After splitting from her husband, Beth moves into a run down cottage in a village. While renovating she comes across some magazines containing letters from an Agony Aunt, Evelyn and decides to set up her own version online.

This was a sweet story but it was only surface deep. There was a lot of talk about emotion but it wasn’t really meaningful. The characters had some annoying flaws- Jacob was written much younger than 5 in his speech; and no self respecting teacher would degenerate themselves by saying they didn’t know much because they were just a teacher.

The story flitted from one plot point to another so sometimes it was a mystery- (what happened to Evelyn), sometimes it was friendship, sometimes romance and then sometimes self discovery and life after divorce. The result being that the book was a mishmash and never really settled to anything properly!

I enjoyed it well enough but I wouldn’t rush to read it again and nothing particularly stood out as being wonderful. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my copy of this book

I was drawn to the concept and stayed to find where the story was going.
I didn’t like the main character Beth or her kids to be honest, although she did undergo some emotional growth . Beth must be a terrible teacher as I don’t know any science teachers with as much free time as she has, and she never seems to do any work at home. I was particularly irritated by a scene where she claims to not know very much as she’s just a teacher. All that being said it was a nice book about having a new middle class start.

Beth's husband had an affair which led to a divorce and him giving Beth the price of half of their family home ( Beth couldn't afford it on her own).
Beth has bought a rundown cottage and try to make it a home for her and her two children who she is sharing custody with her husband. The fly in the ointment is that her ex husband is sharing what was the family home with his girlfriend. She gets to be with Beth's children when they stay there and Beth finds this very hard to come to terms with.
One lonely day when her children are with their dad she finds a bundle of magazines from the fifties in an old wardrobe that was left by previous owner.
She reads them but is drawn to a problem page written by a woman called Evelyn and this passes Beth's time. Beth enjoys this so much that she thinks it's a great idea to help people like her who have no one to confide in so she sets up a web page and that's the start of her being an agony aunt.

I enjoyed this book. I felt so mad for Beth that her husband had the money to buy the kids anything they asked for and use this as a weapon against her. He had no idea how she felt at having to share her children with another woman, the woman who broke up her marriage along with her husband of course.
Various new people come into Beth's life as she comes to terms with it. I thought the various stories about them were good and integrated well.
I was quite sad when the book came to an end as I could have read more.

The Lost Letters of Evelyn Wright sounded so cute to me: Beth, a newly divorced mom of two, is starting over in an old house that needs a lot of work. She’s trying her best to spruce it up and make it feel more like home to her two children when she stumbles across a collection of old “Dear Evelyn” letters. She finds out that Evelyn used to live in this house; she was an agony aunt in the 1950s who answered letters and gave advice to those who wrote in. In her own quest to find herself again, Beth decides to resurrect the Dear Evelyn letters and it takes her down a path she never could have expected.

What I did like about this book was the glimpse into navigating divorce while raising young children. Beth honestly wasn’t that likeable of a character a lot of the time; she was petty and immature and made a lot of bad decisions. But that part honestly felt kind of realistic and refreshing to me. I liked how the author let Beth make those mistakes, and handle her reality in real time, learning hard lessons along the way.

What I didn’t like was that this book really seemed to struggle with genuine emotion. It was missing the depth that it could have had, and characters’ journeys felt rushed and disjointed. There were a few storylines that never really went anywhere and left me wondering what happened.

Thank you @netgalley and @theboldbookclub for my advanced copy in exchange for an honest review! The Lost Letters of Evelyn Wright is coming out on February 15, 2024.

Oh wow! Another belter of a read from Clare. Beth has recently moved into a new house which required doing up, since divorcing her husband who now lives with his new partner in their old home. They have two young children and Beth naturally hates it when they are away from her, and even worse when they are with his new woman. Starting to spruce up the house, Beth discovers some old magazines and letters which are to and from an agony aunt in the 1950’s called Evelyn. Through these her now narrow world expands to horizons she never thought possible when she first moved. This is the story of how a few words on a page can make a difference to someone's life and maybe even shape the future.

I’m smiling while writing this. It's that sort of book that makes you look at your own life, perhaps wistfully at times, and what could have been done differently however it possibly turned out right in the end. We got here didn't we? It's about friendships that mean the world and not looking back too hard, but using the past experiences to guide us into the future. To being open to new ideas and friendships and believing that gut feeling along with ones from the heart. A treasure of a read and one I’m sure I will come back to again in the future. A read treasure of a read.

For more reviews please follow me on Twitter or Threads @nickisbookblog
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*I received a copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this opportunity*

It is never too late to fall in love with your life.

Beth's struggling to come to terms with her new existence. After divorcing her husband due to his infidelity, Beth is struggling to find juggle home renovations, being the best mom to her two young children, and figure out what she wants her new life to look like. While cleaning up her children's shared bedroom, she makes the unexpected discovery of a box full of Agony Aunt columns written by someone named Evelyn Wright. Unable to resist, Beth reads the decades-old advice and, despite herself, life begins to turn around for the single mom.

THE LOST LETTERS OF EVELYN WRIGHT was a sweet, quick read. Beth was, at times, a difficult main character to sympathize with (she villainizes her ex too frequently and has a healthy dose of self-pity) and I can't say I was overly impressed with the romance plot. But, I loved the characters of Catherine and the original Evelyn Wright, Lois, and this story was a good evening read!

A lovely read, light and fluffy and just what I needed on a cold Sunday in front of my log burner, didn't take long to read at all, a lovely story with nice characters and a happy ending

This was a good story but as a mother you might find some of the parts about the children and shared care hard. I definitely did and mine have flown the nests. Beth was an amazing character , she moves house after her husband and her split and you follow her new life. You have lost letters which give her a new career , love , children settling, a garden being brought back to life, a mother who vanished and that part of the story is brilliant.. I won’t spoil it. Read it.

Overall this book was a cozy read perfect for a winters evening, it was really well written and an enjoyable read.

I have loved every other book by Clare Swatman. How to Save a Life was a five star read for me and everything else from The World Outside My Window to A Love to Last a Lifetime were a solid four stars. But The Lost Letters of Evelyn Wright left me wanting. I couldn’t stand the main character Beth, she was selfish where her children were concerned and childish when it came to her ex and his new girlfriend. I get it, she was cheated on and that really hurts and makes a person angry but for the love of god by the time the divorce is final, you’ve gotten your share of the money, bought a house and custody arrangements are made it’s time to get over it and move on. All she did was wallow in self pity and that isn’t good for the kids. And don’t get me started with her lusting after a married man when that’s how her marriage ended. And her giving out advice when she isn’t even remotely qualified, that’s rich!

I really wish this focused more on Evelyn Wright/Lois and her daughter Catherine. Yes, it does eventually get there but it took too long for my liking, I was ready to DNF this one but I was halfway through so continued, what a mistake that was. I should take my own advice and not worry about finishing books I am not enjoying. Needless to say (but I am going to anyway) I was really disappointed with this one. It didn’t have the magic that the author’s other books have. Swatman usually comes through making the ordinary extraordinary and I recommend all her other books, this one just made me angry.

Nerves are not a sign of weakness. Indeed, they are not! It is just another part of life that you don't have much control over - similar to not feeling good enough, lost, or angry as several of the characters in this book experience.
Such as the new, yet fragile friendship between Beth and Catherine who keeps teasing Beth until she begs her not to. Will they stand the test of time? And of finding new love?

And with the mentioned anger Beth was dealing with which I thought was rather endearing, I wonder if there could be a second installment in this series. Ten years later in time... the kids being teenagers and her perhaps exploding with perimenopausal anger from time to time? I can relate to the latter ;)

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the book.

Absolutely charming comfort read that is not super obvious and has enough twists and nuances to not be the same old troupe. Beautifully done, excellent read.

A really enjoyable read.
I will recommend this to others.
Thanks for the opportunity to read & review it.

This was a gorgeous story about starting over after divorce with the advice of an agony aunt from years ago. Beth felt like she lost everything when her husband had an affair and their marriage ended, he bought her out of their house and she had to start afresh in a new village whilst still trying to be the best mum she can. Her friends have fallen away and her family are unsupportive so when she uncovers some old magazines when demolishing an old wardrobe she finds herself drawn to the agony aunt advice, some of which she realises is still relevant to her today, and she is inspired to start her own online advice column to fill in the lonely hours at the end of the day. I really love how Beth’s life transformed as she makes new friends and also decides to investigate what happened to the agony aunt. This adds a great balance to the ongoing family drama in her life which is clearly so difficult for her. Overall the book is a great reflection of the challenges of life after divorce, new friendships and forbidden relationships but most of about moving on in a positive way.