I actually came to Joanna Nell's books a little late to everyone else but have thoroughly enjoyed all I have read so far and this is no different.
Again this is a lovely heartwarming story about women's friendships and their every day struggles with work, family and relationships.
An easy to read and moving story to immerse yourself in.

Thank you NetGalley, Joanna Nell and Hodder & Stoughton for the copy of the book The Tea Ladies of St Jude's Hospital. This is my personal review.
Marjorie Marshall Memorial Cafeteria is located at St Jude's Hospital. The cafeteria is ran by volunteers. These are an amazing bunch of volunteers who will make you smile and think as you read.
Hilary, Joy and Chloe are so different and yet they bond to work to save the cafeteria from being closed. Each if these women have a lot going on in their personal lives and yet they form a friendship that just grows stronger as they strive to safe what is the heart and soul of the hospital.
This book had me wishing I could do something to help them in their efforts. I enjoyed watching the women as they worked together and became strong friends.

I have become a firm fan of Joanna Nell's books and was most grateful to be given the opportunity to review this book.

In this book we meet Hilary, Joy and Chloe. They each have their own personal dramas. Hilary is now separated from her husband due to him leading them to bankruptcy. Joy remains cheerful although her husband Len is suffering from cancer. Then we have Chloe, a daughter of two doctors, destined to enter medical school herself but she doesn't really want to.

I loved this book from start to finish and ploughed through it quickly. Nell has become one of my favourite authors without a doubt.

I loved it ! An inspired read by the fabulous Joanna Nell , one to tug at the heart strings ,could not put it down .Wonderful.

I adored this book. I devoured it in a single afternoon. I thoroughly loved the story and was supporting all the characters. Beautiful story.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read The Tea Ladies of St Judes Hospital.

This book is a hug in words. I loved all the main characters who all had their own little quirks.

This is the first Joanna Nell book which I have read, I thought it was well written and the story grabbed you from the beginning.

Love the actually story of this! When three ladies come together to volunteer their time and serve @ the local hospital. Love the characters and the interactions between them too.

Another enjoyable read from Joanna Nell. I love older women being the main characters: Joy and Hilary are women I would love to drink tea with! This is a heart-warming tale of 3 women finding their way through their own difficulties. The only thing that would improve it would be a sense of place. For most of the book I couldn’t decide if it was set in England or the US. Then I read the author’s profile and find she’s Australian - that made sense of the ocean views!

It’s always a complete joy and pleasure to read a Joanna Nell novel, an author whose fiction reflects her fondness for and understanding of the older generation. From a cruise ship to a retirement village to a nursing home and now a hospital, Joanna Nell’s choice of setting in which to place her charming cohort of characters is perfect. St. Jude’s Hospital, and more specifically the Marjorie Marshall memorial cafeteria is where it’s currently all happening in this, the author’s fourth novel (yes I’ve read them all!) which is quite possibly my favourite so far.

This particular setting provides rich pickings in terms of character development. St Jude’s is home from home for Hilary, manageress of the cafeteria, a place where she feels comfortable and needed, somewhere she can temporarily forget the horrible and unexpected turn her personal life has recently taken. This stalwart member of the hospital community is formidable, a stickler for rigid rules and routines, barking out her orders to her fellow volunteers and subordinates yet deep down you have an inkling her bark is far worse than her bite. She may be numero uno tea lady but second in command is the clumsy, colourful, upbeat Joy whose lack of punctuality is a constant source of annoyance to Hilary. Well, that and the health and safety concerns Joy’s scarves and jingly jangly jewellery presents on a daily basis but overall her cheerfulness acts as a foil to Hilary’s gruffness and together they manage to rub along nicely. Joining these two tea ladies is their newest recruit Chloe Foster-Pearson, the latest Duke of Edinburgh volunteer whose future in the medical profession appears to be already mapped out as the daughter of two renowned surgeons. Only she’s not so certain that’s where her true abilities lie.

All three are at crossroads in their lives for reasons which will very quickly become abundantly clear but there is one thing that unites them. Quite simply it is their desire to ensure the cafeteria doors remain open in light of the plans which are already underway to give the hospital a glossy makeover, bringing St Jude’s firmly into the 21st century. The march of progress may be inevitable with the proposed introduction of Platter, a cafe catering for customers in possession of a more modern sophisticated palate but surely there’s still a place for those who prefer the traditional fare that Hilary and her fellow volunteers offer staff and regular visitors alike? So in the face of stiff,healthy (in every sense of the word!) competition Hilary, Joy and Chloe prepare to get creative, embarking on a makeover of their own and upping the ante in a culinary war where scones and jam, chocolate frogs and bog standard tea (most of which will end up in your saucer!) go head to head against cauliflower shakshuka, deconstructed lemon meringue pie and coffee made with yaks milk. They are harmonious in their efforts as the sugar soap comes out and the rubber gloves come off in a bid to save this tired, down at heel but well loved institution from extinction!

Inside every one of Joanna Nell’s novels you’ll find a treasure trove of wit and wisdom, warmth and kindness, compassion and camaraderie. Family and friendship and community spirit are at the the forefront of the author’s storylines, the overall vibe almost exclusively heartwarming but there are moments tinged with sadness, bitterness, uncertainty and regret. Between them these characters grapple with grief and loneliness and the pressure of fulfilling parental ambition, their individual struggles gradually spilling out over every cup of tea poured and every batch of scones baked. Gossip and low level rivalry intermingle with an abundance of empathy and love whilst behind the scenes there’s a fair amount of cunning, wily behaviour going down. The dialogue is lively, entertaining and hilarious and you’re left feeling flushed with positivity as this relatively simple storyline takes effect. I loved how their team work makes the dream work, their combined efforts leading all three women towards happier places outside of the cafeteria and hospital walls. Obviously Hilary, Joy and Chloe are the shining stars in this gloriously uplifting tale of mild rebellion and entrepreneurship (of sorts) but they are surrounded and supported by some great characters who are equally part of the furniture of St Jude’s. I was particularly fond of Wendy, who is the eyes and ears of the hospital and liked the calm reassuring manner of Professor Mackinnon. I saw straight through Hilary’s sister Nancy who drives her blue bomb with such reckless abandon it’s a wonder she (and/or Hilary) doesn’t end up on one of the operating tables! Overall I loved these characters who are mostly genuine, warm hearted and engaging. Old relics some of them may be but age proves no barriers when it comes to having a few tricks up their sleeves ( or more aptly, hiding in the pockets of their aprons!)

I heartily recommend making time to relax and read this novel. It is such a sweet, charming, occasionally bittersweet but wholesome read and you’ll undoubtedly feel a touch lighter and brighter from having met this tea making trio. I was positively sorry to reach the end, which came far too quickly. Roll on book number five!!

My thanks as always to the publisher Hodder & Stoughton and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a good book, it was well written with well developed characters and a good storyline. This book made me laugh out loud at times and tearful at others. There was also an element of mystery and unpredictability. I really enjoyed it and sped through it.

I enjoyed reading this book, it is full of twists and turns with plenty of emotions. |Some sad moments but others are happy., alll in all a very good read. Well worth 5 stars so go get the book and enjoy it.

Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for this e ARC

In this engaging, funny but sometimes very serious story we meet three women from very different ages, who are brought together in one place. Hilary, in her seventies and recently divorced, Joy, in her fifties and care giver for her seriously ill husband, and Chloe, only seventeen and destined to become a famous doctor, as her parents and two older brothers are.
And all three of them have a secret which has a great impact on how they stand in life and how they interact with the others.
From the first chapter on it is quite clear what Hilary’s secret is, but the other two are only slowly revealed; for me, Joy’s secret was quite heart-breaking. Besides the three women who together run the little cafeteria in St. Jude’s Hospital there are more interesting characters, as Wendy, the receptionist who’s more like a walking Twitter-account, General Manager Dave Rawlinson who’s only interested in earning money, and some regular customers, as the tea-drinking old man and the two chain-smoking outpatients. And not to forget: Nancy, Hilary’s older sister with whom she is currently sharing their ancestral home, and is the worlds’ worst driver. Reading how Nancy insists on taking Hilary to her work every day had me in stitches.
When a new cafeteria opens in the hospital, and Hilary slowly realizes that she can never compete with the sleek décor, the youthful waitresses and the menu full of food and drink she’s never heard of, the future doesn’t look good. How this problem is solved is a very good example of what people can achieve when they set aside their old beliefs and work together to create something new.
A wonderful book from Joanna Nell who does a great job in showing how ‘old’ people are still living and dreaming as ‘young’ ones – after all, age is just a number.

I was immediately taken by The Great Escape from Woodlands Nursing Home when I read it last year, and I’m grateful Hodder & Stoughton sent me this review copy of Joanna Nell’s latest title. By the way, I recently bought a copy of The Single Ladies of Jacaranda Retirement Village too and I’ll follow this author because her books really touch me in my heart.

This is the third book I have read by Joanna Nell and I love them. She is so empathetic with older people and it's great the way that she has them teaching things to the youngsters. This story is about the volunteers running an old-fashioned hospital cafe used by staff, patients and visitors. When the cafe is threatened with closure due to improvements and the new Wellbeing Hub everyone rallies round to save the day.

This book is amusing, heart-warming and highlights many truths. Recommended.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publishers for the chance to review this book.

What a wonderful read, a lovely story of multi generational friendships. This was written beautifully, at times I almost forgot the age difference and the fact that I was reading about two retired ladies. The book dealt with some very poignant themes, loss and loneliness, stress and anxiety and friendship. These three ladies pull together and help bring out the best of each other, I loved Joy and her zest for life, how she tried to help everyone and ensure they all felt seen and heard; even when Hillary is despairing at Joy she never gives up and works out how to help her and the cafeteria. Watching Chloe try and navigate her way through her life choices at the very opposite end to Joy and Hillary allows us to see the changes in the choices available to women as the decades have progressed, but that love, understanding and friendship have stood the test of time and are just as important.
I feel a special mention needs to go out to Nancy as she certainly had me chuckling quite a bit, her constant cloud of smoke and laid back attitude to everything was so funny at times, yet her story was just as eye opening as the others, she was suffering from loss and and loneliness just the same as the others.
I genuinely didn’t want this book to end, I loved every minute of it.

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

Joanna has written a book that has characters that you’ll love and remember.

This was a book that had me laughing in various parts of the story, but it was also a book that covered topics such as loneliness and grief.

I recommend this book as I have enjoyed reading it.

The Tea ladies of St Jude’s hospital by Joanna Nell is another heart-warming tale from the author. I have read some of her previous books and enjoyed them all.
Hilary is the manageress at The Marjorie Marshall Memorial Cafeteria at St Jude’s Hospital with volunteers her sister Joy and Chloe who is there for 2 weeks doing her Duke of Edinburgh award, soon to join her siblings of becoming a doctor. She runs a tight ship being the manager of the cafeteria. But some people say that it looks tired and needs a lick of paint. So, when the café is in threaten of closure after a new modern restaurant opens and theirs is threaten of closure and replaced by a wellness hub. The three women both different ages and backgrounds devise a plan and a petition to save the cafeteria from closure.
Thank you, Hodder, and Stoughton for a copy of this book. I really enjoyed this heartfelt story dealing with grief, loneliness and friendship. But also, the story had it’s funny moments in it too. 4 stars from me.

Three ladies come together to volunteer at the hospital Cafe. There's Hillary, a bit of a Sergeant Major, Joy who is a sweetie, and Chloe , a young teeneager with worries. The book takes us through their interactions with each other, their dismay at the new Cafe arriving, and their determination to stand firm and keep their cafe space.
Although I enjoyed reading the book, I found it hard to get involved with the ladies, except perhaps for Chloe, who was so well described.
Thanks to NetGalley for a review copy.

This was another emotional and sensitive read from this author and explores loneliness and grief and life changing events and how things are always so much better with friends and how the ladies of st Jude’s Hospital tea shop bond together and form friendships which help them to work their way through their life problems.

This was a story of real camaraderie and hope and was an emotional rollercoaster of humour and heartbreak rolled into one and also shows that if you are open and honest with others rather than bottling things up they might surprise you and not react in the way that you think and that life is for living and moving forwards whatever is thrown at you.

Unlikely Friendships…
A character led tale of ladies coming together in the midst of adversity, of unlikely friendships and of the power and determination of group thinking. An escapist and enjoyable read with a colourful and likeable cast and a storyline peppered with wry, dry humour and witty asides.

Firstly thank you Netgalley for this ARC

This was such a funny entertaining book with some sad times. Would love to have met those mischievous pensioners in real life