This book was a beautiful read. I was able to relate well to fearful Jess with the slow reveals about her past, and the gentleness and kindness of Gethin.
The blurb will tell you what you need to know, but this book is about ‘the feels’. The anxiety, the worry, the kindness, the friendship, the hope, the safety and the love.
I loved this book.
I am already highly recommending it to others.
Thanks to #NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book ahead of publication in exchange for an honest review

Jess is running away from a toxic relationship. She finds herself homeless in Wales and squatting in an empty house. When she meets Gethin, she very slowly very carefully starts to rebuild her life.
I wasn't sure of this at first, but stuck with it and actually enjoyed it. It's hard not to root for Jess, life hasn't been kind to her and she really deserves a chance at happiness.

This story is a bit like the proverbial curate's egg...Good in parts.
The heroine Jess is very resilient, and the in the first few pages she is established as being down , but not out, homeless, but not helpless. I was caught up in her story as she found, and then lived in, an empty house she found after leaving an abusive relationship.
All good so far, however, without giving too much away, Gethin then enters the scene, and sweet and charming though he undoubtedly is, the whole premise on which the book then hangs is, I think, very implausible.
Despite the fact that the characters are meant to be in their forties, which could be a really interesting slant on a light romance novel, the way they act and interact seem to be the actions of a much younger pairing.
I wanted to like this book, but, unfortunately I found myself losing interest because of that nagging implausible plot device
Sorry, Jackie Fraser and Simon and Shuster, but thank you to you, and NetGalley for an e arc in return for an honest opinion.

A heartwarming story about Jess, who finds herself sleeping in a graveyard and trying to navigate life! I love the detail and the descriptions about Jess, the town and eventually the house.
I like that Jess feels real, with issues and insecurities and I love that I got to see her get her life into order, with a bit of help from the kind Gethin, I like how their friendship grew and with gentle steps love blossomed.

I'm a long-term fan of Jackie Fraser's writing, and The Beginning of Everything doesn't disappoint.

Jess, who is run away from an unhappy domestic situation to try to start again finds shelter in an unoccupied house. The house belongs to the charming, kind Gethin who also has a troubled recent past. An unlikely friendship forms, which could become something more, but trust issues and the shadow of the past prove to be unyielding obstacles.

As ever, Jackie Fraser shows the world brilliantly through her viewpoint character - in this case Jess - allowing us to feel what she feels and understand why she acts as she does. We are moved, we laugh, and we hope as the story progresses, with the house an ever present character in the action. The dialogue is excellent.

A highly satisfying read.

This was a lovely gentle read. I warmed to the characters and only wanted good things to happen to them and hoped their past experiences did not leave them broken and not wanting to be happy again.

This a real feel good book from the first chapter.
Follow the characters of Jess who is starting her life over and Gethin.
Its a lovely book and I definitely recommend you read it.

Jess is running away but this isn't a teenager full of angst but a middle aged woman whose had some tough times. Living in a graveyard in the Autumn takes it's toll and she can't resist the temptation of an empty house sitting empty in the Welsh suburbia. Little does she expect to meet Gethin, the new owner of the home.

I don't want to give any spoilers but a chance meeting leads to a new living arrangement for Jess and a whole new social circle.

This for me is a middle aged Flatshare. I did enjoy it and read it very quickly as it was such an easy read. Nice for a 'chick lit' to focus on older characters rather than 20- somethings. However it was very dialogue led and thought perhaps it lacked a bit more description and characters dynamics could have been further developed. There were glimmers such as the famous 'off the telly' ex.

Overall, this was a pleasant read and for anyone who liked The Flatshare but felt it was missing grittier characters then I'd recommend The Beginning of Everything.

This book is a beautifully written emotional roller-coaster. I enjoyed reading every chapter, finding out the characters' stories piece by piece.

This is such a warm fuzzy, curl up on the sofa book. If you are looking for something to immerse yourself in on a rainy weekend, this one is for you!
Jess is starting over, running away from something she doesn’t want to think about. Gethin is a lovely, lonely man who has recently bought an old house in a sleepy Welsh town and, one ordinary day, their paths collide. Be prepared to lose yourself in their lives ….

I was so engrossed by this story that I stayed up until 2am to finish it. Fraser has a knack for creating believable characters that draw the reader in straight away - they're a pleasure to spend time with. I often struggle with reading first-person narratives as from a less-skilled hand they can feel forced, but seeing the world from Jess's perspective felt very natural. I loved her determination to get back on her feet, the portrayal of what it is to be knocked down to nothing and have to start again, alone, unsure and vulnerable at an age when most people are settled into their lives. I loved seeing the house come together under her guidance, as well as the slow reveal of what brought her to be living rough in the first place alongside the unfurling of her complicated connection with Gethin.

Fraser writes with a deceptively light touch to convey the fragility and convolution of modern life and relationships in a story that is moving, uplifting and witty. I'm looking forward to many more tales from this author, please!

This book takes you on a emotional but powerful journey along with Jess, it brings to life some of the real and raw feelings we get when dealing with the things Jess is in life, Jess is a loveable character from the start!