I would like to thank NetGalley, Debbie Howells and Boldwood books for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

3 ⭐ - do you believe in fate or destiny?
Stevie has a fear of flying but this time she has to fly. During the flight she grips the hand of her neighbor Ned who just lost his mother. This chance encounter leads them to a small french town.

This was a cute read with likeable characters, told from multiple POV's which can get a little confusing at times.

3.5 stars.

I went into the story not expecting it to be to have so many heavy themes. With that said, I loved following the characters through their self-discovery at different stages of life. The characters had different motivators to create some form of change. Everyone is starting a new chapter and how life puts people in your life to help you through those difficult time.

Lovely heartwarming story of family. The ones we are born with and the ones we make for ourselves.
Thank you to NetGalley and Debbie Howells for my copy.

. Heartbreaking and heartwarming in equal measures. A lovely story of community spirit and friendships developing where you least expect them .I absolutely loved it.
Grateful thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in return for an honest review

This was the first book I've read by Debbie Howells and I really enjoyed it. It was told from multiple characters perspectives but they fit together well. A lovely story.

Thank you Net Galley and Publisher for approving the request for the upcoming Debbie Howells book.
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I fell in love with her writing when I read the ARC of "The Last Days of You and Me" back in February so when I saw this one I instantly requested it and I swear it did not disappoint me. I love how Debbie captures every emotion so perfectly especially anxiety and stress or even the normal thoughts we all have. Her characters feel so relatable because they all face such real problems.
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The Making of Us is about people living in a small French village. It mostly revolves around 4 characters Stevie, Ned, Fay, and Zeke.
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Stevie, after losing her parents decided to move to the village, trying to live a quiet and peaceful life where she met Ned who was struggling with his music career and expressing his emotions. Their conversations are relaxing, motivating, and healing.
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While Fay came on a trip to the village after finding her true self she decided to stay a bit longer.
Zeke was a gardener who rented people allotments for gardening. As he gives one of the allotments to Fay, They start spending a lot of time with each other.
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The best thing about this book was how great listener everyone was. Each of them helps the other heal themselves it made me cry I will definitely request the next Debbie Howells because it's worth the time.
Give it a read if you enjoy it:
-slow-burn
-small-town romance
-healing and self-care

Don’t you just want to grab this, switch off the phone and curl up on the sofa
By far one of my favourite books I've read this month… I loved every minute…

Really enjoyed this book, the setting was great with well developed characters. Will look for more from this author

Stevie is terrified of flying and on a flight to France, she finds herself clutching the hand of Ned, a stranger sitting in the seat next to her. Meanwhile, Ned is heading to see his dying mother, and Stevie is returning to France to escape a terrible loss in her past. Neither Stevie nor Ned is in the right place, to act of any chance of romance. Yet when their paths keep crossing, it becomes clear that fate is going to keep bringing them together.
A heartfelt story, written with such elegance. I found the characters of Stevie and Ned quite realistic and I loved the backdrop that this romance was built upon. The secondary characters gave such added depth to this story and the use of gardening throughout the book, highlighted the different stages of life so eloquently.
This book I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is a heart-warming, cozy, adorable, and sad story about two broken people connecting to one another and trying to mend together.
A nice lovely story with realistic - and relatable - characters perfect for readers who enjoy romance and drama.

This book is about multiple characters all facing life issues. The chapters alternate between characters and fit together nicely. It’s heartwarming and also heartbreaking at the same time. I really enjoyed this book and couldn’t wait to find out what happened

Heart warming. Heart felt. Life affirming.

Sadly I think I prefer Debbie as a thriller author. But wish her lots of luck with this release.

With thanks to Boldwood books and Netgalley for an ARC copy in return for an honest review.

My thanks to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘The Making Of Us’ written by Debbie Howells in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Stevie is waiting at the airport for her flight to Limoges in France when her attention is drawn to a good-looking young man. Ever since her parents died in a plane crash Stevie has been terrified of flying and when seated on the plane she grabs the hand of the person sitting next to her, and surprisingly it’s the same young man she saw earlier whose name is Ned. It could be coincidence but Stevie feels that meeting Ned is meant to be.

‘The Making Of Us’ is a life-affirming novel that although lives sadly have to come to an end there’s more to living than just existing. The story is centred on the village of Correze in South West France where the inhabitants intermingle and help each other. The main characters are Stevie, Ned, Fay who’s living alone in her French home, and Zeke who’s in charge of the communal allotment. It’s a gentle story that starts with four strangers and ends with them showing love and caring for one other. It’s a beautiful novel that I admit brought tears to my eyes more than once and although fairly slow in pace I couldn’t stop reading until I knew how it was going to end. This is a heart-warming novel that’s beautifully written and I loved every minute of it.

This book follows the lives of four strangers whose paths cross in a small French village. Each of them is in search of personal fulfillment and contentment, and they find solace and a sense of community within the village. As with the author’s previous work, *The Last Days of You and Me*, the themes of love, loss, grief, and second chances play a central role in the story.

The characters—Stevie, Fay, Ned, and Zeke—are all grappling with life’s challenges. Stevie is mourning the loss of her parents after a plane crash and trying to rebuild her life. Fay has retreated to her summer home to reassess her failing marriage, feeling as though she has lost herself by prioritizing her family for too long. Ned, an aspiring musician, returns home to care for his dying mother while struggling to find his footing in his career. Zeke, along with his mysterious garden, becomes a pivotal connection in their lives, offering a metaphorical bridge between them.

The novel weaves together their individual stories through alternating perspectives, blending moments of sadness with warmth, insight, and compassion as they each confront their challenges in love and life. The community and the characters’ intertwined journeys become a source of healing and reflection, providing readers with a sense of hope despite the struggles faced by them.

This one took me a while to get into , i think due to the mutiple pov's

This book is a bout grief ,love and finding your way. however it was a MEH for me
With thanks to Netgalley and the author

Thank you to Boldwood books and NetGalley for the E-ARC of this title.
This book weaves the story of 4 strangers all on intersecting pathways. Each person searching for a source of contentment in their lives. They find that in a small town bound together by the sense of community and the generosity of others.
The essence of this book is living a life of abundance. An abundance of generosity, kindness, and love. Each character's life is in a state of change and instability, all of them seeking refuge and peace.
Gardening is weaved throughout the book as a metaphor for the seasons of life. The black weeds growing fast and wrecking havoc, symbolizing illness and death While the the flowers and produce representing a new beginning and even life after death.

This book started slow as the author introduced each character, but by 50%, I was heavily invested in each character and how they were all fated to meet each other. This book was a beautiful and thoughtful passage of time. It reminded me to slow down and enjoy each moment while we have it. We can all use that reminder.

Debbie Howells is a go to author for me, I don’t need to read the blurb, I just need to read the book as, in my experience, they are all fabulous. This one is no exception.

With a beautiful setting of rural France in the summertime, Debbie depicts the countryside and its characters so vividly the reader is transported into their lives. This book has a totally gorgeous range of believable characters you find you really care about: Stevie, a young woman still reeling from a family loss and trying to find herself; Ned, a budding musician; Zeke, an elderly member of the community with a thriving allotment, hiding away from facing his own history; Fay, a wife and a mother who needs now to find herself and Remy, a local resident and fellow allotment owner.

The author is brilliantly skilled at entwining her characters lives and there are always a few unpredictable turns that I don’t foresee. What I really enjoy though is that through what can seem like a simple story, the reader finds their views on life and it’s value and purpose challenged.

Debbie Howells never shies away from difficult subjects, showing real understanding, I would guess from personal experience, tackling challenging areas with empathy, sensitivity and feeling.

Another glorious read, thank you.

A book about grief and love and finding your way. The multiple POVs threw me a bit, and was a little clunky. Still an interesting read. Stevie and Ned had a lot to go through and discover about themselves.

Stick with it as the start is a little slow but necessary to build the backgrounds of each character. On her way to France where she and her family vacationed, Stevie is seated next to a gorgeous stranger (Ned) who helps her with her fear of flying. Ned's on his way to visit with his family after a nasty breakup, only to find out that there's tragedy forthcoming.

A local called Zeke, who runs a community garden space, manages to help bring them together. The examples of true community (which seem to be rare these days) were heartwarming, and Zeke seemed like the wise grandfather figure everyone wants (needs?) in their life.

Thanks to NetGalley, Boldwood Books and Debbie Howells for the eARC.

With thanks to Netgalley and the author

Sadly The making of us wasn't for me, it didn't hold my attention and I didn't care that much about the characters.