The Lost Letters of Evelyn Wright by Clare Swatman

Beth moves to a rundown cottage in the country with her two young children following her divorce. Whilst renovating the house she finds a box of letters to 1950s agony aunt, Evelyn Wright. Beth tries to rebuild her life, making friends and more along the way, whilst following in Evelyn's footsteps.

A lovely story of new beginnings and the challenges and opportunities these bring. I loved the friendship between Beth and Catherine, and how the author dealt with Beth's experiences of divorce, betrayal, children moving between two homes and so on. Very VERY highly recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

This lovely and comforting story kept me company by the fire until I finished it. Both intertwined stories were interesting, Beth with her starting a new life after a divorce and the mystery about Evelin Wright whom we have a chance to get to know through her letters. It is a fast-paced story and sometimes it was hard to process everything that was happening but I enjoyed the fun moments and the premise that I like.

Beths life is upended when her snake of a husband divorces her for his latest affair partner. She must have had the worst attorney in the world as he got nearly everything. Beth has very short lived “poor me” moment, but does everything she can to do what is best for their two young children When she purchases a real fixer upper she uncovers a box of letters a la Dear Abby and starts reading and then creates her own version. While helping others, she is also helping to heal herself emotionally and creating a wonderful community of new friendships all while continually being bullied by her ex who is using his wealth to try to alienate the kids from her. I enjoyed Beths story of finding her inner strength, value and finding the life she truly wants. I am not sure why, but Ive not read this authors work before, but will be looking for more from her. An enjoyable read.

As usual in my reviews, I will not rehash the plot - there are already reviews like that out there if that's what you are looking for...

This is a quick, easy read - heavy on emotion at times, and touching on some difficult issues (child abandonment, divorce and more). I quite enjoyed it on the whole, but some of the characters were quite annoying - including Beth - the lead character - at times, and her new friend Catherine most of the time! Hence a 3-star verdict from me.

The "Agony Aunt" side of the plot was interesting - I expect that, as here, there are now online versions of the old magazine "problem pages", which are probably very helpful to people wrestling with difficult problems. It was interesting to read that some of the issues from the time of the original "Evelyn" were still pertinent in modern day life - but people are people!

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC. All opinions my own.

EXCERPT: I sat for a moment, dazed, then propped the piece of wood against the wall and peered into the gap underneath the raised wardrobe floor. There were a few pieces of rubble and some scraps of damp, slightly smelly carpet. I curled my fingers under the base of the next section and tugged. Slowly it started to give and I braced myself so I didn't go flying backwards again. This time the piece of wood yielded much more easily, as if it had been unscrewed many times before and it was off within seconds. I laid it to one side too and leaned forward to pull off the next piece. But as I did, I stopped. There was something buried under here, a black plastic box. I reached for it. It was quite big, and heavier than I'd expected. I held it with both hands and stood, looking round for somewhere to put it. The room was empty so I wiped the dust off and took it through to my room and laid it on my bed. It was, I realized now, a box wrapped in a black plastic bin liner, which was held on by a series of elastic bands. I gave it a shake, pressing my ear to the top. There was a bit of movement, books moving around, or something like that, but nothing distinguishable. Should I open it? What if it was private?
But then again, if it was important, why would somebody have left it behind?

ABOUT 'THE LOST LETTERS OF EVELYN WRIGHT': Starting over can be hard to do… So when mum of two Beth moves out of her beloved marital home and into an unloved and unkempt cottage, she can’t help but feel demoralised. Faced with months of DIY and dust, her children Jacob and Olivia aren’t impressed either. But when Beth finds a box of letters while she’s clearing out the children’s room, things start to look up.

The correspondence is decades old, between agony aunt Evelyn and those in need of solace. Intrigued as to why the letters have been kept safe all these years, Beth can’t resist reading them, and as the wisdom and kindness of Evelyn falls off the pages, so Beth starts to feel she has a friend and champion in this woman she has never met.

Good advice doesn’t age, and as life starts to look brighter, Beth begins to wonder if she could track down Evelyn and thank her for her help. But as Beth uncovers more about Evelyn’s story, it becomes clear that everything is not as it seems. And now Beth is determined to bring peace to Evelyn as she has to her.

MY THOUGHTS: This is a slow story about moving on from broken relationships. There is nothing really wrong with it, other than the main character irritating the s**t out of me, but nor does it have much to recommend it.

Beth's constant anger and immaturity grated on my nerves. The 'Agony Aunt' extracts slowed the story exponentially and weren't at all interesting. I think the author was trying to make them relevant to what Beth was experiencing, but if that was her intention, it didn't work for me.

The mystery surrounding Evelyn Wright had some interesting moments but wasn't enough to carry the whole book.

I think this was yet another case of the author trying to cover too many bases. The book should have focused either on Beth rebuilding her life, or the mystery of Evelyn. It did justice to neither and resulted in a rather average read.

⭐⭐.5

#TheLostLettersofEvelynWright #NetGalley

THE AUTHOR: My career began as a journalist for many of the brilliant women’s magazines, where I wrote true life stories. I have also worked as a press officer, have written advertorials for many major brands and have worked as Health Editor and Travel Editor at various times.

I love any kind of writing, but it had always been my dream to write a novel. I did it. And, to my utter amazement, people actually liked it.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Boldwood Books via NetGalley for providing a digital ARC of The Lost Letters of Evelyn Wright by Clare Swatman for review. All opinions expressed in this book are my own personal opinions.

This book was such a joy! The characters were likable, and the plot timing was good. This was an uplifting story of moving on after the breakdown a marriage. Beth is a mom of two that moves to a smaller town into a smaller place much to her dismay. In the house she finds a stack of magazines with an advice column by Evelyn Wright. The column features advice that Beth then starts to apply to her own life. She’s lonely and a bit lost and the advice of Evelyn helps her more than she could’ve ever imagined. The journey to healing that Beth goes on is one everyone should read.

Thank you to Netgalley and Boldwood books for this ARC!

Thanks to the author and publisher for providing me with an ARC via NetGalley for an honest review.

I really liked a lot of the themes of this book. But I also had some issues with it. I liked that the main character struggles with her emotions and the tough situation she is in. Divorce is not easy on anyone involved and restructuring your life and perspective afterwards is tough. I personally didn’t like the main character, Beth, but I liked that she was so flawed. She isn’t perfect which fits really well with the novel's themes.

But the book does pile on information and plot a lot. There are 27 chapters for 357 pages so a pretty normal chapter amount and length, but there was so much information, especially in the early chapters and the timing of the novel is quick through a long period. I don’t have an issue with the length of time the novel takes place, but characters make a lot of changes and we don’t get time to see the progressions or sit with the emotions generated frequently as we are moving along so quickly.

Beth is suffering at the start. She starts over very alone and wants to be angry and blames other people a lot, but she isn’t reflective. I liked that she’s a pretty regular woman, but she has isolated herself and now feels the effects. She sometimes blames other people for the same things she does to them. Again, with her, I don’t mind it because she feels so real in her reactions, but I wish there were a few moments of real self-reflection and apologies that are not immediately brushed off.

I liked the mystery or quest in the story. I knew of agony aunts before reading this book and it’s a fun concept, but the timing really impacted my enjoyment. Because the story moves so quickly, there isn’t room for characters to be genuinely upset or take pauses within the narrative. I did really like the side characters. We don’t hear from their perspective, but I think Beth’s perception of the people in her life was such a window into her own perspective and her relationships that I appreciated that feature. And the side characters were such a good example of the fact that people can be good and still make mistakes, even big mistakes.

Beth does grow as a person over the course of the novel without becoming an entirely different person. The book is not about redemption or getting even. It is about searching for community and love of different kinds. The whole book moves quickly from moment to moment with little time for characters and readers to process, but it has themes I enjoy and some fun moments.

This was a sweet easy read with likeable characters and a happy ending for the different characters 3.5 stars

This is the first book by Clare Swatman that I have read. I just LOVED it. A thoughtful story about moving on with your life even when your marriage breaks down. Beth is divorced from her husband and the father of her two children, Olivia aged 7 and Jacob aged 5. She has been bought out of the family home and moves to a small village and into the small house which is in dire need of renovation. Whilst making over the children’s bedroom she rips out an old wardrobe and discovers a stack of 1950’s magazines. Each one has the corner of a page turned over, featuring an advice column by someone called Evelyn Wright. Beth starts reading the advice columns to help her deal with the loneliness she feels in her new life. She begins to take Evelyn’s advice, first getting a dog - enter a rescue spaniel called Buster. Through walking Buster she meets Catherine. And so the story moves along, starting an online advice column under Dear Evelyn, finding friendship, uncovering the mystery of Catherine’s mother and navigating the perils and challenges of co-parenting with her ex-husband.

The story is beautifully written, engaging primary characters and a lovely story about moving on. I very much look forward to reading more from Clare Swatman.

A beautiful and well written book by Clare, which had me turning the pages very quickly. It wasn't the book I thought it would be from the title. But nevertheless, it is a lovely book and worthy of five stars.

I was absorbed in this book from the first chapter. My heart ached for Beth. She’d lost so much and had every right to feel,shafted and bitter.
I kept wondering how much more she would have to endure from her skunk of an ex as her children were pulled in different directions and the other woman took her place.
I anticipated some of what would happen in the book but I think Catherine’s advice wasn’t always helpful because sometimes you have to move on with someone new even when your heart has been shattered. It is agony not to be with the one you love.
My heart ached for Beth for most of the book as she traversed through her new life; I’ve felt many of her same emotions.

Firstly I would like to thank the author, the publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC of this book. I enjoyed this book it had a great story and characters.

I received a complimentary copy of this book "The Lost Letters of Evelyn Wright" and all opinions expressed are my own. Overall okay. Sometimes it's hard to read books set in another country. Agony Aunt? I never heard of that. But overall the story had ups and downs along the way.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to receive this book for an honest review.

I enjoyed this one alot. Its a story of Beth who has separated from her husband and is starting over. She purchased a cottage to start lifeover with her two children. While cleaning out her childrens room she finds a box of letters belonging to Evelyn Wright.

I enjoyed reading the letters along with Beth and how it helped her deal with her life and the parallels.

A lovely book by Clare Swatman. Beth moves into an old cottage which needs a lot of work, a bit like her new life. She has recently divorced Rob and needs a new start with her two children, aged five and seven. They have had to move out of the area they know and love, while her ex husband remains in the old family home with his new partner. Life just doesn’t seem fair. Beth is, understandably, quite bitter and although trying her best, she can’t see life improving for a while. Then she discovers the letters from the 1950’s of agony aunt Evelyn Wright. They give her great comfort and she devours them. Will Beth’s life become one she is truly happy with? Can she and her family settle in the cottage and even be happier than before?
A great read which I binge read in a day, such a good story.
Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for a Kindle copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A very enjoyable cosy read.
Beth has separated from her husband and is starting over, she recently bought a new cottage and starts to make it a home for her two children Jacob and Olivia. While doing this she finds a box of letters when clearing out the children's room.

Thanks to the Publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

I enjoyed reading this book.

After Beth discovered that her husband was having an affair, her life has totally changed.

After her husband Rob bought her share of the house off hers she’s had to move to another area in order to buy an house she could afford for herseld and her children.

As she’s making a start to decorate the rooms of the house, Beth comes across a box of magazines which have advice columns. After reading through some of them, she decides to start giving advice through a blog.

She adopts a dog, whilst taking it out for walks, she meets other people that live in the neighbourhood and makes friends and discovers more about the box of magazines.

I recommend this book.

I loved this book.! From the moment I picked it up I was hooked! Such a well written heartfelt story! Really connected to all the characters apart from Rob but that’s to be expected! Highly recommend

After her divorce Beth has to move into a cottage requiring a lot of renovation. Whilst clearing a bedroom ready for decoration she finds a box containing correspondence with Evelyn, an Agony Aunt from years previously.
This book gives a realistic view of modern life, with families split after divorce and the effect it has on the children as well as the adults. It can be very lonely, as Beth finds, and unsettling for the children as they are shuttled between their homes. As Beth starts making new friends she tries to help other people. There are some questionable decisions by all involved, but that does reflect real life. I did enjoy this book, slow paced but one to make you think what you would do in Beth's place.
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley, however this did not influence my review of the book.

The Lost Letters of Evelyn Wright is a heartwarming and poignant novel that delves into the themes of love, loss, and the power of written words.
The characters in the novel are well developed and the engaging plot made this book a compelling and heartfelt read.