I read this over a rainy weekend. I sobbed (properly sobbed!) at the insightful, heartbreaking, beautiful and poignant way Sarah Turner has dealt with grief and losing those we love. When you get to the end of a book and are DESPERATE to know what happens to the characters, you know it's a good story. I have followed The Unmumsy Mum on Instagram for years and was curious as to whether it would be more a biography of the author's life rather than a work of fiction. Although I'm certain there are biographical elements, this is a story about new characters that you will fall in love with (Albert!) and Sarah is very insightful about teenagers as well as toddlers (my girls are both grown up). I thoroughly enjoyed this (even whilst sobbing!) and really, really hope we find out what happens to Beth and Jory and Emmy and Albert! (Please write a sequel!?)

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and Sarah Turner for the ARC in return for a fair and honest review. A well deserved 5 stars!

What a fantastic book. I loved every single page.
It’s an emotional, touching and relatable read that draws you in from page 1.
The story will stay with you a long time after finishing it as it’s such a beautiful read. It’s a book that I would strongly recommend and is certainly worthy of 5 stars.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House UK for sending me an advanced copy of this book.

Stepping Up follows Beth, a 30 year old certified 'quitter' who struggles to look after herself let alone anyone else. Beth lives with her parents, frequently bounces between jobs and had little sense of stability in her day-to-day life, but when an accident befalls Beth's sister, she is left with the responsibility of caring for her teenage niece and toddler nephew.

Whilst this book has a bit of a slow start, it eases nicely into an equally heartwarming and heartbreaking story about growing up, family, and life. Beth's relationships with her family members are tested and strengthened and she finds an unlikely friendship in her elderly next door neighbour which, for me, was the highlight of the book. Sarah Turner's writing is accessible and easy to follow making this the perfect coming-of-age tale for those who might be a little older, a refreshing take on the timeless trope. The sad nature of the story as well as the cute moments and instances of camaraderie all brought tears to my eyes and, once I got going, I read this book in a matter of days.

I gave this book 4/5 stars and would strongly recommend to anyone over the age of 25 and struggling to figure out their place in the world.

A really good read, pulls on your heartstrings in places. Beth is a remarkable character, who steps up literally for her family. Once started it’s hard to put down.

This story of a young woman who takes on the huge responsibility of looking after her sister's children following an accident is told with empathy, humour and a fairly deft touch.

I have never read this author before, apparently she has a large blog and/or instagram following. I honestly just loved the blurb, cover (I will be buying the paperback for my shelf thank you very much) and title so I wanted to give it a go, and am I ever glad I got the chance to read an early copy of this book. It was such a heartfelt book, not just about the kids but about Beth too. I think they all helped each other, it was a two way street so to speak. This book made me cry but it also made me laugh and I loved the characters in this book so much, flaws and all, but 83-year old Albert was the best! I liked that the children seemed real and their voices come through clearly, especially toddler Ted. And that ending was so surprising but I really appreciated it because of that. Such an endearing read, highly recommended.

Emotional, heartbreaking, funny, witty and wise, this is a cracker of a (sort of) debut novel.

I’ve seen Unmumsy excerpts over the years but this is Sarah’s first novel and I hope there are many more. Her writing style is so engaging and fluid that it’s so easy to read.

The story follows Beth and her family through a tragic event and 9 months beyond. Not a lot really happens - the changes are to the characters really, not the situation but it’s so uplifting and you absolutely can’t help but root for Beth.

An articulate, insightful and incredibly enjoyable read - I definitely recommend it.

What a gorgeous read. Likeable characters, lots of messages of hope and subtle humour all the way through. Really enjoyed this book, read in one hit. Recommend.

I wasn't fan of Turners other book but this is in a completely different league. I really enjoyed myself and read it in one evening ... and this is saying something these days!

Stepping Up by Sarah Turner was an engaging book with strong characters and a realistic setting. After a catastrophic road traffic accident it falls to Beth to look after her sister's children - a toddler nephew and teenage niece. With the whole family in a state of shock, Beth, who has never knowingly stuck at anything, has to negotiate her way through complicated emotions and relationships. Sarah Turner describes the action in an admirably low-key way and, best of all, resists the temptation to give us a happily ever after ending with all the loose ends neatly tied up.

Oh I loved this book. I pretty much eschewed everything else I had to do all Sunday so I could finish it.

I did expect to like this book as I am already a fan of Sarah Turner, but I didn’t expect to love it as much as I did.

Beth is so relatable, she is so like me, and she’s so likeable. The other characters are wonderful too - Jory is adorable, the kids are lovely, and Albert is delightful.
The story has everything, drama, intrigue, romance. It’s great.

I really hope there’s a sequel. I need to know what happens next for this family,

So I originally struggled with the start of this book, I found the beginning to be heart wrenching and I wasn't sure if I could continue, but as the book went on I began to become attached to Beth and rest of the characters. Beth starts the book as an underachieving character who lacks the will power to commit any role or hobby, much to the disappointment of her family. Following a tragedy, Beth becomes guardian to her niece and nephew and struggles with the responsibility of helping them overcome the grief and day to day life.

Within this book all of the characters came to life, I cried and I laughed with them as they overcame their own problems and began to heal. Albert steadily became my favourite character in the book, sort of like a lovable teddy bear, stumbling in his understanding of younger generations and quietly supporting Beth and helping her grow as a character. All of the characters surrounding Beth in this book provided support in bringing the story to life and making Beth become a better person and helped her work out her insecurities making us feel as if we could truly understand her.

I greatly enjoyed this book, and I feel it would suit most adults, especially those who feel like they are struggling to find their place in the world. This is another author who I look forward to seeing more from!

Although the characters were well developed, I found the writing a bit stilted and the pacing a bit too slow for me.

Absolutely cracking read. I thoroughly enjoyed this debut novel and feel honoured to have been chosen to read it early. Everyone is going to love the story of Beth and her upturned life. It brought me laughter and tears - what a gorgeous tale of family and love!

A really thoughtful book, not always the easiest of reads as the subject matter is heartbreaking. I found it be very well written with a good balance of humour to counteract the poignant moments, I found the mother to be very annoying but I think this was the writer's intention but she came good in the end. I would definitely read more by this author

I didn't really expect to enjoy this book and selected it out of curiosity to be honest. Slight negatives out of the way first the useless aunty / friend inherits children out of the blue story has been done before. But, big but, it is done really well here. Also how did they keep paying the rent / food on the table?? totally not mentioned (yes I know it's "chicklit" but still).

I was just desperate for Beth to catch a break most of the time. The out and out star of this book is toddler Ted, read it just for him and you will spit out your tea laughing at some of the more keenly observed observations of the other kids parents.

All in all a great story, well written maybe slightly predictable but so much fun it doesn't really matter. oh and yes be careful with cups of tea!

Stepping up is such a poignant, heartbreaking read but totally relateable and heartwarming, it grabs you from the first page till the last and leaves you wanting more!
Beth has been thrown in the deep end after her sister and brother in law were involved in a nasty accident leaving her sister in a coma and her brother in law dead, as designated guardian for her toddler nephew and teenager niece she has to overnight become a responsible adult whilst dealing with her grief and that of her parents and the children!
Beth struggles with routine, domesticity and order and is on a huge learning curve and experiences many cleaning and culinary disasters! not to mention work issues, relationship woes and offending her neighbour!
However as time goes by Beth impresses her parents, gets organised and starts to believe she can succeed and do her sisters wishes proud and finally admit to herself the feelings she has for a long term friend.
Moving emotional yet uplifting would love to see a sequel.
Thank you netgalley for this early read.

I just loved this. It was a hard story for me to read as it brought up memories of losing my own father at 4, however it was a great read. I loved Beth and her family and the romance.

I hoped Emmy would be awake by the end, but perhaps that means a sequal!

I was prepared for this to be a light fluff piece played heavily for laughs. Which now I think about it does Sarah Turner and her writing (Her non-fiction is brilliant) a massive disservice.
Stepping Up is so much more than I expected. Turner's writing creates a coming of age tale via unexpected parenting with heartfelt honesty. Tackling grief, strained family dynamics and a little bit of Wilf (If you follow her on Instagram you'll know!) thrown in for good measure,
Beth, the main character is a fully rounded kind human being who I enjoyed spending a couple of hours with. (Only a couple because I gorged on this book, devouring it in one night and staying up way past my bedtime to do so), and the relationships and previously undiscovered strength that the family found to get themselves through a horrific tragedy were utterly compelling.
My one (very minor) quibble, was that Polly had so much on her plate, both before and after the tragedy, that I feel that a bit of that was skimmed over and not addressed as completely as I would have liked given the seriousness of it all
I will definitely be buying a copy of this book for my shelves on release.

Beth is a bit of a chaotic character. She's thirty but still lives at hime with her parents. She never sticks at anything and still hasn't settled on a career. She gets drunk and has stinking hangovers so it's hardly a surprise when everything goes wrong when she is asked to step up. Her sister and brother in law are in a crash and Beth has to look after their two children to her own mother's horror.

This is a book about grief as well as a romance. I thought the grief aspect was well handled but enjoyed the romance part less. It seemed to intrude on the grief process she was going through. I think this part could have been safely left out as she had so much else going on to worry about. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.