What a delightful read. Devoured quickly, and thoroughly enjoyed. I wish I was a Sylvie but I’m definitely more of an Angela! Missy, the lead, is a wonderfully thought out character, with many stories to be told and listened to. This book will pull at your heartstrings and make you wish for a community of dog walkers just like this one. Highly recommend.

What a lovely feelgood story. Missy a lonely octogenarian finds friendship with the unlikeliest people but as she begins to embrace everyday life they draw her out of her shell. A novel about friendship and connections.

This book draws you in slowly but once it has you, it doesn’t let go.

Missy is the central character and you can’t help but invest in her journey and story. Surrounded by a cast of colourful friends, history and the present are carefully interwoven.

I really enjoyed this heartwarming tale and will look forward to reading more by this talented author. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my copy of this book.

I absolutely loved this book from start to finish. Such a heartwarming journey with Millicent..or Missy...whom I came to love. A very well written novel interlinking the past with the present. Missy starts out as a lonely figure, but slowly people and Bobby enter her life and enrich it. A really well observed tale. Highly recommend.

This gentle novel is like going for a lovely walk in the summer or sitting in front of a crackling fire in winter.
There are no mad love scenes or men in general apart from gay ones
It is like watching a caterpillar transform itself into a chrysalis and finally a beautiful butterfly
Its about a gentle lady Missy realising what she has in her life and who she has in her life it's almost like a gentle awakening

What a lovely uplifting feel good read this was . The story focuses around Missy , an elderly lady who has sort of given up on life until a chance encounter in the park leads to new friendships and happiness. Reading this makes you realise how many elderly people out there are probably actually suffering from loneliness and how striong the power of friendship is among this generation . The story is told in the present day however we do see Missy flashback to the past which adds depth to the book. The characters are all very likeable and true to life and I warmed to them all. The book has been compared to Eleanor Oliphant and while I can see why people think this , I also think the two main characters are very different . A perfect book for the winter months . Thank you netgalley and harper Collins for this ARC .

What a truly wonderful book, I just loved this gentle tale. Poignant and emotional but heartwarming with a touch of humour. I just wanted this book to go on and on, it was just so comforting. With so little effort it tackled the issue of how we could all do a little to help so much loneliness in our society, even if we can't quite manage to help in such a way depicted in the book. The characters are a lovable mix of quirky people, all centering round a fantastic main character, elderly Missy.

This writer is truly gifted as she manages to flow seamlessly from the past to the present without the reader wondering where they are in the story. Some fabulous real life observations and having experienced a 5 year old's party a couple of weeks ago, absolutely brilliant.! There were a few twists and turns as the story rolled along culminating in the unexpected on many levels. I look forward to reading from this talented writer and can't recommend this feelgood book more highly.

This is a lovely, lovely read. Missy Carmichael is 79 and lonely. She lives on her own in a large house in Stoke Newington. Relations are strained with her daughter and her son and grandson have gone to Australia. Her life changes after she meets the somewhat chaotic Angela and her little son Otis as well as Sylvie, an interior designer. Through them she is almost badgered into fostering a dog, Bobby meaning that very soon she has a purpose to her life as well as a host of new friends both canine and human, Her story is interspersed with her reminiscing about her life, her marriage to Leo and her children. Greek myths are used as metaphor throughout and this gives an added dimension to the book. The story is funny, poignant and the characterisation is superb, As with all good books you don't want it to come to an end as you want to stay with these characters. I loved it. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC.

This is the debut novel by Beth Morrey - and what a debut it is!

When people describe books as "heartwarming" it can sometimes mean "schmaltzy" - but this book manages to be heartwarming without the schmaltz.

Friendships are made; bridges built; memories - good and bad - revisited; past mistakes reviewed, acknowledged and paths to forgiveness are forged; and Missy's future is completely reshaped as a result..

This book entertained me, made me think, smile, and cry. What more can you ask of a novel?

I look forward to Beth Morrey's next book.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC.

Oh my goodness, I simply ADORED this story (insert heart eyes emoji here)

This is the story of Millicent Carmichael aka Missy.

Missy is 79 years old and lives alone in her large house in London, she lost her husband a few years back, and her 2 children have flown the nest, one of them to Australia, taking her grandson with them.

Missy is lonely.

She emails her son in Australia all of the time, telling him what a "lovely day" she has had, but she beefs-up the stories to make them sound more interesting.

One day Missy sees a young boy, about the same age as her grandson is now, and watching him playing makes her heart ache, she sits in the park and watches him play, and then gets talking to another woman walking her dogs, Sylvie.

Turns out that Sylvie also knows the young boys mother, the red headed and foul mouthed creature Angela.

One day Angela turns up at her door and asks a favour, well kind of bamboozles her really, and by the time Angela has gone, Missy has acquired a dog called Bob.

Thus creating a wonderful friendship that only one can have with a dog.

With the commitment of owning a dog, Missy begins to venture out of the house, and starts to interact with other people in the community, and as much as she doesn't like to admit it,she kind of starts to enjoy herself.

This was such a wonderful story, and by the end I had a big tear rolling down my face.

This is the authors debut novel, and if this is what she is starting with, I'm sure she will have a fantastic writing career in front of her.

If you liked stories like Eleanor Olliphant, then you will LOVE this one.

Coming in February 2020, keep your eyes peeled for this one, I think it is going to BLOW UP!!

Aww I absolutely loved this book! The characters are very personal and the story is so lovely throughout. Well worth it!

This is such a good book! It’s full of wonderful, unforgettable characters. Missy is 79 and very lonely. She misses her husband Leo terribly but a chance meeting in the park one day leads her to look after a dog, rather reluctantly at first, and brings her into the dog-walking community. Through her new friends, she starts to enjoy life again. What sets this book apart is the quality of the writing. It’s beautifully and cleverly written, well-paced and full of surprises. I couldn’t put it down towards the end and read on for another hour when I should have been working because I felt so involved in the characters’ lives. Missy is a fabulous heroine, lovable with all her faults, and I highly recommend this novel.

What an enjoyable book to read.
Missy is a lonely 79 year old. She is also stubborn and vulnerable. The author does a good job of not only bringing her to life in the present day but of sharing her past with the reader.
There are other characters in the book but Missy steals the show. It is so easy to empathise and understand her actions. Her highs are our highs and we rejoice with her, her lows remind us of just how vulnerable she still is. Missy’s life, however, is about to change and we share that journey with her.
A delight of a book, well written and heart warming.
Thanks to Netgalley for an advance copy, this is one that will stay with me.

I loved this book. It's about friendship and love and the importance of connection.
Missy is such a strong character, stubborn and proud but also vulnerable. The author did a great job with that balance.
All the supporting characters were also interesting with their own stories and issues. As Missy warned to them so did I. The little community was so lovely I wanted to be part of it. I wanted to walk my dog around that park and look out for all those people.
I think this will be a big hit in 2020.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. Oh what a sad story about love and friendship and memories and more importantly loneliness.

Bittersweet feel good novel for fans of The Lido. Missy has always been socially awkward, convinced people won’t want to spend time with someone as dull as she is. Now she’s alone with her beloved son and grandson living in Australia, her daughter estranged after an awful row and her husband Leo has succumbed to a dreadful illness. All that changes when she faints in the local park and some of the ‘popular’ people take her in charge. Really enjoyable if predictable read to curl up with on a cold winter’s day to banish the winter blues.

Review
Lovely book and I think a real reality of loneliness for elderly people who lose their partners and families move away.

This is how Millicent Carmichael AKA Missy finds herself. She misses her husband Leo and her son Ali who lives in Australia with grandson Arthur. Plus she has fallen out with Mel, her daughter. She is terribly lonely, nervous and lacking in self esteem when she does meet anyone. This is until she meets a new friend, Sylvie who introduces her to Angela and her little son, Otis. Missy finds that her life changes for the better in so many different ways. She steps out of her comfort zone in tiny steps which leads to so many good things, including finding love with a fostered dog, Bobby.

It was really enjoyable following Missy’s life, her emotions and her ups and downs. So many aspects of her life were easy to relate to and it made me realise how one could find themselves in that situation.

However, and this is a BIG however, it was just too unbelievable in places. Friends paying for her hair cut and colour, buying her a new outfit...please tell me how I can meet these friends. Then all of them gathering in the garden when she was at a particularly low point. I don’t know about you, but trying to organise for only a small group to get together with such little notice is nigh on impossible. Goodness knows how they managed to get all of her friends there.

I rate this book 4 stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟 because the book in the main was good.

Thanks
Thank you to the author Beth Morrey and Publishers Harper Collins for an advanced copy of this ebook in exchange for an independent review.

Thank you so much for the chance to read a review copy of this book, it was just wonderful!
It covers so many topics - friendship, growing older, loneliness, but is never preachy or trite. Not ashamed to say I cried at several points in the book (I won’t describe them because of spoilers) and that’s down to the deft touch of the author and the non-maudlin way she approaches the subjects. The final twist in particular was heart-wrenching.
I found the descriptions of Missy’s early life at university fascinating and recognised many themes that affected women in academia at that time. Missy herself is a fantastic character, no meek little old lady she! The author gives her such an authentic voice and never tries to portray her as a saintly grandma or mother. I did have to slightly suspend disbelief that everyone in her dog walking group had exactly what she needed even when she didn’t want to realise or accept that, but I don’t know why, because I know full well how fabulous dog owners can be. The little asides about the characters of their dogs were spot on and hilarious and of course Bobby, lovely Bobby; the author must have known at least one dog like her in her life.
I can’t wait to review this book on Amazon and my personal social media when it is published as I know several people who will love it just as much as me and I hope to introduce it to many, many more.
Eagerly awaiting whatever Beth Morrey writes next as she has incredible skill as a writer and whatever her next subject I’m sure she will do it justice (hope she includes just a little bit of dogness though!).

Missy is Millicent Carmichael, a 79 year old woman rattling around on her own in the family home. Her son has moved to Australia, where his wife is from and her daughter lives in Cambridge.
For something to do Missy goes to see the fish been electrically shocked in a local pond so they can be moved. While she is there she blacks out and starts the chain of some unlikely, but rewarding friendships.
This must ring so true for many women who give up their careers to have a family and then when they are all gone find themselves so very alone.
Lots of laughter and lots of tears, you definitely need some tissues to hand.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC in return for an honest review.

For anyone who enjoyed Eleanor Oliphant is completely fine, this is one for you.

A 79 year old woman who feels alone and isolated and can't forgive or forget her past actions, suddenly finds a family amongst new friends and a dog. Truly heartwarming; I've laughed, cried, got cross but adored every second