Thank you to Netgalley for my ARC.

I have listened to the Unmumsy books and Sarah is very funny. This is her first novel and I had to request it to see if her humour continued into her fiction.

However, this is nothing like her other comedies. This is a typical work of fiction that focuses on Beth's life and how it is turned upside down when her sister and brother in law are involved in a car crash. I was worried that I had picked the wrong book to read on holiday but I was quickly taken in by the plot line and any worries I had about how sad the novel would be were put to one side.

The emotions in this book are carefully dealt with, so that you will be laughing and crying in equal measure. Where else would you find a family tragedy coupled with a toddler needing a number 2 in the middle of the woods with a new-to-parenting Aunt in charge?

Beth has been so used to spending her spare time in the pub or enjoying long, relaxing baths. It is no surprise that she really struggles when she suddenly finds herself looking after a sullen teenager and a three year old. Who will teach her how to change nappies? and what is the teenager hiding because she is acting really strangely?

Bring into the mix a mother that clearly does not think she's up to the challenge along with her own barbed comments and 'suggestions', an octogenarian neighbour that is navigating his own mourning and a platonic relationship with her eldest male friend and it is no wonder that Beth questions herself time and time again if she is up to the challenge.

This is one of those books that sweeps you up and before you know it, you've read it in just two days!

I can really see Sarah having a very long and successful writing career. This is a wonderful novel and I hope that it does well.

I was expecting to enjoy this book but it really is an excellent piece of romantic fiction. I have read a lot of this genre in recent months and this debut stands head and shoulders above many. Beth is reputedly an irresponsible big kid; the wild, free-spirited younger sister and well-meaning but slightly distant auntie. However, when her sister is in a serious car accident, she suddenly has to ‘step up’ and look after her niece and nephew. Forced into a responsible role, Beth begins to discover more about herself through new experiences and friends old and new. I loved the characters in this book and felt so invested in them and the story - it made me both laugh and cry. Definitely a five star read for me and I can’t wait to read more from this author.

I requested this book as I had read the authors previous book and needed a good laugh. What a mistake! It starts wkth a pretty traumatic event and then I thing I cried for most of it!
The book focuses on Beth and how she is forced to "step up" after a traumatic event as well as focusing on her relationships with friend and family.

The book is really well written with characters you can warm to and does have snippets of humour in it but is also very sad!

This was a great read. A realistic, funny emotional rollercoaster that covered several difficult topics very well

I have just finished this book and I am desperate for a sequel!
A heart-wrenching read full of delicate themes and delightful characters. Albert is an absolute delight.
Beth plods through life moving from one job to the next, living for her trips to the pub with her long time bestie Jory, whilst residing in her childhood bedroom at her mum and dad's. That is, until tragic life events see her take on the role of guardian for her niece and nephew.
Absolutely brilliant.

I have been meaning to read this since approved by NetGalley, so when this came up as a Book Club read, I couldn't wait! Stepping Up has got to be one of the heart wrenching rom coms I have read in a long time.

Sarah has created a handful of phenomenal characters within this tale; Arthur is an absolute gem, Jory is a dreamboat, and Beth herself is a fantastic leading lady! A storyline of love, loss, life changes, and self-discovery are just some of the topics touched on by Sarah Turner. Although this could have been draining, I am delighted to say it wasn't!

Most of us within the book club failed to keep to the reading schedule and inhaled this at an alarming rate, as it was just so moreish and addictive and hard to put down. I can not recommend this enough, and no matter what review I write, I will not do this any justice at all.

The only review I can give is - READ THIS BOOK!

A story about sticking together through thick and thin. I loved Beth, I felt for her. This is a great holiday read.

Loved reading this. I could invest in the main character and her development throughout the book. Can't wait to read more books by Sarah Turner.

I am a sucker for stories that chart the personal growth of an already grown up character and the premise of this one just spoke to me.

Beth has always struggled to stick to anything and as a result, she is still sleeping in her teenage bedroom in her 30s. But when her sister Emmy and brother-in-law Doug are involved in a tragic car accident, it’s Beth’s job to step up and take on the role of guardian to her teenage niece and toddler nephew. Suddenly, her life is all about tantrums, plush toys and parties -both of the teenage and toddler varieties. How will she navigate this whole new world while plagued with worries about her sister and trying to figure out how she really feels about her best friend Jory?

The book perfectly illustrates what it’s like to live with your parents in your childhood home as an adult. The feeling of trying to carve out your own space in a space that isn’t wholly yours and being constantly surrounded by remnants of previous versions of yourself is a unique experience and it was captured exactly in Beth. However, while Beth isn’t delighted to still be living at home, I loved how her situation wasn’t depicted as completely tragic. I never had any doubts that Beth had it in her to find herself and her own space. She just needed a little more time.

Having never spent a decent length of time with Polly and Ted before, Beth is naturally nervous about becoming their guardian. I felt anxious on her behalf because it’s a huge undertaking and she really is out of her depth at the beginning. I have no idea how I’d cope in the same situation but I imagine it wouldn’t be too far from how Beth does it -simply throws herself in and tries her best. It is, after all, all any of us can do!

It is also incredibly funny and I found myself laughing out loud at certain points. It really is an ideal mix of heartwarmth, heartache and humour. I loved watching Beth come into her own as super aunt, make mistakes and be completely, authentically human. Watching her relationships with Polly and Ted blossom was so beautiful and while the ending was still tinged with uncertainty, it was bursting with hope.

Stepping Up is a book that explores inner strength, unexpected friendship, changing perspectives and kindness in general. While it is largely an easy, light-hearted read, there is a deep sadness running underneath the whole narrative. We meet the characters in the midst of tragedy and anxiety and that inevitably changes them. They’re getting used to their new lives and dealing with all the awkwardness that involves. It’s a fantastically readable state to get to know them in and I genuinely really struggled to put it down.

A family story that deals with grief and relationships and families.
This book is about sticking together
I loved it

Lovely story about family and how they stick together no matter what. The old and young would like this story, true problems and solutions by the person they think is not capable of anything. Beth’s sister knew different though and now she just has to prove that she was right to have faith in her to look after the most valuable thing to her.

This is a heartwarming, at times funny, and emotional family drama exploring themes of grief. Beth is a likeable and messy protagonist who is so easy to root for. I really enjoyed the setting of this novel as well, Cornwall felt like a welcoming community that suited the story well! My favourite character was Albert who is a total sweetheart and the scenes between him and Beth are sweet and wholesome providing some light relief to the story. Jory and Beth’s friendship is also very tender. It is clear that these two are meant for each other but the slow burn nature of their romantic relationship was endearing to watch unfold. This book does deal with tragically weighted topics but it was also a joy to read.

All the stars for this book! Absolutely fantastically written with funny reminders of the 90’s which I loved yes totally heartbreaking to read. I loved Beth as a character and found her parents extremely hard on her especially her mum considering she was struggling to deal with everything too but wow just a gorgeous book!
The friendship between Beth and Albert was just stunning and I truly wish everyone had an Albert in their lives and the world would be a better place.
A story of grief and loss, with humour and a whole rollercoaster of emotions that leaves you surprisingly uplifted.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book. I have chosen to write this honest review voluntarily.
A life-changing event happens within the first few pages of this book, starting a period of rapid adjustment for Beth. The romantic theme is only a small part of the story with family relationships of primary importance. I thought that Beth was shown to be rather shallow, with very little idea of responsibility or practical ability but it is made clear that this is partly due to her mother's characteristics and behaviour so the author was successful in creating believable characters. There are funny and sad moments woven throughout the story as well as times when I concluded Beth was even more stupid than I'd thought, especially given her own teenage behaviour, but the whole made for an interesting plot without a typical 'happy ending' where all loose ends are tied.
It is a different, contemporary read where hope for the future is offered and most chicklit readers would enjoy it, together with the use of language which is common in today's world.

I’ve followed Sarah Turner for a while on Instagram and really enjoyed The Unmumsy Mum. I wasn’t sure what to expect from her first fiction but there was no need to worry, it was beautiful, humorous, fast paced and covered difficult topics but in a Sarah Turner way!
I absolutely loved Beth’s vulnerability and the lovely friendships she formed! I would absolutely love to read a follow up book!
Definitely recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

This book was a pleasure to read. I loved Beth and how she navigated her new responsibilities as her niece and nephew's guardian. What I loved most was that she does this while not losing who she is a person, Her growing friendship with Albert (her octogenarian neighbour) just made me so happy

I just selfishly wish that the book was longer because I want to know what happens next!

Would definitely recommend to my friends!

If you're after a heartfelt, entertaining novel that manages to be witty, sweet and NOT CHEESY (yay!), this is the book for you! I have a fairly strong aversion to clichéd, saccharine-sweet stories but Stepping Up manages to beautifully sidestep anything like that.

Beth has never had any real responsibility in her life. She's unorganised, chaotic and wonderfully strings-free - she's single, has no dependents and spends a lot of time getting drunk with her best friend Jory. Then one day, her older sister Emma and her husband Doug are in a serious car accident. Doug dies, and Emma is in a coma. Beth, as the godmother to her young niece and nephew, agrees to look after them and suddenly, her life becomes very different!

It's a book about family and relationships, trying to live up to expectations, the way grief can take so many forms and how you can grieve for someone even if they're still alive. It's got plenty of humorous parts to it, despite the subject matter - Beth's observations and thoughts are really entertaining - and Jory is a great character. Although I could predict some of what would happen right at the start, the story still feels really fresh and entertaining. I liked that the potential love interests for Beth don't take centre stage in this novel throughout - it's about her supporting her family and the impact this has on her life, and her needing to 'find a man' doesn't seem to be the be-all and end-all for her (despite her mother often asking her about it), which is a nice change from many other novels.

I struggled to put down this book. It's so readable and felt like it struck just the right balance between its serious and lighter notes. The subject matter was dealt with so brilliantly and I didn't want it to end. I'd happily read many more novels about Beth and her situation and I think the ending was just right.

🧻🧸Stepping Up by Sarah Turner 🧸🧻
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Beth has absolutely no responsibilities in her life. She lives at home with her parents still, she never sticks it out in a job, she has no romantic relationships that have worked. But when her sister and brother in law are involved in a serious car accident she finds herself responsible for a teenager and toddler going through emotional turmoil. Ultimately she needs to grow up and mature almost instantly.
I really enjoyed this book it was emotional and real and the characters were so loveable.

#steppingup #booksta #2022inbooks #bookstagram #netgalley

Beth is disorganised and unable to stick at anything for long, including jobs. A family tragedy finds Beth moving into her sister's home to act as guardian to teenager Polly and toddler Ted, with the assistance of her parents.

Beth's mum is everything she is not - super-organised and critical of anything that is less than perfect - so Beth feels completely inadequate when things unsurprisingly don't go as planned.

Fortunately, Beth has her best friend, Jory, who she is secretly in love with, despite trying to deny it; however, Jory is seeing another teacher at the school he works at. Then there is Albert, the elderly neighbour whose lavender bush Beth was sick in once and is still mortified about.

Albert turns out to be lovely and Beth gradually begins to find her feet whilst the family waits for more positive news regarding her sister. But what is the guilty secret that Polly is holding on to that makes her blame herself for her parents' accident?

I enjoyed this story and found it easy to read. It didn't have a cloyingly sweet ending but is nevertheless positive. You feel invested in the characters, especially Beth as she navigates her lack of self-confidence and finds she is more capable than she realised.

Sarah Turner is an author I would be happy to read more from.

I received an ARC of this book from Random House UK, Transworld Publishers, in return for an honest appraisal.

What a rollercoaster of a book, one minute I'm laughing out loud, the next I'm an emotional mess.Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this.