I would have to say this is not an easy book to read but it is compelling.
I found the book to be divided by not just seminal moments of impact but also themes of friendship, relationships, grief, types of love, expectation and longing. I really mustn't forget loneliness - this book is full of loneliness, and it makes me sad to know it is based on the authors real experience.
When Carolina meets Aksel we see her progress through "normal" relationship desires all by herself. Objectively the reader can see that at no point was Aksel ever truly committed to her. He is lonely in a crowded room, she is lonely when she's with him. Nothing truly works. And yet Carolina is tenacious. She holds on because of the effort she has invested.
Then, very suddenly, she is alone with her baby to raise.
Grief is a huge theme in this book. It is an overwhelming part of Carolina's life and she carries guilt and control with her st all times, nurturing theme.
There is no real conclusion to this book as it is more like a recollection of events, moments of learning and reflection.

Carolina and her partner Aksel have an 8 month old son and have been going through a bit of a rocky patch, but Carolina's world is turned upside down with Aksel dies suddenly one night. A poignant and emotional read, reflecting the author's own feeling after the loss of her partner. A heartbreaking story of loss and strength,

A poignant and emotional read. The book charts the life of Carolina after her partner dies suddenly and unexpectedly leaving her with a baby son and how she deals with the aftermath. It also shares her memories of the short time they had together. Harrowing at times and hopefully a cathartic book for the author to write. The book is translated excellently from Swedish to English and flowed well as a result. There is a lot of soul searching and Carolina is brutally honest about her raw feelings so it is not a light read but compulsive.

An honest and raw account of how the author felt after the death of her partner. This book is heartbreaking in places. There is also a strength in the author to keep going.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

When Carolina’s partner dies suddenly, she had to learn how to function as a single parent, a single person and a grieving spouse. Carolina’s story follows a timeline of about 10 yrs, detailing the beginning of their relationship, dealing with grief at different stages and addressing how she learned to carry on following this enormous loss. Written from Carolina’s own personal experiences this incredibly personal account is simply heartbreaking. Slow at times, but well written and hard to put down.

This book is written from the perspective of a young widow, Carolina to her partner, Askel after his sudden death. She recounts their early relationship and the birth of their son. She also writes about their experiences in the two years after his death. The book covers a period of around ten years. She tells of the traumatic times bringing up their son alone. Carolina is not the easiest of people as she freely admits, but she tells her story very open and honestly.

It's hard to write a review that's dealing with someone's raw emotions. When someone we love passes, we all grieve in different ways. It's quite a sad story to read. It's moving and will touch most readers hearts. It's difficult to read in places and I had to stop reading it several times as I could not see for the tears.a really well written story that will resonate with many readers.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Bloomsbury Publishing Plc (UK & ANZ) and the author Carolina Setterwell for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was not what I expected. Bereavement and grief are covered very sympathetically and you immediately feel sorry for the main character. I did find the Swedish elements of the book distracting and for this reason I probably wouldn’t want to read anymore books by this author.

Set in Sweden this brutally honest book tells of Carolina’s grief after the sudden death of her partner Askel. Carolina finds it difficult to cope with the aftermath as she never really found closure due to no definitive cause of death. She is left with a small baby and obviously has so many different emotions including guilt and inadequacy to work through. Carolina becomes instantly more protective over her son Ivan as she learns to be both Mum and Dad to him.

As the story progresses we move on to the enviable of meeting someone new, this relationship is also thwart with obstacles so Carolina is clearly not ready to move on yet.

This debut is not a cosy read but honesty had me hooked from the start even with its painful sections.

My thanks to Net Galley for the ARC . This is my own opinion of this book.

This felt a very odd fish of a book and while it was no doubt brave of Setterwall to write and publish it I came to then end not knowing any more about her, Askel or their son.
I didn't connect with Carolina at all but I admire her for being so honest.

Let’s Hope For The Best
Author:Carolina Setterwall
Publishers: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
Publication Date 13 June 2019

Not an easy read. Blisteringly and brutally honest portrayal of love and loss. Well written and perfectly translated, you wouldn’t have known it wasn’t written in English. It made me think about life so for that I give it 4 stars.

I’d like to thank the author, publisher and netgalley for providing me with this advance reader copy in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

This book was not for me it was a bit boring and couldn’t relate to the characters very well written though.

Such a sad story, quite depressing in parts as I wondered if her life was ever going to get better. Readers who like emotional drama will enjoy this but for me it was just too much - I prefer a more uplifting story. The first half of the story was very good in that it makes the reader appreciate what we have in life and makes us realise how, in an instant, it could all be taken away.

Thank you for the opportunity to read 'Let's Hope for the Best'

I feel conflicted writing this review as I am not sure whether the book is a fictionalised account of Ms Setterwall's life or is purely autobiographical.

Her life was turned upside down by the death of her partner and she writes so honestly and painfully about her journey through this time, and about coping with a young baby. One can't help to feel overwhelming sympathy for her, for her partner who died too young and for her son who has lost so much.

However, as the book continues I felt I could not warm to her as she moved on with life because I felt that some of her life choices were disappointing. Of course, I still wish her well and hope that she has found happiness now.

Such a sad book, and so moving. It makes me want to know how Carro and Ivan are doing now. Who knows what the future brings, to go to sleep one night, with your baby son, and your 34 year old husband to die in his sleep, it sounds horrendous.

Loved it.

You find live and start a life together. But your partners life is cut short and you are left alone with a young baby. This book recalls the highs and lows of the following two years and at times recalls life before death. How yo cope, how to move forward and how to grieve?
A book that makes you think and gives an insight of one persons life as a single mom. Enjoy.

Written in the first person, this feels like a friend explaining to the reader in alternate chapters where she is now and then alternate chapters, when the story began and the events that occurred. We know immediately that Caroline has recently given birth and struggling with what to her is the monumental responsibility of a new baby. She then reminisces about a time when love and passion entered her life for the fist time in her late thirties. Her intrinsic nature is that of a person never satisfied with the now, restlessly and constantly seeking the next challenge, the next step forward and upward. Unfortunately the love of her life has the opposite personality and feels threatened by upheaval and change. A calamatious tragedy leaves her a single parent with little ability or courage to survive the future. We travel her path of fear, dependence and acute loneliness towards a very different future than envisaged during the heady passion of the first days of this love story. Nothing very much happens other than the daily struggle to survive everyday hurdles that are unable to be shared. The saying a problem shared is a problem halved happens in reverse. Every step forward creates a problem that our protagonist must resolve by her own efforts. Sad, uplifting and often frustrating, we work our way through this tragedy with no idea how the story will end. Human nature and the ability to rise above the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune are our only hope for this damaged and unhappy heroine. The author has delivered a storyline unusual in its subject matter and profound in the paths travelled when dealing with grief and loss.

LET’S HOPE FOR THE BEST

BY

Carolina Setterwall

This is an incredibly sad story written from the author’s own experience. But unless you enjoy reading other people’s diaries telling of loss and grief it is not for you.
There is nothing new in this book and I expect the writer used the writing of it as a catharsis. Anyone who has lost someone close to them, particularly if the death is very sudden and unexpected will relate to the writer’s mood and feelings. Yes friends and family rally round and it is easy to lean on them as Caro does, and a familiar scenario, but that does not create a plot and in this case there is almost no plot at all. The book details her collapse at the sudden unexplained death of her partner and her struggle coping with a young baby and as he grows into a toddler. Lonely weekends wishing she could meet up with friends rather than entertain her baby are well documented.
There is a certain mysterious quality to her relationship with her partner as they never appeared to be a couple or to make any close connection. However there is no doubt she was devastated when he died.
Readers will feel lithe author’s pain and sympathise with her but basically I found the book totally boring with a thin structure. Private musings that should have remained so.

A compelling and honest exploration of love and grief. A close family member of mine suffered a similar tragedy to Carolina, and this book brought back all the memories of that terrible time. Carolina may not always be admirable, but she is completely sympathetic, and at the end of the book the reader is left hoping for the best for her, and her son's future.

Such a honest read and beautifully written. It’s really made me think and I think it’ll stay with me for a while. Definitely recommended.

I couldn't finish the book as it was too slow and tedious for me. I found the protagonist to be cold and unlikeable and it left me not wanting to read more about her life.

As the book is a memoir, I apologise to the author but I received the ARC from NetGalley in return for an honest review, and this book was not for me.