A slow-paced story of grief too big to shake, and the intimate bond it fosters between strangers turned friends, turned found family. In costume.

This pulled heart strings, and I found Ben a more empathetic character than Alice, though I certainly felt for her. It really is a lovely example of how a man and woman can truly be platonic friends and support one another through the hardest thing they have ever been through, with no sexual tension or romance. The costumes were funny, but I'd say this was definitely not a comedy. Though the whole book is sad and 95% depressing, it does end more upbeat and sends the reader off with hope.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Brilliance Audio for gifting me an audio ARC of the latest book by Nick Spalding, narrated perfectly by Imogen Church and Steve West. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.5 stars rounded up!

Alice is devastated by the loss of her husband, Joe. So the last thing she expects to see when she's visiting his grave on his birthday is a man dressed up like Kermit the Frog. It turns out that Ben (AKA Kermit) lost his brother, Harry, who is buried next to Joe. Harry, always a practical joker, left specific instructions to Ben to visit his grave every year on this date, and left specific costumes he was required to dress up in, as well as a song to sing while there. Alice and Ben meet in this same way every year and form a friendship forged in grief. They eventually start making challenges for the other to try and help.

Nick Spalding has done it again - taken the difficult subjects of death and grieving and created a book that is funny, poignant, and hopeful. The narration only made this book better, and you won't be able to stop seeing Ben in these various costumes in your mind. Alice and Ben form such a unique bond, and I really appreciated how the story didn't go where I predicted. Don't miss this one!