Having read her last two books, I was delighted to be given the opportunity to read and review The World at My Feet by Catherine Issac. For this I thank the author, her publisher and @NetGalley
Always including a subject that is meaty, Catherine Issac thoroughly researches her subject and provides believable main characters that the reader will like and engage with. In this case, Ellie is an Instagram 'influencer'. Her Insta-perfect life is not as it seems however, and she has daily battles to overcome. In order to survive she has learned to ignore her past, and to focus on her beautiful garden and the 'friends' she makes on line.
I warn you, this book is a tear-jerker. Public transport should be avoided as you reach the climax, or take a large pair of dark glasses.
I very much enjoyed #TheWorldatMyFeet and definitely recommend it.

Having read "You Me Everything" earlier in the year I knew I would really enjoy "The World at My Feet" by fellow Liverpudlian @catherineisaacauthor. Isaac's book follows the story of Ellie Heathcote, horticultural Instagram influencer extraordinaire.
Whilst Ellie is busy nurturing her beautiful garden and advising fellow green-fingered followers, she is painfully aware of her limitations beyond the beautiful garden she has created.

The descriptions of Ellie's garden are beautiful, atmospheric and in these dark autumnal evenings, made me yearn for spring and the planting of my sweet peas, peonies and foxgloves. The vivid pink dahlias, "the delphiniums in high bloom, their tall spikes of pink and blue rising above the flower beds".... See? Utterly beautiful description.

Moving between Ellie's mother's experience as a journalist in the late 80s/ early 90s, Ellie's history is explored in a sensitive manner. No spoilers here but the back story is heart-breaking and poignant.

With a cast of memorable characters, from Ellie's supportive and feisty younger sister, the yogic Guy, the adorable sunflower mad Oscar 🥜 and Jamie with his "relaxed and unaffected smile".

Released on 1st January, this is a must-read in those cold January days. Pre-order now and spend New Years Day immersing yourself in the story of Ellie Heathcote and putting "cultivate a gorgeous garden" on your list of New Year resolutions.

Thank you to @catherineisaacauthor, @netgalley and @simonschusteruk for the advance copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

I have to admit when I picked this book it had nothing to do with the decription. I didnt even read the description.I picked it purely because it was Catherine Isaac so of course it was going to be brilliant.
As a result of not reading the description I was completely surprised all the way through, I had no idea what relevance Harriet had to Ellie and why I was reading what appeared to be 2 different stories.. Reading the description now it makes sense but when I was reading this brilliant book, it didnt make sense until half way through.
I loved this book, it raised important issues in such a way that you were captured by the story while also being made aware of the issues that were mentioned.
I cant stress how brilliant this book is, I dont want to say much more incase I spoil it for other readers but one thing I will say is: Have tissues avaliable for the end, you will need them, I was in tears at the end.

Catherine Isaac masters writing beautiful characters and Ellie and Harriet are definitely reflecting that. Ellie's backstory is one of the most impressive researched stories and I could completely picture the surroundings of Romania in the 90's.
The World at my Feet is for lovers of romance, characters with an emotional arc and beautiful storylines, and readers that don't mind shedding a little tear.

I really enjoyed this book. About a quarter of the way in it turned it into something totally unexpected. Deeply moving and a step up from the usual women’s romance novel.

I've been sitting on this review for a day.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, and it has inspired so many thoughts in my head that I had to give it time to settle. This is a book that I could never immediately start another one after, you know the kind, the ones that make you rethink or appreciate your life.

The book follows Ellie, and occasionally her Mother Harriet. It speaks of her difficulties with anxiety and an overwhelming struggle with agoraphobia. She is an influencer on insta for gardeners, and for all who see her is completely fine, thank you. Her internal struggle is fascinating, the authors approach to describing and dealing with her mental health creates an understanding beyond which, even myself as an afflictee of mental health struggles, could explain.

Honestly, if you have ever experienced and tried to explain anxiety to someone else, read this book. Recommend it to your friend. Pass it on. Spread the word.

Beyond dealing with the mental health issues, there is a wealth of other subtexts included in the storyline. Some I will not mention as they become vital to the plot, but it genuinely is lovely to see a romantic, feel-good novel, become more than just a quick and easy read. It became one that lingers, and sticks to you. Even now, over 24 hours after finishing, I am still processing the wonderful world that Catherine Isaac drew us into, the relationships we see develop, and the mind of Ellie that we got to see in-depth.

A hearty 5 star review, and one I know I will read again.

This latest book from Catherine Isaac, is a real winner.
Although I found the first couple of chapters hard to engage with, I was then hooked into the world of Ellie Heathcote, gardener, Instagram blogger and her mother Harriet. The story is truly amazing and has given me so much to think about and explore for myself. It truly touched my heart.
Great to be reminded of how times past can still reverberate in today's world.
I loved the issues raised in the book, which will surely resonate with so many people, on many different levels.
Highly recommended!! Intelligent, thought provoking, and just brilliant!
Thank you for the opportunity to read early with NetGalley.

Ellie is a horticultural Instagram influencer who lives in her parent's annexe. In the opening chapters we discover that Ellie is agraphobic and has created a garden cocoon to buffet her against the world. The mystery is why and reading the novel is the key to unlocking the underlying trauma of Ellie's condition. I found this to be a really unusual twist on the usual boy meets girl formula. Yes, that is an element in the appealing form of delivery drivery cum illustrator, Jamie and Yoga guru, Guy, but the novel also explores the daily challenges and psychological aspects of agraphobia which offer a real insight into this illness. It was poignant and touching to follow Ellie's journey as she tackles her demons head on and finally finds resolution - no spoilers about the root cause of her condition. Thank you to Netgalley for an advance review copy in exchange for an honest review.

4-5 stars rounded up

This is the story of Ellie, an Instagram influencer and her mother Harriet, a news correspondent. The story goes from 1989 with Harriet and to the present day with mother and daughter and interspersed with Ellie’s Instagram gardening posts.

This is a very compelling story as it covers some emotional topics and mental health issues, doing so with sensitivity and thoughtfulness. We gradually learn what Ellie’s background issues are and how she struggles and manages to survive. Parts of her story pull on your heartstrings and are distressing reminders of actual events which tear you apart as you recall them. The characters are lovely, you root for fragile Ellie, her parents and sister Lucy are wonderful and so supportively caring which is heartwarming. They are all very contrastingly different which makes the story even more interesting and maybe highlights Ellie’s issues more deeply. The storytelling shows that through friendship and love it’s possible to find a way through things that may appear insurmountable. Ellie develops a lovely and unlikely friendship with five year old Oscar who is such a sweetheart and makes you laugh and as for Gertie the dog!!! They are the literary equivalent of ‘never work with children and dogs’!! The support of her new friend Jamie is very important too and he is another lovely character.

Overall, this is a poignant story that is very moving in places and sweet in others. There’s some gentle humour and I just love the ending!! Recommended.

With thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the arc in return for an honest review

The story of Ellie, agoraphobic and gardener. Adopted by Harriet and Colin from the Romanian orphanages when she was eight, the trauma of her early life has far reaching consequences in her adult life. With the help of family and friends, can Ellie overcome her fears of her past and discover a life outside of her garden?

A wonderful well written book with excellent characters which I would recommend.

I loved this story so much, this story will stay with me for a long time. The story centres around Ellie but also includes her mother's story about how they came together. Hearing about those poor children in Romania in the state orphanages made me shed a few tears, I was absolutely shocked at their living conditions and how the children were in themselves. I really admired Ellie in all that she has achieved and life has been tough for her but with a good friend and her family I was hoping for the best. There is a love interest too but is it with the wrong person? I don't think I have read a book where the person has a agoraphobia so it was interesting to learn about that side too. I just want to read this story over and over again. I think the story highlights that something needs to be done in state orphanages if it is still as bad as it was then.

With thanks to netgalley for an early copy in return for an honest review.
Not my normal reading and yes an intriguing read rather poignant in parts.

Having read previous books by Catherine Isaac, and her pseudonym Jane Costello, I was really excited for the chance to read this on Netgalley.
I really enjoyed this book. It tells the story of Ellie, a keen gardener and agoraphobic.
I don't want to give too much away, but this book is about acceptance, identity and strength. The main character has difficulties with anxiety and some parts were difficult to read in that they were so realistic.
I really enjoyed the development of relationships with Oscar and Jamie but enjoyed the fact that romance was not the main thread of the story. A great read.

I loved this book.

It’s emotional and poignant. Definitely one of those books you end up thinking about a long time after finishing it.

Ellie’s story is a really interesting one and seeing the impact of her childhood experiences on her adult life is the most thought provoking part of the story.

I loved all the characters to be point where I cannot pick a favourite but special mentions to Harriet who was ace and Jamie for being so very lovely.

In short I loved it completely

This is not my usual type of reading material but I did enjoy it. I really liked Ellie and finding out her story. The parts of the book dealing with the Romanian orphanages were very hard to read. I remember seeing the news programmes in the 90s and being horrified and upset. On the plus side there were lighter moments in the book which made me smile.

A beautiful, thought-provoking and emotional novel. I was completely captivated and read it in two sittings.

I was absolutely thrilled to receive this book to read and review! The plight of all those poor children in the Romanian orphanages made a huge impact on me in the 1980s, the harrowing sights and reports of the abuse, living conditions,starvation,overcrowding and neglect were so upsetting and I can remember as a community collecting toiletries, clothing, toys etc to send out to the children. Reading Ellie’s story beautifully written,brought all those memories back, and the long term effects of her life at the orphanage, highlighting how the experiences of childhood affect you into adulthood,panic attacks and anxiety are a huge issue for so many and anything that can highlight where to seek help and positivity is such a good thing.the wonderful characters in this book all so different but equally important in Ellie’s recovery even her little dog!A truly wonderful, emotive beautifully written book that will stay with me for a long time.
Thank you net galley for this early read.

From the minute I started reading The World at My Feet, I was hooked. I loved Ellie and was carried along by her story, so beautifully written by Catherine Issac. Ellie’s difficulties were so heartbreakingly real - I really felt the her panic attacks, anxiety and struggles with agoraphobia - written with such empathy. The chapters about Romanian orphanages in the 1990s brought back those haunting television images of the 1980’s and 90’s - you could feel as if you were really there. I loved Harriet, whose characters reminded me of Kate Adie, the fantastic BBC war reporter and I was delighted to read in the acknowledgements that the author had got inspiration for Harriet from reading Kate Adie’s books.
A wonderful, emotional and beautiful book. It will stay with me for a long time. I can highly recommend it.

I really enjoyed this. I loved how the stories intertwined. I got so invested and could not put it down. Loved it.

From the opening chapters I was immediately invested in Ellie, a keen gardener whose garden is her sanctuary and a labour of love. She shares photos of her picturesque garden on Instagram, and is a successful influencer. But whilst she spends the majority of her days outside, she hasn’t been able to set foot beyond her garden gate in two years. However, when Guy enters her life via Instagram, it seems that she may finally have a reason to work towards overcoming her fears.

I really enjoyed how the book was told from Ellie’s perspective in the first person and I felt so connected to her experiences and feelings. Her Instagram posts were always so perfectly interwoven throughout the story too and the beautiful, descriptive captions meant I could really visualise the pictures of Ellie’s idyllic garden. I was also intrigued to learn of the relevance of an upsetting, recurring dream Ellie has, as described within the prologue.

It was really effective too having chapters interspersed from the perspective of Harriet in the third person and her experiences of being a journalist in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s. Harriet’s job would often take her to dangerous and upsetting places, but nothing could have prepared me for reading the harrowing scenes describing a time when she was sent to a state orphanage in Romania. These scenes however were so vital for the story, and I learnt so much from reading about Harriet’s life.

I also got to understand and learn so much about Ellie and her past experiences as she would reflect on such moments and the impact this has on her present day life (set in 2018). I found myself captivated by Ellie and immersed in her story to see if it would be possible for her to be able to come to terms with her past and to live the kind of life she wishes to lead, and once had, again.

There were also several other characters in the book who brought the biggest smile to my face when there were scenes with them in. Firstly, Jamie, a delivery driver who would bring Ellie’s orders from the Garden Centre, who I absolutely adored from the outset! Secondly, Oscar, a little boy who Ellie would sometimes look after, who enjoyed helping her in the garden. They shared some really lovely scenes and the things he would say to Ellie made me laugh on many occasions.

From fairly early on in the book I also knew in my heart where I hoped the story would gravitate to and I am so glad that this little element came true. However, there is a much bigger story arc throughout that is so powerful and the way in which this concludes made my heart soar! The final sentence is so perfect and touching too given the things Ellie says earlier on in the book.

The World at My Feet is such a moving, thought provoking and beautifully written book and I have loved being part of Ellie’s journey of self discovery. I am going to really miss reading about her life and wish more than anything that I could search for her on Instagram to see what she is up to now! Thank you so much Catherine Isaac for captivating my heart with this incredible story!