Life, it isn’t always easy, no matter what age you are. Pete’s discovered this and in style. He’s feeling unwanted and unneeded with his ex-wife gone and his daughter has flown the nest, only to boomerang back and then jet off again. From her dad, there is a moment of elation, even if he has to accommodate Niall, her half-wit, bothersome boyfriend, and that all goes when she gets a job abroad. The only trouble is, Niall stays behind, so he is truly stuck with her half-wit, bothersome boyfriend.

I rather liked that you really got a feel of Pete’s perspective on what he’s dealing with and how life is going, in its ups and downs. It felt fresh and just rather nice and different. There is also humour to be had with some of the situations and characters. It really will make you feel many emotions.

I enjoyed this, it was uplifting and easy to read.

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

After his divorce Pete feels like his life is falling apart. However the only bright spot is that his daughter is returning home to live with him. Even if it means her boyfriend, Niall, is part of the deal.

But when his daughter lands a job in Stockholm it means he is now sharing his home with Niall. Running out of excuses it's time for Pete to sort out his life.

An uplifting and realistic story.

I reviewed Separation for Beginners for book site LoveReading.co.uk. It has been picked as a LoveReading Star Book and Liz Pick of the Month. See site for full review.

Dazzlingly clever, twisting and romantic and constantly surprising. An unputdownable rollercoaster of a read. The opening is atmospheric and completely absorbing. Immersive, pacy and unputdownable.

A quick and easy read that I found myself picking up after a long day to unwind. The characters are beautifully written and I came to love them within the first few pages and was rooting for them all the way to the end. At times I wanted to stop reading because I just wanted the experience to go on for longer.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️ 4/5
📚 64/36
📍 🇬🇧
🗂 Fiction
📖 Individual, Dad, Husband, Divorcee, Friend, Boss, Colleague is living in the past and needs to move on
👉 Blurb and front cover caught my attention
✅ I wanted to keep reading
🙂 Humour made me smile
🤖 Loved Niall as a character
🔀 Has a ‘Ricky Gervais After Life’ feel to it (bitter & sarcastic but uplifting)
📆 August 2022
*Publication Date - 18th August 2022

I received this eARC in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley and Wellbeck Publishing UK. Thank you for accepting me to review this book.

This story is full of heart - it's heartwarming and heartbreaking all at once.

Following the story of down-on-his luck Pete whose daughter moves in with him, bringing her boyfriend along and abruptly leaving him there when she gets an amazing opportunity. Pete has no money, no wife, and a roommate he really didn't want - but then again, he doesn't really know what he wants anymore.

Full of vibrant, complex characters, Separation for Beginners will strike a chord with anyone who's ever wondered who they are when they're alone - and who wished they didn't have to find out. Delving through family, loss, divorce and self-discovery, this story is undeniably sweet and uplifting, and so easy to read.

I wasn't sure what to expect from Separation for Beginners by Joe Portman but it was moving, tender, funny, realistic. Perfect for fans of David Nicholls, Nick Hornby, Jonathan Tropper.

Thank you very much for the opportunity to read this book. It just looked so interesting and great. I’m so excited to have the chance to read/review it. Full review to follow both here and the blog, I love stories like this realistic insights into the human experience. This looks to be a fun delightful read.

A refreshing, laugh-out-loud, feel-good novel about what happens when you let go of the past and make room for the unexpected later in life – for fans of Beth O'Leary's The Flatshare and Marian Keyes' Grown Ups.

Pete's swearing is getting worse. What with the divorce, the debt, and the dying travel business, no one seems to need him anymore. Well, except for his 23-year-old daughter, who – jobless and unable to afford London rents – is moving back home.

Pete's delighted – he'll even put up with his daughter Susie's bothersome boyfriend, Niall, who struggles with the concept of personal space and only adds to Pete's neglected to-do list. But when Susie lands a job in Stockholm and flies the nest for good, Pete finds himself stuck with a flatmate he never signed up for – and out of excuses to hold onto the past.

One day he'll get around to fixing the lock on the bathroom door, figuring out what to do with his failing business, evicting his daughter's boyfriend from his house, and maybe even getting over his ex-wife...

But it turns out there are some things you can't put off until later – and some people who won't let you.

This was a simple, fun, easy and quick read. The perfect type of book for your holiday, beach, pool kind of read. This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

3.5/5.