Life is made up of countless moments. Moments that make us who we are. But what if they don't unfold the way they're supposed to...?
What if you get on the wrong bus, or don't speak to the right person at a party, or stay in a job that isn't for you? Will you miss your one chance at happiness? Or will happiness find you eventually, when the moment is right?
Meet Matthew and Myrtle. They have never really felt like they fitted - in life or with anyone else. But they are meant to be together - if only they can find each other.
A powerful and emotional story about missed chances, interwoven lives and the moments that define us.
Huge thanks to Alainna Hadjigeorgiou for the blogtour invite, this is a really, really special book.‘The Moments’ by Natalie Winter is published in hardback,audiobook,and ebook formats by Orion and available where all good books are sold.
This is an absolute gem of a book, it is like a snowglobe that the author shakes every other chapter,and as the snow settles, it exposes another moment in the life of either Matthew or Myrtle. Beginning with their births, you follow each of them as they navigate childhood, puberty and adulthood, seeing through their eyes the moments that create them even as you look inside yourself at the moments which made you. Are you defined by these chance points in time,or are they opportunities to take your life down a different path? Are they steps along the path of our lives or is there a set plan in place where deviations from the norm are seen as a waste? For example, the decisin to have children(or not),going to university and then deciding not to do the thing that you went there to learn how to do-necessary turning points or life lessons?
All I know is that this a deeply moving and affecting story as two people live their lives in these pages, they live and breathe and love and lose, recognising these moments and making the most of them. As they grow older, loss inevitably intervenes and how they deal with it is beautifully conveyed. They nearly meet but it wasn’t the right time for them, and when they do, it is everything.
Lifeaffirming, well written and heartwarming with a ending I struggled to read because something was in my eye, blurring the words,this is so worth the time reading. Please read it, it will make your heart happy!
I thought my heart was going to burst as I read The Moments; thankfully, it wasn't my heart but my tear ducts as floods of tears streamed down my face and blurred the beautiful words on the page before me. I couldn't stop reading though, so I read through my mix of sad and happy tears and rather wonderfully felt like I'd been lit up from within as The Moments didn't just steal my heart, it stole my soul.
Myrtle and Matthew are two halves of one whole but they don't know it yet. As we follow them through their lives from birth, with chapters alternating between Myrtle and Matthew, I found myself holding my breath in anticipation several times as their paths so very nearly crossed. As the tension built of 'almost' and 'so very nearly', I willed the stars to align so that the pair would meet and be hit by the proverbial thunderbolt. Feeling sad as the years progressed and Myrtle and Matthew still hadn't met, Natalie Winter reminded us not to dwell on the missed years but rather to accept that maybe they will meet exactly when they're supposed to.
I think because we meet the two main characters as they are born, I really felt as if I was part of their lives. We're present for all of their trials and tribulations, the highs and lows of their lives and privy to their personal insecurities. Neither of them realise how special they are and I do think that this type of insecurity transmits a virtual signal deterring would be mates. Of course when the right person comes along, the 'I'm not worthy' signal magically stops transmitting and everything becomes right with the world. I'm speaking from experience here, which is why Myrtle and Matthew's story resonated so strongly with me; it took long enough but thankfully it didn't take me quite so long to find my other half.
So very highly recommended, do not miss this book especially if you love books by David Nicholls and Jojo Moyes. The Moments actually affected me more than One Day and Me Before You and I really can't praise Natalie Winter highly enough. If this is her debut, I really can't wait to see what she writes next.
Written so beautifully, The Moments is undoubtedly a 5 star book but this simply does not suffice; it deserves to be awarded every star in the universe. This scintillating book touched both my heart and soul and is most definitely my favourite book of the year; it's so good that I could read it all over again right now.
I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.
What this story captured was the importance of those little moments in life, and how sometimes the smallest, most innocuous ones can be life changing or impactful.
The format of this story meant there never really felt like a chapter that was ardous or a slog to read. It was nice to read what was essentially the story of their lives, for them to come to the point of them being together. That said...I found it to be more melancholy than uplifting. Their moments were very rarely happy, just more of what the situation was that set the next part of their life on its next trajectory. It would have been nice to have read a few more moments in their lives that were driven by joy and happiness, and not tinged with sadness or a hint of regret. I also would have liked to have seen them cross paths a bit more than what they did.
One line punched me in the feels more than anything else. As a mum, there was a line between Myrtle and her mother where her mother said (in essence) "the best years of my life were when you were young and you can't even remember them." 😭
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
It must be the book for others because there are lots of good reviews, but for me the first page was totally unbelievable and then new characters on every page after that. A quick flick revealed that this book is literally made up of brief snatches of people’s lives and how they intersect but I had no interest in hopping, skipping and jumping my way through the unrealistic writing style, jarring tone and characters too hard to fathom because not enough seems to be on the page.
This really is an argument for ensuring the first five pages of any novel are doing their work.
It was a bit of a different love story and made me both sad and happy by the end. I enjoyed switching between Matthew and Myrtle's perspectives as it kept the story moving along quickly and even with the short chapters, the author did a good job of developing the relationships they each had throughout their life.
I’m a bit of a slow reader but I finished this book within 24 hours. I just couldn’t put it down! It completely drew me in & I loved every minute of it! So touching & heartfelt & just beautiful. It will make you cry. Read it!!!
Birth, another birth, divorce, horrific brain damage, bullying, homophobic grandma, PUBERTY, headmaster becomes new step dad, best friends suicide, rape (This all happened in the first 50% btw)
Well that was..... pretty depressing. The Moments follows Matthew and Myrtle from birth until death, and charts all the various complex relationships in their lives before they finally 'find' each other in their old age (I'm not even putting that as a spoiler, #sorrynotsorry). Myrtle and her friends discuss the idea of soulmates fairly early on in the story, and this book is pretty much all about soulmates and I won't get sidetracked into a rant but urgh.
OK so it's about soulmates, but I also took away that: 1. Our lives are formed by moments. 2. We all have very different, very complicated relationships with our parents/family/friends/partners etc 3. Life (ours and others) doesn't tend to follow our plans. 4. Life can be, and will feel, very short.
And, reading this, I couldn't help but feel that I was wasting my life. As I said, depressing.
The chapters were short and snappy. Each chapter shows a 'moment' in the lives of Matthew and Myrtle, at roughly the same time. I found the time jumps between chapters difficult to grasp - there was no explicit reference to the timeline, and I struggled with the subtle markers of progressing time.
The short chapters did it easy to read and difficult to put down (despite making me feel melancholy), but they also made it difficult to really get to know the characters or go into much detail.
Speaking of characters: there were a lot, and I didn't remember who half of them were or how they knew each other. University friends? Brothers of friends? Godchildren? Boyfriend? Ex-fiancee? Grandmother? Who is that again? Oh it's the dog. Wait, whose dog? Ugh. I guess this is to be expected, given that the book charts the lives of two individuals and their complicated relationships but.... my head was swimming with names by about a third of the way through.
Much of the book was bittersweet, and then the ending was just sweet. Twee, even. It was obvious where the plot was going, but the bumps along the way were very real.
I chose this book because I thought it would be something light, a bit of a feel-good romance, maybe a bit uplifting. If you're looking for that, look elsewhere. But I guess if you believe in soulmates and are feeling very much single, read this and take something life affirming from it. Like, you might meet your partner when you're both in your 80s. As long as you both move into the same care home :|
(But if you're looking for a book about relationships (mainly female relationships) that won't send you into a spiral of existential loneliness, I recommend So Lucky By Dawn O'Porter. It's bad etiquette to recommend another book in a review? Eh, sorry.)
What a wonderful life affirming read, moving through the lives of the characters was so wonderful and I haven’t read a book like this in a long time. Such a unique book and way of feeling the story, I absolutely loved it. You will fall in love with the characters and even their pets, pick this book up, you will not regret it.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion
I don't usually leave a review. First, 'cause I don't feel confortable writing in English, then 'cause most of the time I don't feel like commenting it.
But this is the book of the year for me. The best novel I've read this year. Every single person now and then wonders if, for some reason, they did miss the opportunity to find their significant other. Or if the hope or all the waiting for the significant other will eventually pay off. I've been thinking about that just this days... It couldn't have in a better moment.
I know we are constantly changing, but reading this book, exactly at this moment of my life, made so much sense for me. I could relate to many of Mirtle and Matthew's musings... I could cry over their heartbreaks, relating to my own experiences. I could smile with then when they see their friends happy... And their relationship with their pet's compagnion touches me very deeply. I have one and I hope she'll be with me for years and really hope to grow old with her.
This book is written by someone with such an humanity and such an understanding of the experience of feeling and living into every moment. Good or bad. I loved every single chapter. Every single word. And I cried and cried how I haven't in so much time... It was a very long time since I fel to connected to a book.
And I just have to thank this amazing author to make me have such a great experience reading this book. For not giving up to tell Mirtle and Matthew's story. For have lived her life just like she has. It's her personal story and her empathy that mades possible to create Mirtle and Matthew's story. Thank you for existing, Natalie. Thank you for writing!
The back of the book blurb sounded promising, thwarted love, united at last, happy ever after, a “Sliding Doors” experience.
The book is essentially two stories told in five parts over a lifetime, Matthew and Myrtle. Part 1 - birth to high school Part 2 - Uni, work and relationships hit them into grown up reality Part 3 - maturity, disillusionment, divorce, new relationships Part 4 - ageing Part 5 - illness, together.
The two characters are ordinary, the events are ordinary, I just couldn't get invested in them, their lives, their happiness or their moments. Too much conversation, some thought bubbles shown in italics, but the character development over their lifetime is limited.
Their worlds are filled with unhappiness “every day is a bad day”, they’re “a pair of misfits” never feeling like they fitted, though I didn’t think of them as such. They are simply two ordinary healthy people, with ordinary family, friends and acquaintances, educated, doing their best, armed with the skills they have at any point in time.
So, not a sliding doors story, not romantic, not heartbreaking, but two people living their lives through love and loss and change, a collection of their moments, all ordinary.
Ordinary is normal.
Ugly quotes: “don’t give up” “I don’t want to be alone”. “If you don’t do it now, maybe you’ll miss your moment.” “don’t you get lonely or scared (travelling alone)?” “Well good on you.” “You’ll figure it out.”
It deserves a much higher rating than it has. Don’t read it if you don’t want to feel a bit sad. However I personally feel there is far more uplift than down
Myrtle & Mathew navigate through life and it’s trials in their own unique way but are extricably linked in the very soul of their being. Each time the author makes you think this is the time, it turns out not to be, until the time finally did come.
I loved the way this book was written I’ve not come across this, what I thought was different way of writing before.
I shall seek out other works by the author now. Also as I’m audible I just want to say this is one of my favourite narrators, he’s so good. Peter Kenney
I loved this – once I’d started I could hardly put it down. Matthew and Myrtle both feel themselves to be misfits and there are many achingly near-miss moments when they might have met each other, but didn’t – fascinating to contemplate on each occasion how their lives might have followed different trajectories. A lot of taut family drama with its share of disappointment and tragedy but written in such a low key manner that it never feels overdone or melodramatic; some truly heart-rending moments and also moments which resonate on a personal level. Very well written with realistic well-drawn characters – the author really seems to get inside their head. Definitely recommend.
From the outset it is obvious how perfect Matthew and Myrtle are for each other. Their lives almost run in parallel as the story demonstrates the events and the incidents that shape them into the people they are. And as their lives unfold in tandem, there are a number of occasions where their paths don’t quite converge and so throughout the reader is urging them on, wondering when fate will provide the opportunity for them to meet and yet life unfolds for them without the blessing of true love.
This was a wonderful book and I loved the anticipation of what would happen and how the lives that seemed destined to never quite have the happily ever after would reach the happily ever after.
DNFd at 25% - I was provided an ARC copy by Netgalley. It does not influence my opinion.
I'm not sure what I was expecting but it wasn't this. At 25% of the book there just this much of awful life I can take. It's depressing. I don't read books to get depressed... Life is enough for that. Also why all the violence against animals? Do you really need to be so graphic with the fox, the pig, the cows?! C'mon. Totally DNF. No thank you.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
The most beautiful, most relatable book, that felt like my story being told, because all the things are just so relatable. Literally finished it within a day... I cried, and laughed, and sighed, and held the two main characters very close to my heart A story of a true love..a good life.. and all the moments in between 😍
This has to be one of the most beautiful stories I've read in a long time..I wasn't even going to read it,however I spotted in my local library and thought I'd give it a go. I'm so glad I did,it was truly amazing,and it even made my eyes leak 🥺🥺. Looking for a copy now for my mum as I know she'll love this too
Full of real moments of life and love. I read it in one day.
I did feel like toward the end major characters disappeared (passed away) without recognition even after being such important people in the two main characters lives. But otherwise.. a great read. I borrowed it from the library but will buy it for my bookshelves.
I read this is one sitting as it was an easy, heartwarming read. At times and perhaps in an effort to maintain the book´s buoyancy, the writer skimmed over the weightier more upsetting life experiences, particularly in the case of Myrtle, which reduced the book´s poignancy.
This was an odd book. Most of it is alternating snippets of two unconnected people's ordinary lives from childhood to their death. It was pretty depressing and pointless, and was only redeemed by the ending. Not what I'd call uplifting at all.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
This story is a reflection of human life's reality in this physical world. I have no issue with the plot, characters nor its pacing, hence a solid 5 star read for me.
p.s Do not pick up this novel thinking its all about romance. No, it isn't.
The Moments by Natalie Winter is a book for the ages. It’s a classic love story of life that will keep you on tender hooks. The perfect read for a holiday or to get you back in the groove.I’d give it 8/10
What a lovely book and such a pleasurable read. Funny, deep, emotional, especially towards the end. It got me thinking deeply about life as well as being entertained. Very readable. Very recommended. Thanks.
I loved the characters and the writing style. I always love a book that makes me feel like I'm friends with the characters. I did not really like the way it ended but that's just me.