Bobby Palmer's done it again, this book was emotional, captivating and beautifully written. I tried not to compare it too much to Isaac and the Egg as they're completely separate books, but I did find myself recognising the same descriptive language that pulled me in so much to Bobby Palmer's debut novel. As a city dweller myself, Small Hours held up a mirror to my lifestyle and made me really aware of my disconnect with nature, and I really appreciate the level of research that went into that aspect of this book as it's definitely encouraged me to get outside more. Overall it was a really engaging, heartwarming read and I would absolutely recommend it.

Another endlessly moving, quirky and heartfelt book from Bobby Palmer. Following the Penwick family over this brief period was an experience in love, grief, memory, and life. The family members were finding their way, and finding their way back to each other at a time when things are changing for each of them individually and for them as a family. Palmer isn’t afraid to explore the darker sides of life in his writing, and he does it so beautifully that you’re pulled right into the story and see these characters as real people, navigating the same experiences as we are in their lives.

We spend the most time with Jack in this story, stepping into his shoes as his world is turned upside down and the future he’d carefully cultivated for himself dissolves in an instant. Then, a call from his sister has him returning to his family home, to his estranged father and to the search for his missing mother. His only friend, a fox, a tether in the storm he’s found himself in. Between Jack’s narratives, we experience Gerry and Hazel’s past, their adventures, greatly contrasted with their present narratives - Gerry unwell, and deteriorating, and Hazel longing for adventure before it’s too late. We see this family as it began and the new future mapped out for them, one in some ways better, and in some ways worse than what they had expected.

Bobby Palmer has followed up his debut with another fantastic book and I look forward to seeing what stories he brings us next, and what unusual characters he offers to guide his characters through their difficulties.

I received a free copy of this book. All views are my own.

A solid 5* read! Written from three perspectives - the fox in the wild; the background and dynamics of the Penwick family; and Gerry's state of mind as he battles with dementia. A character driven tale beautifully written. I will be buying my own copy and I will be reading this story again. The characters and their dilemmas will stay with me for some time to come.
I will be telling everyone I know to read this wonderful book.
Many thanks to Netgalley/Bobby Palmer/Headline for a digital copy of this title.

I loved Isaac and The Egg, so was very excited to receive an ARC of this from Net Galley.
Bobby Palmer is clearly a very talented writer. His use of language is careful and considered and he’s created a wonderful, layered story.
Jack Penwick has lost his job in the city, he didn’t see it coming. He then has a strange encounter with an injured fox, which he rescues, which sets off a chain of events which sees him return to his childhood home where the fox reappears, and is able to talk to him. Jack’s mum has gone missing, his sister has abandoned her plans for university to look after their dad, who has Alzheimer’s. It’s clear that Jack has lost his sense of connection; to his dad, to his sister and to the lovely countryside where he grew up. With the help of the fox, maybe all is not lost?
A lovely exploration of what should have meaning in a person’s life.

After reading this book it took me a few days to put into words what I felt about it.
A simple but well written story about family, relationships, loss and a thrown in talking fox!
Don't let the talking fox put you off though it really adds to the story.
Jack had a job he worked hard for. One day he's loses his job, rescues a talking fox and receives a call from is sister telling him to come home.
We follow Jack and his family in crisis. The relationship dynamics in his family are written well from a multiple pov.
The book was sad but also made me laugh, well worth a read.

I wasn't a fan of the main character which is never a good start and didn't quite get the talking fox! However it was well written about family connections/disconnections and lots of beautiful writing about nature.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

A very intriguing premise. I wasn’t quite sure how I felt about a talking fox, but decided to run with it and see where it led me.

I didn’t like Jack; I found him self-centred and selfish, even when his family were clearly in crisis, and that made it difficult for me to care about what happened to him. However as the story progressed, I enjoyed his conversations with the fox, especially when they bickered!

I really enjoyed Gerry’s story, his inner dialogue was so well written and as his and Hazel's story unfolded, my heart broke for him. Gerry made the book for me and I felt sad that his family didn't seem to "see" him, beyond him being a slightly needy and annoying old man.

Slow in places and repetitive at times, but enjoyable enough and good to read something a bit different.

3 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Bobby Palmer and Headline for an ARC in return for an honest review.

Having absolutely adored Isaac and the Egg, I was beyond excited for Bobby’s new book, Small Hours. How was he possibly going to follow Egg? What next? Well words aren’t enough to describe this story: beautiful, poignant, lyrical, mesmerising, heartbreakingly tender, just simply stunning.
You really can’t begin to describe the storyline without completely spoiling the magic for a new reader, so I won’t say anything other than that it’s a story of family, of being, of loss , and most importantly of love. It will resonate deeply with so many readers. This is going to be one of those books I’m shouting about to everyone I know. What a triumph! I feel totally bereft now and want to go back to the beginning and read or listen to it again. The books I feel this way about are few and far between, but I know I’ll be back between the pages of this one again.
With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Headline for an arc in exchange for a review.

I didn't actually believe that Bobby Palmer could write another book as moving and beautiful as Isaac and the Egg but he's certainly done just that with Small Hours.

The story follows the Penwick family at a time of great flux. Jack has just been made redundant and, walking disconsolately around the city, comes across an injured fox. After calling animal protection Jack watches the fox being put into a cage but as the van doors close the fox looks up at him and says "Thankyou".

Just when you think things couldn't be more surprising Jack gets a phone call from his sister to say that their mum has disappeared. Jack, who has been avoiding his childhood home for many years, knows he can't put it off any longer.

He finds Charlotte caring for a father who was other-worldly when Jack was a child but is now clearly suffering with some form of dementia and their mother gone.
Charlotte doesn't know where and his father, Gerry, is sure he does but cannot remember. It's up to Jack to reconnect with the woodland where they live and with his father so they can find his mother and be at peace with himself.

I've often wondered why certain books speak to you. Isaac and the Egg resonated in a way that nothing else for many years and Small Hours creates a similar stunning world for readers. There's a tinge of magic - not just in the landscape but the people and animals. Foxes are obviously able to speak. Just look at them! They feature heavily in our myth/folklore and that of other countries.

What Bobby Palmer does so brilliantly is bring this tiny corner of the world to life. I could see everything in this book so clearly. It is funny and witty and heartbreakingly sad in parts. Can you tell I'm somewhat besotted? Well I am.

Thoroughly well worth the wait. I can hardly wait for what comes next from Bobby Palmer's imagination. Very highly recommended and if you've not read his debut, Isaac and the Egg, then you must.

Thankyou very much to Headline Publishing for the pre-approved copy. You've made my year.

Having loved Isaac and The Egg I was keen to read this, and it's a great story but for me was missing that extra splash of magic. Based around the relationship between a father and son, with a talkative fox thrown into the mix, this is unusual and well written.

I absolutely adored “Isaac and the egg” and so I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this one. Once again it’s beautifully written and the story weaves between light and dark themes, the previous book had more humour I found this more serious, however once again an intriguing and fantastically written story and one that is not to be missed.

Having loved this author's previous work, I was very excited to learn of "Small Hours". I was delighted to read, once again, the author's beautifully descriptive passages, which are almost poetic in their beauty. He really knows how to pack an emotional punch, and this title was every bit as emotive as the first.

I did, however, miss the gentle humour of the earlier work, which made some of the darker themes more bearable somehow. I also found the characters less relatable this time around. Still an enjoyable book though.

My thanks to the author, NetGalley, and the publisher for the arc to review.

Let me start off by saying I LOVED Isaac and the Egg, so I went into this both excited to be in this authors world again, but also nervous in case it didn’t live up to his first book. Thankfully, it was just as special in its own way. That unique magic that made Isaac such a beautiful story is woven inside these pages too, although not quite to the same degree, hence the four stars this time instead of five like I gave Isaac. I loved the fox so much, and the complicated relationship between father and son Jack was well written, as is the whole family dynamic. A thoughtful book about families, regrets and priorities. Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this.

Jack was rushing through life in London forgetting his roots or where he is headed. Until that is until his life falls apart and now he does not see a future. His life is about to change with a chance encounter with a fox who is in desperate need of help to survive. So our tale begins and maybe 5he fox will be the catalyst for Jack to re-engage with his family and life.

Loved this so well crafted novel. Every character in this book deserve to be loved and cared about. Gerry and Hazel love nature and each other, together they will get through all life throws at them. Jack and his sister need to find what will bring them happiness in life. The fox will help this family as Jack helped him. Do enjoy a great read.

An intriguing and well written depiction of the relationship between a father and son aided and abetted by a stray fox. An interesting premise and mix

I absolutely loved Isaac and the egg, and I had very high expectations for this book as well; unfortunately, for me this fell flat for some reason.

I found the story a bit predictable and not really engaging. The long descriptive nature of the prose (although beautifully written) made me lose interest in the story itself, which to be honest had very little going on.

If there's something I loved, it's the chapters from the father's point of view. I thought they perfectly exemplified the chaotic, disjointed thought process in people living with dementia.

Overall, this was a beautifully written novel, there's no denying Bobby Palmer is a very talented writer, but this was not the book for me.

Thank you NetGalley and Headline for an eARC of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved Isaac and the Egg and this is, if anything, better. Full of humane warmth, wit and wisdom, Palmer feels like a Matt Haig character - able to distil what makes us tick in new and refreshing ways.

Jack Penwick’s day is not going well. Despite having a high opinion of his own worth within the company he works for, he is made redundant. With his box of office odds and ends, he makes his way home in a stupor. Sitting on a park bench on the local common, Jack sees an injured fox. After phoning for help, and a subsequent chase to capture the creature, Jack and the animal welfare man catch the fox and it is loaded into the back of the sanctuary van. Jack can’t quite believe his ears when he hears the fox say “thank you”. Convinced it is a result of stress and migraine, Jack lets the idea of a talking fox go. He then gets a call from his sister, saying their mother is gone. Capping off an awful day, his box of office detritus is stolen from the park bench!

I missed out on Isaac and the Egg, so this is the first book I have read by this author. After all the accolades that the first book received, I had high hopes for this one.

The book is well written and will no doubt be received well by the wider audience. A nice story, but I couldn’t relate to any of the characters, though Gerry’s POV was extremely well done. Sadly I found the long descriptive nature rambles too hard to get to grips with and I did tend to skim read those passages. I liked the Gerry and Hazel meet up and and their story before Jack, but lost interest with the Johnny saga, too predictable and been done before.

A nicely done book, by a talented author, unfortunately too cosy and lukewarm for me so not one I appreciated. With apologies to the author.

2.5* for Gerry and the fox!

Thank you NetGalley and Headline.

Having read Isaac and the Egg, I was looking forward to reading this book. Whilst the concept was interesting and the characters believable, I found the very long descriptions of nature quite hard to work my way through.

The way the book is written from the point of view of the Father who lives with dementia is cleverly done - flitting from topic to topic, getting facts wrong or in the wrong order. The use of the metaphor of the fox is a clever way to learn what the main two characters are feeling / thinking about.

Overall I'm glad I read it and would encourage others to try it.

I loved Bobby Palmers novel Issac & the egg, so when his new novel Small hours dropped in my possible reads I was excited to get reading, but I wasn’t as captivated with it as his previous book. Don’t get me wrong, the story is lovely but maybe I was missing something, because as I read it, it just seemed disjointed and I couldn't gel with the characters, although the fox was cute.