Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC. Reading this book was like a warm cozy bath, a soothing balm, and I devoured it in a day. Tyler makes it look SO EASY... but it is not. I loved the use of the wedding as a way to bring the family together (reminded me of the wedding chapter in Sally Rooney's third book). I thought the first person voice was great. I loved the quirky funny dialogue. This was just an absolute joy and I LOVED the final page. She is just an absolute master.

"What was I supposed to do with the rest of my life? I'm too young for this, I thought. Not too old, as you might expect, but too young, too inept, too uninformed. How come there weren't any grownups around? Why did everyone just assume I knew what I was doing?"

When she’s on form, there really is no one like Anne Tyler! I have read nearly all her books, and while I wasn’t so keen on her 2015-or-so novels, I found ‘French Braid’ to be a safe but enjoyable return to form for the Queen of small-town quirk.

It may well be that she won’t write another Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant, but what we may lack in substantial depth here is made up in sharp style.

This short novel opens with deputy headmistress Gail being told that her job is now earmarked for someone else because of her lack of ‘people skills.’

As if that wasn’t wearing enough, she’s in the middle of prepping for her daughter’s wedding, including having her perfectly controlled home invaded by her sweet but maddening ex-husband, his dietary requirements (vegan, but not really) and a cat, which quickly makes itself at home and gets itself a name - Celine!

When a secret comes to light about their daughter’s fiancé, the no-longer-married parents must decide how - and if - to address it before the knot is tied.

Full of laughs and pitch-perfect observations, my only caveats are that it’s not long enough and that it doesn’t come out in time for Christmas in the UK!