Another great book by Tom Ellen. Annie & Will are both at a low point in their lives, Will works in an electrical shop which is not doing well, Annie writes for a website which is also not doing great. They met 5 years ago but haven't seen each other since. Both are affected by grief when they connect via a crisis helpline , though they are not aware of their identities.
Emotions such as guilt, grief and loneliness form a large part of this book and although that sounds negative, they are dealt with so sensitively and believably that the book gives you solutions for dealing with self destructive behaviour and finding positivity. This isn't a book where everything does an about turn, but where little chinks of light appear to gradually turn things around. I laughed and I cried when reading this book. The characters are well portrayed, not only the main characters, but also others and the relationships between friends and colleagues is so well described that you come to understand how small some social worlds can become and how problems arise within relationships. But there is also positivity because sharing a drink , a cup of tea, a laugh at work can make a difference. The powerful message in this book.
Thanks to Net Galley for a great read

Unexpectedly page turning, this story about 2 people who meet in Paris He, a singer in a band and she, a new journalist. They like each other but fate steps in and changes the course of their relationship and you have to read on to find out what happened, then fate brings them back together much later on, only it’s on the phone and they don’t recognise each other... Interesting characters and relatable life stories. I really wanted to keep reading to find out what happens to them both and I wasn’t disappointed.

A book with a message which made me laugh and made me cry. Thought provoking. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this book.

Gorgeous book! It should be predictable and possibly a little cliche… but it IS NOT. I wanted to dislike Alex but just wanted to look after him. Annie is complex but entirely loveable. I can’t wait to see what the author writes next. Loved, loved LOVED this romance.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC in return for a fair and honest review.

A little gem of a read. I was drawn in to the lives of Will and Annie from the start and found myself rooting for both of them, The story feels so real, dealing as it does with grief, loneliness and relationships. It’s something that we can all relate to on one level or another and portrayed by the author so well. It shows how cathartic it can be to talk to people about your feelings, rather than bottling it all up, Whether it’s with friends, family or a support helpline, like Green Shoots, it doesn’t matter. There’s also humour and love, and a good ending..

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This is such a wonderful, feel good story which I couldn't put down. Will is in band that Annie has been sent to.interview in Paris. She and Will click, spending the day together and arranging to meet up after the band's gig. Unknown to Annie something drastic has happened and Will stands her up. Furious, she returns to London and in her anger doesn't treat Will kindly in her review.
Fast forward five years and Annie is once again tasked to interview the now disbanded group, but struggles to find any of them. She is unhappy in her job, her father has died and she has issues with her sister and mother because of it. Her life is definitely not where she wants it to be and lives with a partner who she realises is Mr Right now not Mr Right. On the spur of the moment she calls Green Shoots, a helpline,using her middle name. She gels with the callhandler, Will, neither of them realising who the other is. A story that is not only a romance but also the sadness of loneliness and depression that helplines deal with on a daily basis.
Definitely a five star book.

I absolutely adored this book!

This is a perfect example of a fun romance with a heartwarming message behind it. This book took a tour on all my emotions. I was laughing, I was smiling. And at one point I was close to tears over just how much this truly warmed my heart.

This was so perfectly paced as well. Not rushed but not too slow that it lost my attention or got boring. I thought the 2 main characters were so cute as well.

Another thing that’s important to me in romance books is that they aren’t cringey. And this was not cringey at any point. I loved the fact it contained real life issues and the characters were so relatable.

If you’re looking for a cute romance story that is realistic and uplifting. Read this 💘.

*Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an E-arch in exchange for an honest review*

This book is a difficult read but well worth it. It was a little slow and dragged out in places but covered the myriad of emotions attached to grieving the loss of a loved one and the slow, difficult path to acceptance.
The lifeline is a fantastic title and the book doesn't disappoint, highlighting the need for services like this in real life. Very emotional.

This book was absolutely wonderful. One of the best books I’ve read in ages! It was funny, heartbreaking and thought provoking and written so beautifully. This was a powerful and well crafted story about trauma, growth, love and friendship with dual POV.

If you’re even considering picking this book up and giving it a try, do it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my opinion.

Read and reviewed in exchange for a free copy from NetGalley. I loved 'All About Us' so was delighted to be offered an ARC of Ellen's latest offering. 'The Lifeline' did not disappoint. The dual narratives were written well and I cared about the characters and their stories. Ellen handed sensitive themes carefully and the story was paced well. The supporting characters were also great. A fantastic read.

An enjoyable read set against a background of love, loss with several different facets along the way. Set in two timelines, present day in London and five years previously in Paris told by two different voices Will and Annie. Written very sensitively and with great character depiction that the reader is taken on a rollercoaster to the depths of despair, loss, hopelessness and loneliness to highs of love, friendships and even some fun. A lot of resolutions which make the reader think a little how other people maybe struggling, especially with grief in a deeper way than a lot of people and how it is good and essential to talk. The Green Shoots Helpline was a stroke of genius to pull the strands together even with the reader knowing the various parties involved.

Loneliness. Secrets. Trauma. This book manages to be so heartbreaking yet so heartwarming at the same time.

Will volunteers at Green Shoots helpline and touches the lives of many by being someone who will listen. Stuck in the trauma of his past, he is silently crying out for help and needs someone to listen to him.

Annie is in a relationship with Dom who, quite frankly, needs to just exit the scene and never return. She has never quite got over losing her dad and with a partner who doesn't seem to be able to read her, take her seriously or want to spend any time with her, she decides to call Green Shoots after stumbling upon their number.

...

I won't say anymore. 🤐


Read if you appreciate:
· Indie music references
· Complicated family relationships
· Being brave

The Lifeline is a thoroughly gorgeous novel.

I've been struggling to write this review because I don't quite know how to express why I loved it the way it did. Was it the raw conversations about grief? The sweetness in finding new connections and rekindling old ones? The fact that this is a book packed with personality? Probably all of the above.

Will, Annie and their supporting cast are so well-observed. Nothing in this book felt frivolous. Every sentence had a purpose, every decision made sense. Full of warmth, realness and heart, this is one that will stay with me. Highly recommend.

Ringing a crisis line as an impulse Annie connects with the other person at the end of the phone
Neither of them knows that they met five years ago, spending the day together. Alex does not make it to the second meeting that night.
Annie is asked to trace the band members for an article and triggers Alex's anxiety unknowingly.
Can they be friends or more in real life?

This book broke my heart in places and offered up the most beautiful story about how one day can affect 2 people in such different ways.

Spanning two time periods in the main characters lives (5 years ago and today) the story follows a young journalist who is writing for a website and is thoroughly disillusioned with her lot and a young man who was once in a band but went through a huge trauma and is now stuck in a dead end job but finds solace of sorts in helping others through crises on a helpline.
Meeting once five years previous and then anonymously via the crisis helpline they form a new bond through their chats and challenge each other to up their game and take charge of their lives again.
A lovely love story with a string message about seeking help and speaking out.

I really enjoyed this book. A little different to other books, this book touches on hard hitting subjects and doesn’t gloss over them. I was angry at Will until it became clear why he had stood up Annie. I was rooting for both MC all the way through but especially Will, who was written so well with his hurt out for all to see. A great final book of the year for me

Will, one time up and coming indie band boy, works in a failing high street tech shop and volunteers on a crisis helpline in his spare time.

Annie, journalist for an online platform, is tasked with a new feature reporting where has-beens are now, starting with Will's band, the defectors who she interviewed in their prime and let's say things didn't end positively.

A bittersweet plot addressing sensitive themes (cancer, suicide, homophobia, adultery) with care.

Funny and poignant, heartbreaking and heartwarming. A well plotted story that moved me and made me smile.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

What a beautiful read this was- I devoured it. It made me smile and there were also tears, enchanting.
Cosy up and enjoy, I’d give it 6 stars if I could.