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3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I was given an eARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
It’s been three years since Anna’s husband, Spencer passed away due to an accident. Anna’s still struggling— unable to get out of bed, going through days of numbness, and shutting herself out from the world. Her best friend constantly is trying to get her out into the world by trying new things. But, Anna isn’t ready to move on yet. She still has all of Spencer’s things where he left them and her fortnight dinners with his family are spent mourning him.
Anna calls Spencer’s phone on occasion, just so she can hear his voice. On New Year’s Eve someone picks up, someone who’s not Spencer. Through the next year, the two form a bond and help each other through their grief. Anna is able to pull herself out of her depression and get back out into the world. Brody, the man on the other end of the phone, finally begins to stop isolating himself from the world. Through it all they heal, and maybe even find love along the way.
This was a beautiful book about grief and mental health. Anna and Brody were struggling and Fiona Lucas did a fantastic job depicting this. There were subtle hints throughout showing the characters beginning to heal, as well as setbacks to their healing. The two characters were so real.
I felt like the book dragged in the middle and also I wasn’t totally buying that they were falling for each other. To me it just seemed like they were mistaking their healing and dependence on each other for love.
Overall this was a beautiful book on healing after loss and finding yourself again.
It’s been three years since Anna’s husband, Spencer passed away due to an accident. Anna’s still struggling— unable to get out of bed, going through days of numbness, and shutting herself out from the world. Her best friend constantly is trying to get her out into the world by trying new things. But, Anna isn’t ready to move on yet. She still has all of Spencer’s things where he left them and her fortnight dinners with his family are spent mourning him.
Anna calls Spencer’s phone on occasion, just so she can hear his voice. On New Year’s Eve someone picks up, someone who’s not Spencer. Through the next year, the two form a bond and help each other through their grief. Anna is able to pull herself out of her depression and get back out into the world. Brody, the man on the other end of the phone, finally begins to stop isolating himself from the world. Through it all they heal, and maybe even find love along the way.
This was a beautiful book about grief and mental health. Anna and Brody were struggling and Fiona Lucas did a fantastic job depicting this. There were subtle hints throughout showing the characters beginning to heal, as well as setbacks to their healing. The two characters were so real.
Overall this was a beautiful book on healing after loss and finding yourself again.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief
I couldn’t finish this one. I got to 33%. I wouldn’t say it was bad, I think maybe I just wasn’t in the mood for this type of book? It was kind of slow moving. I might go back to it sometime, I’m not sure.
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I couldn't put this book down at all because it was so well written and it captivated me so easily. The trauma and the grief was handled so well, while also getting that slow-burn romance that developed overtime and watching the them progress gradually with their grief made me ecstatic for the both of them. Even the characters you may not like at first, you end up sympathizing with them in one way or another and I think the author has done a great job of showing the ways people deal with loss. This is probably one of my favourite contemporary books ever.
emotional
hopeful
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
hopeful
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
How do you really say goodbye to someone you loved?
Anna's husband, Simon, died tragically and unexpectedly three years ago. Despite her friend's efforts to help her move on from her grief by making her sign up for things such as salsa classes, Anna still struggles. She still has lunch with Simon's family every other week. She still calls Simon's phone just to hear his voice and to talk to him.
It is on one of these calls that Anna made on New Year's Eve that the phone picks up, and we meet Brody, who has just been given Simon's phone number. Over the next few months, Anna continues to call and speak with Brody. Brody has also lost someone dear to him, and their calls become a source of healing for both of them.
The book started off a little slow-moving, but the story and characters are compelling and do keep you reading. It's almost like you trudge through the grief with them at the beginning, and then, as things move forward, the plot picks up and keeps going at a faster pace. The first several chapters are all told from Anna's perspective, but then you start to get chapters from Brody's perspective. It was nice to have that intimate portrayal of grief from two points of view. Though the theme of this book is a tough one, I didn't think the book got bogged down in the tragedy. The author was able to create a story that was poignant without being dreadful.
What a lovely book. Thank you to William Morrow and Custom House for the advance reader's copy through NetGalley.
Anna's husband, Simon, died tragically and unexpectedly three years ago. Despite her friend's efforts to help her move on from her grief by making her sign up for things such as salsa classes, Anna still struggles. She still has lunch with Simon's family every other week. She still calls Simon's phone just to hear his voice and to talk to him.
It is on one of these calls that Anna made on New Year's Eve that the phone picks up, and we meet Brody, who has just been given Simon's phone number. Over the next few months, Anna continues to call and speak with Brody. Brody has also lost someone dear to him, and their calls become a source of healing for both of them.
The book started off a little slow-moving, but the story and characters are compelling and do keep you reading. It's almost like you trudge through the grief with them at the beginning, and then, as things move forward, the plot picks up and keeps going at a faster pace. The first several chapters are all told from Anna's perspective, but then you start to get chapters from Brody's perspective. It was nice to have that intimate portrayal of grief from two points of view. Though the theme of this book is a tough one, I didn't think the book got bogged down in the tragedy. The author was able to create a story that was poignant without being dreadful.
What a lovely book. Thank you to William Morrow and Custom House for the advance reader's copy through NetGalley.
***I received an arc copy of the audiobook via Netgalley- here is my honest review***
US edition out 6/8/21
Description: Three years after the unexpected loss of her husband, Spencer, Anna is still in mourning. On New Years Eve, Anna calls Spencer’s old phone just to hear his voice but a stranger answers. A stranger who, unlike her well meaning friends and family, understands exactly how she feels. Over the next year, the two help each other work through their pain via phone calls.
Review: I should point out that this is not the type of book I would normally gravitate to. I tend to choose more upbeat books but that doesn’t matter because I adored this book.
If I could choose one word to describe this book, it would be real. Everything about it just seemed so believable. This author took her time with the characters journey and really showed the reader how moving on isn’t a linear process and everyone has their own timeline. It never felt rushed and I did not want it to end.
Anna’s grief and Brody’s anxiety were so well described in this book that at times it almost felt tangible. I found myself in the heads of Anna and Brody. I felt heart broken when they were down, cheerful when they were happy, and I always understood where they were coming from even though I have never experienced a loss like theirs. It was such a great experience reading their journey and watching them go navigate through their grief and start living again..
This book gave me Josie Silver vibes, in fact, I would say this book was a combination of Josie Silver’s The Two Lives of Lydie Bird meets Taylor Jenkins Reid’s Forever Interrupted.
I cannot wait for this book to release in the US because I definitely want to own a physical copy. It was absolutely beautiful and so well written. I would recommend ten times over.
US edition out 6/8/21
Description: Three years after the unexpected loss of her husband, Spencer, Anna is still in mourning. On New Years Eve, Anna calls Spencer’s old phone just to hear his voice but a stranger answers. A stranger who, unlike her well meaning friends and family, understands exactly how she feels. Over the next year, the two help each other work through their pain via phone calls.
Review: I should point out that this is not the type of book I would normally gravitate to. I tend to choose more upbeat books but that doesn’t matter because I adored this book.
If I could choose one word to describe this book, it would be real. Everything about it just seemed so believable. This author took her time with the characters journey and really showed the reader how moving on isn’t a linear process and everyone has their own timeline. It never felt rushed and I did not want it to end.
Anna’s grief and Brody’s anxiety were so well described in this book that at times it almost felt tangible. I found myself in the heads of Anna and Brody. I felt heart broken when they were down, cheerful when they were happy, and I always understood where they were coming from even though I have never experienced a loss like theirs. It was such a great experience reading their journey and watching them go navigate through their grief and start living again..
This book gave me Josie Silver vibes, in fact, I would say this book was a combination of Josie Silver’s The Two Lives of Lydie Bird meets Taylor Jenkins Reid’s Forever Interrupted.
I cannot wait for this book to release in the US because I definitely want to own a physical copy. It was absolutely beautiful and so well written. I would recommend ten times over.
This book is a captivating and beautifully written piece of literature. It deals with loss, grief, and even delves into mental health in a way that really clearly illustrates the problems one might go through when experiencing life-altering and traumatizing events. I was hooked on reading this from the very first chapter and had such difficulty putting it down that I finished the book in two days. There were parts that made me laugh, parts that made me cry, and parts that made me really think. If a book can make you do all three while being thoroughly entertaining and attention-grabbing, then it is surely a recipe for success. I haven't read any book like this recently and would definitely recommend picking up a copy once it comes out.
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It has been 3 years since Anna’s husband tragically died and she can’t seem to move on. After a rough New Year’s Eve, she decides to call his phone to hear his voice one more time through his voicemail. Instead, someone answers. It turns out that after the phone bill not being paid, they finally recycled the number and gave it to someone new. The man who answers, Brody, becomes a safe haven for Anna. Together they are able to talk through their individual griefs, coping with loss, and taking small steps to re-enter the world again.
This is a beautifully written story centered on loss and how other people expect you to cope with it. Anna, for instance, has her mother and friend encouraging her to try new things and possibly date, whereas her mother-in-law implies Anna is being disloyal when she finally starts to live again. Everyone handles grief differently and there is no perfect amount of time for how long it takes to cope; Fiona Lucas portrayed this extremely well.
While I wasn’t particularly looking for a sad read, this story enraptured me from the start. Despite the sensitive material, the book was pretty uplifting and inspiring. Brody and Anna found each other when they both desperately needed someone who truly understood what they were going for and were both able to help each other climb out of the holes they have been living in. Both of their stories will tug at your heart.
I do have to also add that this is a great one to check out on audio—the narration was so well-done and it really brought the story to life.
Please go buy this book when it’s out in the US on June 8th!!
TW: death of spouse, death of child, depression, panic attacks, agoraphobia, anxiety, grief
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Reread July 2024: maybe a 4.5 star now, but still great! I didn’t get all the feels reading through the second time, but this story has lived rent free in my brain for 3 years and that says a lot.
Anna tragically lost her husband and soulmate nearly 3 years ago. Her friends and family are desperate for her to move forward, but that just doesn’t seem possible for Anna. She’s going through the motions and drowning in the pointlessness of life without her love. On New Years Eve, feeling especially lost and alone, Anna calls her husband’s cell phone, just to hear his voicemail, but instead hears another voice down the line. Her husband’s number has been reassigned to a man named Brody. Anna comes to find comfort and freedom in baring her ugliest thoughts to this stranger. As the conversations continue with more frequency, Brody becomes a bit of a lifeline. He’s someone who has also experienced loss and therefore understands all the ways Anna feels in a way others in her life simply cannot. This story was so lovely. Usually when I get to the end of a book I’m ready for everything to wrap up and end, even if it’s a book I’m enjoying, however I was genuinely sad for this story to end. This book was so cozy and comforting and sweet. I could have hung out with Brody and Anna for a long long time. I was captivated by the depictions of grief. This book captured the heartache and struggles without ever being dreary or hopeless, even when the characters felt dreary and hopeless. This is the story of finding a way forward and battling your fears, even with numbness feels safer. I absolutely adored this book! Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. This delightful debut from Fiona Lucas releases on June 8, so keep an eye out!
Anna tragically lost her husband and soulmate nearly 3 years ago. Her friends and family are desperate for her to move forward, but that just doesn’t seem possible for Anna. She’s going through the motions and drowning in the pointlessness of life without her love. On New Years Eve, feeling especially lost and alone, Anna calls her husband’s cell phone, just to hear his voicemail, but instead hears another voice down the line. Her husband’s number has been reassigned to a man named Brody. Anna comes to find comfort and freedom in baring her ugliest thoughts to this stranger. As the conversations continue with more frequency, Brody becomes a bit of a lifeline. He’s someone who has also experienced loss and therefore understands all the ways Anna feels in a way others in her life simply cannot. This story was so lovely. Usually when I get to the end of a book I’m ready for everything to wrap up and end, even if it’s a book I’m enjoying, however I was genuinely sad for this story to end. This book was so cozy and comforting and sweet. I could have hung out with Brody and Anna for a long long time. I was captivated by the depictions of grief. This book captured the heartache and struggles without ever being dreary or hopeless, even when the characters felt dreary and hopeless. This is the story of finding a way forward and battling your fears, even with numbness feels safer. I absolutely adored this book! Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. This delightful debut from Fiona Lucas releases on June 8, so keep an eye out!