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Maybe, Perhaps, Possibly
'Fabulous, relaxing, page-turning, dream-inspiring' MIRANDA HART
'Exquisitely beautiful and so perceptive' JOANNA CANNON
From the Costa-shortlisted author of THE OTHER HALF OF AUGUSTA HOPE and ALL MY MOTHERS
Can two lost people find each other?
The story of two people who have no idea how to fall in love…
On two Northumbrian islands joined by a bridge at low tide, Addie and Sol draw comfort from the migrating birds and vast ocean around them. Every day they dream of escape.
Introverts with turbulent pasts and wary hearts, they are both drawn to Nature far more than to people – until they catch sight of each other in the wild.
Can they break free from their inhibitions and risk a better future together?
'A mini-holiday in itself, and an adorable ode to the romance of the awkward, the shy and the uncertain' LOUISA YOUNG
'This utterly enchanting novel took my breath away… genius' DINAH JEFFERIES
'Mesmerising… one of our favourite authors' WOMAN & HOME , Book of the Month
'Exquisitely beautiful and so perceptive' JOANNA CANNON
From the Costa-shortlisted author of THE OTHER HALF OF AUGUSTA HOPE and ALL MY MOTHERS
Can two lost people find each other?
The story of two people who have no idea how to fall in love…
On two Northumbrian islands joined by a bridge at low tide, Addie and Sol draw comfort from the migrating birds and vast ocean around them. Every day they dream of escape.
Introverts with turbulent pasts and wary hearts, they are both drawn to Nature far more than to people – until they catch sight of each other in the wild.
Can they break free from their inhibitions and risk a better future together?
'A mini-holiday in itself, and an adorable ode to the romance of the awkward, the shy and the uncertain' LOUISA YOUNG
'This utterly enchanting novel took my breath away… genius' DINAH JEFFERIES
'Mesmerising… one of our favourite authors' WOMAN & HOME , Book of the Month
Audible Audio
Published June 20, 2024
156 people are currently reading
1840 people want to read
About the author
Joanna Glen
5 books348 followersI am a former teacher and headteacher, now a novelist, who lives by the sea in Brighton, on the south coast of England.
I'm a lifelong hispanophile, with a passion for Andalusia, all of it, but in particular the beguiling city of Córdoba and the glorious coast of Cádiz.
You can expect Spain and sunshine and sea and beach and snowstorms and octopi and wildness and birds and travel and wonder as the backdrop to my characters' lives.
I love to explore relationships in all their layered complexity. That's what my books are about: who we are and how we live and love.
The pain and the joy. The living and the dying. The love and the hope.
My next book comes out in June 2026.
I'm a lifelong hispanophile, with a passion for Andalusia, all of it, but in particular the beguiling city of Córdoba and the glorious coast of Cádiz.
You can expect Spain and sunshine and sea and beach and snowstorms and octopi and wildness and birds and travel and wonder as the backdrop to my characters' lives.
I love to explore relationships in all their layered complexity. That's what my books are about: who we are and how we live and love.
The pain and the joy. The living and the dying. The love and the hope.
My next book comes out in June 2026.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 161 reviews
June 20, 2024
British author Joanna Glen is back with another wonderful tale of love, family, grief and tricky relationships. I found it slowly mesmerising, and didn't want it to end.
Addie lives on the remote (fictional) British island of Rokesby with her mother, running a luxury secular retreat for women. She can turn her hand to most things, but her two great loves are sewing and swimming, both of which she can immerse herself in from Rokesby. And that's lucky for Addie, because she rarely has the opportunity to leave the island due to an odd kind of guilt/emotional control that her mother exerts over her. She is starting to push back though, and has begun to try to talk to her mother about having more freedom, or at least being paid for her work.
Vicar's son, Sol, has arrived on Ora, connected by a tidal bridge to Rokesby, for more of a religious retreat at the hermitage of Brother Andrew. He's the only guest there and he has a few things to figure out, having recently been blindsided by a letter from his unloving father. Sol has a good job as a teacher and to all intents and purposes lives a fairly normal life, but he does have two great regrets or secrets that he holds very close. He wants to work on one of those things while on Ora.
Two awkward individuals, both wanting to change their lives. When they meet on Rokesby, neither realises just how much impact they will have on each other.
As with Glen's previous novels, the magic here is in watching the story unfold. Recommended.
With thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction for an eARC to read and review.
Addie lives on the remote (fictional) British island of Rokesby with her mother, running a luxury secular retreat for women. She can turn her hand to most things, but her two great loves are sewing and swimming, both of which she can immerse herself in from Rokesby. And that's lucky for Addie, because she rarely has the opportunity to leave the island due to an odd kind of guilt/emotional control that her mother exerts over her. She is starting to push back though, and has begun to try to talk to her mother about having more freedom, or at least being paid for her work.
Vicar's son, Sol, has arrived on Ora, connected by a tidal bridge to Rokesby, for more of a religious retreat at the hermitage of Brother Andrew. He's the only guest there and he has a few things to figure out, having recently been blindsided by a letter from his unloving father. Sol has a good job as a teacher and to all intents and purposes lives a fairly normal life, but he does have two great regrets or secrets that he holds very close. He wants to work on one of those things while on Ora.
Two awkward individuals, both wanting to change their lives. When they meet on Rokesby, neither realises just how much impact they will have on each other.
As with Glen's previous novels, the magic here is in watching the story unfold. Recommended.
With thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction for an eARC to read and review.
February 17, 2025
“The words he’s saying don’t match anything he’s feeling – and he wishes that he could turn himself inside out and that she could see the truth of him without words getting in the way. He’s never imagined that words might get in the way. He’s had total faith in them all his life.”
Maybe, Perhaps, Possibly is the third novel by British author, Joanna Glen. A letter from his father the vicar has twenty-six-year-old teacher, Sol Blake furious and appalled, and it’s the impetus for a radical move. He cuts ties with his family, quits his teaching post, buys a refurbished campervan with his Aunt Peggy’s bequest, and sets out to find each of the “thin” places his late mother urged him to visit, a belief his father has no time for, or tolerance of.
His first stop is the island of Ora, where he’ll spend two hopefully reflective weeks in the Prayer House, guided, if necessary, by resident hermit Brother Andrew. His arrival is watched by Addie Lemming, or Finch, twenty-two, living with her mother at The Retreat on Rokesby Island, attached to Ora by a low-tide bridge. Addie hasn’t left Rokesby in seven years, does almost all the physical work to keep their women-only retreat operating, swims daily to connect with a friendly octopus, and sews, very well, a legacy of her late, beloved Grandma Flora Finch.
Addie’s father and younger brother, Sydney visit the island occasionally, and Addie longs to go with them to Durham, but her mother needs her to run The Retreat. A chance comment from a retreat client brings the realisation that she’s virtually slave labour, unpaid, with nothing of her own, no life of her own: Martha Lemming maintains that she provides all her daughter needs.
When Addie and Sol first encounter each other, they’re both quite surprised at being able to overcome their shyness, and they find what others see as quirkiness appealing: Addie’s swim-tail, her naivete; Sol’s singing, poetry and his crab-circling party trick. The instant physical attraction doesn’t hurt either, although neither imagines the other feels it. But when Martha refuses to allow Addie to leave with her blessing (and some money), Addie begs Sol to help her.
Together, they slip away. Sol promises to keep her escape secret from her mother, and entrusts her with his van. And that goes spectacularly wrong in a wholly unpredictable way. Circumstances see them separated, eventually by eight hundred miles, and unable to find one another despite some valiant attempts. Circumstances also bring them together again, but only a massive spoiler would describe how, and the aftermath.
“She remembers saying to herself, I will never ever love anyone like I loved Grandma Flora. I will make sure of that. I will love only a little bit, or not at all. Because love lures us into thinking that we are fine, and then it leaves us, and when it does, we are unable to breathe. Because love , it turns out, was our oxygen.”
Do they eventually overcome the emotional baggage they each carry? Of course they do, but it’s not an easy road, even for two who are meant to be together. They have a lot in common: both are very earnest; both are grieving a much-loved family member; both suffer a dysfunctional childhood at the hands of a parent who has difficulty demonstrating their love; both have a love of the natural world, and birds in particular.
Glen’s cleverly constructed plot likely has the reader indignant at the treatment meted out to each protagonist in their youth, but then reveals the contexts which somewhat mitigate that. Their inner monologues are often a source of humour, especially when they second-guess themselves: “He really does have to conquer his demons. Perhaps he’ll conquer them later. Tomorrow, or the next day, or next year, when he will have a beard and the demons will take more notice.” And, despite his tragic situation, one of Sol’s Fair Isle pupils, Barry Forfitt is an absolute delight.
Glen gives her hermit wise words: “’God isn’t like an interview panel or an exam board,’ says Brother Andrew. ‘I didn’t realise that for years. The secret, I think, if you want to know God, is this: be present and grateful. Say thank you. Whatever God brings into your life, don’t resent it or reject it, but welcome it with all you have. Then you’ll be able to be who you are where you are right now. Which is where God is too. With you. You know, if you’re walking, walk. If you’re eating, eat. Then all of life’s a prayer.’”
Addie offers this insight: “He can be vulnerable and a tyrant. People have lots of selves. We’re all like Russian dolls. Don’t you think?” Often laugh-out-loud funny, but also very moving, Joanna Glen’s latest is a wonderful read.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Harper Collins UK.
Maybe, Perhaps, Possibly is the third novel by British author, Joanna Glen. A letter from his father the vicar has twenty-six-year-old teacher, Sol Blake furious and appalled, and it’s the impetus for a radical move. He cuts ties with his family, quits his teaching post, buys a refurbished campervan with his Aunt Peggy’s bequest, and sets out to find each of the “thin” places his late mother urged him to visit, a belief his father has no time for, or tolerance of.
His first stop is the island of Ora, where he’ll spend two hopefully reflective weeks in the Prayer House, guided, if necessary, by resident hermit Brother Andrew. His arrival is watched by Addie Lemming, or Finch, twenty-two, living with her mother at The Retreat on Rokesby Island, attached to Ora by a low-tide bridge. Addie hasn’t left Rokesby in seven years, does almost all the physical work to keep their women-only retreat operating, swims daily to connect with a friendly octopus, and sews, very well, a legacy of her late, beloved Grandma Flora Finch.
Addie’s father and younger brother, Sydney visit the island occasionally, and Addie longs to go with them to Durham, but her mother needs her to run The Retreat. A chance comment from a retreat client brings the realisation that she’s virtually slave labour, unpaid, with nothing of her own, no life of her own: Martha Lemming maintains that she provides all her daughter needs.
When Addie and Sol first encounter each other, they’re both quite surprised at being able to overcome their shyness, and they find what others see as quirkiness appealing: Addie’s swim-tail, her naivete; Sol’s singing, poetry and his crab-circling party trick. The instant physical attraction doesn’t hurt either, although neither imagines the other feels it. But when Martha refuses to allow Addie to leave with her blessing (and some money), Addie begs Sol to help her.
Together, they slip away. Sol promises to keep her escape secret from her mother, and entrusts her with his van. And that goes spectacularly wrong in a wholly unpredictable way. Circumstances see them separated, eventually by eight hundred miles, and unable to find one another despite some valiant attempts. Circumstances also bring them together again, but only a massive spoiler would describe how, and the aftermath.
“She remembers saying to herself, I will never ever love anyone like I loved Grandma Flora. I will make sure of that. I will love only a little bit, or not at all. Because love lures us into thinking that we are fine, and then it leaves us, and when it does, we are unable to breathe. Because love , it turns out, was our oxygen.”
Do they eventually overcome the emotional baggage they each carry? Of course they do, but it’s not an easy road, even for two who are meant to be together. They have a lot in common: both are very earnest; both are grieving a much-loved family member; both suffer a dysfunctional childhood at the hands of a parent who has difficulty demonstrating their love; both have a love of the natural world, and birds in particular.
Glen’s cleverly constructed plot likely has the reader indignant at the treatment meted out to each protagonist in their youth, but then reveals the contexts which somewhat mitigate that. Their inner monologues are often a source of humour, especially when they second-guess themselves: “He really does have to conquer his demons. Perhaps he’ll conquer them later. Tomorrow, or the next day, or next year, when he will have a beard and the demons will take more notice.” And, despite his tragic situation, one of Sol’s Fair Isle pupils, Barry Forfitt is an absolute delight.
Glen gives her hermit wise words: “’God isn’t like an interview panel or an exam board,’ says Brother Andrew. ‘I didn’t realise that for years. The secret, I think, if you want to know God, is this: be present and grateful. Say thank you. Whatever God brings into your life, don’t resent it or reject it, but welcome it with all you have. Then you’ll be able to be who you are where you are right now. Which is where God is too. With you. You know, if you’re walking, walk. If you’re eating, eat. Then all of life’s a prayer.’”
Addie offers this insight: “He can be vulnerable and a tyrant. People have lots of selves. We’re all like Russian dolls. Don’t you think?” Often laugh-out-loud funny, but also very moving, Joanna Glen’s latest is a wonderful read.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Harper Collins UK.
October 28, 2024
It was a slow burn but an emotional brilliant read. Addie is on an island Rokesbury who helps her mother run a retreat for women, and Sol is on a retreat, on Ora, the islands connected by a bridge at low tide. Both are unhappy, grieving, love nature, and are introverts with difficult pasts navigate. Gradually, they find one another. It's a love story that slowly unfolds, layered and moving. but at the same time, it's a quick, easy read that you just wanted to keep reading. There is a religious undertone, which I usually dislike, but I didn't mind that aspect finding it easy to overlook as the rest is so beautiful. Such loveable but damaged characters who find it difficult to communicate. Filled with hope, it's a romance for the awkward and shy. It's such a brilliant, well crafted, gentle, enchanting, beautiful, but powerful, special, exquisite, excellent read. I loved it so much.
October 5, 2024
My expectations for this were impossibly high after Joanna Glen's previous novels, and this didn't quite reach the same heights for me. The pacing was a bit all over, and the split perspectives style sometimes made it difficult to fully understand each character. In saying that, the writing is so rich and beautiful that it almost didn't matter.
June 18, 2024
I was so excited when I was given a proof of Joanna’s latest book as her previous novel, All my mothers, is one of my all time favourites. I have also read her debut (The other half of Augusta Hope), which I found incredibly emotive, to the point that I did have to put it aside and pause reading it a number of times. So I wasn’t sure what to expect from Maybe Perhaps Possibly.
It is quite different from her other two books but with the same wonderful writing style, and a book I thoroughly enjoyed. In my view, it was easier on the heart, which was, for me, a big plus this time.
“We want to choose life over death, but there is no life without death - they’re one - and we want to choose love over grief, but they too are one.”
We follow the story of Addie and Sol, who both have grown into adults, unsure of themselves and how to be with others, because of their relationships with their parents and how they were brought up and how grief has shaped them. Addie has lived pretty much isolated from others and from ‘normal’ life for years and her mother is dominant, whilst Sol’s mother was incredibly loving and kind but she died and he misses her immensely. Missing the feeling of being loved, they each want to reach for something new in their life but neither is quite sure how to make that next step. When Sol visits close to where Addie lives with her mother, their lives collide and change irrevocably.
This is a wonderful love story where we see both Addie and Sol grow and blossom into something greater than what they were prior to their meeting. It’s not an easy path for them and I loved being on their journey and see where it would take them.
I highly recommend this book. Another gem from this wonderful author!
As always, I scribbled down some lovely quotes from the book. My favourite ones are below:
“Love is what makes us big […], not muscles or status or power.”
“It’s hard to live a life we can’t imagine, […] our future starts inside our own mind.”
“People have lots of selves. We’re all like Russian dolls.”
“That’s being human. […] Having past, present and future all at once.”
Thank you NetGalley and Borough Press for the gifted copy. This book will be published on 20 June 2024 in the UK.
It is quite different from her other two books but with the same wonderful writing style, and a book I thoroughly enjoyed. In my view, it was easier on the heart, which was, for me, a big plus this time.
“We want to choose life over death, but there is no life without death - they’re one - and we want to choose love over grief, but they too are one.”
We follow the story of Addie and Sol, who both have grown into adults, unsure of themselves and how to be with others, because of their relationships with their parents and how they were brought up and how grief has shaped them. Addie has lived pretty much isolated from others and from ‘normal’ life for years and her mother is dominant, whilst Sol’s mother was incredibly loving and kind but she died and he misses her immensely. Missing the feeling of being loved, they each want to reach for something new in their life but neither is quite sure how to make that next step. When Sol visits close to where Addie lives with her mother, their lives collide and change irrevocably.
This is a wonderful love story where we see both Addie and Sol grow and blossom into something greater than what they were prior to their meeting. It’s not an easy path for them and I loved being on their journey and see where it would take them.
I highly recommend this book. Another gem from this wonderful author!
As always, I scribbled down some lovely quotes from the book. My favourite ones are below:
“Love is what makes us big […], not muscles or status or power.”
“It’s hard to live a life we can’t imagine, […] our future starts inside our own mind.”
“People have lots of selves. We’re all like Russian dolls.”
“That’s being human. […] Having past, present and future all at once.”
Thank you NetGalley and Borough Press for the gifted copy. This book will be published on 20 June 2024 in the UK.
May 13, 2024
Joanna Glen is so good at writing melancholic main characters with parental issues!! Don’t ever stop girl
This book was lovely - it was slow and savoured in building itself and its characters up, and had the familiar focus of grief, sense of self, religion, family, and longing, which Glen is so great at portraying. My only gripe was that it felt a little too long, and was slightly repetitive towards the end, which got a little frustrating storyline wise.
All My Mothers can never be beaten in my Joanna Glen ranking, but I think this has taken the second spot. The imagery is stunning, and the detail that goes into describing the scenery of each location is incredible. I think particularly the first third of this book really shines.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
This book was lovely - it was slow and savoured in building itself and its characters up, and had the familiar focus of grief, sense of self, religion, family, and longing, which Glen is so great at portraying. My only gripe was that it felt a little too long, and was slightly repetitive towards the end, which got a little frustrating storyline wise.
All My Mothers can never be beaten in my Joanna Glen ranking, but I think this has taken the second spot. The imagery is stunning, and the detail that goes into describing the scenery of each location is incredible. I think particularly the first third of this book really shines.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
August 18, 2024
I wanted more from this book and I think my very high expectations left me feeling disappointed when it didn’t deliver all I hoped for. All My Mothers was such a beautiful read, I was hoping for this to be in the same vain, and it had so much promise. I felt like it might’ve been on a similar vibe as Talking at Night but it couldn’t live up to it. Addie and Sol were two both exceptional characters and I love the time Glen spends in developing them, both separately and when they’re together. Their actions, choices and thoughts feel very natural and in keeping with who they are as people.
Although I loved them and found them sweet, I didn’t get those butterflies I get when I read about a fictional couple that I LOVE. I occasionally struggled with their decisions and the miscommunication between them in the later chapters. I think how they handled situations made sense when you understand their childhood and the significant problems caused by their respective parents. That didn’t make it any less frustrating when they struggled to articulate themselves but I did feel more a kinship and didn’t hate it as much as usual because I really empathised with how badly they were treated by their families.
As with All My Mothers I adore Glen’s use of animals and the landscape; they play such an important role in this book and I loved the imagery. It becomes as much a part of the book as the characters, and helps so much when visualising the different scenes. I finished it a couple of days ago and it’s still playing on my mind so I might revisit it again and see how I feel a second time as I think it could be a grower but right now I do feel a slight disappointment.
Although I loved them and found them sweet, I didn’t get those butterflies I get when I read about a fictional couple that I LOVE. I occasionally struggled with their decisions and the miscommunication between them in the later chapters. I think how they handled situations made sense when you understand their childhood and the significant problems caused by their respective parents. That didn’t make it any less frustrating when they struggled to articulate themselves but I did feel more a kinship and didn’t hate it as much as usual because I really empathised with how badly they were treated by their families.
As with All My Mothers I adore Glen’s use of animals and the landscape; they play such an important role in this book and I loved the imagery. It becomes as much a part of the book as the characters, and helps so much when visualising the different scenes. I finished it a couple of days ago and it’s still playing on my mind so I might revisit it again and see how I feel a second time as I think it could be a grower but right now I do feel a slight disappointment.
February 12, 2025
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this - 2 gorgeous characters in Addie and Sol. The settings were beautifully and vividly described and I adored both the puffin and octopus❤️
July 19, 2024
4.5 stars
March 2, 2024
Maybe, Perhaps, Possibly is a slow moving, but deep story about two unique individuals; Addie and Sol.
Both have been sheltered from a lot of reality by their families. Both have very different, strange family dynamics, and it takes their courage to step away from the expectations piled upon them to find one another.
I don't quite know how to describe the story, but it takes a while, then digs deeper into your soul as you read, and become more and more immersed in the 'puffin-esque' (is that even a word!) of their developing relationship.
A beautiful story about two misfits, and how they end up fitting one another perfectly.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins for an ARC.
Both have been sheltered from a lot of reality by their families. Both have very different, strange family dynamics, and it takes their courage to step away from the expectations piled upon them to find one another.
I don't quite know how to describe the story, but it takes a while, then digs deeper into your soul as you read, and become more and more immersed in the 'puffin-esque' (is that even a word!) of their developing relationship.
A beautiful story about two misfits, and how they end up fitting one another perfectly.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins for an ARC.
June 26, 2024
Actual rating 4.5.
Well this one’s a gem 💎 My first of Joanna’s books and now I’ll obviously be going back to the others as I adored this quirky, moving love story.
First of all, the writing and use of the natural world is just beautiful and gave the story this lovely whimsical feeling. It does touch on religion a fair bit, which isn’t usually my bag, but I actually found it fascinating - especially this idea of thin places.
But the true heroes of this story are Addie and Sol, two absolutely wonderful, hopeless, troubled characters who find each other at just the right time and then manage to lose each other again because they’re too afraid to admit their feelings. It’s definitely a big will-they-won’t-they storyline, and I truly had no idea which way it would go as there’s plenty of heartache and tragedy here. But it’s really a wonderful read, full of love, friendship, and family with all the coming of age vibes. Would highly recommend, and I also loved the audiobook!
Well this one’s a gem 💎 My first of Joanna’s books and now I’ll obviously be going back to the others as I adored this quirky, moving love story.
First of all, the writing and use of the natural world is just beautiful and gave the story this lovely whimsical feeling. It does touch on religion a fair bit, which isn’t usually my bag, but I actually found it fascinating - especially this idea of thin places.
But the true heroes of this story are Addie and Sol, two absolutely wonderful, hopeless, troubled characters who find each other at just the right time and then manage to lose each other again because they’re too afraid to admit their feelings. It’s definitely a big will-they-won’t-they storyline, and I truly had no idea which way it would go as there’s plenty of heartache and tragedy here. But it’s really a wonderful read, full of love, friendship, and family with all the coming of age vibes. Would highly recommend, and I also loved the audiobook!
May 22, 2024
Maybe Perhaps Possibly is a gentle read about two like minded lonely souls Addie and Sol who meet on an isolated island.
Their lives have not been happy for different reasons but they have a mutual love of nature.
The descriptions of the wildlife and the island were beautiful and Addie and Sol were sweet and likeable.
I adored Joanna’s previous book All My Mothers.This one was more of a slow burn but a beautifully written will they wont they story which I really enjoyed too.
Their lives have not been happy for different reasons but they have a mutual love of nature.
The descriptions of the wildlife and the island were beautiful and Addie and Sol were sweet and likeable.
I adored Joanna’s previous book All My Mothers.This one was more of a slow burn but a beautifully written will they wont they story which I really enjoyed too.
September 3, 2024
Another beautiful story from Joanna Glen. When I started reading it, I thought I was going to be disappointed. It’s slow, at times nothing seems to be happening.., but the writing is exquisite and actually the pace just enhances the story. She gives her characters such depth that you become totally invested in their futures. All my mothers still takes top spot for me but this is a close second.
July 11, 2024
4.5* Maybe, Perhaps, Possibly. Wow. Wow. Wow. What a book!
Addie lives on a tiny island off the Northumberland Coast, supporting her mother to run a retreat for women. The neighbouring island is connected by a bridge which is only passable at low tide and on that island is a monastery where grief stricken Sol is visiting to trying to come to terms with the death of his mother. Two souls who have had hugely different but equally emotionally difficult upbringings. Both are reclusive, introverted and shy. But when their eyes lock, their worlds change.
At one level this is a ‘will they, won’t they, will they stick it out book’. Yet it is so much more.
The characters are fabulous. Not just Sol and Addie (who can be shout out loud infuriating), but many of the other characters; from the children who Sol teaches to the puffins on the headland, all of who will burrow into your heart and will make a huge impression.
There were times when the plot slowed a little too much but the language is so rich (yet readable) that you cannot fail to continue being swept along. If I was a little sceptical about this book at the start, I was blown away pretty quickly and absolutely loved it.
Thanks to Harper Collins, The Borough Press and Netgalley for an ARC.
Addie lives on a tiny island off the Northumberland Coast, supporting her mother to run a retreat for women. The neighbouring island is connected by a bridge which is only passable at low tide and on that island is a monastery where grief stricken Sol is visiting to trying to come to terms with the death of his mother. Two souls who have had hugely different but equally emotionally difficult upbringings. Both are reclusive, introverted and shy. But when their eyes lock, their worlds change.
At one level this is a ‘will they, won’t they, will they stick it out book’. Yet it is so much more.
The characters are fabulous. Not just Sol and Addie (who can be shout out loud infuriating), but many of the other characters; from the children who Sol teaches to the puffins on the headland, all of who will burrow into your heart and will make a huge impression.
There were times when the plot slowed a little too much but the language is so rich (yet readable) that you cannot fail to continue being swept along. If I was a little sceptical about this book at the start, I was blown away pretty quickly and absolutely loved it.
Thanks to Harper Collins, The Borough Press and Netgalley for an ARC.
October 28, 2024
Oh my this book was utterly delightful. It tugged at my heart so much, it was like it was written about two people I already knew well. The settings by the water and on remote islands are described in such lovely detail, you feel you are right there throughout. Joanna Glenn is such an incredible author, her book All My Mothers is one of my all time favourites and this new book is joining it too. I got to the end and wanted to both hug the book and start it again. A stunning piece of the most beautiful wordcraft.
February 21, 2024
A charming story of love, compromise and the joy of nature. Anyone who's been in a long-term relationship knows that you have to compromise to stay together. Sol and Addie discover that in this book. You also have to have mutual interests, as do Sol and Addie. In their case it's their love of nature, an integral part of this story. Addie feels she has to stay on the island of Rokesby to support her demanding mother. Sol visits a retreat on a nearby island in order to get away from his old life and remember his late mother, but feels the need to travel to more exotic places. Will they find a way to make a life together?
March 15, 2025
I loved every single page and feel my words in this review just aren’t enough. The depth and quirks of the characters are so intense you feel like you’re living in the story, the strong links to nature and changes through seasons are beautiful but overwhelming all at once as you end up caught in Addie and Soul’s conviction and hope. The words are powerful, the inner monologues so consuming, the detail just beautiful. Joanna Glen really is exceptional 👏🏻
August 24, 2025
I have a lot of thoughts about this book. Some good. Some bad. Some about the characters, the writing, the style choices. I’m looking forward to discussing it at book club, I think it’ll be an interesting chat! I almost gave up after the first couple of chapters but I’m massively grateful I pushed through and almost raced to the end
April 3, 2025
A gentle , cheering read . I loved it .
October 20, 2025
Masterful capture of the dirty warring between heart and mind, through lenses of religion and nature. Sometimes I felt the plot was too fast but it reflected exactly the irrational speed of our brains, especially when wrapped up in love and god and seabirds. I was charmed!
October 29, 2025
3.5 stars! Struggled with the first half, really enjoyed the second.
November 22, 2025
A second incredibly poetic book on the bounce, but again I liked the characters. Also name dropped loads of British birds which ticked the ornithological box, good stuff.
February 17, 2024
Thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest review.
I loved this book which explored family relationships, love and loss, fear and commitment through Addie and Sol’s story. Both protagonists feel like misfits in their worlds, but together they make sense, although struggle to make it work. They are such great characters that the reader inevitably is sympathetic and rooting for them as a couple. Their parents are infuriating (Sol’s dad, Addie’s mum and dad) mired in their selfish needs and desires although their relationships are complicated too. Perhaps the message of this book is that relationships aren’t as simple as puffins matching for life and that happiness can only be achieved if both parties will work for it.
I loved this book which explored family relationships, love and loss, fear and commitment through Addie and Sol’s story. Both protagonists feel like misfits in their worlds, but together they make sense, although struggle to make it work. They are such great characters that the reader inevitably is sympathetic and rooting for them as a couple. Their parents are infuriating (Sol’s dad, Addie’s mum and dad) mired in their selfish needs and desires although their relationships are complicated too. Perhaps the message of this book is that relationships aren’t as simple as puffins matching for life and that happiness can only be achieved if both parties will work for it.
March 8, 2025
I loved this book so much. The charming love story of two misfits, learning to overcome the damage of their early lives. Joanna Glen's writing speaks to my soul.
July 10, 2025
Beautiful book not my favourite of the authors but simply lovely! Think Isaac and the Egg and Small Hours.
Loved all the bird descriptions and comparisons and tte characters
Loved all the bird descriptions and comparisons and tte characters
August 31, 2025
I think I would've liked it more if it was like a 100 pages shorter, there were parts that I thought were great but also parts that dragged on for absolutely no reason
August 14, 2025
I absolutely loved this author’s previous books but sadly I found this spectacularly dull. The writing was laboured (lots of ‘he got up and then he did this and then he did that, he said, she said etc) with forced imagery and symbolism such as you might shoehorn into a school creative writing assessment. The central relationship seemed rather toxic and the whole narrative really quite joyless. It was a struggle to make it to the end - spoiler alert, nothing really happens! The book was crying out for a decent bit of editing. Clearly others love this book so perhaps i was just not in the place for it! I do hope Joanna’s next book is a return to form!
February 11, 2024
Another utterly fabulous book from @JoannaGlenBooks. A delightful, insightful love story entwined with a whole lot of life story. Many pages I read through again before turning to the next. 😍🐧🐙 📚 Out in June. ❤️
#maybeperhapspossibly
#maybeperhapspossibly
August 13, 2024
Too slow and drawn out
There seems no obvious pointing this book, it was such a disappointment compared to Joanna's previous two which were outstanding.
There seems no obvious pointing this book, it was such a disappointment compared to Joanna's previous two which were outstanding.
May 14, 2025
Joanna Glen writes beautiful books that fill your heart and linger in your mind for a long time. Although I have to admit that this book was good, All My Mothers remains my favorite.
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