A fabulous story of friendship between the ages. Missy is a 79year old lady living alone with a son and family in Australia, a daughter in Cambridge and a beloved husband in a care home with Dementia, whose care is draining their savings. Missy is lonely but meets some new friends though dogs and the gregarious nature of one particular lady called Sylvia and her friend Angela.. Missy's life is gradually opened up and she finds company through helping look after Angela's young son, and a dog that needs a home. Missy still lives in the house that she and Leo bought back in the 1960's and which hasn't been renovated since! a time warp for visitors. Great ending with everyone living happily together, friends taking care of friends. A bit of an idyllic world but it would be wonderful if there were more Sylvia and Denzel's around!

Bittersweet for sure. I live in a community where so many women are widows. I am not - not yet, although my husband made an attempt or 2 to die last year. Gave him a shock as he'd always thought of himself as being fit. He still cycles, albeit with an el3ctric hike to help him up the hills.
So for me, Missy is too much of an echo of my life, or what it could be. And what it may be like for others in my community.
The style is flowing and crisp. I spotted few grammatical errors - I am a terror in spotting those as I was an academic for many years and edited an International journal.
Perhaps a novel for those approaching an age, which when we were young, was considered extremely old, but now we can, maybe, expect another 20 years to live.

I must firstly apologise for the amount of time it has taken me to provide a review of this book, my health was rather bad for quite some time, something that had me in hospital on numerous occasions and simply didnt leave me with the time I once had to do what I love most.

Unfortunately that does mean I have missed the archive date for many of these books, so It would feel unjust throwing any review together without being able to pay attention to each novel properly.

However, I am now back to reading as before and look forward to sharing my honest reviews as always going forward. I thank you f0r the patience and understanding throughout x

Saving Missy follows the titular character as she battles loneliness and loss following the loss of her husband and the distancing of her children as they build their own families. It's an emotional journey for Missy and for the reader, but one well worth taking, and best accompanied with a cup of comforting tea.

I really loved this book. I was worried it was going to be a bit sad. So ok one bit was but it was ok. All in all I found the characters to all be brilliant and it was a really heart warming book. Excellent.

A proper heart warming story.
Here is a moving ,uplifting book. Both the story & characters are just so loveable.
Thank you to the publisher & NetGalley for gifting me this book.

I did not get around to reading this book prior to it’s publication date and it has since been archived therefore I cannot leave a review at this time.

Millicent is a lonely, disgruntled old widow. She barely heard from her loving son in Australia or her unloving daughter only a train away. To add to this she dislikes dogs pays she's so obsessed by appearances she agonises about being seen as lonely as if a self-centred teenager convinced the whole world is looking at her.
Her academic intentions withered with her pregnancies. Her famous husband ignored her and she lived in fear of not keeping him.
It takes a small boy and his brash mum to turn her life around with a third party called Bob.
.Missy may dislike dogs but the author obviously knows and loves them which makes for a really enjoyable book

It's great to be in a position to recommend much more diverse books to our young people at school. Building the senior school library as a place where students actually come and find books that they want to read as opposed to books that teachers think they ought to read is an important responsibility and one we take really seriously.
Books like this are such a positive move as they will appeal to a broader set of readers than we are usually attracting. Dealing with modern issues in a clear and captivating way with a strong narrative voice and characters that the students can relate to is critical as we move forwards. This book is both an intelligent and compelling read that will hold even the most reluctant reader's attention and keep them turning the pages long into the night. It keeps the reader on their toes and ensures that you give it your full attention too. I found myself thinking about its characters and events even when I wasn't reading it and looking forward to snatching kore time with it and I hope that my students feel the same. An accessible, gripping and engrossing read that I can't recommend highly enough. Will absolutely be buying a copy for the library and heartily recommending it to both staff and students.

A gorgeous little gem of a book, Saving Missy made me laugh and cry and, most of all, fall in love with Missy herself.

At times a very hard character to get attached to, Missy undergoes a wonderful development over the course of the book, and I was delighted to see her slowly let her defences down and open up to the possibility of real, loving human relationships. The side characters were for the most part charming and well-developed, with a few who came across as a bit two-dimensional for my taste.

I had some issues with the pacing, as some parts (especially towards the middle) felt just too slow and a bit like filler content, but overall this was an excellent, heartwarming book.

Missy Carmichael’s life has become small. Grieving for a family she has lost or lost touch with, she’s haunted by the echoes of her footsteps in her empty home; the sound of the radio in the dark; the tick-tick-tick of the watching clock. Spiky and defensive, Missy knows that her loneliness is all her own fault. She deserves no more than this; not after what she’s done. But a chance encounter in the park with two very different women opens the door to something new.

Told using flashbacks, Missy's life story is revealed. The pieces of her past help explain her current life and behaviour. Missy is hard to like, but the more of her that is revealed, the more I cared about her. Missy is lonely, but she slowly opens herself to new friendships. This story may be about an older character, but it is still a story about growth. As Missy becomes more comfortable with herself, she finds her way in the world again. A delightful contemporary. Bittersweet and emotional.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

3.5/5.

A lovely story of how you can make new friends and restart your life even at the age of 79! A very warm feelgood story, which having a dog I can appreciate as you do meet new people and start to chat when you are out walking.

Missy is 79, lonely and to the outside world a prickly old lady.
Her husband is no longer with her, her son lives in Australia and she has a strained relationship with her daughter.
Following an accident in her local park she is befriended by Sylvie and Angela, and thus begins the start of a beautiful friendship as she begins to let down her guard and open up to those around her.
Such a heart warming book about family, regrets, secrets, friendships and learning to smile again. I laughed and cried and I’d like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

While my request was pending I actually bought this book from amazon because I so wanted to read it.
At the start Missy, is quiet character who wishes to be invited to events and now with her new friends is the bell of the ball and growing in confidence and is repairing her relationship with her daughter Melanie.

A beautifully written story about new beginnings, the value of friendships and the companionship of dogs, ‘Saving Missy’ is an uplifting triumph of a debut that celebrates community kindness and second chances. It is such a beautiful well written story and one that made me shed a tear or two.

You can buy ‘Saving Missy’ from Amazon and is available to buy from good bookshops. Fully recommend and giving it a top ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating!

The book starts with us getting to know Millicent Carmichael, aged 79 – Missy for short. Missy lives alone with no friends and her family are based elsewhere. Missy seems very sad and leads a lonely and isolated life, but, not by her own choosing; she longs for her family and wants to have more to appreciate and enjoy in her life. She has a son and grandson in Australia, so far away, they don’t even share the same season, let alone time-zone, then there is her daughter who she hasn’t seen since ‘that conversation’ and her husband, Leo who isn’t around. Missy was so well described, I could really feel her emotions; her longing to be needed and wanted and her sadness that the days rolled over from one to the next without much to make the time pass by.

We follow Missy as she walks in the local park getting out and about more and beginning to make new friends, this doesn’t come very easily, much like I’m sure would be true to real life at this stage of life. When she is asked to dog-sit for a friend in need, Missy is reluctant at first and we see her stubborn and grumpy nature. Yet she gives in, throwing caution to the wind and decides she doesn’t care if her landlord minds and she takes in the dog. This gives a whole new meaning to her life, enabling her to have a reason for going out and meeting the regulars at the park, a talking point and company for her to enjoy.

As the story progresses we learn more about Missy and get to see more of her deeper character and her past which is quite well tucked away. Missy’s new friends take her under their wing and we see a whole new side to Missy, one in which she wants to enjoy life, make amends for the past and build bridges with her family. Missy and her friends go on little adventures which are heart-warming moments as Missy’s carefree nature is allowed to be set free. It isn’t too late for Missy, she’s only just embarking on this new chapter, with a whole new lease for life and friends to join in with her frolics.

I have wanted to read this book for so long and so this was the perfect opportunity; Saving Missy has been much talked about and I can see why. I found this a charming read, which took me through a whole range of emotions; showing me how much can change in the course of a year – in real life so very apparent to us all this last year. Things don’t have to stay as they are, we don’t have to be stuck in a rut, we can find ourselves and shape our future as we want it to be. An up-lifting, emotional read which left me feeling satisfied with how Missy had re-established her mojo for life.

This is a really touching, feelgood read that is perfect for settling down and devouring over the course of a weekend, a holiday, or a few evenings (or even in one sitting!) and will leave you with feeling all warm and fuzzy.

Although it was at times a little twee for me, Saving Missy is a sweet and gentle story that is well told. Whilst the plot and characters aren't breaking any new ground, fans of Libby Page and Rachel Joyce are sure to love this touching and heart-warming debut about found family, love, loss, and the value of friendship.

Saving Missy by Beth Morrey is a simply beautiful contemporary novel about love and friendship. It made me smile and it made me cry.
The leading lady is seventy eight. She has had her family but now she is alone. “Now there was just the echo of it [love] in this ramshackle old house.” There is a “crushing silence.” The reader can empathise with Missy who has known a busy house but now the walls are empty. Her life is shrinking. Her saviours come in the unlikely forms of two women, one boy and a dog.
It is beautiful to watch a life in the twilight years, bud, blossom and bloom again.
We all need friends. We all need to know our lives count.
Owning a dog for the first time, Missy’s reaction to clearing up after her dog makes the reader smile! Owning a dog expands her horizons as dog walkers are a friendly bunch. There is a beautiful bond with Missy and her dog which becomes stronger over time. Tissues will definitely be needed.
With love comes pain and hurt. A guilty secret threatens to sink a life. We can ‘feel’ the pain radiate through the pages as it travels down the years. The burden grows heavier not lighter with time.
The loss of a great love is tangible. The love and care of a community is beautiful to witness.
Saving Missy was a beautiful book. It is a book that swelled my heart with love. It is book that made me cry. It is a book where love lives.
I received this book for free. A favourable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.

Heartwarming tale of Missy and her road from loneliness and isolation into becoming parter of her wider community of interesting characters. Enjoyable.

This is a beautiful story of love and hope.
The main character was so warm and had such a kind heart.
The characters were so well developed but also had flaws.
An excellent debut novel

A heartwarming, well-written and thoroughly enjoyable read would definitely recommend and look forward to reading more by this author.