Valencia is 35 and works as a debt collector. She also has OCD and an abnormal obsession with death and dying. She has few friends until she starts talking to a very handsome male colleague, followed by a phone relationship with a man in New York, and then a girl who takes a short term job as a debt collector whilst she is engaged.

We then meet Mrs Valentine. She is 87, and lived close to her friend Mrs Davies. When Mrs Davies Granddaughter comes to help her in the flat, she cant help but regale her with stories of her past.

The story switched back and forth between the two, finally connecting the stories together, although most will have guessed the connection before.

This could have been an amazing story, but just fell a little flat for me.

This is a quirky, yet easy read. It started slow for me yet picked up and I was able to finish it rather quickly. However, it left me feeling a little unsettled, for lack of a better word. It’s an enjoyable read yet I never connected with the characters. I absolutely love quirky characters but I had a hard time with these. The writing is fine, the book is fine, but I can’t quite put my finger on what it was that stopped me from loving this. Others have loved this so I’m going to chalk it up to just not being the book for me. Thank you to the publisher for this advance reader in exchange for my honest review.

This book was a very short read, as I was able to get it read basically in a day with various stops. Whereas it was a little slow at the beginning, it did get much better and moved along very well. I found myself thinking how the characters were connected, and at times went back to re-read a page or two, to check how I missed something. I found the characters to be believable, and you start to root for the main character. I enjoyed the quick read!

I honestly don't know what to say about this book, I have totally mixed reviews. I have had to take a couple of days to think about what to write.

First off, look at that cover. Isn't it a beaut? I was really excited to read this book on the basis of the cover alone.

I actually found it really hard to get in to. The alternating narratives between Valencia and Mrs Valentine didn't bother me, I found it easy to distinguish between the characters with Valencia talking about the present whilst Mrs Valentine talks about her past for the main part.

Valencia's suffering of OCD was intriguing to me. My partner suffers from severe OCD similar to that of Valencia so I felt that part was relatable. To understand it from the sufferer's point of view was an eye-opener. It allows you to see how living with the disorder can affect people. However at times I just wanted to pull her from the pages and strangle her. I felt impatience and even dislike towards her.

There were a few times I wanted to put this book down but both characters would draw me back in. I can't quite put my finger on why I continued reading. I guess I wanted to see where each woman's story would end.

This was definitely a hard book to review and explain. Unfortunately I don't think it was a good fit for me.

Thank you to Netgalley, Lake Union Publishing and Suzy Krause for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Valencia and Valentine is actually better than Eleanor Oliphant. The ending was a surprise, the way the writer tells the story about two woman from different ages, living in fear of everything. I highly recommend it.