Utterly charming and a wonderful read. I so enjoyed this tale of Dolly who’d lived with her sister for forty years……her grief at the start together with the portrayal of her finding herself - and a whole heap of her history and friendships - was pure delight. It was warm, funny and touching. Highly recommended.

A real charm of a read. Dolly and her sister Greta used to buy suitcases at auction each Christmas- ones who had not been claimed for over six months. Occasionally they would find some nice clothes and bits, at other times just a load of dirty washing. Since Greta died Dolly hasn't been herself, but now her neighbour Leroy who she gets on well with is leaving for Jamaica and Dolly feels a little left out. She bids for a steamer trunk as it looks different. On arriving home she leaves opening it until Christmas day as was her and Greta’s tradition. When she does she gets rather more than she bargained for and wants to find the owner to return some of the goods. When she finds a notebook of “ firsts” the trunk opens the door to things she would never have dreamed of. She is egged on by Flo, her young neighbour of eleven, who has promised to widen her own horizons by going to guides as long as Dolly continues with the firsts.
This is one of those reads that quickly enveloped me and I quickly took to both Dolly and Flo. There’s a skill of writing characters where the reader becomes not only absorbed but invested in what's happening and this shines through the pages. Larger than life characters bring a smile sometimes hiding the sadness of their lives and this book has both the ups and downs of life in all its forms. One Life- live it. A treasure of a read and one I didn't want to end.


#blogtour

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.

Lost Luggage by Samantha Tonge is a lovely, feel-good read from an author who is new to me, but one who I will be looking for in the future.

Dolly is eighty-five years old and has recently lost her sister, Greta. For fifty years the sisters have attended a lost luggage auction, but this year will be a little different. Finding a notebook among the things of a reclusive woman named Phoebe, Dolly makes a plan to tackle the year of firsts that Phoebe had intended for herself.

This is a wonderful story of struggling through our own grief to come out on the other side. It is one of hope and inspiration, and it might even have you writing your own list of firsts. Dolly is a woman you will not soon forget.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an ARC.

Another heartfelt read from Tonge. Loved how Dolly’s and Greta’s story unfolded. Lots of shocks along the way to keep me turning those pages. A delight from cover to cover.,

what a great read!
i loved following the adventures of Dolly and watching her find herself and enjoy her life with the friends she didn’t realise she had!
a book to make you think about your life and how you want to live it!
now to start my book of firsts…,

really enjoyed this book! I was given an ARC of this book from Netgalley and Boldwood books in exchange for an honest review the thoughts are my own opinion. This book was really interesting and emotional. We meet Dolly who is eighty five and goes to a lost luggage auction like she has done for fifty years with her sister Greta. But Greta has passed so Dolly is doing this years auction alone. They used to each purchase a luggage and exchange what ever was in the luggage they purchased for Christmas that year. Dolly purchases a lost luggage that has a diamond ring, a giblet and a notebook. Dolly decides to open the notebook and see that’s it belongs to a Phoebe who has wrote different challenges to make her leave the house she hasn’t left in quite some time. Dolly uses the challenges to try and give the luggage back to its owner by trying to cut her off at one of the challenges. With the help of Dolly’s 12 year old friend Flo they make a deal Dolly will do the challenges to find Phoebe if Flo gives Guides a chance. I loved Flo so much I was a Guide when I was younger and I just loved her quote “ Welcome to Guides, it’s like office work.” I laughed so hard at this quote. I loved the growth of Dolly and Flo! I loved the ending and everything that ensured (no spoilers)

This was a warm and uplifting read with some serious topics at heart and some lovely memorable characters. The subjects of grief, broken relationships and more were covered along with the effects of struggling to leave the house through several emotional difficulties. Phoebe’s problems were covered with compassion and insight and well explained, having witnessed similar issues I’m very appreciative of this. Although there weren’t many surprises in this the journey and emotion was thoughtfully considered yet there were so many lighthearted moments too and fantastic relationships that this was a very easy read. 9/10