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The Turning Point
Over one short weekend, when Canadian musician Scott Emerson and British children's author Frankie Shaw meet by chance, a profound connection is made. Their homes are thousands of miles apart: Frankie and her children live by the coast of North Norfolk while Scott’s roots lie deep in the mountains of British Columbia. Against all advice, they decide to see where this might go.
Over oceans and time zones, they make sacrifices and take risks, discovering along the way new truths about love and family. For the first time in a long while, it seems life could be very good. But fate has a tragic twist in store, one that could destroy all that was hoped for.
Poignant, engrossing and moving, The Turning Point is a novel about the importance of seizing happiness and trusting that love will always find a way.
Over oceans and time zones, they make sacrifices and take risks, discovering along the way new truths about love and family. For the first time in a long while, it seems life could be very good. But fate has a tragic twist in store, one that could destroy all that was hoped for.
Poignant, engrossing and moving, The Turning Point is a novel about the importance of seizing happiness and trusting that love will always find a way.
480 pages, Hardcover
First published June 4, 2015
356 people are currently reading
2810 people want to read
About the author
Freya North
46 books676 followersFreya North is the author of many bestselling novels which have been translated into numerous languages. She was born in London but lives in rural Hertfordshire, where she writes from a stable in her back garden. A passionate reader since childhood, Freya was originally inspired by Mary Wesley, Rose Tremain and Barbara Trapido: fiction with strong and original characters. To hear about events, competitions and what she’s writing, join her on Facebook, Twitter and her website.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 354 reviews
June 6, 2016
“I know we loved each other, but distance can do strange things to people and before I was willing to tell you about it, I wanted to be certain that it would last”
----Nicholas Sparks
Freya North, an English bestselling author, has penned a heartbreaking tale about love in her book, The Turning Point that narrates the evocative yet challenging love story between two lost souls who meet each other purely by their fate and from their begins their struggling yet romantic journey towards their salvation, while taking care of the responsibilities of their own lives.
Synopsis:
Over one short weekend, when Canadian musician Scott Emerson and British children's author Frankie Shaw meet by chance, a profound connection is made. Their homes are thousands of miles apart: Frankie and her children live by the coast of North Norfolk while Scott’s roots lie deep in the mountains of British Columbia. Against all advice, they decide to see where this might go.
Over oceans and time zones, they make sacrifices and take risks, discovering along the way new truths about love and family. For the first time in a long while, it seems life could be very good. But fate has a tragic twist in store, one that could destroy all that was hoped for.
Poignant, engrossing and moving, The Turning Point is a novel about the importance of seizing happiness and trusting that love will always find a way.
Frankie Shaw, a popular English children story book author, who pens her stories about an imaginary little girl named Alice and her adventures. Frankie is also a single divorced mother of two pre-teen children and lives in a rural town of Norfolk and her life is not that bed of roses type, instead it is demeaning and stressful with two kids and their wishes and dreams, beside her own job where "author's block" is a common symptom.
Scott Emerson, a British Columbian musician, who pens music for movies, is also a single divorced father of an adult epileptic daughter named, Jenna, whose demands and illness keep him rooted towards her daughter and the responsibilities of his own job where "creative block" is a common symptom.
Both these characters, Frankie and Scott, come face to face in London for an event and sparks fly instantly and from that moment, their chanced encounter turns into something passionate and promising before they head towards their way back home, Scott to Canada and Frankie to Norfolk. But can they keep this promising and burning passion between them alive devoid of thousand of miles of distances between the two souls and most importantly with so much responsibilities at their own homes?
This isn't any kind of mushy romantic drama with cheesy love scenes, instead the love here depicted is something old, matured and thoughtful. Since here the love happens between two grown up mid-aged characters, who already had their chances at love, and after so many years devoid of any warmth from the opposite sex, Scoot and Frankie are thrown on the road to tenderness and weakness towards another soul. Hence they pledge to make it work, instead of finding the easy way out to let it go and sleep on it.This pledge of theirs bring them face-to-face with so many defying battles on their way starting with their kids' lives to their equally demanding jobs. This is the kind of the love which will not only make the readers feel for it, but will also sense this love and yearn for this kind of love to happen in their lives and if happened, then it will make them nostalgic about it.
The author's writing style is brilliant and it is laced with deep heart-felt emotions that will move even the coldest of cold hearts of the readers. The narrative is painted with sentiments and it is thought-provoking hence the readers will stick to this story till the very end. The pacing of the book is moderate, as the author unravels so many layers and depth in her story line yet it keep the readers' minds arrested to the very core.
The author not only explores the relationship between two souls filled with real-life challenges and problems but also projects the voice as well as the portrait of a human being suffering from epilepsy and the sudden seizures faced the victim. The author has captured Jenna's illness vividly and aptly that is highly believable for those who are suffering or have suffered from it.
The backgrounds of both the countries where both of them contrast each other with their striking landscapes and the cultural differences are brightly and boldly arrested by the author into the canvas of her story, where the readers are bound to feel like visualizing both these locations with their containing and evocative past as well as the current topography through their own eyes.
The characters here are well portrayed through their realistic demeanor and their impulsive and thoughtful actions and decisions. In the beginning of the story, Frankie will strike the readers as a careless mother who worries only about her book and the imaginary character, Alice. But later after meeting Scott, she starts evolving into a considerate human being. Scott too wants to escape from all those troubles with her darling daughter Jenna but after meeting Frankie, he too learns a lesson or two about the importance of parenthood and the opportunities of life.
The author has given a refreshing, honest and innocent voice to Frankie's kids who will charms the hearts of the readers thereby making them fall for their cuteness. The rest of the supporting cast is also very well-developed.
In a nutshell, this story has almost everything that a reader is looking for in a book that will provide them with a fulfilling as well as with an enlightening experience about life. Th story is highly compelling, addictive as well as poignant till the very end.
Verdict: A must-read story for all those who are looking for something meaningful and evocative through fiction.
Courtesy: Thanks to the author, Freya North and her publishers for giving me this opportunity to read and review the book.
----Nicholas Sparks
Freya North, an English bestselling author, has penned a heartbreaking tale about love in her book, The Turning Point that narrates the evocative yet challenging love story between two lost souls who meet each other purely by their fate and from their begins their struggling yet romantic journey towards their salvation, while taking care of the responsibilities of their own lives.
Synopsis:
Over one short weekend, when Canadian musician Scott Emerson and British children's author Frankie Shaw meet by chance, a profound connection is made. Their homes are thousands of miles apart: Frankie and her children live by the coast of North Norfolk while Scott’s roots lie deep in the mountains of British Columbia. Against all advice, they decide to see where this might go.
Over oceans and time zones, they make sacrifices and take risks, discovering along the way new truths about love and family. For the first time in a long while, it seems life could be very good. But fate has a tragic twist in store, one that could destroy all that was hoped for.
Poignant, engrossing and moving, The Turning Point is a novel about the importance of seizing happiness and trusting that love will always find a way.
Frankie Shaw, a popular English children story book author, who pens her stories about an imaginary little girl named Alice and her adventures. Frankie is also a single divorced mother of two pre-teen children and lives in a rural town of Norfolk and her life is not that bed of roses type, instead it is demeaning and stressful with two kids and their wishes and dreams, beside her own job where "author's block" is a common symptom.
Scott Emerson, a British Columbian musician, who pens music for movies, is also a single divorced father of an adult epileptic daughter named, Jenna, whose demands and illness keep him rooted towards her daughter and the responsibilities of his own job where "creative block" is a common symptom.
Both these characters, Frankie and Scott, come face to face in London for an event and sparks fly instantly and from that moment, their chanced encounter turns into something passionate and promising before they head towards their way back home, Scott to Canada and Frankie to Norfolk. But can they keep this promising and burning passion between them alive devoid of thousand of miles of distances between the two souls and most importantly with so much responsibilities at their own homes?
This isn't any kind of mushy romantic drama with cheesy love scenes, instead the love here depicted is something old, matured and thoughtful. Since here the love happens between two grown up mid-aged characters, who already had their chances at love, and after so many years devoid of any warmth from the opposite sex, Scoot and Frankie are thrown on the road to tenderness and weakness towards another soul. Hence they pledge to make it work, instead of finding the easy way out to let it go and sleep on it.This pledge of theirs bring them face-to-face with so many defying battles on their way starting with their kids' lives to their equally demanding jobs. This is the kind of the love which will not only make the readers feel for it, but will also sense this love and yearn for this kind of love to happen in their lives and if happened, then it will make them nostalgic about it.
The author's writing style is brilliant and it is laced with deep heart-felt emotions that will move even the coldest of cold hearts of the readers. The narrative is painted with sentiments and it is thought-provoking hence the readers will stick to this story till the very end. The pacing of the book is moderate, as the author unravels so many layers and depth in her story line yet it keep the readers' minds arrested to the very core.
The author not only explores the relationship between two souls filled with real-life challenges and problems but also projects the voice as well as the portrait of a human being suffering from epilepsy and the sudden seizures faced the victim. The author has captured Jenna's illness vividly and aptly that is highly believable for those who are suffering or have suffered from it.
The backgrounds of both the countries where both of them contrast each other with their striking landscapes and the cultural differences are brightly and boldly arrested by the author into the canvas of her story, where the readers are bound to feel like visualizing both these locations with their containing and evocative past as well as the current topography through their own eyes.
The characters here are well portrayed through their realistic demeanor and their impulsive and thoughtful actions and decisions. In the beginning of the story, Frankie will strike the readers as a careless mother who worries only about her book and the imaginary character, Alice. But later after meeting Scott, she starts evolving into a considerate human being. Scott too wants to escape from all those troubles with her darling daughter Jenna but after meeting Frankie, he too learns a lesson or two about the importance of parenthood and the opportunities of life.
The author has given a refreshing, honest and innocent voice to Frankie's kids who will charms the hearts of the readers thereby making them fall for their cuteness. The rest of the supporting cast is also very well-developed.
In a nutshell, this story has almost everything that a reader is looking for in a book that will provide them with a fulfilling as well as with an enlightening experience about life. Th story is highly compelling, addictive as well as poignant till the very end.
Verdict: A must-read story for all those who are looking for something meaningful and evocative through fiction.
Courtesy: Thanks to the author, Freya North and her publishers for giving me this opportunity to read and review the book.
Read
March 12, 2017Damn. I need a drink now. Well, another one. Whatever.
This one made my heart HURT. Thank you to Jan for knowing just what I like. ;)
4.5 stars
This one made my heart HURT. Thank you to Jan for knowing just what I like. ;)
4.5 stars
October 4, 2015
GOODREADS GIVEAWAY WIN.
Depending on how I try to look at it, this is either an incredibly bland love story told entirely in surface feelings, or a keenly-felt one conveyed blandly; readable enough, but something vital is clearly missing.
Depending on how I try to look at it, this is either an incredibly bland love story told entirely in surface feelings, or a keenly-felt one conveyed blandly; readable enough, but something vital is clearly missing.
October 30, 2024
One weekend Frankie Shaw and Scott Emerson both in their early forties meet each other in a London hotel.. Frankie is a single parent to two young children Annabel and Sam. She recently moved from London to a coastal area in Norfolk. Frankie is a successful children’s book author and illustrator of a series of books featuring Alice. Scott is a musician and songwriter for films., which is what brought him to London from his home in British Columbia, Canada. What hope is there for a relationship between them when they live so far apart? To add to the complications,Scott also his responsibilities with Jenna and her epilepsy that causes worrying seizures at times.
It was interesting learning about seizures, effects, treatment etc. a lot I never knew there.
Most of this story is told from two points of view, that of Scott and Frankie.
Although I enjoyed much of the book I felt it went on far too long. It could have done with being a lot shorter. And then it took a turn I wasn’t expecting which I didn’t like at all. I ended up skimming from then on. I could also have done without the use of the f word and a couple of instances of the c word in the book.
I liked the two main characters and several of the secondary characters. Miles, Frankie’s ex is a real piece of work. It is a romance but also about friendships and family and choices.
Very mixed feelings about this book.
It was interesting learning about seizures, effects, treatment etc. a lot I never knew there.
Most of this story is told from two points of view, that of Scott and Frankie.
Although I enjoyed much of the book I felt it went on far too long. It could have done with being a lot shorter. And then it took a turn I wasn’t expecting which I didn’t like at all. I ended up skimming from then on. I could also have done without the use of the f word and a couple of instances of the c word in the book.
I liked the two main characters and several of the secondary characters. Miles, Frankie’s ex is a real piece of work. It is a romance but also about friendships and family and choices.
Very mixed feelings about this book.
October 16, 2020
This is just one of those stories that spoke to me.
Book: Lisa, where are you? Where have you been?
Me: I am right here. Let's just sit and exist together for awhile.
In my 50+ years on this earth, I've learned a few things. The hardest and most humbling is that not everything is meant for you. And it takes grace to accept and embrace what is meant for you and to let go of what isn't.
To me, that is what this story was about. Frankie is constantly in motion. A single mother, raising two children, life constantly in chaos - a pleasant chaos most of the time - but chaos nonetheless. She seems to always be searching for something. Unsettled. She is an author of children's books, but has hit a giant writer's block. She has strained relationships with her sister and mother. She has an ex-husband who is flitting about the world and completely unreliable.
Enter Scott, who she meets completely by happenstance. But Scott was meant for her. He was what she needed to embrace. He had lessons to teach her. Oh, and I loved this man. Scott is everything I've pretty much ever wanted in my life - quiet confidence, comfortable in his skin, so very wise, strong, caring, soothing, gentle, accepting of life, able to look outside himself but not afraid to look inward. I am in love forever with Scott!
Theirs was a long-distance relationship with her in England and him as far away in Canada as he could possibly be. Yet their lives intersected perfectly. They took what time they could together. They showed each other their worlds and lived in those worlds together when time allowed.
I'll stop here, because I don't want to spoil anything. The writing within these pages is magnificent. You can feel the mountain breezes, taste the salt air, smell the pine trees, hear the ocean waves. My soul feels soothed after making it to the end. It was with a happy sigh that I turned the last page and sat with my hand to my chest with a smile on my face and said "this book was meant for me."
Book: Lisa, where are you? Where have you been?
Me: I am right here. Let's just sit and exist together for awhile.
In my 50+ years on this earth, I've learned a few things. The hardest and most humbling is that not everything is meant for you. And it takes grace to accept and embrace what is meant for you and to let go of what isn't.
To me, that is what this story was about. Frankie is constantly in motion. A single mother, raising two children, life constantly in chaos - a pleasant chaos most of the time - but chaos nonetheless. She seems to always be searching for something. Unsettled. She is an author of children's books, but has hit a giant writer's block. She has strained relationships with her sister and mother. She has an ex-husband who is flitting about the world and completely unreliable.
Enter Scott, who she meets completely by happenstance. But Scott was meant for her. He was what she needed to embrace. He had lessons to teach her. Oh, and I loved this man. Scott is everything I've pretty much ever wanted in my life - quiet confidence, comfortable in his skin, so very wise, strong, caring, soothing, gentle, accepting of life, able to look outside himself but not afraid to look inward. I am in love forever with Scott!
Theirs was a long-distance relationship with her in England and him as far away in Canada as he could possibly be. Yet their lives intersected perfectly. They took what time they could together. They showed each other their worlds and lived in those worlds together when time allowed.
I'll stop here, because I don't want to spoil anything. The writing within these pages is magnificent. You can feel the mountain breezes, taste the salt air, smell the pine trees, hear the ocean waves. My soul feels soothed after making it to the end. It was with a happy sigh that I turned the last page and sat with my hand to my chest with a smile on my face and said "this book was meant for me."
May 31, 2016
After reading the synopsis for The Turning Point, I was eager to dive right into this romance. I have known several couples who have endured long distance romances only to beat the odds and end up with their own HEAs in real life. So I was invested in Scott and Frankie's story from the start and I kept being so until page 373. (page 373 of the ARC I read) I have been really trying hard to put together my thoughts on this book without a spoilery rant, so I'll do my best.
One of my biggest pet peeves in a book, movie or television series is when the creator asks me to invest a lot of time and emotion into the characters and their journey and then they pull something like page 373. I wasn't sad or heartbroken... I was mad and really had to struggle to finish the book. Why? What purpose was there for that plot point? Honestly, it really ruined the rest of the book for me. I also didn't like the way it switched from third person to first person in the last section of the book. But by that point I was kind of skimming to get to the end of the book.
I'm not saying that I don't recommend this book. I did like the writing style and the characters were great. Just don't expect a feel good story. If you are in the mood for a tear jerker, this is the one for you.
One of my biggest pet peeves in a book, movie or television series is when the creator asks me to invest a lot of time and emotion into the characters and their journey and then they pull something like page 373. I wasn't sad or heartbroken... I was mad and really had to struggle to finish the book. Why? What purpose was there for that plot point? Honestly, it really ruined the rest of the book for me. I also didn't like the way it switched from third person to first person in the last section of the book. But by that point I was kind of skimming to get to the end of the book.
I'm not saying that I don't recommend this book. I did like the writing style and the characters were great. Just don't expect a feel good story. If you are in the mood for a tear jerker, this is the one for you.
June 11, 2015
Despite crying my way through the last third or so, I loved the characters, locations and everything about this story. I have loved all of Freya North's novels, but this one was definitely more of an emotional experience than any of the previous ones.
September 5, 2015
I won't labour the point that I didn't like it. I loved Freya North's early books, I mean really loved, long before most other people did. I guess I must have grown out of, or, at least, away from them - we're almost exactly the same age, and she is writing about/for our age group, so I wanted to like this.
Main reason for disliking this is that I am no longer interested in books where the main focus is on 'relationship'. I'm currently enjoying a lot of crime & psychological books, and they often have 'relationship' as a major feature, but it's not the be-all and end-all. Life's a lot more than that.
I reached breaking point in my irritation with FN's characters. So far no baddies in this book, but there is too clear a dichotomy between the ok people & not ok. Too many characters seem to be idealistic & airy-fairy, which is not a bad characteristic in itself, but I want that mixed with a flaw, like anger or irritation, or...I don't know, I want plausible rounded characters.
I enjoyed Freya's early books, such as Cat (Tour de France) which showed in-depth research into a subject, that really informed me. But this in depth research into Canadian First Nation culture seems contrived, and the use of First Nation language is cringingly embarrassing.
I'm sure lots of people will love this book, if they are want a Romance book with likeable characters that's not set in the wine bar culture of North London . But I have to accept that I have fallen out of love with Freya North. I thank her for some brilliant memories and for being there at times in my life when I needed upbeat romances with a decent back story. But no more.
Don't let my review put you off reading this, unless my thoughts reinforce something you already know or feel. Freya is a good writer and it's no surprise she has sold so many and has so many fans. I don't want to ruin that joy for anyone. And i absolutely have no hard feelings against the writer.
Main reason for disliking this is that I am no longer interested in books where the main focus is on 'relationship'. I'm currently enjoying a lot of crime & psychological books, and they often have 'relationship' as a major feature, but it's not the be-all and end-all. Life's a lot more than that.
I reached breaking point in my irritation with FN's characters. So far no baddies in this book, but there is too clear a dichotomy between the ok people & not ok. Too many characters seem to be idealistic & airy-fairy, which is not a bad characteristic in itself, but I want that mixed with a flaw, like anger or irritation, or...I don't know, I want plausible rounded characters.
I enjoyed Freya's early books, such as Cat (Tour de France) which showed in-depth research into a subject, that really informed me. But this in depth research into Canadian First Nation culture seems contrived, and the use of First Nation language is cringingly embarrassing.
I'm sure lots of people will love this book, if they are want a Romance book with likeable characters that's not set in the wine bar culture of North London . But I have to accept that I have fallen out of love with Freya North. I thank her for some brilliant memories and for being there at times in my life when I needed upbeat romances with a decent back story. But no more.
Don't let my review put you off reading this, unless my thoughts reinforce something you already know or feel. Freya is a good writer and it's no surprise she has sold so many and has so many fans. I don't want to ruin that joy for anyone. And i absolutely have no hard feelings against the writer.
May 30, 2016
Favorite Quotes:
“I have a friend who summed up Miles as little more than an annoying fly on the windowpane on my life."
"Since yesterday, he'd undoubtedly became the most handsome man she'd ever met but it was the fact that she knew him, that she was herself with him, which thrilled her most."
"Frankie didn't lie to her children. Ever. She just manipulated language instead."
"Of course it was doomed to fail, on paper - so the best thing to do was to tear the paper up, take a new sheet and write something different."
"I'm so glad you're here... I like everywhere so much more now that you're in it."
"Dads are just dads in my book. You have no say in who you get. But father figures - are more. In some ways, I think they choose you and you choose them."
"Alone and out of sorts. Frankie thought how the death of the one she loved was an injustice so cruel, so abjectly wrong, so powerful, so beyond comprehension and any known cure, she had been left chronically injured. I'll never properly heal..."
My Review:
The Turning Point was my virgin voyage with Ms. North - I now plan to follow her like a bloodhound on a trail of a prison escapee. I was merrily sailing through her book while enjoying her complicated, likable, and quirky characters; I reveled in her relevant, entertaining, and interesting storyline - so full of feels; and I was intrigued by her writing and unique style... until something horrifying and dreadful happened. I was devastated when I realized there must be something wrong with her aforementioned lovely words as they had begun to elicit a strange and profound response. My eyes stung and burned until I could no longer see the page, my throat constricted and hampered my breathing, my nose started to run, and I felt an unusual flood of wetness on my face that just would not cease to flow. I was wrecked, gutted, devastated, ruined! I cursed the author and her evil pen, and was periodically forced to put my book down to sob, then an ugly cry, and then sob again. Is this Black Magic? What remarkable skills! While I still hold a bit of a grudge for her momentary theft of the control of my respiratory system - I must confess that I place myself in the running for head fangirl territory.
“I have a friend who summed up Miles as little more than an annoying fly on the windowpane on my life."
"Since yesterday, he'd undoubtedly became the most handsome man she'd ever met but it was the fact that she knew him, that she was herself with him, which thrilled her most."
"Frankie didn't lie to her children. Ever. She just manipulated language instead."
"Of course it was doomed to fail, on paper - so the best thing to do was to tear the paper up, take a new sheet and write something different."
"I'm so glad you're here... I like everywhere so much more now that you're in it."
"Dads are just dads in my book. You have no say in who you get. But father figures - are more. In some ways, I think they choose you and you choose them."
"Alone and out of sorts. Frankie thought how the death of the one she loved was an injustice so cruel, so abjectly wrong, so powerful, so beyond comprehension and any known cure, she had been left chronically injured. I'll never properly heal..."
My Review:
The Turning Point was my virgin voyage with Ms. North - I now plan to follow her like a bloodhound on a trail of a prison escapee. I was merrily sailing through her book while enjoying her complicated, likable, and quirky characters; I reveled in her relevant, entertaining, and interesting storyline - so full of feels; and I was intrigued by her writing and unique style... until something horrifying and dreadful happened. I was devastated when I realized there must be something wrong with her aforementioned lovely words as they had begun to elicit a strange and profound response. My eyes stung and burned until I could no longer see the page, my throat constricted and hampered my breathing, my nose started to run, and I felt an unusual flood of wetness on my face that just would not cease to flow. I was wrecked, gutted, devastated, ruined! I cursed the author and her evil pen, and was periodically forced to put my book down to sob, then an ugly cry, and then sob again. Is this Black Magic? What remarkable skills! While I still hold a bit of a grudge for her momentary theft of the control of my respiratory system - I must confess that I place myself in the running for head fangirl territory.
August 22, 2015
Freya North's the Turning Point starts with a chance meeting--first on the Tube in London and then later in a hotel bar. That chance meeting leads to Frankie (a children's book author) and Scott (a Canadian musician) embarking on what starts as a one-night stand and evolves quickly into a long-distance relationship. It is, quite simply, two people finding the loves of their lives after initial missteps with other people.
As they struggle to deal with the logistics and the distance, the doubts and the initial reticence of family and friends, Frankie and Scott throw themselves into the business of loving each other...and their love is intense and rich and beautiful. So many wonderful moments depicted, so many times when their frustration at the distance is palpable. And having been through nearly three years of a long distance relationship when I was in the US and the love of my life was in Sweden, I could relate completely to Frankie's longing to be elsewhere, even when she knew that staying in Norfolk was best for her children.
Heart-wrenching, beautifully written and packing an emotional punch that will resonate...the Turning Point is the sort of novel that doesn't leave you. I finished reading it a week ago and I am still thinking about Frankie and Scott. A fantastic novel, Freya North. I can't wait to read your next offering
As they struggle to deal with the logistics and the distance, the doubts and the initial reticence of family and friends, Frankie and Scott throw themselves into the business of loving each other...and their love is intense and rich and beautiful. So many wonderful moments depicted, so many times when their frustration at the distance is palpable. And having been through nearly three years of a long distance relationship when I was in the US and the love of my life was in Sweden, I could relate completely to Frankie's longing to be elsewhere, even when she knew that staying in Norfolk was best for her children.
Heart-wrenching, beautifully written and packing an emotional punch that will resonate...the Turning Point is the sort of novel that doesn't leave you. I finished reading it a week ago and I am still thinking about Frankie and Scott. A fantastic novel, Freya North. I can't wait to read your next offering
January 13, 2021
DNF 45%. I'm sorry to all those who love this book. I tried, I really did, but it is so slow moving as opposed to slow-burn which I love. The writing is not particularly gripping nor do I feel a connection with the characters. There was a lot of telling, but not much showing of the yearning, the agonising. In fact, was there even any yearning and agonising? There was just this insta-love, which was not particularly convincing, and then a lot of mundane day to day happenings. I hoped in vain for more humour to lift me out of the dullness. The unexciting narration did not help. And then I cheated and read a spoiler for the ending which definitely convinced me to let this book go.
May 27, 2017
There were parts of this book that I really loved...the slow burn... the excellent writing, and English dialects... However, there were parts that I was not so sold on. I had a hard time keeping my attention on it. No spoilers here... but if you've read it, I am sure you can also guess another major event that I wasn't crazy thrilled about. 3 stars for my May Pick-for-me challenge! Thank You, Jan!!
May 15, 2015
Trying to sum this book up in a review is hard work. Once I had started it, although I loved the characters I found it very long winded in places, but I still found myself wanting to pick it up and carry on and read more.
To be honest I thought I had this book summed up, I thought it was predictable and that I knew exactly what would happen, just a few chapters in, but oh how wrong could I have been! I found myself open mouthed, and crying, in total and utter shock! The twist in this story completely blew me away, in fact I read for 4 hours straight one evening just to finish it as I needed to know exactly how it would end.
Was it my ideal ending? no, but that made it feel more real! and that makes it all the more better.
I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a good, emotional read that sucks you in!
To be honest I thought I had this book summed up, I thought it was predictable and that I knew exactly what would happen, just a few chapters in, but oh how wrong could I have been! I found myself open mouthed, and crying, in total and utter shock! The twist in this story completely blew me away, in fact I read for 4 hours straight one evening just to finish it as I needed to know exactly how it would end.
Was it my ideal ending? no, but that made it feel more real! and that makes it all the more better.
I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a good, emotional read that sucks you in!
October 17, 2017
When Frankie and Scott meet while neither is actively looking for a relationship, they decide that fate has thrown them together for a reason and they can make a partnership work, even though they live in different countries.
The story follows them as they try to make a life together, but fate also has something else planned for them, which turns everything on its head.
A very gripping and emotional tale, I was invested in this story from beginning to end. It certainly wasn't predictable, and the characters and scene settings well very well written. Looking forward to my next Freya North read.
The story follows them as they try to make a life together, but fate also has something else planned for them, which turns everything on its head.
A very gripping and emotional tale, I was invested in this story from beginning to end. It certainly wasn't predictable, and the characters and scene settings well very well written. Looking forward to my next Freya North read.
July 19, 2016
Me after reading this book!!
Brilliantly written, must be Freya Norths best book yet, but OMG, WARNING, tissues needed towards the end, I haven't had tears like that since reading Jojo Moyes Me before you. Now I need a happy book.
August 22, 2015
Oh Freya!!! What did you do??? You turned a wonderful story into such a crappy ending that I could only skim the last point. Why oh why did you make Scott die? I don't read books to depress me - I read books to make my happy.
Please don't do it again.
Please don't do it again.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 25, 2024
I loved this. I had a long distance relationship just like Scott and Frankie, although I was in the states and my now-husband lives in Scotland (and now we both do). So I understand totally how hard it is to leave after a great visit, go home and pretend everything’s fine and normal. A pretty surprise ending tho but I still enjoyed this book.
July 22, 2019
Shouldn't have listened to this on the way to work....tear jerker....arriving with reddened eyes from crying not a good look in customer service role.
April 26, 2015
When I was offered an advanced copy I jumped at the chance without so much as looking at the blurb, all I saw was that it had been written by Freya North, I read The Way Back Home and loved it, not just the book but her writing style and I knew I would enjoy this book just as much. There's just something so comforting and completely familiar about North's writing, it makes you feel like you are sitting down with an old friend. And that's what I found when I opened up the book and slipped between the pages.
By the time I had read 70 pages I was completely hooked. I found myself unable to step away, I was so compelled to read about Scott and Frankie's relationship that before I knew it I had been reading for 3 hours and was already over half way through the book. At this point I knew there was no setting this book down, I needed to see how things were going to progress. This book grabbed hold of me with both hands and wouldn't let me go until I had read it in its entirety. And read it I did.
This book is so beautifully written, filled with emotion and descriptive text that allow you to feel as though you are there alongside Scott and Frankie, looking out over the mountains in Canada, or walking along the beach in Norfolk.
By the time I had read 70 pages I was completely hooked. I found myself unable to step away, I was so compelled to read about Scott and Frankie's relationship that before I knew it I had been reading for 3 hours and was already over half way through the book. At this point I knew there was no setting this book down, I needed to see how things were going to progress. This book grabbed hold of me with both hands and wouldn't let me go until I had read it in its entirety. And read it I did.
This book is so beautifully written, filled with emotion and descriptive text that allow you to feel as though you are there alongside Scott and Frankie, looking out over the mountains in Canada, or walking along the beach in Norfolk.
March 26, 2016
I really enjoyed this novel. There’s something fascinating about long distance romances and the struggles involved with trying to maintain one.These are also people older than their twenties with life experience behind them, so there are more complications ie children involved which makes it all the more interesting.
Scott and Frankie were two very interesting characters and ones which I could really identify with in many ways. They seemed very real with real lives and real problems and the many varied secondary characters too were great additions to ensure the story had more depth. I mean when you have a long distance love problem, your friends are going to play a big part in that story in real life!
Freya North is one lovely writer and she describes the settings in the books extremely well - from Canada to Norfolk and across the Atlantic Ocean, the sense of place and time is beautifully done and both were vivid and real. Perfect as the story depends on you immersing yourself in both.
I really started to care for these two and willed them to get back together but it was the back and forth across oceans and the wealth of emotions the story created that really got me going.
Am I just a big softie at heart? Probably.
Scott and Frankie were two very interesting characters and ones which I could really identify with in many ways. They seemed very real with real lives and real problems and the many varied secondary characters too were great additions to ensure the story had more depth. I mean when you have a long distance love problem, your friends are going to play a big part in that story in real life!
Freya North is one lovely writer and she describes the settings in the books extremely well - from Canada to Norfolk and across the Atlantic Ocean, the sense of place and time is beautifully done and both were vivid and real. Perfect as the story depends on you immersing yourself in both.
I really started to care for these two and willed them to get back together but it was the back and forth across oceans and the wealth of emotions the story created that really got me going.
Am I just a big softie at heart? Probably.
June 1, 2015
Well,what can i say.Freya does not dissapoint. This book turned my my day upside down! It starts off gently,but then-wow!
I highly reccomend Freya's books. My favourites are Sally and Chances.I find that i can really relate to her characters and their situations,i am often there with them,in all their highs and lows.There are always twists to her stories,you never know when or where,keeping you guessing.This book is released on Thursday 4th June 2015
I was lucky enough to win a copy pre-release date.
I highly reccomend Freya's books. My favourites are Sally and Chances.I find that i can really relate to her characters and their situations,i am often there with them,in all their highs and lows.There are always twists to her stories,you never know when or where,keeping you guessing.This book is released on Thursday 4th June 2015
I was lucky enough to win a copy pre-release date.
February 13, 2017
Can't read a book for a while, too sad. Why the lovely Scott? Why not Jenna as that was sort of expected in the storyline? Yes Scott would have been devastated but Frankie's love would have got him through. Scott,Frankie,Sam, and Annabel deserved better. Such a lovely story, well written until page 373 then it was rushed, but I didn't care after that. I want to come away from a story like that feeling happy, and to remember it like that. Please Freya write it again with the ending we all wanted.
December 24, 2015
Made to page 186 and there was nothing happening except a long distance romance between two people. I picked it up because one of the charactors was local to me (Pemberton, BC), but some of language he used (hey,instead of eh) and some of the things he talked about (beaver tails? no-one around here eats beavertails) made me think that the closest Freye North has been to this part of Canada is on her Pinterest account..
June 19, 2015
This has to be the best book by Freya that I e read she had me on me on edge all the way till the end. Freya meets Scott but she is upset to hear he lives in Canada and she lives in Norfolk with her two children do they find the path to true love or not. Freya had me in tears, laughter and happiness all in the same book it's a must read.
February 3, 2017
I don't think this is one of Freya's best books, have loved most of them, but even though this started off great,towards the last part of the book I found myself skipping pages to get to the end. A good subject but I guess I just wanted a different ending somehow!
May 7, 2016
A couple of days ago I finished this book and it’s one of those rare novels that leaves you with long lasting thoughts about it, it is so beautifully written with characters that really get under your skin. I purchased this book after hearing Freya North talk about it on The Wright Stuff, I am very glad that I did as this is a brilliant book.
The story is of Frankie and Scott. Frankie is an author of children’s books and has recently moved with her children to Norfolk. As she’s trying to settle in to her new life in a different part of the country she struggles to write and feels under immense pressure. She enjoys walking on the beach with her children but struggles to feel a part of the community and engage with those around her.
Meanwhile, Scott lives in Canada and is a musician. He’s concerned about his daughter Jenna who has epilepsy yet is starting her adult life wanting to go to university and be just like everyone else despite her illness.
It is during meetings in London that Frankie and Scott’s paths meet and they are amazed by how quickly they connect with each other and how powerful their feelings for each other are. Family members are quick to warn Frankie of the ridiculousness of a long-distance relationship and introducing a man into the lives of her children but she can’t ignore it and what develops is a really special relationship despite the distance. The likes of Face Time enabling them to get a real sense of each other’s lives, the odd shared week together in each other’s houses meeting each others friends and family and it is clear to everyone that what they have is real but can it last? Will one of them have to move? But how can they when their children both need them?
What I absolutely loved about this book is that it felt very real. Sometimes when you read books about people falling in love it can seem full of cliches or a bit cringe-worthy but there was something special about the connection between these characters that made it not feel like that at all, it all came across as very natural.
The relationship between Frankie and Scott could teach us all a lot, they had so much respect for each other’s positions and were full of wise words for each other that can really reflect upon our own lives such as Scott encouraging Frankie to appreciate what is around her and everything she has rather than worrying that they are so far apart. It made me stop and think and reflect about how I am always looking ahead in my own life- wanting to move, wanting to be well, the children be older and so forth that maybe I should take Scott’s own advice and appreciate what I have at the moment.
There were moments within this book that completely had me drawn in so much that I wasn’t aware of what the time was or anything that was on my mind and I think this is the sign of a really clever author. I was so lost in their worlds that I would think about them after I’d finished reading. I was moved and admit to having shed a tear at one part of this book too and really did feel the emotion that Frankie was going through, it just felt so very real.
This is a book which moved at quite a slow pace, no huge drama and action and instead a gentle introduction to two very wholesome characters. This worked so well, perhaps that was what made it seem so real- them sending photos to each other of what they were having for dinner, the gentle encouragement and interest in each other’s work… if it was full of dramas it would have overshadowed what was most important within this- the relationship growing between two people.
I loved reading this book and miss it now! I enjoyed being whisked away to a different world so I could switch off from my own woes and instead lose myself in Frankie and Scott. I left me thinking about my own life and taking some of the morals of the story on board. I am definitely going to be looking out for more of Freya North’s books that I haven’t read yet so I can enjoy reading more from this talented author who has a very special way of creating very beautiful characters and settings.
The story is of Frankie and Scott. Frankie is an author of children’s books and has recently moved with her children to Norfolk. As she’s trying to settle in to her new life in a different part of the country she struggles to write and feels under immense pressure. She enjoys walking on the beach with her children but struggles to feel a part of the community and engage with those around her.
Meanwhile, Scott lives in Canada and is a musician. He’s concerned about his daughter Jenna who has epilepsy yet is starting her adult life wanting to go to university and be just like everyone else despite her illness.
It is during meetings in London that Frankie and Scott’s paths meet and they are amazed by how quickly they connect with each other and how powerful their feelings for each other are. Family members are quick to warn Frankie of the ridiculousness of a long-distance relationship and introducing a man into the lives of her children but she can’t ignore it and what develops is a really special relationship despite the distance. The likes of Face Time enabling them to get a real sense of each other’s lives, the odd shared week together in each other’s houses meeting each others friends and family and it is clear to everyone that what they have is real but can it last? Will one of them have to move? But how can they when their children both need them?
What I absolutely loved about this book is that it felt very real. Sometimes when you read books about people falling in love it can seem full of cliches or a bit cringe-worthy but there was something special about the connection between these characters that made it not feel like that at all, it all came across as very natural.
The relationship between Frankie and Scott could teach us all a lot, they had so much respect for each other’s positions and were full of wise words for each other that can really reflect upon our own lives such as Scott encouraging Frankie to appreciate what is around her and everything she has rather than worrying that they are so far apart. It made me stop and think and reflect about how I am always looking ahead in my own life- wanting to move, wanting to be well, the children be older and so forth that maybe I should take Scott’s own advice and appreciate what I have at the moment.
There were moments within this book that completely had me drawn in so much that I wasn’t aware of what the time was or anything that was on my mind and I think this is the sign of a really clever author. I was so lost in their worlds that I would think about them after I’d finished reading. I was moved and admit to having shed a tear at one part of this book too and really did feel the emotion that Frankie was going through, it just felt so very real.
This is a book which moved at quite a slow pace, no huge drama and action and instead a gentle introduction to two very wholesome characters. This worked so well, perhaps that was what made it seem so real- them sending photos to each other of what they were having for dinner, the gentle encouragement and interest in each other’s work… if it was full of dramas it would have overshadowed what was most important within this- the relationship growing between two people.
I loved reading this book and miss it now! I enjoyed being whisked away to a different world so I could switch off from my own woes and instead lose myself in Frankie and Scott. I left me thinking about my own life and taking some of the morals of the story on board. I am definitely going to be looking out for more of Freya North’s books that I haven’t read yet so I can enjoy reading more from this talented author who has a very special way of creating very beautiful characters and settings.
May 21, 2016
I absolutely loved this book. It ranks alongside Jojo Moyes’ ‘Me Before You’ as one of my all time favourites. It isn’t always an easy read, especially towards the end of the latter part of the book (I won’t say more because of spoilers) but those parts are dealt with sensitively and touchingly. Frankie is a single Mum to Sam and Annabel and has moved to Norfolk to hopefully make a better life for her little family. The children have settled in well; not so Frankie. As a writer of successful children’s books, she finds she is suffering from writers’ block. On a business trip to London, she meets Canadian Scott and immediately feels a connection. Scott, too, is a single parent, having a daughter, Jenna, who suffers from epilepsy. Despite the distances between them, the two fall in love and supreme efforts have to be made to continue meeting. All the characters are beautifully drawn and came alive for me. Scott, especially, comes across a wonderfully wise person and is unsurprisingly loved by all. As I am no longer fit enough to travel abroad, I especially enjoyed learning about Scott’s life in British Columbia and the local indigenous tribe, the Lilwat.
May 11, 2015
The Turning Point
I received this book from goodreads first reads.
I found this a really lovely novel, inhabited by real people.
The central characters Scott and Frankie find love the second time around when they are in their forties. Both are single parents, and the story is further complicated by the fact that he lives in Canada, and she lives in England. A wonder they met at all, in fact!
The secondary characters are also very believable, and well developed.
One really yearns for everything to work out well, and deliver a happy ending. However, as one knows, life is not like that.
The blurb on the back cover describes the book as a "haunting, heart-breaking read" so I am giving nothing away when I say you do need to keep the tissues handy!
Well-written and well-crafted, I thoroughly recommend this novel.
I received this book from goodreads first reads.
I found this a really lovely novel, inhabited by real people.
The central characters Scott and Frankie find love the second time around when they are in their forties. Both are single parents, and the story is further complicated by the fact that he lives in Canada, and she lives in England. A wonder they met at all, in fact!
The secondary characters are also very believable, and well developed.
One really yearns for everything to work out well, and deliver a happy ending. However, as one knows, life is not like that.
The blurb on the back cover describes the book as a "haunting, heart-breaking read" so I am giving nothing away when I say you do need to keep the tissues handy!
Well-written and well-crafted, I thoroughly recommend this novel.
March 12, 2016
I read everything by Freya North, “The way back home” it’s one of my favorites, love her style of writing, I love that her characters are regular people, the guys are not perfect and not too young and the women are always down to earth and pretty much like myself. * Spoiler: This book literally broke my heart at the end, but the entire book was a wonderful read, Scott and Frankie met in London, he is Canadian and a musician, she a children’s book writer and lives in Northfolk, a few hours from London. A chance meeting that turns into real love, a long distance relationship that will make you want to experience this pure and real connection between Scott and Frankie. I loved everything about the book, after I finished I couldn’t stop thinking about it, I think this is one of the best books of 2016.
Thanks Edelweiss and the publishers for sending me a copy to review.
Thanks Edelweiss and the publishers for sending me a copy to review.
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May 7, 2017 But fate has a tragic twist in store, one that could destroy all that was hoped for. Poignant, engrossing and moving, The Turning Point is a novel about the importance of seizing happiness and trusting that love will always find a way.
Not rating at the moment.
Not rating at the moment.
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