Hard working scientist Allie has her world rocked when she finds an old letter in her grandmother’s house which suggests that her mother was involved with a mysterious Italian – just before she was pregnant with Allie. Along with her best friend of decades, Ed, who is dealing with a messy separation from his wife, she takes an impulsive holiday to Italy to try and track down the man who might be her birth father. She’s looking to uncover the secret of her past, but along the way we find out the secrets of her grandmother as well as her parents, the secrets that Ed has been hiding and the secret she has hidden from him.

The following section contains minor spoilers.

My only complaint is that Allie is a really shit friend to Ed to be honest. On multiple occasions he tries to tell her about the abuse he’s suffering at the hands of his wife, something that must be incredibly hard for a man to speak up on, and she simply tells him she doesn’t want to hear it because she doesn’t want personal information that could make things awkward. I do understand her motivations, and so will you when you read this book, but at the end of the day her best friend needs to talk and she keeps shutting him out and that was an uncomfortable read. I didn’t feel like it dealt with domestic violence – especially female perpetrated – in the best of ways, although perhaps it highlighted the reality, that men can’t talk about it and people don’t take it seriously. A reality that needs to be changed.

Rant over, aside from that, I did think it was a good story and a good read. Uncovering the secrets of the characters and watching the story unfold was enjoyable. It’s just a shame that I felt the topic of domestic violence wasn’t well handled.

Allie has lived a careful, focused existence. But now she has unexpectedly taken leave from her job as an academic research scientist to fly to a place she only recently heard about in a letter. Her father, Joe, doesn’t know the reason for her trip, and Allie can’t bring herself to tell him that she’s flying to Italy to unpick the truth about what her mother did all those years ago. Beside her is her best friend since schooldays, Ed. He has just shocked everyone with a sudden separation from his wife, Julia. Allie hopes that a break will help him open up. But the secrets that emerge as the sun beats down on Lake Garda and Liguria don’t merely concern her family’s tangled past.

This is a beautiful, stunning and emotional read, I fell in love instantly with the plot and the characters and took them into my heart. Thanks to NetGalley I read this in the summer and it made for perfect summer reading with the setting of gorgeous Italy, I felt like I was on holiday myself. I can see that this would make for good, escapism reading out of summer as you find yourself whisked off to sunny Italy and truly breath-taking locations.

A book such as 'Messy, Wonderful Us' relies heavily on the characters so it is a good job that Isaac has worked her magic with them! Allie and Ed are two very special people, I could feel the connection and friendship between them and it was such a delight getting to know them and taking their story into my heart. I have finished this feeling like I have left behind two friends, but it was so incredible to read about them in this. Allie and Ed go through highs and lows throughout this and I just adored following them and experiencing everything with them, I was brimming with tears at multiple points during this and I would not have it any other way.

'Messy, Wonderful Us' is such a perfect, enjoyable, stunning read and I have to say a book with the most perfect title, it really does describe Allie, Ed and their family aptly. I cherished getting to know the wonderful characters in this book and Isaac has given them a very special, heart-breaking plot. Everything about this read is stunning, from the location to the plot with its breath-taking twists and turns. Read this, you will not regret it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster UK for an advance copy.

It was a happy coincidence that I happened to be on holiday in Verona and Lake Garda when I was reading Messy Wonderful Us by Catherine Isaac. It certainly added to my enjoyment, as the characters visit there during the story.
I have enjoyed previous books by this author and this one didn’t disappoint. The writing is good and the characters are likeable and engaging. It isn’t afraid to tackle some difficult issues, as well as providing a good beach (or lakeside) read.
Recommended even if you are not lucky enough to be in Italy.
Thank you to the author, the publishers and #NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review #MessyWonderfulUs

Another fantastic book by Catherine Isaac. Addressing sometimes difficult subjects in a way that is accessible for everyone. Full of twists and turns I didn't see coming. I absolutely loved it and the last page or so was a really nice touch.

Brilliant. This is a great story which is set in beautiful and wonderful Italy. It is about families, friendship, heartache and love. It is really well written and had me near to tears several times.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

I had so looked forward to this - and enjoyed reading it even more. Captivating and engaging - it is a wonderful book and the characters stay with you long after you have turned the last page.

A totally engaging read. Wonderful relatable characters with an excellent storyline. Quite emotional but with a touch of humour in parts. There are many unforseen twists and turns but the whole book flows and is compelling to read. An excellent holiday read. I look forward to further books from this author.

This is a pleasantly engaging book. The main characters of Allie and Ed are best friends. Allie is looking into her past to answer questions about her dead mother and her old Italian boyfriend. Ed has moved out of his marital home but is reluctant to tell Allie why. Ed decides to go with Allie to Italy to help her and have a break to clear his thoughts. While in Italy they find out plenty about their pasts.

The Italian setting is described beautifully and the author clearly loves Italy and writes from the heart. I found the characters a little one-sided however and felt they all could have been given more depth. It was an interesting story but I felt it was weak in places and strung out a little, and that the whole trip to Italy could have been avoided if Allie had just sat down with her grandmother and had a proper conversation!

I do recommend it as a light summer beach read, especially if you are holidaying in Italy

I loved this book. Fabulous setting (I'm promising myself that my next holiday will be in Italy), really believable characters with jobs that are interesting and vividly described, and so much sexual tension that I spent the book just willing them to get together. Thanks, NG, for the chance to read this great novel.

I loved this so much. Allie is a perfect leading lady (who has an actual job that’s richly described - something that seems to be lacking in this genre), and her story, and those of Christine, Ed and Peggy are so charming, with little twists along the way. I couldn’t put this down, and thoroughly recommend it as an easy to read, but insightful read.

What an incredible setting for this book! Sun-drenched Italy, was as much a character in this story as Allie and Ed. Full of twists and turns, this family saga kept me turning the pages, right to the end.
Catherine Issac expertly untangles the hidden secrets of best friends Allie and Ed. The perfect read to add sunshine to your life - any time of the year.

Allie finds a letter in grandma Peggy’s drawer and in makes her question her parentage. She takes best friend Ed whose on an adventure to Italy after a private investigator suggests the answers to her questions are there. Ed is going through some relationship problems so it’s the ideal getaway for him. Meanwhile there is a sub story of Peggy’s youth running through the story. This was the most wonderful story of a family with secrets, I thoroughly enjoyed it and would highly recommend.

This book had me feeling a rainbow of emotions.

Allie finds out something about her mother's past and takes off to Italy to get some answers because no one else is willing to speak about it. Last minute, she is joined by her BFF Ed who is going to sort his thoughts about his marriage. Totally platonic friendship; he's sorting and speaking Italian and she's coming to terms with her mother's past and what that means for her. All should be well, right? If so, I wouldn't have felt a rainbow of emotions.

I was gripped, I tell you. And whilst I was trying to hide from my husband the fact that I was welling up at a book, I was pleading that my heart wasn't actually going to rip in two. This story unfolded in ways that I didn't expect. It feels like a little secret surprise - like you're getting 3+ stories in one package. The weaving of timelines was done so well, and there were surprises that popped up every now and again that just made me go "wow, I didn't expect that" and I loved it for that. This wasn't just a romance, this was heart breaking and soul repairing and uplifting and at times you wanted to wring people around their necks and just say "use. your. words!!!" but you know what? It was messy and it was wonderful. And "Us" covers a whole spectrum of people.

This is actually THE PERFECT title for this novel. Messy, Wonderful Us. Loved it! Five stars with no hesitation.

I’ll be honest, it took me until I was 25% into the book before I clicked with the characters. The novel reveals the characters back stories in a manner which I initially found confusing and then found illuminating. Initially I found the characters hard to empathize with, until I learned more of their past.
Ed and Allie have been friends since childhood, both academically orientated, they have enjoyed a companionable platonic friendship into their 30s. Ed is facing a crisis in his marriage and Allie has discovered a startling secret from her mother’s past. They travel to Northern Italy together, Ed to contemplate his future and Allie to discover her past. While on the journey Ed and Allie realize just how much they mean to each other. The setting is a wonderful backdrop, Lake Garda, Sirmione,, and Portofino, can it get any better? An emotional and enjoyable read with well developed characters, well worth reading.
Thank you to netgalley and Simon and Schuster UK for an electronic arc.

This is my first Catherine Isaac book and it certainly did not disappoint.
A wonderful, emotional read, which follows Allie as she tries to find answers to a family secret she uncovers by accident.
She travels to Italy in search of the truth, accompanied by her school friend Ed, who is escaping his own troubles.
As they search for answers, the families back stories are revealed to us and we learn about their love, heartbreak, strength and life long friendship.
This is a book you would read in one sitting if on a long journey or sitting on a sun lounger, I squeezed it in between school runs and after bedtime.
Thank you for such a heartwarming tale, I now must read You, Me, Everything.

What a wonderful book. Two stories interwoven, each as good as each other. So moving. So emotional. At 8% to read I could not finish this book which, to me, is a sign of how wonderful it is. The characters became my friends and I didn’t want to say goodbye to them but 4 attempts later I did

With thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for ARC in return for an honest review

I really didn't expect to love this book as much as I did! The story starts with Allie who takes a trip to Italy to uncover some of her family history. I don't want to go into the plot too much as it was a book that constantly surprised and delighted me. It's beautifully written and a bit of an emotional rollercoaster. It's a perfect summery beachy read but to be honest wherever you read it- you can't go wrong!

An emotional rollercoaster of a book that I couldn’t leave alone!

Allie questions everything she knows when she uncovers a family secret. She heads off to Italy in search of answers, with her childhood best friend Ed in tow, who is keen to escape his crumbling marriage.

Messy, Wonderful Us is a twisty, intriguing tale of family, love, secrets and misunderstandings. As with all complicated situations, things get heart-wrenchingly worse before they get better. I was totally invested in Allie and Ed’s story and was not disappointed with its bittersweet ending.

An uplifting and moving read.

If you want a book that will take you on a rollercoaster of a journey, then this is it. Finding a letter that could have potential to be a life changer, Allie embarks on a trip to Italy with her oldest friend Ed in the hope of finding answers. There is so much more to this book, but i am not going to give anything away. The story is so skillfully written and the author does not shy away from sensitive issues. A wonderful story.

This book is the sheer definition of a summertime beach read. Familiar characters, a great story line with just enough twists to keep it interesting without being hard work and a great ending.
I read with envy as I envisioned the perfectly described stunning scenery and was left fully satisfied at the end of the book which is rare with so many series of books these days, although, I’d be more than happy to read more about this lovely family