A lovely book that unfortunately gets a bit lost. Because the main character is a widow, we get an inside look at love after loss. While it had the bones to be beautiful, it was simply lacking in areas. It didn't hold my attention and I found myself drifting in and out of the story. It took me over a year to finally finish. This book has a reader as every book does, unfor I just don't believe I'm the target audience for this one.

I received an advanced copy for free and am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you to NetGalley, Holderness & Stoughton, and Jenny Gladwell. ❤️

I absolutely loved this book and almost inhaled the contents I consumed it so quick, it’s such an addicting book to read and I was so invested in the story.


Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy of this book in return for an honest opinion

Lovely feel good book to read. It was a joy to read. Lovely characters. Great plot. The book was charming. Very well written. I’d definitely recommend this book

Through this book Jenny shows how different people deal with grief in different ways. This is a good read for the holidays, a slow burn but I still managed to read it all in one sitting. I thoroughly enjoyed the fact that the characters aren't 'perfect' - they live in a flat with exposed wires, just adding to the realistic effect.

Tissues at the ready for the sad times in this book but there is also happy moments
A real page turner
Never read this lady before
But definitely will be reading her next book
Thanks NetGalley

I hate not finishing books. I unfortunately could not get in to this one and stopped reading about a quarter of the way through.

Kate is a successful interior designer bringing up two children but when it comes to Christmas, she feels that her luck has run out. Grieving for her husband and her father she now worries about renovating her flat, paying the bills and trying to maintain the perfect life.

Her mother, Jean is concerned about Kate but she has her own set of worries to deal with. When sorting through her husband’s things, she discovers a letter informing him that he had inherited a house. A memory from the past comes back to haunt her, but she knows that she now has to face it head on, before she can move on with her own life.

This is a story of grief from two different perspectives and the way that two family members handle it in their own ways is woven into the story nicely, so it doesn’t feel all doom and gloom.

I have to say that I absolutely loved this book and devoured it very quickly, I could have got RSI in my wrist from flicking the pages over so fast! When I knew I should be sleeping, I would read a few more chapters because I just wanted to know how Kate was, I felt very invested in her story.

I was quite surprised though when her sister Alice and the playground mums viewed Kate as glamorous because from the descriptions in the book in my mind she was quite slobby who didn’t wash her hair unless necessary and slouched around in her pjs on the sofa!

A lovely festive story which I hope continues with Mark and Alice!

This Year, Maybe caught my attention at the beginning, but the further I got into the book I found myself enjoying it less and less. I thought that the characters did not have many redeeming features and were quite poorly drawn. This includes Kate , the protagonist. I was unable to clearly understand what she was doing and why. Perhaps she was drawn this way to underline the grief that she was going through. On the whole I thought this novel was just k. Thanks to Hodder and Stoughton and Netgalley for an ARC of this novel

Kate's life looks pretty good on the outside but all is not what it seems. Recently widowed and struggling to pay her bills is taking its toll. When something from her past resurfaces, maybe it is time for Kate to face some things. Real life imperfect characters that add to the charm.

I'm giving 3 stars as I didn't finish it and it may be me and not the writing, I found the many "deaths" just a bit too much, I am sure it all worked out well in the end I just didn't have the energy to get there.

This Year Maybe - Jenny Gladwell

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton and I am leaving this review voluntarily

Kate is a successful interior designer with two wonderful kids.

Kate is also a recent widow, a grieving daughter and worrying about how to pay the bills.

Her life might look perfect from the outside, but making things look better than they are is just how Kate copes. Her mother, Jean, worries about her - but she has her own problems. A mystery from the past has come back to haunt her, and she decides now is the time to put the pieces together.

After the deaths of family members around Christmas - Christmas isn't a good time for Kate, this year however Kate and Jean are determined to make a new start. I really enjoyed this book from start to finish - it didn't grab me as much as I would have thought but nevertheless it was an enjoyable read.

Through this book Jenny shows how different people deal with grief in different ways. This is a good read for the holidays, a slow burn but I still managed to read it all in one sitting. I thoroughly enjoyed the fact that the characters aren't 'perfect' - they live in a flat with exposed wires, just adding to the realistic effect.

Rating 4/5

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

A very successful interior designer, and with two kids, Kate, recently widowed and having lost her dad too, she’s now worrying how the bills will be paid.

To look at her you might think that from looking in her life’s perfect, but that is how she’s getting through her days. Jean, her mom also worries about her, but she’s also going through her own issues.

Something that happened in the past, is back to cause Jean concern, and finally, she decides to put those pieces that she’s remembering in dribs and drabs togethe, but also worrying about how this will affect her daughters…..

I found this a bit of a slow burn.

The cover instantly caught my eye and I just knew it would be something I needed to read and check out!
Premise
Sometimes you have to fall apart to become whole again...

Kate is a successful interior designer with two wonderful kids.

Kate is also a recent widow, a grieving daughter and worrying about how to pay the bills.

Her life might look perfect from the outside, but making things look better than they are is just how Kate copes. Her mother, Jean, worries about her - but she has her own problems. A mystery from the past has come back to haunt her, and she decides now is the time to put the pieces together.
I could relate so much to what Kate is going through especially how Kate always goes out of her way to make things appear better than they are. It was a sweet read and I really enjoyed this storyline.

An enjoyable read, perfect for the holidays.
The entire storyline about Kate‘s mother was predictable for me and also a bit over the top. But that didn’t take away from the fact that I enjoyed reading it and almost did so in one sitting.

A really good read which I would recommend to others to read. I’d like to read more by this author so will look out for more to come!

I loved this book as it was so easy to connect with the characters. Kate an interior designer with two kids lives in a flat with exposed wires, nothing finished as it was bought as a doer up er. But her life is not easy, she is dealing, with guilt, the death of loved ones, no money and then to add to that the dreaded PTA.. Her kids are her life as are her mum and sister. But her mum is worried about her bottling everything up and encourages her to join the grief group she attends. However she agrees as long as her mum clears out her dead fathers belongings, not realising that a huge secret becomes unearthed and the consequences it brings.

Lovely, sad but happy book. The lies that lives are build on are beautifully constructed in this book. The truths are slowly eked out, some inconsequential and funny, some huge and damaging and some just lovely and allow life to move forwards. The author draws you in to care for all our characters, even those who you don’t like you egg on that they find their happiness. A sensitive look at death be that of a father, a spouse the construction of a life,

I tried to get into this book but I really struggled. I persevered for a few chapters but it just didn’t grab me or call me to read on. Maybe it’s a slow burn or maybe it’s one for another time but it’s not for me.

Christmas in August . Don't mind if I do. I love reading Christmas books. No matter when I get the chance to read them and this one brought much needed Christmas cheer to my life. I loved it. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Lovely, easy to read story of Kate and her mother & how they deal with loss, secrets from the past & find love again and move forward. Thoroughly enjoyed it.