This book broke my heart – but gently, in a beautiful way, and put it back together again in a way that touched me deeply. It is rare to find a story that so honestly, yet hopefully, shows how a woman struggles day in and day out to survive – while loving, caring and trying to stay afloat in a desperately difficult situation.

Beatrice Alright is not a hero, not a martyr, just a woman who has experienced too much loss too soon and is now doing everything she can to give her little daughter Ellie a better life. After her partner Declan leaves them, the young mother tries to hold her world together while working as a cleaner in a hospital – even if it means putting Ellie to sleep in a supply closet for a few weeks. The story is not about suffering, but rather about all those who fight an invisible battle each day.

One of the book's strongest features is that it is not exaggerating, yet it gives a deeply moving picture of the reality of sudden homelessness – especially in a big city like Dublin. It shows how easy it is to slip down after one bad decision or misfortune, and how difficult it is to get back up. But it's not just about that. The novel speaks sensitively about loneliness in old age (through Malcolm's character), the fragility of social relationships, the downsides of the foster care system, and the exhausting everyday challenges of motherhood – especially when you feel you have to do it all on your own.

The author's style is subtle, never overbearing. She simply lets the characters' stories speak for themselves. I particularly enjoyed the character of Ellie, it is rare to see such an authentically written young child in a novel. Her dialogues, her reactions, her presence – everything feels real. I appreciate when an author doesn't idealize children, but makes them truly real.

Although the story is full of painful situations, the book never becomes overwhelming. Rather, it is uplifting. It is full of love – not the glittering, big-word love, but the small gestures that show true caring. A good conversation, a smile, a friendly word. And therein lies the beauty of the book.

"The Secret Life of Beatrice Alright" is not a romantic story, even if there is a tiny love thread. The focus is on Beatrice's struggle and how to survive with dignity and humanity even when the ground is pulled out from under you. It's a story that reminds us that asking for help is not a weakness – and that far more people live in quiet desperation than we think.

This novel is far more than just a lighthearted tale, despite what the title may suggest. Beatrice’s journey is one of self-discovery, resilience, and navigating the complexities of life, all wrapped in a beautifully written and emotionally resonant story.
At first glance, Beatrice appears to have everything in order, but beneath the surface, she harbors doubts and secrets that slowly unravel as the story progresses and she faces unexpected challenges that push her to rethink everything.

I found this book to be an emotional rollercoaster, both engaging and thought-provoking. The writing is beautiful, and the themes hit hard, but it’s not the easy, breezy read one might expect (I know I did). It’s a story that lingers in your mind long after you're done reading and it was well worth my time.

This book was heartbreaking and healing. It felt like an Abby Jimenez book but without such a focus on the romance.

It was such a powerful story with so much struggle but with a lot of love. It made me cry. It deserves more hype.

Beatrice Alright hasn’t had the easiest of starts to life, but now she’s settled with partner Declan and her adored four year old daughter Ellie. But things in life can change so quickly. Beatrice has to think what to do, she’s responsible for Ellie, and Ellie is her world.

Such a powerful book.
This book covers some very serious and sensitive issues. I was rooting for the lovely Beatrice the whole way through. Fiercely proud, trying to resolve everything herself, trying to make the best out of an awful situation she is thrust into.
I loved how the author wrote this, her choice of words, people, and how it made me feel, feeling all of the emotions.
I don’t often shed a tear or two reading a book, but I did with this.
Absolutely loved this powerful and emotional read.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Publisher for an advanced e-book copy. Opinions about the book are entirely my own.

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

4.5 stars rounded up

This story broke my heart but I loved it! What an emotional rollercoaster it was and such an eye-opener into the world of homelessness. This book is a great example of how life can change in an instant, the importance of family and friends and of reaching out for help. I did find myself yelling at characters to 'just tell them' at times, but I guess that shows how invested I was in the story.

This story is going to stay with me for a long time. People need to read this to understand that we don't always know what's going on in someone's life, and we shouldn't be too quick to judge. Highly recommend it!

Thank you to NetGalley, Storm Publishing and the author for an ARC for review. My review is voluntary and unbiased.

Thank you to Netgalley and Storm Publishing for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I liked this book and the characters. I also liked the storyline and read it in a couple of days. I would recommend this book.

Reminds me very much of Jojo Moyes! A new to me author and I will be checking out her backlist. A character-driven family drama with a warm and cozy ending.

Trigger Warnings: parental abandonment, infidelity, and death of grandparent

Beautifully written. I loved Bea. My heart went out to her. It doesn't take much does it, to become homeless? Poignant, heart-warming, this story is one that holds your attention. Just one thing, I would have liked a little more in terms of an epilogue, to see a bit more of Shayne and Bea together. With thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

EXCERPT: I pause outside the main hospital entrance. Icy wind claws at my cheeks and I cup my hands, bring them to my mouth and blow hard. Eccles Street is beautifully still, as if the usual hustle of Dublin City is on mute. Moonlight shines through a blanket of cloud, casting shadows at my feet. Inside my head is blissfully silent too. And I know to enjoy it. The sweet spot of calm when one day winds to an end before another begins never lasts long.
An approaching siren slices through the air in the distance. I glance overhead as the clouds part. The sun will be up soon. I take a deep breath and step forward. The huge, glass automatic doors part and a grey-haired man in chequered pyjamas shuffles out. He slips a cigarette between his lips and bobs his head up and down as he asks, 'Do you have a lighter, love?'
'I don't smoke, sorry,' I say. 'But I think they sell matches in the tuck shop. It's open after nine.' I glance at my watch and realise that's more than an hour away. 'Or they might be able to help at the nurses' station.'
Without a word, he turns and shuffles back inside, struggling to keep his slippers on.
A lady in a black bomber jacket and with car keys in her hand races towards me from the car park.
'Are you a nurse?' she asks, breathless. 'Where should I go?'
I cup my ear to hear her better as the siren grows louder.
'It's my grandfather. He had a fall. They asked me to hurry. Room 114, they said. Or 124. I can't remember.'
'Mr Cullen,' I say, thinking of the jolly ninety-six-year-old who loves to dance, even an IV line and oxygen tank not slowing him down. My heart pinches, knowing that, if someone called his granddaughter at this hour, his time is limited.
She nods and her keys rattle in her shaking hand. 'Yes. Yes. Tom Cullen. Do you know where he is?'
I smile, happy to help at a time I can only imagine must be so difficult for her. 'Room 124. Reception is just through here, on the right.' I point over my shoulder at the glass door behind us. You have to check in there first.' I look at her teary eyes and shaking hands and realise she's not taking in a word I'm saying.' I can show you, if it helps.'
She nods and we jump aside together as the ambulance comes skidding into the bay. Blue scrubs and white coats hurry out of the doors to meet the paramedics and the patient and I know the chaos of another day at St Helens has begun.

ABOUT 'THE SECRET LIFE OF BEATRICE ALRIGHT': Beatrice Alright is the queen of silver linings. She can find a spark of hope in any situation. Even when her partner delivers earth-shattering news that leaves Bea and their four-year-old, Ellie, without a home, she refuses to panic.

Because Bea believes that what she does have is more important – her job at St Helen’s Hospital, which offers a warm, dry shelter for her and Ellie to stay while she figures things out. By day Bea cleans the wards, by night she tucks her daughter into bed between mops and buckets.

And tries so hard to hold on to hope.

When Bea sees an old man sitting on a cold and lonely bench outside the hospital, she really doesn’t have time to stop. She should be clearing up her own mess, not worrying about this cantankerous stranger. But Bea can’t help herself…

As she slowly starts to draw out Malcolm’s heartbreaking story, could this simple act of kindness begin to heal a decades-old pain? And might finding peace for Malcolm help Bea in ways she didn’t even know she needed?

MY THOUGHTS: There were many things in this read that confused or puzzled me, but they didn't stop me enjoying this sweet and poignant story.

While on the surface (and the cover) this may look like a light-hearted read, and it certainly is in places, Brooke Harris shows just how easy it is for fortunes to change and for a person to become homeless through no fault of their own, and just how hard it is to turn things around again.

Even though this book is heart wrenchingly sad, it is never depressing, although I felt that Bea was quite understandably bordering on depression in places. The poor woman just couldn't catch a break! I did feel frustrated by her at many points. She just wouldn't stand up for herself. I would assume Declan is named on Ellie's birth certificate, so why was he not paying maintenance? Why didn't Bea go to the police over being scammed? And surely there must be something akin to Women's Refuge centres in Ireland where she could have gone rather than sleeping with a child in the cleaners' cupboard on the ward. Realistically, she never could have gotten away with this, as other cleaners would have come in on her days off to do Bea's job and other staff do access the cleaner's cupboard when the cleaner is not on duty. So you are going to have to suspend belief a little here.

Malcolm was a wonderful character. He is the old man on the park bench who Beatrice stops to chat to. He is warm and wise in his own curmudgeonly way while also trying to write a wrong and heal a family rift. His grandson Shayne is almost too good to be true, although Brook Harris's portrayal of his relationship with Malcolm was spot on when it comes to how many people treat their elderly relatives. Even Bea finds herself falling into this trap. Ellie, Bea's four-year-old daughter is a joy. A very typical four-year-old! I found it interesting that she didn't appear to miss her father at all when Declan left. She certainly didn't ask about him at all in the 'When's Daddy coming home again?' way that I would have expected.

There is just a wee sprinkling of romance to this story, but I liked the way that a friendship develops first, and the romance isn't introduced until late in the book.

Despite these 'wrinkles', I enjoyed this read. It is a moving blend of kindness and tragedy with mostly wonderful characters who will fill your heart.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

#TheSecretLifeofBeatriceAlright #NetGalley

MEET THE AUTHOR: Brooke Harris loves nothing more than opening a book in the middle and inhaling deeply. A self-confessed arty-type, she enjoys playing piano, sketching and painting. But her greatest love is stories.

Brooke writes heart-breaking and emotionally led fiction, often with a sprinkling of romance. Brooke lives in county Kildare, Ireland with her husband and five children. She is a keen supporter of mental health charities and creating a greater understanding of mental illness. She is the owner of the bestest, fluffiest, lickiest dog in the world. (Source: Storm Publishing)

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Storm Publishing via NetGalley for providing an e-ARC of The Secret Life of Beatrice Alright by Brooke Harris for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

This was both a heart-breaking and heart-warming story of Bea Alright. I enjoy a book when it taps into all of your emotions. I recommend this quick story that will stay with you for a long time.

You could call this a feel good story because there are characters here who care and help each other in need and that in itself makes this a hopeful story. However, it’s not a light one with themes of loneliness, regret, abandonment, family estrangement, homelessness. Oh, there are some funny and sweet moments, but there’s a lot of sadness and heartbreak. I’m not going to say much about the plot because the book description tells most of that. I’ll just say that a revelation early on turns a woman’s and her four year old daughter’s lives upside down. It’s one that I had assumed before it was revealed even though only in the third chapter, but the story isn’t always predictable.

This is the second novel I’ve read recently that portrays an unexpected and unlikely friendship between a younger woman and an elderly man, a friendship that changes both of their lives. Connecting with these characters, I couldn’t help but feel that they changed mine in some way, too.


I received a copy of this book from Storm Publishing through NetGalley.

The Secret Life of Beatrice Albright by Brooke Harris is the story of Bea and her daughter Ellie who become homeless after a break-up. I'm a little weary of books that show men at their worst and women as naive and overly trusting, but I enjoyed this. The characters were interesting, all with fairly realistic lives. I find Bea engaging and the way she reacts to her out-of-control life understandable.

What an emotional story this was. I enjoyed every minute following the ups and downs of Beatrice and her daughter Ellie. I desperately wanted things to work out well for them . This is a story I will think of for a long time.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the chance to read an ARC in return for an honest review

An emotional story about family relationships. Bea is upset when her boyfriend and father of her 4 year old daughter breaks up with her. He is married with children. Sadly Bea has nowhere else to go and after sleeping on the sofa at her friend's flat doesn't work out, she and Ellie sleep in a cupboard in the hospital where she works. She meets an older man who sits outside the hospital waiting every day and gradually gets to know why in a developing friendship with him and his grandson.
This book is poignant, with plenty of messages about romantic relationships, friendships and problems of single motherhood, childcare and homelessness. The characters are well portrayed and emotions well described and I`ll be thinking about this book for a while yet as it has touched my heart.
Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC

This book follows Beatrice, a single mother facing homelessness after her partner leaves her. Despite the challenges, Bea maintains a positive outlook and finds ways to make the best of her situation for herself and her young daughter, Ellie. I loved Bea's resilience and her determination to create a better life for herself and Ellie. The story is heartwarming and uplifting, showing that even in the darkest of times, there is always hope. I loved all the characters and it is a “feel good” kind of book.

This was a really good story, showing that circumstances can change in an instant leaving you in a place you never thought you could be, homeless. Bea (Beatrice Alright) battles on to get herself out of the situation and protecting her little daughter at all costs, she is a wonderful mother and a good person, always helping and looking out for others. The mystery of Malcolm and the relationship that develops is wonderful and very satisfying, the storyline there weaving it's way through to the very satisfying ending, which isn't necessarily the one you would guess at thankfully.

I truly enjoyed this story of down on her luck Beatrice “Bea” Alright. Declan, the father of their daughter Ellie, has news to share and she is hoping that he will be proposing. Instead, he delivers news that will crush her and is gone. How will she go on as she must move out of the Dublin apartment he rented. With very little money and no place to live, she is fortunate to have her job at the hospital. She cleans the rooms, but after paying for child care, there is little left. Where will she stay with Ellie, she can’t lose her too? They now play a game to see who can be quiet, as they sleep on the storage room floor. She hopes to stay unobserved by her supervisor, Elaine, as her life continues to fall apart. Ellie is with her when she sees the elderly man named Malcolm who sits outside the hospital. Worried about him, they eventually meet his grandson, Shayne. She still has not told them that she is homeless, but realizes that Malcolm is not well and has family issues that are complicated. How can she help Malcolm when her own “house of cards” is slowly falling apart? Emotional story! I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (paytonpuppy)

Thank you to NetGalley, Storm Publishing, and Brooke Harris for this e-book in exchange for an honest review.

This book will tug on your heartstrings and you will need some tissues. If you enjoy Fredrick Backman's A Man Called Ove you will love this book.

This book captures the real life downfalls of life and how it can all pile up around us. From a heartbreaking split to having to find a place to live with a child this book will take you on a rollercoaster. Along with trying to find those bright little moments in each day. Beatrice befriends an old curmudgeon of a man who is set in his ways but befriends her little girl, Ellie. The innocence of Ellie, a 4 year old, is captured perfectly.

I highly recommend this book. It will give you all the feelings.

Book Synopsis
Beatrice Alright is the queen of silver linings. She can find a spark of hope in any situation. Even when her partner delivers earth-shattering news that leaves Bea and their four-year-old, Ellie, without a home, she refuses to panic.

Because Bea believes that what she does have is more important – her job at St Helen’s Hospital, which offers a warm, dry shelter for her and Ellie to stay while she figures things out. By day Bea cleans the wards, by night she tucks her daughter into bed between mops and buckets.

And tries so hard to hold on to hope.

When Bea sees an old man sitting on a cold and lonely bench outside the hospital, she really doesn’t have time to stop. She should be clearing up her own mess, not worrying about this cantankerous stranger. But Bea can’t help herself…

As she slowly starts to draw out Malcolm’s heartbreaking story, could this simple act of kindness begin to heal a decades-old pain? And might finding peace for Malcolm help Bea in ways she didn’t even know she needed?

#netgalley #netgalleyreview #stormpublishing #thesecrectlifeofbeatricealright #brookeharris

Another lovely book by Brooke. A book that I was drawn into the storyline and struggled to put down. Thank you for the ARC.