Member Reviews
Okay, I wasn't expecting to get as emotional as I did here so , much credit to the author. Engaging, yet witty and not the last of this writers books I shall read.
I adored this book that will bring up every emotion possible. I loved all the characters especially Charlie who is trying to come to terms with the loss of his parents and must make a decision about what to do next with his two young siblings. Told from Charlie’s POV and his sister and brother it gave insight as to how each of them grieved for their parents in the year following the accident that they lost their lives. A heartfelt read that made me laugh as well as cry. This is one that will be remembered and I totally recommend reading
A brilliant read and one I really enjoyed. The characters are loveable and varied, the plot is one that is engaging and medium paced. I found myself completely drawn into the story and enjoyed the writing style.
When you get asked to review a new book from Amelia Henley, you know 2 things. The first is that you will need tissues handy. The second is that you will be thinking about the story long after you've turned the last page.
From Now On isn't your typical love story. It's so multi-layered and complex. It's heartbreaking, raw, sweet, funny and thought-provoking.
The characters are just incredibly believable. Charlie is so complicated and vulnerable, he made my heart ache. Nina and Duke broke me, poor little Duke especially. And Pippa just seemed like a wonderful friend to have coffee and cake with.
Everything about this book drew me in and held me tightly in its' grasp. It's absolutely stunningly written, as all of Amelia's books are!
Why does this author always make me cry?! Weather it’s Louise Jensen or pen name Amelia Henley….She is one of the very few authors that does this to me. She always finds a way to pull on my heart strings. For this reason I totally love her writing.
Wow what a beautiful story. I felt total empathy with the characters in this book. Without giving too much away it is a very moving and heartfelt story. Henley’s writing is simply stunning.
Telling a story told of the POV of the characters she layers up an emotional, touching story of the Johnsons family. Who you cannot help but be empathetic with.
I cannot begin to tell you how good this is….It is story telling at its best! Simply amazing.
I would like to thank the author for a copy and for once again taking me on a whirlwind ride of emotions.
An utterly enchanting and emotional novel about love and romance.The author manages to infuse a thoroughly evocative atmosphere into a page-turner plot The overall feeling from reading this book is like being enveloped in a warm hug from that special someone in your life.
𝑨𝒎𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒂 𝑯𝒆𝒏𝒍𝒆𝒚 𝒊𝒔 𝒂𝒏 𝒂𝒖𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒓 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒂𝒃𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒌 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒐 𝒂 𝒎𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒑𝒊𝒆𝒄𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒍𝒐𝒘𝒍𝒚 𝒈𝒍𝒖𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎 𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒌 𝒕𝒐𝒈𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒊𝒏.
This book will pull you in quickly and you can’t help but feel as though you know the characters. My heart has been with them throughout this one and my emotions have been on a rollercoaster.
𝐻𝑒𝑛𝑙𝑒𝑦 𝑐𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑓𝑒𝑐𝑡 𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑠, 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑦 𝑔𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑏𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑘 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑜𝑛𝑔𝑒𝑠𝑡 𝑜𝑓 ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑠. 𝐼 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑙𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑑 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑙𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑏𝑜𝑜𝑘.
This moves at the perfect pace, contains some complicated relationship and a range challenges for those in the pages.
I have read ALL of Henley’s books and this is one that has really stolen a part of my heart. It’s quite possibly a favourite.
Once again I’ve needed the tissues as tears have streamed down my cheeks. This beautiful gem of a book is definitely a favourite of all the books I’ve read in 2022.
𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘐 𝘢𝘥𝘰𝘳𝘦. 𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳. 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘯𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘴𝘢𝘺 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘨𝘦𝘮.
𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘢 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦’𝘴 𝘛𝘉𝘙.
This was an unexpected surprise!
Charlie couldn’t be happier, he has a successful career and soon to be fiancée so when he returns to his hometown after some devastating news his life is in turmoil.
How is he meant to look after his young brother and sister when they want nothing to do with him. With the help of his oldest friend Pippa he tries to repair the relationship with his siblings as well as her.
This book was just stunning, I absolutely loved Charlie and Pippa. My heart absolutely broke for Nina and Duke, young children finding their way in life with such little support. I was gripped from the first page right up to the end. Heartbreaking but so heartwarming at the same time.
Poignant, emotionally charged, heart wrenching and heart warming. A well developed and compelling book, full of emotions and featuring a cast of relatable characters.
There's grief, hope, and how everything can change as life is unpredictable.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine
33 year old Charlie has gone back home to babysit his brother and sister while his mum and step dad go out to play in a band on new year's eve! At 5am on new year's day morning a knock at the door comes with heartbreaking news that their parents are dead! Charlie had a life a great job and a transfer to new York planned...becoming a father figure to his 2 younger siblings was not part of his plan!
I fell in love with this book within the first few pages, the author has captured the characters and the heartbreak, loss and eventually love with such delicacy. I loved the book.
Amelia, has done it again
I fell in love with this family from the outset and loved how she interwove their chapters to tell their story for their own viewpoints
33 year old Charlie is home to babysit his younger siblings for the night while his parents head off to a gig in Cornwall for the New Year, when tragedy strikes and the 3 find themselves orphans. Will Charlie be their for his 2 younger siblings at the time they need him most. Or will he leave as planned?
Torn between doing what he wants and what he feels is the right thing to do, we follow Charlie, 15 year old Nina and 11 year old Duke as they struggle to come to terms with the loss of their parents and the challenges they must overcome.
Beautifully written, highly recommend
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book
Read In two sittings could.nt put it down. Characters that will stay with me for a long time. Thought provoking for sure.
4⭐️🌟🌟🌟
I am in awe of author Amelia Henley, plain and simple. This author started her career writing psychological thrillers and she has now delved into the world of romantic fiction. She has done so with complete finesse and such tenderness for the characters she is creating.
I have followed her since her debut and I feel "From Now On", her third offering in this genre has taken her up a notch. Her writing is wonderful and her storyline superb.
And I must admit, this one is my favourite.
I settled down to read it and from the very first word I felt a lovely connection to it.
We all know families can argue, words are said or some left unsaid which can really hurt.
We meet Charlie and his family in this story.
Having been somewhat estranged from them, he calls for the night with his fiancé Sasha to look after his step sister Nina and step brother Duke while their mum and his step dad head for a night out.
The tragic events of the night catapult Charlie from his comfortable life as a literary agent in the city with his girlfriend by his side to a life of huge uncertainty with two young people looking to him for help and guidance.
He struggles and feels so unsure of what to do.
Much of what he is feeling is his guilt for walking away, guilt for not telling his mother how much he loved her when he could have.
I did find this read to be such an emotional one. A family so heart broken and so apart in their grief.
They must somehow get to know one another all over again.
I loved how author Amelia Henley told her story through each character, giving us a wonderful insight into how they are thinking, feeling and giving them a voice.
A wonderful read, full of regrets and guilt but so very gentle in its telling...
Such care she gives to her characters...I loved it...❤️
From Now On is so worth your time.
Thank you to HQ Stories for the opportunity to join the blog tour and for a paperback copy of the book to read and review. I joined the previous blog tour for The Art of Loving You and you can read my review at https://mentoringmumof2bookreviews.home.blog/2021/07/23/the-art-of-loving-you-by-by-amelia-henley/
This is another beautiful and heartbreaking book from the pen of Amelia Henley (aka Louise Jensen) and I wish I could award it with more than 5 stars.
Life changes suddenly for Charlie, Nina and Duke when a tragedy strikes their blended family on New Years Day. Charlie was due to be moving to New York but now needs to decide whether to stay with his siblings or to rely on his aunt to care for them. Can he also deal with the ghosts of his past that he has tried to ignore?
Nina and Duke are already having to deal with the normal issues of growing up and finding their own pathway and friends, and the tragedy makes this harder for both of them to deal with. As a mum I found this heartbreaking in places.
I’m trying to be vague about the story because I don’t want to give away any spoilers. A few times I thought I knew what was going to happen next and the story was very different. Loved the ending too.
The Johnson family became part of my life for a couple of days and I felt bereft at having to leave them behind when I finished the book. As I mentioned before, there is a tragedy so this story is emotional but we do also feel many other emotions in addition to sadness as Amelia Henley follows the family over the year.
I’m keen to recommend this emotional book and hope you will be tempted to pick up a copy too.
This is the third standalone novel I have read by Amelia and the third I have enjoyed. I love the way she writes with such emotion. It's heartwarming, heartwrenching and so beautifully written. A family drama with a bit of romance just about sums this up.
Charlie takes his girlfriend Sasha to meet his mum and step-dad on New Year's Eve as he is going to look after his siblings while his mum and step-dad go away for the evening. Little does he know that this will be the last time he ever sees them and his whole life is going to be turned upside down. He's going to have to make massive changes and sacrifices, but can he step up and be there when his family need him most?
Charlie has his old childhood friend Pippa next door, who is a wonderful character and probably my favourite, along with the dog!
Written in chapters from the point of view of Charlie and his two siblings, Duke and Nina.
Many thanks to Netgalley, the publishers and author for an ARC.
Charlie lives in London and is about to embark on a new life in New York, with his girlfriend Sasha, but before he goes he has returned to his home town to look after his two siblings, Nina and Duke while his mum and stepdad attend a gig in Cornwall on New Years Eve. A tragic accident brings the police to their door on New Years Day and Charlie knows that his life will never be the same again. He is torn, does he continue with his plans to leave with Sasha, or does he do the right thing and stay with the family that needs him now more than ever, if he stays he must confront his past and put things right with his oldest friend Pippa.
From Now On is told from the perspectives of Charlie, Nina and Duke. Charlie had a difficult childhood, the reasons behind this we don't find out until much later in the book, Nina is your typical teenager, full of angst which has been made worse by this terrible tragedy and Duke is a loveable young boy who is very misunderstood by those that don't really know him, for that reason they call him weird, really though he's just different. This book tugged at my emotions right from the start, I was totally invested in all three of the main characters and wanted to envelop them all in one big hug and take their pain away. I really hoped that Charlie would make the right decision to stay with his siblings, make that connection and be there for them when they needed him most. I wanted him to confront his past and make peace with Pippa, and was inwardly shouting every time he couldn't say how he felt. From Now On highlights the true meaning of family love and loyalty, taking it to a whole new level. I've read both of Amelia Henley's previous books and each time I've been an emotional mess, this time was no different. I reached for the tissues a few times during this story but that ending totally choked me. Another beautiful piece of contemporary fiction from this amazing author which will stay with me for a long time to come.
I'd like to thank HQ and Netgalley for the auto approval, I will post my review on Goodreads now and Amazon on publication day.
Beautiful, beautiful story, love, loss, family and friends, there are indeed many kinds of love. This book kept me turning the pages and I enjoyed every moment
Thank you so much to Louise for doing a giveaway during her author live in the Fiction Cafe, I won a proof copy of this book with dedication and all.
I'm really glad I read this book. It is packed full of family drama, emotional scenarios that really bring a tear or 5 to your eye. You will need tissues if you read this book and have every been through any family dramas.
Some of the situations are so relatable to me and I think that made it more emotion provoking for me. I really felt for all the characters at different stages throughout the book.
Can Charlie put the past behind him, that's for me to know and you to find out.
I really like books written as different people in new paragraphs, this flowed really well with interconnecting situations and the way each of them, Charlie, Nina and Duke react or behave in a certain scenario.
My favourite characters were undoubtedly Duke and Billie (the family dog).
What a story! I'm really looking forward to Amelias next book. I love the way she writes of love and romance with a tragedy mixed in.
From Now On by Amelia Henley is the most beautiful contemporary novel that totally consumed me. I never wanted it to end.
The novel is about love, loss and family. There are many different types of love – friendship, family, partner and more. Each one requires a step towards another, of making ourselves vulnerable to hurt. If we love deeply, we may hurt deeply too – but it is always worth giving love a chance.
The novel is also about loss. It is a loss that tears souls apart. It hurts. Each family member wades through grief and guilt. “He ate the cookie dough. He caused this and deserves to feel terrible forever.” So raw is the pain, that a character decides he must punish himself and withdraws from his passion and gift of musical talent.
Another character drowns in guilt because she was too busy to say a proper goodbye.
When death occurs, we feel guilty when we smile again. “The world is still turning and he wants to shut it out.” We think all of life should pause, but the world carries on.
If the last thing you ever said to a person was ‘I love you’, you chose well. We must not forget to tell our loved ones that we love them.
Events in the past impact today and tomorrow if we do not deal with them correctly. “He still can’t release his grip on bitterness he’s been carrying around for so long it feels like a part of him.” Living in a prison of bitterness weighs a character down. The past is gone. We cannot change it, but we can learn from it and choose how we live today.
Billie the dog is very much a character in her own right. She senses when her human family is upset. Sometimes we pour our feelings into our pets when we do not know what to do with our feelings.
We see the devastating impact of bullying on a young life. If you are being bullied, you must speak out and get help.
The pain of loss cuts so deep that it is only relieved by self-harm. This is sensitively portrayed. Again, if this resonates with you, please tell someone and get help.
All the characters were wonderfully drawn. I loved them all. They felt like dear friends. I wanted to love them better.
From Now On is such a beautiful book.
I received a free copy from the publishers for a blog tour. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.
The third book from Amelia Henley is something slightly different to her previous two. With a theme on love but not the kind you’d expect with this type of novel it explores love in all its forms.
I don’t often read this genre but there a few select authors who I do read and Amelia Henley is one of these.
I wasn’t sure what to expect as I’m normally a crime and thriller lover so swapping genre is always a risk but this book really drew me into a new storyline which had a few surprises.
I’m pleased I knew this was a family drama as I would have been disappointed had I not known as the focus was much more on the love with a family and not a potential lover. The journey we are taken on is a special one, with a sadness at its heart. The loss of their parents. This once again is something I can really relate to and some scenes were hard to read as it brought up some painful memories but also confirmed the accuracy of those first initial feelings of disbelief after the death of a loved one.
Having seen the author at an online launch I know parts will have been written from personal experiences and this was what made this extra special and a novel which will stay with me.
It had sadness, hope and laughter and also tragedy. A lovely read about families and their transition with new dynamics, which ended well if a little unexpected as I’d thought something else may happen but was wrong.
Fabulous story and looking forward to what is coming next.