The Beginner's Guide to Loneliness is a warm and comforting read about finding oneself and learning how to cope with the ever-present loneliness that follows in our lives. It explores the struggles of coming to terms with loneliness and making sense of our thoughts, feelings and experiences in the aftermath of a traumatic event.

Tori Williamson is a heroine you can relate to, her blog a place for her to reflect, make friends and in turn find her inner strength. It’s through the conversations she has with the people on the wellbeing retreat that Tori is able to look at the bigger picture and come to terms with the tragedy that has befallen her.

It's the unique plot of The Beginner's Guide to Loneliness that really shines, Laura Bambrey taking us through a wonderfully satisfying journey full of strength, determination and self-growth. This story is one of coming to terms with your inner demons and not being afraid of facing the past in order to move forward. It is truly inspiring, perfect for readers seeking a much needed pick-me-up, especially during these difficult times.

Tori’s story grabbed my attention immediately, in particular I was fascinated by her online friend group and the fact that they had never met in person but got on so incredibly well.

There were scenes which touched on difficult and emotional subjects, but the author had a delightful way of lifting the mood by weaving in a thread of humour and all without minimising the character’s feelings. I absolutely loved this light-hearted approach and the smiley feeling it brought to the storyline.

The diverse group of characters blended together so beautifully and I thoroughly enjoyed mingling with them as they found their way through each experience at the retreat.

The romance was exciting and, at times, complicated which is pretty much all I need when it comes to the romantic side of a book.

I couldn’t stop flipping the pages to find out what would happen next – the classic ‘just one more page’ was a regular thought as I progressed through the book. There was another thought, however, that had been niggling at the edge of my mind from the start, one that gave me cause for concern and ended up being even more intriguing than I imagined. It was a masterful twist!

Favourite Moments:

Land Rover ride
An unexpected bed mate
A sudden downpour
The voice session

This was a fun yet thought provoking read with a wonderful twist! It ticked all the boxes for me.

This was a brilliant read and is being featured on my blog for my quick star reviews feature, which I have created on my blog so I can catch up with all the books I have read and therefore review.
See www.chellsandbooks.wordpress.com.

The Beginner’s Guide to Loneliness is the debut novel from Laura Bambrey and to be honest it’s hard to believe that this is the author’s first book as it reads like someone who has been writing for years and has published many books. It has the perfect blend of humour and laugh out loud moments mixed with the exploration of more serious issues that our main protagonist Tori is grappling with. There is so much for the reader to take from this story and you find yourself nodding along with the advice given at the beginning of each chapter in the form of an excerpt from Tori’s blog The Beginners Guide to Loneliness. Don’t skip past these nuggets of advice as you may be tempted to do because if we all took these words on board our lives would be all the more fruitful for it. The book moves along at a steady pace and is filled with a diverse range of characters each dealing with their own problems, fears and worries. The majority of the story is set at The Farm, a retreat in Wales, which did surprise me but there was enough going on here without the need to move the setting around apart from at the beginning and towards the end.

Tori was a brilliantly written character from beginning to end and you are rooting for her from page one. There are definitely characteristics of Tori that I could identify with and see within myself and I thoroughly enjoyed accompanying her on her journey to find her way out of the guilt and loneliness that eats away at her and has impacted her life so drastically and deeply. The reasons for which slowly become clear over the course of her stay at the retreat. Tori runs a blog called The Beginners Guide to Loneliness and although she prefers to remain anonymous she has built up a huge following thanks to her incredible writing which resonates with so many readers. The blog offers a place for people to talk and garner support as being lonely is such a big taboo. She has a trio of friends, Nat, Hugh and Sue, who she talks to privately in a chat room and here is where she can spill out everything that is bothering her. The trio has never met in person but it feels like they have known each other forever and they have become known as the Warriors.

To outsiders Tori appears confident and full of life but in reality she lives in a drab flat and money seems to be a problem. Two major events in her life, the loss of her mother and her fiancée dumping her, all within the space of a month, have severely affected her and she sees no way of moving on from both the guilt and loneliness. She has isolated herself from people and is afraid of anyone coming to close but really she doesn’t deserve to feel this way. So when a chance to review a wellness retreat for the blog comes up, The Warriors encourage her to go for it. Little does she realise that said retreat deep in the Welsh countryside may not be as glamourous as she expected. But maybe that’s all for the better as going back to basics will help her push her reservations to the side and face her issues head on.

Tori’s arrival at the farm provided plenty of laugh out loud moments and a plethora of characters are introduced. It’s run by Ted and Lizzie who live there with their daughter Rowan and they offer lots of alternative therapies, sessions and activities to get people out of their shell and to meet their problems head on. There really is no escape and all forms of communication are taken away from the guests. How will Tori cope without access to her phone and the chats with the Warriors? She is even more surprised to find that she has to share a tent with the handsome Bay and his dog Dennis.

Initially Tori was very reluctant to engage with what was going on and found things to be on the hippish end of things but really she had no other choice but to get stuck in and confront what has dominated her life for quite some time. I loved to see her gradually unwinding and becoming more forthcoming although a particular nasty incident does force her to get things out in the open. She really had to face her fears and listen to herself to makes the process a worthwhile and productive one. She needed to leave her lacklustre life and the bad memories behind but when you have become so ingrained in this way of thinking it can be really hard to do so.

I loved how a real sense of community developed amongst the troubled souls who found themselves at the retreat. The friendship Tori strikes up with Doreen especially was lovely to see and it allowed Tori to not make rash judgements on people and to dig a little deeper and to find out what made people tick. It was like everyone was helping each other overcome their problems. Everyone was looking for the root cause and working on healing it. The interactions between Tori and Bay were brilliant to read about. There was plenty of sparring between the pair, miscommunications and misreading of signals but you could tell a spark was there. I desperately wanted them to dig that little bit deeper. But on the other hand the character of Than, he was always by Tori’s side and you wondered could there be something romantically there for her too or was she too caught up in trying to overcome the guilt and deal with her panic attacks to venture down a romantic path?

Than started off as a decent enough character but more serious undertones surrounding his personality began to come through. I couldn’t fathom why Tori accepted the way that he spoke to her and the fact he was so dominating and controlling. He was publicly cruel, snide and at times downright mean and I wanted the others to stand up to him but they seemed reluctant to do so. Bay and Than were the complete anthesis of each other, both very well written characters who cause plenty of soul searching for Tori on her journey. I loved how we saw the evolution of Tori from beginning to end. I wanted her to stand up for herself and grow bolder and braver. To take on challenges without questioning every little thing and to put the loneliness behind her. The retreat was providing her with all the tools to do so alongside the support of Ted, Lizzie and the instructors not to mention her fellow guests. But Tori needed to build up her strength and the courage of her convictions to deal deal with things head on. Has she ability to do so or will a surprising turn of events shatter any confidence, stability and new found boldness that she has acquired?

The Beginner’s Guide to Loneliness was an impressive debut with plenty of food for thought for the reader. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. I did guess a little bit as to the big reveal but not specific details and on reflection the clues were there for the reader to see if I had just dug a little deeper. The only thing I will say is that I felt Than’s aspect of the story seemed to disappear into thin air and I feel it definitely needed more exploration. I wanted to know what motivated him and it felt like a chunk of the book was missing. Apart from that I would highly recommend this book. It’s thought provoking, funny, emotional and highlights the inner working of friendship and how to deal with trouble when it comes into our life path. I’m already looking forward to reading much more from Laura Bambery in the future.

For starters, I can hardly believe that this is a debut novel. Everything about it scream veteran author!

Tori is the most likeable character and I would be her friend in a flash. We've had similar experiences and traumas and, just one year ago, I felt as lost as she did. Her online friends are her biggest support, just like mine are. But Tori has an incredible gift for writing and being open and honest on her blog. I admire that. 

When Tori goes to The Farm, things are bleak for her and she needs a change. What will she find? I loved the journey she took and the people (most of them!) that she took it with. Bay and Dennis, Rowan, Doreen... They were all the perfect people for her to be surrounded by. 

I want to go on a retreat like this! I also want a sequel to Tori's story. I need to know if she gets her happily ever after, Laura!!

This is top of my BOTY list for Best Debut of 2021! I've read it twice and will no doubt read it again! Also highly recommended to my online bestie, Anna. She's my Warrior!

Thank you to Sara – Jade at Simon & Schuster for my invitation to the tour and for my copy of the book in return for a fair and honest review.

Tori has been through a tough time but she has found her tribe online through a bereavement forum. Then she gets invited to a retreat in Wales and she is very apprehensive but her friends persuade her to go.

When she arrives at the farm in heels she realises that Ted and Lizzie are not as chilled out as she hoped and when they start to take away her phone any form of communication and toiletries she really begins to wonder what she has let herself in for three weeks.

She is then taken to her accommodation a yurt but to her horror she finds she is sharing with two others and one of them Dennis has no idea ofpersonal space. She finds that she really has signed up to more than she ever imagined.

This a lovely read, I liked Tori immediately and really liked the way we get to know her and the other characters Bay, Doreen and Geoff etc, through their experiences at the farm. Tori is a kind soul and has ended up lonely through no fault of her own.

She ends up by befriending Than who I was unsure of in the beginning. He is reluctant to join in with the sharing experiences and Dennis also is not a fan.

Joyful, uplifting and moving I absolutely loved this book ! It deals with anxiety and panic in a really sensitive way and it also has some surprises in store for the reader. A perfect summery escape to the farm !

5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

A brilliant debut from Laura Bambrey; I enjoyed ‘The Beginners Guide to Loneliness’ from start to finish. It’s emotional, fun-filled, dramatic and covers some very sensitive topics that will resonate with many readers. You get a real sense of how much love and passion has gone into creating these characters and their stories. It’s such an impressive debut -I will be looking forward to more.
Tori is our main character, and she is one I immediately empathised with. She has been through so much and the pain/hurt she feels means she isolates herself from others and is determined to keep people from getting close. She feels lonely and has cultivated an online persona for herself, one in which she has control, speaks freely but is anonymous. Her online friends have been her rock and guide her into making some big decisions. When an opportunity comes for Tori to visit The Farm; a retreat where she can take more time for herself and her issues; the warriors are all for it and convince her to go.
The Farm is brilliant, very “out there” for Tori and I couldn’t imagine myself in her position at all! I adored the cast of characters, you could tell who would be good and who would cause trouble. I am a huge fan of Rowen though – that girl is going to go far and she really comes through for all involved in the end.
The Farm seems like the perfect place for some respite and to discover a little more about yourself; maybe we should all have a visit! I
With themes that can be sensitive like grief, torment, guilt, fear and betrayal, great care has been taken by Laura to write this with compassion and with great balance with funny, laugh out loud moments.
Keep an eye out for Dennis, he may be the star.
I highly recommend this one – enjoy!

This is Laura’s debut book which was submitted to the Books and the City One Day Digital Originals programme. One of my favourite authors Hedi Swain was first published through this programme so I know that the Books and the City gang know how to pick fantastic authors.

The Beginners Guide to Loneliness is about Tori Williamson. Tori has had a lot of struggles and hurt in her life and has become very isolated. I really liked Tori. I had so much empathy for her and I felt like a lot of her feelings resonated with me. We all feel lonely from time to time and the way that Tori describes how you can be in a big crowd of people but still feel lonely was something I could really understand.

I loved The Farm. Lizzie and Ted are such lovely people and what they are trying to achieve is quite remarkable. I think we could all benefit from a little bit of time somewhere like The Farm to just switch off and really learn to enjoy the moment.

This book had some powerful themes of grief, guilt and betrayal. Laura does an excellent job of navigating these sensitive subjects and making you as the reader feel involved in the journey the characters take.

This is not a self-help book but I came away feeling like it had touched some parts of me that are not often talked about. This book would make an excellent book club choice with lots of discussion points and areas to think about.

Thank you to Simon and Schuster and Books and the City for letting me take part in this tour and for my copy of this book.

I really enjoyed this book. I loved Tori as a character and seeing her story as it unfolded. Her struggle with loneliness was very relatable and therefore quite emotional. I really liked seeing her find herself over the course of the book

DNF 30%

I got really bored and confused while reading the story. Also, the archive was really confusing and hard to read.

A unique and truly loveable story. I read this book so fast as I couldn't part myself from it.

The storyline was perfection, the authors way with words was beautiful, and the characters were believable and intriguing.
I truly adored this book.

This is one that I’ve been looking forward to reading, since it was first published in July 2020. Alas things got in the way. The pile of books to read got larger and larger and it slipped away from me. So when I stumbled on it the other day I was so pleased that I finally got to sit down and get stuck in, and thank goodness I did because - IT. IS. BRILLIANT!!! I cannot stress how much I loved this!

About the book:

Tori Williamson is alone. After a tragic event left her isolated from her loved ones, she’s been struggling to find her way back to, well – herself. That’s why she set up her blog, The Beginner’s Guide to Loneliness, as a way of – anonymously – connecting with the outside world and reaching others who just need a little help sometimes.

When she’s offered a free spot on a wellbeing retreat in exchange for a review on her blog, Tori is anxious about opening herself up to new surroundings. But after her three closest friends – who she talks to online but has never actually met – convince her it’ll do her some good, she reluctantly agrees and heads off for three weeks in the wild (well, a farm in Wales).

From the moment she arrives, Tori is sceptical and quickly finds herself drawn to fellow sceptic Than, the retreat’s dark and mysterious latecomer. But as the beauty of The Farm slowly comes to light she realizes that opening herself up might not be the worst thing. And sharing a yurt with fellow retreater Bay definitely isn’t. Will the retreat be able to fix Tori? Or will she finally learn that being lonely doesn’t mean she’s broken . . .

This is Laura’s debut novel and I was hooked from page one. It was exciting and different. The characters loveable and full of depth, I enjoyed seeing their growth throughout the book. It kept me glued to my seat, second guessing all the time. It’s a brilliant, beautiful story about finding one self and having the courage to make the changes you need when things are not quite right or at their fullest. Refreshing and satisfying read that I cannot recommend enough.

Fantastic, can’t wait for Laura’s next book.

5 out of 5.

This was a really lovely, nicely paced book with beautiful & heartwarming messages woven within it. In regards to our current situation, it definitely gives us a lot to think about and put things in to perspective.

Interesting, Unique and a book I will be collecting for my forever shelf I have found this one hard to put down and have been completely captivated.
I adore the writing style, plot and characters. A great book!

This was a nice easy read that looked at themes of loneliness (obvious from the title I know) and judging people in haste.

I did find some of the scenarios a bit of a stretch but over all I enjoyed the read and was moved by the characters developments.

Interesting read especially this year with so many people isolating alone. Gave me a lot to think about anyway. Well written

What a beautiful, uplifting and heartwarming story.

Tori runs a blog called The Beginner’s Guide to Loneliness and when she is offered a free stay at a retreat in exchange for a review she accepts with some trepidation.

Whilst on the retreat which was very entertaining by the way, she meets some very colourful characters including a couple of very handsome men.

I read a vast number of books, and most of them fall into the broad categories of romance or women’s fiction: I enjoy almost every single one, and if I don’t I neither finish reading nor write a review. Sometimes though, it can be quite difficult for a book to really stand out, to stick in the memory, to be sufficiently different that it makes me excited – but this was a book that most certainly did.

It didn’t grab me from the very beginning though. First there’s a blog post – it’s the second anniversary of The Beginner’s Guide to Loneliness, and the post tells us a little about it, the idea that you don’t have to be broken to be lonely, and the support the blog provides. Then we move into a chat group conversation – it sets up the story really well, but I’ll readily admit it’s not a format I particularly enjoy (I am getting on a bit, after all…) and I did skip through it a little.

But then, things settle – in her clear voice, Tori tells us about that chat group and what it means to her (the Warriors are her closest – her only – friends): and she decides to follow their advice and head off for a three-week stay at The Farm. It’s a retreat in rural Wales that focuses on healing, mindfulness, relationships, grief – a beautiful setting, a unique experience, but also a daunting one for someone so damaged.

I now have an almost irresistible urge to continue by telling you every twist and turn of what happens next – but I’m not going to. I’m sure you can guess that Tori finds herself in the company of a really diverse group of people, all there for their own reasons and with different goals and expectations, and the relationships between them begin to play out. They all have issues of one kind or another, gradually revealed or uncovered, as friendships are formed and individuals find themselves – and I loved every single moment.

The characterisation is quite exceptional – Tori herself is complex enough, and I found her both sympathetic and easy to identify with in so many ways. No-one is quite what they seem – and it’s fascinating to watch each of them reveal themselves. Each chapter starts with an extract from The Beginner’s Guide, focused on loneliness and friendship and healing – don’t skip over them, whatever you do, because some of them really hit you in the gut and are immensely powerful.

Now, I’m not really managing to convey why I enjoyed this book so much, am I – so let me try again. It might surprise you to find that the book, at times, is extremely funny: the author has a wonderful eye for the ridiculous (often present in such an environment!) and the humour is just so perfectly done. But there’s an edge of danger too, that threatens and builds – there are twists and shocks and surprises that make the whole book a compelling read. And it’s a romance – one of those romances that grows and builds, grounded in friendship, and becomes everything I wanted it to be. And not “just” romance – the whole book really overflows with love, as individuals support each other and gradually unfurl.

I found this book quite stunning – it attempts a lot, and fails at nothing. The writing is so very confident, the ideas behind the story are ambitious but perfectly delivered, and the whole book is unlike anything I’ve read before: it raises serious questions and confronts real issues, but also manages to be a thoroughly heartwarming and entertaining read. It made me laugh (a lot), at times it made me hurt and cry, and some parts filled me with anger: it made me feel, and think about things, and at the end I was a soggy mess (but with a big smile on my face). You can’t ask for much more, can you? Without question, this was one of my books of the year…

(Review copied to Amazon UK, but link not yet available)

Beginners guide to loneliness
By Laura Bambrey


⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5

I read this book as a recommendation.
I rate it at three out of five stars and give a whole extra star for the quotes at the end of each chapter! So, have given it four.
There are helpful quotes that would resonate with a lot of different people for different reasons. At the end of each chapter.
I found myself highlighting some, to save for future reference, as I liked them that much.

The story itself, was about being lonely.
It showed, it’s very easy for someone, at different times in their life, may find themselves without ‘friends’ for a variety of reasons.

Tori, the main character feels she is not worthy of friends.
She goes to a retreat for work purposes and her life changes.

There are some heartwarming moments and some food for thought in this book.

The story was a little bit too unreal, I thought, at times. But, did not put me off.

I would recommend this book.

Tori has kept an annonymous blog on loneliness for a while. Her best friends are people she has never even met in real life.
When she gets an offer of a free place on a retreat, she turns to here friends or advice and is convinced to go.
Once their she is out of her comfort zone and makes an alliance with Than, ends up sharing a yurn with Bay and his dog Dennis.

Not everyone is as they seem, so will Tori find the peace that she went looking for?