Book Review


Review for 'Eddie Winston Is Looking For Love ' by Marianne Cronin

WOW!!!! What can I say?!?! One thing I have got to say before getting into my review is clear your schedules and grab the tissues as you will need them!!!


This has got to be one of the most stunning books I have EVER read ♥


This book is beautifully written with vivid descriptions setting the picture perfectly in the readers mind. The title, description and cover works perfectly with the storyline. This book is just absolutely heart-warming, unforgettable and beautiful. I have previously read Marianne's 'The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot' and by God was I an emotional wreck after it but what an absolutely stunning book that also was!! Seriously if you have not read any of this extremely talented author's books then what on Earth are you waiting for?? Grab your copy of this beauty or 'The One Hundred Years Of Lenni And Margot' and I promise that you will not regret it. However, you do need to completely clear your schedules and have the tissues at the ready as they are both such emotive and stunning books. Honestly, they have got to be two of the best books that I have ever read!! 'The One Hundred Years Of Lenni And Margot' has still stuck with me from when I read it a few years ago in 2021 and it is now coming to the end of 2024 so that really does say something!! I absolutely love the unique storyline and the fact that two people with such a large age gap create this beautiful friendship is just gorgeous. There are very few books I have come across with a young and elderly protagonist becoming such good friends and I absolutely loved it!! It is an absolute rollercoaster ride of emotions filled with love, romance, heartbreak, sadness, laughter, second chances, love, loss, friendship and so much more. It is one of the most unforgettable books I have ever read!! It tells the story of 90 year old Eddie Winston. Eddie is full of life and still volunteers at a charity shop. Eddie is full of heart but at the age of 90 has still never been kissed. When 24 year old Bella donates her late boyfriends, who has passed away, items meets Eddie and discovers that he has never been kissed she is determined to help him find his love and happiness. It is the start of a beautiful friendship that will fill your heart with warmth and turn any frown upside down!! Marianne's evocative writing skills sucks the reader straight into the storyline with the characters, the charity shop and absolutely everything and every feeling coming to life around them. This is just one of those rare books that words just cannot express how powerful and emotional it is. It will make you cry both tears of happiness and sadness. The fact that Marianne has done her research absolutely shines through so a huge congratulations Marianne! One of my pet hates is when authors don't research their topics and then the book is littered with unnecessary mistakes which can spoil the story for me. The multiple narrative brings the story to life along with the descriptions and ensures the reader can see everything that is going on and what the characters are thinking and feeling. I absolutely love, loved, LOVED the storylines that came with the charity shop items that Eddie was discovering in the charity shop. It was just amazing and completely unique and I thoroughly enjoyed delving into the previous owners history!! Just absolutely fantastic Marianne!! I mean genuinely if you are reading this I cannot possibly put into words how much of an amazing talented author Marianne is and how incredible her books are so stop reading this and just grab your copy now!! It is one of those books that I just simply could not put down and I walked around everywhere with my kindle and the book. Every chapter ended in a way that I had to know what was going to happen next and then it would move on to the next chapter and do the same so I blew through this in one sitting. Reading this book really does make you feel that you are standing with them and going through their pain, love, and suffering. While you are reading this you are going through a journey of love and loss, heartbreak, secrets, love, and regrets and so, so much more. It really is a rollercoaster ride of emotions. I was utterly glued to the pages and I could not bring myself to put it down. I was carrying the book around to read it every chance that I got. You need to clear your schedules and get the tissues at the ready because you will not be able to put this book down. There are some tough topics are explored with realism and sensitivity, that all culminated in a very gripping and powerful page turner. This is one of those books that will stay with me for a long time and although it could be a difficult read at times with emotions running high I would seriously recommend it to anyone and everyone!!

This book really is one of the most stunning and unforgettable book that I have ever read and one that will stay with me for years if not forever! The other one is also written by this extremely talented author and is called 'the One Hundred Years Of Lenni And Margot!! AN ABSOLUTE MUST READ!!

The characters were all very strong and realistic and Marianne's writing ensured they jumped off the pages at me. My heart went out to each of the main protagonists for different reasons during different chapters. I absolutely loved Eddie's absolutely fantastic, strong and quirky personality. Eddie may be 90 but he does not suffer fools gladly and has the same to give as 24 year old Bella. Eddie made me laugh so many times with some of the things he came out with I had tears running down my face. What an amazing man!!! Eddie is the male version of who I would love to be if I make it to the grand age of 90!! He is genuinely so kind, caring and amazing. If only all men were like Eddie the world would be a much better place!! On the other side of the age spectrum we have the absolutely fantastic Bella who is a strong women, rebellious and an absolutely wicked sense of humour!! Eddie and Bella are bonded by tragedy as well as determination and I absolutely adored them both!! The only negative about them is that although Marianne's amazing evocative skills sucks you into the storyline and makes you feel you are next to them throughout they are still only fictional and if I could meet any group of people real or fictional these 2 would definitely be in that group!! I won't say anymore about the characters as I don't want to go into too much detail at the risk of spoiling it for other readers but Marianne has done an amazing job at bringing each of the characters to life. Well done Marianne!!!

Congratulations Marianne on yet another absolutely stunning, unforgettable beautiful book!!! I am looking forward to reading more of your future books so I really hope you are writing one as I type because I need more of your stories and characters in my life. I would absolutely love to see this book turned into a movie!!! This is the exact reason you are one of my favourite authors and here's to your next guaranteed success 🥂


Overall an absolutely unputdownable, stunning, addictive and compelling devastatingly beautiful MUST READ!!


#EddieWinstonIsLookingForLove #MarianneCronin #TransworldDigital #RandomThingsTours #RandomTTours

@MarianneCronin @TransworldDigital @RandomThingsTours @RandomTTours

https://m.facebook.com/Bookworm1986/?ref=bookmarks

https://m.facebook.com/Bookwork86/?__tn__=%2As-R

https://www.instagram.com/bookwormwhitlock86/

https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/34299953-kirsty-bookworm86

https://mobile.twitter.com/kcmw86

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/profile/amzn1.account.AFZ2XZBSFHIHXBXGZLBQ666XVK4A?ie=UTF8&ref_=ya_mb_l_prf

Oh this book.It was utterly wonderful.90 year old Eddie was one of the best characters I have ever come across .Despite being elderly he was full of energy,warmth and hope.I loved that he spent his time helping out in a charity shop engaging with the customers and the manager Margie before going home to his beloved guinea pig Pushkin.
He was unable to be with the love of his life in his younger days so when he meets young Bella who has lost the love her her life she sets off on a quest to find Eddie someone to love.The relationship between them both is a joy and as they go on their journey to find Eddie his lady their path takes Eddie back to his past love.
With warmth ,humour,kindness and love at the heart of this book it is an utter joy to read.
I adored 100 Years Of Lennie And Margot but this one is up there with my fave books ever.

Oh my goodness, if there's ever a book that's going to make you smile and seize every opportunity to make the most of life, this is it. 'Eddie Winston is Looking for Love' is one of the most charming books I've read in a very long time, I don't think I stopped smiling from start to finish (apart from a certain point 3/4 of the way through...)

Eddie is a 90 year old man who has had a wonderful life and doesn't feel that he is lacking anything, but he has never had his first kiss. His volunteer job in a charity shop brings him into contact with 20 something Bella, who has been left heartbroken. The two of them strike up a wonderful friendship - and Bella decides to help Eddie achieve one of life's milestones - his first kiss. She helps Eddie set up a dating profile on a site for more mature daters, and navigates him through the world of online dating including a memorable date on the pier in Brighton. Rather him than me riding the Crazy Mouse rollercoaster!

Eddie himself fell in love with a married woman in the 1960s called Bridie, but the two of them agreed that they could never have a relationship. She is married to a lecturer who is permanently unfaithful but Bridie can't do the same. The story jumps back to the 60s when Bridie and Eddie first meet; the spark between them is there from the beginning but the situation doesn't allow them to be together, however much they both want it. The chapters from Bridie's point of view are so sad; she blocks off her feelings entirely for the sake of her family and her faith, all the while thinking about Eddie and what might have been.

One of the most wonderful things about the book is Eddie's lust for life and willingness to embrace new opportunities. He slowly reinvents his wardrobe into something much more vibrant and street stylish, he rides rollercoasters for the first time, he's the star of a photo shoot - you name it, he'll try it.

I want Eddie to be real, and live in a world with Susan Fletcher's Florrie, Ericka Waller's Birdie Greenwing alongside Richard Osman's gang - they would be such a supergroup of OAPs, seizing the day and making everything that much brighter. Loved loved loved.

After loving Lenni and Margot I was super excited to read the next novel by Marianne Cronin. And it did not disappoint.

Eddie is 90 years old when he meets Bella, who is grief stricken but uncovers a secret, Eddie has never been kissed. Bella sets off on a mission to help Eddie find love, but is there a time when it becomes too late to find it?

I loved Eddie, his friendship with Bella is so wholesome and warm and his friendship with Marjorie his boss is also entertaining. I love the jump between past and present Eddie, learning about his past as a university lecturer and watching his newfound friendship with Bella blossom, allowing him to help her grieve the death of her boyfriend.

This is such a warm hug of a book and I'd thoroughly reccomend it.

Due to health issues cannot write a proper review now even if I enjoyed this book. as it's well plotted, the characters are fleshed out, and it's entertaining. I liked the good storytelling
A more extensive review will follow
Recommended.Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I should just say: go and read this book! You can thank me later! It would be accurate and it would be true, too. This book is like chicken soup for the soul. Or like chocolate. Or you cup of hot chocolate while you are all cozied up on your coach. It is the sunshine after a storm, when you see the colors so clearly and so neatly. It is a fresh breeze and a warm hug. It’s every good thing you can think of.

Eddie, our MC, is ninety years old, and he works in a charity shop. Retirement wasn’t for him, so he decided to keep busy. And he is such a pure soul, easygoing, and able to find joy everywhere. He is a masterpiece in human shape, he is so good! And a bit later on we meet Bella, a young girl who soon becomes Eddie’s wingman. She is a counterpoint of a sort for Eddie, but she has a great heart and she is so cute and fun!
And we get to meet a lot of interesting characters thanks to these two, all of them full of heart (well, almost all) and it is good to see such good vibes and goodness in people. Sometimes I need to be reminded that people can be good, and this book does it magistrally.

This book is about a lot of things: it is about the joy of small things, but it is also about love, about life, about people, and about happiness. But it’s also about pain and loss and loneliness, and it treats all these different themes in such a delicate way… the author is amazing, and she is able from the start to grab your attention, subtly and lightly, and just like that, you’ll find yourself invested in Eddie story, in all the small things that he does and that make him happy. And his take on life is pretty unique, but so beautiful! This book is chock full of beautiful moments.
I don’t really want to say a lot about this book, because discovering all the small things, and all that happens is a joy in itself, and you should experiment it by yourself. It will bring you so much joy!

Once started it was very hard to put down, the author is incredibly masterful in her art, and this book is enchanting and captivating, and you would find yourself immersed in the story, and so invested in the characters, without noticing. And then it would be too late: you’ll be ensorcelled and there would be nothing you can do about it. You just need to keep reading and see what the book will bring you next.

And the writing is beautiful. It made you want to savor it, and to take in all that the book has to offer! My only complaint, and I know it’s not a real complaint, is about the ending. The last chapters of the book made me want to turn page after page so fast! because I needed to know what would happen next, I just wanted to fly between them, because I needed to know. Needed to. But at the same time, I had to slow down, because the writing is so beautiful and I didn’t want to miss a thing, but I needed to know! The ending was akin to an amazing thriller when you can’t put it down because you need to know what will happen. The thrill was the same, even if the vibes were completely different. But really, it was so strong the urge to devour page after page, and yet the desire to not miss a thing was slowing me down. It was sort of maddening, but in a good way?

Anyway, this book is so good! It is beautiful, it is uplifting, it is heartwarming and I loved it to pieces. You need this book in your life!

I enjoyed this book with thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read this book
I enjoyed the characters in this book and wish the author all the best with this book

I personally preferred the author debut novel 100 years of lenni and Margot to this book but that’s my personal choice

90-year-old Eddie spends most of his time volunteering at his local charity shop, sorting through donations and, every now and then, rescuing an item that he thinks the person who donated it will end up missing and come back for. It is in this shop that the meets 24-year-old Bella, when she comes in to donate items that belonged to her late boyfriend who died suddenly. Eddie saves some of the items and soon a friendship builds between the unlikely pair, and in getting to know each other, Bella learns that although Eddie has been in love, he has never been kissed. This then becomes her mission and the two go on a lovely adventure together!

The friendship of Bella and Eddie is one if the most wholesome I have ever read. Both helping each other more than they know, they are excellent characters, supporting by a brilliant cast of other characters. I really enjoyed this authors previous book which was also about an intergenerational friendship, and this one was just as good, if not better. Told in a few POV's - Eddie past & present, plus Bella's letters to her boyfriend as part of her grief journey, it was a heartbreaking and ultimately heart-warming read!

Eddie Winston Is Looking for Love is a charming novel about Eddie’s journey to find love and understand himself. Eddie is a relatable and endearing character and this is a heartwarming and enjoyable read!

Eddie Winston is Looking for Love by Marianne Cronin

Ninety year old Eddie Winston works in a charity shop and meets twenty four year old Bella who comes in to donate Luke's belongings, the love of her life who has died. They become friends and when Bella hears that Eddie has never been kissed she resolves to help him find love. But Eddie has only ever loved one woman and she was already married - is it too late for him?

Wow, what an amazing book, I absolutely loved it. I loved Eddie, Bella and the whole host of characters - Ham and Cheese, Marjie, Emmeline, all of them fabulous. Such a tender, funny and absorbing story, I couldn't put it down. I think everyone will fall in love with Eddie and Bella. Very VERY highly recommended.

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

This is the book equivalent of stroking that spot behind a puppies ear, or wrapping yourself in a weighted blanket, or tea and toast on a rainy day...it just makes everything else better because you've experienced it. The warmth radiates out of the pages and envelopes you.
I was hoping it would be good because The 100 Years of Lenni and Margot was good, and I definitely wasn't disappointed. Whilst this is another story of inter-generational friendships, it's lighter than Lenni and Margot but still hits in the feels just as hard.
Eddie and Bella found each other at just the right point in their lives, they both needed a perspective that they probably wouldn't have found with peers to be able to navigate what they're going through. They were lifelines thrown to each other by a higher force before they had fully realised the extent of their drowning. It's a real story of Kismet.
What can I say about Eddie? He's who we should all aspire to be when we grow up, he's warm and kind, not constrained by societal expectations, has amazing style, and a heart big enough for us all to live in. If you went through life asking yourself 'What Would Eddie Do?' you would have enriched the lives of everyone you crossed paths with.
And Bella? Strong, rebellious, huge fighting spirit, a sense of humour that never quits, hopeful even with her first-hand knowledge that bad things do indeed happen. She fully immerses herself in helping Eddie, getting just the help she needs along the way.
Marianne Cronin clearly understands the emotional make-up of people so well, she writes characters that you will never forget and will want to be friends with.

Eddie Winston is ninety years old and spends his days volunteering at a charity shop in Birmingham, sorting through donations and taking care of sentimental items that someone may one day come back for. Bella is twenty four years old and first encounters Eddie when she donates some of her boyfriend Jake's belongings after he tragically passed away. They strike up an unlikely friendship, spending their lunch breaks together in Pigeon Park and, when Eddie reveals that he's never been kissed, Bella makes it her mission to help him find love because, no matter how old you are, it's never too late to find happiness.

This latest contemporary fiction by Cronin is a dual timeline, set in Birmingham, in the present day and back in the sixties. Eddie Winston is happy plodding along with his current life, looking after his guinea pig Pushkin and helping out Marje in the charity shop but he's never forgotten his earlier life as a lecturer at the university and the woman he fell in love with, Bridie Bennett, a forbidden love who was already taken by another, so Eddie never took it further but he's never stopped thinking about her. He is such a kind, caring and adorable man who looks out for others and the friendship he develops with Bella is so sweet, helping her to cope with her grief over Jake. This book is filled with fabulous characters, even Ham and Cheese Man (you'll have to read it to find out) but Eddie is my absolute favourite and I would defy anyone that picks up this book not to fall in love with him instantly, we all need an Eddie in our lives.

I'd like to thank Random House UK, Transworld and Netgalley for the approval, I will post my review on Goodreads now and Amazon on publication day.

Eddie Winston is Looking for Love by Marianne Cronin is a warm hug of a book, filled to the brim with charm. I adored the author's previous book 'The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot' so I was delighted to get my hands on an advance copy of her latest release and it certainly did not disappoint.
At 90 years old Eddie has lived a full and largely happy life, now retired he volunteers at a charity shop where he sorts through donations, deciding what can be sold and what needs to be thrown away. Every so often he finds something that speaks to him, something that he knows the person who donated it will miss, and those things he puts to one side, keeping them safe until the donor comes looking for them. When a young woman named Bella drops of a box of men's clothing he finds a sketchbook filled with drawings of her, and a pair of shoes decorated with doodles and drawings. These go home with Eddie for safe keeping, and slowly he and Bella build a friendship and he learns that they belonged to her now deceased boyfriend. As their relationship grows Eddie reveals that though he has been in love he has never been kissed and so Bella makes it her mission to help him find love taking them both on a journey that will bring them many adventures and a few new friends.
I absolutely adored Eddie as a character, from his snazzy if rather eccentric dress sense to his extreme kindness and compassion and his friendship with Bella is one of the most wholesome relationships I have read about in years. It seems that the author has a wonderful way with the dynamic between characters of generations and showing how they can bring the best out in each other. This is a book that is full of emotion, it will take you from heartbreak to joy and I was genuinely sad to finish reading it, I just wanted to spend more time with these wonderful characters.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

Thank you to net galley for the ARC of Marianne Cronin's second book.
I loved Lenni and Margot sooo much...I was hoping that this one would just as endearing and it was a lovely, lovely heartwarming and tear jerking read. Eddie is a wonderful main character... charming, quirky, compassionate and full of zest for life. Ninety years old and rescuing personal treasures of huge sentimental value donated to a charity shop while on his quest to find a special keepsake from the woman he's always loved. He meets Bella and the two form a beautiful friendship...Eddie helping her navigate life without Jake by going on a quest for Eddie's first kiss.
There's something about how Marianne writes that makes me feel all the feels and I love her writing... beautiful characters, emotions, tenderness...I just loved it.

We all know I love an older character by now and Eddie was no exception, what makes it better is his friendship with Bella.
Eddie is 90 and hasn't been kissed, but he doesn't let this stop him from enjoying life. He works at his local charity shop and there he meets Bella who has just lost the love of her life.
The pair compliment each other and I love their friendship and how they bring joy to each other. I liked the dual timeline aspect of the book, where we learn of Eddie's own lost love.
A sweet read with fabulous characters.

I absolutely adored everything about this book!

I had never read a Marianne Cronin novel before this, but now she will be one of my 100% automatic buy authors.

I loved everything about Eddie. His zest for life, his optimism, enthusiasm & his snazzy dress code. His beautiful friendship formed with Bella bought me to tears multiple times, and I loved how every character in the story bought something unique in their own right.

Age -gap friendship novels are sometimes not executed well, but this is a PERFECT example of age-gap done so well! I'll be shouting about this novel for a long time to come!

Eddie Winston Is 90 years old and, despite having loved, has never been kissed. He volunteers in a charity shop, where he "rescues" items that have no real value apart from sentimental and keeps them in case someone comes looking for them. There he starts helping Bella, a young girl who has lost her boyfriend, and they form an unlikely friendship. On finding that Winston has never been kissed Bella is determined to find him love.
This is a really emotional book, using flashbacks you gradually find out who the love of his life was and why they were never united. There is also Bella's story, and how she is struggling with her loss, plus a lonely guinea pig in the mix. Certainly one of the best books that I have read this year, be prepared to be moved whilst you find out whether he will finally find love.
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley, however this did not influence my review of the book.

I absolutely adored this book and the character of Eddie, a 90 year old gentleman with a great sense of humour and a beautiful nature. I would love there to be an Eddie in my life! Eddie works in a charity shop and there encounters 24 year old Bella mourning the loss of her much loved boyfriend. Eddie and Bella develope a sweet, platonic friendship, sharing lunch in the park regularly. Bella encourages Eddie to try a dating app as he has never been kissed and would like to find love even at this later stage of his life. Also in the mix is Eddie's first love, Bridie, and we are taken back to the 60's when they were only ever friends but never pursued their deeper feelings as Bridie was already married albeit unhappily. This is an utterly charming and emotional book that will stay with me as did the author's earlier book about Lenni and Margo. I shed a few tears at the end of this book and am going to miss these characters who feel very real to me. That's good writing! My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an ARC in return for my honest review.

This was an absolutely wonderful book which features Eddie, a man late in life working in a charity shop. When he meets Bella a young woman who is finding her life very challenging, we have the privilege of watching both their lives transformed through friendship and taking chances.

Eddie is an engaging character with a quirky dress sense and is open to making his life more exciting and his natural ability to help people and recognise their worth shines through, He has never been kissed and we find out in a dual timeline about his early life at University. This book is full of warm feelings and both characters find themselves invested in each others lives and they meet regularly eating sandwiches in the park, It is there a plan is hatched to get Eddie his first kiss. As Eddie is supported by Bella to navigate the dating scene we also see her coping with her grief and as their friendship flourishes their camaraderie and love for each other is heartwarming,

The author from the beginning has you rooting for Eddie. I was captured by the writing and the characters and found myself thinking of this book when I was not reading it. It is a wonderful story of proof that friendship can span generations and I am sure you will not want to put it down, you are invested in their lives and there are some deeper themes in this book which I thought were handled with care and love.

Such a beautiful book and one which I am sure will make you fall in love with Eddie.
Superb !!!

Eddie Winston Is Looking for Love is a heartwarming story of loss, of despair, of remembering the past, but also of hope, of love and looking forward to the future.

Eddie is ninety years old and works in a charity donation shop, sorting donations from families of people who have passed away and deciding what to keep to sell and what to throw away. He's aware of the loneliness some people go through and how he holds their last belongings in his hands. So sometimes he keeps certain ones, ones he feels don't deserve to be thrown out or that he suspects the donor may come back for and regret having parted with.

It in this way that he meets Bella, a twenty-four year old young woman whose heart is broken from a very recent loss. While unlikely friends at first, it doesn't take too long for the pair to hit it off with her encouraging him to sign up to a dating app and embrace all that life still has to offer, even at the age of ninety.

It's an absolute beautiful masterpiece of love and loss, of friendship and family. It will make you laugh, it will make you cry. I adored this book, even though I wanted to continue reading to see where the story would take me, I also felt myself trying to slow down to treasure it as the words unfolded on the pages before me.

My book of the year so far! If you enjoyed The One Hundred Years of Lennie & Margot you will love this book too.