Little Big Love is exactly what I needed, a story about family, secrets, love and forgiveness. Yes, I cried. Several times. I also laughed out loud. What a lovely read Katy Regan has provided. I particularly appreciated the appropriateness of the dialogue to the age of the characters, it never seemed contrived or out of place. Relating the story thru three distinct voices, a ten year old Zac, his mother Juliet and his grandfather Mick was a well used device. The characters are all truly deep and still easy to connect to and the story itself unfolds slowly but evenly. I will look for more from this talented author.

This was an adorable story of ten year old Zac who is overweight and bullied and just wants to know why his dad left him.

Juliet, his single mother, tries to do her best for her very intelligent and imaginative son. However, the family has secrets that involve Zac's dad and only one person can get to the bottom of that secret.

Mick is the grandfather who sees a whole new world through his grandson's eyes and also holds a terrible secret.

Absolutely delightful read that I thoroughly enjoyed!!

Thanks to Berkley Publishing and Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

A fabulous book about families and the secrets they keep that are better served out in the open. This book is chock full of characters that will make you laugh, cry and want to befriend. Zac and Teagan, the two 10-yr-olds who drive the action are two of the best characters I've met in a long time.

A really sweet and adorable short read. For every somersault my heart does there is just as much heart break also. I found myself lost in all of my feelings. I hadnt known my own father for about 26 years. All I had ever heard were the mistakes he made, and how was hias loss to not know me. However, that's not how it felt to me. I felt like I had done something to come him away, I felt different from kids who did have dads, even more so both parents. Not having a great relationship with my mother also hurt that process. Things are different today, but none the less this story plucked every one of my heart strings.
10 year old Zac has only ever been told one thing about his father Liam, from all of his family members. But Zac knew he had to have a dad, everyone has a father. Soon a drunken Juliet, Zac Mother, spills the beans and admits the love she had for Liam never left when he did. Now on a mission, Zac enlists help from his best friend Reagan, to find his father!!

Little Big Love is an emotional tale of a broken family. Zac has always wondered why his father walked out on him. After his mom shared that Zac’s father was the love of her life Zac comes up with the brilliant idea of finding his father! He want to reunite his broken family so badly!
Katy Regan writes a compelling tale full with family secrets that can’t stay hidden anymore. Check out this complex family tale!

3.49 stars

I can’t quite bring myself to rate Little Big Love in a way that rounds up to 4 stars. I enjoyed parts of it but I found it took an awfully long time to get to what was a fairly predictable end. Zac is 10 years old and lives with his single mother Juliet. As far as Zac knows, his father did a runner before he was born, but he’s determined to find him. The story focuses on Zac’s quest to find his father and the backstory about why his father disappeared. The story is told from Zac, Juliet and Zac’s grandfather’s points of view. Zac is wise, overweight and plagued by bullies. The adults are flawed, but not ill meaning. They’ve made bad decisions they can’t seem to shake.

What I liked about Little Big Love is the voice the author gave each character, especially Zac. The characters had some dimension and there is fair bit of humour, despite some sad parts. This is what kept me reading. But I did find it dragged on and was predictable, all topped with a very unlikely ending.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read an advance copy.

This book was fantastic.

Zac is a 10 year old boy, old enough to know he has a dad, old enough to make it a personal mission to find and meet his dad. Because he believes, as sweet 10 year olds can, that this will make his mother happy again. Zac's character was the standout in this wonderful novel for me.

Juliet. Zac's mom, has many secrets, and many insecurities. Regan does a fantastic job of taking this complex character and making her feel totally real, and totally relatable.

This novel was a great balance, of heavy and light, and it was a book I couldn't wait to pick up.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book for review.

Heart-warming, sometimes tear-jerking look at what it's like to be struggling and overweight. Protagonists to root for.

Zac has always wondered why his dad left, and on one fateful night when his mother says his dad was the love of her life, he decides to find his father and bring his family back together. Set in a fishing town on the coast of England, Little Big Love is the story of a broken but loving family. There are deep family secrets and complicated fibs to cover those secrets. Zac’s mother and grandparents are filled with rage, grief, and guilt. The complex situation makes Zac’s find-dad mission even more difficult.

Zac, his mother, Juliet, and his maternal grandfather, Mick are the narrators of Little Big Love. Author Katy Regan superbly intertwines these three voices. While not all of her characters are completely likable, they are quite believable. I did love the innocence of ten-year-old Zac and his best friend, Teagan.

Ms. Regan tackles some hard topics (i.e., childhood obesity, bullying, addiction, shoplifting, poor living conditions and childhood illness), but she does so with a dash of humor and a dollop of panache. Her last-minute twist was quite shocking!

I was not enamored with most of the adults and their behavior, but overall, Little Big Love is a sweet, hopeful-yet-sad tale of love within an imperfect family. Pushing through the somewhat slow start, will be rewarded with a big finish.

4.5 Big Little Stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟.5

This book surprised me... I was expecting a light fun adorable read and what I got was so much more! This was a book about family, secrets, forgiveness, and love.... this was absolutely a more emotional read than I was anticipating, but so worth it!

The book was told from three different points of view.... 10-year-old Zac, his mother Juliet, and his grandfather Mick...Zac’s father pulled a runner before he was born, or so he thinks.... what really happened that tragic night that led to the death of Juliet’s brother Jamie? Juliet and both her parents have secrets they have kept the past 10 years, secrets that could possibly tear the family apart....BUT Zac is determined to find out all he can about his father....

Zac was an enchanting 10-year-old boy with a heart of gold... loved his obsession with fax and his friendship with the equally delightful Teagan... I felt so much for him especially when he was bullied for his weight... and my heart broke for his desire to find his father... but truly my absolute favorite part of this book was the charming friendship between Zac and Teagan... everybody needs a Teagan in their lives, she was just an exceptional character.... and some of her insights far surpassed her 10 years!

Juliet was also a very real and relatable character, the kind of character I’d love to go out to lunch with... I won’t judge what she did and did not tell her son, because I have never been in that situation.... and there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that she loved her son with all her heart and wanted nothing but the absolute best for him... same goes for grandpa Mick.... The stress and the burden brought on by the secrets that these to were keeping was so unfortunate....

The last 20% of this book was absolutely priceless! I was smiling the entire time unless tears were running down my face... an emotional ending to this beautiful story.... filled with hope, forgiveness, family, and love💕

*** many thanks to Berkley for my copy of this stunning book ***

Perhaps I would have enjoyed this more if there was more a secret as to Liam's disappearance or a focus on Zac but instead it felt a bit more like a slog through two plots with characters that never quite engaged me with heart. Just not for me. I received a copy of this egalley for an honest review.

Zac Hutchinson is a 10-year old boy growing up in a small town in England with single mom Juliet and his nearby grandparents, Lynda and Mick. He’s a lovely young boy who is fascinated with facts. After a particularly troublesome night where he hears his mother admit she still loves his father who disappeared when he was born, Zac embarks on a mission to find his “dad” with the help of his best friend Teagan. Unfortunately, he’s facing some serious challenges as his family is just as determined to keep secret the reasons behind his disappearance.

First of all, Zac is just a lovely, wonderful little boy. He has a big heart and is kind to a fault. He’s the center of mom Juliet’s world but not always in a good way, especially when it comes to their eating habits. The story is told from Zac, Juliet and Mick’s perspectives, which often sheds much needed light on the others’ points of view. The quest to find Liam Jones, Zac’s father, unraveled so many issues within each of them and the family, making this a layered and emotional journey. This family broke almost eleven years ago and never really recovered. Zac is the key to them finding their way to recovery, no matter how painful.

This book was a slow burn for me. I struggled through the first half, taking days to get there. But something miraculous happened at the halfway point. It all began to gel and I literally could not let the story go and finished it in one day. You absolutely must push through the initial malaise because the payoff is extraordinary. The scene in the restaurant? I’ll never, ever get over that. Cried like a baby. This story will stick with me forever. It’s not all sweetness and light but what is makes it a must read.

What a delightful, sweet, heart warming and sometimes heart wrenching novel.. I really enjoyed every character of the book- albeit many of them make big mistakes that effect others. But they are related and you see some decisions aren't so easy. I loved that the book was told from three points of view- 10 year old Zac, his mother, Juliet and his grandfather, Mick. It really helped you get a sense of the characters and why they dealt with things the way they did.

Zax has never met his father and doesn't understand why he left him. Zac and his BFF, Teagan, go on a mission to find his father. During this time you start to discover big family secrets that have been kept over the years. Secrets that effect Zac.

The book was relatable and makes you think- what would you do for love even knowing the effects it could have on others?

Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley for an ARC copy of the book.

I requested Katy Regan’s Little Big Love from Netgalley primarily because the book’s synopsis describes it as About a Boy meets Parenthood. Parenthood is one of my all-time favorite family-centric dramas and I loved it because every episode took me through a full range of emotions because I became so invested in the Braverman family: joy, sadness, anger, frustration, love, regret – you name it, I felt it. Seeing Little Big Love compared to Parenthood therefore made it a must-read for me. The comparison is apt too because the characters in Little Big Love captured my heart in much the same way the Bravermans did in Parenthood.

Little Big Love follows Zac Hutchinson, a 10-year old boy who is on a mission to find the his father, whom he has never met. Zac knows he has a dad because, of course, everyone does, but all Zac knows about his is that according to his mom and grandparents, Zac’s dad “did a runner” as soon as Zac was born and never came back. Zac has therefore spent his entire life without a dad and is obsessed with what it would be like to have one. The older he gets, the more convinced he is that if his dad could just meet him once, he’d want to stick around. Then, one fateful night when his mom, in a drunken state, confesses to Zac that she still loves his dad, Zac, with the help of his best friend Teagan, sets his “Find Dad Mission” into motion. Now he wants to find his dad, not just for himself, because he also thinks it would finally make his mom happy again.

There are many things to love about Little Big Love, but I don't want to spoil anything so here were the highlights for me:

Zac. 10-year-old Zac was, by far, my favorite character in this story. He’s such a sweetheart, always thinking of others, and just the type of kid who wouldn’t hurt a fly. It broke my heart to watch him obsess so much about not having a Dad in his life, especially once I realized how many secrets about his father his mom and grandparents were keeping from him. For reasons that weren’t revealed until much later, it was as if all mention of Zac’s father had been banned from their household so Zac literally knew nothing about his dad, aside from his name. Zac was also an incredibly sympathetic character because he’s being bullied at school because of his weight and because he doesn’t stick up for himself. The kids are just so evil and relentless, and I cried for Zac several times as I was reading. Regan really got me in the feels when it came to Zac.

Teagan. Teagan is Zac’s classmate and best friend, and she is the spunkiest little firecracker there ever was. She is Zac’s biggest supporter, which makes me love her all the more knowing how low Zac’s self-esteem is because of his weight and because of the constant bullying. Teagan is also a breath of fresh air, frequently using comical expressions like “He just needs a rocket up his bum!” to bring some levity and humor into what is otherwise a pretty heavy story. My favorite thing about Teagan is her enthusiastic support of Zac’s mission to find his dad. She spends a lot of time watching crime and detective shows so that she can share helpful tips on how Zac should conduct his investigation and gather evidence that will help locate his dad. It’s just adorable!

3 Points of View. While the children were my favorite characters in Little Big Love and Zac’s chapters were my favorites because that have that honesty and tell-it-like-it-is bluntness that only an innocent child can bring, I also appreciated that the story was presented not just from Zac’s perspective, but also from the perspectives of Zac’s mom, Juliet, and Zac’s grandfather, Mick. Juliet is a single mom who is struggling to make ends meet and who is also dealing with her own self-esteem and weight issues. All she wants is what’s best for Zac but sometimes finds herself questioning her life’s choices. Mick, Zac’s granddad brings us the perspective of a recovering alcoholic who loves his family more than life itself, but who is weighted down by secrets that if revealed, could cost him everyone he loves. I loved all of the layers that Regan adds to the story by using these three completely different perspectives.

Realistic Issues and Big Themes. As I mentioned earlier, at times, Little Big Love was a heavy read. It deals with some issues and themes that really got to me on an emotional level. They’re issues that many families will face and perhaps they got to me all the more since I have a son Zac’s age.

There is of course the family drama with these secrets that they’re keeping and how those secrets are just weighing everyone down. But then there’s also alcoholism, bullying, loss and grief, and mental health/low self-esteem issues as well. This whole family has been through so much, and as I said with Parenthood, I became so invested in them that their stories – the good and the bad – just really had me so emotional at times. Bless little Teagan and her “rocket up the bum” jokes to lighten the mood and keep things from getting too heavy, lol.

Even though I really enjoyed Little Big Love overall, I did occasionally struggle with the pacing, especially in the beginning. I adored all of Zac’s chapters and just flew through them, but I’ll admit that I struggled to get into Juliet’s story and even Mick’s at first. I was a little put off by the secrets they were keeping because I just didn’t see where any good could possibly come from what they were doing. Ultimately though, they won me over because it became clear that they both loved Zac more than anything else in this world and that they were beating themselves up about their choices just as much, if not even more, than I was beating them up.

Katy Regan’s Little Big Love is a moving story about a flawed but beautiful family and the things they’re willing to do to protect both themselves and the ones they love. They don’t always make the best choices, but their hearts are in the right place, even if their heads aren’t. I’d recommend this to anyone who enjoys books that feature endearing characters, especially lovable children, as well as messy but realistic family situations.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Berkley, and Katy Regan for the opportunity to read this heart-warming novel - 4.5 stars for a great read!

Zac is a ten-year-old boy living with mom, Juliet. Zac is heavy and is the target of bullying at school. Thankfully, he has a best friend who is a girl, Teagan. Juliet has always told Zac that his dad did a "runner" before he was born but lately Zac and Teagan are on a mission to find his dad. However, just the mention of his dad causes Juliet and her parents much grief. Everyone is harboring secrets about a night long ago that caused an accident in the family that no one can forget or forgive.

Told from the viewpoints of Zac, Juliet and Mick (Juliet's dad) this is a story of what keeping secrets can do and how one boy can change the path of everyone's lives. Great characters and a wonderful book!

Ten year old Zac wants to know who his father is and where he is. His father left for a reason and each family member will need to learn about love and secrets.

I tried to get into this book twice and it just really didn't quite grab my attention. The characters weren't very interesting and I wasn't into the story line too much.

Beguiling, poignant, and incredibly uplifting!

Little Big Love is an exceptionally absorbing tale set in the small, economically declining, fishing town of Grimsby and told from three different perspectives. Zac, a sweet, innocent young boy contending with ongoing bullying from his peers and a relentless hunt for the father he’s never known. Juliet, a single mother with a big heart struggling to care and support those she loves as well as herself. And Mick, a loving grandfather who’s weighed down by the secrets he keeps and the feelings of loss and grief that constantly surround him.

The prose is eloquent and expressive. The characters are genuine, sorrowful, sympathetic, and lovable. And the story is a beautifully mesmerizing tale about life, loss, love, grief, long-hidden secrets, forgiveness, familial drama, friendship, courage, community, moving on, and happiness.

Little Big Love is a masterfully crafted, astute tale that immerses you so thoroughly into the lives, feelings, and personalities of the characters you never want it to end, and it is without a doubt one of my favourite novels of the year.

3.5 stars

I’ve been reading so many heavy books lately, and I readily admit these are the types of stories I am drawn to. Once in a while I need a break and I read that this was a feel good story. However, I soon found that it was not a light read. There’s bullying, alcoholism, grief that causes some of the characters to make mistakes that will make them carry remorse and secrets for years.

Child narrators appeal to me, mostly for their capacity to many times see things as they are and tell it like it is. So of course, I especially liked ten year old Zac’s narrative as he struggles with bullying over his weight and wants so much to find the father he never knew. There are two other narratives - his mother Juliet , struggling to be a single parent and dealing with her own issues of low self esteem, and his grandfather Mick who deeply loves his grandson and keeps a secret for fear of losing him. I connected with Zac and Mick from the start, but it took me a while to warm up to Juliet. The beginning and ending were much stronger than the middle of the book, which felt slow at times, thus the 3.5. I was, however so vested in Zac’s search for his father and the last part of the book was particularly well done so I rounded up to 4 stars. Recommended to those who love a good family story about some realistic issues.

I received an advanced copy of this book from Berkeley through Edelweiss and NetGalley.

This was not exactly what I had expected, but it was an interesting read anyways! Little Big Love is written in three changing perspectives – Zac, a young boy who is overweight and searching for his father; Juliet, Zac’s mother; and Mick, Zac’s grandfather who is hiding a few secrets of his own. That one night, years ago, everything changed, and the family only agrees on one thing: Don’t tell Zac. But as he grows up, he becomes determined to discover the other half of his family.

There were definitely a lot of things going on in this book, and while I understand that realistically a family could deal with multiple issues at once, I feel like it made the book a little messy because there seemed to be multiple plots going on at once. The book covered alcohol addiction, bullying, obesity, binge-eating, grief, and of course, family; the two big ones were Zac being bullied for being overweight, and him finding out the truth about his father. I feel as though one of these plots should have been treated with more significance with the other, but because they were both often mentioned and were never really intertwined, I felt almost as if I was reading two different stories.

The characters were okay; Zac’s narration is definitely in the tone of a child, and it almost made me wonder if this book would be more suited towards a middle-grade reader. I did like the more adult tone of Juliet and Mick’s perspectives, but their voices weren’t nearly as interesting as Zac’s. The author definitely succeeded in making the styles align with the intended narrator.

I didn’t really love the characters too much, and while I understand that everyone was dealing with different issues, and that grief is such a powerful emotion, I didn’t feel as connected to them as I could have. Instead, I was frustrated and sometimes, downright annoyed with just how extremely self-centered many of the characters could be.

Overall, this was a very typical child-finds-parent story, but with a whole lot more dysfunction thrown in. Lots of people definitely enjoyed this, so ya’ll can still give it a try, but it wasn’t for me.