The Authenticity Project by Clare Pooley was one of my favourite ever reads so I had high hopes for this book and it certainly didn't disappoint. Clare is an expert in creating a cast of authentic, characters each with their own unique voice and quirks. This was a warm, uplifting, character driven novel and utterly compelling. The concept was excellent and shows the potential for what might happen when commuters actually engage with each other. The plot was exceptionally well executed with the stories from each character gradually unfolding. Books with multiple voices can sometimes lose depth or the story can get lost but the way this was weaved together ensured the plot was clear and we were treated to an engaging, witty story that brought all the characters to life. I absolutely loved the book and can't wait to read more by this author. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in advance of publication.

So first up, Clare Pooley's 'The Authenticity Project' is one of my favourite books and still sticks in my head since I read it a few years back now. Therefore I have been looking forward to the author's next book from that point, I'm not going to lie, since being selected for an advanced readers copy of the latest title I have put it off a bit as I didn't want to read it too quickly! (Oops when have just read it in two days!)

'The People On Platform 5' introduces us to a delightful cast of characters, regular commuters on the same train route into London every day. Their lives never entwining with each other, because who really talks to anyone they meet on a train or a bus now? In a world full of happy ignorance by commuters we find Iona, an eccentric woman whose commute attracts lots of attention but never conversation - until one journey when that all changes and an eclectic group of people are soon brought together in ways they would never imagine, friendships formed and lives changed.

Another wonderful book by Clare Pooley where you are made to realise that there are still wonderful things that can happen in the world, there are nice people about there and not everything is doom and gloom. A story the restores faith in humanity and the goodness of people, and that not all strangers are a bad thing. In fact a stranger could just be the start of something, the catalyst that turns your life around.

I love the writing style by this author and, after waiting patiently for the follow-up novel to a favourite I am very pleased to say I was not disappointed in any way and have in fact added another title to my favourites list. A definite recommendation and one to add to your list when it is released next month.

This book was responsible for my first book hangover of the year! That feeling where something was so good that afterwards you feel bad that it's over.

It was so good I picked it up on Friday evening, and with a break only to grab a couple of hours sleep, did nothing else until I finished it on Saturday. Only to mope around for the rest of the day feeling lost and out of sorts and wanting desperately to be able to go back and catch up with my train friends!

I was completely caught up in the 5 main story arcs and how they interweaved with each other and the additional supporting characters were equally 3 dimensional.

I may just have to read it again...

The story
Strangers travel on the London Underground every day. They don’t converse or even make eye contact. One day, a smartly dressed businessman chokes on a grape. Emmie sitting next to him can’t help him. Iona, long ago “it girl” and aging Agony Aunt has slightly more success. Handsome oncology nurse Sanjay is able to give the Heimlich manoeuvre. This starts off a chain reaction with other characters opening up about their lives and challenges.

My thoughts
I love this story, love the concept of the stereotypes and preconceived ideas we have about strangers rarely being close to the truth. As each character in this beautiful story unfolds, is able to trust in someone new, they each bring the gift of their own unique qualities and perspectives to support those around them. The inter-generational support in here is a special aspect I loved about this. It’s so good. Love love love it!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️

I loved the way that this was written, and I think this is what would happen in real life too.

Thank you NetGalley for my complimentary copy in return for my honest review.

Very much enjoyed The Authenticity Project and Claire Pooleys latest did not disappoint.

Imagine if we actually spoke to those people we share our commute with? The book is based around a group who do just that, connecting when an incident on their morning train throws them together. There’s a great cast of characters some of which you immediately and some take a bit longer to warm to!

Each character gets a voice for their story to unfold. From the brilliant Iona - a 57yr old former it-girl and magazine columnist to manspreading banker Piers, to cancer nurse Sanjay ,Pooley is brilliant at giving each of these very different characters an authentic voice.

This is a book about the magic that can happen if we take a chance. A warm, wise, witty read.

Huge thanks to NetGalley & Random House for an advance copy

I loved the Authenticity Project and I loved this one too. Clare Pooley has done it again, I flew through this one and then was sad when it ended!

Iona is such a role model I loved her character so much, she was so strong but hiding a secret about her beloved wife.

I love the way that Clare Pooley manages to bring all the unlikely characters together and intertwine them, I cant wait for her next one!

What a wonderful book, full of such beautiful and vivid characters.

The writing is fantastic, I really fell in love with Iona and was deeply invested in all of their stories.

It’s incredibly easy to read, it’s feel good, it’s warm, it’s certainly one to bump up your TBR list.

My only complaint is that I wish there was more of it. 5/5 stars.

I loved The Authenticity Project by Clare Pooley and was really excited to get this one from NetGalley and I am so happy to report that it did not disappoint! I loved this book so, so much! We get many points of view. First we have Iona, she is a self described magazine therapist. We also have Sanjay who is a nurse, then there is Piers a finance guy who wants to be a math teacher, followed by Emmie a tech wiz in the marketing game and finally we have Martha who is a high school student caught in a terribly embarrassing situation at school...they think they know each other, but do they really? There are a few side characters that are also just as important and well thought out...and everyone is hiding a secret, can these strangers really be the answer to each other's prayers? So funny yet heartbreaking, so poignant yet quirky, so sweet yet impossibly real. These are such an unlikely bunch to become friends, but become friends they did and in the end they make sense. I really don't want to go into it any further because this story is much better the less you know and I encourage you, reader to get to know them yourself and just enjoy the (train) ride, you'll be glad you did and you just might find some surprises along the way.

Nobody ever talks to strangers on the train. It’s a rule. But what would happen if they did? The People on Platform 5 follows a group of people who travel on the same train in the same carriage each day. Iona is a larger than life magazine columnist and travels each day to Waterloo with her trusty dog Lulu. She sees the same people everyday and has names for them such as Terribly-Lonely-Teenager and Impossibly-Pretty-Constant-Reader but they never speak. That’s one of the unwritten rules of commuting. Until Smart-but-Sexist-Manspreader chokes on a grape in front of her starting a chain of events where this group of people find they have more in common that just their commute.

This is a great novel with some truly wonderful characters, Iona is by far my favourite. It’s easy to get lost in the chapters and deeply invested in each persons story. Definitely a five star read. Thank you to NetGalley, Random House UK and the author for the chance to review.

I loved The Authenticity Project so was so excited to read The People on Platform 5 - I was blown away! Incredible book, full of joy and warmth and love!

We go about our daily lives, wondering what everyone's story is but we never actually know. Everyone has a story; everyone has their own daily challenges and battles and no one knows what is going in a person’s life. But this can change and you may be able to make a difference, however small that may be.

The People on Platform 5 is based around a number of distinct and individual passengers who get on a train (which I am sure they have done for many years prior) and then due to one scary situation, they all become entwined in each other’s lives, help each other so remarkably and become firm friends. It is an absolutely superb inspirational story and one which I am sure has happened in real life and you can see how it could happen.

This book is so brilliant! I loved it so much! The characters come to life on the page. Iona is such a wonderful lady - everyone needs an Iona in their life!

A smile can brighten a person’s day. Saying Hello as you pass someone in the street may be the only Hello and dialogue that person has that day but will mean so much. Starting a conversation on a bus or a train ... this book proves you just do not know where that may lead!

Ever since I finished The People on Platform 5, I am left wondering what is going on in the characters’ lives! I feel as if they were all real, that I met them on the train and that I was a passenger too on the train, looking in, thinking Wow, what a difference they have all made to each other and the impact that this will have on them in years to come!

Such an uplifting inspiring story - if I could give it more than 5 stars I would! I have no doubt that this book will have a huge impact on readers. Thank you, Clare Pooley, for an incredible read.

I was excited to see that Clare Pooley had written a new novel after loving The Authenticity Project and this one certainly lived up to my expectations. It’s a lovely, warm-hearted book with a great cast of random characters whose only link is that they catch the same train each day.
The story is told through several points of view. Each of the characters has their own distinct voice and life and although they travel together, nobody ever speaks. However, one day, an unexpected event occurs that breaks the ice and connections and relationships begin to be formed. The main character focus is Iona, a 57 year old agony aunt who is feeling threatened at work by a young editor who feels Iona is too old for her role. It’s Iona who breaks the non-speaking rule and who the other characters revolve around. Although, for me Iona is the star, all of the characters are brilliantly written and I love the way that they gradually begin to connect with each other.
There isn’t really a plot as such. Each of the characters has their own story and their own problems which we learn about in their separate chapters. During the space of the book, each characters must overcome or deal with their difficulties but they all grow through doing this. There is a lot of humour, some despair and a bit of romance and they all combine to make an extremely satisfying read.
Everybody needs an Iona in their lives to take us out of our shells.
Thank you to Net Galley and Random House publishers for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book jumped out and gave me the biggest hug just when I needed it most. A huge fan of people watching, Clare Pooley has perfected the art and put it all into the most heart-warming novel I have read in a long time.
Iona Iverson and her canine companion Lulu take the same train across London every day, as it seems do a group of people who are all familiar to one another by sight but are unconnected in any other way. We all know that the First Rule of Commuting is that you do not interact with these people; you note the way they dress, the habits they have - even give them nicknames and dream up lives for them based on your observations of them. But you never interact. All that changed for Iona on The Day of The Grape.
The humble component of a fruit salad, chosen purely for its nutritional value following an unkind comment from his wife, causes one of the subjects of Iona's observations to require assistance and it is from thereon in that a select group of commuters find a bond with each other which none of them could ever have foreseen.
The story is told from each of the commuter's points of view at various points through the book; it seems that they all need advice and support far more than they each realise but gradually they all come to the same conclusion: the only person qualified to give the advice they need is Iona.
I absolutely adore this book! The easy writing style, the witty observations and a great sense of humour all come together to make this the triumph of a book that it is. I think we can all imagine ourselves as one of the commuters on Iona's train - I for one would love to be one of the train gang in this book. I love how the characters evolve from the early pages into much happier souls at the end despite experiencing some of life's trip hazards along the way. I never imagined Smart-but-Sexist-Surbiton could have such hidden depths!
Iona herself is one of the most fabulous characters ever with her eccentric dress sense and tales of far more adventurous times in her youth before the daily commute pulled her into its clutches.
I simply cannot award this book sufficient sparkly stars. It's Fabulous darling!

Individuals woven together by a chance encounter making them a community. People with problems and lives rather than nameless people that catch the same train daily. A really good book for people who like reading multi narratives. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this book.

Synopsis:
Everyone has a daily commute. Perhaps on this commute you start to recognise your fellow commuters. But you never talk. Iona has been taking the same tube for as long as she can remember but she is about to find out what happens when you start to engage with your fellow commuters. With the POV of Iona, Piers, Martha, Sanjay, David, and Emmie, this novel highlights what good can come of just being nice and talking to strangers

Opinion:
I absolutely adored The Authenticity project so when I was accepted to read this I was more than thrilled and it didn’t disappoint! What I love about Pooley’s writing is that she manages to convey tone of voice for an array of characters from all different perspectives and backgrounds. I loved the theme of community and new friendships which was embedded throughout which just made the book so whole and heartwarming to read. Pooley did try to cover some important themes of domestic relationships, family conflict, old age/ageism in workplace and teenage bullying/online sexual activities within teens but I think due to having so many sub plots that it wasn’t able to be looked at deeper. I don’t really have any complaints about this book and I cannot wait to see what this author writes next!

Wow! This is the best book I have read in ages! Loved it.
The first rule of the morning commute is that no one ever speaks. However, one day a group of travelers are brought together over an incident involving a grape.
A whole cast of interesting characters who normally would never have had anything to do with one another are brought together on their daily commute. From middle aged agony aunt Iona and her dog Lulu, to timid schoolgirl Martha, and from Piers the brash city type to David, the mild mannered solicitor plus a whole host of other travellers. We learn to love each of the 'train friends', and care about what happens to them. Each traveller has their own backstory, with their own problems, hopes & dreams. The group of friends are able to help & encourage each other with their lives, and it all weaves into an amazing story.
I loved this book so much that I have just purchased one of Clare Pooley's other books - The Authenticity Project. If it is half as good as this book, then I am in for a treat.

#AdPrProduct #BookReview ✨ ⠀⠀
The People on Platform 5 by Clare Pooley 📖⠀⠀
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"Nobody speaks to strangers on the train. But what would happen if they did?"⠀
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🌟I love, love, loved this one, it's sure to be in my top reads of the year! ⠀
🌟The fantastic cast of eclectic characters will steal your heart & have you rooting for their happy endings in no time (even Piers!). ⠀
🌟The concept had me from the start, unique & absolutely brilliant. The way Pooley weaves their lives together is just pure perfection. ⠀
🌟It deals with some very serious issues gracefully, sensitively & thought-provokingly.⠀
🌟It gives you all the feels from laughter, tears & everything in-between. Ultimately leaving you with a happy heart & wishing you hadn't turned the last page just yet so you could spend more time with the gang. ⠀
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Feel good fiction at it's finest, I highly recommend! ⠀

Disclaimer: A huge thanks to Random House UK & NetGalley for sending me this title for an honest & unbiased review.

What a lovely book! A train carriage of strangers, who commute together every day, and don't speak. Then something happens and they start speaking, helping and caring for each other. Iona is the central character, with a lovely huge warm heart. There's enough depth to everyone's stories to keep it interesting right till the end. Thoroughly recommended.

What a wonderful book! I was so worried this wouldn’t live up to how much I loved The authenticity Project, but it’s just as wonderful. I laughed, I cried, I rode the roller coaster ride of emotions. I loved Iona, with her big heart and need to help everyone. The idea of a group of strangers coming together to form a community is magical, and sorely needed in these times. A real feel-good book.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

This book was amazing. We meet Iona, who is an agony aunt for a magazine, and she takes the same train every day, and sees the same people. People that Iona would not talk to. Until one of those people choke on a grape. This one moment is an ice breaker and is the start of wonderful friendships and the train gang. Each character has their own story, and problems for Iona to subject her wisdom to.

This was brilliant. Each character was brilliant, especially Iona. She is eccentric, but with a big heart. There was lots of real problems, lots of current issues, and a lot of laughs. I highly recommend this brilliant book!!