Member Reviews
This is such a feel good read. It’s a hug of a book.
It’s definitely emotional – as the three women’s stories reveal themselves you will be cheering them all on.
Val is grieving for the loss of husband and has lost her precious rings and is desperate to get them back. Sophie is desperately trying to rekindle a lost love and finds the rings in the back of a taxi, but then disaster strikes. Alice’s husband is driving the taxi. He’s not a nice man and Alice is miserable. She’s lost contact with her son Rory and needs the courage to end her marriage. And Rory is facing heartbreak of his own.
Set over the course of one long weekend, all four characters have to face their pasts and find the courage they need to move on with their futures.
There’s tears and heartbreak, love and laughter as Val uses the power of social media to try and find her missing rings and Sophie is finally able to leave the past behind her. Val is able to make new connections that gives her a sense of hope of the future.
This was a delightful and charming read.
Thank you to Boldwood Books for my gifted digital copy via NetGalley. I thoroughly enjoyed it and will definitely pick up more of Shari Low’s books in the future.
As expected, I absolutely adored this book.
Shari Low has a real talent in bringing her characters to life and exploring all the nuances of their personalities which really makes them jump off the page.
Loved the plot.
Highly recommended
what a lovely book!
i adored the characters and really hope there are more books following their lives.
the story was full of up and downs, smiles and tears.
great read, loved it!
✨️ Book Review ✨️
𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: One Long Weekend
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: Shari Low
𝐏𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬:322
𝐒𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: Glasgow & London
𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬: This is the first book that I have read by this author and I really enjoyed it! At first I was a bit unsure of the multi POVs but they all worked so well together. I really adored the MC’s (and most of the side characters), I loved seeing how their stories worked out bringing them all together. They each had their own traumas but they all persevered. This story is so lovely and full of hope! I cannot wait to read more from this author!
𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬: 𝙑𝙖𝙡 was a widow unknowingly lost her rings in a taxi while going to Glasgow to visit her nieces. 𝙎𝙤𝙥𝙝𝙞𝙚 was the next passenger in the taxi who found the rings but unfortunately, the taxi driver had a heart attack and crashed while taking her to potentially meet up with her first love. Because of the crash, she lost possession of the rings. 𝘼𝙡𝙞𝙘𝙚 is a cleaner who is married to Larry, said taxi driver who also happens to be a corrupt ex-MP. Alice lived in fear with Larry threatening and verbally abused her for years. 𝙍𝙤𝙧𝙮 is Alice’s son who is recently separated from his wife. He works for his father-in-law but loses both his wife and job because of his father’s past crimes. There were several twists & turns, lots of tears & laughter that brought them all to a hopeful ending.
𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐝:
• I love how all 4 MCs are intertwined
• Sophie’s situation seemed predictable but I love the outcome!
• I could relate to all the MCs at some point.
• Val’s nieces are so spunky & funny!
• This was such an emotional roller coaster!
• Loved the character development
• Lovely book cover!
• Great ending
𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐃𝐢𝐝𝐧'𝐭 𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞:
• Larry! So scummy!
• To me it was so upsetting that Alice stayed with Larry for so long (though I can see why she did)
𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐡𝐚𝐬:
Multi POVs
Multi Generational
Found Family
Family Drama
Social Media Sleuths
Great Friendships
Thank you to @netgalley & @theboldbookclub for the gifted copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Shari Low has a real knack on drilling down into the details of people's lives and their stories over a short space of time. The way the stories weave together works really well. I haven't finished the book yet, sorry, but I am loving finding out about the characters and attempting to work out how their stories will pan out. I have got the horrors over Val's blue eye make up though! 🫣 I'm really enjoying the compelling writing style.
Another great read from Shari Low.
This book draws together a cast of four main characters and links their stories together seamlessly. His is a story of family, love, loss, and sacrifice. This book follows these characters over three days but gives us a glimpse into their lives which leaves the reader feeling fully invested into each character. (Lovers of Shari Low will recognize some familiar characters.)
Good read. Highly recommend especially for fans of Low.
This was an unexpected storyline. I feel like the synopsis did not do the book justice. A one of a kind story that was very well planned.
Hopeful, heartfelt and addictive, Shari Low is at her mesmerizing best with her latest novel, One Long Weekend.
Val Murray is beside herself. She has lost her most precious mementoes of the people who mean everything to her who are no longer around. Thinking that everything she cherished is lost forever, Val is devastated. However, she quickly realises that she shouldn’t give up all hope just yet as her family, technology and a little divine intervention is at hand that might just help mend her broken heart. Meanwhile, Sophie Smith has taken a rain check on a marriage proposal. Is she doing the right thing? Or is she merely setting herself up for even more heartbreak and disappointment?
When scandal had hit her marriage, Alice had stood by her husband, Larry. But when it becomes increasingly clear that Larry hasn’t learned his lesson, will Alice finally decide to turn her back on her marriage and leave him for good? Or will her strength and courage fail her? Rory Brookes had once been forced to make the hardest choice of all. But having lost everything in one day, will the one person who had always stood by him and whom he had turned his back on find it in their heart to forgive him?
Shari Low’s One Long Weekend is an excellently told page-turner rich in pathos, emotion, warmth and drama that kept me up all through the night. With her gift for creating characters that leap off the pages, in One Long Weekend, Shari Low has penned a terrific tale about love, loss, forgiveness and second chances that had me laughing and crying in equal measure.
A brilliant read from an exceptional storyteller, Shari Low aims for the heart with her latest novel, One Long Weekend.
I loved how the three story strands in this novel were woven together. Val has appeared in previous stories and she is a great character who merges humour with sad emotion. Determined to keep going, she is a strong woman who shows her vulnerabilities. Sophie shares some of these characteristics although she seems to be a people pleaser who has put aside what she wants to placate her grief stricken father. She too is on a quest, but unlike Val who is searching for some lost objects, she is looking for someone from her past. You really feel for her as the story unfolds. Lastly, we have Alice who is looking for an escape from her unhappy life. As she tells her story, you realise that she has inner strengths and her motivating factor has always been to protect her son.
Taking place over one weekend, the lives of these three women collide. Friendships are forged. It is a standalone story which shows you how despair and hope can settle side by side. I enjoyed some of the secondary characters who play a part in the women's lives. When Rory is introduced into the story, you soon have sympathy for his predicament and hope that he can make amends for past decisions. Close friendships and family ties are central and show how they can support some great characters through some tricky moments. As a story, I loved it.
In short: a five star read
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ out of 5. In One Long Weekend, grieving widow Val loses a pouch containing jewelry from the people she has loved most in her life, Sophie revisits the scene of her greatest love lost to try to rekindle their flame, and Alice grows frustrated with her horrible husband Larry. While these three people don’t know each other prior to the weekend, their lives become intertwined in this novel.
I enjoyed this book with its strong women and fast-paced plot.
Thank you to the author, Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the ebook in exchange for my honest review.
One Long Weekend brings together women of various ages, social status and situations. Val Murray is visiting her niece and before she leaves the house, grabs 4 rings that mean everything to her. She puts them in a velvet bag and into her purse. Unfortunately, she loses them when they fall out of her bag in the backseat of the cab she takes to the airport. Her nieces, who are influencers plan to use their platforms to help her recover them. Sophie Smith took a rain check on a marriage proposal, when her mom becomes ill. Now that she has passed away, she heads to Glasgow to see if she can find the man that she wants to marry. Taking the cab that Val had been in, she finds the bag, but before she can do anything with them, the driver has an episode and they are in an accident. Rushed to the hospital, she forgets all about the bag. Alice McLenn stood by her husband, Larry when a scandal cost them everything. Larry was driving the cab and is now in surgery. He is once again in the headlines, bringing the sordid story back to the public eye and Alice has had enough. With the help of her son, Rory, who had been estranged with her before the accident, she wants to help make things right for the young lady who was in his cab when the accident occurred. Rory's wife is now divorcing him as she has had enough of the scandal that keeps resurfacing, and he has also lost his job at her father's company. Can these four broken hearts heal over this One Long Weekend?
This was such a delightful uplifting story. I loved all the main characters and wanted their stories to have a happy ending, but there were too many of them for it all to work out. Val's nieces were a wonderful addition to this story. I am not a big fan of most social influencers in books, but these two were real, and the way they helped others with their clout, not even considering their aunt was wonderful. Sophie was my favorite of the women. She had been through so much with the illness of her mother and the dependence of her father on her. Her sister is her best friend and their conversations were a hoot. When she lost track of Ash, I had a feeling things might not work out for her, but I was still rooting for her. She took a few chances, which was how she ended up in the hospital in the first place. She is such an honest and caring person, that even though she no longer had the rings, she still tried to help Val find them. Alice was the character I felt the most sorry for. She had stood by her husband while he went through his trial for his crimes, but he treated her terribly. Pushing her son away to save his happiness broke her heart, but she was willing to do it for him. The story was well written with each step connecting to the next to enable these characters to heal, share their stories and eventually decide on their next moves. Would they find what they were looking for? Each makes decisions for their lives, not necessarily what they set out to do, but ones that give them the opportunity for new beginnings and happiness ahead. A wonderful uplifting story that I very much enjoyed. I love Shari Low's writing. It takes these different storylines and weaves them together in a delightful narrative that kept me invested in this story from the first page to the last. I enjoyed hearing her story of her inspiration for this book.
Shari Low writes some emotionally powerful books that get to you in all of the right places. She is fast becoming a go to/favourite author of mine
I adore this author, and this latest offering by Shari Low reminded me exactly why.
She is a master of her craft- she is able to create wonderful characters who the readers love and want to be their friends. I loved the plot in particular with this book. There are 4 characters to follow and each chapter is from a certain POV. I love books written that way, it keeps me interested and always wondering if the characters' lives will intertwine somehow.
I loved my latest outing with Shari Low and highly recommend this book.
What a fantastic book. This book had all my emotions going. Loved the characters which is a huge part of my rating system. I cant recommend this book enough. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
I've become a big Shari Low fan, love her style of writing, the fast pace, the relationships she builds. One long weekend takes place over one long weekend with an intricate network of unrelated people coming together in an amazing way over incredible circumstances. None of them had the weekend they anticipated, hoped for, longed for. But all of them got the weekend they were destined for 🥰
In One Long Weekend, author Shari Low weaves together the stories of four individuals, each facing their own personal challenges and searching for redemption, love, and the strength to move forward. With its heartfelt exploration of loss, forgiveness, and the power of human connection, this novel is a captivating and emotional journey that will leave readers reflecting on their own lives
Shari Low is able to make the story flow smoothly, and the intertwining stories create a sense of connection and unity. While the pacing may feel slightly uneven at times, the emotional depth and the genuine portrayal of human emotions make up for any minor inconsistencies. One Long Weekend is a touching and thought-provoking and shows the enduring strength of the human heart. Can't wait to see what Shari Low has in store for us next.
When I requested this book, I did not realise that it was a part of another series by the author. The first that I read from her, in fact. The author had followed up her first ever hit book with a sequel more than a decade apart and it worked well. This is a form of addendum to that series, with characters from that but a different focus entirely.
There are three main different parts to this tale. One is where a grieving widow takes a vacation to her niece’s place ( it was only once she got to the niece’s house that I realised who all the people were, much to my shame). The other is of a corrupt ex- government official whose wife is miserable and making plans to better her life. Her son is another part of this narrative. We also have a young woman who has come to see if her whirlwind romance a few years prior might still have something in it for her.
The author is very good at bringing different voices into a single cohesive plotline. Each individual sounds distinct, and although I could have done it without the possibility of too many happy-ever-afters, I still enjoyed this book.
Grief and missing a loved one are key features in this story and very simple language is used to demonstrate the depth of emotions people feel. It was easy to feel all the sorrows that are discussed here. There are some happy moments as well as some funny ones ( although less of the latter). I highly recommend the author and this book for people who like multi-cast narratives. Even people who have not read the other books in this ‘series’ will be able to appreciate the story here.
I received an ARC thanks to Netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.
What drew me to this title:
The author
The cover
The knowledge that it would be the perfect read for de-stressing.
A good ending.
Shari Low writes novels that are a pleasure to read. This one is no exception. Anyone looking for a summer read can’t go wrong by picking this up.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this title. All opinions are my own.
Shari Low is easily one of my favourite authors and so I was thrilled to read her latest novel especially when I found out that Val was one of the central characters. Struggling with the grief of losing her beloved Don, she then loses her most precious possessions in the journey to visit family. The story then weaves and threads together as Shari’s novels do in such a brilliant way.
Highly recommend
💭 This read along came at exactly the right time for me! I'm a lover of thrillers at the minute, however i had hit a reading slump, and I've previously loved some of Shari's other books, so the familiar layout and characters drew me straight in!
Strong character setting from the onset, I found myself connecting with them all for differing reasons, though I did have a soft spot for Val and was absolutely rooting for Sophie!
The book has a strong feature on relationships in many forms, family, extended family, partners, and friendships. As well as covering "loss", again in several forms.
As with other books from the "one" series, you get to catch up with some familiar characters. However, I feel it's not detrimental that you read them in a specific order.
I loved how, though the main story is centred around Vals missing rings, there are several other character stories. The way these were written into the pages blended so well, and it wasn't choppy or confusing.
I would love to catch up again on how Sophie's life moves through the years!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫