Readers will be drawn to this book initially by its eye-catching cover but what will keep them reading is Lawson Timmer's heart-felt vision of family, second chances and redemption.

After a failed marriage and the public humiliation that accompanied it, Markie moves herself and her teenage son to a new town to start over. Her goal? To blend into the background, keep her head down and make some money.

But she didn't anticipate Mrs. Saint.

Mrs. Saint is a force to be reckoned with. She's an elderly whirling dervish of good intentions but how she puts those intentions into practice aren't for the faint of heart. Resistance is futile. Sure, she can be abrasive, she's a know-it-all and pushy but she's the grand dame of the neighbourhood who has her hand in everyone's lives for various reasons. She is drawn to help (whether they want it or not) the lost, the lonely and those who need someone in their corner.

I went into this book knowing I'd get a story that centered around family because that's what Lawson Timmer writes best. Not necessarily the traditional family unit because family isn't always born. Sometimes family emerges from the people we choose as family - friends, neighbours etc. The cast is made up of a melange of lost souls that Mrs. Saint has pulled into her small universe for different reasons. They are a diverse bunch and their interactions are sometimes quirky and humorous as well as poignant and touching.

Markie was slow to warm to Mrs. Saint (and outright hated her at times) and I was slow to warm to Markie. Some of her reactions felt over-the-top but even when I didn't agree with her behaviour there was always an inkling of her that I liked. The more she came to understand herself the more I could get behind her as a protagonist.

This book hits many of the 'great read' check marks. It's got an interesting premise, two important themes (family and the strength one gains from helping others) and is filled with heart, a bit of humour and even an intriguing mystery. What more could you ask for?

Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to Lake Union Publishing for providing me with an e-book copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Another one of my favorite type of books, total upheaval in a seemingly perfect life, Markie finds out her husband has been cheating on her in the worst possible way, when she walks into the foo-foo coffee shop where the yoga pants clad moms from her son's private school meet to talk about fundraisers and fashion. That day they are looking at pictures on a cell phone and it's Markie's husband Kyle and one of the moms! Markie takes instand action, filing for divorce, moving to a nearby community, renting a bungalow for her son Jesse and herself. She just wants to be left alone to start a new life where no one knows her and her husband's indiscretions. Mrs. Saint, the elderly busybody next door has a different plan and begins to infiltrate Markie and Jesse's lives. Markie doesn't realize that Mrs. Saint and her Defectives is just what she needs to begin to live and enjoy life to the fullest.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own.

A few times a year I read a book that I absolutely love and want everyone to know about. This book is one I will be spreading the word on.

I previously read Untethered by Julie Lawson Timmer. I loved the characters and storyline. In Mrs. Saint and the Defectives, I once again loved the story and characters. Yet, these are two different books. Julie Lawson Timmer doesn't do cookie cutter novels. She does different and does it extremely well.

I do not want to spoil the book. I wish to tell readers to take a chance and read this book. Read about and fall in love with Mrs. Saint and her quirky group of Defectives. And then become drawn in to the story which is waiting for you in-between the pages.

What a light, sweet summer read. Markie is a middle-aged mom who seems to have it all until one day she doesn't. She's forced to realize that she doesn't have an honest husband and he's spent all their money. She must get a divorce and move herself and her son, Jesse, from the ritzy lifestyle and private school setting to a bungalow in a different part of town. Things have hit rock bottom. Her son hates her, she has what seems like nothing and to top it off on the day she moves, her soon to be ex-husband never shows up to help them move even though he says he will. Enter Mrs. Saint! A lively old French woman next door sees Marlie and her son struggling to move furniture. She immediately shouts orders to two men in French and has them moving all of the furniture into the house. It seems that Mrs. Saint is a nosy old busybody who is interfering with all aspects of Markie's crumbling life. No matter how hard Markie tries to stay away, Mrs. Saint is always there with words of wisdom about how she should do things the correct way. Mrs. Saint also has many people who are in and out of her house. They seem to do odd jobs to help her, however, each of them doesn't seem to do their job real well. Markie can't figure out why they are there, but she keeps reminding herself that she doesn't really care. Before Markie and Jesse know it, they are totally involved in all the goings on with the Mrs. Saint and her "defectives". The rest is a great story of second chances, honesty & trust, and a true sense of community.

This is a wonderful book about family, friendship and neighbors. Markie's life has fallen apart after a public humiliation about her husband's infidelity. She and her teenage son move to a neighborhood where she doesn't know anyone and plans not to make friends. Her plan is quickly ruined by a small older French accented neighbor who quickly tries to pull Markie and her son into her world. The neighbor, Mrs. Saint runs a different type of household and has variousvery quirky and down on their luck people helping her - a cook who burns everything, a brash mother and her small daughter and a handyman who tends to mess up everything that he works on. As Markie resists being pulled into the life of the people next door, her son Jesse begins to get to know them. Markie finds that maybe its time to leave her intended isolation and accept the friendship being offered and the results of that decision are wonderful for her and her son.

This is a fun book to read - often funny but more importantly very timely with two main themes - joy in life can be found by helping people who need help and family is more than blood relations, its made up of the people we care most about.

Thanks to the author and netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.

The cover for Mrs. Saint and the Defectives is spectacular; it is one of my favorite covers this year. The story inside is cute too, and while I adore my current neighbors, I would love to have Mrs. Saint and her Defectives in my neighborhood too. Recovering from a very public humiliation, Markie and her son Jesse move to a smaller home hoping to get away from prying eyes. Instead, they gain the attention of their new neighbor Mrs. Saint who makes it her personal business to help those in need including Markie and her son. While Markie is very slow to warm to her neighbor, Mrs. Saint tries to make her understand the importance of community and human connection. Timmer’s message is an important one, and the story is sweet and at times pretty humorous. I also loved the authentic and likeable characters. I received an advance review copy of this book from the Great Thoughts’ Ninja Review Team. All opinions are my own.

I was fortunate enough to receive an early copy of this book from the publisher, and I am thanking everything on earth I was chosen. Mrs. Saint and the Defectives was a wonderful read, with characters that reached out and brought you into their world. And what a world it is. When I first heard about this book, I thought that Mrs. Saint was the type of person you simultaneously would want as a neighbor, and dread to have as one. I wasn't wrong. By the time I hit chapter 3 I knew I was in for an amazing story. By the time I hit chapter 33, I was knocked for a loop and was dreading how close I was to the end of the book, and therefore near the end of my time with this wonderful group of people.

I think it's safe to say that this is the best book I've read so far this year, and I expect I'll be thinking about it for awhile.. I've never read anything by Julie Lawson Timmer before, but after this experience I will definitely search out her other novels.

Loved this heartfelt story by Julie Lawson Timmer. I've been a fan since her debut, "Five Days Left" which resonated with me on many levels. In fact, I'll never forget it!

This novel deals with the difficult topic of moving on once a marriage ends. I feel it accurately depicts how one's guard would be up and as a result makes it difficult to accept help. This leads me right into Mrs Saint, what a character! I mean that literally. We can all hope to say that we have been cared for by someone like her. She cares and she takes action. I do not want to give anything away, but wow.

The book sends the subtle message that we not only must care for others, but that it is ok to accept help when it's offered. Mrs. Saint, despite her faults, mae her part of the world a better place. The historical element explained a lot about her motivation.

Markie's life falls apart. Her husband Kyle cheats on her, they are completely broke, and she must quit her job. She moves with her son Jesse into a new house in a new neighborhood. As they are unloading the moving truck their new neighbor Mrs. Saint comes over and introduces herself. She plants herself firmly into Markie and Jesse's lives. She is overbearing but quite lovable. She has her team of "defectives" as she calls them that work for her at her house. They are people she has taken under her wing to help. After finishing the book, I can honestly say I want to live beside Mrs. Saint and be a defective. I loved this book and the characters are ones that will stay with you. Thank you so much to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for providing me an ARC in return for an honest review.

What a book! Really enjoyed! Highly recommend. Perfect book club pick!

Mrs. Saint and the Defectives is a quirky, humorous, but extremely heartfelt book. Markie has uprooted her son and herself following a divorce, far from the private school, country club life they were used to. The day she moves in, she is introduced to Mrs. Saint, a bossy, opinionated Frenchwoman, and her employees. As Mrs. Saint ingratiates herself into the lives of Markie and her son, Markie is annoyed, not only because she wants to be left alone, but because Mrs. Saint is less than forthcoming about her own life. As Markie learns more about the employees, she discovers a common bond....people who have been down on their luck, people who Mrs. Saint has stepped in to help....the defectives. Can this group of bedraggled misfits worm their way into Markie's walled off heart? And what deep secrets is Mrs. Saint hiding from Markie? The characters in this book are all so diverse and unique, and the interactions between them are sometimes humorous, sometimes so poignant, as Markie discovers what lies beneath. This is a very tender book about second chances and starting over, and about opening up our hearts to the defectives all around us.