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A review by _onemorechapter_
Eddie Winston Is Looking for Love by Marianne Cronin
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
"Hope is a dangerous thing in the hands of the lonely."
💭Let’s talk about Eddie Winston—a 90-year-old gentleman with a heart of gold, a wardrobe as quirky as his personality, and, oh yeah, he’s never been kissed. Yep, you read that right. But Eddie’s not just looking for love; he’s looking for stories, for meaning, for connection. And let me tell you, this book is *everything*.
Now, if you know me, you know how much I love "One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot". That book owns my heart, and Marianne Cronin is officially on my “I’ll-read-anything-you-write” list. So, when I got my hands on "Eddie Winston Is Looking for Love", my expectations were sky-high. And Cronin didn’t disappoint.
Eddie is an absolute *gem* of a character. Former lecturer, now charity shop volunteer, he spends his days sorting through donations—little pieces of other people’s lives—and saving the most sentimental treasures on his secret "Eddie Shelf." Enter Bella, a grief-stricken 24-year-old with a Sainsbury’s uniform, a unique fashion sense, and a heart in need of healing. Their friendship is unlikely, beautiful, and so heartwarming it might just restore your faith in humanity.
The story alternates between timelines: Eddie’s academic days in the 1960s and his current quest for love, and it’s seamless. The humor had me giggling (hello, Ham and Cheese and Marjie with her beef drinks), while the emotional moments had my heart in a vice. And Pushkin the guinea pig? ICONIC.
Bella and Eddie’s bond is pure magic—proof that age doesn’t define friendship. Bella’s mission to help Eddie finally experience a first kiss leads to dating app shenanigans, moments of reflection, and an adventure that’s both funny and poignant. It’s a love story, yes, but not just romantic love—it’s about kindness, friendship, and how people can change each other’s lives in the most unexpected ways.
Cronin’s writing is, as always, beautiful and insightful. She has this way of making the ordinary extraordinary, turning small moments into something unforgettable. This book might not have wrecked me like "Lenni and Margot", but it absolutely warmed my soul.
𝐏.𝐒. Now, someone tells Marianne Cronin to write faster—I need more of this magic in my life! 💕
𝐏.𝐏.𝐒 Have you read it yet? Let’s talk about Eddie, Bella, and guinea pigs in the comments!
🔸𝑴𝒚 𝑹𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.25
🔸𝑮𝒆𝒏𝒓𝒆: Romance 🔸𝑹𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏: Yes!!
If you’re into books with quirky characters, found family vibes, and a good dose of heart, Eddie Winston Is Looking for Love is your next read. Grab a cup of tea, settle in, and prepare to fall in love with Eddie.
🔸 𝑭𝒂𝒗𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒆 𝑸𝒖𝒐𝒕𝒆𝒔:
"He really loved her.
I sit and listen to the tick of the clock.
Oh, how he loved her.
And, I decide, she deserves to know."
"Elsie,
I’m a pirate
A thief
A crustacean collecting pieces of seabed detritus to stick on my shell.
Except what I collect isn’t debris, it is precious."
"Unfortunately, the value of the item exists only as long as the person who values it lives on."
"I’M LINING UP dead men’s shoes on a rack.
How strange that for all their lives, the men who wore these shoes walked a path that would lead to me. At any point, through their childhood or in their teenage years, we were destined to be linked. The intersection of our timelines was always to cross here, with me kneeling on a cushion in front of the men’s shoe shelf, sorting their brown brogues and scuffed trainers, hoping that these shoes, now useless for their dead feet, might be of interest to someone still living."
"In he comes, though she did not invite him in."
"So exciting to be searching for something. It gives us purpose, don’t you think?"
"He would have been twenty-five today,’ she says.
‘He should have been twenty-five today,’ I agree.
‘Yes. He fucking should.’ She begins pouring the water, but her hands are shaking. I take over for her and, once we both have full glasses, I look at her, wishing I could help.
‘We had our first kiss on his fourteenth birthday,’ she says. ‘So it’s the anniversary of that, too."
‘It’s turned to anger,’ she says quietly.
‘What has?’
‘The grief,’ she says. ‘It’s all I feel now.’
‘That’s understandable, dear.’
‘Is it?’
‘Of course. It’s easier to be angry than to be sad. My grandmother used to say that anger is the jacket that fear wears to keep from shaking.’
‘I—’ She stops herself and says, ‘I’m glad I met you, Eddie.’
‘Me too.’
She looks ever so sad.
‘I haven’t cried since Jake died,’ she says.
‘You haven’t?’
‘No.’ She looks as though she has just confessed to a crime. ‘I don’t know what’s wrong with me.’
‘There’s nothing wrong with you, Bella,’ I say. ‘Nothing wrong at all.’
"It is so fragile, the notion that there might be someone out there for everyone."
"But he comes most days. And each day, she waits for him. Hoping there will be a knock at the door and his smile, often accompanied by some biscuits. And this person who has only ever been nice to her sits opposite Bridie and talks to her as if she is intelligent. Laughs with her like she is funny. Smiles at her like she is pretty. And how could she not look forward to seeing him? Not wonder which bow tie and knitted-vest-over-shirt combination he is wearing today. Not hope that he will come back. And when he does, not hope he will come again tomorrow?"
"It takes a lot of courage to write to a stranger with the implied prospect of love."
"Are you religious, Eddie?’ Bella asks me. ‘Do you believe in anything?’
‘Those are really two different questions,’ I tell her. ‘I have never been particularly religious, but I believe in plenty."
"i don’t know why i hate her
it’s not her fault that she can’t help me
but i think i resent her for trying
for the very suggestion that i might be okay without you."
‘Love is really just two people who can’t keep away from each other.’
"I would give anything to be back there with Bridie. To have my chance again. To sweep her off her feet. I want to claw at the face of time, just to be back there with her."
"Her heart is beating so hard she is quite sure he will be able to hear it. Just this, their foreheads in contact, feels more intimate than any kiss. And then he pulls back. And he smiles at her, this young man she wants so badly, standing in front of all of these beautiful books written in a language she can’t read.
Eddie’s hand finds hers.
‘I won’t,’ he whispers. ‘But gosh, how I want to."
"This is mine , her heart says. I want it , says her greed. And the longing, accompanied with the knowledge that he cannot be hers, is what makes the first tear fall."
"There is no limit on love. I am glad to know she had more than even she knew."
"Marjie places Bridie’s shining golden heart in the centre of my palm. And we are together again, we two things that belonged to Bridie Bennett."
‘If I’m in Bridie Bennett’s heart, that’s enough for me.’
‘Oh, if one doesn’t have etiquette, what does one have?’
"looking would be better than not looking."
"Why do we spend so much money on flowers for the dead but barely ever buy them for the living?"
"And you never forget your first."
"HE IS NOT dead.
They will meet the next morning.
Her hands are shaking so much she pours herself a glass of sherry.
He is not dead.
They will meet the next morning.
Good God.
Bridie feels as though she is filled with helium."
‘You waited,’ she says, and she seems saddened by the thought.
‘I waited,’ I tell her, and it sounds like a song.
The light of the hospital window ignites her hair and everything glowing metal around her.
She smiles again.
Eddie , her smile says. It’s time.
And so
I take her perfect face in my hands
and she leans in close
and I close my eyes
and it begins.'
💭Let’s talk about Eddie Winston—a 90-year-old gentleman with a heart of gold, a wardrobe as quirky as his personality, and, oh yeah, he’s never been kissed. Yep, you read that right. But Eddie’s not just looking for love; he’s looking for stories, for meaning, for connection. And let me tell you, this book is *everything*.
Now, if you know me, you know how much I love "One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot". That book owns my heart, and Marianne Cronin is officially on my “I’ll-read-anything-you-write” list. So, when I got my hands on "Eddie Winston Is Looking for Love", my expectations were sky-high. And Cronin didn’t disappoint.
Eddie is an absolute *gem* of a character. Former lecturer, now charity shop volunteer, he spends his days sorting through donations—little pieces of other people’s lives—and saving the most sentimental treasures on his secret "Eddie Shelf." Enter Bella, a grief-stricken 24-year-old with a Sainsbury’s uniform, a unique fashion sense, and a heart in need of healing. Their friendship is unlikely, beautiful, and so heartwarming it might just restore your faith in humanity.
The story alternates between timelines: Eddie’s academic days in the 1960s and his current quest for love, and it’s seamless. The humor had me giggling (hello, Ham and Cheese and Marjie with her beef drinks), while the emotional moments had my heart in a vice. And Pushkin the guinea pig? ICONIC.
Bella and Eddie’s bond is pure magic—proof that age doesn’t define friendship. Bella’s mission to help Eddie finally experience a first kiss leads to dating app shenanigans, moments of reflection, and an adventure that’s both funny and poignant. It’s a love story, yes, but not just romantic love—it’s about kindness, friendship, and how people can change each other’s lives in the most unexpected ways.
Cronin’s writing is, as always, beautiful and insightful. She has this way of making the ordinary extraordinary, turning small moments into something unforgettable. This book might not have wrecked me like "Lenni and Margot", but it absolutely warmed my soul.
𝐏.𝐒. Now, someone tells Marianne Cronin to write faster—I need more of this magic in my life! 💕
𝐏.𝐏.𝐒 Have you read it yet? Let’s talk about Eddie, Bella, and guinea pigs in the comments!
🔸𝑴𝒚 𝑹𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.25
🔸𝑮𝒆𝒏𝒓𝒆: Romance 🔸𝑹𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏: Yes!!
If you’re into books with quirky characters, found family vibes, and a good dose of heart, Eddie Winston Is Looking for Love is your next read. Grab a cup of tea, settle in, and prepare to fall in love with Eddie.
🔸 𝑭𝒂𝒗𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒆 𝑸𝒖𝒐𝒕𝒆𝒔:
"He really loved her.
I sit and listen to the tick of the clock.
Oh, how he loved her.
And, I decide, she deserves to know."
"Elsie,
I’m a pirate
A thief
A crustacean collecting pieces of seabed detritus to stick on my shell.
Except what I collect isn’t debris, it is precious."
"Unfortunately, the value of the item exists only as long as the person who values it lives on."
"I’M LINING UP dead men’s shoes on a rack.
How strange that for all their lives, the men who wore these shoes walked a path that would lead to me. At any point, through their childhood or in their teenage years, we were destined to be linked. The intersection of our timelines was always to cross here, with me kneeling on a cushion in front of the men’s shoe shelf, sorting their brown brogues and scuffed trainers, hoping that these shoes, now useless for their dead feet, might be of interest to someone still living."
"In he comes, though she did not invite him in."
"So exciting to be searching for something. It gives us purpose, don’t you think?"
"He would have been twenty-five today,’ she says.
‘He should have been twenty-five today,’ I agree.
‘Yes. He fucking should.’ She begins pouring the water, but her hands are shaking. I take over for her and, once we both have full glasses, I look at her, wishing I could help.
‘We had our first kiss on his fourteenth birthday,’ she says. ‘So it’s the anniversary of that, too."
‘It’s turned to anger,’ she says quietly.
‘What has?’
‘The grief,’ she says. ‘It’s all I feel now.’
‘That’s understandable, dear.’
‘Is it?’
‘Of course. It’s easier to be angry than to be sad. My grandmother used to say that anger is the jacket that fear wears to keep from shaking.’
‘I—’ She stops herself and says, ‘I’m glad I met you, Eddie.’
‘Me too.’
She looks ever so sad.
‘I haven’t cried since Jake died,’ she says.
‘You haven’t?’
‘No.’ She looks as though she has just confessed to a crime. ‘I don’t know what’s wrong with me.’
‘There’s nothing wrong with you, Bella,’ I say. ‘Nothing wrong at all.’
"It is so fragile, the notion that there might be someone out there for everyone."
"But he comes most days. And each day, she waits for him. Hoping there will be a knock at the door and his smile, often accompanied by some biscuits. And this person who has only ever been nice to her sits opposite Bridie and talks to her as if she is intelligent. Laughs with her like she is funny. Smiles at her like she is pretty. And how could she not look forward to seeing him? Not wonder which bow tie and knitted-vest-over-shirt combination he is wearing today. Not hope that he will come back. And when he does, not hope he will come again tomorrow?"
"It takes a lot of courage to write to a stranger with the implied prospect of love."
"Are you religious, Eddie?’ Bella asks me. ‘Do you believe in anything?’
‘Those are really two different questions,’ I tell her. ‘I have never been particularly religious, but I believe in plenty."
"i don’t know why i hate her
it’s not her fault that she can’t help me
but i think i resent her for trying
for the very suggestion that i might be okay without you."
‘Love is really just two people who can’t keep away from each other.’
"I would give anything to be back there with Bridie. To have my chance again. To sweep her off her feet. I want to claw at the face of time, just to be back there with her."
"Her heart is beating so hard she is quite sure he will be able to hear it. Just this, their foreheads in contact, feels more intimate than any kiss. And then he pulls back. And he smiles at her, this young man she wants so badly, standing in front of all of these beautiful books written in a language she can’t read.
Eddie’s hand finds hers.
‘I won’t,’ he whispers. ‘But gosh, how I want to."
"This is mine , her heart says. I want it , says her greed. And the longing, accompanied with the knowledge that he cannot be hers, is what makes the first tear fall."
"There is no limit on love. I am glad to know she had more than even she knew."
"Marjie places Bridie’s shining golden heart in the centre of my palm. And we are together again, we two things that belonged to Bridie Bennett."
‘If I’m in Bridie Bennett’s heart, that’s enough for me.’
‘Oh, if one doesn’t have etiquette, what does one have?’
"looking would be better than not looking."
"Why do we spend so much money on flowers for the dead but barely ever buy them for the living?"
"And you never forget your first."
"HE IS NOT dead.
They will meet the next morning.
Her hands are shaking so much she pours herself a glass of sherry.
He is not dead.
They will meet the next morning.
Good God.
Bridie feels as though she is filled with helium."
‘You waited,’ she says, and she seems saddened by the thought.
‘I waited,’ I tell her, and it sounds like a song.
The light of the hospital window ignites her hair and everything glowing metal around her.
She smiles again.
Eddie , her smile says. It’s time.
And so
I take her perfect face in my hands
and she leans in close
and I close my eyes
and it begins.'