Sarah Morgan's latest stunning novel explores the nature of family, love, grief, and the joys and tribulations of a newly assembled family.

Flora Donovan was just eight years old when her florist mother died and ever since, Flora's life has been dogged by loneliness. She was taken in by an aunt who never shirked an opportunity of letting her know she was a burden and had disrupted her life. Now, like her mother before her, Flora is a talented florist, based in New York City, yearning to belong and be part of a real family. She doesn’t have much of a social life despite her efforts to create one. One day, widower Jack Parker buys flowers for his daughter Izzy, 17, and life changes forever for both Jack and Flora. The two connect and in the year since his wife died its the first time that Jack's had any interest in pursuing a relationship. Flora begins to have some hope that her dreams of being part of a close family might be realised, but the pathway there is littered with obstacles. Izzy Parker, who’s been the caretaker of her father, little sister Molly, 7, and their home, is unwilling to be replaced, but Jack still wants Flora to be part of his chaotic family. As Flora falls in love with Jack, she finds herself trying to handle a very cranky teenager in Izzy as well as living in the shadow of Jack’s perfect, much lauded wife, Becca. As they holiday in the Lake District, England with Becca’s oldest friends, a family tradition of the Parker's, Flora faces a summer trying to live up to Becca’s memory, with not only Jack’s daughter looking on, but with Becca’s best friends judging her every move…

I thoroughly enjoyed this inspiring and heartwarming story. Sarah Morgan's key protagonist, the free spirited, eager to please, deeply caring Flora, captured my curiosity straight away as she set about trying to make a success of her newly assembled family. I had to empathise with Izzy, the thorny, hostile teenager, with her angst, fears, vulnerability, secrets and grief, so hell-bent upon making Flora feel like an unwelcome outsider. Anyone hoping for romance will be rewarded in Family for Beginners, though this element remains very much in the story's background.

This was a superb, inspiring and adorable read that I believe should appeal to many as master storyteller Sarah Morgan spins her enchanting tale.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel at my request from HQ via NetGalley and this review is my unbiased opinion.

Family for Beginners
Author: Sarah Morgan
Publisher: HQ
Page count: 448pp
Release date: 26th March 2020

Clare’s memories of her best friend Becca, before she died, are stressful.
Especially after receiving a letter she’d written before her death, that changes everything Clare knew about her deceased friend.

Written in character point of view sections, ‘Family for Beginners’ looks at what happens to Becca’s family and friends after she has passed away.
First we have Flora, a slightly ironic name for a woman working in a New York florists.
Whilst Flora’s co-worker Julia Imagines the men coming in are guilt buying, Flora likes to see happier motives and is a calming influence in the midst of the busy flower shop where boss Celia makes turgid demands of her employees.
Flora now has her own place after caring for her belligerent aunt for years, and Julia envies her solitude.
However Flora envies the one thing Julia seems exhausted by: a family.
Something she can only dream of.
She is crushingly lonely, something she is loathe to admit.
As Morgan so poetically puts it; “She was surrounded by the sounds of other people living full and happy lives”
Despite it all she is determined to spread happiness, from her optimistic disposition to her bright, boho chic clothes.
One day at work a grieving widower comes in, Jack, Becca’s widow.
Father of teenage Izzy and youngster Molly.
He’s coping with work and raising two daughters, just about, and he isn’t looking for a new relationship: just someone to talk to, which he finds in Flora.
The narrative starts with their tentative friendship, which soon develops into something more, and with Izzy heading into young adulthood, plus Clare, Becca’s oldest friend, who lives in the Lake District.
With each of these women’s stories, Morgan weaves believable and emotional tales that show how no life is perfect, but if we work at it and take a chance, we can get close to it.
And it also teaches the reader, as all of the relationships grow, and Jack, his daughters and Flora visit Clare for a three week holiday the year after Becca’s death, that being open, honest and trusting, can cover many things and help families to bond.
Izzy’s blog on teen life, instead of selfies, focuses on her dealing with her grief and other issues affecting teens. As she says, “words had so much power. She didn’t understand how so few people seemed to get that.”
Which makes it more surprising that she doesn’t open up to Jack.
The revelations really come to the fore at the Lake District, with Jack bringing new girlfriend Flora to meet Becca’s oldest friend Clare.
There’s tension, difficulty in communicating, but ultimately, it’s being open that gets them all through it.
As well as resolving issues, we have the growing romance between Jack and Flora.
There’s one point, over halfway through, with Jack holding Flora up against a tree, to talk honestly, not just kiss, and I had the “aww” heart swooning moment.
It was just so wonderfully perfect.
Sarah Morgan once again delivers on romance, comedy, thrills and life lessons.
With this book, whilst dealing with the serious issue of grief, she also seems to suggest we
‘Marie Kondo’ the hell out of our life; toxic friendships, guilt, old ‘yes’ behaviour and being more open can help us grow and heal.
Another wonderful, emotional, funny and heartwarming book by Morgan.

This was a beautiful story and I enjoyed it very much. It was a book that I read exactly when I needed and its good vibes and summery feeling was really appreciated.

Big thanks to the publisher for letting me read it, Sarah Morgan is fantastic!

Superior chick lit. Enjoyable and well written if a little predictable. The characters were well formed and I cared about them. This book isn’t going to change the world but it’s a great holiday or Lockdown read.

I’m a big fan of Sarah Morgan’s writing and always enjoy her books but I’m afraid this one didn’t quite hit the mark for me. It has the same wonderful and warm writing I’ve come to expect from the author, well rounded characters and a real sense of place but I just didn’t get on with the story or main character Flora. It may simply be a case of the wrong book at the wrong time but I didn’t fly through this in the way I usually do with Morgan’s books.

Over her last few books, the author has been gradually moving away from the romance and into much more relationship and family type stories and Family for Beginners takes us further along that route. There’s very little in the way of romance in this story with the focus on florist Flora who so desperately wants to find a place where she belongs, a family who will accept her. After her mother died when she was young, Flora was raised by a cold and distant aunt who made it perfectly clear she wasn’t wanted and was an inconvenience. When she meets Jack Parker, recently widowed and father to two girls, she thinks she’s found somewhere she could belong.

Unfortunately Jack’s eldest daughter Izzy is not so keen on Flora coming into their lives and trying to fix everything. She’s barely keeping it together as it is so is determined to see the back of Flora. When Jack invites Flora to come with the family on a trip to the Lake District, Izzy is not happy and neither is Claire, the family friend they will be staying with. Secrets come to light and Flora discovers more about Jack (and herself) but will there be a happily ever after?

There is a lot to like in this story, I loved the lake district setting, I loved how well rounded and real the characters felt, the relationships between them and the way they developed over the course of the story. Morgan’s writing is as always wonderful and there’s a lot of emotion in those pages. I suspect if you love reading stories about families and family relationships you’ll really enjoy this book.

Unfortunately however I found myself becoming frustrated and annoyed with it and I’m afraid it was mostly down to Flora. She is exactly the kind of character I hate reading and I just found it so difficult to relate to her. I could understand the why behind how she is and I could empathize with her but I just found her endless positivity and optimism annoying. She’s a people pleaser who tries to fix everything which is pretty much the antithesis of me. She does develop over the story but I spent a lot of my time reading this book wanting to shake her and tell her to stop trying so damn hard all of the time.

It probably didn’t help that I couldn’t see the attraction in Jack as there wasn’t a lot of time spent in developing the relationship between them. Their first dates happen off the page and they’re never really alone together. As a result there’s no spark or chemistry between them making it hard to see why Flora was so desperate for the relationship to work. Flora seems to feel sorry for him and seems more attracted to the idea of rescuing him and finding a ready made family. As for Jack, he never feels fully present in the story and I had no real sense of who he is. He’s closed off, distant and completely oblivious to the feelings of those around him. Flora keeps saying how much he sees her but I didn’t feel like he showed it in the story. Maybe though it’s just because we never get his pov.

Izzy, whose pov we do get was actually the most likeable of the characters to me. She’s an absolute mess of emotions, anger, guilt, sadness, but she felt believable and relateable. She’s grieving her mother, dealing with a lot of changes in her life and hiding a huge secret. I really felt for her throughout the story, even when she was being kind of horrible.

I did think the author did a brilliant job throughout the story of portraying the different ways people deal with loss and how the loss of her mother still affects Flora many years later. This does make it a little bit darker than some of Morgan’s other books but there are moments of light in there too to balance it out nicely. I may have shed one or two tears but I did find myself smiling in places too and I very much enjoyed the conclusion.

Overall I think a lot of people will love this story but there were a few too many things that I found annoying or frustrating for it to be a favourite.

What a lovely read, took me just a day to read, a romance novel, a family story, great charecters and a story wrapped up great, a really easy read

It's hard for me to review this book, as it's hard to put into words how smitten I am with this gorgeous story. I read it in two sittings and couldn't wait to get back to it. This book was all I could think about while I was at work, and as soon as I got home I dived right back in.

Sarah Morgan explores the difficulties of blended families, with the added complication of loss. Each character is living with complex and intricate emotions that spilled from the pages and immersed me into the family. Morgan has crafted a story that's both heartbreaking and heartwarming that deals with life after loss, and the complications that come with it.

Although this is a Romance novel, for me the Romance took a back seat to the real message of the story. This book is about learning to live when you've lost someone close, and the importance of finding a way to move on whilst keeping that person alive in your memories.

Sarah writes beautifully, about friendship, family, relationships.
This was a heart-warming, uplifting tale of grief and loss, of making peace with the past and allowing new friendships and relationships to find you. Warm and comforting

I just love Sarah Morgan’s books and Family For Beginners was no exception. I devoured this book in one sitting I could not put it down. If your looking for a happy, uplifting book with a happy ending then have a read, you will not be disappointed.

Second book I read by the author, and I love how consistent she is at delivering a "feel good" book. This was a great easy read, perfect for a bright sunny day.

While usually I find myself not enjoying romance so much due to the unrealistic expectations on love . I enjoyed this one.

The characters were well developed and I liked the overall chemistry created.

Flora was a relatable character , always trying to please people and avoid an argument.

I get so excited when a new Sarah Morgan book comes out as she brings to life such incredible characters and Flora is no exception. Flora has been a bit of a door matt for her employer for years now. She works in a florist, just like her mum had, it was her life. She was always the one that covered the shifts no-one wanted or was called on when someone else didn't turn in to work. That was until the day Jack came into the shop looking for flowers for his daughter, that day it was more than the flowers that bloomed.
Jack was a widower with two children and Flora was the wallflower that only had a work-life. Now Flora was going to Jack's for a meal and to meet his girls but not everyone is ready for moving on.
Flora thought that she would have been able to connect with Jack's girls having lost her own mother when she was only 8 and being brought up with a resentful aunt who took the role of carer on out of duty, not love. With every page I turned I wanted to grab hold of Flora and give her a hug, everything worked against her though with a determined teenager that kept her own mum totally out of Flora's league. Flora felt like Jack's wife Becca was more a Premier league status while she was little league but she was determined not to give up. Everything seemed to go over the top of Jack's head, he thought everything in the garden was rosy.
The story goes from Brooklyn to the Lake District and Sarah Morgan brought both to life equally. I loved the changes that were happening in Flora that made her push herself out of her comfort zone. This is a beautifully written book that captures the heartbreak of losing someone you love and unfinished business that needs closure. A brilliant read again.
I wish to thank NetGalley and the publisher for an e-copy of this book which I have reviewed honestly.

Another wonderfully written book by Sarah Morgan. Who says you can't choose your family? I loves the dynamics of all characters and how they intertwined.

Family for Beginners - Sarah Morgan
I received an ARC from Netgalley in return for an honest review.

I should say straight away that I am a huge fan of Sarah Morgan's writing. She creates beautifully nuanced characters and her books are always deeply, emotionally satisfying. This is no exception and I loved it.

Jack, Molly, and Izzy are recovering from the death of wife/mother Becca. Flora, a florist who lost her mother when she was 7 and then was brought up by a cold, unloving Aunt, is desperate for a family to love and to love her. She meets Jack and falls in love with him and the prospect of belonging to a family - but it's not an easy ride.

Becca's friend Clare and husband Todd and their son host Jack and Flora and the children in the Lake District and this is where the resolution to so many problems occurs. (I love Clare's mother - as I am probably the same age - I was happy to see Sarah wave the flag for satisfying sex at 70!!)

All the characters are beautifully imagined and developed. People behave badly but in a totally understandable and forgivable way. I loved the ending. Fabulous book.

Family for Beginners by Sally Morgan
I rate this book 4 stars

When Flora falls in love with Jack, suddenly she’s not only handling a very cranky teenager, but she’s also living in the shadow of Jack’s perfect, immortalised wife, Becca. Every summer, Becca and Jack would holiday with Becca’s oldest friends and Jack wants to continue the tradition, so now Flora must face a summer trying to live up to Becca’s memory, with not only Jack’s daughter looking on, but with Becca’s best friends judging her every move…
What a beautiful captivating emotional read!
The way the story is told.the engaging characters you are reading about and the subject matter all interweave to create a heart warming story of loss,friends and family,love and secrets.
A womens women's fiction book l would recommend
Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publishers for my chance to read and review this book

I absolutely adore Sarah’s books and was definitely not disappointed by her latest publication. To have new releases so regularly from Sarah and to not have the quality and content compromised is a real treat. Each one of her books that I’ve read I’ve really felt that a lot of time, love and effort has gone into the book.

This book is both heart-warming and heart-breaking. Equal amounts of anguish and love pour from the pages as Sarah delicately explores the trials and tribulations of a blended family. Grief, secrets, friendships, relationships and new beginnings are all covered in this book with a strongly compelling narrative. Sarah Morgan is one of my favourite authors not least because of her characterisation. She’s truly talented at creating characters that you’ll love - flaws and everything.

This was a gorgeous book about family, love, grief, and learning to live again following loss. Jack, Izzy and Molly are trying to come to terms with the loss of Becca, wife and mother.

Flora is herself familiar with loss, after losing her mother when she was only 8. She craves being part of a family, but has always held back from love because of her fear of rejection.

A chance meeting between Jack and Flora sparks a new romance, but introducing her to his daughters is a difficult step. Molly soon bonds with her, but Izzy, a troubled teen, is angry and hurt by her presence in their lives. She has become mother and sister to Molly, and she likes being needed. Her hurt and anger is complicated by a secret she learnt about her mother just before she died.

During a family holiday in the Lake District with family friends, tensions run high. Flora feels like an outsider. She loves Jack, and feels massive empathy for Izzy, but cannot reach her. Izzy is crying out for help but nobody sees it except for Flora, and over time, she breaks through Izzy's defences.

Family for Beginners shows us an intimate portrait of family life with all its complications and difficulties, but overcoming these leads to a whole new beginning for them all, which is beautifully heart-warming.

Amazing book, as usual from Sarah Morgan, never disappointed.

Meet Flora, an aptly named florist, who lives in New York, no family and feeling terribly lonely.
In walks Jack, a very lost, attractive, widowed father of two, wanting to buy his eldest daughter a birthday present.
Not everything is as it seems, Izzy, Jack's eldest, does not want anyone to interfere in their life and makes her feelings known, but Molly, Jacks youngest daughter, is more accepting.
Then throw in the annual summer visit to Lake Lodge, England the home of Jack's wife Beccas childhood friend Clare, the first one since Beccas death, can she win Clare over.
There are secrets awaiting to unfold, can Flora have the happy family shes always wanted, and at what cost.

Fabulous setting and storyline and moreover a great ending.

I loved this book. I found it a bit slow to begin with but as soon as the story arrived in the Lakes with the family - it reached high pace as well as geographically high. I fell in love with the characters and laughed and cried with them as the truth was discovered.

Wonderful story about love and family relationships.

Another absolutely cracking read from Sarah Morgan, I still don't think I've read a book by her that I haven't loved, and this is cream of the crop.

I read the prologue just before I went to bed, and it definitely had me intrigued, and keen to read more once I was more awake. And then the next time I picked up the book the following lunchtime, I read about half in one sitting which should give an indicator on how absorbed I was in the writing, that I really didn't want to put the book down.

The story is told from two, well occasionally three perspectives, the main ones being Flora and Izzy.

Flora has fallen for Jack, who was widowed less than a year ago and has two children, 7 year old Molly and 17 year old Izzy. She didn't mean to fall for him but she has, but can she compete with the dead wife who appears perfect, and will the kids accept her.

It's Izzy's point of view that I found fabulous, she clearly was hiding things, and feeling things very deeply, is trying to be the perfect older sister to Molly, and felt like she was in ways old before her years. Yet as the story progresses you see many sides to this complicated character.

The first half of the book is set in New York, just setting the scene, the dynamics etc.. and then the second half is in Jack's family's regular holiday spot in the Lake District that sounded incredibly scenic.It is also with his dead wife's best friend Clare, and her family, and they are all family friends; It was interesting to see how they all coped with their first holiday without Becca, but with Flora, and its where the book kicked up another notch.

With assorted hidden secrets to be revealed, nothing is as simple as it seems.

This is a story of new relationships, for Flora to learn how to be part of a family, about friendships and its just an incredibly heartwarming book.

Thank you to Netgalley and HQ for this copy which i have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

Interesting start with someone coming to terms with close friend.but there is a history there Slowly romance blossoms and not everyone happy about this. Heart wrenching at times as a young mum is sorely missed and cannot be replaced but enjoyed the heart wrenching hurdles love overcomes to win.