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The Education of Ivy Edwards
Ivy Edwards is thirty-one years old, funny, shameless, and a bit of a romantic. She's also currently trying not to cry in the office toilet.
Partly because she's just run out of money for fags. A bit because her mum continues to annoy her. Definitely not because she's just been dumped by her fiancé.
With her London life in shambles and her family miles away in the Welsh valleys, Ivy doesn't actually feel like she belongs anywhere.
At least, she has her friends - and a bottle of vodka.
Embarking on a journey of singlehood, Ivy is about to discover that sometimes, having your life fall apart can be surprisingly fun.
Sometimes, heartbreak can be the best education . . .
The Education of Ivy Edwards is perfect for fans of Dolly Alderton's Everything I Know About Love, Holly Bourne's How Do You Like Me Now?, and Phoebe Waller-Bridge's Fleabag.
Partly because she's just run out of money for fags. A bit because her mum continues to annoy her. Definitely not because she's just been dumped by her fiancé.
With her London life in shambles and her family miles away in the Welsh valleys, Ivy doesn't actually feel like she belongs anywhere.
At least, she has her friends - and a bottle of vodka.
Embarking on a journey of singlehood, Ivy is about to discover that sometimes, having your life fall apart can be surprisingly fun.
Sometimes, heartbreak can be the best education . . .
The Education of Ivy Edwards is perfect for fans of Dolly Alderton's Everything I Know About Love, Holly Bourne's How Do You Like Me Now?, and Phoebe Waller-Bridge's Fleabag.
336 pages, Paperback
Published May 20, 2020
107 people are currently reading
1402 people want to read
About the author
Hannah Tovey
5 books37 followersHannah Tovey is from South Wales and grew up in Hong Kong. She graduated from the Faber Academy in 2018, where she finished her debut novel, THE EDUCATION OF IVY EDWARDS. Hannah lives in East London where she misses Llanelli beach, her mother and cockles. Her second novel is out summer 2021.
Hannah is represented by Hayley Steed at Madeleine Milburn Literary, TV and Film Agency.
Hannah is represented by Hayley Steed at Madeleine Milburn Literary, TV and Film Agency.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 116 reviews
May 7, 2020
3.5 - 4 stars
THE EDUCATION OF IVY EDWARDS was months of a journey in Ivy’s life as she navigated some of the biggest life changes imaginable. Ivy was a thirty-something protagonist that was incredibly real, irritations to boot. The story started with a relationship break up and tracked her slow demise across the months of grief and trying to cope.
The narrative for Ivy’s life was witty, with inner monologue that kept you chuckling and endeared you to her, just when you were most irritated with her. Ivy was all about friendships and family and she leaned on them a lot in this time period.
I sat down at my desk and closed my eyes. I can do this, I thought. I am an adult, I have a degree and I frequently make my own packed lunches.
I struggled somewhat with Ivy’s self-destructive streak and the friendships that came along with that, such as Dan and Rob. Her reliance on alcohol and drugs was frustrating but probably realistic of that 30-something professional, working in the big smoke and spiraling down, looking for a crutch.
As the story reached it’s culmination, I held my breath because I thought the journey might be for nothing, that Ivy had learnt nothing. I was satisfied however with the end.
If you’re looking for something real, less cookie-cutter and more sitting on gutter drunk, reciting your woes, then this is the read for you. It felt fresh and the writing was fun and willing to ‘go there’ with difficult topics and taboos.
Thank you to Piatkus Books for the early review copy.
This review can be found on A Take From Two Cities Blog.
THE EDUCATION OF IVY EDWARDS was months of a journey in Ivy’s life as she navigated some of the biggest life changes imaginable. Ivy was a thirty-something protagonist that was incredibly real, irritations to boot. The story started with a relationship break up and tracked her slow demise across the months of grief and trying to cope.
The narrative for Ivy’s life was witty, with inner monologue that kept you chuckling and endeared you to her, just when you were most irritated with her. Ivy was all about friendships and family and she leaned on them a lot in this time period.
I sat down at my desk and closed my eyes. I can do this, I thought. I am an adult, I have a degree and I frequently make my own packed lunches.
I struggled somewhat with Ivy’s self-destructive streak and the friendships that came along with that, such as Dan and Rob. Her reliance on alcohol and drugs was frustrating but probably realistic of that 30-something professional, working in the big smoke and spiraling down, looking for a crutch.
As the story reached it’s culmination, I held my breath because I thought the journey might be for nothing, that Ivy had learnt nothing. I was satisfied however with the end.
If you’re looking for something real, less cookie-cutter and more sitting on gutter drunk, reciting your woes, then this is the read for you. It felt fresh and the writing was fun and willing to ‘go there’ with difficult topics and taboos.
Thank you to Piatkus Books for the early review copy.
This review can be found on A Take From Two Cities Blog.
August 13, 2020
This is instantly one of my favourites of the month!. I just fell in love with everything about this book and Ivy, she always had me laughing or feeling for her.
The book itself for me was just so readable, I flew through it and it actually had me proper laughing out loud on so many scenes and just lines that characters said, it’s blunt and it’s filthy in parts which I loved! (One sex story told by one of her friends had me snorting!).
I loved Ivys relationship with her Mum (who is making her way through Game of thrones binge watch, which made me smile as I’m making my way through it with my Mum too as she’s never seen it).
So this story focuses on Ivy who is 31, and she is dealing with the aftermath of her boyfriend dumping her from a relationship that she thought was the one, she reflects on the relationship with snapshots of their time together and the good time’s they had, and just tries to piece together what happened and why.
With the support of her friends and family she tries to move forward, helping also her loved ones along the way with their life problems too.
This was just such a feel good read!! It always had me smiling, laughing and also had moments that hit my emotions. It’s unflinching, it’s raw and I just felt it was very real, which I loved.
A big thing of what sold the book for me was just the character of Ivy and how real she was, I think many could relate to her and also I loved her closeness to her family especially her Grandad. I got into it straight away and could easily have sat and read it all in one go. If you’re after something packed with humour, relatable moments and a feel good uplifting message then I’d highly recommend this one ❤️.
This book was kindly sent to me from the publisher but all thoughts as always are my own
The book itself for me was just so readable, I flew through it and it actually had me proper laughing out loud on so many scenes and just lines that characters said, it’s blunt and it’s filthy in parts which I loved! (One sex story told by one of her friends had me snorting!).
I loved Ivys relationship with her Mum (who is making her way through Game of thrones binge watch, which made me smile as I’m making my way through it with my Mum too as she’s never seen it).
So this story focuses on Ivy who is 31, and she is dealing with the aftermath of her boyfriend dumping her from a relationship that she thought was the one, she reflects on the relationship with snapshots of their time together and the good time’s they had, and just tries to piece together what happened and why.
With the support of her friends and family she tries to move forward, helping also her loved ones along the way with their life problems too.
This was just such a feel good read!! It always had me smiling, laughing and also had moments that hit my emotions. It’s unflinching, it’s raw and I just felt it was very real, which I loved.
A big thing of what sold the book for me was just the character of Ivy and how real she was, I think many could relate to her and also I loved her closeness to her family especially her Grandad. I got into it straight away and could easily have sat and read it all in one go. If you’re after something packed with humour, relatable moments and a feel good uplifting message then I’d highly recommend this one ❤️.
This book was kindly sent to me from the publisher but all thoughts as always are my own
December 23, 2025
This was a recommendation from a friend; overall I felt it was a book for a younger demographic (perhaps late teens / early 20's). It is well written and I liked the relationship thread between Ivy and her Grandfather. Not really 'my thing' but, for the right target audience, I think it would be an enjoyable read.
September 19, 2021
Rating: 1.5/5 stars ⭐️💫
I feel so harsh giving this book such a low rating but I just could not get into it AT ALL. The only reason I finished this is because it was a buddy read and I skimmed the last few chapters. It’s such a shame because based on the synopsis, this is definitely the type of book I usually really enjoy. I love an easy read with not too much heavy description. However, this was too far the other way. There was hardly any description, just endless dialogue between characters I didn’t like, couldn’t relate to and wasn’t invested in. Reading about people getting drunk and high all the time was pretty boring ngl.
I feel so harsh giving this book such a low rating but I just could not get into it AT ALL. The only reason I finished this is because it was a buddy read and I skimmed the last few chapters. It’s such a shame because based on the synopsis, this is definitely the type of book I usually really enjoy. I love an easy read with not too much heavy description. However, this was too far the other way. There was hardly any description, just endless dialogue between characters I didn’t like, couldn’t relate to and wasn’t invested in. Reading about people getting drunk and high all the time was pretty boring ngl.
April 2, 2020
*** I received a pre-publication copy of the book in return for my review.
Ivy Edwards is in the throes of a major life crisis. She hates her job, her fiancee has left her, her mother is a borderline alcoholic in denial, and her sister is having major fertility issues. How on earth do you deal with such a complicated time in your life? Ivy's answer is a combination of drugs, alcohol and some very ear friends to drag you back to real life.
This book isn't going to change your attitude to the world and it's not the best book I've ever read. There is no real meatiness or substance to the book, but it is an excellent method of escapism for the times we are in currently. It is a beach book- picked up in a hotel lobby at a book swap and devoured in an afternoon on the beach with a glass of sangria while the tops of your feet are burning.
I enjoyed Ivy tremendously, following her through her difficult times and watching how she dealt with it all. She is a likeable character and is well supported by other well-rounded, though not always that likeable, characters. The book stands up for itself, has a lovely structure and is a very enjoyable read.
Ivy Edwards is in the throes of a major life crisis. She hates her job, her fiancee has left her, her mother is a borderline alcoholic in denial, and her sister is having major fertility issues. How on earth do you deal with such a complicated time in your life? Ivy's answer is a combination of drugs, alcohol and some very ear friends to drag you back to real life.
This book isn't going to change your attitude to the world and it's not the best book I've ever read. There is no real meatiness or substance to the book, but it is an excellent method of escapism for the times we are in currently. It is a beach book- picked up in a hotel lobby at a book swap and devoured in an afternoon on the beach with a glass of sangria while the tops of your feet are burning.
I enjoyed Ivy tremendously, following her through her difficult times and watching how she dealt with it all. She is a likeable character and is well supported by other well-rounded, though not always that likeable, characters. The book stands up for itself, has a lovely structure and is a very enjoyable read.
January 2, 2021
I liked this but...
So what I liked, the relationship with Ivy and her family, especially her gramps was so lovely to read. All the little Welshisms throughout as well made me smile and the comments about Welsh people. My favourite quote was about an English person "Most of the locals only tolerate Henry because Liz is Welsh-speaking and an epic boozer. People in South Wales respect such characteristics" which is very true!
For me though I found the themes of the book a bit too heavy, with Ivy's breakup and then her subsequent spiral into drink and drugs and generally just losing herself, I found it hard to read in places. It wasn't what I was expecting, as I went into it thinking it was going to be a light-hearted easy read, so I didn't enjoy it as much as I'd hoped.
So what I liked, the relationship with Ivy and her family, especially her gramps was so lovely to read. All the little Welshisms throughout as well made me smile and the comments about Welsh people. My favourite quote was about an English person "Most of the locals only tolerate Henry because Liz is Welsh-speaking and an epic boozer. People in South Wales respect such characteristics" which is very true!
For me though I found the themes of the book a bit too heavy, with Ivy's breakup and then her subsequent spiral into drink and drugs and generally just losing herself, I found it hard to read in places. It wasn't what I was expecting, as I went into it thinking it was going to be a light-hearted easy read, so I didn't enjoy it as much as I'd hoped.
August 21, 2023
3.5 stars. Just the kind of harmless, navel-gazing millennial twaddle I was in the mood for.
April 25, 2020
•‘I don’t think I can see a future with you anymore.’⠀⠀
•‘You were literally just inside me.’⠀⠀
•‘I know how you like it in the mornings.’⠀⠀
•‘What?’⠀⠀
•‘I thought it would relax you.’⠀⠀
•‘What?'⠀⠀
•‘Ivy, I’m trying to be honest—’ ⠀⠀
•‘Hang on, is that why you wouldn’t look at my face?’⠀
⠀
31-year-old Ivy’s life is derailed dramatically when her fiancé dumps her, with no warning, just 5 minutes after they’ve had sex. Funny, smart and provocative, this is a story about going off the rails and pushing limits in the name of breaking up. Welsh gal Ivy is incredibly likeable and the closeness she has to her zany family add a lovely warmth and humour. Sex, drugs and bad advice - this story will have you laughing and cringing in all the right ways. I really enjoyed this! An easy and very fun read! I’ll be looking out for Hannah’s next book🍹⠀
⠀
This title will be released digitally May 7th 2020 and physically 13th August 2020. I requested an ARC of this through @Netgalley.
•‘You were literally just inside me.’⠀⠀
•‘I know how you like it in the mornings.’⠀⠀
•‘What?’⠀⠀
•‘I thought it would relax you.’⠀⠀
•‘What?'⠀⠀
•‘Ivy, I’m trying to be honest—’ ⠀⠀
•‘Hang on, is that why you wouldn’t look at my face?’⠀
⠀
31-year-old Ivy’s life is derailed dramatically when her fiancé dumps her, with no warning, just 5 minutes after they’ve had sex. Funny, smart and provocative, this is a story about going off the rails and pushing limits in the name of breaking up. Welsh gal Ivy is incredibly likeable and the closeness she has to her zany family add a lovely warmth and humour. Sex, drugs and bad advice - this story will have you laughing and cringing in all the right ways. I really enjoyed this! An easy and very fun read! I’ll be looking out for Hannah’s next book🍹⠀
⠀
This title will be released digitally May 7th 2020 and physically 13th August 2020. I requested an ARC of this through @Netgalley.
February 14, 2023
It was alright
August 11, 2020
In “The Education of Ivy Edwards” we meet the main character, Ivy, at a bit of a low point, when her fiancé leaves her, she hates her job and she lives far away from home. She finds herself struggling to cope with everything that comes her way and so she turns to partying hard, drinking hard and drugs.
The problem was that I completely couldn’t engage with the character and her decisions. For me it was as if she wanted the things to happen, she was taking the easy way out. Yes, she was young but she simply acted without thinking and it annoyed me incredibly. I soon lost my hope that I’m eventually going to start to like her because she was not likeable and I wanted to punch her in the face, to shake her. Yes, I’m much older than Ivy but I still say that jeopardising your job, your health, alienating yourself from friends and family and wallowing in self – pity is not a solution. Really, the repeating itself and endless descriptions of Ivy bringing herself down by drinking wildly every night quickly started to feel boring. And I hate using the word “boring” in my review. Actually, this must be the first time I’ve used it at all.
I think the synopsis has misdirected me a little as I was expecting something different, witty, humorous, but what I’ve got was totally something different and I found myself skim – reading the book without a feeling that I’m missing something, opposite, what I read made me feel even more irritated with the character and the story. Yes, it was realistic, down – to – earth and probably authentic but simply not for me. There isn’t enough depth to care for Ivy and even the end couldn’t save the book for me. I might not be the right target for this story as the book only made me feel annoyed at myself for reading it, to be honest. Truly sorry that the story didn’t work for me.
Copy provided by the publisher in return for the honest review.
August 1, 2020
TW: explicit drug use and alcohol use, explicit sexual scenes including one scene that almost made me want to vomit; , death, infertility struggles, IVF
Thank you to Little Brown Books who sent me a copy for an honest review; all opinions discussed here are my own.
The Education of Ivy Edwards explores the topic of grief and loss in different ways; the grief following the end of a serious relationship, the grief of not being able to have a child, and the grief of losing a loved one. It manages to balance the sadness with humour and an enjoyable quirky family, who for me, really make this book.
Our MC Ivy Edwards has been dumped by her fiancee, literally minutes after sex. Following this she goes on a bit of a downward spiral to drugs and alcohol, and generally makes a mess of her work life and personal life. This is where the book lost me a little bit; there are quite explicit sexual scenes but also explicit scenes of drug taking & alcohol use - I didn't expect this at all from this book and I feel like a little warning should have come with this book because suddenly characters are snorting cocaine off toilet seats. It's not that i'm against this sort of thing but it does suddenly come out of nowhere and honestly it makes the MC a little bit unlikable for me; she seems to think everyone is out to get her when all the wider characters do is try and support her and give her space to grieve.
I did enjoy Ivy's relationship with her grandpa and thought that was adorable, along with her relationship with her sister and brother-in-law.
I would say the writing was a little basic but I think this is the author's first book; it was easy to follow and not a difficult read. This book is an easy afternoon read.
Thank you to Little Brown Books who sent me a copy for an honest review; all opinions discussed here are my own.
The Education of Ivy Edwards explores the topic of grief and loss in different ways; the grief following the end of a serious relationship, the grief of not being able to have a child, and the grief of losing a loved one. It manages to balance the sadness with humour and an enjoyable quirky family, who for me, really make this book.
Our MC Ivy Edwards has been dumped by her fiancee, literally minutes after sex. Following this she goes on a bit of a downward spiral to drugs and alcohol, and generally makes a mess of her work life and personal life. This is where the book lost me a little bit; there are quite explicit sexual scenes but also explicit scenes of drug taking & alcohol use - I didn't expect this at all from this book and I feel like a little warning should have come with this book because suddenly characters are snorting cocaine off toilet seats. It's not that i'm against this sort of thing but it does suddenly come out of nowhere and honestly it makes the MC a little bit unlikable for me; she seems to think everyone is out to get her when all the wider characters do is try and support her and give her space to grieve.
I did enjoy Ivy's relationship with her grandpa and thought that was adorable, along with her relationship with her sister and brother-in-law.
I would say the writing was a little basic but I think this is the author's first book; it was easy to follow and not a difficult read. This book is an easy afternoon read.
July 30, 2020
A quirky book about depressive and destructive behaviour – and that makes it hard to figure out.
CW: heavy alcohol use, drug use.
First off, the good bits. Ivy, who has just been broken up with very suddenly by her fiancé, she feels real. She is bubbly and human and flawed and makes terrible decisions, but she feels real.
The parts set in south Wales were very relatable, and as a reader in Wales I enjoyed picking up on Welsh things such as Joe's ice cream and mentions of Calon Lân, as well as snippets of Cymraeg.
It's a quick and simple read, due to the fairly simplistic writing style. As well as being quirky, it's fairly colloquial, with lots of short simple sentences. It's not particularly elegantly written, but that's fine!
As mentioned at the beginning, I don't know where I stand on the bubbly nature of destructive alcohol use and spiralling – yes it makes it more relatable but it also skims over the gravitas of Ivy's journey. It's not until fairly late in the book that people try to have a serious intervention rather than enable and make light of what is clearly serious alcohol abuse. It seems that unless it's an old man in a pub at opening time, people refuse to call alcoholism what it is.
My other stumbling block comes with Ivy's mother's excessive spending, which again is played off as a joke throughout the book. But unless I missed something (and I may have!), there is no explanation given to where the money comes from, and it does worry other family members, although in an eye-rolling "oh she's at it again!" kind of way.
But I did enjoy this book. It's not perfect, but it's a fun... is fun the right word?... journey of self-discovery that deals with some heavy subjects along the way.
CW: heavy alcohol use, drug use.
First off, the good bits. Ivy, who has just been broken up with very suddenly by her fiancé, she feels real. She is bubbly and human and flawed and makes terrible decisions, but she feels real.
The parts set in south Wales were very relatable, and as a reader in Wales I enjoyed picking up on Welsh things such as Joe's ice cream and mentions of Calon Lân, as well as snippets of Cymraeg.
It's a quick and simple read, due to the fairly simplistic writing style. As well as being quirky, it's fairly colloquial, with lots of short simple sentences. It's not particularly elegantly written, but that's fine!
As mentioned at the beginning, I don't know where I stand on the bubbly nature of destructive alcohol use and spiralling – yes it makes it more relatable but it also skims over the gravitas of Ivy's journey. It's not until fairly late in the book that people try to have a serious intervention rather than enable and make light of what is clearly serious alcohol abuse. It seems that unless it's an old man in a pub at opening time, people refuse to call alcoholism what it is.
My other stumbling block comes with Ivy's mother's excessive spending, which again is played off as a joke throughout the book. But unless I missed something (and I may have!), there is no explanation given to where the money comes from, and it does worry other family members, although in an eye-rolling "oh she's at it again!" kind of way.
But I did enjoy this book. It's not perfect, but it's a fun... is fun the right word?... journey of self-discovery that deals with some heavy subjects along the way.
September 19, 2020
BREAKUPS ARE HARD ✨
...especially at 31 years old to your fiancé after you've just had sex?! Ouch. 😰
🎬 Think: 𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐉𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬 𝐱 𝐚 𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧-𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝟏𝟒 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧 𝐠𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫.
Ivy Edwards is 31 years old. Her fiancé has just dumped her. She has an interfering, erratic mother. A sister having IVF treatments and struggling with every round that comes back as "negative". And a boss she can just about tolerate.
𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈 𝐋𝐈𝐊𝐄𝐃:
This book is an easy read and overall, super light-hearted. I liked how the book explored grief and loss in numerous ways and the idea of rebuilding and finding yourself again in the midst of chaos. The relationship between Ivy and her "Gramps" was truly beautiful and I may have shed a tear or two over them.
𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈 𝐃𝐈𝐒𝐋𝐈𝐊𝐄𝐃:
I didn't like Ivy's character. She was whiny and sometimes, very, annoying. Alcohol and drugs are mentioned SO much in the book 🤯, I genuinely thought the plot was that she was going to end up in rehab. Those elements weren't explored further and left me a bit like, "huh", as to why/how she got over that. It seemed like she was either drunk/high for about 90% of the story and her family/friends were enablers. At every turn of the page it was, "she cracked open a bottle of wine." It was predictable and didn't leave me with any lasting afterthoughts.
⭐⭐⭐ (3/5)
The last 20 pages of the book solidified a 3* from a 2.5* for me. All in all, if you're looking for a slightly cheesy, predictable plot that will have you laughing a little and cringing 🥴 a little, too, about navigating breakups, death, grief and loss then this book's for you.
...especially at 31 years old to your fiancé after you've just had sex?! Ouch. 😰
🎬 Think: 𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐉𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬 𝐱 𝐚 𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧-𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝟏𝟒 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧 𝐠𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫.
Ivy Edwards is 31 years old. Her fiancé has just dumped her. She has an interfering, erratic mother. A sister having IVF treatments and struggling with every round that comes back as "negative". And a boss she can just about tolerate.
𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈 𝐋𝐈𝐊𝐄𝐃:
This book is an easy read and overall, super light-hearted. I liked how the book explored grief and loss in numerous ways and the idea of rebuilding and finding yourself again in the midst of chaos. The relationship between Ivy and her "Gramps" was truly beautiful and I may have shed a tear or two over them.
𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈 𝐃𝐈𝐒𝐋𝐈𝐊𝐄𝐃:
I didn't like Ivy's character. She was whiny and sometimes, very, annoying. Alcohol and drugs are mentioned SO much in the book 🤯, I genuinely thought the plot was that she was going to end up in rehab. Those elements weren't explored further and left me a bit like, "huh", as to why/how she got over that. It seemed like she was either drunk/high for about 90% of the story and her family/friends were enablers. At every turn of the page it was, "she cracked open a bottle of wine." It was predictable and didn't leave me with any lasting afterthoughts.
⭐⭐⭐ (3/5)
The last 20 pages of the book solidified a 3* from a 2.5* for me. All in all, if you're looking for a slightly cheesy, predictable plot that will have you laughing a little and cringing 🥴 a little, too, about navigating breakups, death, grief and loss then this book's for you.
March 18, 2025
I enjoyed the witty writing style of this book set in London and Wales about a girl who becomes single and who appreciates time with her grandfather while getting up to bad habits in London with friends. I like.d the writing style and story, although it was a little rushed and clumsy in places.
April 16, 2024
this was super funny & kind of emotional - couldn’t set this one down!
loved Ivy & her family & reading all about her messy life throughout this book
loved Ivy & her family & reading all about her messy life throughout this book
December 6, 2024
Loved loved loved, smashed it in a day. Made me laugh sob and cringe in a good way
June 29, 2021
Not the light hearted book the promo's suggested. Rather sad reading about a young woman drinking and drug taking her way through problems. :(
January 9, 2021
A great coming of age book - with some brilliant advice about losing love in your twenties!
March 22, 2023
The best book to get me out of a slump. You can find so much comfort in Ivy and I did not wanna put this book down.
April 15, 2020
The Education of Ivy Edwards was a book that made me both laugh and cry.
At first I thought it wanted to emulate Fleabag a bit too much, but then as soon as Ivy and the other characters started "coming to life" I realised that although that might be true, it was also a special novel in itself.
Ivy is having a bit of a quarter-life crisis, and she tries her best to navigate through her professional and personal life as best as she can: I certainly can resonate with that feeling!
I really liked this book and definitely recommend anyone who feels kind of lost to read it: yeah, you might hit rock bottom, like Ivy did, but you can also try the best you can to move forward and live your life as best as you can.
Thank you Netgalley and Little Brown Books for the opportunity to review this book!
At first I thought it wanted to emulate Fleabag a bit too much, but then as soon as Ivy and the other characters started "coming to life" I realised that although that might be true, it was also a special novel in itself.
Ivy is having a bit of a quarter-life crisis, and she tries her best to navigate through her professional and personal life as best as she can: I certainly can resonate with that feeling!
I really liked this book and definitely recommend anyone who feels kind of lost to read it: yeah, you might hit rock bottom, like Ivy did, but you can also try the best you can to move forward and live your life as best as you can.
Thank you Netgalley and Little Brown Books for the opportunity to review this book!
April 14, 2020
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Ivy Edwards is having a little bit of a late quarter life crisis - she doesn't like her job, and her fiance has just ended things with her after having sex with her five minutes prior. She is drinking too much, partying too hard, and her family and friends are starting to notice her spiral.
I really enjoyed the characters in this book, I felt they were well fleshed out and I could picture them in detail. I would recommend this to anybody who's feeling a bit lost (and I think we all are at the minute!) and I really liked the evolution of Ivy's character and how the ending was done.
I would definitely check out Hannah Tovey's next offering!
Ivy Edwards is having a little bit of a late quarter life crisis - she doesn't like her job, and her fiance has just ended things with her after having sex with her five minutes prior. She is drinking too much, partying too hard, and her family and friends are starting to notice her spiral.
I really enjoyed the characters in this book, I felt they were well fleshed out and I could picture them in detail. I would recommend this to anybody who's feeling a bit lost (and I think we all are at the minute!) and I really liked the evolution of Ivy's character and how the ending was done.
I would definitely check out Hannah Tovey's next offering!
April 13, 2020
Rich in dialogue that makes the book flow and that will elicit a smile or two as you can’t help but feel Ivy’s pain as her world as she knows it comes undone. Ivy’s life is a bit of a mess to put it simply and her way of soothing the ripples tends to involve copious amounts alcohol, cigarettes and occasionally drugs.
It’s a novel about realising that sometimes your greatest enemy is yourself. The characters are outgoing and loving and soon you will be in love with all of Ivy’s family. It’s a great, quick read with characters that feel real. Recommended.
**Received from Netgalley in an exchange for an honest review.
It’s a novel about realising that sometimes your greatest enemy is yourself. The characters are outgoing and loving and soon you will be in love with all of Ivy’s family. It’s a great, quick read with characters that feel real. Recommended.
**Received from Netgalley in an exchange for an honest review.
April 16, 2020
A sincere thank you to the publisher, author and Netgalley for providing me with an ebook copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.
This is not my usual genre, I’m more into crime/thriller books and even psychological thrillers too so I am extremely pleased and grateful to them for opening up my mind to something totally different.
I enjoyed this very much. 4 stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟
This is not my usual genre, I’m more into crime/thriller books and even psychological thrillers too so I am extremely pleased and grateful to them for opening up my mind to something totally different.
I enjoyed this very much. 4 stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟
May 10, 2020
Hmm, this book is a tricky one for me to review. I tend to read my books very quickly, becoming absorbed in the world and can easily sit for hours lost in the world. With this book I had to space it out a little more – mostly because for the majority of the book I wanted to punch Ivy (the main character) in the face.
The first half of the book (if I’m being honest it was more like 70%) was quite a challenge to read for me. Ivy struggles to cope after her fiance leaves her unexpectedly, which leads to Ivy resorting to alcohol and often Class A drugs in order to get through the day/nights. You see her spinning as the book progresses, often getting herself into self sabotaging situations, jeopardising her job and alienating her friends and family. Now call me old fashioned but my heart break style is a little more cry my eyes out, eat ice cream and rant at my cat about how I am worried I’ll never be loved again ( and listening to Adele on repeat). As a result the endless descriptions of wild drunken and high nights became monotonous and quite frankly, I felt like Ivy was a self involved tit who needed to get a grip.
People just want to be loved, don’t they?
As a result this book is difficult to review, as I think this was the writers intention and if it was, it was expertly done but personally made it tough going for me to read. I did persevere with it though, and I am glad I did. There was a moment where I was worried that her journey (and mine) through the book was going to be wasted – but I was pleasantly surprised and satisfied with the conclusion.
Her family were a saving grace for me, they balanced out her self destructiveness with their quirks and kindness and patience and helped Ivy redeem herself. Aside from the drug taking, Ivy was witty and often had me giggling out loud and made me forgive her for being an idiot.
If you’re looking for fairy-tales and butterflies and a book that’s going to challenge your perception of life, maybe this book isn’t for you. However if you want a more realistic edgy representation of a funny single gal in her thirties messing up and eventually understanding that the need to be kind to yourself, get reading!
The first half of the book (if I’m being honest it was more like 70%) was quite a challenge to read for me. Ivy struggles to cope after her fiance leaves her unexpectedly, which leads to Ivy resorting to alcohol and often Class A drugs in order to get through the day/nights. You see her spinning as the book progresses, often getting herself into self sabotaging situations, jeopardising her job and alienating her friends and family. Now call me old fashioned but my heart break style is a little more cry my eyes out, eat ice cream and rant at my cat about how I am worried I’ll never be loved again ( and listening to Adele on repeat). As a result the endless descriptions of wild drunken and high nights became monotonous and quite frankly, I felt like Ivy was a self involved tit who needed to get a grip.
People just want to be loved, don’t they?
As a result this book is difficult to review, as I think this was the writers intention and if it was, it was expertly done but personally made it tough going for me to read. I did persevere with it though, and I am glad I did. There was a moment where I was worried that her journey (and mine) through the book was going to be wasted – but I was pleasantly surprised and satisfied with the conclusion.
Her family were a saving grace for me, they balanced out her self destructiveness with their quirks and kindness and patience and helped Ivy redeem herself. Aside from the drug taking, Ivy was witty and often had me giggling out loud and made me forgive her for being an idiot.
If you’re looking for fairy-tales and butterflies and a book that’s going to challenge your perception of life, maybe this book isn’t for you. However if you want a more realistic edgy representation of a funny single gal in her thirties messing up and eventually understanding that the need to be kind to yourself, get reading!
May 24, 2020
ABsolutely bloody loved this book. Humourous, realistic, a bit naughty. A great novel trom Tovey and I cannot wait to see what comes next!
July 16, 2025
I loved this book! Very relatable and funny, yet still managed to make me cry. The characters are all written very well and feel as though I have met a version of every single one of them throughout my life. Can’t wait to read her next book :)
September 4, 2020
Dreadful book - thank god it's over.
Reading about people getting drunk or taking drugs over and over is sooooooo boring.
Awful
Reading about people getting drunk or taking drugs over and over is sooooooo boring.
Awful
September 15, 2020
Laugh out Loud, feel good reads with some serious topics thrown in is fast becoming my bag! Ivy won my heart over in 0.03 seconds and became such a firm favourite character.
When Ivy is unceremoniously dumped minutes after sex by her fiancée Jamie, Ivy reacts in ways many of us have. Okay we maybe haven't hit drink and drugs hard but we have definitely fallen apart.
Ivy at 31 feels she had her life mapped out before her and when things go wrong her life spirals out of control. Her family are miles away in Wales whilst she's in London. Her career isn't going too well and she's struggling to find where she belongs.
Ohhhh this is such a glorious, warm and heartfelt book that I couldn't put down.
I loved Ivy. She is probably one of the funniest, charismatic female characters I've read in a long time. I spent the entire book just wanting to take care of her.
She's sassy though and thats what I loved! She has fire and passion she never irritated me the way some females in a break up story do.
The love she shares with her family is beautiful and so relatable, annoying as hell but also super close I loved her Mum and her Grandpa ohhhh my heart! 😍
There's so many expectations for women in their 30's to have their shit together. The house, marriage, a career and a few kids for good measure and I love that this book showcases that its not always that simple. Its okay to still not know what's you're doing or where your life is heading in your 30s.
I love the ending of the story. It felt powerful to me that Ivy had been on a real self discovery journey and had realised that being single is okay. More than okay in fact.
I could talk about this wonderful book all day. It made me laugh and made me cry. It touches on grief and I felt it was beautifully done. I'm so glad I got to know Ivy and it was wonderful to see her flourish.
I highly recommend this book especially if you're feeling down or anxious with the current situation. It fully deserves the five stars I've rated it.
When Ivy is unceremoniously dumped minutes after sex by her fiancée Jamie, Ivy reacts in ways many of us have. Okay we maybe haven't hit drink and drugs hard but we have definitely fallen apart.
Ivy at 31 feels she had her life mapped out before her and when things go wrong her life spirals out of control. Her family are miles away in Wales whilst she's in London. Her career isn't going too well and she's struggling to find where she belongs.
Ohhhh this is such a glorious, warm and heartfelt book that I couldn't put down.
I loved Ivy. She is probably one of the funniest, charismatic female characters I've read in a long time. I spent the entire book just wanting to take care of her.
She's sassy though and thats what I loved! She has fire and passion she never irritated me the way some females in a break up story do.
The love she shares with her family is beautiful and so relatable, annoying as hell but also super close I loved her Mum and her Grandpa ohhhh my heart! 😍
There's so many expectations for women in their 30's to have their shit together. The house, marriage, a career and a few kids for good measure and I love that this book showcases that its not always that simple. Its okay to still not know what's you're doing or where your life is heading in your 30s.
I love the ending of the story. It felt powerful to me that Ivy had been on a real self discovery journey and had realised that being single is okay. More than okay in fact.
I could talk about this wonderful book all day. It made me laugh and made me cry. It touches on grief and I felt it was beautifully done. I'm so glad I got to know Ivy and it was wonderful to see her flourish.
I highly recommend this book especially if you're feeling down or anxious with the current situation. It fully deserves the five stars I've rated it.
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