Well written and enjoyable family saga that addresses some serious themes of fertility problems, domestic abuse, and finding love later in middle age.

I normally love Erica’s books but this didn’t quite hit the mark for me.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my review.

As my title says I simply loved this book; a family saga set in an idyllic village on the Cornish coast called Tilsham.

Naomi lives by the sea and she is coming to terms of her husband's death, with to daughters Martha and & Willow also accepting the loss of their beloved father.

Martha and her husband Tom are desperately trying to have a baby, she is determined and in control of her life and has it all mapped out.

Her younger sister Willow, is more easy going and has a new boyfriend Rick, who takes control over her whimsical ways.

Naomi has a very close relationship with her 2 daughters, but they don't know about her past.

This saga is uplifting, secrets are revealed but you'll be swept away with the tale and how things will unfold. A great story and characters, the setting is lovely; you'll want to move to the village of Tilsham.

I must read more of Erica James books, I know I'll not be disappointed!

I am not sure if this was a 'chicklit' or family drama but it ended up happy ever after.


Naomi lives a seaside town on the south coast in the family home where her daughters Martha and Willow grew up. One daughter thinks her mother would be better off selling up and moving closer to her, whilst the other daughter has none of it.

I actually empathised with Naomi who Erica James captures her perfectly.

Thanks to Net Galley and HQ for the chance to read and review.

Brilliant, absolutely loved this book. Right from the start it caught my attention and it didn't stop throughout. A nice easy book to read the covers death and how events from childhood can affect you later in life without you even realising. I recommend this book.

Loved this book. Great descriptions of the characters and situations. Brought home how protecting your children from an abusive father can lead to all sorts of problems further on in their lives. Interesting family dynamics, again described beautifully, I could totally understand the behaviour of each character. Reasonably happy ending though. Loved the idyllic setting, made me want to live by the sea.

There’s nothing better than reading an Erica James novel! She writes about so many interesting topics including controlling behaviour. A great about how a mother protects her daughters despite being adults! Well done Erica!

Family drama.
Naomi lives a seaside town on the south coast, the family home where her daughters Martha and Willow grew up. A new neighbour moves in next door and to her surprise it is an old friend, Ellis. A rapport rekindles between them.
Meanwhile Martha feels that her mother would be better selling up and moving nearer to her daughters as she grows older but Naomi is content to stay.
Fans of Suan Lewis will love this

I am a big Erica James fan.
This book has a strong message, all about how women are strong and independent. Men maybe abusive and manipulate however women sisters, mothers and daughters always stick together

I loved this book; great characters and a lovely setting; so typical of many family relationships. Looking forward to more by this author

I have really enjoyed all of the Erica James books I have read in the past and this one certainly didn't disappoint either. A great family saga in a wonderful setting; a lovely community village, with a fab sounding family home right on the beachfront. Anchor House is somewhere I feel would be great to sit out in the garden during a sunny summer's day and the author certainly made me want to drop in and settle into a chair on the veranda with a glass of wine!

The story centres around Naomi and her daughters, Martha & Willow. They are all very different characters at different stages of their lives. Martha has it all sorted, but is struggling to get the thing she wants most in the world. Willow is drifting along, with no real purpose in her life, until she meets Rick and her life is turned upside down (and not necessarily in a good way). Naomi on the other hand, is recently widowed and wondering what the next stage of her life is going to look like. Then she runs into an old flame, and her life changes......

I loved the way the story progressed and all the different relationships developed. As for whether there were any happy endings, that would be telling....you'll have to write this great book yourself to find out!

Thank you to Net Galley and the publishers for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review, which is what I have given.

Martha and Willow are sisters who are complete opposites of each other. They idolised their father and tried to persuade their mother to move closer to where they live. Martha was the dominant one and despite her annoyances I couldn’t help but like her. Tom her husband just sounds too good to be true and when Willow meets Rick, the man of her dreams all seems to be going well.

Their mother Naomi lives by the sea in a large family home and one day bumps into an old flame Ellis which is when things get cosy.

I really enjoyed this book. It shows you no matter what age you are you can still find love and that no matter how much you want some relationships to work sometimes people are not always right for each other.

Thank you to Netgalley and HQ for the opportunity to read an advance copy in return for my honest review.

Naomi’s husband Colin died suddenly just over two years ago and she is enjoying life in her home, Anchor House in Tilsham on the Sussex coast. Naomi has two daughters who are ‘like chalk and cheese’, the eldest, Martha, is forthright, determined and plans everything out and her belief is that her mum should sell sell the house and move closer to her and her husband Tom, especially as they are trying for a baby. and she is trying to get her younger sister Willow to go along with the idea. Willow , on the other hand is very laid back and gives the appearance that she lets life happen , although her new boyfriend Rick, is definitely attempting to change all that. The ‘Miller Girls’ are all about to have their lives turned around with arrival of Naomi’s old friend Ellis.

There is something rather wonderful when you sit down with a new Erica James novel. The characters and story are so beautifully written that you are hooked from the first page. This family saga does not disappoint and is yet another masterpiece.

Martha and Willow, both in their 30s had happy childhoods in Anchor House, a beautiful cottage on the beach. I had a vivid image of this piece of heaven in my mind. The sisters are very different. Older sister, Martha, very organised and forthright, knows what she wants and sees things in black and white. Just like their later father, Colin, she is happy to say. Willow is the opposite - a drifter, happy go lucky, very empathic. Their mother Naomi is coming to terms with life as a widow and has recently rekindled a relationship with an old flame. Much to her older daughter's disgust. How could she betray their father so soon? But we learn that all was not idyllic in Naomi and Colin's marriage, and with Ellis she has been given a second chance. Will the girls come round? Willow is in a new relationship with "ideal boyfriend" Rick, while Martha and husband Tom are struggling to conceive. Plenty secrets emerge, and in the end - family is what matters. A wonderful read. #netgalley #mothersanddaughters

Erica James always delivers compelling stories filled with heart and warmth and Mothers and Daughters is no exception.

Naomi is a widow but not particularly a grieving one. Instead she has discovered a whole new lease of life in the two years since Colin died. And to her amazement, she has also found love again with a man from her past. Ellis is a good man, caring and considerate. A stark contrast to her bullying and violent husband. Life is good. But Naomi is worried about sharing her news with her daughter Martha, who worshipped her father.

Martha has always been the practical and rational one. Her younger sister Willow, is her polar opposite, and seen as dreamy and soft.

As Naomi predicted, Martha does not take the news of her Mum's new relationship well. Whereas Willow is happy for her. But then Willow knows more about her Mum and Dad's relationship then she's ever admitted.

Willow herself is hiding a traumatic secret, and her past is affecting the choices she makes for her future. In a new relationship and unexpectedly pregnant, she is becoming a shadow of herself and we can see how her partner Rick is eroding her spark.

Martha and Tom are happy, but struggling to conceive. The struggle is making Martha bitter.

As time moves forward, each brilliant woman learns about their own strength, and the unbreakable bond they have that provides the safety net that catches them when they fall.

Erica James writes with wisdom and sensitivity about difficult subjects, and makes her characters come alive with her carefully crafted writing that reads effortlessly.

The complicated relationship between a widowed mother and her two grown up daughters. Their mother has gone to great lengths to protect them and they are beginning to question things from the past. When their mother is ready to move on and start a new life the daughters are not happy. A great insight into relationships.

I absolutely adore Eric James books. I have been a big fan for a really long time. They are feel good, uplifting, bittersweet, heartbreaking, joyous and utterly Beautiful and this book is simply no exception. Loved it.

The beginning is rather fun and shows up some of the idiocincrasies of the English language. Mothers and Daughters has plenty of wit and warmth throughout it as well as well-kept secrets that seep out into the fore…

Martha, who has Tom, would really like nothing more than a baby. She’s not just sensible, she is one for following every single rule, plus she has a plan and direction for where she wants her life to go. She is also super organised with a list containing everything she is going to do. She also really cares about her mum, who likes to do her bit for the community they live in and is newly widowed. Willow is the complete opposite in manner as she is much more easy-going. There is also Rick, who is quite controlling.

Exploring the characters and the dynamics between them is compelling to read as you see how the relationships between them and the manner in-which they do, evolve and change, especially between the mother and her daughters as a crisis forces certain secrets to come to the fore. These have a major impact on the family, significantly shifting the dynamics and perceptions of each other. As the characterisations unfold, readers get a good chance of really getting to know them well and belong with them on the page until the end as the characters all navigate their way through their lives and the revelations that come out.

The book is gripping and not all is as cosy as the title may suggest with its darker themes that are explored alongside the lighter ones in its short, very engaging chapters.

A glorious read from one of my favourite authors, Erica James. Her stories are always very substantial reads and Mothers and Daughters was no exception. Set in the English village of Tilsham near Chichester, Sussex, this was a family drama style story and it had the usual depth that I have come to associate with the author's superb writing. The tale fired my imagination as I knew that it would and there was certainly never a dull or boring moment. The characters were all well-drawn and most were very relatable and likeable, though a few were not, however, they all had a valuable contribution to make to the story. Mothers and Daughters had it all, from families, friendship and trust to conflict, domestic abuse, control and secrets. Highly recommended and well worth five stars!

I received a complimentary copy of this novel from HQ via NetGalley at my request and this review is my own unbiased opinion.

This is a truly stunning book from Erica, one that I didn't want to end. Set around the mother, Naomi and her two daughters Martha and Willow. It follows the family over a few months where past secrets are gradually unveiled.

This was a captivating story that I really enjoyed. It’s my first read from James and I hope it won’t be my last, because this book was such a good novel. I liked James’ story-telling, exploring the connections between three women that goes beyond just being mother and daughter.

Each of the characters are unique and I liked how the writer created such diverse identities. Despite being sisters, Willow and Martha are opposites in how they live their life and what gives them enjoyment. However, they are both miserable and have inward struggles that they find difficult to cope with. For Martha, it is the challenge of falling pregnant; Willow, on the other hand, feels trapped in a new relationship and wonders if she should settle with Rick because of everyone else’s approval. This disparity between the siblings is reflected in their terse relationship, made even more strained when their mother reveals some secrets of her own.

I really liked Naomi’s character and how she is enjoying life, despite being widowed for several years. Rekindling her friendship with Ellis encourages her to acknowledge that her marriage was not as perfect as everyone would seem. Therefore, this spark she has with Ellis is symbolic of a new start; an excitement and happiness that ironically is missing from her daughters lives. I was really rooting for Naomi and understood the choices she makes over the novel. On reflection, I think it is quite interesting that an older character in the story connected with me the most. Perhaps because Naomi is presented as so caring and selfless, in contrast to Willow and Martha’s sometimes selfish or erratic behaviours.

Over the story, more parallels are established between the three women. The insecurity in relationships and hidden secrets means that the women are more connected than they realise, even when Willow and Martha are opposed to Naomi’s connection with Ellis. Furthermore, events that happen in the novel link to Naomi’s past and I think this makes the family even closer still.

I loved the setting of Tilsham and Naomi’s house. It sounded so peaceful and idyllic! Although the story does not fully take place by the coast, scenes at Naomi’s house always felt shrouded in a calmness that I could never feel with Willow and Martha’ story. I think this symbolises the different pace of life that the characters lead and reinforces Naomi’s more laid-back approach to decisions. Indeed, with Ellis by her side, they seem content to garden, appreciate their surroundings, and help out with village life. It sounds like bliss.

As the story developed, I grew to like the characters more and more. I could not foresee how the story would progress and liked how the narrative shifted mostly between the three women. It was a lovely family drama that rests on the importance of communication and this evolves over the story. At the beginning, there is a lot of distance between the family but by the closing, events have occurred that makes them even stronger as a family unit.

Whilst there are some emotional issues explored in this story, I thought the ending was uplifting and optimistic. I enjoyed seeing Willow and Martha come together as sisters, and then become accepting of their mother’s decisions. Family life is emphasised in this story, but also the importance of friendship and independence. It sends some significant messages to readers about acceptance of life choices and I appreciate this moral message that James is trying to convey. Well worth the read.

With thanks to HQ Digital and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.