Another good read
Perfect book to curl up with and to get lost in
Will have you hooked from the first page
Thanks NetGalley

I devoured this book in a couple of sittings, desperate to know what would happen next to Mac and Marie. The storytelling made it feel as if they were part of my own family and I felt sad to say goodbye when the story ended.

If you want a story full of love, hope, family and dreams then this is the book for you. Heartwarming and heartbreaking

The House That Made Us is a love story – and a life story – told through a series of photographs and inspired by a true story.Compelling, absorbing and highly entertaining. Fast-moving and fun! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

‘The House That Made Us’ is the first book by Alice Cavanagh.

When Mac and Marie marry and find a home of their own, Mac takes a snap of them outside their newbuild bungalow, the garden bare and the paint on the front door still wet. It becomes a tradition, this snap, and slowly the photographs build into an album of a fifty-year relationship. Every year they take a photo and though things change around them – the garden matures, the fashions change, they grow older – the one constant is their love. Every year, come rain, come shine, from the Seventies through the decades, every photo tells the story of their love. But life never travels the path you expect it to, though they know that a life with love is a life lived to the full. Now, in the present day, the photo album belongs to someone who doesn’t know the people in its pages. As they watch the lives from the past unfold, will the truth of their love story be told…?

Alice Cavanagh aka Juliet Ashton has written a beautiful story that will instantly tug on your heartstrings. It tells the story of Mac and Marie and their life together and the mysterious stranger that visits her and travels down memory lane with her through a photo album.

This book is warm-hearted, tender, and witty. Mac and Marie are a lovely couple, where Mac is quiet and reserved, Marie is fiery and outspoken, their opposites but work wonderfully together. Any troubles that they face brings them closer and they really do make an enviable partnership.

The story is written in past and previous tense, and this makes for wonderful and tender reading as we learn about their story. It’s hard to say too much about the story incase I give something away, but this tender love story is a wonderful start to 2023.

A story of love and new beginnings, ‘The House That We Grew Up In’ is a sweet story of nostalgia but be warned tissues are needed!

You can buy ‘The House That Made Us’ from Amazon and is available to buy from good bookshops.

I have often said that when you purchase a house along with the keys it should come with a journal or book filled with the life of the house.

The book is all about a house called Sunnyside and those that lived within her walls. We get to experience the house through a photograph album.

I had to say I was not prepared for the effect the book would have on me. Whilst that overused expression of a rollercoaster of emotions would fit my time with the book. It just isn’t a big enough example. A space shuttle to mars might fit better. I felt emotionally spent in the best way at the end of the book. I have read many books but none that had me having high highs and soul-destroying lows chapter after chapter.

You should prepare yourself to meet a clique of characters that are heart stay ones and that you won’t want to leave.

Mac and Marie are newlyweds that move into Sunnyside. With no idea how life will turn out and we get to go on the journey with them. I don’t want to give any spoilers so I am being very careful. I loved the story of the hamster and it had me laughing out loud. This down-to-earth and hardworking family will feel like home to you.

The writing is so clever and it was really hard to predict what was going to happen. Which was totally refreshing and a welcome change. Each chapter leaves you with questions that all get answered. A creative and brilliant idea re the photograph album. We have piles of albums that stop abruptly in the late ’90s when the age of digital media was born. I used to love going to John Menzies to pick up the photos with my mum.

The book will make you reflect on your own life and family. The people that helped draw the map of your life and of course the home that your heart resides in. It made me hug my parents a little harder and be really proud of the life we have had so far. It hasn’t always been easy but the love has been in abundance.

I won’t ever forget this book and now alongside The Book Thief, I will be telling all my friends to read it. A perfect read for a book club. You could really learn a lot about people and their own lives.

I am jealous that you get to meet them for the first time. Please give them my love.

All the stars!

This is a book I truly wish I could read for the first time all over again. I’m in complete awe and fangirl mode at how utterly fantastic this book is.

July 1970, a house called Sunnyside and a newly married couple Marie and Ian (Mac) Mactavish. Mac is attempting to carry Marie over the threshold. The first photograph and their first meeting with the grumpy neighbour who was forever known as ‘Next Door’. There will be many more photographs taken outside the door of Sunnyside, each one documenting their life together, the fashion faux pas, the ups and the downs.

Marie came from a large boisterous Irish family, whereas Mac had virtually no family at all. Apart from his aunt Tatty who wasn’t the most effusive of women when it came to attention and affection.

Marie and Mac’s story was one of love, happiness, sorrow and humour. Every time an emergency depleted their much wanted cruise savings or forced their plans to change, my heart broke a little for them. Every family crisis, each drama involving their children and wider family was told with warmth and compassion. It wasn’t just Marie and Mac that captivated me with their big hearts, but the rest of the family too; including the fiercely independent Tatty, the drama that formed the life of Marie’s sister Bernie, the two Adrians – characters so engaging and likeable. I couldn’t help smiling at Marie’s devotion to Princess Diana, an obsession borne from sadness. I felt her disappointment when she had to keep putting her own career ambitions on hold. “The universe was petty. Why does it keep ruining my dreams, when they’re so small they’re barely visible to the naked eye?” Mac’s yearning for a father in his life made me feel so grateful for the one that used to be in mine.

Another perspective, In the present day, and alongside Mac and Marie’s story is that of an older couple and a woman with a fading memory looking though a photo album. These interactions were cleverly worked into the story and I found these segments incredibly poignant, reminding me of my own parents and their hundreds of photos which I have.

Inspired by a true story, The House that Made Us reflects on love, family, and lives well-lived both in good times and bad. Alongside the smiles there were times when I had something in my eye but I absolutely loved it and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend. I already have it marked as one of my favourite books of the year.

My thanks to SJV of Simon & Schuster for the tour invite and for the paperback to review

Where do I begin, what a book! ‘The House That Made Us’ has to be one of the most incredible moving, emotive and beautiful books that I’ve read in a long time, it will stay will me forever.

At he heart of the story are Mac and Marie who marry and move into their very first home. Mac started a tradition of taking a photograph of them both outside their house every year on their anniversary which tell the story of their life together and absolute undying love for each, their hopes and dreams for the future.

I absolutely loved Mac and Marie, the unconditional love and stability they gave each other and to their extended family and friends literally oozed from the pages. I do have to say their house was definitely not a house it was most certainly a HOME. A home that wrapped itself around them and around those close to them. The love and kindness was embedded into the very fabric of the building.

They always looked ahead to the future, saving what they could to fulfil their distant dreams. Time after time their hopes, plans and dreams abandoned but never forgotten just as they were about to be fulfilled, whenever life through them a curve ball - never feeling bitter when their lives unexpectedly changed direction and followed a different track. I loved that they shared the same thoughts and opinions, each thinking things through independently, coming to a decision and then finding they were aligned when they they shared them with each other, they truly were two of the most selfless people I’ve read about.

I absolutely loved reading their story, spanning fifty years from the 70’s - so many memories brought to life by the anniversary photo’s that became the album of their lives. The story resonating just a little bit more for me, as I was a child growing up in the 70’s and reading Mac and Marie’s story sparked distant memories of how life was back then pre the digital age.

I could say so much more but don’t want to spoil such a special story for others. This was the last book I read of 2022 and I would say if you haven’t already had the pleasure of being a fly on the wall of the most beautiful life story of Mac and Marie you need to clear your day and dive right in you won’t be disappointed. They definitely got it right in life - love, kindness and happiness trumping material gains every time!

I finished this book about a week ago and I am still thinking about these characters. This book is about a young couple, Mac and Marie. We see them move into their home after just getting married. We see them start a family and then we see how that family grows over the years. The ups and downs that every family faces. The growing and shrinking of every family with babies, new partners and sadly the passing of some members.

I really loved this little family. Mac and Marie are such a sweet couple. I loved being by their side through everything. I felt like my emotions were right there with them. Through every laugh and every tear, I was by their side feeling it all with them.

I loved the way the book was set out with a picture each year outside their house. I like little things like this which make a book unique. Some years were skipped but that was okay. We saw the milestones and it didn't feel like you were missing out on anything. The story is well-paced and the plot is well-thought-out.

I was so sad when this story was over. I was so reluctant to leave these characters behind. I'd definitely recommend this book!

The House That Made Us is a beautiful heartfelt story full of love. There was something so poignant about the sharing of the photo album - memories captured to be shared and remembered. A memory for me of times gone by too as my mum had many a photo album capturing those little moments in life that today we all to easily forget.
I loved the relationship between Mac and Marie - one of those true love stories that felt so real. The support they gave to eachother through thick and thin was wonderful- building memories together.

Loved this book. The characters were lovely but so was the house, which made this book, was it the characters or the house, you will have to read this to find out.

Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for this ARC

I’m not sure I’m going to be able to express how big an impression this book left on me. On the face of it, it’s the simple story of a newlywed young couple moving into their first home and starting a family which then follows them through the next fifty years or so. And yet for all it is a simple story, it’s a big beautiful story of love.

I absolutely adored Mac and Marie. Their strong and steadfast love for each was apparent on every page and their support for each other through the ups and downs of life was wonderful to read about. Alice Cavanagh wrote so beautifully about how they supported each other and how they always believed in each other. It reminded me very much of my own parents’ marriage. They were married in 1966 and together until my dad’s death in 2018. I was born in 1970, the year Mac and Marie got married, so a lot of the book was like a trip down memory lane.

Mac and Marie seemed so opposite to each other. She was loud and enthusiastic and loved bright colours. Yes, those Seventies brown and orange swirly carpets featured, as well as avocado bathroom suites! Mac was much more placid and not a fan of loud colours but quietly supported his wife’s choices anyway. Their families were so different as well. Marie came from an exuberant big Irish family whereas Mac was brought up by an aunt. What makes a family is a big theme in this book and what is shown to be so important isn’t necessarily blood ties but love.

And that’s the word that keep coming back to me when I think about this book – love. Love shines throughout the book and is shown in so many different ways. One of the characters says at one point that Mac didn’t need to say he loved someone, he showed it every day. This too reminded me of my dad. This was such an emotional read for me and would have me giggling on one page then with a big lump in my throat on another. I’m not ashamed to say that certain points had me in bits.

I can’t recommend The House That Made Us highly enough. It’s a tender, emotional and uplifting story of a family, a home and the love that fills it. Mac and Marie are wonderful characters and their compelling love story will remain with me for a long time.

An original and poignant story that talks about life changes, how we get old and the time passing.
It made me cry and smile, loved the characters and the plot.
It's well written and I enjoyed it.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

The House That Made Us is a truly gorgeous and heart-warming story by Alice Cavanagh. It’s a book where both the plot and the wonderful varied cast of characters subtly and slowly inch by inch get under your skin and by the conclusion, they have found a firm pace in your heart. So much so that you are reluctant to leave them go. Admittedly, it did take quite some time for me to get into the book but upon reflection I am wondering is that the way it was meant to come across. That just like the characters and the house and family that bind them together, you as a reader grow with the family as the years pass them by. That you become more immersed in their life as they mature and you come to gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of each them who come together to form a family unit that becomes very special but at the same time is unique and an assortment of personalities which come with a range of issues. This is a story about love and life and the bumps in the road, unexpected struggles and diversions that can occur to set us off track but the one thing that remains steadfast is the deep and abiding love that the two main characters have for each other. Out of which a family is created and one which you will find difficult to leave behind once you reach the final word.

I found the chapters to be short throughout and several years could pass between a chapter or two. Usually, I would find this disconcerting and liken it to just too much jumping around the overall timeline. Here, it worked perfectly, the concise chapters gave us the information we needed to know and the sentiment, emotions and range of feelings were coming across perfectly. It never felt rushed as if the story was galloping ahead and I found the pacing to be ideal as there was a significant period of time to cover. We watch the creation, development and evolution of a family which shows how love can be a constant anxiety but also one of recovery and satisfaction. One line really summed up the book in its entirety. A life well lived is a life well loved and these characters sum up this statement to a t. Initially, I did think oh this is going nowhere and it felt like the same things would be repeated over and over as the years pass by.But having finished reading this wonderful book, I could see how clearly, cleverly and expertly the author had plotted everything out. A bigger picture was being built up and the pieces would all come together in a suitable manner.

Each chapter begins with a man visiting a woman who you soon can tell is in a home. It’s clear the woman has some form of trouble with her memory. At each visit they look at a photo album which chronicles the life of a family. Each year on an anniversary, a photo is taken and as the number of photos build up a picture is formed of the family who live at Sunnyside. I was so sure I understood why this little titbit was at the beginning of each chapter. I was actually too smug in my opinions and I say fair play and bravo for pulling the wool over my eyes as I was surprised as to the ending but it was perfect for the story that had ben told even if perhaps it was not what I and I am sure many readers would have wanted but it had to be there for the story as a whole to come full circle.

July 1970 and Mac and Marie are stepping over the threshold of their new home, Sunnyside, as newlyweds. Mac hopes this new life will get rid of the loneliness he feels. It will be a bridge from the dark chill of Mac’s past. You instantly wonder what has happened to Mac to make him feel this way and the question of his parents and what happened to them is one which persists throughout the book but not so that it takes over the entire plot. Instead, it rises to the surface at just the ideal time. His Aunt Tatty had reared him and had done her best but still he feels the absence of a deep love keenly and hopes and really he knows deep down inside that Marie is the one who fill that gap.

Marie is originally from Ireland but came to work in England and is so proud that she has an apprenticeship with Vidal Sassoon but soon that is put to one side as she falls pregnant with their son Dan and soon after the birth her life ventures off in a different direction and her emotions and stance are questioned. Marie’s family were a brilliant addition to the story. The typical Irish family who brought many moments of laughter but also there was a more serious side too. The author completely nailed Marie’s family. The Irish mannerisms and ways of thinking were just spot on and really enhanced the story. Marie’s family are chaotic and she had a wonderful childhood so different to what Mac experienced. Her sister Bernie had a brilliant storyline and it could have felt as if she was the hanger on, just a character thrown in for good measure. In fact, there were several characters that could have come across in that manner but instead they all have a valid role and firmly fill a place and you come to care for them as much as you do Mac and Marie.

There is not a lot you can say about specific details regarding the plot as a lot happens as the years roll by which as I have mentioned occur with each chapter. The author is building up one big picture of a family who are like any other. It’s only when you peer that little closer and dig that little bit deeper that you come to learn of all their ups and downs. I loved the running joke from beginning to end of Mac and Marie always trying to save enough to go off on a cruise somewhere and each time they just about reach their goal. Well, a spanner is thrown in the works. This could have become tiresome, but it didn’t at all as it allowed other subplots to develop which continued to run for several chapters. It never felt contrived at all. In fact nothing about the story did and I just grew to love the characters more and more and I found myself feeling sentimental about them and the situations they found themselves in.

As the years pass by, a daughter is born Emma, who in turn allows for an even deeper exploration of family dynamics particularly the relationship between herself and her brother Dan. You see how Mac and Marie navigate the challenges that come with rearing children even right into their adult life. Both Mac and Marie grow and mature and become vastly different people from the two that walked through the door of Sunnyside for the first time. You get the feeling that they are both on this one long journey together which they fully entered into when they got married and this journey has brought troubles and challenges but also so many moments of happiness, love and contentment. Their love story is a joy to read and will tug at the heartstrings. They have ambitions which are tested but what always shines through is the love they have for another which is tested but whether it stands the test of time that is for you to discover.

The House That Made Us is a little gem of a book that I am so glad I read. It would be such a shame to let this brilliant story pass you by as it so warm and inviting. It has a simple premise that could have been another just run of the mill book, that is nice at the time of reading but you know it will not be the most memorable. Instead, it was the total opposite with memorable characters that you come to root for all the way. This was a lovely introduction to the writing of Alice Cavanagh and I look forward to reading much more from her in the future.

I have mixed feelings about this book. I did enjoy it as it was so unusual but, it made me very sad at the same time. I loved the references to the 1970’s which I remember well. I would certainly read other books by this author in the future. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

Thanks for the opportunity to read and review. I loved meeting Mac and Marie and seeing how life at Sunnyside changed. A very emotional read in places.

A fantastic book with great characters and lots of charm. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book.

My first book by this author but it certainly won't be the last. I loved the writing style, watching the characters evolve over time, the family dynamics, the struggles, the happiness, the romance, the pain, the joy and the beauty. All things we go through in the houses we grow up in which have a massive impact on our lives and upbringings

I really enjoyed this book and revisiting the family over time. Lots to say about people and relationships. A really lovely read.

The House that Made Us, wow this was such an engrossing read. The House, it's residents and their annual rituals, missed opportunities and their journey toward the end was a page flyer for me. I finished this in 1 sitting.