This is a well written book but I disliked the main character a lot. The ending seemed very abrupt. The book is very slow paced

In the last thirty years, Amanda Brookfield has made a name for herself for writing astute, intelligent and candid stories about the complexities of women’s lives and as she revisits her first novel Alice Alone, readers will be able to see where it all began.

When Alice Hatton’s youngest child leaves for university, she makes two earth-shattering discoveries: the Empty Nest cliché is all too true and she no longer loves her husband, Peter. In her fifties, the thought of spending the coming decades with Peter fills her with dread and apprehension. Far from growing closer, the two of them have grown apart and Alice has completely and utterly lost her sense of self in her relationship. Now defined by her marriage and her relationships, Alice is determined to find her own voice again and to find out who she really is other than a wife and mother.

Alice has spent the last couple of decades following the rules and letting other people control her destiny. But this stops now. As she begins to discover who the real Alice is, she throws herself wholly into her new life and embarks on new adventures that will force to reassess her life and face up to emotions and feelings which have been buried for such a long time. However, it’s not all fun and games as she must contend with something that will end up upending her entire world all over again…

I’m a big fan of Amanda Brookfield’s and once again, I found myself completely and utterly consumed by Alice Alone. An emotionally realistic, wholly believable, immensely absorbing and beautifully told tale about taking charge, finding your voice and love and loss, Alice Alone is a fantastic page-turner women everywhere will find themselves relating to.

Warm, witty and wise, Amanda Brookfield’s Alice Alone is an enjoyable, uplifting and engrossing tale from an outstanding chronicler of women’s lives.

Remarkable concept and impeccable execution from start to the end. Every single page gives a full-throttle effect. The story moved marvellously. I finished the book overnight.

Alice Alone made me suddenly realise the impending sense of what’s to come. With my eldest child approaching his 16th birthday, it gave me a sense of dread of the empty nest syndrome that awaits me in the none too far away future. How will I react when they start flying the nest? It sounds absolutely horrid. A bit like Alice, I’m a stay-at-home mum that has devoted her entire life to rearing my children, the impending thought that one day soon, I won’t have them to constantly care for is a bit grim. Maybe I’ll start collecting dogs!

The author nailed how women of Alice’s generation generally aspired to getting married and having children. Their careers were put on the back burner and were expected to attend to every whim of their husbands and kids. It’s ghastly. I mean I’m not opposed to women doing that if they wish, some are very family orientated and that’s ok BUT if a woman doesn’t want to have children and husband then all the more power to them for their decisions. One thing that pisses me off thinking back was my own mothers’ attitudes to parenting and marriage. When getting a bit plumper in my teenage years I was told it was good, that it would benefit me when having kids – birthing hips she called it. I’m really glad attitudes have moved on.

Alice Alone was an extremely well written story that I did enjoy but some things about the protagonist, Alice Hatton kind of irked me. I understand her feelings of melancholy when her youngest child Robin left home for Birmingham. She felt at a loss, didn’t have someone to run around after (although at twenty years old, why Alice had to run after her, I’m at a loss.) She dyes her hair from her natural grey to a beautiful brunette. Instantly she feared the reaction of her husband, because of all reasons that a barrister’s wife should look I guess contrite next to her husband. Jesus Christ, its only hair dye!

So, on it goes, Alice trying to find out who she really is after basically losing her identify of a mother. She hasn’t really lost it just its evolving I would say. She accidentally meets Horatio, after her husband stands her up in favour of work, the less I say about the delightful Peter Hatton the better. The two share a meal and a drink and she ends back at his club where they share a night of passion. I was a bit sceptical about Alice’s reaction about the act. Even if she has been a committed wife and mother all of those years, she can’t surely be that unwise about where the evening was leading. It seems Alice can only get validation in being needed by others and I found that very sad indeed.

A quick, easy and enjoyable read that gripped me right from the very start. I loved the setting too. I loved following Alice's journey

I didn't realize at first that this was a book originally published in the 1980s and set in that time period. I found it a little odd when she didn't have a cellphone but figured, hmm she is a woman in her 50s maybe she just didn't feel she needed one? Made more sense once I realized this was a different time period. Other things like the shock of her dying her hair and the weird views of her husband and other men towards her also made more sense.

It is a pretty quick and light read, and I could imagine it would be a reflection on middle age as well as time passed for readers who are a bit older than I am. I enjoyed all of the little moments where Alice made steps towards independence and having her say in situations. It definitely was a sweet but also empowering feeling to see her trying to make little changes in her life.

Thanks to Rachel's Random Resources and Boldwood Books for giving me the chance to read this book and join another fun book tour! Thanks also to Netgalley!

#blogtour #booktour

The authors debut novel has 51 year old Alice devastated with the reality of an empty nest and a marriage thats also empty.

She makes some interesting decisions that I wouldn't have, at least the first one.
The second one I would have done a little differently.

Thank you Net Galley for the e arc here is my honest review

Great read. Didn't want to put this down. Brilliantly written from beginning to end. I really enjoyed this and found myself absorbed in reading.

There was something about the simple, alliterative title of this book, and the cover design, that sparked my interest.

On first impressions, the book's protagonist, Alice, was not the type of character that I had expected. I had expected perhaps a younger, feistier character. Nevertheless, I felt the author wrote in a way that made me like Alice, and connect with her while I was reading. In fact, there was something about her that I found quite endearing.

While I liked Alice as a protagonist, I found that her husband irritated me, and wondered if the author had intentionally written him to come across as unlikeable to readers. I had a feeling that later in the story, Alice's character may develop further, and was interested to see how that might happen. As I read on, the story had a certain juiciness that I found surprising. I found it entertaining, but also quite thought-provoking and heartwarming to read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a free copy to review.

I was on the understanding that this was a new book release, then I found out that it was a re-release of a book released back in '89. I had wondered throughout as Alice's clothing choices, tartan skirts, brooches on her blouses had made me thnk it wasn't common attire for a woman of my age.

I personally don't have children, but the book was definitely relatable in terms of the menopause and finding myself being in a 'middle aged' rut.

The characters were relatable and their portrayal honest. While I felt for Peter, the downtrodden, unappreciated husband, I found myself disliking Alice for how she was treating him and for being so self centered. That's not how relationships work after all!

Nevertheless, Alice Alone is a quick, page turning read that questions the complexities of marriage and relationships when the inevitable empty nest syndrome kicks in.

Many thanks to Rachel's Random Resources for my tour spot.

Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐

ALICE ALONE - AMANDA BROOKFIELD.

MY REVIEW: Take a trip back to the eighties. Alice is in her fifties, and the story begins as her youngest child, Robin is leaving home.
As Alice finds herself with an empty nest and stuck in a loveless marriage, she seeks new adventures and rediscovery.
What will it take to give Alice the fulfilment in her life that she so desperately craves?

Alice Alone, is one of those books that I finished a little while ago, but I’m still mulling over and questioning.

I’m a little undecided as to how I felt about Alice. Being not too far behind her in age and with children who are rapidly growing up and needing me less and less, I could wholeheartedly relate to Alice’s feelings of being lost and not knowing who she was anymore.
As much as I empathised with Alice, I wasn’t so keen on some of her life choices.

Over all, I enjoyed the story. I was keen to know where the characters were going and how they would get there.

This story was a trip down memory lane and a nostalgic look at how life was in the eighties. Times really were very different then.

I enjoyed Amanda Brookfield’s writing style. She really taps into her characters and writes them warts and all, with some raw and honest emotions.

Alice Alone reeled me in. At times I found it an uncomfortable read, but still engaging and compelling.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

With thanks to Rachel’s Random Reads, Netgalley and Boldwood for a digital advanced copy of this title.

Rereleased, this is actually Amanda Brookfield’s debut novel. Set in the 1980s, it portrays life through the eyes of the central character, Alice, as she struggles to deal with ’empty nest’ syndrome when her youngest child leaves home.

What is particularly poignant is the obvious depiction of the era; a time when attitudes towards women and expectations of wives within marriages was very different to today.

The writing style makes this an easy read, even if the content is sometimes a little uncomfortable. It would certainly suit readers who have an understanding of the era or those who have maybe found themselves in Alice’s situation.

I can imagine that readers’ reactions to Alice and her behaviour will vary widely based on their own personal beliefs and experiences. Nevertheless, it is an engaging exploration into her life and mind.

With thanks to the author, Rachel at Random Resources and Boldwood Books for the opportunity to participate in the tour.

I thought this would be a more current book and I wish the synopsis had been more accurate about the time frame. It's a rewrite of a short story written years ago by the author and it takes place in 1986. However, much of it seems like it would be more appropriate to life in the 1950's.

I was fairly bored by the storyline (except for when Alice is mistaken for a prostitute!) and felt that the characterizations were a bit shallow and a little all over the place. It made for an interesting slice of life in the short space of a year of a woman after her youngest child leaves home. We can feel the ennui. If it was written anew today I would commend the author on establishing that voice and time. But again, this is not a book I would have chosen to read if I had known the era in which it takes place.

Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an advance reader's copy.

When I started reading – I didn’t realise the story was actually set in 1986. The story starts with main character, Alice, watching as her last child leaves home – leaving her home alone with just her husband, Peter. With no children to take care of, she quickly comes to a realisation that she has nothing in common with her husband, and even more than that – she doesn’t love him.

Looking for more in life, Alice sets about on a journey of self-discovery. Whilst this starts out with simple and small things – a different hairstyle – this soon isn’t enough and she heads out and finds herself having a one-night stand, which later turns into an affair. I really wanted to like Alice as a character, and although I initially felt for her – some of her actions were quite shocking, cold, and deceptive.

There is a lot more that takes place within the storyline – which does go some way to explaining some of Alice’s actions. Alice Alone is a very frank, open and honest story – not one to read if you are looking for something light-hearted and playful – but also a really insightful view of a person trying to find themself again in life.

A slow paced and character driven book. Although it is a in-depth plot, I couldn't get past the affairs because for me no matter how bad your marriage is there is no excuse for an affair. I did enjoy the empty nest aspect and joining Alice on her journey of self discovery after all the kids have flown the nest. My favourite parts of the book were the laughable and witty bits as I think Alice is quite quick witted. A lighthearted and refreshing novel.

Thank you NetGalley for letting me read this book. Sadly it didn’t work for me. Alice was infuriating through the entire novel, i couldn’t believe she would behave the way she did in the first half of the book, and in the second half she seemed to be miraculously over her recent affair. Although I realise the focus of her attention had moved, I found the whole story unbelievable. The ending was very abrupt, I thought I still had half an hour to go!

It’s only when her youngest daughter Robin leaves home that Alice realises that – after life had become no more than being a wife and mother, and until then it had been enough – she is no longer in love with her husband, and that there might just be more to life. At fifty-one, and after having her steely-grey bob transformed into something a little more adventurous, a chance encounter helps her discover a whole new side to herself – and it only makes her hungry for more. Her husband Peter, however, is forcibly reminded that his neglected wife really is the woman he loves – just at the time when Alice’s new life is going a little off the rails. Then there’s a shift – the family (a touch uncomfortably) reunited for Christmas, followed by daughter Robin showing few signs of leaving thereafter – and the drama that ensues sees Alice with a rather different focus, and a new way to regain her sense of purpose.

Part of the considerable fascination of this book is its eighties setting – a world that’s strangely unfamiliar now, with its different constraints and expectations, but I’m sure this really is what life could be like for women of Alice’s background. Are the characters likeable? I must say that I found Alice relatively easy to identify with – her choices might not have been mine, but I never felt she was unsympathetic, and particularly real for a woman of her time. Peter, with his paunch and comb-over, who briefly thinks his young protege might find him attractive, was very real too – women are a mystery to him in so many ways, and there’s little possibility of him ever understanding Alice’s restlessness. Despite the third person narrative, the author gets right inside both characters, their deeper feelings and motivations – and does so with particular insight and sensitivity, laying them bare for the reader, but also with a lovely touch of gentle humour.

Although character driven, I really loved some of the set pieces – especially both the significant restaurant scenes, the first changing the direction of Alice’s life, the second making Peter understand what’s important. The uncomfortable tête-à-tête between father and daughter was wonderful too – reported rather than seen, but excruciatingly funny and awkward. I will admit that I found the book’s later developments a touch less engaging than Alice’s initial adventures – but I was so deliciously caught up in the characters’ lives (the author does that SO well) that the pages did turn rather faster as I wondered quite where the story was going.

This was a book I thoroughly enjoyed – gently paced, exploring the dynamics of relationships, with well-developed characters who engaged me at every level. And yes, it’s a book of its time – but that only increased my enjoyment. I’d be more than happy to see the re-release of more of her back catalogue – but I’m also eager to see what the author does next.

I hadn't read an Amanda Brookfield book before when I requested this. I'm glad I read this as it was a little different, the poignant topics made this a really interesting, heartwarming read. I will definitely read more books from this author later in the year.

I requested Alice Alone because I've reviewed some Amanda Brookfield books and I wanted to see what her first novel was like. Written in 1989, Alice Alone follows the life of Alice, a 50 year old mother after her youngest daughter leaves home.

I was drawn in by the first scene, and felt for Alice in the moment her daughter left., but as the story unfolded I felt it very hard to stay interested in.

The characters to me were not well formed and I felt the book to be too dialogue-rich., not delving into the characters' backstory enough. I actually found Alice to be quite unlikeable from the first chapters onwards. I kept waiting to find out if she'd change, but that didn't happen. I found her friends superficial.

I felt Peter was quick to be angered, and did not like him, either.

To me, the pacing dragged. I really tried to stay interested in the novel, but I couldn't and I skimmed some parts.

Thanks to Amanda Brookfield, Boldwood Books and Rachel's Random Resources for my eARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.

3 stars

When I started reading I didn't know that the book was over 30 year old and couldn't quite.work out when it was set. Alice is in her early 50s and at the start of the novel she is waving off her youngest child, Robin, as she leaves home. This leaves Alice with am empty nest and a husband whom she realises she doesn't really love. The book is written from Alice's point of view and describes her feelings of bereftness and hopelessness in the early days after Robin leaving. We learn about her life and marriage and watch as she seeks to shed her old skin and embark on a version of self discovery, of sorts. The book had an air of nostalgia being set in the 80s, with no mobile phones or Internet and old fashioned views. Alice's life as a middle aged housewife paints a very different version of life to the 50 something women I know. It's really interesting as a social timestamp, to compare how things were back then. I was a child when the book was published so it was a bit of a blast from the past. In the second half of the book Alice's life changes in a different way and we find out more about her husband and children. Things take on a slightly darker note within Alice's psyche which, given the subject matter which I won't reveal, could well be attributed to menopause. The ending felt rather abrupt and I would love to know how the author would approach the novel now as an experienced author. The book was slow paced but overall enjoyable and I would like to read some of Brookfield's newer novels to see how they compare