And all is left of us we meet Dawn mum to Archie. Dawn is a single mum of a young autistic boy. She is currently pregnant with her sister-in-law‘s child. Becoming a surrogate for her twin brother was a decision she made to help him and his wife become parents.
We meet Dawn shortly before she gives birth and while joining Rebecca at a pregnancy class she meets a face from the past. She has never told anyone who her son Archie‘s dad is could the truth be about to come out.?

Shortly after giving birth, Dawn realises that Rebecca is struggling with becoming a new mum she is scared of how she may feel towards the baby that she has given away despite knowing he is not hers. She finds it within herself to help Rebecca and David bond with their new baby.
All the wild dealing with her son who’s maturity and strength keeps her surprised.

I enjoyed listening to this book. I felt the characters were well written and the storyline interesting and kept me engaged the side characters worked well bringing the story together to an interesting read and conclusion. This is my first book from this author but I am interested in finding more. Thanks to Netgalley the opportunity to listen to this title.

This was incredibly sweet, and I absolutely loved it. Miller has explored sensitive topics (parenthood, surrogacy, autism) with sensitivity, humour, and humanity, creating complex characters who leaped off the page into my heart. I particularly loved Archie, and have learned many things about lemurs from this book which I never expected to know. I would absolutely recommend this book!

I loved listening to this book! It felt really autobiographical (although I am well aware that it is fiction!). NB there are some give away revelations in this review so be warned.
Dawn became very real to me and I was with her all the way. I felt that her relationships with her son, her brother, her sister-in-law and her best friend were portrayed very realistically. I have read that some people found that the revelation about Archie’s father was a let down in the end. However, for me it was just right; it was kind of realistic, not far fetched and too dramatic which would have made the whole story suddenly seemed far fetched and ridiculous. We already had that with the keeper/ artist link which was so guessable but I’ll forgive that! Recommended!

I'm sorry to say this book wasn't for me. I didn't find the characters particularly compelling and I really struggled to connect with them and the broader story. I hope that others enjoy it, perhaps it just wasn't quite what I was looking for.

I thought this book was brilliant. How do you separate feelings of a child you carried for 9 months, gave birth to, and then have to call your nephew. It was an incredibly real, emotional looking into a complicated family. I thought the autism representation was great. As a mum of a child with autism a lot of it rang true and it isn’t something I read about often, and certainly not written about this well.

All that is left of us is a gentle story about a single mother with a neurodivergent child and a secret about his father. Dawn has always been close to her twin brother and when he and his wife are unable to have a child of their own, she agrees to be a surrogate. After the baby is born, it is clear the new parents are not coping so Dawn helps out as much as she can while struggling the demands of her own life. When her son expresses a desire to meet his dad, the secret she has been keeping for 10 years must be disclosed.
I enjoyed this book and it felt almost like an autobiography. I did expect more of a bombshell when the identity of the father was revealed which made the ending quite flat.

🎧3.5-3.75⭐️

My first book by this author with this contemporary general fiction. I had the audiobook read by Jessica Preddy who does a good job.

Dawn loves being a mother so much, so when her twin brother David and his wife Rebekah are struggling to conceive she agrees to be a surrogate.

It’s a pleasant, at times moving story of family and friend dynamics. The characters of Dawn and Archie (who is neurodivergent) are well developed being relatable and likeable. The subjects of surrogacy and autism are well handled and felt authentic. There’s a dollop of romance too giving some feels. I enjoyed the information about meerkats too.

The pace is slower as in most of this type of fiction. I enjoyed it rather than loved it. It’s an enjoyable easy listen.

An endearing , well-written book covering a range of sensitive issues - autism, surrogacy, post-partum depression and family secrets.
The author builds a cast of characters you become instantly invested in and takes you on an emotional roller-coaster as each of them deals with a range of challenges.
A slightly predictable ending but not one that spoilt my enjoyment of the book.
I am grateful to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced listener copy of this very well narrated audiobook which added to the overall enjoyment.

3.5 🌟

I found this title a little tricky to get into, while I had huge admiration for what seemed like a selfless deed in being a surrogate for her brother and his wife, I found Dawn hard to like, I found her to be judgmental and a bit harsh on Rebecca who is struggling with becoming a mum. However, I was continually checking myself and trying to relate to Dawn’s feelings. Yet, I just couldn’t. While I appreciated the complexities that the author was highlighting in surrogacy, and the human feelings that come along with that. It just missed the mark for me, somehow.

I did love Archie though, and when Dawn met zookeeper Joel the story started to take a turn that better captured my interest and the way the whole family eventually bonded was uplifting, hence bumping up half a star.

The narration was really nice in this title.

Massive thanks to Bolinda Audio via NetGalley for the opportunity to review this ALC 🎧

Having read Waiting for You by Catherine Miller, which I thoroughly enjoyed, I anticipated a little more from this. It saddens me to write reviews that are now completely glowing. However, I have to be honest.

I did find the outine of this story absolutely appealing, and it was definitely endearing how the characters were all portrayed. I appreciate that the subject matters are both quite deep in themselves when dealing with surrogacy and autism then add in family dynamics to the mix, so maybe this is why the author did tread a little more lightly.

For me it just felt a little flat albeit I listened from beginning to end and there was as I stated something really endearing and warm about this story at the same time there was something missing so I guess I felt a little conflicted with this review.

It wouldn't put me off listening to more by this author in the future it was well narrated, and I definitely enjoyed the listen from this perspective.

With thanks to Netgalley & Bolinda Audio for this ELC in return for an honest review. Best wishes for publication on 1st March 📚❤️🎧

Dawn has a young son Archie who has intense interests and doesn't always react in the way he is expected to. Dawn volunteers to be a surrogate for her twin brother and his wife and there are some complex emotions involved here. For Archie's whole life Dawn hasn't told anyone who his father is. I thought the narration of this audiobook was really pleasant and I enjoyed the story.