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The Marriage Mender
The only relationship she can't save is her own...
Alison is a marriage counsellor. Her job is to help couples who fear they have reached the end of the line. But the trouble with spending your time sorting out other people's problems is that you tend to take your eye off your own.
Even when her husband's ex, Lydia, arrives on the doorstep demanding to see her son, Alison thinks she can handle it. But what Alison doesn't realise is that Lydia is the one person who has the ability to destroy their perfect family.
And sometimes, the cracks can run so deep that even a marriage mender can't repair them...
Alison is a marriage counsellor. Her job is to help couples who fear they have reached the end of the line. But the trouble with spending your time sorting out other people's problems is that you tend to take your eye off your own.
Even when her husband's ex, Lydia, arrives on the doorstep demanding to see her son, Alison thinks she can handle it. But what Alison doesn't realise is that Lydia is the one person who has the ability to destroy their perfect family.
And sometimes, the cracks can run so deep that even a marriage mender can't repair them...
475 pages, Paperback
First published August 28, 2014
157 people are currently reading
1129 people want to read
About the author
Linda Green
81 books623 followersI was born in North London in 1970 and brought up in Hertfordshire. I wrote my first novella, the Time Machine, aged eight, shortly after which I declared that my ambition was to have a novel published (I could have been easy on myself and just said ‘to write a novel’ but no, I had to consign myself to years of torture and rejections). I was frequently asked to copy out my stories for the classroom wall (probably because my handwriting was so awful no one could read my first draft), and received lots of encouragement from my teachers Mr Roberts, Mrs Chandler (who added yet more pressure by writing in my autograph book when I left primary school that she looked forward to reading my first published novel!) and Mr Bird.
My first publication came when I was thirteen and my Ode to Gary Mabbutt won second prize in the Tottenham Weekly Herald ‘My Favourite Player’ competition. At fifteen I won the Junior Spurs Football Reporter of the Year Competition and got to report on a first division football match from the press box at White Hart Lane (I got lots of funny looks and none of the journalists spoke to me.)
At sixteen I embarked on ‘A’ levels and a journalism course at De Havilland College, Hertfordshire, and my college magazine interview about football hooliganism with local MP and football club chairman David Evans made a double page spread in Shoot! magazine (they never paid me) and back page headlines in several national newspapers (only a nice man at the Daily Star bothered to check the story with me).
I joined my local newspaper, the Enfield Gazette, as a trainee reporter at eighteen. During a ten year career in regional journalism I worked as a reporter on the Birmingham Daily News, news editor on the Birmingham Metro News and Chief Feature Writer on the Coventry Evening Telegraph, winning Highly Commended in the Feature Writer of the Year category of the 1997 Press Gazette Regional Press Awards.
I loved working on regional newspapers but by 1998 my features were getting too long and the urge to write a novel had become too great so I left my staff job to write my first novel and work as a freelance journalist. I have written for The Guardian, The Independent on Sunday, The Times Educational Supplement, The Big Issue, Wanderlust and Community Care Magazine. I’ve also had a short story published in Best magazine
I found the writing and working from home a very solitary process so also worked as co-ordinator of the Birmingham Bureau of Children’s Express, a national charity which runs a learning through journalism programme for young people and taught journalism to schoolchildren for the National Academy of Writing. After I moved north in 2001 I qualified as an adult education tutor and taught creative writing classes to students aged between 18 and 82 for the Workers Educational Association across Calderdale, West Yorkshire.
After more than a hundred rejections from agents for my first novel (and more rewrites than I care to remember) I finally got an agent but still couldn’t get a publisher. I started work on my second novel I DID A BAD THING in 2003, finished the first draft and gave birth to my son Rohan in 2004, rewrote the novel and got a new agent in 2005, obtained a two-book deal with Headline Review in 2006.
I Did a Bad Thing was published in paperback in October 2007, made the top thirty official fiction bestsellers list (and number 3 in Tesco!) and has so far sold more than 77,000 copies. 10 Reasons Not to Fall in Love was published in paperback in March 2009, reached no 22 in the official fiction bestseller charts (and no 4 in Tesco) and has so far sold more than 80,000 copies. Both novels were also long-listed for the RNA Romantic Novel of the Year Award.
Following the success of my first two novels I got another two-book deal from Headline Review, with Things I Wish I'd Known being the first of these. I am currently working on my fourth novel.
I enjoy travelling.
My first publication came when I was thirteen and my Ode to Gary Mabbutt won second prize in the Tottenham Weekly Herald ‘My Favourite Player’ competition. At fifteen I won the Junior Spurs Football Reporter of the Year Competition and got to report on a first division football match from the press box at White Hart Lane (I got lots of funny looks and none of the journalists spoke to me.)
At sixteen I embarked on ‘A’ levels and a journalism course at De Havilland College, Hertfordshire, and my college magazine interview about football hooliganism with local MP and football club chairman David Evans made a double page spread in Shoot! magazine (they never paid me) and back page headlines in several national newspapers (only a nice man at the Daily Star bothered to check the story with me).
I joined my local newspaper, the Enfield Gazette, as a trainee reporter at eighteen. During a ten year career in regional journalism I worked as a reporter on the Birmingham Daily News, news editor on the Birmingham Metro News and Chief Feature Writer on the Coventry Evening Telegraph, winning Highly Commended in the Feature Writer of the Year category of the 1997 Press Gazette Regional Press Awards.
I loved working on regional newspapers but by 1998 my features were getting too long and the urge to write a novel had become too great so I left my staff job to write my first novel and work as a freelance journalist. I have written for The Guardian, The Independent on Sunday, The Times Educational Supplement, The Big Issue, Wanderlust and Community Care Magazine. I’ve also had a short story published in Best magazine
I found the writing and working from home a very solitary process so also worked as co-ordinator of the Birmingham Bureau of Children’s Express, a national charity which runs a learning through journalism programme for young people and taught journalism to schoolchildren for the National Academy of Writing. After I moved north in 2001 I qualified as an adult education tutor and taught creative writing classes to students aged between 18 and 82 for the Workers Educational Association across Calderdale, West Yorkshire.
After more than a hundred rejections from agents for my first novel (and more rewrites than I care to remember) I finally got an agent but still couldn’t get a publisher. I started work on my second novel I DID A BAD THING in 2003, finished the first draft and gave birth to my son Rohan in 2004, rewrote the novel and got a new agent in 2005, obtained a two-book deal with Headline Review in 2006.
I Did a Bad Thing was published in paperback in October 2007, made the top thirty official fiction bestsellers list (and number 3 in Tesco!) and has so far sold more than 77,000 copies. 10 Reasons Not to Fall in Love was published in paperback in March 2009, reached no 22 in the official fiction bestseller charts (and no 4 in Tesco) and has so far sold more than 80,000 copies. Both novels were also long-listed for the RNA Romantic Novel of the Year Award.
Following the success of my first two novels I got another two-book deal from Headline Review, with Things I Wish I'd Known being the first of these. I am currently working on my fourth novel.
I enjoy travelling.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 145 reviews
July 27, 2021
EXCERPT: Polly turned to my form. It was only a matter of time before she found out now. I waited, watching her face for the sign. To be fair, she didn't even flinch.
'Ah, Alison, I see you're a counsellor yourself. What sort of areas do you cover?'
I hesitated. Aware how utterly ridiculous it was going to sound. I thought of what Matilda always said when people asked her what her mother did. She called me a 'marriage mender'. Said I kept people's mummies and daddies together when they were arguing a lot. My stomach tightened as I wondered what on earth she would think if she could see her marriage-mender mummy right now.
'Relationships,' I said to Polly, trying to keep my voice as low and as even as possible. 'I'm a relationship counsellor.'
The silence hung heavily in the air. Chris put his head in his hands.
I smiled weakly. 'It is rather ridiculous, isn't it?'
'Not at all,' said Polly. 'I'm divorced. I'd say that's more ridiculous.'
ABOUT 'THE MARRIAGE MENDER': The only relationship she can't save is her own . . .
Alison is a marriage counsellor. Her job is to help couples who fear they have reached the end of the line. But the trouble with spending your time sorting out other people's problems is that you tend to take your eye off your own. Even when her husband's ex Lydia arrives on the doorstep demanding to see her son, Alison thinks she can handle it. But what Alison doesn't realise is that Lydia is the one person who has the ability to destroy their perfect family. And sometimes the cracks can run so deep that even a marriage mender can't repair them . . .
MY THOUGHTS: I read this in one sitting, and I loved every word. The Marriage Mender is beautifully written, it's characters so very real that it is impossible not to care about them. I felt like I was right there with them as their family life fell apart after Lydia inserts herself back in Chris' and Josh's lives while Alison scurries about trying to keep everyone happy and hold everything together.
Dramatic humour abounds. I laughed. I cried. I gasped, both in horror and in astonishment. I threw up my hands in exasperation. I air punched in triumph, and groaned in despair. The Marriage Mender is a very emotive read.
All the way through I was rooting for Chris and Alison's relationship. I wanted it to work out. They obviously love one another, deeply, passionately. But is that enough?
Complicated family relationships. Humour. Lies. Secrets. A delicious combination with enough twists to keep my mind spinning.
The Marriage Mender is not predictable. The outcome is up in the air until the very final page. A compelling and entertaining read, and one I wholeheartedly recommend.
⭐⭐⭐⭐.7
#TheMarriageMender #NetGalley
I: @lindagreenbooks @quercusbooks
T: @LindaGreenisms @QuercusBooks
#fivestarread #contemporaryfiction #familydrama #mystery #sliceoflife
THE AUTHOR: Linda Green wrote her first novella at age nine. Unfortunately the pony-based, time-travel thriller genre never took off. She did, however, go on to become an award-winning journalist and has written for the Guardian, the Independent on Sunday and The Big Issue. Linda lives in West Yorkshire, is married to a sports photographer for a national newspaper and has a six-year-old son.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Quercus Books via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Marriage Mender by Linda Green for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
'Ah, Alison, I see you're a counsellor yourself. What sort of areas do you cover?'
I hesitated. Aware how utterly ridiculous it was going to sound. I thought of what Matilda always said when people asked her what her mother did. She called me a 'marriage mender'. Said I kept people's mummies and daddies together when they were arguing a lot. My stomach tightened as I wondered what on earth she would think if she could see her marriage-mender mummy right now.
'Relationships,' I said to Polly, trying to keep my voice as low and as even as possible. 'I'm a relationship counsellor.'
The silence hung heavily in the air. Chris put his head in his hands.
I smiled weakly. 'It is rather ridiculous, isn't it?'
'Not at all,' said Polly. 'I'm divorced. I'd say that's more ridiculous.'
ABOUT 'THE MARRIAGE MENDER': The only relationship she can't save is her own . . .
Alison is a marriage counsellor. Her job is to help couples who fear they have reached the end of the line. But the trouble with spending your time sorting out other people's problems is that you tend to take your eye off your own. Even when her husband's ex Lydia arrives on the doorstep demanding to see her son, Alison thinks she can handle it. But what Alison doesn't realise is that Lydia is the one person who has the ability to destroy their perfect family. And sometimes the cracks can run so deep that even a marriage mender can't repair them . . .
MY THOUGHTS: I read this in one sitting, and I loved every word. The Marriage Mender is beautifully written, it's characters so very real that it is impossible not to care about them. I felt like I was right there with them as their family life fell apart after Lydia inserts herself back in Chris' and Josh's lives while Alison scurries about trying to keep everyone happy and hold everything together.
Dramatic humour abounds. I laughed. I cried. I gasped, both in horror and in astonishment. I threw up my hands in exasperation. I air punched in triumph, and groaned in despair. The Marriage Mender is a very emotive read.
All the way through I was rooting for Chris and Alison's relationship. I wanted it to work out. They obviously love one another, deeply, passionately. But is that enough?
Complicated family relationships. Humour. Lies. Secrets. A delicious combination with enough twists to keep my mind spinning.
The Marriage Mender is not predictable. The outcome is up in the air until the very final page. A compelling and entertaining read, and one I wholeheartedly recommend.
⭐⭐⭐⭐.7
#TheMarriageMender #NetGalley
I: @lindagreenbooks @quercusbooks
T: @LindaGreenisms @QuercusBooks
#fivestarread #contemporaryfiction #familydrama #mystery #sliceoflife
THE AUTHOR: Linda Green wrote her first novella at age nine. Unfortunately the pony-based, time-travel thriller genre never took off. She did, however, go on to become an award-winning journalist and has written for the Guardian, the Independent on Sunday and The Big Issue. Linda lives in West Yorkshire, is married to a sports photographer for a national newspaper and has a six-year-old son.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Quercus Books via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Marriage Mender by Linda Green for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
July 25, 2021
My first thought upon finishing this book was "WOW!" and then it went something like "where has Linda Green been all my life?" Seriously though, this is not my usual genre and when I do read contemporary fiction I tend to be rather picky about them. But this? This was something else entirely. It's a feel-good family drama with love and laughter, sadness and heartbreaks and yet it was still something so much more than that. I can't even begin to put my finger on it...but whatever it was, I loved it. And I loved this book!
The story opens with an initial therapy session to which Alison and husband Chris have come to help them identify the issues they have been facing and how to address them. Which is kind of ironic since Alison is a relationship counsellor herself, and she cannot help but see the irony here or the utter ridiculousness of their situation. Their 9 year old daughter Matilda called her the "marriage mender" as she helps keeps people's mummies and daddies together when they are rowing about stuff a lot. And here she is seeking her own marriage-mender.
But what has lead her and Chris to this point? Well, where do they start? Chris was the first to speak. It all began on Josh's 16th birthday...
It began like any other day, except that Matilda was bursting with excitement waiting at the breakfast table for her big brother Josh to make an appearance so they could shower him with their gifts. He was ecstatic with the guitar Chris and Ali had bought him and the amp to accompany it closely followed by the black on black clothes Matilda had lovingly chosen for him at Oxfam. And later that day, their gran was coming over and together they would enjoy a birthday tea together completed with an enormous chocolate cake that Ali had made. But something happened between those two events that set the wheels in motion to bring change into their happy contended lives.
Although Alison isn't Josh's biological mum, she has loved and nurtured him for ten years as if he had been. She met single dad Chris when Josh was just six years old, his mother having walked out and left him when he was just six months old. Chris had returned home from work to little Josh screaming in his cot in a sodden nappy with his mother, along with her belongings, gone. And then one day, Chris walked into a library with Josh where Alison was telling the gathered children a story. After that, they were regular fixtures at storytime until Josh invited Alison to his birthday party...and the rest is history. Or is it?
The knock on the door was surprising. Alison wasn't expecting anyone just yet with Josh over at Tom's and Chris having gone for a walk and Barbara wouldn't be arriving till Chris collected her. But as soon as Alison opened the door she knew exactly who it was standing in front of her. Lydia. After sixteen years since walking out on them without a word, she was back. The fact that it was Josh's birthday was hardly a coincidence for with her was a gift for the son she abandoned. Little did Alison know that with Lydia's return would be wreaking ball driven right into the heart of their happy family.
So why has Lydia returned after all these years? Why now? She wants to see Josh and the young man he is becoming but surely she had to know that her sudden reappearance after sixteen years without a word would throw his life into turmoil? He's a teenager and is not equipped to deal with such a disruption to his life, particularly with his exams approaching. But she had a special gift she had always meant to give him should she ever seen him again...and in that moment when he unwrapped it, Alison knew that Josh was going to give his mother a chance - he was that sort of person. But with that chance came broken promises, impromptu visits, drunken insults and broken hearts. And in the middle was Alison, trying to do the right thing for everyone...to keep her family together and keep everyone happy.
Soon cracks began to appear. And the sniping started. And then after one too many drunken outbursts and attacks on their family, Lydia threw a grenade into the mix with explosive consequences that no one could have foreseen. And in a blink of an eye, Josh was gone. And in the aftermath, blame was assigned as tears fell and life began to fall apart.
Then when Barbara revealed a secret that she was never to reveal, Alison knew then that her family needed help. And so she and Chris sought relationship counselling to help find a way through the rubble and back to each other.
But nothing prepared either of them for what was about to come...
I absolutely loved THE MARRIAGE MENDER, almost reading it in one sitting if not for the extremely late hour and needing sleep. That said, upon waking this morning I went straight back to it and didn't stop until the last tear-jerking page. Completely absorbing from the first page, THE MARRIAGE MENDER is a delightful and emotional read that is sure to tug at your heartstrings.
Ali was a wonderful character and I connected with her from the beginning, caring for her deeply as well as her beautiful family. Even Matilda I found to be endearing, and I am not one to be enchanted by children, but she had an uncanny knack of the most uncomfortable questions but she is rather intelligent beyond her years. Her relationship with her half-brother Josh is an endearing one to read. Chris is a wonderful father and husband although he could be annoyingly silent when you just wanted to shake him into sharing what was deeply troubling him and why. He was incredibly hurt by Lydia so his wanting to protect Josh from his train wreck of a mother is completely understandable. Barbara is Chris' mother and is the stoic matriarch with enough love and understanding to envelop the family in. Until secrets are revealed to put everyone and everything they knew to the test. But it was Josh who my heart went out to the most, having his world turned upside down and is so utterly confused by the new revelations in his life. His struggles were heartbreaking to read as is the final extreme decision he made.
The issues addressed in THE MARRIAGE MENDER cover abandonment, domestic violence, alcoholism, adoption, runaways, teenage pregnancy and depression which may be a trigger for some but each is approached and explored sensitively.
Overall, THE MARRIAGE MENDER is a wonderful emotional read that is compelling from beginning to end that even when I turned that final page I wasn't ready to let go of the characters and their stories. This is my first read by Linda Green and, if this book is anything to go by, it won't be my last.
A well-written family drama that is perfect for fans of Nicole Trope, Kerry Fisher and Julia Roberts.
I would like to thank #LindaGreen, #Netgalley and #Quercus for an ARC of #TheMarriageMender in exchange for an honest review.
This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.
The story opens with an initial therapy session to which Alison and husband Chris have come to help them identify the issues they have been facing and how to address them. Which is kind of ironic since Alison is a relationship counsellor herself, and she cannot help but see the irony here or the utter ridiculousness of their situation. Their 9 year old daughter Matilda called her the "marriage mender" as she helps keeps people's mummies and daddies together when they are rowing about stuff a lot. And here she is seeking her own marriage-mender.
But what has lead her and Chris to this point? Well, where do they start? Chris was the first to speak. It all began on Josh's 16th birthday...
It began like any other day, except that Matilda was bursting with excitement waiting at the breakfast table for her big brother Josh to make an appearance so they could shower him with their gifts. He was ecstatic with the guitar Chris and Ali had bought him and the amp to accompany it closely followed by the black on black clothes Matilda had lovingly chosen for him at Oxfam. And later that day, their gran was coming over and together they would enjoy a birthday tea together completed with an enormous chocolate cake that Ali had made. But something happened between those two events that set the wheels in motion to bring change into their happy contended lives.
Although Alison isn't Josh's biological mum, she has loved and nurtured him for ten years as if he had been. She met single dad Chris when Josh was just six years old, his mother having walked out and left him when he was just six months old. Chris had returned home from work to little Josh screaming in his cot in a sodden nappy with his mother, along with her belongings, gone. And then one day, Chris walked into a library with Josh where Alison was telling the gathered children a story. After that, they were regular fixtures at storytime until Josh invited Alison to his birthday party...and the rest is history. Or is it?
The knock on the door was surprising. Alison wasn't expecting anyone just yet with Josh over at Tom's and Chris having gone for a walk and Barbara wouldn't be arriving till Chris collected her. But as soon as Alison opened the door she knew exactly who it was standing in front of her. Lydia. After sixteen years since walking out on them without a word, she was back. The fact that it was Josh's birthday was hardly a coincidence for with her was a gift for the son she abandoned. Little did Alison know that with Lydia's return would be wreaking ball driven right into the heart of their happy family.
So why has Lydia returned after all these years? Why now? She wants to see Josh and the young man he is becoming but surely she had to know that her sudden reappearance after sixteen years without a word would throw his life into turmoil? He's a teenager and is not equipped to deal with such a disruption to his life, particularly with his exams approaching. But she had a special gift she had always meant to give him should she ever seen him again...and in that moment when he unwrapped it, Alison knew that Josh was going to give his mother a chance - he was that sort of person. But with that chance came broken promises, impromptu visits, drunken insults and broken hearts. And in the middle was Alison, trying to do the right thing for everyone...to keep her family together and keep everyone happy.
Soon cracks began to appear. And the sniping started. And then after one too many drunken outbursts and attacks on their family, Lydia threw a grenade into the mix with explosive consequences that no one could have foreseen. And in a blink of an eye, Josh was gone. And in the aftermath, blame was assigned as tears fell and life began to fall apart.
Then when Barbara revealed a secret that she was never to reveal, Alison knew then that her family needed help. And so she and Chris sought relationship counselling to help find a way through the rubble and back to each other.
But nothing prepared either of them for what was about to come...
I absolutely loved THE MARRIAGE MENDER, almost reading it in one sitting if not for the extremely late hour and needing sleep. That said, upon waking this morning I went straight back to it and didn't stop until the last tear-jerking page. Completely absorbing from the first page, THE MARRIAGE MENDER is a delightful and emotional read that is sure to tug at your heartstrings.
Ali was a wonderful character and I connected with her from the beginning, caring for her deeply as well as her beautiful family. Even Matilda I found to be endearing, and I am not one to be enchanted by children, but she had an uncanny knack of the most uncomfortable questions but she is rather intelligent beyond her years. Her relationship with her half-brother Josh is an endearing one to read. Chris is a wonderful father and husband although he could be annoyingly silent when you just wanted to shake him into sharing what was deeply troubling him and why. He was incredibly hurt by Lydia so his wanting to protect Josh from his train wreck of a mother is completely understandable. Barbara is Chris' mother and is the stoic matriarch with enough love and understanding to envelop the family in. Until secrets are revealed to put everyone and everything they knew to the test. But it was Josh who my heart went out to the most, having his world turned upside down and is so utterly confused by the new revelations in his life. His struggles were heartbreaking to read as is the final extreme decision he made.
The issues addressed in THE MARRIAGE MENDER cover abandonment, domestic violence, alcoholism, adoption, runaways, teenage pregnancy and depression which may be a trigger for some but each is approached and explored sensitively.
Overall, THE MARRIAGE MENDER is a wonderful emotional read that is compelling from beginning to end that even when I turned that final page I wasn't ready to let go of the characters and their stories. This is my first read by Linda Green and, if this book is anything to go by, it won't be my last.
A well-written family drama that is perfect for fans of Nicole Trope, Kerry Fisher and Julia Roberts.
I would like to thank #LindaGreen, #Netgalley and #Quercus for an ARC of #TheMarriageMender in exchange for an honest review.
This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.
May 4, 2021
Alison and her husband Chris have their lives disrupted when Chris’s ex Lydia the mother of his sixteen year old son Josh arrives on their doorstep.
Alison is a marriage counsellor and it takes all her strategies to keep her family from falling apart.
I found this story a little confusing when it jumped to Alison interviewing couples and also to random snippets from unknown people who were having marital problems.
Thank you to NetGalley and Quercus Books for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.
Alison is a marriage counsellor and it takes all her strategies to keep her family from falling apart.
I found this story a little confusing when it jumped to Alison interviewing couples and also to random snippets from unknown people who were having marital problems.
Thank you to NetGalley and Quercus Books for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.
March 16, 2024
Time taken to read - 3 days
Pages - 491
Publisher - Quercus
Source - Bought
Blurb from Goodreads
The only relationship she can't save is her own . . .
Alison is a marriage counsellor. Her job is to help couples who fear they have reached the end of the line. But the trouble with spending your time sorting out other people's problems is that you tend to take your eye off your own. Even when her husband's ex Lydia arrives on the doorstep demanding to see her son, Alison thinks she can handle it. But what Alison doesn't realise is that Lydia is the one person who has the ability to destroy their perfect family. And sometimes the cracks can run so deep that even a marriage mender can't repair them . . .
My Review
Meet Alison, a marriage counsellor, someone who helps mend your marriage but what happens when the counsellors marriage and family are the ones needing help? Chris's older son was a baby when his mum Lydia bailed, Alison came along when he was young and became the only mum he knew and gave him a little sister. So when Lydia rocks up looking fabulous, full of stories, intrigue, edgy Josh can't help but be drawn to his biological mother. Chris has never really spoke about her, Alison is doing her best to keep everyone happy and Lydia is just a wrecking ball in their tranquility.
Ooft we all have an ex partner we would rather stayed in the past but when kids are involved what can you do. Lydia has been MIA for pretty much eighteen years and now she is back. Stunning, rubbing shoulders with people in the music industry, how do you compete with that? Well Alison isn't the kind of person who does, she is such a good person to the point I was like OH COME ON ALISON put your foot down. She tries to put out fires between Chris and Josh, explaining to her own wee girl who this stranger is and the more outrageous Lydia is the more withdrawn and angry Chris seems to be. It is very much family dramas with unresolved issues, the past coming back to bit them and wreck their perfect little bubble. We also get to see/hear confessions/snippets from the counselling room, some uncomfortable and some of Alison's patients going through some dark themes, coercion, abuse of different kids, hardships and secrets from the past.
I think this is my first book by Green and it took me a little to settle to it but I soon got pulled into the dramas and see where it was going next, 4/5 from me, I would absolutely read this author again and will check out her other books.
Pages - 491
Publisher - Quercus
Source - Bought
Blurb from Goodreads
The only relationship she can't save is her own . . .
Alison is a marriage counsellor. Her job is to help couples who fear they have reached the end of the line. But the trouble with spending your time sorting out other people's problems is that you tend to take your eye off your own. Even when her husband's ex Lydia arrives on the doorstep demanding to see her son, Alison thinks she can handle it. But what Alison doesn't realise is that Lydia is the one person who has the ability to destroy their perfect family. And sometimes the cracks can run so deep that even a marriage mender can't repair them . . .
My Review
Meet Alison, a marriage counsellor, someone who helps mend your marriage but what happens when the counsellors marriage and family are the ones needing help? Chris's older son was a baby when his mum Lydia bailed, Alison came along when he was young and became the only mum he knew and gave him a little sister. So when Lydia rocks up looking fabulous, full of stories, intrigue, edgy Josh can't help but be drawn to his biological mother. Chris has never really spoke about her, Alison is doing her best to keep everyone happy and Lydia is just a wrecking ball in their tranquility.
Ooft we all have an ex partner we would rather stayed in the past but when kids are involved what can you do. Lydia has been MIA for pretty much eighteen years and now she is back. Stunning, rubbing shoulders with people in the music industry, how do you compete with that? Well Alison isn't the kind of person who does, she is such a good person to the point I was like OH COME ON ALISON put your foot down. She tries to put out fires between Chris and Josh, explaining to her own wee girl who this stranger is and the more outrageous Lydia is the more withdrawn and angry Chris seems to be. It is very much family dramas with unresolved issues, the past coming back to bit them and wreck their perfect little bubble. We also get to see/hear confessions/snippets from the counselling room, some uncomfortable and some of Alison's patients going through some dark themes, coercion, abuse of different kids, hardships and secrets from the past.
I think this is my first book by Green and it took me a little to settle to it but I soon got pulled into the dramas and see where it was going next, 4/5 from me, I would absolutely read this author again and will check out her other books.
July 19, 2021
Alison is a marriage counsellor. Her job is to help couples who fear they have reached the end of the line. But the trouble with spending your time sorting other people's problems is that you tend to take your eye off your own. Even when her husbands ex Lydia arrives on the doorstep demanding to see her son, Alison thinks she can handle it.
Alison and her husband Chris have their lives up-ended when Chris's ex-wife Lydia turns up on the doorstep to see her sixteen year old son Josh. Chris and Alison have a daughter Matilda. Lydia had left when Josh was just a baby. Things start to go wrong from the day Lydia returns.
This is an emotional rollercoaster read. The story covers: adoption, abandonment, missing persons, trust and alcoholism. We get snippets from Alison giving counselling to other couples. I felt that Chris and Alison could be lining in any house, on any street as their was realistic and relatable. I also liked Chris's mother Barbara who didn't take anyone's side. The only person I didn't really like was Lydia. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story which held my attention throughout.
I would like to thank #NetGalley #QuercusBooks and the author #LindaGreen for my ARC of #TheMarriageMender in exchange for an honest review.
Alison and her husband Chris have their lives up-ended when Chris's ex-wife Lydia turns up on the doorstep to see her sixteen year old son Josh. Chris and Alison have a daughter Matilda. Lydia had left when Josh was just a baby. Things start to go wrong from the day Lydia returns.
This is an emotional rollercoaster read. The story covers: adoption, abandonment, missing persons, trust and alcoholism. We get snippets from Alison giving counselling to other couples. I felt that Chris and Alison could be lining in any house, on any street as their was realistic and relatable. I also liked Chris's mother Barbara who didn't take anyone's side. The only person I didn't really like was Lydia. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story which held my attention throughout.
I would like to thank #NetGalley #QuercusBooks and the author #LindaGreen for my ARC of #TheMarriageMender in exchange for an honest review.
January 12, 2026
Wonderful, emotional book that I started yesterday and finished today. I’m delving more into Linda Green’s back catalog and reading more of this amazing author.
September 6, 2014
"The Marriage Mender" is my second Linda's book and to be honest, as soon as I've heard about this novel I had a feeling it's going to be a great read. I've read Linda's "Things I Wish I'd Known" and I was absolutely in love with this one, and I have also heard many good things about "The Mummyfesto" which I must quickly move to the top of my TBR pile. OK, long story short, I couldn't wait to read the book and as soon as it arrived on my very thankful doorstep, I started to read it, and was sucked in the world of the characters immediately.
"The Marriage Mender" is a story about - surprise, surprise! - a marriage mender. Alison's job is to help other couples, to make them understand each other better, to help them to solve their problems, to help them to find they love again. She is married to Chris and they have a daughter, a nine - year - old Matilda, very resolute girl with a tendency to ask wrong questions at the wrong time. They are also raising Josh, Chris's son from his first relationship. Everything looks brilliant, till the day when Chris's ex Lydia re-appears and wants to renew contact with Josh, who she walked out on when he was a baby. Chris can't forget her for this, and doesn't want anything to do with her but right now it's about Josh. Is Lydia going to mess up the family's life? Did she change? Are her intentions really innocent?
Alison. I would say she is really good at her job and I also warmed to her and to her calm, quiet way. I liked her but there were moments that I felt really desperate with her and I wanted to shake her and yell at her, woman, stop being so understanding! Stop speaking all the time as if you were in your office, stop being the peacemaker for a while, make a mistake, say something wrong, and stop calling people "love" all the time! But yes, she wanted to make peace with everybody, I guess that in real life she would be a little grey mouse, not outstanding, sitting in a corner girl. I liked her composure in crisis situations, even if the situations were concerning her or her family, as it's not so easy to keep your cool when it's about your closest ones.
There were also the children that have brightened the book, the way Alison and Chris were dealing with them was really good in my opinion, although there were moments that they were treating them too much as partners and not as children. Sometimes I was up to my nose with Matilda, yes, she was a very resolute and clever girl but I had the feeling that the whole world is turning around her, she was the real apple of the eye of the whole family.
I totally enjoyed reading about Alison's clients, they were like a breath of fresh air to the story and made the book much more interesting. It also happened that one couple that Alison was counselling is going to be much more significant than I have supposed and although some may say it was too big a coincidence, I enjoyed this part of the book and liked how the two stories intertwined. At the beginning of each chapter there were also some short snippets of notes from very different therapy sessions, I don't know if they were real or not, but they were great and added much light - hearted feeling to the read. Some of them were really funny, some of them ridiculous, some of them make me roll my eyes at the thought of a people being so careless in their relationships.
As the story continues, it reveals many secrets that the characters keep. And while I understand that Chris was so hurt in the past, I really don't follow his way of thinking and not telling Alison about such important things that happened in his life. They were great together, Alison and Chris, and it was a real pain to see them struggling to communicate, and I actually hated Lydia for spoiling their perfect little life. Although I must also ask myself, what with the hidden secrets, was their life really so perfect? In theory - yes, so again, why did Chris hasn't opened himself to Alison earlier? My guess is it wouldn't change her feelings to him.
Altogether, it was a really good read about some important issues that you can meet in your life, some very unexpected situations and how to deal with them. Written in a great, engaging way, Linda Green has for sure found her voice and gave us a great story. My only problem is the ending, which seemed a little too rushed and not as well polished as the whole book but it's just a little thing that didn't spoil the story. "The Marriage Mender" is a novel about people like us, with very realistic problems and the way the characters were trying to come to term with those problems seemed also very real and not too pushy. And let's not forget the beautiful cover that I have already made my Cover of the Month, it's so nice and subtle and suits the story absolutely!
Copy received from publisher in exchange for a review.
"The Marriage Mender" is a story about - surprise, surprise! - a marriage mender. Alison's job is to help other couples, to make them understand each other better, to help them to solve their problems, to help them to find they love again. She is married to Chris and they have a daughter, a nine - year - old Matilda, very resolute girl with a tendency to ask wrong questions at the wrong time. They are also raising Josh, Chris's son from his first relationship. Everything looks brilliant, till the day when Chris's ex Lydia re-appears and wants to renew contact with Josh, who she walked out on when he was a baby. Chris can't forget her for this, and doesn't want anything to do with her but right now it's about Josh. Is Lydia going to mess up the family's life? Did she change? Are her intentions really innocent?
Alison. I would say she is really good at her job and I also warmed to her and to her calm, quiet way. I liked her but there were moments that I felt really desperate with her and I wanted to shake her and yell at her, woman, stop being so understanding! Stop speaking all the time as if you were in your office, stop being the peacemaker for a while, make a mistake, say something wrong, and stop calling people "love" all the time! But yes, she wanted to make peace with everybody, I guess that in real life she would be a little grey mouse, not outstanding, sitting in a corner girl. I liked her composure in crisis situations, even if the situations were concerning her or her family, as it's not so easy to keep your cool when it's about your closest ones.
There were also the children that have brightened the book, the way Alison and Chris were dealing with them was really good in my opinion, although there were moments that they were treating them too much as partners and not as children. Sometimes I was up to my nose with Matilda, yes, she was a very resolute and clever girl but I had the feeling that the whole world is turning around her, she was the real apple of the eye of the whole family.
I totally enjoyed reading about Alison's clients, they were like a breath of fresh air to the story and made the book much more interesting. It also happened that one couple that Alison was counselling is going to be much more significant than I have supposed and although some may say it was too big a coincidence, I enjoyed this part of the book and liked how the two stories intertwined. At the beginning of each chapter there were also some short snippets of notes from very different therapy sessions, I don't know if they were real or not, but they were great and added much light - hearted feeling to the read. Some of them were really funny, some of them ridiculous, some of them make me roll my eyes at the thought of a people being so careless in their relationships.
As the story continues, it reveals many secrets that the characters keep. And while I understand that Chris was so hurt in the past, I really don't follow his way of thinking and not telling Alison about such important things that happened in his life. They were great together, Alison and Chris, and it was a real pain to see them struggling to communicate, and I actually hated Lydia for spoiling their perfect little life. Although I must also ask myself, what with the hidden secrets, was their life really so perfect? In theory - yes, so again, why did Chris hasn't opened himself to Alison earlier? My guess is it wouldn't change her feelings to him.
Altogether, it was a really good read about some important issues that you can meet in your life, some very unexpected situations and how to deal with them. Written in a great, engaging way, Linda Green has for sure found her voice and gave us a great story. My only problem is the ending, which seemed a little too rushed and not as well polished as the whole book but it's just a little thing that didn't spoil the story. "The Marriage Mender" is a novel about people like us, with very realistic problems and the way the characters were trying to come to term with those problems seemed also very real and not too pushy. And let's not forget the beautiful cover that I have already made my Cover of the Month, it's so nice and subtle and suits the story absolutely!
Copy received from publisher in exchange for a review.
February 1, 2017
The premise was interesting, the build-up was astronomical, but I was left with a slightly nauseated feeling in my stomach for some reason. The story should have ended long before it did; halfway through the book I thought, well this is enough, what more could there be? There was a twist at the end, which is always appreciated, and the foreshadowing of it is what kept me reading right to the last line. The characters did not resonate with me; I didn't care about them at all. They were wooden and pandering to the thought processes of Ali who I felt was an insufferable, cardigan-wearing, over analytical and generally irritating woman. I thought the child to be a little too dramatic. I thought the (spoiler) year long absence of the son to be ridiculously unexplained, and his return even more precedented. I thought the story wrapped up almost too perfectly, and there was too much emotion blamed on the past involved. Not everything we feel and do is related to our past, but this book made it seem like just addressing the past will make everything better. I am no expert on the matter, after all. But this book just didn't do it for me.
December 31, 2017
This is not my usual genre but after reading While My Eyes Were Closed (more of a mystery) by the same author, which I thoroughly enjoyed I thought I would try it.
I got in to the book quite easily and did enjoy it to a certain extent. I was happy reading about half but then to me it got a bit too farfetched. Everyone seemed to connect to everyone else and was a bit too perfect and unbelievable that this should happen.
Too many coincidences for me which spoiled a good storyline and not keen on “happy ever after” endings. That said, I have scored it 3 stars as it did engage me and I think I will give her previous novels a go too. If you like heart-warming easy reads then give this a try
I got in to the book quite easily and did enjoy it to a certain extent. I was happy reading about half but then to me it got a bit too farfetched. Everyone seemed to connect to everyone else and was a bit too perfect and unbelievable that this should happen.
Too many coincidences for me which spoiled a good storyline and not keen on “happy ever after” endings. That said, I have scored it 3 stars as it did engage me and I think I will give her previous novels a go too. If you like heart-warming easy reads then give this a try
May 7, 2022
I'm so confused about this.
One minute I was slagging the book off for as I worded it to myself 'being a book for 50year old female daily mail readers' and then I go and get emotional at the end 40 pages or so.
It was a 2star before the end, a 4star after and for my reaction. I've never been as confused as what rating to give a book...
One minute I was slagging the book off for as I worded it to myself 'being a book for 50year old female daily mail readers' and then I go and get emotional at the end 40 pages or so.
It was a 2star before the end, a 4star after and for my reaction. I've never been as confused as what rating to give a book...
January 3, 2015
Make a date and start reading The Marriage Mender. Forget watching Eastenders for drama or for tension scenes at Christmas. The top tension drama starts right here with the book The Marriage Mender with family major problems and Christmas scenes of family chaos.
Alison the step mother is a relationship counselor the marriage mender she sees the good in everyone and defends anyone and everyone including her own family.
Husband Chris was left by his ex-wife Lydia when his son Josh was just six months old. Chris was left holding Josh without a mother and never returned back to see her only son Josh.
Now Josh is sixteen years old his mother turns up on his sixteenth birthday with a present for him and want to start seeing Josh again.
Chris feels whip lashed that after all these years his ex-wife wants to start to see Josh.
Alison being a counselor who sees the good in everyone offers a solution to Lydia seeing Josh again but is this the winning solution?
Matilda the much-younger sister has the knack to ask the most awkward questions at the most awkward times.
The Marriage Mender is a fantastic tale of just how sometimes family life can get raw at times.
Alison the step mother is a relationship counselor the marriage mender she sees the good in everyone and defends anyone and everyone including her own family.
Husband Chris was left by his ex-wife Lydia when his son Josh was just six months old. Chris was left holding Josh without a mother and never returned back to see her only son Josh.
Now Josh is sixteen years old his mother turns up on his sixteenth birthday with a present for him and want to start seeing Josh again.
Chris feels whip lashed that after all these years his ex-wife wants to start to see Josh.
Alison being a counselor who sees the good in everyone offers a solution to Lydia seeing Josh again but is this the winning solution?
Matilda the much-younger sister has the knack to ask the most awkward questions at the most awkward times.
The Marriage Mender is a fantastic tale of just how sometimes family life can get raw at times.
November 6, 2016
Having read, and really enjoyed, my first LInda Green novel quite recently and I was keen to read another.
The characters in The Marraige Mender were easy to identify with and I liked the way the story switched between Ali's personal and professional life. I had great sympathy for many of the characters at various points during the story and was surprised by the plot twists. I would have preferred a stronger ending with more impact but overall a great read!
The characters in The Marraige Mender were easy to identify with and I liked the way the story switched between Ali's personal and professional life. I had great sympathy for many of the characters at various points during the story and was surprised by the plot twists. I would have preferred a stronger ending with more impact but overall a great read!
May 16, 2016
Nice
A nice easy read a bit predictable in parts but still ok. It isn't as good as her first novel while my eyes were closed but I would still recommend it
A nice easy read a bit predictable in parts but still ok. It isn't as good as her first novel while my eyes were closed but I would still recommend it
January 8, 2017
Gave up on this book, which I rarely do. Just couldn't get in to the style of writing. Found it condescending and unbelievable.
August 6, 2021
Marriage guidance and relationship counsellor Alison Bentley lives with her husband, Chris who is a photographer, and is mum to nine-year-old Matilda, and step mum to sixteen-year-old Josh. Lydia, Josh's mum left Chris when Josh was still a baby and she hasn’t been around since. But on his birthday, Lydia turns up to see her son...
Set in West Yorkshire this is a delightful tale and I immediately connected with Alison, despite her job as a relationship counsellor. The fact that a lot of the story takes place in the Bentley family home could have made this rather tedious, but this wasn't the case at all. The storytelling is interspersed with italicised sections some of which made me smile. This was my third novel by Linda Green and I adore her writing style and the way she manages to get the reader rooting for her believable characters so quickly. A clever, engrossing tale about complicated relationships within blended families.
Disclosure: Thank you to Quercus for providing a digital ARC of The Marriage Mender by Linda Green via Netgalley for review. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
Set in West Yorkshire this is a delightful tale and I immediately connected with Alison, despite her job as a relationship counsellor. The fact that a lot of the story takes place in the Bentley family home could have made this rather tedious, but this wasn't the case at all. The storytelling is interspersed with italicised sections some of which made me smile. This was my third novel by Linda Green and I adore her writing style and the way she manages to get the reader rooting for her believable characters so quickly. A clever, engrossing tale about complicated relationships within blended families.
Disclosure: Thank you to Quercus for providing a digital ARC of The Marriage Mender by Linda Green via Netgalley for review. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
April 21, 2017
Ah, I loved this. So incredibly well written.
Alison, a marriage counsellor finds her own marriage to Chris in serious danger of falling apart when her husbands ex, Lydia turns up on their doorstep demanding to see her 16 year old son. This opens a can of worms so huge that the family struggles to repair the cracks - but can they?
This was such a fantastic book. I am a huge fan of Linda Green and this has pretty much sealed it for me. A brilliant writer, a brilliant book and the most perfect ending.
Alison, a marriage counsellor finds her own marriage to Chris in serious danger of falling apart when her husbands ex, Lydia turns up on their doorstep demanding to see her 16 year old son. This opens a can of worms so huge that the family struggles to repair the cracks - but can they?
This was such a fantastic book. I am a huge fan of Linda Green and this has pretty much sealed it for me. A brilliant writer, a brilliant book and the most perfect ending.
May 23, 2021
Alison is a marriage guidance counsellor but when her 16 year old stepson's mother visits on his birthday after leaving him and his dad when Josh was only a baby she realises she may need to draw on all her experience to put her broken family together again.
A really good book that has moments of humour as well as sadness
Many thanks to Netgalley and Quercus Books for the advanced copy. My opinions are my own
A really good book that has moments of humour as well as sadness
Many thanks to Netgalley and Quercus Books for the advanced copy. My opinions are my own
June 29, 2025
Only took me a day to read this off & on.
It is relatable and I liked Alison, the main character.
Everything all came together in the end and while I like a happy ending it seemed too much of a coincidence for Alison's client to be her husband's biological mother,how convenient.
Still worth a read though .
It is relatable and I liked Alison, the main character.
Everything all came together in the end and while I like a happy ending it seemed too much of a coincidence for Alison's client to be her husband's biological mother,how convenient.
Still worth a read though .
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 5, 2024
I really enjoy Linda Green's novels - great stories, likeable characters and ultimately hopeful. I was lucky enough to meet Linda a few months ago at a book club get together organised by Bradford Libraries. This one is interesting family story with a protagonist I really relate to.
July 23, 2021
Absolutely fantastic. I have some questions left unanswered and would love to have known more re the ending but then I reflected on it and it fitted and I don't want to know more.
I don't want to say too much as if I do there will be spoilers. Safe to say started this in an afternoon and finished reading late that night as I wanted/needed to know what happened next.
I was given an advance copy by netgalley and the publishers but this in no way influenced my review.
I don't want to say too much as if I do there will be spoilers. Safe to say started this in an afternoon and finished reading late that night as I wanted/needed to know what happened next.
I was given an advance copy by netgalley and the publishers but this in no way influenced my review.
November 1, 2021
An enjoyable bit of chick lit, one star removed for the excessive mention of cardigans. The constant mention of the main character's cardigan was, I assume to reinforce the image of her as a frumpy ex-librarian. I took offence as a fully paid up member of the cardigan wearing librarian society 🤣🤣🤣
July 14, 2022
As usual a lovely book 16 year old josh stole my heart
April 25, 2021
This is the second of Linda Greens books that I’ve read and the second that I’ve loved. She has such a great style of writing which draws you in and really makes you feel for her characters who all have some major issues to deal with. I would recommend this one to everyone!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced digital copy in exchange for an honest review.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced digital copy in exchange for an honest review.
September 12, 2024
Wonderful
August 11, 2025
It's a very engaging book. It was hard to put down . The characters are very well written. I have read a number of her books , and I find her books amazing to read. It is an emotional book with twists and turns. Highly recommended
January 15, 2024
I felt that the ending was very convient and tied up the counselling sessions with Ali personal life disappointing
September 19, 2014
Review originally posted to my blog:
http://www.pagetostagereviews.com/201...
Alison is a marriage counsellor, so you'd assume she knows what it takes to create a stable relationship. But when at the start of the novel she and her husband Chris start to go to therapy to mend their struggling marriage, questions instantly arise. What has happened for them to get to this desperate final attempt to prevent a divorce? And is there any point at all in trying to fix what has been broken?
After that first chapter the clock rewinds and we become acquainted with the Bentley family before everything started to fall apart. They seem to be blissfully happy together and are raising two great kids; Josh, Chris' son from a previous relationship, and Matilda. Josh may not be Ali's biological son, but she has been taking care of him since he was just a little boy and for all intents and purposes she is his mother.
So when on Josh' sixteenth birthday his biological mother suddenly makes an appearance, it immediately throws their carefree lives into tumult. And it's not a one-time disruption either; her visit sets into motion the unravelling of secrets so powerful that their loving family unit is rapidly pulled apart. Alison, always aiming to please everyone around her, is desperate to keep her family together, but is she fighting a losing battle?
I've been anticipating this book ever since I first heard about it as I found Linda Green's previous novel, The Mummyfesto, hugely inspirational and I was excited to read more by her hand. The Marriage Mender was a very different kind of story but not any less excellent. Gripping from the moment I started reading, I was unable to stop reading this compelling read until I had turned the final page.
Ali was a wonderful main character and I cared for her deeply. She always had the best interest at heart for those around her, too much so even and I did feel she was being far too nice to Chris' ex. And when her carefree life started to unravel, more than anything I wished for those around her to be supportive as she was hurting just as bad as Chris and Josh, even if it wasn't visible on the surface. Chris on the other frustrated me to no end. While we do find out why he shuts out his family, his self-centred attitude meant that the one person who needed him the most, Ali, was left to figure everything out by herself.
My heart went out mostly to Josh though, who was understandably confused by the new revelations in his life and the underlying feeling of loyalty to all those implicated. Just like with Alison, I quickly came to care for him and it was heartbreaking to read about his struggles and the final extreme decision it led him to take. And then there was the sweet Matilda, she was an absolute joy to read about as she brought some much-needed sunshine and cheerfulness into an otherwise tense read.
While for the most part this was an excellent novel, I felt that the ending was somewhat rushed. It was over so suddenly, when I wasn't ready yet to let go of these characters. Not to mention that it didn't provide the answers I'd been longing for. Then again, this was foremost the story of Alison and her attempt at getting her family back together and for that it makes perfect sense to finish where it did.
Be prepared for a roller-coaster ride of emotions when reading The Marriage Mender. With a great set of characters and an incredibly intense build up this is an engrossing story from start to finish.
4.5 stars.
http://www.pagetostagereviews.com/201...
Alison is a marriage counsellor, so you'd assume she knows what it takes to create a stable relationship. But when at the start of the novel she and her husband Chris start to go to therapy to mend their struggling marriage, questions instantly arise. What has happened for them to get to this desperate final attempt to prevent a divorce? And is there any point at all in trying to fix what has been broken?
After that first chapter the clock rewinds and we become acquainted with the Bentley family before everything started to fall apart. They seem to be blissfully happy together and are raising two great kids; Josh, Chris' son from a previous relationship, and Matilda. Josh may not be Ali's biological son, but she has been taking care of him since he was just a little boy and for all intents and purposes she is his mother.
So when on Josh' sixteenth birthday his biological mother suddenly makes an appearance, it immediately throws their carefree lives into tumult. And it's not a one-time disruption either; her visit sets into motion the unravelling of secrets so powerful that their loving family unit is rapidly pulled apart. Alison, always aiming to please everyone around her, is desperate to keep her family together, but is she fighting a losing battle?
I've been anticipating this book ever since I first heard about it as I found Linda Green's previous novel, The Mummyfesto, hugely inspirational and I was excited to read more by her hand. The Marriage Mender was a very different kind of story but not any less excellent. Gripping from the moment I started reading, I was unable to stop reading this compelling read until I had turned the final page.
Ali was a wonderful main character and I cared for her deeply. She always had the best interest at heart for those around her, too much so even and I did feel she was being far too nice to Chris' ex. And when her carefree life started to unravel, more than anything I wished for those around her to be supportive as she was hurting just as bad as Chris and Josh, even if it wasn't visible on the surface. Chris on the other frustrated me to no end. While we do find out why he shuts out his family, his self-centred attitude meant that the one person who needed him the most, Ali, was left to figure everything out by herself.
My heart went out mostly to Josh though, who was understandably confused by the new revelations in his life and the underlying feeling of loyalty to all those implicated. Just like with Alison, I quickly came to care for him and it was heartbreaking to read about his struggles and the final extreme decision it led him to take. And then there was the sweet Matilda, she was an absolute joy to read about as she brought some much-needed sunshine and cheerfulness into an otherwise tense read.
While for the most part this was an excellent novel, I felt that the ending was somewhat rushed. It was over so suddenly, when I wasn't ready yet to let go of these characters. Not to mention that it didn't provide the answers I'd been longing for. Then again, this was foremost the story of Alison and her attempt at getting her family back together and for that it makes perfect sense to finish where it did.
Be prepared for a roller-coaster ride of emotions when reading The Marriage Mender. With a great set of characters and an incredibly intense build up this is an engrossing story from start to finish.
4.5 stars.
July 20, 2021
The Marriage Mender
I give this book 3.75 stars
Alison is a marriage mender. Her job is to help couples who fear they have reached the end of the road. So when her husband's ex Lydia arrives on the doorstep demanding to see her son, Alison thinks she can handle it. But what Alison doesn't realise is that Lydia is the one person who has the ability to destroy their happy family. And sometimes the cracks run too deep to ever be repaired .
A good,well written family drama. Down to earth characters that felt real.A storyline that delves into how our past effects who we are today,the struggles we endure and what family means to us. An easy to read,enjoyable book.
With thanks to Netgalley,Linda Green and Quercus Books
I give this book 3.75 stars
Alison is a marriage mender. Her job is to help couples who fear they have reached the end of the road. So when her husband's ex Lydia arrives on the doorstep demanding to see her son, Alison thinks she can handle it. But what Alison doesn't realise is that Lydia is the one person who has the ability to destroy their happy family. And sometimes the cracks run too deep to ever be repaired .
A good,well written family drama. Down to earth characters that felt real.A storyline that delves into how our past effects who we are today,the struggles we endure and what family means to us. An easy to read,enjoyable book.
With thanks to Netgalley,Linda Green and Quercus Books
Read
August 7, 2014Enjoyable, light and easy to read, with a marriage between two genuinely good people that you hope will be saved.
August 18, 2016
What happens when a marriage counsellor's marriage runs into trouble? A fascinating read of a seemingly normal family which implodes after secrets are revealed......
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