversation with Donald during which he gives her some invaluable advice,

“‘Hmm.’ He thinks for a moment and I’m grateful that he’s taking my question seriously. ‘I’d say be brave. Don’t let people make you feel insignificant – always remember they don’t have the right. Then I’d say get out there; decide what you want to do and damned well do it.”

Hannah will definitely need to heed these words because after Donald’s passing, his last “wild scheme” involves her. In his will, Donald leaves Hannah a series of tasks that she must complete in 6 months in order to receive her undisclosed inheritance.

What follows is a heart-warming and often hilarious story about finding adventure, finding yourself, and maybe even finding love along the way. This was such a fun book. I really enjoyed the concept of this novel and I loved finding out more about Donald through his letters to Hannah. I feel like so many novels just regurgitate old plots and this was a breath of fresh air.


Thank you to Netgalley and to Hodder & Stoughton for giving me an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars - "Where There's a Will" is a surprisingly sweet, uplifting and heart-warming tale of overcoming fears, crossing uncharted territories and unlocking the best within you. It's a feel-good love story that embraces and preaches self-love with the added goodness of a romantic interest.

We meet our narrator and heroine, Hannah, who is absolutely delightful but lacks the confidence she needs to get through her complicated and unfulfilled life post-college, filled with unhappy parents, a brash older sister, and cousin, and a judgemental aunt, uncle, and grandmother. We're thrown into her world and quickly learn to dislike her family. Unexpectedly, her grandmother's estranged (and wealthy) brother aka great-uncle Donald, invites his distant family over for tea, and unbeknownst to them, is secretly searching for an heir to his fortune. Our sweet Hannah catches his interest and shortly after, Donald passes, leaving Hannah mysterious tasks to complete in order for her to discover what she's inherited from him.

We follow along, experiencing it all and learning as Hannah does as she completes each task, one by one. Slowly, we begin to realize that not only are these tasks where we learn more about Donald's (somewhat scandalous but totally intriguing) life but tasks that make Hannah a stronger, more confident person. The character growth she shows from beginning to end is surprising, especially when you juxtapose the very first few chapters with the very last. And along the way, Alec becomes the perfect helping hand in completing the tasks and allowing Hannah to relish in her journey of self-love and self-discovery.

I really enjoyed reading this book and I really adored Hannah, oddly feeling protective of her at times when she'd come across a difficult obstacle, be that a task or person. This was a really sweet tale that reveals how just one person believing in you and pushing you in the right direction can change your life for the better.

Resigned to be the family loser, Hannah is preparing to move back in with her parents after failing to land a post-college job as she reaches her graduation. Hannah is 25-years-old and has no idea what she’s going to do with her life. Everything changes after attending a family reunion of sorts called by her estranged great-uncle Donald because he liked her enough to leave her a mysterious inheritance. The catch? She must complete a series of tasks in order to find out what she’s inherited. Confused and sad about the loss of the man she never knew, she agrees to take on his mysterious request and see what happens.

I absolutely love this book. It has such a vibrant cast of characters and a storyline, while requiring readers to suspend a smidge of belief, is heartwarming and relatable. In a family of success stories, Hannah’s the loser who changed her college major a couple times and has no clue what she’s doing with her life. She feels the suffocating pressure of life as she lives in the long shadow that her mean older sister, Laura, casts. I really felt for her throughout the novel as well as related to her in some ways, especially regarding her sister. Laura perfectly embodies the essence of every mean person I’ve ever encountered in my life and I totally understand the dynamics of their relationship. I have my own Laura in my life, although not a sister, so I totally understand how Hannah feels throughout the story.

I love the way that Hannah got to know Donald. He’s such an interesting character that I wish she got to know better during his lifetime rather than through a series of letters he left her. He’s such a fascinating guy that I miss him even though he’s a fictional character that we only meet once. How well loved he is makes complete sense and I really feel for the characters who mourn him.

Beth does such a wonderful job at portraying how different each character is as well as bringing Hannah’s family to life. Each character is so realistic that they don’t even feel like fictional characters. I also love the way that she brings Donald’s tasks to life. Hannah gains new experiences that she’ll never forget while also getting to know the late Donald better than just through his letters. There’s also a little bit of a mystery that was fun to watch develop. It was just one more piece of the puzzle that was Donald’s life. This was a wonderful read and I look forward to checking out more of Beth’s work in the future.

A unique storyline. Loved the characters. Not one boring moment while reading the book. An awesome debut novel by Beth Corby!

I honestly could not get into this novel because the spacing was way out of whack. I will probably try again when the book is actually published but as of now I cannot give you an answer on what I thought.

I’ve dilly dallied over giving this three or four stars and I think it’s fair to say that I’m firmly positioned at 3.5! Overall this was a delightful read! The character of Hannah was likeable and Donald even more so. I thoroughly enjoyed uncovering his life story alongside Hannah and thought the combination of tasks and letters was a lovely way to do so. From Donald and Hannah’s lunchtime chat I was keen to see how the story unfolded and excited by learning how each character mentioned first became part of Donald’s world. By the end I was absolutely rooting for Hannah and Alec against the awful Mrs Jennings! All in all this was a lovely, gentle and intriguing read. My only disappointment was that, while the story rocketed along happily, the writing itself sometimes felt a bit forced: with a couple of very one dimensional characters (particularly Lauren and Nicholas) and some very cliched descriptions of Alec and their blooming romance. That aside I found this a charming read.

This is one of those books with a premise that is better than the book itself. This book is just perfectly adequate whereas I was hoping for funny or sweet. The set up for the novel could have been great fun but it just isn’t. Nor does the romance ever build up. Instead we are left with Hannah who is also perfectly adequate. She should be quirky but she isn’t. She is mistreated by her family and we never really see her stand up to them or for herself. Her Great-Uncle Donald sees this and leaves her a series of quests to complete in her will. They are charming in their own way but then things take a darker turn. I think the novel would have been better going in another direction. It reveals a sad emptiness to a life, especially for such a grand character, that seems unnecessary. Plus the idea that this was necessary to help people or to save a marriage is preposterous. Alec is supposed to help Hannah with her tasks and clearly the two are supposed to come together in the end but the author spends too much time making him unlikeable to believe they have any chemistry. This novel was at its best when Donald describes precious moments of his life in letters to Hannah. Unfortunately the rest is mundane.

I am surprised by how much I really enjoyed this book. It's the perfect beach/summer read. I highly recommend this to anyone who is looking for a light and breezy read and for people who are fans of the "chick-lit" genre.

This book was wonderful. The premise revolves around a series of tasks our main character must accomplish before gaining an unrevealed inheritance from a little known but larger-than-life uncle. Through the whole book, we wonder if the true inheritance is her growth and the opportunity for love. Although it is a standard trope, I really did wonder if there was anything waiting fer her at the end and truly believe that the answer didn't matter.

One of the most interesting things in this book were the letters from Uncle Donald which accompanied each task. I kept thinking how real he seemed just through those letters and how he was such a critical character in the book, even though he passed fairly early on the story. It seemed so unusual that the author could draw us so close to a character just through their letters, but then I realized that Ms. Corby had drawn us so close to all of the characters with just words. These characters just seemed incredibly real (other than Lauren who was just over the top mean and conniving.)

This story was enchanting and made me smile, laugh, wonder, and want to experience more of life for myself. Stargazing anyone? That feeling like you might just fall off the Earth into the vastness of space is so accurate!

Thank you Ms. Corby.

I loved this. It's the first book in a long while where I haven't felt my concentration wane frequently and I got through it in only a couple of days. This the type of writing that is missing lately in light fiction and romance fiction. The dialogue is natural, she shows instead of telling and the characters are well-developed.
The chemistry between the lead and her romantic interest is excellent and the protagonist is very likeable. The likeable characters are also flawed and there are times you feel annoyed with them, but that adds some realism to a light novel. The plot at times becomes rather contrived but it's easy to suspend one's disbelief.
I wish there more books of Beth Corby's to read and I look forward to seeing what she writes next.