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The Hope Family Calendar
A compelling and emotional novel, for fans of Jojo Moyes and Jenny Colgan.
' With a style similar to David Nicholls, Gayle's writing is incisive, lyrical and very beautiful...It's impossible not to fall in love with the Hope family' Irish Independent
Tom Hope is broken. Ever since his wife Laura died he hasn't been the same man, and definitely not the same father. Luckily for Tom his mother-in-law Linda is around to pick up the pieces and look after his two struggling daughters, Evie and Lola.
But Tom getting arrested on the first anniversary of his wife's death is the last straw for Linda.
In a last bid attempt to make Tom reconnect with his daughters she takes drastic action and leaves for Australia. With two fast-maturing daughters Tom has to learn how to accept his responsibilities and navigate the newly discovered world of single fatherhood - starting immediately.
With only himself to rely on, will Tom fall back into grief or finally step up and be the father his girls need?
Mike's new novel, The Man I Think I Know , is out now!
' With a style similar to David Nicholls, Gayle's writing is incisive, lyrical and very beautiful...It's impossible not to fall in love with the Hope family' Irish Independent
Tom Hope is broken. Ever since his wife Laura died he hasn't been the same man, and definitely not the same father. Luckily for Tom his mother-in-law Linda is around to pick up the pieces and look after his two struggling daughters, Evie and Lola.
But Tom getting arrested on the first anniversary of his wife's death is the last straw for Linda.
In a last bid attempt to make Tom reconnect with his daughters she takes drastic action and leaves for Australia. With two fast-maturing daughters Tom has to learn how to accept his responsibilities and navigate the newly discovered world of single fatherhood - starting immediately.
With only himself to rely on, will Tom fall back into grief or finally step up and be the father his girls need?
Mike's new novel, The Man I Think I Know , is out now!
320 pages, Paperback
First published June 16, 2016
218 people are currently reading
1218 people want to read
About the author
Mike Gayle
38 books2,256 followersI was born in the 70s — the 70s were great. I would recommend them to anyone.
I was also born in Birmingham — in my humble opinion the greatest city in the world with the nicest people too.
I used to live in London — a great city too. But a bit on the pricey side.
I also used to live in Manchester — another great city (although technically I lived in Salford which is next door but that’s sort of splitting hairs).
Before I went to university I wanted to be a social worker — I have no idea why. It didn’t last long.
After I left university I wanted to write for the NME — I’ve always loved music but it was only when I went to uni that it started loving me back. I can’t play any instruments or sing so writing about music seemed to make sense.
My first paid writing gig was for a listings magazine in Birmingham — (Actually my first unpaid writing gig was an interview with Kitchens of Distinction for Salford Student Magazine. I can’t begin to tell you how terrible it was.)
I used to write a music fanzine — it was called Incredibly Inedible and I co-edited it with my mate Jackie. We typed up the first issue on my dad’s olde worlde typewriter and then literally cut and paste on to A4 sheets using scissors and glue. Over the three years of its existence we interviewed many bands and artists including: Smashing Pumpkins, The Cranberries, Pavement, Bill Hicks and Blur.
I was also born in Birmingham — in my humble opinion the greatest city in the world with the nicest people too.
I used to live in London — a great city too. But a bit on the pricey side.
I also used to live in Manchester — another great city (although technically I lived in Salford which is next door but that’s sort of splitting hairs).
Before I went to university I wanted to be a social worker — I have no idea why. It didn’t last long.
After I left university I wanted to write for the NME — I’ve always loved music but it was only when I went to uni that it started loving me back. I can’t play any instruments or sing so writing about music seemed to make sense.
My first paid writing gig was for a listings magazine in Birmingham — (Actually my first unpaid writing gig was an interview with Kitchens of Distinction for Salford Student Magazine. I can’t begin to tell you how terrible it was.)
I used to write a music fanzine — it was called Incredibly Inedible and I co-edited it with my mate Jackie. We typed up the first issue on my dad’s olde worlde typewriter and then literally cut and paste on to A4 sheets using scissors and glue. Over the three years of its existence we interviewed many bands and artists including: Smashing Pumpkins, The Cranberries, Pavement, Bill Hicks and Blur.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 202 reviews
November 24, 2018
Tom is so wrapped up in his own grief on the loss of his wife that he’s emotionally abandoned his two daughters leaving it to Linda his Mother-in-law.
He throws himself into work and other things.
Although this author is known for the odd giggle and laughter in his writing this is much more serious although once or twice there are a couple of things that will cause you to smile.
Enough is enough, he needs to take care of his girls.
So Linda heads off. Leaving him to manage.
It’s a wonderful read, grief, yes, responsibly, yes, family, yes.
All making for a fab read.
He throws himself into work and other things.
Although this author is known for the odd giggle and laughter in his writing this is much more serious although once or twice there are a couple of things that will cause you to smile.
Enough is enough, he needs to take care of his girls.
So Linda heads off. Leaving him to manage.
It’s a wonderful read, grief, yes, responsibly, yes, family, yes.
All making for a fab read.
June 13, 2016
As a huge Mike Gayle's fan I am always over the moon when I hear that he's going to release a new book. I've read all of his novels and I've quickly fell in love with the author's writing style, his bittersweet but also down - to - earth and so close to life stories, and from the very first book that I've read I admired the author's ability to get so well into the characters' heads and draw them in such a way that they just get under your skin - and it was the same with "The Hope Family Calendar". It is not a sad, depressing story, even though there are elements of sadness to it, but it shows - sometimes in an ironic and funny way - how the whole family copes with death of someone beloved. A story about pain and hurt, about a parent "finding" his children anew, about an older woman trying to move on with her life, I would go that far and say that it is Mike Gayle's best book yet.
I think that what make me to like Mike Gayle's books so much is the fact that he can "do" emotions and feeling so very well. The way he describes them is so realistic and he never beats around the bush, he writes as it is and his characters have often broken hearts, they suffer, they love and hate and the way he delivers this is so very honest and genuine. And it is the same in his latest release. The author brilliantly captures the feelings of all the characters, of Tom, of Linda and of Tom's two daughters. Tom Hope's wife dies in a car accident and he's suddenly left with two growing daughters. His mother - in - law, Linda, moves in with him to take care of the girls but after a year she sees that she needs to take more radical actions and Tom must eventually face up to his responsibilities and not escape all the time to work, so she goes to visit her best friend in Australia for half a year. What follows is Tom's journey with all its ups and downs in discovering fatherhood, school - runs, daughters with problems... a journey of failures but also triumphs and struggling with life as a full - time father.
"The Hope Family Calendar" has a funny and a sad side and it made me laugh and cry. It was a beautiful, very close to life story, written in a very realistic way. What I really liked was the fact that every once in a while the author, so oh very casually, dropped a line here or there that made me wonder, a hint suggesting that maybe not everything was as straightforward as I thought, but it was one line, a very quick suggestion and nothing more, though throughout the course of the book there were a few of those hints that eventually started to unfold and led to an unexpected twist at the end of the book.
The book is told from Tom and Linda's points of view and I really liked that Mike Gayle let Linda tell her side of the story as well. It was great in fact to see how those two, Tom and Linda, thought they are doing the best and how their visions of this best varied, but it was great that they both had a chance to tell their minds. I think I understood Tom, he was grieving and flinging himself into work was his way of coping, but I also truly understood Linda who had only the girls' weal on her mind and decided to take more radical steps, decide that it's time for the wake - up call, until it's not too late. I like that the story was not only white and black, that there were some shades of gray in there which made the reading really captivating and interesting and I loved seeing both sides to this story.
One of the author's strength is the way he creates his characters. They are always believable, living and breathing people, and no matter if they are main or background characters, there is always a depth to them and they are brilliantly developed - and the same happened in "The Hope Family Calendar". The characters here are neither flawless nor perfect, they have better and worse days, they're not always sincere and they have some secrets but this all make them feel even more realistic.
"The Hope Family Calendar" was emotional, beautiful read, full of real feelings and emotions and I enjoyed every single moment of this book. I really think it is Mike Gayle's best book at the moment. It's truly so that this story is different to his previous books, it has a lot more depth to it. It concentrates on a family already, and not on girlfriends/boyfriends, new relationships and parties, and is yet so similar in tone and writing style. This book is on a very different level of storytelling and plot development which makes it really exceptional and it features some more serious elements, such as grieving, acceptance and finally coming back to life and it is as if Mike Gayle has been waiting for the right time to write such a story. Well, in my opinion he absolutely delivered and I can't recommend this book highly enough!
Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for a review.
September 12, 2016
As many have already commented, this book is missing something. I think it may be a little more "darkness" or going deeper into grief and loss. Everything is very sweet in this novel, everyone goes through a developmental "arc", everything is very proper and predictable. You know that everyone is going to get to a better place in their lives, and how they are going to get there. You like reading about these people, but they're a bit too "normal", and go straight and without argument into all of the niches the writer has prepared for them in advance. It's a nice read, but I usually want more than "nice" in the books I read.
January 21, 2018
Seit dem tödlichen Autounfall seiner 38-jährigen Frau Laura ist Tom Hope ein anderer Mann. Er schafft es nicht, sich um seine Töchter Evie (13) und Lola (8) und um den chaotischen Familienalltag zu kümmern. Um seiner Trauer zu entfliehen, stürzt sich der Fernsehproduzent in seine Arbeit. Schwiegermutter Linda muss den Haushalt schmeißen und alle Fäden zusammenhalten. Allerdings brauchen die beiden Mädchen ihren Vater mehr denn je. Deshalb trifft Linda nach einem Jahr eine drastische Entscheidung: Sie fährt für mehrere Monate nach Australien und lässt den Witwer mit seinen Kindern alleine. Für Tom beginnt eine große Herausforderung. Und auch Linda hat eine emotionale Achterbahnfahrt vor sich…
„Nur zusammen ist man nicht allein“ ist ein sehr emotionaler und warmherziger Roman von Mike Gayle.
Meine Meinung:
Das Buch besteht aus drei Teilen und 25 Kapiteln. Jeder Teil wird mit einem treffenden Zitat, jedes Kapitel mit einer kreativen Überschrift, die sich aus dem folgenden Inhalt ergibt, eingeleitet. Gut gefallen hat mir auch, dass die Geschichte im Wechsel aus der Ich-Perspektive von Tom und der von Linda erzählt wird. Dabei ist es geglückt, Dopplungen zu vermeiden und durch die zwei Erzählstränge sogar Spannung zu erzeugen.
Der gefühlvolle, flüssige Schreibstil des Romans ist toll. Der Blick in die Innenwelt der beiden Hauptprotagonisten ist sehr gelungen. Ich konnte sofort gut in die Geschichte eintauchen und habe das Buch immer nur ungern zur Seite gelegt.
Tom und Linda sind zwei liebenswerte Charaktere, die mir sympathisch waren. Sie haben durchaus Fehler in ihrem Leben gemacht, sind mir jedoch beim Lesen ans Herz gewachsen. Ihre Entwicklung wird authentisch dargestellt. Interessant wird der Roman auch durch mehrere Nebenfiguren wie den 80-jährigen Clive Maynard, der mit seinen markanten Sprüchen für Auflockerung sorgt.
Die Handlung ist stimmig. Auch das Ende des Romans finde ich ausgesprochen glaubwürdig und realitätsnah. Die Geschichte ist kurzweilig, abwechslungsreich und unterhaltsam. Das liegt nicht nur an einigen Überraschungen und unerwarteten Wendungen. Überzeugen konnte mich der Roman auch dadurch, dass sich traurige, sehr berührende Passagen mit humorvollen Szenen abwechseln. Es geht nicht nur um Trauer, Verzweiflung, Wut, sondern auch um Liebe, Familie, Hoffnung und neue Perspektiven. Insgesamt konnte mich die Geschichte sehr bewegen. Positiv hebt sich der Roman gegenüber anderen des Genres dadurch hervor, dass er weder übertrieben kitschig noch klischeehaft ist. Dennoch war die Lektüre für mich sehr emotional und hat mich zum Nachdenken angeregt.
Das Cover des Romans trifft meinen Geschmack. Allerdings sagt mir der englische Originaltitel („The Hope Family Calendar“) etwas mehr zu, weil er weniger schnulzig klingt.
Mein Fazit:
Wer einen berührenden und zugleich humorvollen Roman lesen möchte, dem kann ich „Nur zusammen ist man nicht allein“ von Mike Gayle wärmstens empfehlen. Mich konnte die Geschichte auf ganzer Linie überzeugen.
„Nur zusammen ist man nicht allein“ ist ein sehr emotionaler und warmherziger Roman von Mike Gayle.
Meine Meinung:
Das Buch besteht aus drei Teilen und 25 Kapiteln. Jeder Teil wird mit einem treffenden Zitat, jedes Kapitel mit einer kreativen Überschrift, die sich aus dem folgenden Inhalt ergibt, eingeleitet. Gut gefallen hat mir auch, dass die Geschichte im Wechsel aus der Ich-Perspektive von Tom und der von Linda erzählt wird. Dabei ist es geglückt, Dopplungen zu vermeiden und durch die zwei Erzählstränge sogar Spannung zu erzeugen.
Der gefühlvolle, flüssige Schreibstil des Romans ist toll. Der Blick in die Innenwelt der beiden Hauptprotagonisten ist sehr gelungen. Ich konnte sofort gut in die Geschichte eintauchen und habe das Buch immer nur ungern zur Seite gelegt.
Tom und Linda sind zwei liebenswerte Charaktere, die mir sympathisch waren. Sie haben durchaus Fehler in ihrem Leben gemacht, sind mir jedoch beim Lesen ans Herz gewachsen. Ihre Entwicklung wird authentisch dargestellt. Interessant wird der Roman auch durch mehrere Nebenfiguren wie den 80-jährigen Clive Maynard, der mit seinen markanten Sprüchen für Auflockerung sorgt.
Die Handlung ist stimmig. Auch das Ende des Romans finde ich ausgesprochen glaubwürdig und realitätsnah. Die Geschichte ist kurzweilig, abwechslungsreich und unterhaltsam. Das liegt nicht nur an einigen Überraschungen und unerwarteten Wendungen. Überzeugen konnte mich der Roman auch dadurch, dass sich traurige, sehr berührende Passagen mit humorvollen Szenen abwechseln. Es geht nicht nur um Trauer, Verzweiflung, Wut, sondern auch um Liebe, Familie, Hoffnung und neue Perspektiven. Insgesamt konnte mich die Geschichte sehr bewegen. Positiv hebt sich der Roman gegenüber anderen des Genres dadurch hervor, dass er weder übertrieben kitschig noch klischeehaft ist. Dennoch war die Lektüre für mich sehr emotional und hat mich zum Nachdenken angeregt.
Das Cover des Romans trifft meinen Geschmack. Allerdings sagt mir der englische Originaltitel („The Hope Family Calendar“) etwas mehr zu, weil er weniger schnulzig klingt.
Mein Fazit:
Wer einen berührenden und zugleich humorvollen Roman lesen möchte, dem kann ich „Nur zusammen ist man nicht allein“ von Mike Gayle wärmstens empfehlen. Mich konnte die Geschichte auf ganzer Linie überzeugen.
January 19, 2019
A very sad and emotional book with a lovely ending 😊
January 18, 2018
Inhalt:
Eine kleine Familie wird plötzlich durch einen tödlichen Autounfall der Mutter auseinandergerissen. Plötzlich stand Tom, der Vater und seine beiden jüngeren Mädchen ganz alleine dar und müssen das Leben ohne ihren vierten Part meistern. Doch wie lebt man nach dem Tod eines geliebten Menschen weiter?
Meine Meinung:
Mike Gayle hat das Rad in dieser Geschichte sicherlich nicht neu erfunden und der Klappentext sagt zum Anfang schon bereits sehr viel über den Verlauf auf, aber nichtsdesto trotz gefällt mir in diesem Buch seine Art, wie gefühlvoll und behutsam er all die Szenen beschreibt.
Schön ist hier der stetige Wechsel zwischen Tom, dem Vater und seiner Schwiegermutter Linda, die wir als Leser nach dem Unfall der geliebten Tochter begleiten. Hier ist mir besonders in Auge gefallen, dass die Übergänge zwischen den beiden Protagonisten sehr fließend waren. Ich hatte in keiner Zeile das Gefühl, dass ich etwas doppelt lesen musste.
Beide Erzählstränge schmiegten sich perfekt ineinander und erzählen abwechselnd das Leben nach dem tragischen Ereignis.
So traurig der Anlass auch sein mag, es gibt in diesem Buch auch sehr viele schöne Momente, in denen mir das Herz aufgegangen ist. Das betrifft sowohl Tom und die Mädchen, sowie Linda als Schwiegermutter deren Bürde nicht kleiner ist, als die der Familie selbst. Auch werden im Laufe kleine Geheimnisse vorkommen, die die Spannung zusätzlich erhöhen und mir in diesem Zusammenhang Rätsel aufgegeben haben, die es natürlich galt zu erkunden.
Das Ende würde ich nicht als reines Happy End beschreiben und lässt es auch noch Fantasie für den Leser offen aber genau dieses Ende passt zu diesem Buch. Das Leben von Tom, den Mädchen und Linda war nach dem Tod, der alles geliebten Mutter ein stetiges Auf und Ab und so ist auch das Ende, denn das Leben folgt keinem geradlinigen Verlauf.In meinen Augen hätte es gar nicht passender gewählt werden können und hat die Geschichte sehr gut abgerundet.
Fazit:
„Zusammen ist man nicht allein“ ist ein warmherziger und emotionaler Roman über eine junge Familie, die den Verlust eines geliebten Menschen verkraften muss und so aufzeigt, dass man nur zusammen stark sein kann.
Mir hat dieser Roman gerade wegen seiner Vielschichtigkeit sehr gut gefallen, sodass ich gerne eine Leseempfehlung ausspreche.
Eine kleine Familie wird plötzlich durch einen tödlichen Autounfall der Mutter auseinandergerissen. Plötzlich stand Tom, der Vater und seine beiden jüngeren Mädchen ganz alleine dar und müssen das Leben ohne ihren vierten Part meistern. Doch wie lebt man nach dem Tod eines geliebten Menschen weiter?
Meine Meinung:
Mike Gayle hat das Rad in dieser Geschichte sicherlich nicht neu erfunden und der Klappentext sagt zum Anfang schon bereits sehr viel über den Verlauf auf, aber nichtsdesto trotz gefällt mir in diesem Buch seine Art, wie gefühlvoll und behutsam er all die Szenen beschreibt.
Schön ist hier der stetige Wechsel zwischen Tom, dem Vater und seiner Schwiegermutter Linda, die wir als Leser nach dem Unfall der geliebten Tochter begleiten. Hier ist mir besonders in Auge gefallen, dass die Übergänge zwischen den beiden Protagonisten sehr fließend waren. Ich hatte in keiner Zeile das Gefühl, dass ich etwas doppelt lesen musste.
Beide Erzählstränge schmiegten sich perfekt ineinander und erzählen abwechselnd das Leben nach dem tragischen Ereignis.
So traurig der Anlass auch sein mag, es gibt in diesem Buch auch sehr viele schöne Momente, in denen mir das Herz aufgegangen ist. Das betrifft sowohl Tom und die Mädchen, sowie Linda als Schwiegermutter deren Bürde nicht kleiner ist, als die der Familie selbst. Auch werden im Laufe kleine Geheimnisse vorkommen, die die Spannung zusätzlich erhöhen und mir in diesem Zusammenhang Rätsel aufgegeben haben, die es natürlich galt zu erkunden.
Das Ende würde ich nicht als reines Happy End beschreiben und lässt es auch noch Fantasie für den Leser offen aber genau dieses Ende passt zu diesem Buch. Das Leben von Tom, den Mädchen und Linda war nach dem Tod, der alles geliebten Mutter ein stetiges Auf und Ab und so ist auch das Ende, denn das Leben folgt keinem geradlinigen Verlauf.In meinen Augen hätte es gar nicht passender gewählt werden können und hat die Geschichte sehr gut abgerundet.
Fazit:
„Zusammen ist man nicht allein“ ist ein warmherziger und emotionaler Roman über eine junge Familie, die den Verlust eines geliebten Menschen verkraften muss und so aufzeigt, dass man nur zusammen stark sein kann.
Mir hat dieser Roman gerade wegen seiner Vielschichtigkeit sehr gut gefallen, sodass ich gerne eine Leseempfehlung ausspreche.
July 31, 2022
So sugary! I think I need to be tested for diabetes after reading this.
January 20, 2021
An interesting light read but not one to set the world on fire - sort of chicklit but written by a man about a man. Ladlit??
May 24, 2019
Het jaar na jou gaat over verlies, rouwen en daarmee om leren gaan en het terug gaan in de realiteit na een dierbaar verlies. Het verhaal in het jaar na jou is zowel verdrietig, ontroerend als realistisch. Mede hierdoor vloog ik er door heen. Hoewel ik in eerste instantie niet in de stemming was voor zo'n boek (ik was meer toe aan een luchtig boek), heeft het me wel te pakken gekregen en heb ik het boek binnen een dag uitgelezen.
Tom verliest zijn dierbare vrouw, en in het jaar dat daarop volgt verliest Tom zichzelf ook. Hij heeft twee kleine kinderen, een schoonmoeder die bij hem in huis wonen. Desondanks verliest Tom zichzelf in zijn werk en verliest hij zijn kinderen uit het oog. Tot dat zijn schoonmoeder een drastische beslissing neemt. Dit verandert niet alleen Toms leven, maar uiteindelijk ook die van zijn schoonmoeder.
Het verhaal wordt zowel uit Toms zijn kant als uit zijn schoonmoeders kant verteld. Niet alleen hoe ze over elkaar denken (en dan in de goede zin van het woord) maar krijgen we ook een beeld over hun eigen leven.
Ik raad dit boek aan een ieder aan die met verlies te maken heeft gehad, mogelijk mee gaat krijgen maar ook om in te zien hoe gevoelens alle kanten op vliegen als je te maken krijgt met verlies.
Tom verliest zijn dierbare vrouw, en in het jaar dat daarop volgt verliest Tom zichzelf ook. Hij heeft twee kleine kinderen, een schoonmoeder die bij hem in huis wonen. Desondanks verliest Tom zichzelf in zijn werk en verliest hij zijn kinderen uit het oog. Tot dat zijn schoonmoeder een drastische beslissing neemt. Dit verandert niet alleen Toms leven, maar uiteindelijk ook die van zijn schoonmoeder.
Het verhaal wordt zowel uit Toms zijn kant als uit zijn schoonmoeders kant verteld. Niet alleen hoe ze over elkaar denken (en dan in de goede zin van het woord) maar krijgen we ook een beeld over hun eigen leven.
Ik raad dit boek aan een ieder aan die met verlies te maken heeft gehad, mogelijk mee gaat krijgen maar ook om in te zien hoe gevoelens alle kanten op vliegen als je te maken krijgt met verlies.
December 6, 2016
BANAL. -no spoilers
No discernible plot. Nothing happened. It is a simple everyday story of how a man copes when his wife unexpectedly dies. He has 2 young daughters to look after, a mother-in-law and a high-powered job as a TV exec.
Pros: Light, easy read.
Cons: Dull; I would normally have abandoned this book, but I continued to the end in the hope something would happen, but sadly it did not.
I thought the events described in Australia unbelievable, what a coincidence!
How did Tom get all that time off when he was so indispensable?
These are just minor points, the real problem with this book is its sheer dullness. Both main characters were 2-dimensional and bland. The plot, such as it was, is just a run-of-the-mill event..it was related in a sort of 'fairy tale' way. 'And they all lived happily ever after' wouldn't have been out of place at the end
No discernible plot. Nothing happened. It is a simple everyday story of how a man copes when his wife unexpectedly dies. He has 2 young daughters to look after, a mother-in-law and a high-powered job as a TV exec.
Pros: Light, easy read.
Cons: Dull; I would normally have abandoned this book, but I continued to the end in the hope something would happen, but sadly it did not.
I thought the events described in Australia unbelievable, what a coincidence!
How did Tom get all that time off when he was so indispensable?
These are just minor points, the real problem with this book is its sheer dullness. Both main characters were 2-dimensional and bland. The plot, such as it was, is just a run-of-the-mill event..it was related in a sort of 'fairy tale' way. 'And they all lived happily ever after' wouldn't have been out of place at the end
February 6, 2025
I've read a few Mike Gayle novels, and generally know what I'm going to get from them. It's always well put-together, highly readable, at times slightly corny, touching and funny bloke lit. I've found before that how much I enjoy each depends a fair amount on how much I feel I have in common with the characters.
On paper, hence, this should probably have been less enjoyable - the book deals with a bereaved father coping with the challenges of missing his wife and bringing up his two daughters, and coping with his mother-in-law deciding he needed to take more of a role and jetting off to Australia to leave him in charge. Not life experiences I have had, but the longer I read this, the more I warmed to it, and by the end I felt that the (albeit slightly saccharine) story deserved praise. Okay, there were a few cliches, soapy aspects, dramatic cliffhangers, and to be honest the splitting of the story from the father's POV and that of his mother-in-law / the kids grandma in Australia didn't fully work (to be honest I didn't really care what happened in the latter strand) but I thought it was sweet and had a number of important messages wrapped up within an involving story.
On paper, hence, this should probably have been less enjoyable - the book deals with a bereaved father coping with the challenges of missing his wife and bringing up his two daughters, and coping with his mother-in-law deciding he needed to take more of a role and jetting off to Australia to leave him in charge. Not life experiences I have had, but the longer I read this, the more I warmed to it, and by the end I felt that the (albeit slightly saccharine) story deserved praise. Okay, there were a few cliches, soapy aspects, dramatic cliffhangers, and to be honest the splitting of the story from the father's POV and that of his mother-in-law / the kids grandma in Australia didn't fully work (to be honest I didn't really care what happened in the latter strand) but I thought it was sweet and had a number of important messages wrapped up within an involving story.
June 19, 2016
In my youth I was a big fan of Mike Gayle. He wrote fantastic stories for and about women and managed to do it without being smug and pretentious. Check out his early books Mr Commitment and My Legendary Girlfriend to see what I mean. Mike was writing Chick Lit before it became a horribly pastiched genre and these were books that you invested in, with characters that you loved.
I must confess that his most recent books had fallen off my radar so when I was sent this to review there was more than a frisson of interest. The Hope Family are broken. Mother Laura was involved in a horrible car accident a year ago and died. Father Tom is a busy television executive who has thrown himself into his work to try and escape the pain and loss that he feels. Linda, Laura's mother, has taken charge of the household and is the substitute parent for her two grand daughters. A year after losing Laura she realises that she needs to force Tom to take responsibility for his family and to become more involved in his daughters lives.
I'm so pleased to report that Mike hasn't lost his touch. This is a beautifully written story with three dimensional characters and people that you'd like to meet. Make sure that you have a tissue handy - there were a few places where I could feel the eyes getting moist as I was reading!
Supplied by Net Galley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review
I must confess that his most recent books had fallen off my radar so when I was sent this to review there was more than a frisson of interest. The Hope Family are broken. Mother Laura was involved in a horrible car accident a year ago and died. Father Tom is a busy television executive who has thrown himself into his work to try and escape the pain and loss that he feels. Linda, Laura's mother, has taken charge of the household and is the substitute parent for her two grand daughters. A year after losing Laura she realises that she needs to force Tom to take responsibility for his family and to become more involved in his daughters lives.
I'm so pleased to report that Mike hasn't lost his touch. This is a beautifully written story with three dimensional characters and people that you'd like to meet. Make sure that you have a tissue handy - there were a few places where I could feel the eyes getting moist as I was reading!
Supplied by Net Galley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review
June 23, 2016
I like Mike Gayle books but have found some of them to be a little 'middle of the road'. Sadly for me this one fell into that category. We see the story told from two points of view. Tom and both his mother in law Linda are the story teller's POV and it makes for a more interesting read that's for sure. Tom is struggling since his wife's death but luckily for him his Mother-In-Law is there to help pick up the pieces. However, when Tom gets arrested Linda takes drastic action and jets off to the other side of the world to leave Tom to deal with his two daughters. I enjoyed the stroy and there was plenty to keep me interested, however I couldn't help feeling there was something missing as I didn't care too much about either of the main characters? Strange but sometimes books just leave you feeling like that. Overall a solid read, but one that left me indifferent!
February 2, 2017
I hate giving up on books but I just couldn't carry on with this, I abandoned it halfway through as it was just so boring. Tom and his mother in law both very frustrating characters!
August 7, 2019
4 out of 5 stars
This is the story told by the perspectives of Tom hope and his mother in law Linda. Toms life is torn apart when his wife Laura is killed in a car accident and so Linda goes onto autopilot and becomes his rock. Tom has two daughters age 8 and 13 and you feel for them the most. As a nanny Linda does everything for them but they means Tom becomes hidden in his work and the grief is put away. When ah incident happens Linda realises she has to walk away leaving Tom with the family calendar. To me this was very emotional as it makes you realises how much we do especially myself as a mum and wether my partner would cope. I love the way Linda is written as she is so strong and yet so modern. This is a heartbreaking story but the extra characters give you the extra depth that supports this. Yes this tackles grief in a raw way but the writing is beautiful.
This is the story told by the perspectives of Tom hope and his mother in law Linda. Toms life is torn apart when his wife Laura is killed in a car accident and so Linda goes onto autopilot and becomes his rock. Tom has two daughters age 8 and 13 and you feel for them the most. As a nanny Linda does everything for them but they means Tom becomes hidden in his work and the grief is put away. When ah incident happens Linda realises she has to walk away leaving Tom with the family calendar. To me this was very emotional as it makes you realises how much we do especially myself as a mum and wether my partner would cope. I love the way Linda is written as she is so strong and yet so modern. This is a heartbreaking story but the extra characters give you the extra depth that supports this. Yes this tackles grief in a raw way but the writing is beautiful.
January 19, 2021
Another fab book by Mike Gayle. I really felt for the main character Tom who is struggling since the death of his wife. His mother in law Linda has been keeping house for him and looking after his daughters but when she goes to Australia to see a friend Tom has to rely on himself to look after his girls.
I enjoyed how the book alternates between Tom and Linda as there’s so much going on for both of them and loved the different characters we meet along the way.
I enjoyed how the book alternates between Tom and Linda as there’s so much going on for both of them and loved the different characters we meet along the way.
September 27, 2023
I went to the library and there, that morning, was a talk with the author, Mike Gayle. I hadn't read any of his books, but after listening to him, I really thought I must. This was just a random pick off the shelf but what a brilliant choice. I became totally invested in the characters and their lives. I loved it. The author spoke of the need to put a twist at the end of a story because that is what readers want. However this was the thing that, for me, spoilt the book hence 4.5* and not 5*.
August 15, 2023
I really love this author - he has a great way of writing and I will definitely be reading more from him this year. Such a wonderful family story of coping through tough times and facing things head on - everyday family problems when a man dealing with grief tries to be a father to his daughters. I loved his friendship with Clive. He was a great character.
November 26, 2023
This is a really lovely read, despite the difficult theme of a loved one dying far too young.
It's a tricky one to review without giving too much away and spoiling it, but I enjoyed it and certainly felt the emotions Tom felt as he dealt with his grief and learned to live life in a new way.
This book has been on my TBR list for a long time and I'm very pleased I finally got round to reading it!!
It's a tricky one to review without giving too much away and spoiling it, but I enjoyed it and certainly felt the emotions Tom felt as he dealt with his grief and learned to live life in a new way.
This book has been on my TBR list for a long time and I'm very pleased I finally got round to reading it!!
December 21, 2023
Mooi boek!! Interessant ook om een keer een “realgood” te lezen dat voor een groot deel vanuit het mannelijke perspectief is geschreven. Enige minpunt vond ik dat ik sommige keuzes die de personages maakten niet helemaal kon plaatsen, waardoor het voor mij minder geloofwaardig overkwam.
July 3, 2021
Really enjoyed this, as expected fully rounded characters, neat plot.
August 17, 2022
Mike Gayle can do no wrong
Love all his books
Lives the two different stories here and how his books don’t all have cringy Cinderella endings
Love all his books
Lives the two different stories here and how his books don’t all have cringy Cinderella endings
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 2, 2023
2.5 ⭐️
May 13, 2024
Brilliant observations lots of dramas families I really enjoyed this book
August 3, 2024
Read it in a day! I could not put it down. Such a rollercoaster of a story. Many tears whilst reading. Mike Gayle is such a fantastic writer.
March 29, 2017
I don't really read chicklit (and chicklit is a thing, and this is it, for sure) but I devour Mike Gayle's easy to read, good-humoured novels.
March 25, 2023
Wow I really enjoy every page of this book. Heartfelt, emotional, and a real sense of a family's trials and tribulations, love and loss, hope and the road ahead. Great read and well written, can't wait to read another of Mike's books 🖤
September 17, 2025
Much like a crockpot meal, this multi-dimensional examination of relationships, love, and grief is dependent upon the passage of time to reveal the extraordinary insights gained in ordinary moments shared by ordinary people. While slow-cooked isn’t for everyone, the tenderness it yields may be particularly satisfying for some.
May 10, 2018
Fabulous read. Sequel please! 😌
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