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Keep Walking, Rhona Beech
'Incredibly insightful, funny and poignant' Helen Sedgwick
I get up. I go to work. I spend the whole day waiting for the words on my screen to make sense. In the commuter broth of the carriage home, tears run in hot lines to my jaw and for a minute or so, I let them.
Nothing has turned out quite how Rhona Beech thought: she's been swapping one so-so job for another on an annual basis . . . and now her nine-year relationship has ended abruptly. When her lukewarm efforts to adjust to the changes in her life are thrown entirely up in the air by some unwelcome news, Rhona has to think again.
Her sardonic, funny, poignant attempts to find an answer to the questions she's facing are helped by a cast of friends, strangers and trained professionals. Funny and tender, Keep Walking, Rhona Beech is a beautifully written and brilliantly observant satire on relationships, friendship and life
Previously published as Head for the Edge, Keep Walking by Cargo Publishing.
I get up. I go to work. I spend the whole day waiting for the words on my screen to make sense. In the commuter broth of the carriage home, tears run in hot lines to my jaw and for a minute or so, I let them.
Nothing has turned out quite how Rhona Beech thought: she's been swapping one so-so job for another on an annual basis . . . and now her nine-year relationship has ended abruptly. When her lukewarm efforts to adjust to the changes in her life are thrown entirely up in the air by some unwelcome news, Rhona has to think again.
Her sardonic, funny, poignant attempts to find an answer to the questions she's facing are helped by a cast of friends, strangers and trained professionals. Funny and tender, Keep Walking, Rhona Beech is a beautifully written and brilliantly observant satire on relationships, friendship and life
Previously published as Head for the Edge, Keep Walking by Cargo Publishing.
Paperback
Published April 4, 2019
3 people are currently reading
206 people want to read
About the author
Kate Tough
14 books59 followersKate Tough writes poetry and fiction rooted in realism, humour and sometimes difficult truths.
She creates astute observational detail in fiction, and explores painful and amusing moments that readers could recognise as themselves or their friends.
Her novel, Keep Walking, Rhona Beech, is the revised 2nd edition of Head for the Edge, Keep Walking. Her short fiction and poetry appear in journals such as, The Brooklyn Review, The Texas Review and The Found Poetry Review. Kate’s poetry pamphlet, tilt-shift, was Runner Up in the Callum Macdonald Memorial Award, 2017.
Kate's been a literacy volunteer and creative writing tutor in many community settings.
www.katetough.com
She creates astute observational detail in fiction, and explores painful and amusing moments that readers could recognise as themselves or their friends.
Her novel, Keep Walking, Rhona Beech, is the revised 2nd edition of Head for the Edge, Keep Walking. Her short fiction and poetry appear in journals such as, The Brooklyn Review, The Texas Review and The Found Poetry Review. Kate’s poetry pamphlet, tilt-shift, was Runner Up in the Callum Macdonald Memorial Award, 2017.
Kate's been a literacy volunteer and creative writing tutor in many community settings.
www.katetough.com
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
April 5, 2019
I am always slightly uneasy when I look at a book and I ask myself “What ‘type’ of a novel is this?” The answer here is “A gratifying, moving and very comical one,” in more or less equal measures.
Although I would say that “Keep Walking Rhona Beech” is extremely amusing and, at times, positively hilarious, this is qualified by a feeling of great sadness, too. It’s a journey of loss, companionship, love and needing to be happy with your life, with or without a Significant Other. I am sure that most of us could identify with the protagonist, Rhona on some level, at least. I certainly know that I could, so much so that I found myself wanting to help her to break out of her life of monotony and dreariness. “Keep Walking, Rhona Beech” gives out the message that there is a need to be happy with yourself otherwise there may never be a happy ending.
In the novel, the reader is taken on a journey to experience, along with Rhona, her everyday struggles with her current life, as in her purpose, friendships, love and even her very identity. Rhona and her pals are just like the rest of us - likeable, flawed and sometimes perplexing. The journey ranged from the mundane to the downright outrageous that had the effect, at times, that I WAS Rhona. There were instances where this was a very difficult read for me, however, it was always convincing, credible and extremely worthwhile.
I enjoyed “Keep Walking, Rhona Beech” so much and I'm hoping to read more by Kate Tough soon…
[Thanks to #NetGalley, Little, Brown Book Group UK and the author, Kate Tough, for my free ARC of #KeepWalkingRhonaBeech in exchange for an honest review.]
Although I would say that “Keep Walking Rhona Beech” is extremely amusing and, at times, positively hilarious, this is qualified by a feeling of great sadness, too. It’s a journey of loss, companionship, love and needing to be happy with your life, with or without a Significant Other. I am sure that most of us could identify with the protagonist, Rhona on some level, at least. I certainly know that I could, so much so that I found myself wanting to help her to break out of her life of monotony and dreariness. “Keep Walking, Rhona Beech” gives out the message that there is a need to be happy with yourself otherwise there may never be a happy ending.
In the novel, the reader is taken on a journey to experience, along with Rhona, her everyday struggles with her current life, as in her purpose, friendships, love and even her very identity. Rhona and her pals are just like the rest of us - likeable, flawed and sometimes perplexing. The journey ranged from the mundane to the downright outrageous that had the effect, at times, that I WAS Rhona. There were instances where this was a very difficult read for me, however, it was always convincing, credible and extremely worthwhile.
I enjoyed “Keep Walking, Rhona Beech” so much and I'm hoping to read more by Kate Tough soon…
[Thanks to #NetGalley, Little, Brown Book Group UK and the author, Kate Tough, for my free ARC of #KeepWalkingRhonaBeech in exchange for an honest review.]
January 15, 2021
3.5- I enjoyed this and loved the character of Rhona, and found her very relatable. We go on a journey with Rhona, from leaving her husband and getting a new job, to the world of internet dating and health scares, along with her complex relationships with her friends. This book is about dealing with changes in your life and trying to make the best of things, and therefore has a very important message. The book is funny in places, heartfelt and also deals with the serious issue of health scares and reminds us to take care of ourselves.
September 20, 2020
I love this book! It's about time we saw a character like Rhona: a woman in her mid-thirties actively seeking a way to live a fully realized, authentic life with all its complications. Rhona has recently experienced heartbreak, but getting over Mark is less an end-in-itself than a jumping off place for Rhona to consider who she is and wants to be. Many readers will be able to relate to Rhona's time internet dating (I did), but her relationships with her family and friends Hilary, Tania, and Erin are also complex, as is the career field she must navigate. When Rhona goes through a scary health issue, we believe it and are right there with her, with the doctors and in the hospital. As a reader, I became invested really quickly in what would happen to Rhona -- not just would she end up with a guy (which is kind of a boring question, and definitely not the point of this book), but how she'd handle various challenges and opportunities in every area of her life.
I read "Keep Walking, Rhona Beech" in just a few days. Part of why Rhona's running commentary on her life feels so spot-on is that it's often darkly humorous. The difficult moments she has with friends (and sometimes men she dates) feel really true because these characters aren't just placeholders but have their own serious concerns as well as quirks. All of Rhona's friends are different and approaching life in their own ways. As an American who's done her time in New York City I was charmed by the book as a window into the life of people my age in Glasgow. I felt like I could hear the characters speaking in an almost audible way.
I would recommend this book for anyone who's ever known what it was like to want to make a change (which I think is basically everybody). The best part is you can read it anywhere -- on vacation, on breaks from work, riding a bus or a train -- in short sections or chapters it works if you don't have all day or evening to spend, although you can totally devour this book, too. I also wanted to either buy this book for friends or lend out my copy because I know too many people who should read it. If not you, I bet there's someone in your life who needs this book!
I read "Keep Walking, Rhona Beech" in just a few days. Part of why Rhona's running commentary on her life feels so spot-on is that it's often darkly humorous. The difficult moments she has with friends (and sometimes men she dates) feel really true because these characters aren't just placeholders but have their own serious concerns as well as quirks. All of Rhona's friends are different and approaching life in their own ways. As an American who's done her time in New York City I was charmed by the book as a window into the life of people my age in Glasgow. I felt like I could hear the characters speaking in an almost audible way.
I would recommend this book for anyone who's ever known what it was like to want to make a change (which I think is basically everybody). The best part is you can read it anywhere -- on vacation, on breaks from work, riding a bus or a train -- in short sections or chapters it works if you don't have all day or evening to spend, although you can totally devour this book, too. I also wanted to either buy this book for friends or lend out my copy because I know too many people who should read it. If not you, I bet there's someone in your life who needs this book!
January 15, 2021
Keep Walking, Rhona Beech is a book that is extremely reflective of daily life, if not similar to your own then certainly is completely imaginable as someone you know, or even someone you don’t! Rhona is what you could class as a typical thirty-something woman. Grieving the ending of a relationship, going to work and trying to fill in the down-time with social activities with her close-knit friends, and the odd date. It was really refreshing to read about someone going about their daily life, especially during the current pandemic/lockdown situation that we all find ourselves in. Reading about Rhona casually popping out for coffee, going for dinner with friends and jumping on the subway, all little things we probably all used to take for granted, was a nice reminder of ‘before’ COVID.
The book is written in a way where the narrative flows between days and time, without any real knowledge of specifics. Some days last a few pages, other mere sentences. This is unusual and it’s different to anything I’ve read in that aspect. I usually struggle when books contain an ambiguous timeline but I felt it suited Rhona and the novel. I also found it a breath of fresh air in the sense I wasn’t invested in particular timelines or exactly what was happening when. There are, however, a couple of segments throughout the novel that are written in italics and I struggled to work out what they were. Sometimes they appeared to be dreams, other times memories and I feel like more clarity on that would have been helpful, but otherwise the narrative worked well.
Told in the first person, we are drawn straight into Rhona’s world from the first word. Rhona is an interesting character and we learn of her life and relationships. Her world consists of her best friends, parents and work colleagues (and at a later point, her cat!) Reading how these relationships change and alter through the course of the novel was interesting. I didn’t feel any particularly strong feelings towards Rhona but it’s hard not to have empathy with some of the things she deals with. She goes through some major life events and it’s nice to read of a character who is going through life and experiencing things. Not always good things but the reality of life is just that. Her personality definitely shifted and it was a nice to read about.
The book is written in a way where the narrative flows between days and time, without any real knowledge of specifics. Some days last a few pages, other mere sentences. This is unusual and it’s different to anything I’ve read in that aspect. I usually struggle when books contain an ambiguous timeline but I felt it suited Rhona and the novel. I also found it a breath of fresh air in the sense I wasn’t invested in particular timelines or exactly what was happening when. There are, however, a couple of segments throughout the novel that are written in italics and I struggled to work out what they were. Sometimes they appeared to be dreams, other times memories and I feel like more clarity on that would have been helpful, but otherwise the narrative worked well.
Told in the first person, we are drawn straight into Rhona’s world from the first word. Rhona is an interesting character and we learn of her life and relationships. Her world consists of her best friends, parents and work colleagues (and at a later point, her cat!) Reading how these relationships change and alter through the course of the novel was interesting. I didn’t feel any particularly strong feelings towards Rhona but it’s hard not to have empathy with some of the things she deals with. She goes through some major life events and it’s nice to read of a character who is going through life and experiencing things. Not always good things but the reality of life is just that. Her personality definitely shifted and it was a nice to read about.
April 26, 2019
This book does a lot to highlight precisely why women shouldn't ignore their sexual health on the basis that it makes them uncomfortable - it happens to often and not everyone ends up being as lucky as Rhona is - this storyline was the best part of this novel and, honestly, the investigations and examinations she goes though took me back to the horrible feelings I had when I had to go through that process due to abnormal cervical cells. In this age of cancelled smear tests this is a fantastic storyline to tell so honestly.
Personally, though, I didn't much like Rhona. This book is often funny and is beautifully written, however, her attitude to life and her general inability to be there for her friends until she thinks she should feel guilty about not being REALLY irritated me. I found she often decided to make decisions in her head on behalf of other people about how they feel and what they should want and it made me really struggle to root for her.
Personally, though, I didn't much like Rhona. This book is often funny and is beautifully written, however, her attitude to life and her general inability to be there for her friends until she thinks she should feel guilty about not being REALLY irritated me. I found she often decided to make decisions in her head on behalf of other people about how they feel and what they should want and it made me really struggle to root for her.
January 19, 2021
Rhona Beech is struck hard with an issue she never thought she would have to face. Now, she needs to find out who she is, as certain decisions in her life feel like they have already been made for her.
A heartwarming story about needing to deal with the realisation that your life has not turned out quite the way you had hoped it would. A feeling I believe many people would be able to relate to.
Whilst I appreciate the author keeping the storyline as realistic as possible, I felt a certain aspect to be unnecessarily graphic. I winced whilst reading it and it made me feel like I was encroaching on a private moment.
However, as the book goes on, you really get a sense of the kind of person Rhona wants to be and being able to follow her journey of becoming a much stronger person, was a joy to be a part of.
Thank you to @lovebookstour for once again allowing me to host a stop on another fantastic tour and for sending me this lovely copy.
A heartwarming story about needing to deal with the realisation that your life has not turned out quite the way you had hoped it would. A feeling I believe many people would be able to relate to.
Whilst I appreciate the author keeping the storyline as realistic as possible, I felt a certain aspect to be unnecessarily graphic. I winced whilst reading it and it made me feel like I was encroaching on a private moment.
However, as the book goes on, you really get a sense of the kind of person Rhona wants to be and being able to follow her journey of becoming a much stronger person, was a joy to be a part of.
Thank you to @lovebookstour for once again allowing me to host a stop on another fantastic tour and for sending me this lovely copy.
January 13, 2021
Keep On Walking Rhona Beech was not quite the book I was expecting. Rhona is mid 30s and coming out of a ten year relationship. The book follows her life in the year following her break up. We witness her decent into online dating, a new job, the ups and downs of her friendships and her struggles with some health issues. It made me laugh and made me sad equally. I feel it was a very honest account of 4q which wasn't sugar coated. Did I enjoy it? In parts yes I found it very enjoyable. When reading it I could almost imagine it being a TV show the story was quite choppy in places which took me a while to get into. I think had I been in a better frame of mind I would have got alot more out of it. Overall I'd recommend giving it a read. It does highlight some very important issues such as regular smear tests and it did give me major laughs in places.
January 22, 2021
The story follows Rhona's journey from coping with the breakdown of her marriage to trying to pull her life in to place. The book has a brilliant way of emphasizing normality the whole story is believable, honest and respectful to the nature of the plot. While tackling some important subjects its full of humour and resilience I found myself 'chuckling' quite a few times when Rhona joins the wonderful world of online dating. I love the normality of Rhona's character, everything about her could be relatable to someone. While battling her own set backs and added pressures from others, she stands up for how she wants to live her life. I feel the story covers well what's expected from us as a society and sends out a clear message of its okay to follow your own path. Everyone close to Rhona always had 'something to say' criticising the personal choices she makes, sometimes it's okay just to wing it for a while.
I really appreciate how the importance of 'going for a smear' was portrayed, It's not the nicest experience but it's not the end of the world, Kate Tough used Rhona's character to bring humour and an experience that many readers could relate too.
This is beautifully written heartwarming read.
I really appreciate how the importance of 'going for a smear' was portrayed, It's not the nicest experience but it's not the end of the world, Kate Tough used Rhona's character to bring humour and an experience that many readers could relate too.
This is beautifully written heartwarming read.
January 21, 2021
Title: Keep Walking, Rhona Beech
Author: Kate Tough
Pages: 320
Rating: 4/5
A huge thank you to Kate Tough and Love Books Tours for letting me read and review Keep Walking, Rhona Beech.
Synopsis:
Life hasn’t worked out in the way Rhona Beech thought it would. She is swapping jobs on an annually basis and she is struggling to come to the abrupt end of her 9-year relationship. Just when she thinks things can’t get any worse, she receives some unwelcome news which has Rhona re-evaluating her life and what she really wants. Her attempts to find answers to these questions are helped by her closest friends, strangers and professionals. Both funny and tender Rhona’s journey is a roller-coaster of a read.
Review:
The description on this read caught my attention because it hinted that this could be quite and emotional, eye opening read. I was ready for a read that would ignite some emotion in me and along with the promising reviews I couldn’t wait to get stuck in.
I found the first few pages to be very powerful, I could tell this was going to be a read that makes you feel every word but I was intrigued to really get to know who Rhona was. It did take the first chapter to really connect with the book and the writing style but once I did, I really enjoyed the tone.
One thing I really do appreciate about this book is how humour is used to lighten the mood when things did get a little serious. It picks the story back up but it also picked me back up. As for Rhona, I really adored her sense of humour despite the ongoing battle she was having with herself. I generally loved how bonkers and random some parts of this read was, it was exactly my cup of tea!
Keep Walking, Rhona Beech really highlights how crazy life can be at times and I found I was able to relate very well. It was realistic and does show how life literally can be one big rollercoaster of a ride. I also felt there was some lessons to be learnt from this read and it was quite meaningful at times, for example, “Perhaps life isn’t remarkable because of the stuff we spend our time doing, perhaps life itself is remarkable.”
I found the chapters in this book quite chunky but they were broken down so that they didn’t overwhelm you. The flashbacks in time were clear and easy to follow, the only thing I was quite unsure of is when the author wrote in the exact way the characters were speaking. It made it quite hard to follow for me at times and stopped my flow but then at other times I found it quite humorous, so I feel I am on the fence with this one.
Now for the characters! Despite wanting to give her a good shake at times, I did find Rhona very likeable because her character was real and relatable, she was human. I really enjoyed how she changed and how she began to blossom. One of my favourite characters though has to be Gus! He was refreshing and I loved how his relationship with Rhona developed. In all honesty, the last 20% of the book where Gus was more involved, was my favourite part of the read. He was the perfect gentlemen for me!
The ending was not what I was expecting and I honestly felt slightly gutted at the end! I had embarked on an emotional journey reading this book, a journey of love, loss and finding happiness in life, it was such a moving read. I could feel every word on this road to discovery and this definitely one of the realest books I have read.
Author: Kate Tough
Pages: 320
Rating: 4/5
A huge thank you to Kate Tough and Love Books Tours for letting me read and review Keep Walking, Rhona Beech.
Synopsis:
Life hasn’t worked out in the way Rhona Beech thought it would. She is swapping jobs on an annually basis and she is struggling to come to the abrupt end of her 9-year relationship. Just when she thinks things can’t get any worse, she receives some unwelcome news which has Rhona re-evaluating her life and what she really wants. Her attempts to find answers to these questions are helped by her closest friends, strangers and professionals. Both funny and tender Rhona’s journey is a roller-coaster of a read.
Review:
The description on this read caught my attention because it hinted that this could be quite and emotional, eye opening read. I was ready for a read that would ignite some emotion in me and along with the promising reviews I couldn’t wait to get stuck in.
I found the first few pages to be very powerful, I could tell this was going to be a read that makes you feel every word but I was intrigued to really get to know who Rhona was. It did take the first chapter to really connect with the book and the writing style but once I did, I really enjoyed the tone.
One thing I really do appreciate about this book is how humour is used to lighten the mood when things did get a little serious. It picks the story back up but it also picked me back up. As for Rhona, I really adored her sense of humour despite the ongoing battle she was having with herself. I generally loved how bonkers and random some parts of this read was, it was exactly my cup of tea!
Keep Walking, Rhona Beech really highlights how crazy life can be at times and I found I was able to relate very well. It was realistic and does show how life literally can be one big rollercoaster of a ride. I also felt there was some lessons to be learnt from this read and it was quite meaningful at times, for example, “Perhaps life isn’t remarkable because of the stuff we spend our time doing, perhaps life itself is remarkable.”
I found the chapters in this book quite chunky but they were broken down so that they didn’t overwhelm you. The flashbacks in time were clear and easy to follow, the only thing I was quite unsure of is when the author wrote in the exact way the characters were speaking. It made it quite hard to follow for me at times and stopped my flow but then at other times I found it quite humorous, so I feel I am on the fence with this one.
Now for the characters! Despite wanting to give her a good shake at times, I did find Rhona very likeable because her character was real and relatable, she was human. I really enjoyed how she changed and how she began to blossom. One of my favourite characters though has to be Gus! He was refreshing and I loved how his relationship with Rhona developed. In all honesty, the last 20% of the book where Gus was more involved, was my favourite part of the read. He was the perfect gentlemen for me!
The ending was not what I was expecting and I honestly felt slightly gutted at the end! I had embarked on an emotional journey reading this book, a journey of love, loss and finding happiness in life, it was such a moving read. I could feel every word on this road to discovery and this definitely one of the realest books I have read.
April 8, 2019
A labour of love; am delighted to see it out in the world connecting with readers :-)
What people have said about the book:
Review at TheBookBag.co.uk:
"Have you ever got to the bottom of the first page in a book and known that you were going to love it? That's what happened to me with Keep Walking, Rhona Beech. What a wonderful character Rhona is. Far too many people have been in the situation of having a long-standing relationship collapse for one reason or another and we understand how Rhona feels.
It's a book to keep: I'll certainly be reading it again before too long... Kate Tough writes superbly: she's a poet as well as a novelist and this comes through in her writing. There isn't a wasted word. I'm looking forward to seeing what she writes next and I'd like to thank the publishers for making a copy available to Bookbag."
http://www.thebookbag.co.uk/reviews/i...
Sainsburys Magazine, April 2019
"Rhona is no more a type than any one of us. She lives on her own in Glasgow, cries on the commute home, shouts at workmen for wolf-whistling her - wrong, they had eyes on some young mini-skirted girls - is fiercely sardonic and seriously reluctant to find a job of which she is worthy. She's also about to wake up to a harsh female condition that she plans to manage in her own way, thank you. Will she succeed? You'll really hope she does."
What people have said about the book:
Review at TheBookBag.co.uk:
"Have you ever got to the bottom of the first page in a book and known that you were going to love it? That's what happened to me with Keep Walking, Rhona Beech. What a wonderful character Rhona is. Far too many people have been in the situation of having a long-standing relationship collapse for one reason or another and we understand how Rhona feels.
It's a book to keep: I'll certainly be reading it again before too long... Kate Tough writes superbly: she's a poet as well as a novelist and this comes through in her writing. There isn't a wasted word. I'm looking forward to seeing what she writes next and I'd like to thank the publishers for making a copy available to Bookbag."
http://www.thebookbag.co.uk/reviews/i...
Sainsburys Magazine, April 2019
"Rhona is no more a type than any one of us. She lives on her own in Glasgow, cries on the commute home, shouts at workmen for wolf-whistling her - wrong, they had eyes on some young mini-skirted girls - is fiercely sardonic and seriously reluctant to find a job of which she is worthy. She's also about to wake up to a harsh female condition that she plans to manage in her own way, thank you. Will she succeed? You'll really hope she does."
January 19, 2021
Keep Walking Rhona Beech by Kate Tough
I liked the writing style of this book, and how the author gave us access to Rhona’s innermost thoughts, even the random, trivial thoughts. It really brought her character to life. I enjoyed being along for the ride as she found her way back to being happy after the break up of her relationship and dealing with her own health issues.
Rhona’s relationship with Gus was adorable, humorous and it was with him we see Rhona at her very best. I loved their text conversations. He was my favourite character in this book.
I didn’t really warm to Rhona until I was nearing the end of the story. I found her to be very self-absorbed. I get that she’s going through a really tough time and she was wallowing in her own self-pity, which is totally understandable. It was a heavy read. It made me so happy when she pulled herself out if that mindset and started to give back the love to those who were there for her. I’d love to read more about Rhona now as she moves forward with her life.
I liked the writing style of this book, and how the author gave us access to Rhona’s innermost thoughts, even the random, trivial thoughts. It really brought her character to life. I enjoyed being along for the ride as she found her way back to being happy after the break up of her relationship and dealing with her own health issues.
Rhona’s relationship with Gus was adorable, humorous and it was with him we see Rhona at her very best. I loved their text conversations. He was my favourite character in this book.
I didn’t really warm to Rhona until I was nearing the end of the story. I found her to be very self-absorbed. I get that she’s going through a really tough time and she was wallowing in her own self-pity, which is totally understandable. It was a heavy read. It made me so happy when she pulled herself out if that mindset and started to give back the love to those who were there for her. I’d love to read more about Rhona now as she moves forward with her life.
January 11, 2021
Rhona has a habit of swapping job each year when she becomes bored and after nine years, her husband moves away, and their relationship ends. This book takes you on the journey with Rhona as
she adjusts to her new life of singledom and yet another new job.
I expected this book to be all about her getting over her husband and to a degree it was, heartbreak isn’t easy, and you can’t miraculously get over a nine-year marriage ending, it’s a very honest take on a normal person’s life when something unexpected happens in life.
It surrounds Rhona and her relationships with her friends, family, colleagues, and herself. It touches
on mental health, cancer diagnosis & the choice of whether she wants to become a mother. This is a
subject I feel isn’t mentioned enough in books as it’s a taboo subject of a woman choosing to become child-free and I love that this book mentions it.
I related to Rhona; I felt her personality not to dissimilar to mine with her sarcastic approach to life. This book is a mixture of light-hearted and fun natured, touching on those more serious topics and it was written very well. I enjoyed this book. Did I feel like I couldn’t put it down? No. Was I invested in the characters and wanted to know what happened to them. Yes.
A quote from the book that really stuck with me and I feel describes the end of a rela!onship really well was. “When someone dies, there’s no ambiguity. You can’t talk to them ever again and you have to accept that they’re gone. The person I want to speak to is still alive, but I’m not allowed to make contact. I have to act like he’s dead, when he’s not. The pain of that, at times, is indescribable”
Anyone who has gone through heart-ache, I feel will relate to that quote.
I also enjoyed this quote from the book, which brings out the sarcastic personality of Rhona. “You have the eggs of a 24-year-old. You’d get pregnant from a blow job”. This part of the book had me laughing out loud. Overall, a very enjoyable read. Thank you to @lovebookstours for gifting me a copy for an honest review.
she adjusts to her new life of singledom and yet another new job.
I expected this book to be all about her getting over her husband and to a degree it was, heartbreak isn’t easy, and you can’t miraculously get over a nine-year marriage ending, it’s a very honest take on a normal person’s life when something unexpected happens in life.
It surrounds Rhona and her relationships with her friends, family, colleagues, and herself. It touches
on mental health, cancer diagnosis & the choice of whether she wants to become a mother. This is a
subject I feel isn’t mentioned enough in books as it’s a taboo subject of a woman choosing to become child-free and I love that this book mentions it.
I related to Rhona; I felt her personality not to dissimilar to mine with her sarcastic approach to life. This book is a mixture of light-hearted and fun natured, touching on those more serious topics and it was written very well. I enjoyed this book. Did I feel like I couldn’t put it down? No. Was I invested in the characters and wanted to know what happened to them. Yes.
A quote from the book that really stuck with me and I feel describes the end of a rela!onship really well was. “When someone dies, there’s no ambiguity. You can’t talk to them ever again and you have to accept that they’re gone. The person I want to speak to is still alive, but I’m not allowed to make contact. I have to act like he’s dead, when he’s not. The pain of that, at times, is indescribable”
Anyone who has gone through heart-ache, I feel will relate to that quote.
I also enjoyed this quote from the book, which brings out the sarcastic personality of Rhona. “You have the eggs of a 24-year-old. You’d get pregnant from a blow job”. This part of the book had me laughing out loud. Overall, a very enjoyable read. Thank you to @lovebookstours for gifting me a copy for an honest review.
January 16, 2021
My first Book review of 2021 and my goodness we are setting the bar high. What a book this is! The cover is such a pretty shade and it’s a real clean, simple design. There are a lot of issues covered in this story, some which need trigger words (cancer, mental illness, relationship breakdown) but with that said, every topic is covered in an honest and mindful manner. These don’t even distract from the story. There is humour and pathos I found myself laughing and crying at different points. This would definitely be considered chick lit but I don’t see anything wrong with that. It’s not throwaway or frothy, a lot of thought has gone into this book, the characters are well rounded and real. On a personal note, I liked the parts of the book set in areas of Edinburgh that I am familiar with. That brought it to life even more. I feel like this would make a great film or mini series. It’s my first time reading anything by Kate Tough but it definitely won’t be my last. This is a must read!
June 12, 2019
‘Keep Walking, Rhona Beach’ made heads turn to wonder at my sanity, as I laughed uncontrollably while reading it on my own, in a public place. In of itself, this is no mean feat as I am one of these people who finds most comedians utterly unfunny. But it’s the quality of Tough’s writing which raises this book above a good holiday read and makes it a novel with greater depth. While she has a knack for the witty and also not so hilarious escapades in the online and dating world (yes we’ve had those encounters or something akin) she can deftly paint a nuanced picture of Rhona and her world and draw you into its interior, whether or not you want to go there. Therein, you walk with her through relationships, feeling the dilemmas of her life and her sorrows… Once I began I was hooked and had no option but walk to the end!
November 19, 2020
Full of humor, this book will grab your attention as you’re taken along for Rhona’s road to discovering who she is. For me personally, the book was incredibly relatable as a woman also in her thirties just trying to figure out this thing we call life.
Having a glimpse into her innermost thoughts as a running commentary was a huge highlight of the book for me, the author really had a witty, fun way of writing this character that I found fun to read.
A great read for during the pandemic, as I think each of us has the desire to make the needed changes in our lives. Beyond what could be a mundane day in the life of Rhona, this book covers topics that each of us as a reader could be dealing with in our own lives- love via online dating, friendships, personal growth.
Having a glimpse into her innermost thoughts as a running commentary was a huge highlight of the book for me, the author really had a witty, fun way of writing this character that I found fun to read.
A great read for during the pandemic, as I think each of us has the desire to make the needed changes in our lives. Beyond what could be a mundane day in the life of Rhona, this book covers topics that each of us as a reader could be dealing with in our own lives- love via online dating, friendships, personal growth.
January 25, 2021
I loved this book the author covers topics such as woman health are concerned in this book about smear test and you learn allot from the story and the importance there is two have them I enjoyed the book . Rhona character was lovely she had a serious side two here she loved two party and online dating was covered well in this story.
This story makes you smile it’s full of fun and humour the characters are lovely it’s a quick read and enjoyable read. Rhona character you get two know her health scare and how she feels and all the emotions two go with it and her friendship side she has it’s an emotional read as well.
This story makes you smile it’s full of fun and humour the characters are lovely it’s a quick read and enjoyable read. Rhona character you get two know her health scare and how she feels and all the emotions two go with it and her friendship side she has it’s an emotional read as well.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 20, 2020
I absolutely loved this book! The emotions it brings out are amazing. It’s a roller coaster. It brings out sadness, joy, laughter, and more. Rhona is such a relatable character, Kate Tough did an amazing job with character development in this book! This novel is a journey that we get to follow with Rhona. It’s such an easy read that is hard to put down because you want to be there with Rhona in the story. This is such a wonderful novel, and I highly recommend it! 4.5/5⭐️
January 20, 2021
I think a lot of people can identify with the main character when they look at their life and realise there are nowhere near where they thought they would be and that the vision they had in their mind hasn’t materialised.
When we first meet Rhona her relationship has come to an end and Rhona is starting her journey to discover who she really is now that everything she knew has changed forever. The style of the book reminded me of groundhog day. As we follow Rhona its clear to see that since the end of her relationship she is stuck in a continuous loop that she can’t beak.
A lot is covered from Rhona’s relationship with her friends (which can be turbulent at times), dating, finding love again and a medical issue which has a significant impact on her life more than she thought it would. Ultimately, the story follows Rhona’s journey to learning to be alone, being comfortable with new changes in her life and adapting. Rhona’s story is one of resilience which shines through in her strength of character. The sensitive subjects were dealt with very well, but the story was also full of humour and it was nice to see that although Rhona may be going through difficulties it hadn’t affected her sense of humour.
I would describe this as a slow burn story. It did start slow but then did pick up quickly part way through so I’m glad I stuck with it.
A book about love, relationships, friendships amid a journey of discovery, resilience and finding the real you.
I received a gifted copy of this book for an honest review.
When we first meet Rhona her relationship has come to an end and Rhona is starting her journey to discover who she really is now that everything she knew has changed forever. The style of the book reminded me of groundhog day. As we follow Rhona its clear to see that since the end of her relationship she is stuck in a continuous loop that she can’t beak.
A lot is covered from Rhona’s relationship with her friends (which can be turbulent at times), dating, finding love again and a medical issue which has a significant impact on her life more than she thought it would. Ultimately, the story follows Rhona’s journey to learning to be alone, being comfortable with new changes in her life and adapting. Rhona’s story is one of resilience which shines through in her strength of character. The sensitive subjects were dealt with very well, but the story was also full of humour and it was nice to see that although Rhona may be going through difficulties it hadn’t affected her sense of humour.
I would describe this as a slow burn story. It did start slow but then did pick up quickly part way through so I’m glad I stuck with it.
A book about love, relationships, friendships amid a journey of discovery, resilience and finding the real you.
I received a gifted copy of this book for an honest review.
January 5, 2021
I found this book a bit difficult to get into so it took me a while to connect with it, unfortunately. Overall though I liked it.
The book brings sadness and laughter in parts, but also covered Rhona finding out who she is, female friendships, dealing with heartbreak and health issues.
It is well written, the different types of communication was a unique style of writing.
The book brings sadness and laughter in parts, but also covered Rhona finding out who she is, female friendships, dealing with heartbreak and health issues.
It is well written, the different types of communication was a unique style of writing.
January 15, 2021
Rhona has a habit of wanting a new job every time she gets bored and eventually after nine years, her husband goes away and this takes a tole on their relationship and soon her marriage has failed, as she gets used to life as a single woman and also a new job things are sent to test Rhona but she becomes stronger in the end. This book covers mental health and cancer, this book is very light hearted and fun natured.
October 21, 2024
brilliantly real + romantic
An amazing book. Rhona and her friends seem like real people and characters and the situations they get into realistic but also exciting and nail-bitingly what-happens-nextish.
I loved the ending - at first I felt a bit put out but then I started to think about it…..
An amazing book. Rhona and her friends seem like real people and characters and the situations they get into realistic but also exciting and nail-bitingly what-happens-nextish.
I loved the ending - at first I felt a bit put out but then I started to think about it…..
June 10, 2019
Great read!
October 3, 2020
Fantastic wee novel rich with humour, honesty and insight. If you've never been a single woman in her mid thirties (which I certainly haven't) this book gives you the chance.
January 22, 2021
Rhona is in her thirties, has just come out a long term relationship and is lost.
We follow Rhona on her journey when she swaps jobs, tries internet dating, faces illness and deal with friendships whilst trying to find happiness.
I found this book relatable and I laughed and cried with Rhona through her struggles. I feel it is well written and covered some sensitive issues really well. An added extra for me was visiting places in Glasgow and Edinburgh as I could visualise the settings.
I was gifted a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
We follow Rhona on her journey when she swaps jobs, tries internet dating, faces illness and deal with friendships whilst trying to find happiness.
I found this book relatable and I laughed and cried with Rhona through her struggles. I feel it is well written and covered some sensitive issues really well. An added extra for me was visiting places in Glasgow and Edinburgh as I could visualise the settings.
I was gifted a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
September 13, 2024
The characters and performance were believable. I know these women, even as a 53 yr old woman from the U.S. Totally enjoyable from start to finish
January 16, 2021
We follow Rhona who has recently had her heart broken from a breakup from long term partner Mark. The book then takes the reader on her journey through on-line dating and some very scary health issues. I think the main thing I took from this book was the strong female friendships, and the realness of a woman in her thirties trying to discover who she is and where she fits into life in general (wrote with real humor).
January 21, 2021
Rhona is a likeable character. We join her after an unexpected break up and follow her life for about a year while she adjusts to singledom and the search for a new significant other. Along the way she deals with job changes, the ups and downs of female friendships and also a potentially life changing medical issue. It has both funny and sad moments, is very well written and is an enjoyable read. I did enjoy this book and found similarities with Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine but I want wowed by it and not one I think will stick in my mind.
April 8, 2019
What people have said about the book:
Sainburys Magazine, April 2019:
"Rhona is no more a type than any one of us. She lives on her own in Glasgow, cries on the commute home, shouts at workmen for wolf-whistling her - wrong, they had eyes on some young mini-skirted girls - is fiercely sardonic and seriously reluctant to find a job of which she is worthy. She's also about to wake up to a harsh female condition that she plans to manage in her own way, thank you. Will she succeed? You'll really hope she does."
Bridget E., netgalley, 3rd April 2019
"I Recommend This Book Strongly
I am always slightly uneasy when I look at a book and I ask myself “What ‘type’ of a novel is this?” The answer here is “A gratifying, moving and very comical one,” in more or less equal measures.
Although I would say that “Keep Walking Rhona Beech” is extremely amusing and, at times, positively hilarious, this is qualified by a feeling of great sadness, too. It’s a journey of loss, companionship, love and needing to be happy with your life, with or without a Significant Other. I am sure that most of us could identify with the protagonist, Rhona on some level, at least. I certainly know that I could, so much so that I found myself wanting to help her to break out of her life of monotony and dreariness. “Keep Walking, Rhona Beech” gives out the message that there is a need to be happy with yourself otherwise there may never be a happy ending.
In the novel, the reader is taken on a journey to experience, along with Rhona, her everyday struggles with her current life, as in her purpose, friendships, love and even her very identity. Rhona and her pals are just like the rest of us - likeable, flawed and sometimes perplexing. The journey ranged from the mundane to the downright outrageous that had the effect, at times, that I WAS Rhona. There were instances where this was a very difficult read for me, however, it was always convincing, credible and extremely worthwhile."
I enjoyed “Keep Walking, Rhona Beech” so much and I'm hoping to read more by Kate Tough soon…
[Thanks to #NetGalley, Little, Brown Book Group UK and the author, Kate Tough, for my free ARC of #KeepWalkingRhonaBeech in exchange for an honest review.]
Review at TheBookBag.co.uk:
"Have you ever got to the bottom of the first page in a book and known that you were going to love it? That's what happened to me with Keep Walking, Rhona Beech. What a wonderful character Rhona is. Far too many people have been in the situation of having a long-standing relationship collapse for one reason or another and we understand how Rhona feels.
It's a book to keep: I'll certainly be reading it again before too long... Kate Tough writes superbly: she's a poet as well as a novelist and this comes through in her writing. There isn't a wasted word. I'm looking forward to seeing what she writes next and I'd like to thank the publishers for making a copy available to Bookbag."
http://www.thebookbag.co.uk/reviews/i...
Sainburys Magazine, April 2019:
"Rhona is no more a type than any one of us. She lives on her own in Glasgow, cries on the commute home, shouts at workmen for wolf-whistling her - wrong, they had eyes on some young mini-skirted girls - is fiercely sardonic and seriously reluctant to find a job of which she is worthy. She's also about to wake up to a harsh female condition that she plans to manage in her own way, thank you. Will she succeed? You'll really hope she does."
Bridget E., netgalley, 3rd April 2019
"I Recommend This Book Strongly
I am always slightly uneasy when I look at a book and I ask myself “What ‘type’ of a novel is this?” The answer here is “A gratifying, moving and very comical one,” in more or less equal measures.
Although I would say that “Keep Walking Rhona Beech” is extremely amusing and, at times, positively hilarious, this is qualified by a feeling of great sadness, too. It’s a journey of loss, companionship, love and needing to be happy with your life, with or without a Significant Other. I am sure that most of us could identify with the protagonist, Rhona on some level, at least. I certainly know that I could, so much so that I found myself wanting to help her to break out of her life of monotony and dreariness. “Keep Walking, Rhona Beech” gives out the message that there is a need to be happy with yourself otherwise there may never be a happy ending.
In the novel, the reader is taken on a journey to experience, along with Rhona, her everyday struggles with her current life, as in her purpose, friendships, love and even her very identity. Rhona and her pals are just like the rest of us - likeable, flawed and sometimes perplexing. The journey ranged from the mundane to the downright outrageous that had the effect, at times, that I WAS Rhona. There were instances where this was a very difficult read for me, however, it was always convincing, credible and extremely worthwhile."
I enjoyed “Keep Walking, Rhona Beech” so much and I'm hoping to read more by Kate Tough soon…
[Thanks to #NetGalley, Little, Brown Book Group UK and the author, Kate Tough, for my free ARC of #KeepWalkingRhonaBeech in exchange for an honest review.]
Review at TheBookBag.co.uk:
"Have you ever got to the bottom of the first page in a book and known that you were going to love it? That's what happened to me with Keep Walking, Rhona Beech. What a wonderful character Rhona is. Far too many people have been in the situation of having a long-standing relationship collapse for one reason or another and we understand how Rhona feels.
It's a book to keep: I'll certainly be reading it again before too long... Kate Tough writes superbly: she's a poet as well as a novelist and this comes through in her writing. There isn't a wasted word. I'm looking forward to seeing what she writes next and I'd like to thank the publishers for making a copy available to Bookbag."
http://www.thebookbag.co.uk/reviews/i...
June 3, 2023
This is one of the most enjoyable books I have read over the last year - I was surprised to see that such an excellent read has attracted relatively few reviews, hence this.
The novel is character rather than plot driven and although the gender, location and interests of Rhona have nothing in common with my own, the author has still managed to create a protagonist I found highly relatable.
Set in Glasgow, it describes Rhona, a 35-year old woman and her concerns about relationships and health, a story that comes alive thanks the fine prose style; colloquial and seemingly casual, but in fact written with great care, honesty and humor.
I would recommend this to anyone looking for an well-written and entertaining contemporary tale that is straightforward without being superficial.
The novel is character rather than plot driven and although the gender, location and interests of Rhona have nothing in common with my own, the author has still managed to create a protagonist I found highly relatable.
Set in Glasgow, it describes Rhona, a 35-year old woman and her concerns about relationships and health, a story that comes alive thanks the fine prose style; colloquial and seemingly casual, but in fact written with great care, honesty and humor.
I would recommend this to anyone looking for an well-written and entertaining contemporary tale that is straightforward without being superficial.
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