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Ten Little Words
I am always with you. I will always be here.
This was the promise Ella’s mother betrayed thirty years ago when she walked into the sea, leaving her five-year-old daughter alone in the world. Ella’s been angry ever since, building up a wall to protect herself. But that all changes the day she opens a newspaper and finds those ten little words printed in a classified ad.
Ella refuses to believe her mother could still be alive—that would mean she did want to live, just not with her daughter. So she throws herself into finding out exactly what happened all those years ago, determined to extinguish even the tiniest flame of hope—for Ella, hope is torture.
But rather than settling things once and for all, what Ella discovers shatters her world. As she pieces together the truth behind her mother’s disappearance, she learns that the words are not what she thought.
Now she knows the truth. Is it possible that Ella can allow herself to love—and be loved—once again?
This was the promise Ella’s mother betrayed thirty years ago when she walked into the sea, leaving her five-year-old daughter alone in the world. Ella’s been angry ever since, building up a wall to protect herself. But that all changes the day she opens a newspaper and finds those ten little words printed in a classified ad.
Ella refuses to believe her mother could still be alive—that would mean she did want to live, just not with her daughter. So she throws herself into finding out exactly what happened all those years ago, determined to extinguish even the tiniest flame of hope—for Ella, hope is torture.
But rather than settling things once and for all, what Ella discovers shatters her world. As she pieces together the truth behind her mother’s disappearance, she learns that the words are not what she thought.
Now she knows the truth. Is it possible that Ella can allow herself to love—and be loved—once again?
270 pages, Paperback
First published July 7, 2020
954 people are currently reading
3255 people want to read
About the author
Leah Mercer
21 books249 followersLeah can't remember a time when she didn't love writing. From creating fake newspapers to writing letters to the editor, scribbling something was always on the agenda. Even the rejections she received after completing her first novel at age 13 didn't dent her enthusiasm.
So it makes sense, then, that she pursued a career in anything but writing. Public relations, teaching, recruitment, editing medical journals -- even a stint painting houses -- until she finally succumbed once more to the lure of the blank page.
When she's not being jumped on by her young son or burning supper while thinking of plot-lines, Leah can be found furiously tapping away on her laptop, trying not to check Twitter or Facebook.
Leah also writes romantic comedies under the name Talli Roland.
So it makes sense, then, that she pursued a career in anything but writing. Public relations, teaching, recruitment, editing medical journals -- even a stint painting houses -- until she finally succumbed once more to the lure of the blank page.
When she's not being jumped on by her young son or burning supper while thinking of plot-lines, Leah can be found furiously tapping away on her laptop, trying not to check Twitter or Facebook.
Leah also writes romantic comedies under the name Talli Roland.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 173 reviews
July 20, 2020
EXCERPT: I aimlessly flipped through the pages, running my eyes over articles on the latest summer trends and celeb weddings. Reading this newspaper made me feel like an alien from another planet. Who were these people, and why would I care? I was just about to fold it up and push it away from me when a tiny box advert in the classifieds caught my eye. The text leaped out at me, each word hammering my eyes.
I am always with you.
I will always be here.
My heart pounded and everything inside me went cold. The words echoed in my mind, growing larger and larger until they pressed on my skull. Images of my mother holding me close each night as she whispered those same ten words clawed and scratched at my soul, demanding entry, and I shoved the paper away from me.
I sat frozen for a minute, forcing air in and out of my lungs as I batted away those memories. Then I let out a little laugh. God, how silly was I? It was just ten words.
ABOUT THIS BOOK: I am always with you. I will always be here.
This was the promise Ella’s mother betrayed thirty years ago when she walked into the sea, leaving her five-year-old daughter alone in the world. Ella’s been angry ever since, building up a wall to protect herself. But that all changes the day she opens a newspaper and finds those ten little words printed in a classified ad.
Ella refuses to believe her mother could still be alive—that would mean she did want to live, just not with her daughter. So she throws herself into finding out exactly what happened all those years ago, determined to extinguish even the tiniest flame of hope—for Ella, hope is torture.
But rather than settling things once and for all, what Ella discovers shatters her world. As she pieces together the truth behind her mother’s disappearance, she learns that the words are not what she thought.
Now she knows the truth. Is it possible that Ella can allow herself to love—and be loved—once again?
MY THOUGHTS: In Ten Little Words author Leah Mercer addresses the issue of abandonment and it's psychological effects on those left behind.
Ella's mother Jude, suffering from a severe depression following a traumatic event, walks into the ocean when Ella is five and is never seen again.
Told over two timelines from the perspectives of Ella in the present and Jude in the early 1980s, we discover what led Jude to abandon her small daughter to the care of her childless older sister and her husband, and the effects of that abandonment on Ella's life.
Ten Little Words is a story that grew on me as I read. It's a quick and easy read, with a little mystery and romance and, although it is a tad predictable in places and everything is tied up rather neatly at the end, it is a satisfying and enjoyable read.
😊😊😊.7
#TenLittleWords #NetGalley
THE AUTHOR: Leah can't remember a time when she didn't love writing. From creating fake newspapers to writing letters to the editor, scribbling something was always on the agenda. Even the rejections she received after completing her first novel at age 13 didn't dent her enthusiasm.
So it makes sense, then, that she pursued a career in anything but writing. Public relations, teaching, recruitment, editing medical journals -- even a stint painting houses -- until she finally succumbed once more to the lure of the blank page.
When she's not being jumped on by her young son or burning supper while thinking of plot-lines, Leah can be found furiously tapping away on her laptop, trying not to check Twitter or Facebook.
Leah also writes romantic comedies under the name Talli Roland.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Amazon Publishing UK via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of Ten Little Words by Leah Mercer for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
I am always with you.
I will always be here.
My heart pounded and everything inside me went cold. The words echoed in my mind, growing larger and larger until they pressed on my skull. Images of my mother holding me close each night as she whispered those same ten words clawed and scratched at my soul, demanding entry, and I shoved the paper away from me.
I sat frozen for a minute, forcing air in and out of my lungs as I batted away those memories. Then I let out a little laugh. God, how silly was I? It was just ten words.
ABOUT THIS BOOK: I am always with you. I will always be here.
This was the promise Ella’s mother betrayed thirty years ago when she walked into the sea, leaving her five-year-old daughter alone in the world. Ella’s been angry ever since, building up a wall to protect herself. But that all changes the day she opens a newspaper and finds those ten little words printed in a classified ad.
Ella refuses to believe her mother could still be alive—that would mean she did want to live, just not with her daughter. So she throws herself into finding out exactly what happened all those years ago, determined to extinguish even the tiniest flame of hope—for Ella, hope is torture.
But rather than settling things once and for all, what Ella discovers shatters her world. As she pieces together the truth behind her mother’s disappearance, she learns that the words are not what she thought.
Now she knows the truth. Is it possible that Ella can allow herself to love—and be loved—once again?
MY THOUGHTS: In Ten Little Words author Leah Mercer addresses the issue of abandonment and it's psychological effects on those left behind.
Ella's mother Jude, suffering from a severe depression following a traumatic event, walks into the ocean when Ella is five and is never seen again.
Told over two timelines from the perspectives of Ella in the present and Jude in the early 1980s, we discover what led Jude to abandon her small daughter to the care of her childless older sister and her husband, and the effects of that abandonment on Ella's life.
Ten Little Words is a story that grew on me as I read. It's a quick and easy read, with a little mystery and romance and, although it is a tad predictable in places and everything is tied up rather neatly at the end, it is a satisfying and enjoyable read.
😊😊😊.7
#TenLittleWords #NetGalley
THE AUTHOR: Leah can't remember a time when she didn't love writing. From creating fake newspapers to writing letters to the editor, scribbling something was always on the agenda. Even the rejections she received after completing her first novel at age 13 didn't dent her enthusiasm.
So it makes sense, then, that she pursued a career in anything but writing. Public relations, teaching, recruitment, editing medical journals -- even a stint painting houses -- until she finally succumbed once more to the lure of the blank page.
When she's not being jumped on by her young son or burning supper while thinking of plot-lines, Leah can be found furiously tapping away on her laptop, trying not to check Twitter or Facebook.
Leah also writes romantic comedies under the name Talli Roland.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Amazon Publishing UK via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of Ten Little Words by Leah Mercer for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
April 29, 2020
Thirty years ago deeply troubled Jude Morgan disappears and is presumed dead. She leaves behind a five year old daughter Ella, who is raised by her Aunt Carolyn and her husband Rob. This story is told in different timelines by Jude from the 1980’s and by Ella in the present day. Ten little words refers to two phrases her mother always said to Ella which remain of utmost importance to her.
Ella’s perspective is the most absorbing as it examines the devastating psychological impact of the loss of her mother. Her mum made her feel safe, so Ella wraps herself in a cocoon, which she then surrounds with impenetrable walls and lets no one in, not even her aunt who loves her dearly. She’s solitary because that’s safe, her only comfort is her cat Dolby. Her job is interesting as an archivist at a music museum in Hastings and through this she is also able to keep herself to herself. The Jude sections are interesting but less engaging although as her story unfolds it all starts to come together and sympathy builds. The characters are well portrayed, clearly depicting their personalities, capturing their moods especially Ella’s growing anger. I really like the setting too - I can never resist a seaside environment! There are some interesting elements to the story too, there’s mystery around Jude which deepens as the story progresses, there’s some intrigue and tension, and a strong love element. Although I think parts of the story are a bit predictable, such as the ending, I do like it even though it’s tied up a bit too neatly with a bow! I think we can all use some optimism and a happy ending at the moment.
Overall, an enjoyable, easy read. I especially like the reawakening of Ella and her shedding of armour against potential hurt and finally embracing life.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing for the arc.
Ella’s perspective is the most absorbing as it examines the devastating psychological impact of the loss of her mother. Her mum made her feel safe, so Ella wraps herself in a cocoon, which she then surrounds with impenetrable walls and lets no one in, not even her aunt who loves her dearly. She’s solitary because that’s safe, her only comfort is her cat Dolby. Her job is interesting as an archivist at a music museum in Hastings and through this she is also able to keep herself to herself. The Jude sections are interesting but less engaging although as her story unfolds it all starts to come together and sympathy builds. The characters are well portrayed, clearly depicting their personalities, capturing their moods especially Ella’s growing anger. I really like the setting too - I can never resist a seaside environment! There are some interesting elements to the story too, there’s mystery around Jude which deepens as the story progresses, there’s some intrigue and tension, and a strong love element. Although I think parts of the story are a bit predictable, such as the ending, I do like it even though it’s tied up a bit too neatly with a bow! I think we can all use some optimism and a happy ending at the moment.
Overall, an enjoyable, easy read. I especially like the reawakening of Ella and her shedding of armour against potential hurt and finally embracing life.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing for the arc.
June 30, 2020
Ella had believed her mother Jude was dead. But hen ahe read a newspaper advertisement saying the same ten words her mother used to say to her, she wonders if her mother is still alive. Her aunt gives her a box of belongings and a man that holds the key to the answers Ella is searching for.
For reasons I couldn't quite put my finger on, I couldn't take to Ella. She was just five when her mother walked out on her. Ella has shut most of the people out of her life. The story moves at a slow pace. The story is told from Ella and Jude's point of view. It's emotional and angsty. It's a bit predictable in places but overall it's an enjoyable read.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Amazon Publishing Group Uk and the author Leah Mercer for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
For reasons I couldn't quite put my finger on, I couldn't take to Ella. She was just five when her mother walked out on her. Ella has shut most of the people out of her life. The story moves at a slow pace. The story is told from Ella and Jude's point of view. It's emotional and angsty. It's a bit predictable in places but overall it's an enjoyable read.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Amazon Publishing Group Uk and the author Leah Mercer for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
June 16, 2020
I am always with you. I will always be here.
Those are the ten little words spoken by Jude before she walked into the ocean and never came back... Jude has been declared dead, but her 5-year-old daughter, Ella, never believed it. How could her mother leave her? Didn't she whisper those ten little words and promise to always be there? Now a 30-something-year-old woman, Ella has a job...and that's about it. She is barely living, distancing herself from her aunt Carolyn, her colleagues, and any other person in her life. No social connection. No love. No emotion, period.
Told in two interwoven storylines, Leah Mercer reveals fragments of Jude's youth as an aspiring singer while capturing Ella's inner turmoil in the present. We initially get hints of the darkness Jude was battling, in Ella's fuzzy reminiscence of her childhood, yet mostly we see her joys, dreams, and romance. So what drove her mother to abandon a helpless daughter and walk into the ocean, disappearing without another word?
Though Ella is hesitant to admit it, she has never given up hope that her mother would return. And one day, a newspaper advert appears with those ten little words, renewing her hope that her mother is still alive after all. With languorous prose and heavily used metaphors, Mercer explores the internal battle waged within. Ella must confront herself and the unanswered questions about her mother. Mired with the whole gamut of emotions—bitterness, sadness, anger—Ten Little Words can get a little repetitive in its introspection and indecision. I started disliking the alarming rate at which Ella vacillates between wanting to track down her mother and not doing. Nearly every chapter, Ella claims that she is "done" chasing Jude, and by the umpteenth time, I just stopped believing her. Though I could understand the motives of Jude, I had much less sympathy for Ella, who steadfastly treated the loving aunt who raised her coldly and heartlessly.
As for the payoff, the ending felt inevitable and cliched, unable to redeem the many pages of internal struggle. One of my greatest pet peeves is when a story is constructed almost entirely of huge misunderstandings, and unfortunately, that is the biggest blemish on Ten Little Words. To read a whole book and predict the ending, with characters that never fully manage to break away from two-dimensional molds, leaves a disappointing taste in my mouth.
Those are the ten little words spoken by Jude before she walked into the ocean and never came back... Jude has been declared dead, but her 5-year-old daughter, Ella, never believed it. How could her mother leave her? Didn't she whisper those ten little words and promise to always be there? Now a 30-something-year-old woman, Ella has a job...and that's about it. She is barely living, distancing herself from her aunt Carolyn, her colleagues, and any other person in her life. No social connection. No love. No emotion, period.
Told in two interwoven storylines, Leah Mercer reveals fragments of Jude's youth as an aspiring singer while capturing Ella's inner turmoil in the present. We initially get hints of the darkness Jude was battling, in Ella's fuzzy reminiscence of her childhood, yet mostly we see her joys, dreams, and romance. So what drove her mother to abandon a helpless daughter and walk into the ocean, disappearing without another word?
Though Ella is hesitant to admit it, she has never given up hope that her mother would return. And one day, a newspaper advert appears with those ten little words, renewing her hope that her mother is still alive after all. With languorous prose and heavily used metaphors, Mercer explores the internal battle waged within. Ella must confront herself and the unanswered questions about her mother. Mired with the whole gamut of emotions—bitterness, sadness, anger—Ten Little Words can get a little repetitive in its introspection and indecision. I started disliking the alarming rate at which Ella vacillates between wanting to track down her mother and not doing. Nearly every chapter, Ella claims that she is "done" chasing Jude, and by the umpteenth time, I just stopped believing her. Though I could understand the motives of Jude, I had much less sympathy for Ella, who steadfastly treated the loving aunt who raised her coldly and heartlessly.
As for the payoff, the ending felt inevitable and cliched, unable to redeem the many pages of internal struggle. One of my greatest pet peeves is when a story is constructed almost entirely of huge misunderstandings, and unfortunately, that is the biggest blemish on Ten Little Words. To read a whole book and predict the ending, with characters that never fully manage to break away from two-dimensional molds, leaves a disappointing taste in my mouth.
July 25, 2020
4.5★s
“I couldn’t say I was happy, but then, I didn’t want to be happy. Being happy meant you had something to lose, and I wasn’t about to risk that.”
Ten Little Words is the fourth novel by Canadian-born British author, Leah Mercer. For years after her mother disappeared, Ella Morgan hoped and believed that she would return. No body had been found. Why now, after she’d finally accepted that Jude Morgan had abandoned her five-year-old daughter by walking into the sea, had that haunting ad appeared? “I am always with you. I will always be here” was what her mother had told her every night, and there it was, in the classifieds of The Post, on her mother’s birthday.
The music and the songs had always been inside her, and in the early eighties, all Jude Morgan wanted to do was to go to London and sing: that was where she’d get her big break. For now, busking on the promenade at Hastings could earn her some pennies towards it, at least. But then she met Bertie McAllister, and the dream could be postponed for a while: never forgotten, but being with Bertie seemed more important.
Ella’s hard-won equilibrium, achieved through eschewing connection with others, keeping her heart safe, was now deranged; the nightmare was back and she was making mistakes at work. Perhaps it was time to relent, to talk to her Aunt Carolyn about what had happened with her mother. Perhaps the promised heart pendant was with her mother’s things... The letters were a mystery: a shoebox of unopened letters from someone called Bertie.
Eventually, Ella is convinced to take steps to find Jude: she’d had so many questions, but now “I stared out to sea again, feeling more alive than I had for years. My walls were down. My heart was open – at last. But … I wasn’t full of love. I was full of fury, and I was ready to attack. God, it felt good.” What would she find, if anything?
Mercer gives the reader a touching tale of a family deeply hurt and still mystified by a thirty-year-old tragedy, then laces it with intrigue, hope and a touch of romance. There are twists and distractions to keep the reader guessing; lies and threats to stir the emotions; and heart-breaking moments and misunderstandings to bring a lump to the throat. Mercer easily captures the era and setting in this moving and enjoyable read.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK.
“I couldn’t say I was happy, but then, I didn’t want to be happy. Being happy meant you had something to lose, and I wasn’t about to risk that.”
Ten Little Words is the fourth novel by Canadian-born British author, Leah Mercer. For years after her mother disappeared, Ella Morgan hoped and believed that she would return. No body had been found. Why now, after she’d finally accepted that Jude Morgan had abandoned her five-year-old daughter by walking into the sea, had that haunting ad appeared? “I am always with you. I will always be here” was what her mother had told her every night, and there it was, in the classifieds of The Post, on her mother’s birthday.
The music and the songs had always been inside her, and in the early eighties, all Jude Morgan wanted to do was to go to London and sing: that was where she’d get her big break. For now, busking on the promenade at Hastings could earn her some pennies towards it, at least. But then she met Bertie McAllister, and the dream could be postponed for a while: never forgotten, but being with Bertie seemed more important.
Ella’s hard-won equilibrium, achieved through eschewing connection with others, keeping her heart safe, was now deranged; the nightmare was back and she was making mistakes at work. Perhaps it was time to relent, to talk to her Aunt Carolyn about what had happened with her mother. Perhaps the promised heart pendant was with her mother’s things... The letters were a mystery: a shoebox of unopened letters from someone called Bertie.
Eventually, Ella is convinced to take steps to find Jude: she’d had so many questions, but now “I stared out to sea again, feeling more alive than I had for years. My walls were down. My heart was open – at last. But … I wasn’t full of love. I was full of fury, and I was ready to attack. God, it felt good.” What would she find, if anything?
Mercer gives the reader a touching tale of a family deeply hurt and still mystified by a thirty-year-old tragedy, then laces it with intrigue, hope and a touch of romance. There are twists and distractions to keep the reader guessing; lies and threats to stir the emotions; and heart-breaking moments and misunderstandings to bring a lump to the throat. Mercer easily captures the era and setting in this moving and enjoyable read.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK.
October 11, 2020
A beautiful story which dealt with the issues of abandonment and its repercussions.
Written in dual timelines, the story captured by heart with its vivid portrayal of life's circumstances. This was a new author for me, and I would love to read all her other books.
Overall, a beautiful read
Written in dual timelines, the story captured by heart with its vivid portrayal of life's circumstances. This was a new author for me, and I would love to read all her other books.
Overall, a beautiful read
October 18, 2020
Having lost my mother as a child, I was instantly drawn to the premise of a woman who is still feeling the absence of her mother as an adult. I was intrigued to find out the events surrounding Jules’ disappearance, who left her five- year- old sleeping at home to walk into the ocean and never be seen again. I thought this would be the perfect book to elicit an emotional response from me.
Surprisingly, though, I felt very little as I turned the pages, trying to bond with a cold and stand-offish Ella as she vacillates between wanting to find out things about her mother, then in the same instant hating her and vowing never to let her disappearance affect her life again. Even though I understood her trauma on a deeply personal level, I found it difficult to get into her head. At 35, it seemed unlikely to me that she had never before questioned her mother’s fate, or tried to find out something about her. Her detachment from friends, colleagues and her loving adoptive parents bordered on a personality disorder, even taking her childhood trauma into consideration. She was full of contradictions, which got the story off to a rocky start for me and never really recovered. Lacking any insight in any of the characters’ motives (including Jules), I soon floundered and found that I wasn’t emotionally engaged at all. With a fairly predictable, clichéd storyline in which I knew the outcome from very early on, I struggled to muster up enough interest to keep reading to the end.
Seeing that 2020 has been a year that has heavily affected my reading enjoyment, perhaps this was a case of “it’s not you, it’s me”, but this was at best an average read for me. However, readers who may not look for the same emotional depth I had hoped to find may disagree and find TEN LITTLE WORDS to be a pleasant, unchallenging weekend or holiday read. That just wasn’t what I had been hoping for.
Thank you to Netgalley and Amazon Publishing UK for the free electronic copy of this novel and for giving me the opportunity to provide an honest review.
*blog* *facebook* *instagram*
Surprisingly, though, I felt very little as I turned the pages, trying to bond with a cold and stand-offish Ella as she vacillates between wanting to find out things about her mother, then in the same instant hating her and vowing never to let her disappearance affect her life again. Even though I understood her trauma on a deeply personal level, I found it difficult to get into her head. At 35, it seemed unlikely to me that she had never before questioned her mother’s fate, or tried to find out something about her. Her detachment from friends, colleagues and her loving adoptive parents bordered on a personality disorder, even taking her childhood trauma into consideration. She was full of contradictions, which got the story off to a rocky start for me and never really recovered. Lacking any insight in any of the characters’ motives (including Jules), I soon floundered and found that I wasn’t emotionally engaged at all. With a fairly predictable, clichéd storyline in which I knew the outcome from very early on, I struggled to muster up enough interest to keep reading to the end.
Seeing that 2020 has been a year that has heavily affected my reading enjoyment, perhaps this was a case of “it’s not you, it’s me”, but this was at best an average read for me. However, readers who may not look for the same emotional depth I had hoped to find may disagree and find TEN LITTLE WORDS to be a pleasant, unchallenging weekend or holiday read. That just wasn’t what I had been hoping for.
Thank you to Netgalley and Amazon Publishing UK for the free electronic copy of this novel and for giving me the opportunity to provide an honest review.
*blog* *facebook* *instagram*
April 30, 2020
This book moved a little slow for me but I kept going because of all the positive reviews it got. I’ll give it 3 stars. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release in exchange for my honest review.
July 20, 2020
My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. I'm going to rate this one a 3.5 out of 5.
This story is well-written (employing a monologue style of writing), has an interesting, eye-catching premise, and is told from multiple points of view, which I like.
It started off well, but I found that there was a lot of repetition of internal thoughts and a reliance on many of the standard story-telling tropes - so the characters didn't seem fully fleshed out and real to me. After a while, those ten little words got a bit grating. The reason that Jude left, and then stayed away for so long, seemed a bit shaky. She needed help. She loved her daughter, but couldn't stay and rationalized her decision to disappear for good.
I love a good HEA, but I'm getting a bit tired of the "find a love interest and that will solve all your problems" solution. Alas, love does not conquer all - but it IS helpful to have the support of family, friends, and/or a partner during difficult times. I prefer novels where the protagonists admit that they have a lot of work ahead of them to reach self-acceptance and peace after a serious, traumatic or life altering illness/experience/event. And we all know that mental illness does not magically disappear because a man or a woman enters your life and gives you unconditional love, etc. I prefer a more realistic approach to problem solving, and I don't need my endings wrapped up in cotton wool or sugar coated.
A good light read for these COVID Times, as I have come to call this period of history.
This story is well-written (employing a monologue style of writing), has an interesting, eye-catching premise, and is told from multiple points of view, which I like.
It started off well, but I found that there was a lot of repetition of internal thoughts and a reliance on many of the standard story-telling tropes - so the characters didn't seem fully fleshed out and real to me. After a while, those ten little words got a bit grating. The reason that Jude left, and then stayed away for so long, seemed a bit shaky. She needed help. She loved her daughter, but couldn't stay and rationalized her decision to disappear for good.
I love a good HEA, but I'm getting a bit tired of the "find a love interest and that will solve all your problems" solution. Alas, love does not conquer all - but it IS helpful to have the support of family, friends, and/or a partner during difficult times. I prefer novels where the protagonists admit that they have a lot of work ahead of them to reach self-acceptance and peace after a serious, traumatic or life altering illness/experience/event. And we all know that mental illness does not magically disappear because a man or a woman enters your life and gives you unconditional love, etc. I prefer a more realistic approach to problem solving, and I don't need my endings wrapped up in cotton wool or sugar coated.
A good light read for these COVID Times, as I have come to call this period of history.
June 19, 2020
An ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley, in return for my honest review.
"I am always with you. I will always be here"
These ten words 5 year old Ella's mum, Jude would say to her each night at bedtime. That is until one day when her mother walked into the sea, never to be seen or heard from again, leaving Ella to be brought up by her aunt, Carolyn.
Now 30 years later those very same ten words have appeared in the announcements of a national newspaper, on her mother's birthday no less.
This pushes Ella to delve into her mother's past, to find out what really happened, what made her mother walk into the sea that day.
Ten little words by Leah Mercer is an enjoyable book, with dual perspective, across alternating chapters, making it a very easy read. The time difference between Jude and Ella's points of view, works well and the storyline very heartfelt.
I went through all the emotions with this book, I loved reading it so much.
5/5 Would definitely recommend.
"I am always with you. I will always be here"
These ten words 5 year old Ella's mum, Jude would say to her each night at bedtime. That is until one day when her mother walked into the sea, never to be seen or heard from again, leaving Ella to be brought up by her aunt, Carolyn.
Now 30 years later those very same ten words have appeared in the announcements of a national newspaper, on her mother's birthday no less.
This pushes Ella to delve into her mother's past, to find out what really happened, what made her mother walk into the sea that day.
Ten little words by Leah Mercer is an enjoyable book, with dual perspective, across alternating chapters, making it a very easy read. The time difference between Jude and Ella's points of view, works well and the storyline very heartfelt.
I went through all the emotions with this book, I loved reading it so much.
5/5 Would definitely recommend.
November 17, 2024
An easy book to pick up and read, but was too predictable and hence only 3*.
dnf
December 13, 2023I was struggling with this book from the get go, but I kept trying so hard to push through. I really don't like not finishing an ARC, but I was just getting more upset and frustrated, so I finally did my mental health a favor and stopped.
Quick break down of the story is that 5 year old Ella's Mother, Jude, used to say ten words to her, "I am always with you. I will always be here." Then one night she waked into the sea, never to be seen again, assumed to have committed suicide.
She was taken in by her very caring Aunt Carolyn who did everything she could to raise Ella in a warm, loving, nurturing home. Yet, Ella was only growing more angry and distant because her mom left her when she said she'd always be there. Fast forward 30 years, when Ella is 35, she sees an advert in a paper with those ten little words and it spurs her to ask her Aunt Carolyn questions that she'd never wanted answers to, and she finally took a box of her mom's belongings that Carolyn had, but Ella never wanted.
The story is told from both perspectives: Ella's in the present and Jude's in the past. I had to stop on Chapter 8 because I just could not handle reading Ella's perspective anymore. She is 35 years old and all she does is work, while talking as little as possible to any of her coworkers and never partaking in any events with them, then she goes straight home to her tiny bare apartment with her cat. Her Aunt tries to check on her and have her over, but Ella pretty much wants nothing to do with her. She has no real life, no friends, no happiness. She's full of resentment and has let it take over her entire life.
I'm just gonna put this right out there. For me, she is the most unlikable, whining, ungrateful character I think I've ever read about, and I'm supposed to be feeling sympathy for her, but I just can't. I know what happened when she was 5 was traumatic, but she's 35 years old now. She wasn't tossed around in the foster system. She raised by a loving aunt. So many people have it so much worse in life, but they do something about it. She has made the choice to live the life she's living.
Therapy wasn't mentioned in the chapters I read, but I I do hope it was mentioned at some point in the story. If not, it's a shame. A perfect opportunity to talk about the benefits of therapy and help end the stigma. Therapy to learn how to come to terms, how to grieve, cope, reach acceptance. How to love, live, and move on.
I'm not saying the tragedy was something to sneeze at. My maternal grandfather committed suicide when my mother was 12, leaving her to care for her older and younger brother while.my grandma worked 2 jobs. My own "step" children (in quotes because I don't see them as anything but my other kids) had their own horrific experience of losing a parent this way and at a much more difficult stage of their life than age 5. It is a horrible thing for anyone to go through, whether their parent committed suicide or abandoned them. But when you're an adult and still blaming what happened to you as a child as the cause of all that's wrong in your life, no, I can't connect or sympathize. As C.S. Lewis said, " You can't go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending."
As I appear to be in the minority on my thoughts on this book, it's probably worth the read if you like stories about flawed characters making poor choices, and their consequences. Many people felt a connection to, and loads of sympathy for Ella, so I'm sure it's just about perspectives and life experience.
Happy reading!
Content Warning: Rape
Thank you Netgalley and Amazon Publishing, UK for the e-ARC and the opportunity to share my thoughts. All thoughts are based off the advanced review copy I read, and are subject to change by the final printing of the book.
Quick break down of the story is that 5 year old Ella's Mother, Jude, used to say ten words to her, "I am always with you. I will always be here." Then one night she waked into the sea, never to be seen again, assumed to have committed suicide.
She was taken in by her very caring Aunt Carolyn who did everything she could to raise Ella in a warm, loving, nurturing home. Yet, Ella was only growing more angry and distant because her mom left her when she said she'd always be there. Fast forward 30 years, when Ella is 35, she sees an advert in a paper with those ten little words and it spurs her to ask her Aunt Carolyn questions that she'd never wanted answers to, and she finally took a box of her mom's belongings that Carolyn had, but Ella never wanted.
The story is told from both perspectives: Ella's in the present and Jude's in the past. I had to stop on Chapter 8 because I just could not handle reading Ella's perspective anymore. She is 35 years old and all she does is work, while talking as little as possible to any of her coworkers and never partaking in any events with them, then she goes straight home to her tiny bare apartment with her cat. Her Aunt tries to check on her and have her over, but Ella pretty much wants nothing to do with her. She has no real life, no friends, no happiness. She's full of resentment and has let it take over her entire life.
I'm just gonna put this right out there. For me, she is the most unlikable, whining, ungrateful character I think I've ever read about, and I'm supposed to be feeling sympathy for her, but I just can't. I know what happened when she was 5 was traumatic, but she's 35 years old now. She wasn't tossed around in the foster system. She raised by a loving aunt. So many people have it so much worse in life, but they do something about it. She has made the choice to live the life she's living.
Therapy wasn't mentioned in the chapters I read, but I I do hope it was mentioned at some point in the story. If not, it's a shame. A perfect opportunity to talk about the benefits of therapy and help end the stigma. Therapy to learn how to come to terms, how to grieve, cope, reach acceptance. How to love, live, and move on.
I'm not saying the tragedy was something to sneeze at. My maternal grandfather committed suicide when my mother was 12, leaving her to care for her older and younger brother while.my grandma worked 2 jobs. My own "step" children (in quotes because I don't see them as anything but my other kids) had their own horrific experience of losing a parent this way and at a much more difficult stage of their life than age 5. It is a horrible thing for anyone to go through, whether their parent committed suicide or abandoned them. But when you're an adult and still blaming what happened to you as a child as the cause of all that's wrong in your life, no, I can't connect or sympathize. As C.S. Lewis said, " You can't go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending."
As I appear to be in the minority on my thoughts on this book, it's probably worth the read if you like stories about flawed characters making poor choices, and their consequences. Many people felt a connection to, and loads of sympathy for Ella, so I'm sure it's just about perspectives and life experience.
Happy reading!
Content Warning: Rape
Thank you Netgalley and Amazon Publishing, UK for the e-ARC and the opportunity to share my thoughts. All thoughts are based off the advanced review copy I read, and are subject to change by the final printing of the book.
August 27, 2020
What a read this was!
I sort of had an idea what had happened from the start but I think that was Leah Mercer’s intention.
Difficult topics throughout but definitely a book that you want to finish to know the outcome of the lives that were destroyed years and years ago.
I sort of had an idea what had happened from the start but I think that was Leah Mercer’s intention.
Difficult topics throughout but definitely a book that you want to finish to know the outcome of the lives that were destroyed years and years ago.
September 10, 2020
I have enjoyed all of Leah Mercer's books, even though they are heavier than the ones she writes as Talli Roland. So I was eagerly awaiting the chance to read Ten Little Words, and it did not disappoint!
I read this novel in two days. It was an enjoyable story, even given the circumstances. It moved at a good pace which kept me turning the pages. I like how it went back and forth between the past and the present. Both Jude and Ella's perspectives were interesting and they were sympathetic characters. I cared about both of them a lot. I was definitely eager to see what would happen and liked seeing how the story unfolded as more information came to light.
Fun side note: Jude and I share a birthday!
If you haven't read Leah Mercer's novels, definitely give them a try.
Movie casting suggestions:
Ella: Emma Watson
Jude (1980s): Ellie Darcey-Alden
Caroline: Caroline Quentin
Angus: Peter Gadiot
Bertie (1980s): William Moseley
I read this novel in two days. It was an enjoyable story, even given the circumstances. It moved at a good pace which kept me turning the pages. I like how it went back and forth between the past and the present. Both Jude and Ella's perspectives were interesting and they were sympathetic characters. I cared about both of them a lot. I was definitely eager to see what would happen and liked seeing how the story unfolded as more information came to light.
Fun side note: Jude and I share a birthday!
If you haven't read Leah Mercer's novels, definitely give them a try.
Movie casting suggestions:
Ella: Emma Watson
Jude (1980s): Ellie Darcey-Alden
Caroline: Caroline Quentin
Angus: Peter Gadiot
Bertie (1980s): William Moseley
April 22, 2020
Ellla's mother disappears and is later presumed dead after promising in 10 words that she will never lave her. Ella is then raised by her aunt Carolyn and moves to London. Music and moving to London help Mia to feel slightly less angry and resentment from how her mother left her until she sees something in a newspaper that shocks her. Those same 10 words appear in the paper and bring Ella back to when her mom died. But is her mom really dead or did she fake her death?
I like that this story shifted between Ella and her mom, Jude. You learn about Jude's younger years leading up to her disappearance. There are many twists and surprises in this book but I feel more empathy for Ella than her mom. It was well written, emotional and a page turner. Highly recommended.
Thanks to Netgalley, the author and publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Available: 7/7/20
I like that this story shifted between Ella and her mom, Jude. You learn about Jude's younger years leading up to her disappearance. There are many twists and surprises in this book but I feel more empathy for Ella than her mom. It was well written, emotional and a page turner. Highly recommended.
Thanks to Netgalley, the author and publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Available: 7/7/20
June 21, 2020
Thank you Netgalley for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.
In "Ten Little Words", the main characters are Ella and her mother Jude. The story is told from both perspectives: Ella's present and Jude's past. Ella lost Jude at a young age, but when she sees a ten word phrase printed in the newspaper that was only said between her and her mother, Ella begins to question everything. Could her mother be alive? If she is, why did she abandon Ella?
I am sad to say that I did not enjoy this book. It was extremely depressing. Maybe it's because we are in the middle of a pandemic and something this deep is difficult to process during these times. Jude's character reminded me very much of Daisy from "Daisy Jones and the Six". In my opinion she was downright selfish and not very likeable. Ella wasn't much different because of the walls she built up from her childhood trauma. I found myself reading the book in big chunks, but then dreading to pick it up again due to the depressing plot and unlikable characters. I would give this book a 2 out of 5 stars.
In "Ten Little Words", the main characters are Ella and her mother Jude. The story is told from both perspectives: Ella's present and Jude's past. Ella lost Jude at a young age, but when she sees a ten word phrase printed in the newspaper that was only said between her and her mother, Ella begins to question everything. Could her mother be alive? If she is, why did she abandon Ella?
I am sad to say that I did not enjoy this book. It was extremely depressing. Maybe it's because we are in the middle of a pandemic and something this deep is difficult to process during these times. Jude's character reminded me very much of Daisy from "Daisy Jones and the Six". In my opinion she was downright selfish and not very likeable. Ella wasn't much different because of the walls she built up from her childhood trauma. I found myself reading the book in big chunks, but then dreading to pick it up again due to the depressing plot and unlikable characters. I would give this book a 2 out of 5 stars.
May 18, 2020
I really enjoyed this novel. Perking my interest from page one I whizzed through this book in a few hours, holding my interest all the way. That's one of my indicators of a great book. We all know there is nothing worse than getting to 50% and still not getting hooked into what we are reading.
The book starts dramatically and grabbed me straight away, I had to know what happened.
The book is written from two perspectives over two different timelines, a mother and a grown daughter telling their stories that intertwine into an emotional narrative. Each character I connected with and got to know as I read, intrigued to know them and where the story was going. Jude, the mother and Ella, the daughter were written really well by the author in that you could connect and see them as real people. Plenty of emotions in this novel and a plot that in part surprised me and also confirmed for me where I thought it may go.
As other key characters are introduced the novel just got more interesting. It covers love, loss, grief, regret, pain, anger, denial, fear and so many other human emotions. If you like novels that tap into flawed people and their mistakes, choices and consequences you will really enjoy this book.
I was fascinated in following both timelines and hearing the voice of Mother and Daughter. Despite having a strong inkling of a key truth in the whole story it didn't distract or disappoint me by the time it was revealed. What was even better is there were still surprises in store. The plot is steady and the writing very readable. The only reason this didn't get five stars as I felt the ending was unrealistic and it had a sense of being rushed and put together that way to get the book to it's ending. The end encounters were just too easy and far-fetched as to happen the way it was portrayed in the novel.
I loved the end outcome, just wish how it was delivered had more realism and depth. Not so flippant. Regardless, I really enjoyed this book and the way it tackled how assumptions and presumptions can impact your choices and life direction dramatically. That's what this book really expresses, the outcome of decisions, some made in haste and the consequences of those.
Leah Mercer has written a book that depicts the faults in all of us, taking flawed people and telling a story that keeps you wanting more of their individual tales that interlock at the same time. This was a good read and I would be really keen to read more from Leah.
The book starts dramatically and grabbed me straight away, I had to know what happened.
The book is written from two perspectives over two different timelines, a mother and a grown daughter telling their stories that intertwine into an emotional narrative. Each character I connected with and got to know as I read, intrigued to know them and where the story was going. Jude, the mother and Ella, the daughter were written really well by the author in that you could connect and see them as real people. Plenty of emotions in this novel and a plot that in part surprised me and also confirmed for me where I thought it may go.
As other key characters are introduced the novel just got more interesting. It covers love, loss, grief, regret, pain, anger, denial, fear and so many other human emotions. If you like novels that tap into flawed people and their mistakes, choices and consequences you will really enjoy this book.
I was fascinated in following both timelines and hearing the voice of Mother and Daughter. Despite having a strong inkling of a key truth in the whole story it didn't distract or disappoint me by the time it was revealed. What was even better is there were still surprises in store. The plot is steady and the writing very readable. The only reason this didn't get five stars as I felt the ending was unrealistic and it had a sense of being rushed and put together that way to get the book to it's ending. The end encounters were just too easy and far-fetched as to happen the way it was portrayed in the novel.
I loved the end outcome, just wish how it was delivered had more realism and depth. Not so flippant. Regardless, I really enjoyed this book and the way it tackled how assumptions and presumptions can impact your choices and life direction dramatically. That's what this book really expresses, the outcome of decisions, some made in haste and the consequences of those.
Leah Mercer has written a book that depicts the faults in all of us, taking flawed people and telling a story that keeps you wanting more of their individual tales that interlock at the same time. This was a good read and I would be really keen to read more from Leah.
May 23, 2020
"The past wasn't behind us, and it could never be laid to rest. The past was within us. We could barricade ourselves from the outside world as much as we liked, but it would still be there, lying dormant, just waiting for a chance to break into our lives again."
I finished this book within a day, I just couldn't put it down. In some ways Ella reminded me of "Eleanor Oliphant is completely fine": she has a regular job and is happy on her own, she doesn't like to have to deal with people and enjoys to stay in and read. She tries to live a normal life without having to think about why her mother left her when she was just 5 years old. Her mother went into the water, but Ella rejects to believe that she died. After years hoping her mother will come back to to keep the promise of "I am always with you. I will always be here" Ella starts to give in and accepts her mothers death to protect herself from being hurt over and over again. But seeing an ad in a local newspaper saying the exact ten little words her mother always told her shook the foundation of her world. Could it be, that her mom hasn't died after all and tries to reach out? Asking her aunt about the details of her mom's disappearance leads to discovering her mother as an authentic person and not just the ideal she had of her in her mind all those years. I loved how the story deals with loss and how it haunts you years, even decades later. It was a beautiful story and I can't wait to read more of Leah Mercer's work.
Thanks netgalley and Amazon Publishing UK for giving me a chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I finished this book within a day, I just couldn't put it down. In some ways Ella reminded me of "Eleanor Oliphant is completely fine": she has a regular job and is happy on her own, she doesn't like to have to deal with people and enjoys to stay in and read. She tries to live a normal life without having to think about why her mother left her when she was just 5 years old. Her mother went into the water, but Ella rejects to believe that she died. After years hoping her mother will come back to to keep the promise of "I am always with you. I will always be here" Ella starts to give in and accepts her mothers death to protect herself from being hurt over and over again. But seeing an ad in a local newspaper saying the exact ten little words her mother always told her shook the foundation of her world. Could it be, that her mom hasn't died after all and tries to reach out? Asking her aunt about the details of her mom's disappearance leads to discovering her mother as an authentic person and not just the ideal she had of her in her mind all those years. I loved how the story deals with loss and how it haunts you years, even decades later. It was a beautiful story and I can't wait to read more of Leah Mercer's work.
Thanks netgalley and Amazon Publishing UK for giving me a chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
April 30, 2020
My review contains spoilers.
"I am always with you. I will always be here."
Jude broke that promise to her 5-year-old daughter when she walked into the sea, abandoning Ella to the care of her sister.
Her body was never discovered and she was later declared dead.
30 years later, Ella finds an anonymous ad in a paper containing the ten little words her mother always used to repeat to her...
Is Jude still alive? As Ella discovers the truth about her mother's disappearance, little does she know that her life is about to be changed forever.
The story follows Ella's point of view and is entwined with Jude's recap of the events leading to her disappearance.
I admit this was not my usual go-to story, but nevertheless, I quite enjoyed it.
The story focused on emotions, instead of a fast-paced thrilling sequence of events, but it offered bits of mystery as well.
As the story progressed, I found myself drawn into it with the question of whether Jude was indeed still alive.
However, I must say that the reason she had for leaving her daughter didn't seem to provide enough justification for her actions, and therefore I failed to feel sorry for her, even despite the fact that she was a victim as well.
The ending also fell flat for me, it felt too cliched, soapy and too much of a "happily ever after".
Overall, it was a good read, and I'm sure it will find a lot of fans, so I recommend you give it a go.
"I am always with you. I will always be here."
Jude broke that promise to her 5-year-old daughter when she walked into the sea, abandoning Ella to the care of her sister.
Her body was never discovered and she was later declared dead.
30 years later, Ella finds an anonymous ad in a paper containing the ten little words her mother always used to repeat to her...
Is Jude still alive? As Ella discovers the truth about her mother's disappearance, little does she know that her life is about to be changed forever.
The story follows Ella's point of view and is entwined with Jude's recap of the events leading to her disappearance.
I admit this was not my usual go-to story, but nevertheless, I quite enjoyed it.
The story focused on emotions, instead of a fast-paced thrilling sequence of events, but it offered bits of mystery as well.
As the story progressed, I found myself drawn into it with the question of whether Jude was indeed still alive.
However, I must say that the reason she had for leaving her daughter didn't seem to provide enough justification for her actions, and therefore I failed to feel sorry for her, even despite the fact that she was a victim as well.
The ending also fell flat for me, it felt too cliched, soapy and too much of a "happily ever after".
Overall, it was a good read, and I'm sure it will find a lot of fans, so I recommend you give it a go.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 30, 2020
After promising Ella in ten little words that she would never leave her, Ella’s mum Jude is dead. For thirty years Ella has felt betrayed. Even though she was adopted by her Aunt Carolyn she still feels there’s no place for her in this world. She lives alone with her cat, has the same lunch every day at work and never socialises - merely exists. But everything changes one day when she opens a paper and sees a ten word advert in the classifieds. She refuses to believe her mum is still alive but feels compelled to find out exactly what happened all those years ago.
This book is well written with likeable characters and I found myself easily drawn into the novel. Thank you to NetGalley, Amazon Publishing UK and the author for the chance to review.
This book is well written with likeable characters and I found myself easily drawn into the novel. Thank you to NetGalley, Amazon Publishing UK and the author for the chance to review.
July 6, 2020
Never have ten little words ever held such powerful meaning, at least not for the characters in this heartbreaking drama.
I am always with you. I will always be here. Those are the words that little Ella’s mum Jude used to whisper to her before deciding to abandon her daughter and drown herself at sea. Such a desperate act has defined Ella’s life so that growing up into adulthood those words are a constant refrain, an echo of a past she cannot leave behind.
Shunning family life with aunt Carolyn, relationships and friendships, Ella prefers to live a self contained life, with just her cat Dolby for company, yet she has remained in Hastings, the seaside town which is where it all began. For Ella has never come to terms with her mother’s death, instead believing somehow, someday Jude will return. When Ella reads a classified ad in a newspaper containing those same ten words she instantly believes this has to be a sign, a slim possibility that her mother is still alive. With the mystery gathering momentum, reading through a box of unopened letters addressed to Jude is what propels Ella on a journey towards the truth surrounding this tragedy. Taking herself out of her comfort zone and away from her job at the Musical museum, Ella travels to Edinburgh where Bertie, Jude’s one true love, lives, determined that this is the starting point for her long held questions to finally be answered.
It’s Ella’s search for her mother that provides the main focus for this novel with a timeline alternating between the present and Jude’s past. I couldn’t understand why Ella harbours such resentment towards her aunt Carolyn but having been abandoned at such a young age I suppose it’s inevitable Ella would have issues with allowing herself to be truly loved. Unfortunately she does come across as terribly self pitying so rather than feel sympathy for her I mostly felt exasperation. She’s a character completely in denial, pretending that she’s fine living in a shell but being in a situation whereby you’re unsure if your mother definitely drowned or deliberately walked away to begin a new life somewhere else can’t be easy. I’m not sure which of these scenarios is worse, hence why up to a point I felt Ella had every right to feel such hurt and anger. Except I felt her anger was misdirected so letting these feelings fester for thirty years means she’s missed out on so much potential happiness. I couldn’t help but feel sad for a character so terrified to move on from her past yet her self pitying became too repetitive for my liking. Thats not to say I didn’t feel incredible anger towards Jude for abandoning people who clearly loved her and can’t imagining committing such a selfish act.
I much preferred reading about Jude’s past life if I’m honest. Her ambition to become a recognised successful singer in London rather than confining herself to singing in the pubs of Hastings showed a driven character with more spirit than Ella seemed to possess. Her chance meeting along the promenade with Bertie and brother Frank ultimately leads her life in another direction, seizing an opportunity to settle into a life in Edinburgh with her adoring man. These two are like chalk and cheese and whilst opposites attract I had no doubt their own love story was doomed from the beginning. Bertie is such a true gent and probably my favourite character and I loved the musical aspect to this storyline.
There’s plenty of emotion is this drama to potentially tug at the heartstrings yet I thought it tended towards the melodramatic and left me dry eyed rather than reaching for the tissues. I wanted to be moved to tears by this story but for reasons I can’t pinpoint that didn’t happen. Tackling such serious topics as suicide, abandonment and Alzheimer’s should provide plenty of reasons to make the reader a blubbering mess because there’s no doubt the storyline is overwhelmingly sad. I thought the ending suffered from being too transparent and predictable. Uncovering secrets and lies that have multiplied over thirty years revealed a tragic waste of at least four lives which could have so easily been avoided.
This was my first time reading a book by this author and although I wasn’t bowled over, neither did I completely dislike it. All in all Ten Little Words was likeable enough. It just didn’t set my world alight but of course you may beg to differ. My actual rating is 3.5 stars!!!!!
My thanks as always to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC.
I am always with you. I will always be here. Those are the words that little Ella’s mum Jude used to whisper to her before deciding to abandon her daughter and drown herself at sea. Such a desperate act has defined Ella’s life so that growing up into adulthood those words are a constant refrain, an echo of a past she cannot leave behind.
Shunning family life with aunt Carolyn, relationships and friendships, Ella prefers to live a self contained life, with just her cat Dolby for company, yet she has remained in Hastings, the seaside town which is where it all began. For Ella has never come to terms with her mother’s death, instead believing somehow, someday Jude will return. When Ella reads a classified ad in a newspaper containing those same ten words she instantly believes this has to be a sign, a slim possibility that her mother is still alive. With the mystery gathering momentum, reading through a box of unopened letters addressed to Jude is what propels Ella on a journey towards the truth surrounding this tragedy. Taking herself out of her comfort zone and away from her job at the Musical museum, Ella travels to Edinburgh where Bertie, Jude’s one true love, lives, determined that this is the starting point for her long held questions to finally be answered.
It’s Ella’s search for her mother that provides the main focus for this novel with a timeline alternating between the present and Jude’s past. I couldn’t understand why Ella harbours such resentment towards her aunt Carolyn but having been abandoned at such a young age I suppose it’s inevitable Ella would have issues with allowing herself to be truly loved. Unfortunately she does come across as terribly self pitying so rather than feel sympathy for her I mostly felt exasperation. She’s a character completely in denial, pretending that she’s fine living in a shell but being in a situation whereby you’re unsure if your mother definitely drowned or deliberately walked away to begin a new life somewhere else can’t be easy. I’m not sure which of these scenarios is worse, hence why up to a point I felt Ella had every right to feel such hurt and anger. Except I felt her anger was misdirected so letting these feelings fester for thirty years means she’s missed out on so much potential happiness. I couldn’t help but feel sad for a character so terrified to move on from her past yet her self pitying became too repetitive for my liking. Thats not to say I didn’t feel incredible anger towards Jude for abandoning people who clearly loved her and can’t imagining committing such a selfish act.
I much preferred reading about Jude’s past life if I’m honest. Her ambition to become a recognised successful singer in London rather than confining herself to singing in the pubs of Hastings showed a driven character with more spirit than Ella seemed to possess. Her chance meeting along the promenade with Bertie and brother Frank ultimately leads her life in another direction, seizing an opportunity to settle into a life in Edinburgh with her adoring man. These two are like chalk and cheese and whilst opposites attract I had no doubt their own love story was doomed from the beginning. Bertie is such a true gent and probably my favourite character and I loved the musical aspect to this storyline.
There’s plenty of emotion is this drama to potentially tug at the heartstrings yet I thought it tended towards the melodramatic and left me dry eyed rather than reaching for the tissues. I wanted to be moved to tears by this story but for reasons I can’t pinpoint that didn’t happen. Tackling such serious topics as suicide, abandonment and Alzheimer’s should provide plenty of reasons to make the reader a blubbering mess because there’s no doubt the storyline is overwhelmingly sad. I thought the ending suffered from being too transparent and predictable. Uncovering secrets and lies that have multiplied over thirty years revealed a tragic waste of at least four lives which could have so easily been avoided.
This was my first time reading a book by this author and although I wasn’t bowled over, neither did I completely dislike it. All in all Ten Little Words was likeable enough. It just didn’t set my world alight but of course you may beg to differ. My actual rating is 3.5 stars!!!!!
My thanks as always to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC.
July 11, 2020
Trigger Warning: This book contains talk of suicide and sexual assault.
I received this book from a Goodreads giveaway.
Ten little words was beautiful, heartbreaking, and lovely. It had me hooked from the very beginning.
Ten Little Words follows the perspectives of Jude, from the past, and Ella, in the present. 30 years ago, Jude was a vibrant, carefree girl, who wanted to be a singer. She was happy with her life. Then one day, her life changes forever.
Five years later, Jude leaves her 5 year old daughter, Ella in the care of her sister, and was never seen again. Fast forward 30 years to Ella, who sees an advert with the ten little words that her mother used to say to her every night. These words set Ella on a path to find out what really happened to her mother, and why she left her all those years ago.
I really enjoyed the past and present POVs of Jude and Ella. It was great being able to compare and contrast the characters and see how the two stories were going to weave together. I also really liked the setting of the story. The description of the promenade, the smells and the sounds, made me feel like I was really there.
Like I said, this book had me hooked from the beginning. I felt very invested in the story, and I needed to know what happened to Jude, and what made her do what she did. I had a real connection with Jude and Ella.
This story was a beautifully written story of love, heartbreak, loneliness, family, and finding a way to open yourself up to the people around you.
I received this book from a Goodreads giveaway.
Ten little words was beautiful, heartbreaking, and lovely. It had me hooked from the very beginning.
Ten Little Words follows the perspectives of Jude, from the past, and Ella, in the present. 30 years ago, Jude was a vibrant, carefree girl, who wanted to be a singer. She was happy with her life. Then one day, her life changes forever.
Five years later, Jude leaves her 5 year old daughter, Ella in the care of her sister, and was never seen again. Fast forward 30 years to Ella, who sees an advert with the ten little words that her mother used to say to her every night. These words set Ella on a path to find out what really happened to her mother, and why she left her all those years ago.
I really enjoyed the past and present POVs of Jude and Ella. It was great being able to compare and contrast the characters and see how the two stories were going to weave together. I also really liked the setting of the story. The description of the promenade, the smells and the sounds, made me feel like I was really there.
Like I said, this book had me hooked from the beginning. I felt very invested in the story, and I needed to know what happened to Jude, and what made her do what she did. I had a real connection with Jude and Ella.
This story was a beautifully written story of love, heartbreak, loneliness, family, and finding a way to open yourself up to the people around you.
September 7, 2025
What a beautiful story about the bond between a mother and daughter—one that endured both distance and time. I loved the dual narration, with the daughter’s perspective in the present and the mother’s voice from the past. This dual timeline not only gave depth to the story but also allowed us to fully understand both sides. Through the mother’s chapters, we witness the struggles of a young woman trying to define herself while balancing a cherished relationship and facing a painful experience that nearly shattered it. From the daughter’s point of view, we see the highs and lows of grappling with her mother’s choices and the lasting impact they had on her journey to womanhood. The story ends on a heartwarming, if somewhat predictable, note and offers plenty of life’s wisdom along the way.
July 13, 2020
Disappointing
I have read Leah Mercer's other books and loved them. I bought this new one on the day it was released and was really looking forward to it. Sadly, it just isn't up to her usual high standard. The 'ten little words' get laboured again and again, to the point of irritation. The story centres on Ella, a likeable enough character. Her mother vanished when she was 5, and she was brought up by her aunt. She lives very quietly and finds it hard to open up to anyone. Her mother was presumed drowned but no body was found. One day, Ella sees a notice in the paper saying the ten words her mother always said to her. The same words she had on a necklace that she promised to give Ella. This leads Ella to start asking questions she has never wanted to hear the answers to before. From this point, the book becomes quite unbelievable. There is a box of unopened letters, which have been kept for some reason and takes Ella on a trip to Scotland to find out more. Too many coincidences and cliches left me feeling disappointed in the whole story. Please don't read this as your first Leah Mercer book, she usually writes much better than this.
I have read Leah Mercer's other books and loved them. I bought this new one on the day it was released and was really looking forward to it. Sadly, it just isn't up to her usual high standard. The 'ten little words' get laboured again and again, to the point of irritation. The story centres on Ella, a likeable enough character. Her mother vanished when she was 5, and she was brought up by her aunt. She lives very quietly and finds it hard to open up to anyone. Her mother was presumed drowned but no body was found. One day, Ella sees a notice in the paper saying the ten words her mother always said to her. The same words she had on a necklace that she promised to give Ella. This leads Ella to start asking questions she has never wanted to hear the answers to before. From this point, the book becomes quite unbelievable. There is a box of unopened letters, which have been kept for some reason and takes Ella on a trip to Scotland to find out more. Too many coincidences and cliches left me feeling disappointed in the whole story. Please don't read this as your first Leah Mercer book, she usually writes much better than this.
July 11, 2020
Ella decided a long time ago, that she would keep herself protected from life and unexpected situations after her mother's unforgettable betrayal. Ten words her mother had been saying very often,were the symbol of their unbreakable attachment. Until that day, 30 years ago.
Then one day in the present, is with unbelievable apprehension that she reads these ten words in the paper and her world starts to spin uncontrollably.
The premise of the book was a real challenge. How would the author work through the pages without falling in the usual cliches? How would she keep the readers turning the pages without giving up too much or too little?
Well, I have to say that the outcome is satisfactory. The pace is good and the characters are strongly developed. I would have liked a more detailed epilogue, but that's a personal opinion. I liked what I and I might admit there were some tears involved.
It was not my first book from this author. I think she keeps improving and would love to read more from her in the near future.
Then one day in the present, is with unbelievable apprehension that she reads these ten words in the paper and her world starts to spin uncontrollably.
The premise of the book was a real challenge. How would the author work through the pages without falling in the usual cliches? How would she keep the readers turning the pages without giving up too much or too little?
Well, I have to say that the outcome is satisfactory. The pace is good and the characters are strongly developed. I would have liked a more detailed epilogue, but that's a personal opinion. I liked what I and I might admit there were some tears involved.
It was not my first book from this author. I think she keeps improving and would love to read more from her in the near future.
December 9, 2023
Round up to 4.5 stars.
July 9, 2020
The story begins with Ella's mother's disappearance. She is later presumed dead, after promising in 10 words, that she will never leave Ella. Ella moves to London and is raised by her Aunt Carolyn. The move to London and her love of music help Mia deal with her anger and resentment that she feels towards her mother. She discovered something in the newspaper that will shock her. Those same 10 words, that her mother left her, appear in the newspaper, making Ella relive her mother's death. Is her mother really dead or did she fake her death?
I enjoyed how thd story shifts between Ella and her mother, Jude. You get insight into Jude's younger years leading up to her disappearance. There are so many twists and surprises in this book that I really enjoyed. I found myself emphasizing/siding with Ella rather than Jude. Ten Little Words is well written. Definitely filed with emotions and a real page turner. I definitely recommend.
I would like to thank Leah Mercer, Amazon Publishing UK and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.
I enjoyed how thd story shifts between Ella and her mother, Jude. You get insight into Jude's younger years leading up to her disappearance. There are so many twists and surprises in this book that I really enjoyed. I found myself emphasizing/siding with Ella rather than Jude. Ten Little Words is well written. Definitely filed with emotions and a real page turner. I definitely recommend.
I would like to thank Leah Mercer, Amazon Publishing UK and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.
July 1, 2020
Although this was a bit slow going I appreciate the storyline and pleased with the way it ended. The story builds through Ella, in current time, and Jade, from about twenty until Ella’s birth. One event in Jade’s life changed her course forever, causing her to make tough decisions she thought were good for her daughter. I mentioned the book moving slowly but at about 80% I couldn’t put it down, we were finally getting answers and emotions. Ella has been like a robot moving through the motions of life until she spots something in the classifieds that makes her question everything. I’ve read Mercer’s books before and enjoyed them, even if this was not a favorite I will continue to read her works. My copy was provided by the publisher through Netgalley, review offered voluntarily.
June 30, 2020
What happened when Ella was five? Did her mother Jude really die or did she just disappear? Told in dual time line- Jude's story in the 1980s and Ella's as an adult questioning all she's known- it's a story about a woman coming to terms with her life. Ella's never connected with anyone, not with her aunt, not with her colleagues, not with a man. Is this because her mother left her (however it happened)? That's the constant refrain in her head. The publication of an ad in a local paper with the words her mother always said to her sets her off on a quest. Jude, on the other hand, heads down a rabbit hole of sorts. There aren't many surprises here (I guessed what happened and why) but it's a well done character driven read. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.
June 18, 2020
Review of eBook
Despondent, Jude Morgan walks into the sea, leaving her five-year-old daughter behind. Raised by Jude’s sister and her husband, Ella finally relinquishes her belief that her mother will return one day.
But ten little words in a cryptic classified advertisement throw her life into uncertainty. Is it possible that her mother is still alive? Determined to find an answer, Ella sets out on a trail of discovery that promises to change everything she believes.
Told alternately by mother and daughter, the unfolding story juxtaposes Ella’s present with Jude’s past as it reveals the effects of life’s vicissitudes on each of the women. Filled with emotion and angst, the story keeps the reader involved as it explores how a family, caught in the turmoil of grief and loss, deals with the consequences of the choices and decisions they’ve made.
Nuanced, believable characters populate the narrative, but readers will find little suspense in the telling of the tale. Unfortunately, the narrative’s denouement seems to fall into place far too easily to feel credible. Although readers may find Jude’s rationale for her actions rather insubstantial, it is important to note that the larger story is in the relationship between characters and in the ways in which lives are touched by trauma, betrayal, resentment, trust, hope, and love.
Recommended.
I received a free copy of this eBook from Amazon Publishing UK and NetGalley
Despondent, Jude Morgan walks into the sea, leaving her five-year-old daughter behind. Raised by Jude’s sister and her husband, Ella finally relinquishes her belief that her mother will return one day.
But ten little words in a cryptic classified advertisement throw her life into uncertainty. Is it possible that her mother is still alive? Determined to find an answer, Ella sets out on a trail of discovery that promises to change everything she believes.
Told alternately by mother and daughter, the unfolding story juxtaposes Ella’s present with Jude’s past as it reveals the effects of life’s vicissitudes on each of the women. Filled with emotion and angst, the story keeps the reader involved as it explores how a family, caught in the turmoil of grief and loss, deals with the consequences of the choices and decisions they’ve made.
Nuanced, believable characters populate the narrative, but readers will find little suspense in the telling of the tale. Unfortunately, the narrative’s denouement seems to fall into place far too easily to feel credible. Although readers may find Jude’s rationale for her actions rather insubstantial, it is important to note that the larger story is in the relationship between characters and in the ways in which lives are touched by trauma, betrayal, resentment, trust, hope, and love.
Recommended.
I received a free copy of this eBook from Amazon Publishing UK and NetGalley
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